Recent Reads: Autumn 2023 Edition
It’s been a while since I did a book round-up. Life has been busy. There were trips to Italy and to Seville to plan. And then to write about. Naturally, I’ve kept reading in between, but haven’t seemed to have the opportunity to sit down and think about the books I’ve finished. The main reason might be because I’ve picked up some pretty hefty reads recently. In fact my 2023 Goodreads roundup has informed me that my average book length this year is 421 pages. With just a few days to go before the New Year, can I make it 50 books read this year? Here’s a round-up of my recent reads, from summer and autumn 2023.
Want some more book suggestions? Here are my 2023 reading recommendations so far!
The Space Between Us – Doug Johnstone
Lennox, Heather and Ava are all struggling with the paths that their lives have taken. Lennox is a mixed-race teenager in the care system. Heather is grieving the loss of her daughter, whilst dealing with her own failing health. Ava is heavily pregnant, seeking escape from a controlling husband.
One night, a mysterious light leaves many people dead or in a coma after suffering a stroke, yet Lennox, Heather and Ava are all miraculously recovered the following morning. They are curious to discover the connection between them, and why they have survived when many others did not. Their quest brings them in contact with “Sandy” – a telepathic tentacled alien life form who is keen to find a safe haven for their companions, displaced from their home planet by invaders. Johnstone writes their relationships beautifully, as the three find true friendship, with each other, and more surprisingly, with Sandy. Lennox in particular creates a strong bond, filling the gap of the family he has never known. Imagine ET, against a Scottish highlands backdrop.
The Bullet That Missed – Richard Osman
Who doesn’t love a dose of cosy crime with the Thursday Murder Club? It’s fun to rejoin the gang at Coopers Chase retirement village as they take on the unresolved disappearance and suspected murder of local TV journalist Bethany Waite. The cast of characters grows to include heroes and villains, including a ruthless Swedish money launderer, an ex KGB agent, a Chief Constable with a blossoming literary career in the crime thriller market – and a dog called Alan. There’s a gentle wit running throughout, but Osman isn’t afraid to tug at the heartstrings. It’s not necessary to read the other two books in the series before this one but I’d highly recommend that you do.
I wrote about the first book The Thursday Murder Club here, and the second book in the series The Man Who Died Twice here.
Patsy – Nicole Dennis-Benn
This moving book is a depiction of immigration and motherhood, as the eponymous Patsy moves from Jamaica to New York, leaving her young daughter behind. It is about sacrifice, and following your dreams at all costs. Spanning a decade, alternating chapters tell the story of her daughter Tru as she adjusts to living with her father and his new family. In America, Patsy struggles with her own feelings and motivations, particularly as she explores her sexual identity. Abandoning a daughter may be one of the worse things a mother can do, yet we root for Patsy as she tries to create a life as an undocumented immigrant. It starts quite slowly but it is worth the investment. Dennis-Benn captures the characters beautifully, with tenderness and authenticity, with a richly written patois which is never confusing.
Our Missing Hearts – Celeste Ng
This is another novel of a young boy Noah, affectionately know as Bird, growing up with an absent mother. It explores an America where “American Values” are protected, books are banned, and Asian families are persecuted. Children are removed from their families if their parents dare to speak out. It’s frightening that this cautionary fictional tale may have shreds of possibility. When a line from one of Chinese-American poet Margaret’s poems is used as a rallying cry for protesters, she decides to leave her family behind, leaving Bird in the care of his American father Ethan. Three years later, 12 years old Bird is determined to uncover the truth about his mother and her whereabouts. He uses the tales she told him in childhood to find her. It’s an emotional journey – for Bird and for the reader, as the novel is both heartbreaking and hopeful.
The House Of Fortune – Jessie Burton
This is a sequel to Burton’s best-selling debut novel, The Miniaturist, and features Nella Brandt once more. This time, the main protagonist is her 18 year niece Thea, born on the closing pages of the original novel. With the family’s fortunes in decline, Nella is keen to introduce Thea to the wealthy elite to secure financial security. But Thea already has a secret lover, and she is planning their future together. Will her head or her heart rule? And will the appearance of mysterious beautifully crafted miniature dollhouse figures change her mind?
Burton cleverly creates an atmosphere of claustrophobia, with the pressure of society’s expectations weighing heavy on Thea. While the story alludes to some prior events, it is not necessary to have read The Miniaturist beforehand. However, both books together paint a rich picture of Amsterdam in the 17th & 18th century.
Peach Blossom Spring – Melissa Fu
This multi-generational family saga follows a Chinese family throughout six decades. In 1938, young widow Meilin flees with her four year old son Renshu. During a tumultuous and terrifying journey, Meilin tells tales to Renshu of scenes woven into an elaborate scroll, including that of Peach Blossom Spring – a utopian land that offers solace and wisdom.
We move from Meilin’s story to that of Renshu. He is making a life in America as Henry Dao, and denying his Chinese heritage. The final perspective of the novel is of his daughter Lily, curious to learn more about her background and to get to know her grandmother Meilin. The book is steeped in history, yet remains readable as we experience the struggles through our narrator’s eyes. The start is a little slow as we establish the key characters but we are soon immersed in Meilin’s desperate escape.
Lullaby – Leila Slimani
At a mere 224 pages, Lullaby is the shortest book I read this year. It’s the story of well-heeled Parisian couple who decide to employ a nanny to look after their two small children. But as we know from the cover of the book, “the baby is dead”. So what triggers this act of ruthless violence from their seemingly perfect nanny Louise? It’s a brooding thriller which looks at the devastating effects of inequality and classism. Slimani delves into the minds of her characters as the couple, the nanny and the children all become more dependent on each other. Don’t expect a neatly wrapped up conclusion, which left me a little frustrated.
Boy Swallows Universe – Trent Dalton
I could have easily given up on this semi-autobiographical novel. It’s very poetic, but nothing seems to make sense. Yet I’m very glad that I stuck with it. Eli Bell has a very complicated family situation. His mother and step-father are drug dealers. His brother is an elective mute. And his best friend is a notorious convicted murderer. When his mother is convicted, Eli gets embroiled in the Brisbane underworld, even making a daring jail break-in to see her on Christmas Day.
It’s a coming-of-age story, but it’s also a thriller, a family saga, a romance and even has a touch of supernatural. At times it is a little hard going but Eli is a likeable protagonist, and he has a beautiful and touching relationship with his brother August. He is trying to work out what makes men “good”, despite all the violence around him. Persevere with this one – it’s worth the hype.
Boy Swallows Universe has recently been made into a limited series for Netflix, launching in 2024.
The Whalebone Theatre – Joanna Quinn
The Whalebone Theatre is a memorable read for me. Mainly because it was the book I was reading when we found out our Bari flight was cancelled and we’d be spending the night on an airport floor. At least I had Joanna Quinn’s wonderful 500+ page novel to transport me to 1920s Dorset and the world of the Seagrave family. Cristabel is a cuckoo in the nest, despite being the oldest sister. Her mother died in childbirth, and her father is determined to sire a male heir. Which means two siblings – Flossie (aka The Veg) and the long-awaited son Digby. When a whale washes up on the beach, the children – and an eclectic group of companions – build a theatre from it’s skeletal rib cage.
Quinn develops the characters beautifully, and I’m drawn into their lives as the children develop into adults, playing their part in a devastating World War. Chilcombe – the family home – is almost a character in itself, almost like Manderley in De Maurier’s Rebecca. This is a remarkable debut, and I look forward to reading more from Joanna Quinn in the future.
Demon Copperhead – Barbara Kingsolver
Few books live up to their award-winning hype, but Demon Copperhead absolutely does. In fact, I would put this as my favourite read of 2023. At 644 page, it’s a long read yet I didn’t want it to end. If you’re familiar with “David Copperfield” you will recognise certain similarities in plot. Some of the character names are lifted directly from Dickens’ 1850 novel. In this modern day re-telling we follow Damon Fields from infancy to adulthood. Instead of Victorian England, Kingsolver’s novel is based in the southern Appalachian mountains. It’s a bleak read at times, with young Damon Fields suffering unrelenting misery (although nowhere near as bleak as Jude’s journey in Hanya Yanagihara’s “A Little Life”). Yet he somehow survives, through determination, intelligence and a few guardian angels watching over him.
The Light Between Oceans – M L Stedman
This engaging story set in 1920s Australia tells the tale of lighthouse keeper Tom and his wife Isabelle. It’s an isolated job, and their strong relationship is what keeps them both sane. The only low point is that Isabelle is unable to carry a baby to term, and she grieves the child she cannot bear to complete their family. And then a ship washes up onshore. Inside is a dead man, and a crying baby girl. Is it just possible that this is a miracle, and that Tom and Isabelle can raise this child as their own?
Stedman’s descriptions of the loneliness and isolation of the island are very evocative, and it becomes easy to see how the couple can become to believe their lie, as baby Lucy becomes the light of their lives. The tale is a little melancholy, but it is beautifully written and engages the reader in contemplation of whether bad decisions can be forgiven if intentions are good.
A History of Loneliness – John Boyne
I’ve recently introduced Mr Fletche to the joys of John Boyne, with the gorgeous ‘The Heart’s Invisible Furies’ – one of my favourite books of 2022. ‘A History of Loneliness’ returns to Boyne’s roots, this time tackling the child abuse scandal within the Catholic Church in Ireland. Father Odran Yates is a good man and a good priest. Yet he ignores the signs which indicate that those close to him may be involved. It’s a powerful and thought-provoking novel, discussing some very uncomfortable topics. The chapters are non-linear, leaping around a little from Odran’s difficult childhood to the fallout of the scandal in 2013. As incidents are revealed, we wonder how Odran could remain so oblivious. Or was he? The novel is a harsh portrait of Irish society, and Boyne pulls no punches in examining the church’s part in the cover-up – all the way up to the Pope.
Demon Copperhead and The Whalebone Theatre were my favourites from my recent reads of Autumn 2023. What books have been on your Autumn reading pile? And what books are you looking forward to reading in 2024? Let me know in the comments!
I’ve read 42 books so far in 2023! You can keep up with my reading lists by connecting with me on Goodreads
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