Nonagenarian Alan Bennett is back with a new novella…
Fiction
1. Killing Time by Alan Bennett is published in hardback by Faber & Faber. Available now
'Bennett is possibly the single most influential writer of his generation' Craig Brown
The inimitable Alan Bennett returns with a gift of a new short story, Killing Time.
Pre-order with Foyles by Nov 2 for the chance to win The History Boys tickets: https://t.co/yBHOT3fSdy pic.twitter.com/V2DxpcYyoh— Profile Books (@ProfileBooks) October 25, 2024
Acclaimed playwright, writer and wry commentator on the minutia of everyday Britishness, Leeds-born dramatist Alan Bennett returns with his latest offering, novella Killing Time. Hill Topp house is a superior council home, with an array of quintessentially Bennett characters – an ex-cruise ship hairdresser, a delusional archaeologist, and natty knitter Phyllis. When COVID comes and brings confusion, death and disarray, hospitalising the staff, the residents are left to run the ship. This is a rare gift from nonagenarian Bennett, which uses his talent for characters and their individual quirks to illuminate a topic so harrowing from recent times. The plot lags somewhat, but the characters are nonetheless enjoyable.
8/10
(Review by Holly Cowell)
2. Ink Ribbon Red by Alex Pavesi is published in hardback by Michael Joseph. Available now
The "Master Puppeteer" is back. Happy Publication Day @pavesi_alex. The brilliantly twisty INK RIBBON RED is out TODAY with @MichaelJBooks pic.twitter.com/bSDOFKRRKg
— Watson, Little Ltd (@watsonlittle) November 7, 2024
Alex Pavesi’s Ink Ribbon Red follows the same path of tricksy ingenuity in the crime genre that he carved out in his previous book, Eight Detectives. In a new spin on the traditional country house murder, six friends gather for the host’s weekend birthday celebration and are tasked with playing a game. Each participant chooses two names from the group, who then become the murderer and victim in their original crime story. The stories are then shared, and a winner declared. However, truth and fiction become bloodily entwined, and with a structure of misdirection, you’re soon left pondering what’s real and what’s purely nasty imagination. The many time-hops and slow warm-up demand focus and perseverance, but this pays off elegantly once the truth begins to reveal itself. Ink Ribbon Red could be accused of style over substance – but when the style is this good, it’s worth the investment.
7/10
(Review by Amanda Willard)
3. Hotel Lucky Seven by Kotaro Isaka, translated by Brian Bergstrom is published in hardback by Harvill Secker. Available now
It's time to check in... whether you check out alive is another question all together.
The thrilling and fun HOTEL LUCKY SEVEN by Kotaro Isaka, translated by Brian Bergstrom, is out today!
A luxury hotel full of assassins -- what could go wrong? pic.twitter.com/RxNIHWVDBoAdvertisement— HarvillSecker (@HarvillSecker) November 7, 2024
If you were a fan of Bullet Train, then Kotaro Isaka’s follow-up, Hotel Lucky Seven, will be one for you. The fast pace that set the tone for Bullet Train is carried through in this instalment, which is centred around a luxury hotel full of assassins. Nanao, who is dubbed ‘the unluckiest assassin in the world’, has been tasked with a simple job: deliver a birthday present to someone at the hotel, and then leave. But as you can imagine, the job turns out to be anything but straightforward. There are a host of other colourful characters that you meet along the way too: a young woman with a photographic memory who is hiding out in the hotel and the group sent to retrieve her. You’re never quite sure who’s after what, or who, and the twists and turns make it a lively read.
7/10
(Review by Kerri-Ann Roper)
Non-fiction
4. Lifeform by Jenny Slate is published in hardback by Fleet. Available now
Today is the day! Jenny Slate's LIFEFORM is out in the world! Her new book is a wild, soulful, hilarious collection of genre-bending essays depicting the journey into motherhood as you’ve never seen it before. https://t.co/emxDOMOebU pic.twitter.com/UhdMsciDAS
— Little, Brown and Co (@littlebrown) October 22, 2024
Actor and comedian Jenny Slate – who co-created Marcel The Shell and recently appeared in summer blockbuster, It Ends With Us – has put together one of the more unique books of the year. Lifeform is a series of essays, predominantly focusing on her journey to motherhood and experiences after birth, but this is no simple first-person narration. Instead, Slate uses her weird and wonderful brain to explore topics like love, family and more, in unusual ways, such as through dream sequences, fake letters to a doctor and excerpts from a play. Some of the tableaus don’t quite work, but on the whole it’s hugely imaginative and interesting – just like Slate.
7/10
(Review by Prudence Wade)
Children’s book of the week
5. Everywhere With You by Carlie Sorosiak, illustrated by Devon Holzwarth, is published in paperback by Walker Books. Available now
A cosy, feel-good tale of friendship and belonging, beautifully illustrated and well written for a young audience. Each night, a girl and the dog next door – in their respective gardens and with a fence between them – sit close, share snacks and escape on various adventures through many books the little girl reads aloud, both imagining they were off in different worlds together. The story explores many feelings along the way, making the reader aware that sometimes, loneliness can affect someone they know and maybe becoming a friend to them could help ease their pain. The way the book also touches on longing, love and acceptance may help children familiarise themselves with more mature thoughts around others.
7/10
(Review by Karen Shield)
BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 9th
HARDBACK (FICTION)
1. In Too Deep by Lee Child & Andrew Child
2. The Party by Tessa Hadley
3. Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
4. Killing Time by Alan Bennett
5. We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
6. The Return To Caraval Complete Collection Box Set
7. Murder Under The Mistletoe by Reverend Richard Coles
8. The Christmas Stocking Murders by Denzil Meyrick
9. The Proof Of My Innocence by Jonathan Coe
10. A Short History Of The Apocalypse by Frankie Boyle & Charlie Skelton
(Compiled by Waterstones)
HARDBACK (NON-FICTION)
1. Jimmy Anderson by Jimmy Anderson
2. All That Matters by Sir Chris Hoy
3. Unleashed by Boris Johnson
4. Simply Jamie by Jamie Oliver
5. Guinness World Records 2025
6. Diddly Squat by Jeremy Clarkson
7. Private Eye Annual 2024 by Ian Hislop
8. Inside Mercedes F1 by Matt Whyman
9. An Absolute Casserole by Alex Horne & Jack Bernhardt
10. Everything Happens For A Reason by Danny Care
(Compiled by Waterstones)
AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NON-FICTION)
1. We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
2. I Haven’t Been Entirely Honest With You by Miranda Hart
3. Lights Out by Navessa Allen
4. The Hotel Avocado by Bob Mortimer
5. In Too Deep by Lee Child & Andrew Child
6. All That Matters by Sir Chris Hoy
7. Odyssey by Stephen Fry
8. Atomic Habits by James Clear
9. Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams
10. Unleashed by Boris Johnson
(Compiled by Audible)
