The Gowkaran Tree unfolds over fifty turbulent years in modern Iran, a lush and layered narrative that beautifully interlaces politics, family, revolution, and reconstruction. At its heart lies the mysterious palace where twelve children vanished one long-ago night, each of their fates echoing the colourful and often painful destinies shaped by the immense cultural and political transformations surrounding them.What resonated profoundly with me was the novel’s portrayal of a family’s determined effort to preserve the richness of Iranian culture and identity in the face of the sweeping Islamic hegemony imposed after the 1979 revolution. This struggle ... View Full Review
Tart by Slutty Chef is a riotous, raunchy, and revolutionary memoir-meets-manifesto that blends food, sex and fierce storytelling into one unforgettable dish. If you like your reading like your recipes - bold, unapologetic, and packed with flavour, then Tart will satisfy your literary appetite and leave you hungry for more. But make sure you leave your sensibilities at home!
Slutty Cheff (the pen name of a culinary creative, anonymous chef turned digital provocateur) serves up more than just personal anecdotes in this fiery debut. It's a fly on the wall insight into her life in smoggy kitchens ... View Full Review
If you’ve ever found yourself in a late-night YouTube spiral watching explainer videos on philosophy or politics because it’s kind of fun, David Runciman’s The History of Ideas is basically that - but in book form, and much smarter. And no, don't worry you don’t need to have a dusty copy of Hobbes or Rousseau on your shelf to enjoy it. Thank the lord for that.
Runciman, who you might know from his excellent podcast Talking Politics, has a gift for making complicated thinkers feel... approachable. He doesn’t just list ... View Full Review
At the centre of Rumoured is Harlow Hayes. Once the industry’s platinum-haired sweetheart, now a Grammy-winning pop icon with a darker edge and a trail of mystery in her wake.
Harlow rocketed to fame at 19 with bubblegum hits that charmed a generation. But her fourth album, Apotheosis, was a game-changer - sweeping the boards and marking a creative rebirth. Her latest release, Legacy, led by the haunting single "Garden of Bones," deepens that transformation. Gone is the pop princess; in her place stands an artist draped in Old Hollywood glamour and shadowy metaphor, a master of the carefully ... View Full Review
H.J. Garbett's My Wife, the Serial Killer throws you into the mind of a suburban wife with a dark secret right from its intriguing prologue. We meet Gareth, a newly promoted homicide detective, who's been married for 5 years to Fran. Their seemingly perfect life is about to teeter on the brink as she confesses (to us, the reader) that she's "done it once before and got away with it."
The story truly kicks off when she kills their next-door neighbour. The internal conflict is palpable as she grapples with the idea of making Gareth choose between his "dutiful police ... View Full Review
Established in 1869, Her Majesty’s Royal Coven (HMRC) is the UK’s official, government-sanctioned network of witches - women born with supernatural gifts: Sentinels with telepathy and telekinesis, Healers, Elementals, Oracles, and the rare, powerful Adepts who possess more than one.
In Human Rites, the fragile alliances built over the past three books collapse under the weight of betrayal, grief, and rising demonic threats. Gaia, the divine mother herself, may have gifted her daughters magic, but now something ancient is pushing back. Satanis has risen, fractured into Lucifer, Belial, and Leviathan, and he’s using every tool (... View Full Review
Spanning three generations of Puerto Rican women - Rafaela, her daughter Ruth, and granddaughter Daisy - Speak To Me of Home had me hooked from the start. The narrative traverses time and geography, from the opulent halls of 1960s San Juan to the suburban landscapes of Missouri and the storm-lashed streets of present-day Puerto Rico.
At its core, the novel explores the multifaceted concept of "home". Rafaela's privileged upbringing in San Juan is upended by scandal, leading her to a life of displacement and longing in the American Midwest. Ruth grapples with her cultural identity and the challenges of raising ... View Full Review
Flitting between Muswell Hill in 2023 and Marin County 2014, we meet Beth. Beth. The new mum of Etta. The wife of Adam. Knee deep in that challenging stage of innumerable wakes. Feeling like the waking dead. Getting just enough rest to paper over the cracks until it all starts again on repeat. But Beth can't possibly ignore the privilege of motherhood, or choose not to cherish every moment, especially when she considers all she's been through to get there.
Although she misses the days of sharp edges. Of laptops, and coffee cups and meetings and lunchbreaks, she adores her baby girl. ... View Full Review
Set in 1970s Britain, The Best of Everything follows Paulette, a 29 year old single mother from St Kitts working as an auxiliary nurse, whose life is upended by the sudden death of the love of her life, Denton. Courtesy of the Cherry Red Toyota Celina she begged him not to buy.
As Paulette navigates the complexities of loss and unexpected motherhood, she becomes entangled in the lives of those connected to her lover, including his friend Garfield, Shirt-and-tie man and a young boy Nellie.
Gifted with Bird, her son who she dotes upon, the boy who has light in his ... View Full Review
A compassionate and empowering guide for parents navigating the journey of raising neurodivergent children.
Drawing from her experiences as a social worker, mother of five, and being neurodivergent herself, Hayden offers a blend of professional insight and personal anecdotes that resonate deeply with readers. Without judgement. With love and kindness and empathy. This book genuinely, honestly, passionately and carefully delivers insight and oodles of support to parents navigating their neurodivergent journey.
As her daughter Chloé comments: "you can't have my mum, but you can have her book! Let her show you how to be the warrior your child ... View Full Review
Set against the vibrant backdrop of 1960s London, Mrs Spy introduces readers to the magnificent Maggie Flynn, a 45-year-old widow, devoted mother, and unlikely MI5 operative. Ex store detective she spends her days as a Watcher, the lowest rung of the agency, a lone female within a motley crew, looking for grey shadows amid the dazzling city of possibilities where anyone could be an infiltrator or a snitch.
Balancing her clandestine missions with the challenges of raising a Beatles-obsessed teenage daughter, Maggie's life takes a perilous turn when a chance encounter with a Russian agent reveals unsettling truths about her ... View Full Review
If you're looking for a clear, practical, and motivating guide to levelling up in both your personal and professional life, 100 Ways to Win by Nigel Cumberland delivers exactly that—and more. With his signature clarity and positivity, Cumberland lays out 100 bite-sized yet powerful lessons on how to build confidence, overcome setbacks, and ultimately live a more successful and fulfilled life.
What sets this book apart is its accessible, no-fluff format. You can dip in and out, pick a page at random, or read it cover to cover. Each “way to win” is short, actionable, and often thought-provoking&... View Full Review
