Cecilia Rabess has written one of the most highly anticipated debuts of the year…
Fiction
1. Everything’s Fine by Cecilia Rabess is published in hardback by Picador. Available now
This Thursday, we publish Everything's Fine by Cecilia Rabess. Our lead debut for 2023, and the book that has already got everyone talking - we can't wait to see what you think 💥
Pre-order from @Waterstones now: https://t.co/kAUsY1bwoo pic.twitter.com/Li88yUOAh6— Picador Books (@picadorbooks) June 5, 2023
Cecilia Rabess’s debut novel Everything’s Fine has already caused quite a stir online. If it isn’t already at the top of your summer reading list, then it should be. To call it a romance would do the novel a disservice – it is much more complex than that. It highlights a necessary and familiar debate – how do you square the circle of having vastly different political beliefs to your loved ones? Jess – who is black – and Josh – who is white – first meet at university, and once again when they start working at Goldman Sachs. Their working relationship blossoms into a friendship and then, inevitably, a relationship. The novel attempts to reckon with America’s not too distant past and shows the polarisation experienced by American society in the dawn of the Trump age with the eventual strain in the protagonists’ relationship. Intensely readable and relatable, with snappy, smart dialogue, you will stay up to the wee hours devouring this.
10/10
(Review by Lauren Gilmour)
2. The Fire by Daniela Krien is published in hardback by MacLehose Press. Available now
'A quietly devastating portrayal of a marriage in decline.' @guardian
How can two lovers find a way back to each other, when the pain of the past stands between them? THE FIRE by Daniela Krien (trans. Jamie Bulloch) is out now from @maclehosepress. pic.twitter.com/m4FEUUya0e— Quercus Books (@QuercusBooks) June 8, 2023
Don’t go into The Fire expecting a fast-paced, plot-driven book – instead, it’s a deeply engaging look at one woman’s experience of middle age. Set over three weeks in a remote country house in Germany, Rahel finds herself at a crossroads with her husband Peter: does she still love him? Does he still want her? This is a subdued book, but that doesn’t make it any less captivating. Through Rahel’s not always likeable but very realistic perspective, we learn about her complex relationship with her children and the changing world around her as someone who grew up in a divided Germany. It’s beautifully written, subtle and shines a light on the feelings and desires of middle-aged women – a group too often ignored.
8/10
(Review by Prudence Wade)
3. The Summer Skies by Jenny Colgan is published in hardback by Sphere. Available now
Third-generation pilot Morag is ticking off what she’s internalised as a good life: a nice boyfriend, a well-paid promotion and the glamour of long haul. Then her Scottish roots call her home for one last job for her family-owned, island-hopping flight path. Jenny Colgan’s portrayal of the highland archipelago is beautifully done, while the characterisation has real warmth, and Morag comes alive when she finds herself off-the-grid – and at the mercy of nature – on the island of Inchborn. The Summer Skies takes at least 100 pages to draw you in but when it finally does, it’s full of comedic details, thought-provoking questions about identity, inner strength and life’s pivotal moments. The ending may have that romantic-comedy predictability but you’ll be racing through the pages to get there nonetheless – and possibly booking a holiday to the northern Scottish islands too.
7/10
(Review by Lauren Taylor)
Non-fiction
4. This Is Not America: Why Black Lives In Britain Matter, by Tomiwa Owolade is published in hardback by Atlantic Books. Available June 22nd
I am delighted to finally reveal the front cover of my book This is Not America. Many thanks to the cover designer @jodi_hunt. The book is out on June 22. You can pre-order it here: https://t.co/IhAqVwNmS1 pic.twitter.com/XWw4u7wtL9
— Tomiwa Owolade (@tomowolade) February 27, 2023
This Is Not America starts strongly, with a few compelling points – too long has racism in Britain seen through an American lens, which is unhelpful as the black British experience is vastly different to the black American; and the black British experience is varied and cannot be reduced to one homogenised story. Owolade then goes onto explore this in a bit more detail – looking at racism in America, where black people largely trace their roots back to violence and slavery, compared to the UK, where black communities broadly come from peaceful immigration. While Owolade makes sure to emphasise he doesn’t want to diminish racism in the UK, some readers might find certain points somewhat controversial, such as Owolade suggesting the incident at a Buckingham Palace event where Ngozi Fulani was asked repeatedly where she’s really from wasn’t necessarily racism.
6/10
(Review by Prudence Wade)
Children’s book of the week
5. The Family Tree By Kate Ferdinand, illustrated by Emma Randall, is published in paperback by Puffin. Available now
We’re feeling all the love today, because it’s the #BookBirthday of The Family Tree by Kate Ferdinand & our Plum @EmBemShem ! 🌳
Published by @puffinbooksuk, The Family Tree is a heartfelt story filled with fairies, baking, and the magic of blended families✨💜 pic.twitter.com/A5a4ELl62u— The Plum Agency (@Plum_Agency) June 8, 2023
Ex-TOWIE star and wife of Rio, Kate Ferdinand presents her first children’s book, The Family Tree. This preschool age picture book offers a gentle introduction to the often tricky topic of blended families through a soothing story about fairies, with helpful tips at the end. Brother and sister, Ash and Willow, live harmoniously with their dad, until Dad’s new friend Hazel enters the picture and they worry she is starting to take the place of their beloved mum, who they miss greatly. Especially when Hazel wants to help them bake – the thing their mum loved most. Ferdinand has clearly reflected on her own experiences – as viewed in the BBC documentary Rio And Kate: Becoming A Stepfamily – and it’s a sensitively written book as a result. Though the ‘fairies baking’ subject matter may be a bit too saccharine (and overdone) for even a preschool audience, the book is sweet and helpful nonetheless.
6/10
(Review by Holly Cowell)
BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING JUNE 17th
HARDBACK (FICTION)
1. The Making Of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece by Tom Hanks
2. A Death In The Parish by Reverend Richard Coles
3. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
4. Yellowface by Rebecca F Kuang
5. Winter’s Gifts by Ben Aaronovitch
6. Happy Place by Emily Henry
7. Atlas: The Story Of Pa Salt by Lucinda Riley & Harry Whittaker
8. Killing Moon by Jo Nesbo
9. The Shadow Cabinet by Juno Dawson
10. The Happy Couple by Naoise Dolan
(Compiled by Waterstones)
HARDBACK (NON-FICTION)
1. 1964: Eyes Of The Storm by Paul McCartney
2. The Extra Mile by Kevin Sinfield
3. Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken
4. The Future Of Geography by Tim Marshall
5. Surviving To Drive by Guenther Steiner
6. Hitler, Stalin, Mum And Dad by Daniel Finkelstein
7. Pageboy by Elliot Page
8. The Wager by David Grann
9. Unbreakable by Ronnie O’Sullivan
10. Johnson At 10 by Anthony Seldon & Raymond Newell
(Compiled by Waterstones)
AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NON-FICTION)
1. Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken
2. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
3. Act Of Oblivion by Robert Harris
4. Atomic Habits by James Clear
5. Winter’s Gifts by Ben Aaronovitch
6. No Sweet Sorrow by Denzil Meyrick
7. Lessons In Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
8. Spare by The Duke of Sussex
9. Mythos by Stephen Fry
10. Choose Your Enemies by Sandy Mitchell
(Compiled by Audible)
