Hastings Book Chat Round-Up

We had not one but two Pulitzer Prize winning authors among the latest books recommended by Hastings Library Book Chat. Read on for a list of varied and mostly superb reads.

Less Is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer is a fun, quirky read and the second in the series that started with the Pulitzer Prize winning novel Less. The story is told by two characters, Arthur Less and Freddie, Less’s partner, who are separated when Arthur goes on a book tour in a rusty campervan with a black pug named Dolly. He’s running away from financial woes and an emotional crisis but eventually must face his demons. His exploits and interactions while on the move are very entertaining.

Ramadan Ramsay by Louis Edwards is the story of a young boy who sets out to find his father.  Mustafa a Syrian visiting New Orleans met Ramadan’s mother, a native New Orleans African American woman during a brief sojourn. As his life continues in his home country, Mustafa doesn’t know he has a son. Then it’s 2005 when hurricane hurls itself into New Orleans and shatters Ramadan’s family. The story of Ramadan’s quest to find his father is a delightful read.

The Lost Girls by Kate Hamer describes the ordeal and aftermath of a kidnapping that took Carmel into a cult where her name was changed. As she begins to investigate her past, she finds that she wasn’t the only lost girl, but her probing puts her in danger. This was a fairly ordinary psychological thriller, that in the end our reader decided wasn’t worth bothering with.

Lessons by Ian McEwan is about Roland Baines who as a boy gets sent to an unusual boarding school where he feels lost and vulnerable. Add to this the inappropriate attention of his piano teacher and there are more scars that will affect him later in life. Year’s on he’ll have to confront them as he is left alone caring for his tiny son. It seems there's more than one kind of lesson here. A well-written and enjoyable book.

In The Mother by T M Logan we meet Heather, a woman framed for the murder of her husband. Ten years later, and we meet her attending her own funeral and unable to comfort her children. The story follows her desperate efforts to clear her name and get her children back. This was such a compelling read and so well written, we all want to read everything by T M Logan.

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver is an updated, American take on David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Born to a drug addict mother in a trailer park, everything gets thrown at the young DC – foster care, child labour, derelict schools, addiction and more, but he always finds a way to get through. This is a memorable book which won for Barbara Kingsolver the Pulitzer Prize and the Women’s Prize for Fiction.

Tangerine by Christine Mangan is the first book by this author who is now on our reader’s must-read list. Mangan has a knack for interesting settings plus ingenious plotting. This novel is set in Tangier where former roommates bump into each other, Alice now with a new husband in tow, and fearless, independent Lucy. Alice has a funny feeling about Lucy, and then her husband goes missing. A brilliant psychological thriller.

The Mitford Affair by Marie Benedict is the story of the famous Mitford sisters: brilliant, beautiful and eccentric. Scandal erupts when Diana divorces her husband to marry a fascist leader, while novelist Nancy has doubts about her sister Unity’s frequent visits to Nazi Germany. As war clouds gather, Nancy has to choose between her family and her country. Well-written and based on fact.

A Bird in Winter by Louise Doughty follows Heather (Bird) who works for the secret service and what happens when she receives a signal during a meeting. Leaving abruptly Heather goes on the run, heading north and taking on different disguises as she goes, fearful that if she is caught she would be killed. The story weaves in elements of Heather’s past, as her future closes in. An interesting story from an author we’ve enjoyed before.

A Respectable Veneer by Rachael Doré features another character on the run, this time it’s Ruby who escapes 1950s Auckland with her young daughter, heading to Palmerston North. Set at a time when New Zealand is its most conservative, Ruby has to make a new life for herself and find a job when she has few skills. She also needs to keep herself and her daughter safe. An interesting story let down by a less than polished writing style.

Black Ice by Carin Gerhadsen. It’s not Book Chat without a bit of Scandi-Noir, and this book is a terrific example. A deadly crash on an icy backroad in January, a man left to die in the snow, a secret that connects two women. Then there’s the stranger who can put it all together and is prepared to kill to keep the secret hidden. A lot going on in a well-written Swedish thriller.

Now we’re popping across to Iceland for the third book by Yrsa Sigurdadottir in the Freyja and Huldar series. In The Absolution the police discover a crime through Snapchat – the kidnapping of a teenager, her body discovered marked with a number 2. Then another young person goes missing and there’s more revealed online. Loads of suspense in a story that explores the dark side of social media. And who would have thought we'd have two such similar Scandi-Noir book covers on the table.

The House of Eyes by Kate Ellis is number twenty in the Wesley Peterson series. The detective’s case involves the disappearance of an ambitious young model, the daughter of a colleague and the photographer who was stalking her. Meanwhile, Wesley’s archaeologist friend Neil Watson makes a disturbing discovery at a nearby castle, the scene of another violent death and the disappearance of two girls in the 1950s. An intricately plotted, dual-timeframe story.

The Girl Before by J P Delaney is a pacy psychological thriller which follows Emma, who finds an affordable new home after a traumatic break-up. It’s an architectural masterpiece but the house has rules that require the occupant to live without clutter, even books and personal mementos. Its intention is that whoever lives there will be transformed. Lots of suspense and a good twist to the ending.

The Swift and the Harrier by Minette Walters is set at the time of England’s Civil War in the 1600s. Jayne Swift breaks tradition from her Royalist family by choosing to practise as a doctor, helping the sick and wounded on both sides. Then there’s the enigmatic William Harrier, a noblewoman’s footman who becomes Jayne’s recurring companion. A sweeping historical drama with a strong female protagonist. Recommended.

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters is set around the disappearance of young Mi’kmaq girl from the blueberry fields of Maine. The Mi’kmaq tribe are from Nova Scotia, and arrive here every year for the fruit picking season. Decades later her brother, the last person to see her alive, is haunted by grief and guilt. An engaging story of family secrets and identity.

The Seventh Son is the new novel by Sebastian Faulks which explores issue around medical ethics, particularly in the field of IVF treatments. We’ve got a young academic who offers to carry another woman’s child, not knowing that the baby she’s carrying will be different from any living human. A thought-provoking story from a favourite author.

The Waters by Carl Nixon is a novel in 21 stories. The Waters of the title are a family of two brothers and their sister. The story begins in the present day and moves backwards forty years to the time when Pat, their brutal father, sold up the family farm and the trauma and misfortune that followed. A great read from another author that never disappoints.

28 December 2023

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