BOOKS
LITERARY EDITOR Sarra Manning PICKS HER FAVOURITE READS
I Hope This Finds You Well
This darkly funny debut novel will resonate with anyone who’s worked a soul-crushing corporate job. Office loner Jolene despises her co-workers but when an IT error gives her access to their computers, she realises they’re also unhappy and forges new connections with them. But with job cuts looming, will Jolene use her new-found knowledge to her advantage?
The Ministry Of Time
A junior civil ser vant is selected as the ‘bridge’ to Victorian Arctic explorer, Commander Graham Gore, one of several ‘expats’ plucked from histor y by the government. As she helps him navigate the 21st century, a sinister truth about the project emerges, and a tender and very sexy love story. Already a contender for my book of the year, this broke me in such a beautiful way.
Blue Sisters
Three sisters deal with the unexpected death of their fourth sister in different but equally self-destructive ways in this second novel from the author of Cleopatra And Frankenstein. A year after their bereavement, Avery, Bonnie and Lucky will only find peace if they can stop fighting, which is easier said than done. A poignant and visceral exploration of sisterhood and grief.
The Next Girl
In a deserted region of Washington state, girls keep disappearing until teenager Ellie Black is found alive. Ellie won’t talk about her t wo-year ordeal and so it’s up to Detective Chelsey Calhoun, whose sister went missing 20 years ago, to solve the investigation before the next girl vanishes. I loved this atmospheric and twisty slow-burn thriller.
Hold Back The Night
This powerful and thought-provoking novel follows Annie, a student nurse at a mental hospital pioneering controversial treatments. Starting in 1959, we are taken through decades of Annie’s life to the 1980s, when she opens her home to AIDS patients who’ve been shunned by their families, and finally to 2020, when the pandemic and the death of a friend forces her to reflect on her past.
Funny Story
Another absolutely pitch perfect romcom from EmHen. When Daphne is ditched by perfect Peter before their wedding (he’s fallen in love with his best friend, Petra), she moves in with Petra’s ex, Miles, who has a room to rent and knows what she’s going through. Expect top-notch banter, sizzling chemistr y and a hero you’ll adore (despite his yellow Crocs!)
Blue Sisters is a story of three sisters who come together in the wake of their fourth sister’s deat
