BOOK REVIEWS
See what our booksellers have been reading each month.
JUNE 2025
FIONA
Alice with a Why by Anna James Children's Fiction
With Pages and Co., Anna James has already proven that she can respectfully capture the essence of well-loved characters while adding her own spin. Like Lewis Carroll, James only writes about the ‘real world’ as much as is necessary before taking the reader to Wonderland, where Alyce encounters old acquaintances of her grandmother (the original Alice) along with some brand-new residents. Matthew Land’s sumptuous illustrations fit perfectly with this interwar fable.
JOE
Is a River Alive? by Robert MacFarlane Nature
MacFarlane, surely one of our finest writers on the natural world, returns with this deeply absorbing work, each section seeing him in the company of people local to a particular river to explore it, but also to explore what the river means to the people, to the land, to culture, not as a simple “resource” to damn or drain or pollute.
From the “cloud forests” of South America to a polluted delta in India, and a struggling, ancient spring in Oxfordshire, what connects is the growing international movement, often lead by indigenous groups, to bestow legal personhood on natural world places like rivers and mountains – if a huge corporation can have a legally valid form of personhood, then why not the rivers, the arteries of our world on which we and all the flora and fauna around them depend?
Beautifully written, it doesn’t shy away from the damage we have done, but it also offers hope, and a sense of wonder.
OLIVIA
Greenteeth by Molly O'Neill Fantasy
A lake-dwelling hag, a witch and a goblin go on a fantastically boggy adventure. I was immediately charmed by Molly O’Neill’s ability to mix whimsical humour with dark magic. Greenteeth is the perfect blend of folklore and historical fantasy (with a touch of Arthurian legend thrown in for good measure), but at its core is the story of unlikely friendship and that morally grey area between good and evil. If you’re looking for a sexy romantasy novel, this is not the book for you. Instead you’ll find an array of strong, earthy and quite often grotesque characters.
MAY 2025
JOE
The Sun Rising by Professor Anna Whitelock History
When Elizabeth I’s long reign ended, and the Scottish monarch James VI succeeded her, becoming James I of England, it marked a huge moment in the history of the British Isles, and, as Whitelock points out, laid the foundations for much of what would follow in coming centuries. The idea of a united British kingdom rather than individual nations, the serious expansion of international trade and colonies no longer just a “company” venture but national endeavours, it marks the beginnings of “Global Britain”.
It is also a reminder that history is never just “the past”; reading the chapter on the passing of Elizabeth is now filtered through our own recent experience of her namesake and similarly long-reigning queen passing, while debate for closer Union provoke worries about too many Scots moving south provokes arguments not a million mile from modern-day concerns over immigration. Absolutely fascinating.
STEPHANIE
Under a Fire-Red Sky by Geraldine McCaughrean Teen Fiction
Experience the London Blitz through the eyes of four teenagers: a secret inventor, an aspiring firefighter, a loving daughter and an endearing outcast. Thrown together by chance, these unlikely friends enjoy a strange freedom at the beginning of the war, waiting for an enemy invasion that never comes. But they soon have to grow up when the bombing starts, each finding their own path without giving up on the others.
A beautiful coming-of-age tale of heartbreak and hope.
JACK
Sisters of Sword and Shadow / Sisters of Fire and Fury by Laura Bates Teen Fiction
On the morning of her sister’s wedding day, a passing bandit steals Cass’ necklace, pursued closely by a knight on horseback who, after reclaiming the necklace, takes Cass north to a fortified house inhabited only by women; a secret sisterhood of female knights. Cass is offered a choice: return home to her family and an arranged marriage, or join the sisterhood and become a knight.
Laura Bates swept me along from the first page. From the moment Cass mounts that horse, you’re confronted with her guilt and intrigue at the secrets she keeps, and the clashing swords of the sisterhood. There’s a dance between the both internal and physical conflict that carries you through the story, entranced by the fluidity with which Bates paints combat. The chapters are quick and sharp - a question is raised in one, and answered in the next, shaking off any unnecessary weight - perfectly befitting of a knight.
APRIL 2025
JACK
Idle Grounds by Krystelle Bamford Fiction
At a family barbecue, three-year-old Abi vanishes; the adults are too self-absorbed to notice, reflecting on their late mother Beezy, whose presence still looms over the family home; so it falls to the remaining cousins to find her.
Krystelle Bamford writes in first person plural, placing us amongst the gaggle of cousins - the eldest of whom is only twelve. They’re less concerned for Abi herself and more so for getting in trouble for losing her, and there are constant distractions along the way. Their search takes them from the house to the woods, leading us deeper into both the grounds and the family history.
It’s never clear whether what occurs is in their imagination or not, and that’s a theme that runs throughout the story. This book is chilling, not only for what they experience and understand, but the implication of what they don’t.
OLIVIA
Swept Away by Beth O'Leary Romance
Ever wondered what it would be like to be stuck on a tiny houseboat with your one night stand? As you can imagine, it’s an absolute nightmare! But with Beth O’Leary’s signature romantic flair, this horror story becomes a hilarious and swoon-worthy love story. With a feisty, independent heroine, a quirky, secretly romantic hero, an accidental knife wound and multiple misunderstandings, will they let down their guard and, more importantly, will they actually survive?
WARNING: Please do not attempt a romantic nautical getaway, it won’t go swimmingly.
JOE
Inspector Imanishi Investigates by Seicho Matsumoto Classic Crime
I first discovered Matsumoto’s work when Penguin Classics began brand-new translations of his 1950s work, beginning with Tokyo Express. Regarded as the godfather of Japanese detective fiction, these are classic detective tales from the era before CCTV, computers or DNA tests; proper old-school sleuthing.
Imanishi is a polite, dogged, middle-aged detective, with an endearing habit of sitting and writing haiku poetry when he is stuck on a case. The case is engrossing, but also the setting: this is Japan as it was, changing after the war and the American occupation, old and new ways of living clashing.
I had never heard of Matsumoto until these new translations, now I’m addicted to them.
FIONA
Cary Grant’s Suit by Todd McEwan Memoir
A charming meander through film. Perfect for anyone who got together in the playground to recreate their favourite scenes, or claims to dislike musicals in between mesmerising Christmas matinees. But is the cinema the most romantic place to spend a rainy day? No, the author concedes it is a bookshop!
MARCH 2025
JACK
As Young As This by Roxy Dunn Fiction
Margot has always believed that each of her romantic partners will eventually whittle down to a husband, and yet, here she is: single again in her mid-thirties. Each chapter recounts a new relationship; from a teenager at a party, to her first real heartbreak, and the gradual complications of love that come with age and maturity.
The time-jumps between chapters feel like dropping in on an old friend, with a bittersweet undertone that Margot may be much older when we next see her. Certain things will forever remind her of lost loves, bearing each like a scar. The ups, downs, beginnings, and breakups are something we all experience; as such, it’s impossible to not see a bit of yourself in Margot. Roxy Dunn has created a beautifully intimate experience. I wanted to read this book forever.
SARAH
Probably Nothing by Lauren Bravo Fiction
Packed with laugh-out-loud moments, all-too-relatable scenarios, and a great deal of warmth and charm, Probably Nothing reads as a black comedy, drawing you in with rich and complex characters, and a very entertaining plot!
Lauren Bravo explores the modern conditions of anxiety, people-pleasing, parenthood, etc, with both humour and sensitivity, while also presenting the eternal dilemma of whether one should settle or not because “life is short.”
I couldn’t put it down!
STEPHANIE
The Dandelion Riots by Kim Smejkal Teen Fiction
This punch of a book, short and powerful, dives straight into a brutal world. Cursed at birth for a crime they haven’t yet committed, girls have to fight against a society that despises and controls them. Their only chance is to stand together, touching upon sisterhood and feminism.
Throw in a dose of romance, at times almost eye-rolling but eventually beautiful, and Flower Power has never been so dangerous.
FIONA
The Green Kingdom by Cornelia Funke Children's Fiction
Set in Brooklyn, The Green Kingdom encourages finding green spaces in urban areas and asking advice from experts and other generations. As Caspia meets various merchants and enthusiasts in her search through the botanical past, she endears herself to the community she has just joined and makes new friends, young and old. A beautiful story that incorporates interesting facts about plants and their uses through time, making it a lovely springtime gift.
OLIVIA
My Favourite Mistake by Mirian Keyes Feel-Good Fiction
Brilliant, funny and honest! Returning to the Walsh family antics, this new novel follows Rachel’s sister, Anna, as she navigates menopause, breakups, new relationships, a new job, moving back to Ireland from the Big Apple, and turning fifty.
Laugh-out-loud, but with Keyes’ trademark poignancy, this is a perfect uplifting read.
JOE
Why Don't You Love Me? by Paul B. Rainey Graphic Novel
Claire and Mark seem like the worst couple in the world: she won’t leave the house, drinks all the time, he can’t remember the names of their children and has no idea how to do is job, and clearly they don’t like each other.
But as the story slowly unfolds, against a backdrop of international and domestic tension, they start to remember former lives, and in a very slow-burn manner, the real truth of why they are as they are starts to become clear.
A fascinating read which starts as one thing but then slowly leads you down a very different path. Highly recommended.