Man Booker 2017 Reviews

It was a fantastic shortlist this year - back to the standard of 2013 and the likes of Catton's The Luminaries and Crace's Harvest. Here are the links to my reviews for this year's six shortlisted novels. In the end, as we know, George Saunders took the prize - but it could so easily have …

Books by ballot – Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus

Being a) often pushed for time, and b) chronically indecisive, I have inaugurated a new method of choosing one of my next reads: once a week I'll set up a poll over on my Twitter account (@moyle3) and ask the good folk of Twitterland to help me decide which one I should prioritise. It may …

Brian Keaney’s The Alphabet of Heart’s Desire

This is a fascinating historical novel which takes in several of the more nefarious trades of Britain in centuries past as part of its story. Using interwoven bildungsroman narratives, Keaney focuses on the idea that hardship and violence can dog a childhood, wherever you are. Anne, growing up in London in terrible poverty, is forced …

An Interview with … Wendy Clarke

I am *very* excited to be hosting my first author interview on booksandwinegums and I was delighted when Wendy Clarke agreed to be my first guest. Wendy's new collection of short stories is a festive offering - now that the nights are drawing in, it's an excellent opportunity to start looking forward to Christmas. So, without further ado, …

Emily Fridlund’s History of Wolves – a slow unfolding unease

In some ways, Fridlund’s debut novel reminded me of Ottessa Moshfegh’s Man Booker 2016 shortlisted Eileen: both have narrators who are angular, often unlikeable, and uncomfortable in their skins. And both create a sense of isolation and impoverishment in their narrators’ lives in order to explain their behaviour. However, Fridland’s protagonist, Linda (or ‘Freak’, or …

Helen Matthews’ After Leaving the Village – a gripping tale for our times

Helen Matthews’ debut novel makes for very compelling reading indeed. As with the subject of my last review, Ali Smith’s Autumn, After Leaving the Village is very much a novel of our times, our lives, even if it initially feels that this is a situation fortunately far beyond most people’s comprehension. As alluded to in …

Ali Smith’s Autumn – the way we are now

As I said in my review of Hamid’s Exit West, this is not a political blog. However, it’s going to be nigh-on impossible to avoid the ‘B’ word in this review and, as a staunch Remainer, so much of this novel is bittersweet for me. There’s much to be amused about in Smith’s capturing of …

Terrifying Reads for October

October is the perfect month to look at the stories which have genuinely chilled my blood and which, if I pluck up the courage to re-visit them, have to be read in a busy place, with all the lights on. Here's four which have left a lasting impression:  M. R. James’ Oh, Whistle and I’ll Come …

Paul Auster’s 4321 – Four Roads Diverged

Reading Auster’s 4321 in hardback, my initial response to this novel was largely focused on the physical act of reading. I’m certainly not afraid to tackle long novels and, given the choice, I still prefer to have an actual book in my hands when I’m reading (although that is changing as I do read ebooks …