Every weekend we bring you a round-up of all the latest books out. This week’s new releases travel from 80s Budapest to modern day Somerset.
1. Porcupines by Fran Fabriczki - 9/10
Porcupines by Fran Fabriczki is a mother-daughter story that moves between two moments in time – Budapest in 1989, just after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and Los Angeles in 2001, where Sonia and her daughter Mila are building a life together. At the heart of the novel is 10-year-old Mila, who is determined to find out who her birth father is. What follows is a mischievous plan as she persuades her mother to go on an orchestra road trip, with the hope of setting a meeting with the man she believes to be her father in San Francisco. The narrative weaves back to Sonia’s earlier life, tracing her journey from Budapest to Los Angeles. Porcupines is a story that explores identity in a very human way; what it means to be Jewish, to be Hungarian, and to carve out a sense of self between places and generations. At times humorous, at others poignant, Porcupines is a beautifully observed debut that lingers long after you’ve finished it.
Porcupines by Fran Fabriczki is published in hardback by Fig Tree, priced £16.99 (ebook £7.99). Review by Jacqueline Ling.
2. The Wreck by Lizzy Stewart - 9/10
When two couples with shared history move into a grand Georgian estate in the Somerset countryside, the ghosts of old flames and buried jealousy rise to haunt them. The Wreck, by Lizzy Stewart, is a beautifully illustrated novel which follows the lives of two former university friends and their partners as they reconnect to try communal living. While the simple plotline may lack the pace of an action-packed graphic novel, and perhaps lingers too long in places, it showcases Stewart’s ability to create authentic, deeply compelling characters. Stewart’s illustrations add depth and nuance to the protagonists’ narration, but her greatest triumph is her strikingly perceptive prose and exploration of the complexities of love and friendship. Often, Stewart’s crafting of her characters’ thoughts and feelings is so vivid that The Wreck reads more like a memoir than a work of fiction, right through to its cryptic conclusion.
The Wreck by Lizzy Stewart is published in hardback by Jonathan Cape, priced £25 (ebook £13.99). Review by Izzie Addison.
3. Go Gentle by Maria Semple - 8/10
As you’d expect from the author of the unforgettable Where’d You Go Bernadette? Maria Semple’s latest romp of a book is spectacularly madcap, full of wit, cleverness and spiky questions aimed at society’s (dull, predictable) norms – whether it’s the patriarchy, the pitfalls of parenting teens or morality itself. The excellently named Adora Hazzard, a philosopher and divorcee, has created a coven of equally freed, middle-aged women in The Ansonia building on New York’s Upper West Side. When she’s caught up in an escapade involving a priceless artwork, her very wealthy employer and an exceptionally attractive but mysterious man, her stoic approach to philosophy and to life, begins to unhinge itself. Fizzing, pacy and anchored by a darkly motivating episode from Adora’s past, Go Gentle is a rollicking read that will make you consider the choices we make and behaviours we accept from those around us. And although it feels like it won’t all come together at the end, Semple manages it with aplomb.
Go Gentle by Maria Semple is published in hardback by W&N, priced £20 (ebook £11.99). Review by Ella Walker.
4. The Age Code by David Cox - 8/10
In The Age Code, science journalist David Cox explores how modern diets are accelerating the ageing process. He argues that by improving what we eat, we can slow biological ageing and reduce disease risk. Drawing on research, Cox explains how food affects our cells, organs and overall health, while also offering practical ways to live longer and healthier lives. The book is written in an understandable and accessible way that anyone can understand. Cox breaks it down into three different parts: Big Food, Big Problem, Why Whole Foods Heal and Can Big Tech Save Us? – all of which touch on different aspects of food and the overall idea of ‘what if the food you eat could rewire your biological clock?’ The book feels particularly relevant today, as people are increasingly concerned with longevity and preventing lifestyle-related diseases.
The Age Code by David Cox is published in hardback by Fourth Estate, priced £22 (ebook £12.99). Review by Sara Keenan.
5. Is This A Plum? by Dan and Finn Ojari - 8/10
The cover looks like a plum, but open the page and it’s a hippo’s bum! The pictorial tricks continue throughout this wonderfully illustrated book by animator Dan Ojari and his eight-year-old son Finn. The youngster explains he came up with the idea while drawing a plum and realised it looked a lot like a hippo’s bum. The witty wordplay continues, leaving the reader guessing what rhymes with other animals like a cat, goose or spider. Through holes in the pages, pictures are transformed into something completely different. Dan Ojari is an Oscar-nominated director and writer, alongside making children’s books. Suitable for children aged two and above.
Is This A Plum? by Dan and Finn Ojari is published in paperback by Puffin, priced £8.99 (no ebook). Review by Alan Jones.
Prices correct at time of publication.
