Girls by Kirsty Capes
As soon as I saw the blurb for this book, I knew I had to read it:
“She was a brilliant artist.
She was a terrible mother to her girls, Mattie and Nora.
And her legacy would live on forever.
Even so, it's unlikely the world will ever see another Ingrid Olssen exhibition - her last request to her daughters was to throw her ashes in the canyon and her paintings in the sea. But as Mattie and Nora reluctantly embark on an all-or-nothing trip to fulfil her wishes, they start to unpick the painful scars of their past. And soon they begin to realise that the ties that bound them, might also break them...”
Girls is excellent – I love anything that explores the tension between motherhood and creativity (that old Pram in the Hall question). What will we forgive of our artists? Can we ever truly separate art from the artist? This is beautifully written, tender, moving. I can’t say enough good things about it.
Part of Your World – Abby Jimenez
What I like about Abby Jimenez’s books is that they are true rom-coms; they’re actually funny and romantic. The premise of this one is kind of daft – a doctor from a wealthy family doesn’t think her parents will accept her new boyfriend, a hot inn-owner from the countryside, because he… isn’t a doctor? The horror! – but the chemistry between the two main characters is fire and, as mentioned, it’s genuinely funny and cute.
This Is How You Remember It – Catherine Prasifka
I was just talking to someone about how rare it is to read a book in the second person when a proof of This Is How You Remember It arrived in the post. It is, you guessed it, told in the second person. It feels reductive to say “it’s about a young woman coming of age in the time of smart phones” even though that’s basically the blurb, because This Is How You Remember It is also a powerful exploration of sex and sexuality and porn and relationships and love and friendship. I didn’t read Prasifka’s debut, a mistake I shall be rectifying after reading this – I found it unnerving and strangely comforting in equal measure.
The Glow – Jessie Gaynor
A friend recommended this to me after she randomly picked it up in the library and I INHALED it. It’s about Cass, a preternaturally beautiful self-help guru, and Jane, the desperate young publicist who is determined to turn Cass into the next big thing to save her own career. It’s hysterical; a caustic and satirical look at the wellness industry.
My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey
Tessa Bailey is one of my go-to authors when I’m ovulating and looking for a horny book to take care of business. I SAID WHAT I SAID. Anyway, there’s a plot here, I guess, but who actually cares? It’s basically about a huge, sexy man and a tiny, sexy woman, and they ride a lot. There was a murder too? I think? 10/10, no notes.
Lioness by Emily Perkins
I’m pretty sure Marian Keyes gave this to me and like everything Queen Marian recommends, it was great. The blurb is as follows – “From humble beginnings, Therese has let herself grow used to a life of luxury after marrying into an empire-building family. But when rumours of corruption gather around her husband's latest development, the social opprobrium is shocking, the fallout swift, and Therese begins to look at her privileged and insular world with new eyes. In the flat below Therese, something else is brewing. Her neighbour Claire believes she's discovered the secret to living with freedom and authenticity, freeing herself from the mundanity of domesticity. Therese finds herself enchanted by the lure of the permissive zone Claire creates in her apartment - a place of ecstatic release. All too quickly, Therese is forced to confront herself and her choices - just how did she become this person? And what exactly should she do about it?”
I was engrossed in this novel – it had just the amount of female rage that I need, as well as a pretty effective takedown of late stage capitalism. I had a few issues with the pacing but overall, v enjoyable.
All About Love- bell hooks
I am so late coming to this book but Claire and Ashley (co-hosts of the Celebrity Memoir Book Club podcast) have been recapping it for their Patreon, and I enjoyed their analysis so much that I decided to read it myself. I’m sure you won’t be surprised to hear that I ADORED it. The chapters on love and sex are incredibly powerful but it was the sections on community and emotional connection that really got me. It is quite god-heavy so if that’s not your thing, be warned…
What Remains The Same by Alvy Carragher
When Asking For It came out, the Irish Times ran a piece in which they compared the book to one of Alvy’s poems, Numb. I’ve been a fan of Alvy’s work since then and was very excited to read her latest collection. It’s gorgeous – a haunting look at family, childhood, and trauma.
Heart, Be At Peace by Donal Ryan
I’m going to start this by admitting that I love Donal Ryan – he is an incredibly kind, decent man – and I really do feel like that kindness and decency is reflected in his work, which is almost devastating in its ability to hold space for each character’s humanity. This is a follow-up to the hugely successful, The Spinning Heart, and it is one of the best things Donal has ever written. Compassionate, empathetic, and true, this is going to be a smash hit.
*takes note* Also, the new Sarah Manguso novel, Liars, is another woman-artist-vs-domesticity-aaaagh book and I LOVE HER. (Out in July maybe? Picador.)
Also ALSO, speaking of horny things - have you watched The Regime (the Kate Winslet as mad Eastern Europe dictator miniseries?). It is unhinged and delightful.