22 December 2021

5 new books to read this week

22 December 2021

A particular highlight from this week is a new poetry collection from Amanda Gorman, the breakout star from President Joe Biden’s inauguration…

Fiction

1. The Zookeeper of Belfast by S. Kirk Walsh is published in paperback by Hodder & Stoughton, priced £14.99 (ebook £2.99). Available now

(Hodder & Stoughton/PA)

The real-life story of Belfast’s ‘Elephant Angel’ has been told before. Denise Austin, the first female zookeeper in Belfast, entered local folklore during the Second World War as she harboured an elephant in her backyard through the horrors of the Blitz, and her tale has inspired a children’s book and the 2017 film Zoo. In this interpretation of the tale, Austin is re-cast as Hettie Quin, whose close bond with the elephant Violet is an escape from troubles at home – the death of her sister and the absence of her father. Walsh takes considerable artistic licence, but her goal is to tell the story of Belfast and its people during the war. The book is rich in detail – at times it feels too much, and some of the early walks across the city feel like a list of landmarks. But when the bombs start falling, Walsh brings the horrors and emotions vividly to life.7/10(Review by Ian Parker)

2. Under The Rainbow by Celia Laskey is published in paperback by HQ, priced £8.99 (ebook £4.99). Available now

If the plot of Under The Rainbow sounds a bit laboured, that’s because it is. A queer task force is sent to live in what has been deemed ‘the most homophobic town in America’ – Big Burr in Kansas. The project is all about changing the hearts and minds of the residents, and it initially goes just about as well as you can imagine (i.e. not very). Each chapter is from a new character, alternating between LGBTQ+ activists who have moved away from their normal lives to work in what feels like a pretty unwelcoming town, and the residents who don’t see what needs to change. While some stories of redemption are heart-warming, it all feels like it’s trying a bit too hard – particularly with an overly saccharine ending. Each chapter is so short, by the time you’ve become connected to a character it’s onto the next – and there’s not enough overlap between stories to make it all come together.5/10(Review by Prudence Wade)

3. Hide by Nell Pattison is published in paperback by Avon, priced £7.99 (ebook 99p). Available now

A group of friends go for a walk in an isolated nature reserve to watch a murmuration of starlings. One of the group is a killer, and the rest have to untangle secrets and lies to find the truth – and get out alive. The story is told through the eyes of all the characters, leaving the reader to play detective. As an idea for a thriller, Hide should work on several levels, but unfortunately ends up getting a bit bogged down. In the absence of a convincing fear factor, the slightly wooden characters go round in circles in the dark – ending up pretty much where they started. Is there an exciting twist at the end? Anyone who can wade through all the snowdrifts, dense woodland and marshy terrain of this book deserves to find out for themselves.4/10(Review by Emily Pennink)

Non-fiction

4. Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman is published in hardback by Chatto & Windus, priced £14.99 (ebook £8.99). Available now

Amanda Gorman is a force to be reckoned with: the 23-year-old burst onto the scene at the inauguration of US President Joe Biden in January, reading her moving poem The Hill We Climb. That particular poem finishes off her first impressive collection, Call Us What We Carry. Common themes run throughout the book – including the pandemic, social justice and, more unusually, the sea. Gorman is at her best when stripping things down, in poems devoid of frills. There, she’s most poignant and shows her masterful use of the English language – at other points the conceits try too hard, particularly when words are arranged into ‘meaningful’ shapes on the page (a poem tucked inside the shape of a face mask was really a bit much). But overall, pretty inspiring stuff from a young poet who’s just at the start of her career.8/10(Review by Prudence Wade)

Children’s book of the week

5. Once Upon A Silent Night by Dawn Casey, illustrated by Katie Hickey, is published in hardback by Bloomsbury Children’s Books priced £12.99 (ebook £9.09). Available now

It’s the middle of a cold and snowy night and the animals can tell a pair of travellers need their help. But what can they do? There is a baby due to be born and nowhere is free to house them. One by one, the animals offer up their spots in the barn to aid the safe arrival of the baby, as the moon looks down and bathes the barn in light. As the star lightens the way and the angels sing, the local children offer aid on that auspicious night. Dawn Casey has written a gentle introduction to the Nativity story for little ones, perfect for a bedtime story on Christmas Eve. And with beautiful illustrations from Katie Hickey, it could become a new festive family bedtime tradition.7/10(Review by Rachel Howdle)

BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 18

HARDBACK (FICTION)1. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman2. Silverview by John le Carré3. Better Off Dead by Lee Child & Andrew Child4.Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney5. The Promise by Damon Galgut6. The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa7. Sharpe’s Assassin by Bernard Cornwell8. How To Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie9. Klara And The Sun by Kazue Ishiguro10. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan(Compiled by Waterstones)

HARDBACK (NON-FICTION)1. Private Eye Annual: 2021 by Ian Hislop2. Windswept & Interesting by Billy Connolly3. And Away… by Bob Mortimer4. Guinness World Records 2022 by Guinness World Records5. Pinch Of Nom Comfort Food by Kay Featherstone & Kate Allinson6. This Much Is True by Miriam Margolyes7. The Lyrics by Paul McCartney8. Diddly Squat by Jeremy Clarkson9. The Storyteller by Dave Grohl10. A Cook’s Book by Nigel Slater(Compiled by Waterstones)

AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NON-FICTION)1. Windswept & Interesting by Billy Connolly2. Will by Will Smith & Mark Manson3. Ancestors by Alice Roberts4. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman5. This Much Is True by Miriam Margolyes6. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman7. P.G. Wodehouse Volume 1 by P.G. Wodehouse8. And Away… by Bob Mortimer9. Before & Laughter by Jimmy Carr10. Atomic Habits by James Clear(Compiled by Audible)

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