My Year in Books 2024: August

I only read two novels in August, as I was buried in writing for a new project I'm working on. That's my excuse anyway.

My reviews of the two books I read are below, but if you're interested, here are my reviews from the rest of the year so far: January, February, March, April, May, June, July

Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward (2023)

I ended up with two copies of this book. I got it out of the library, but then I discovered that it was included in my Abominable Book Club subscription box. Obviously a sign that I needed to read it! This one is a bit of a weird one, as the premise described in the blurb doesn’t really come into the story until a good chunk of the way through. The book actually starts with Wilder Harlow arriving with his parents at Whistler Bay, a town on the New England coast, to spend the summer. He meets two other teens – Harper and Nat – and they begin a holiday friendship. So far, so coming-of-age. And when the creepy local story of the Daggerman (a shadowy figure who supposedly stalks the town) rears its head, it feels like this might be a story we already know. However, that’s not quite what’s going on in Looking Glass Sound. The first signs are the little fragmentary chapters that intersperse sections of the narrative, and a couple of chapters that are told from an entirely different perspective. The storyline described in the blurb – that Wilder, as an older man, returns to Whistler Bay to write a book – doesn’t start until the second part of the narrative. I enjoyed the utter unreliability of the narrators in this one, and there are some really subtle clues that things aren’t as they seem. However, the introduction of a supernatural element was a step too far for my tastes.

The Suspect by Rob Rinder (2024)

The second book I read this month was another library book. I’ll admit I got this one out because I liked the look of the cover, although I’m a little wary of the fashion for celebrity-authored whodunnits at the moment. And The Suspect is a whodunnit, of course. The premise is that a daytime TV presenter is murdered live on air. All signs point to the show’s celebrity chef, who is arrested and charged with the murder. As the trial approaches, junior barrister Adam Green is tasked with getting some background on the people involved in the case, but he quickly discovers that things might not be what they seem. There was a lot to like about this one, particularly the depiction of the TV world (with some characters bearing uncanny resemblance to real celebrities). However, the mystery isn’t anything mind-blowing, and it’s quite easy to see what’s going on if you’re familiar with the genre. Another issue is that this one is a direct sequel to The Trial, Rinder’s debut novel, and it does spoiler some elements of the first book. You also probably do need to have read the first book to understand who all the characters are in Green’s chambers, as the book does assume prior knowledge. If you’re not familiar with how barristers chambers work, then you might get a bit lost in places. I enjoyed The Suspect, and it was an easy read, but I struggled a bit with getting to know the secondary characters.

Autumn Equinox Stories Wanted for Hannah’s Bookshelf on North Manchester FM

Submit your seasonal flash fiction to be played on Hannah’s Bookshelf this September!

Can you tell a seasonal story in just 3 minutes? Want to have your work played on the radio? This month, I’m looking for seasonal (Autumn, harvest festival) flash fiction from around the world for inclusion on Hannah’s Bookshelf, the weekly literature show on North Manchester FM.

On Saturday 21st September, I’ll be hosting the Hannah’s Bookshelf Autumn Equinox Special, and as part of my seasonal special, I’ll be playing a selection of my favourite 3-minute stories on the show (broadcast on FM and on digital). Want to be part of it? Submit a recording of your seasonally inflected story (maximum 3 minutes) by midnight on Monday 16th September.

All genres welcome – be they cosy, romantic, scary or sad. The only rules are that stories must be your own original work, have some connection to the season, and be in English (the language of the broadcast). And please ease off the swears – stories have to be radio friendly! All you need is a microphone and a story – once you’re ready to submit your story, click on the ‘Start Recording’ button on my website to record your story and submit it. Remember to enter your name and email address when submitting your story.

If you aren’t able to submit via a recording and would like another method of taking part, please message via my website for more information.

Please share this call with anyone who you think might be interested – I’d like to cast the net as wide as possible. My favourite seasonal stories will be broadcast on the Hannah’s Bookshelf Autumn Equinox Special at 2pm on Saturday 21st September, on digital radio and 106.6FM.

My Year in Books 2024: July

Time for my mini-reviews of the books I read in July. Only two books on this month's list, I'm afraid, but in case you're interested, here are my review posts from the rest of the year so far: January, February, March, April, May, June

Death by Laura Thalassa (2021)

In May, I posted about the first three books in Laura Thalassa’s Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse erotic romance series. You may remember, it was a bit of a revelation for me (pun intended). I loved the first three books, particularly Famine, and I was planning to wait to read the final one. I didn’t actually wait that long in the end. Death is, as I expected, a bonkers thing of beauty. The final horseman – the one we’ve been told is the worst of the four, and a ‘dour asshole’ (quote from Famine) – arrives on earth to make the Last Judgement. But Death isn’t quite the creature we’ve been led to expect. Yes, he’s terrifying. But he’s also the embodiment of the concept of Death, so his very existence is intricately connected to life. He’s also really sexy, of course, but why wouldn’t he be? Death is at once foreboding, apocalyptic, noble, melancholy, lonely and horny. And when he meets Lazarus, a woman who for some reason cannot die, he begins (of course) to question his purpose. I loved this one – Death is surprisingly easy to fall in love with, for all his utter oddity. But my favourite thing was when a familiar trio turned up to try and thwart their brother’s plans. I genuinely gave a little squeal when Famine arrived with characteristic drama. Which was embarrassing, as I was reading the book on the tram at the time. I can’t explain it, but I genuinely love this series.

The House That Horror Built by Christina Henry (2024)

The next book was one of the novels included in a recent Abominable Books box. The blurb sounded right up my street. Harry is a single mum who gets a job cleaning for Javier Castillo, a reclusive horror film director who lives an isolated life in his Chicago mansion. The house is filled with horror memorabilia, including props from Castillo’s own films. However, there is also a cloud of mystery around the director’s retreat from Hollywood and the nature of the scandal that led to it. When Castillo encourages a more social relationship, inviting Harry and her son Gabe to dinner at his house, it starts to become clear that there may be another presence in the mansion, and Harry starts to become anxious about her and her son’s safety. The set-up for this one is really great, and the titular house is atmospheric and evocative. Harry is a well-drawn character, and her reasons for staying in a job that is both demanding and kinda creepy are plausible. However, the book runs out of steam in the final third, and the pacing starts to go off as we move towards the conclusion. The problem is that the mystery just can’t be sustained. Castillo’s retreat from Hollywood happened just a few years before the book begins, so it’s a matter of a simple internet search to uncover the scandal. From there, it’s fairly easy to work out what might be going on, and the book tumbles towards a rather abrupt ending.

Lammas: Day 7

It's the final day of our Lammas celebrations this year. We were both at work, so we didn't have big celebrations planned. Instead, I spent the day enjoying some of the seasonal foods I bought from Bury Market yesterday.

Wimberry Pie

I took a wimberry pie into work today to share with my colleagues. It went down really well!

Crusty Cob

Lunch was a very nice crusty cob from the market, filled with Wensleydale with pineapple.

Corn on the Cob and Baklava

And tea was some lovely corn on the cob, followed by baklava (is that seasonal? it's definitely delicious).


And so the wheel of the year turns. We'll be celebrating again at the Autumn Equinox.