Bookshelf
RESIDENT BOOKWORM JOANNE FINNEY PICKS HER FAVOURITE READS, FROM LITERARY GEMS TO GRIPPING FAMILY DRAMAS
Book of the month
WE ALL WANT IMPOSSIBLE THINGS by Catherine Newman
I’ve already passed this beautiful book on to so many people. Edi and Ash have been best friends for over 40 years and have seen each other through everything. Now, Edi has cancer and Ash vows to be there for her, no matter what. Although this is a book about death, there’s so much joy in it, as well as a wonderful message about seizing the day.
Powerful historic fiction
RIVER SING ME HOME by Eleanor Shearer
Rachel is a former slave who escapes the Barbadian plantation where she’s still being held, despite the abolition of slavery. She begins a difficult journey to find her five children, who were sold into slavery like she was. This is an incredible debut novel about the power of a mother’s love – highly recommended.
Twisty thriller
THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE ALPERTON ANGELS by Janice Hallett
Another clever mystery from the author of The Appeal. True-crime writer Amanda takes on a commission to write about a cold case revolving around a strange London cult. What starts out as a work project becomes a race against time as the people involved begin to die, one by one.
Emotional read
WHEN I FIRST HELD YOU by Anstey Harris
When her first love comes back into her life after 50 years, Judith is forced to confront her past and the truth about the daughter she was made to give up for adoption. Knowing this is based on the author’s own family history makes this wonderful novel all the more moving.
Relatable and raw
AMAZING GRACE ADAMS by Fran Littlewood
Rarely have I felt more seen by a book than this debut about a 45-year-old mum who loses her cool! It’s set over a day, as Grace tries to reconnect with her teenage daughter. It touches on menopause, but also explores parenting, midlife relationships and redefining yourself.
Original crime novel
IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE by Jo Callaghan
A genuinely different take on the police procedural genre is hard to find, but Jo Callaghan has done it. DCS Kat Frank isn’t keen when she’s assigned an AI (Artificial Intelligence) as her partner as part of a pilot scheme, but she
