Articles CultureBooks5 new books to read this week
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5 new books to read this week

By The Press Association Jul 11, 2024

This week’s bookcase includes reviews of First Wife’s Shadow by Adele Parks and Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner.

Fleishman Is In Trouble author Taffy Brodesser-Akner is back with her latest novel…

Fiction

1. First Wife’s Shadow by Adele Parks is published in hardback by HQ, priced £16.99 (ebook £9.99). Available now

Emma is at the top of her game. She’s successful, motivated and happy in her own skin. She has fabulous friends that have been her whole world for decades. On a business trip, Emma meets photographer Matthew and quickly falls in love. Matthew comes with baggage, he is freshly widowed and Emma can feel his dead wife Becky’s eyes burning into her soul. As the whirlwind romance turns into a runaway marriage, Emma starts to question herself, her friends and her new husband. But this is an Adele Parks story, and things are never as simple and straightforward as they seem. Usually there are three sides to every tale – and in this case there are more than just Emma’s, Matthew’s and the truth. An absorbing, unsettling and addictive read that’s perfect for your travels this summer.
9/10
(Review by Rachel Howdle)

2. Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner is published in hardback by Wildfire, priced £20 (ebook £9.99). Available now

Fans of Taffy Brodesser-Akner will rejoice that Long Island Compromise is set in similar territory to her previous work, Fleishman Is In Trouble, liberally steeped in American Jewish history and culture. Here, the brutal kidnapping of business magnate Carl Fletcher in 1980 becomes the catalyst for shockwaves across the generations, which rise once again with the death of the Fletcher matriarch, 40 years later. Jarring and often heartbreaking, this novel doesn’t shy away from documenting the resulting inherited trauma that unravels each of his children’s lives, or the burden of wealth as they edge ever closer to the cliff edge. As they try to gain some sort of control and purpose, it’s also tremendously tender and frequently darkly comic. This seemingly cursed family are multi-dimensional – their story offers a dense, enthralling and powerful meditation on the corrupting power of riches. A compelling summer read.
8/10
(Review by Amanda Willard)

3. Whoever You Are, Honey by Olivia Gatwood is published in hardback by Hutchinson Heinemann, priced £16.99 (ebook £8.99). Available July 11

Olivia Gatwood fully immerses the reader into a dynamic world of sand, sex and secrets in her debut novel. This addictive book pulls back a curtain of one of Santa Cruz’s pristine waterfront houses, home to tech entrepreneur Sebastian and his passive girlfriend Lena. The prominent imbalance of power and wealth in their relationship leaves Lena insecure and desperate for friendship. Loneliness draws Lena and neighbour Mitty together and shocking secrets of their pasts are slowly uncovered throughout the novel. The narrative’s relaxed pace allows the reader to fully absorb themselves into Gatwood’s beautifully crafted coastal setting. If you are a fan of Gatwood’s coming-of-age feminist poetry, try Whoever You Are, Honey, as you’ll find similar themes interlaced within its pages.
7/10
(Review by Camilla Foster)

Non-fiction

4. Twelve Trees: The Deep Roots Of Our Future by Daniel Lewis is published in hardback by Simon & Schuster, priced £22 (ebook £9.99). Available now

Twelve Trees: The Deep Roots of Our Future by Daniel Lewis

Trees make up a great percentage of our landscape, but have you ever wondered what this ancient species could tell us about the world around them? In Twelve Trees, Professor Daniel Lewis takes us on a research journey as he studies some of the world’s most threatened genus’. Amongst other interesting finds, some species (the Longleaf Pine) thrive from being set on fire, while Lewis found that trees’ annual rings unveil information regarding drought or rainfall from their past. The book reports how some trees adapt to changeable conditions – the Bald Cypress now lives in wet conditions – the recent history of ebony, olive oil and how amber fossils show us a window to the past. This enlightening book is very informative, combining science and wonder and giving hope for the future that we might learn lessons from the 12 trees that are now under threat from various worldly factors.
7/10
(Review by Karen Shield)

Children’s book of the week

5. Rabbit On The Rampage by Lorna Watson, illustrated by Rikin Parekh, is published in paperback by Walker Books, priced £7.99 (no ebook). Available now

Rabbit On The Rampage by Lorna Watson, illustrated by Rikin Parekh

This story follows the saga of Rabbit and her favourite curly carrot. Rabbit takes the carrot everywhere with her – swimming, dance class, everywhere. One day, she notices the curly carrot is missing from its usual place, and chaos ensues. She then goes on a rampage backtracking her steps and accusing all her friends rather rudely and loudly of stealing the carrot. Each friend offers her an alternative vegetable – to no avail. As you can probably imagine, Rabbit eventually finds the carrot – and has to find a way to make it up to all her friends. This is a quirky and entertaining book with lovely colourful illustrations that will delight any child.
7/10
(Review by Joanne Brennan)

BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING JULY 6

HARDBACK (FICTION)
1. Babylonia by Costanza Casati
2. When The Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker
3. Long Island by Colm Tóibín
4. Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors
5. Breaking The Dark by Lisa Jewell
6. You Are Here by David Nicholls
7. The Ministry Of Time by Kaliane Bradley
8. First Wife’s Shadow by Adele Parks
9. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
10. Murder At The Monastery by Reverend Richard Coles
(Compiled by Waterstones)

HARDBACK (NON-FICTION)
1. Pinch Of Nom Air Fryer by Kay Allinson & Kate Allinson
2. The House Of Beckham by Tom Bower
3. Keir Starmer by Tom Baldwin
4. MILF by Paloma Faith
5. Wimbledon by Sue Barker
6. My Family by David Baddiel
7. Operation Biting by Max Hastings
8. Cloudspotting For Beginners by Gavin Pretor-Pinney
9. Greekish by Georgina Hayden
10. Ask Not by Maureen Callahan
(Compiled by Waterstones)

AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NON-FICTION)
1. The Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer
2. Atomic Habits by James Clear
3. The Suspect by Rob Rinder
4. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
5. Unruly by David Mitchell
6. None Of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
7. The Trial by Rob Rinder
8. Politics On The Edge by Rory Stewart
9. A Game Of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
10. Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken
(Compiled by Audible)

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