What to Read Now: Vol CIII
| Ghosts in the Hedgerow by Tom Moorhouse £16.99 Have you noticed that there are fewer hedgehogs about? Tom Moorhouse has, and he’s determined to figure out whodunnit. Looking at historical data over the last century or so, he narrows down his suspects before a final reckoning. The unusual framing of the book makes it more entertaining than straight natural history, but the book has an important message that shines through. Buy Now |
| Exactly What You Mean by Ben Hinshaw £9.99 Eleven interlinked short stories make up a stunning whole in this debut book, now out in paperback. The stories take us from Guernsey to California to Bordeaux and more, and there are repeated themes – relationships, injuries, photographs – and characters. Each story gives the reader a bit more of a cleverly designed mosaic. Buy Now |
| Rainy Day London by Isabelle Aron £12.99 As miserable as wet weather can be, at least in this city we’re not short of places to shelter. This book features a hundred – from cosy pubs to world-class galleries. This would be a perfect little present for a friend who’s visiting (along with the reminder that London isn’t as wet as its reputation might suggest). Buy Now |
| Two Sherpas by Sebastian Martinez Daniell translated by Jennifer Croft £11.99 A short, but infinitely fascinating Argentinian novel. While their English employer lies injured on the slopes of Everest, the two titular sherpas riff on life – the past, the future, how all three of them came to be on the mountain. Taking in history, cultural imperialism (and straightforward imperialism), language and very personal stores, this is a book whose imagination is not constrained by its brevity. Buy Now |
| Dragged Up Proppa by Pip Fallow £18.99 The youngest of six brothers, raised in a mining town outside Durham, Pip Fallow was expected to follow his father and brothers down the mine, but the pit closure saw him on the dole instead. This memoir of a lost time and place is more than timely given the current North/South divide, and it’s also a cracking read. Buy Now |
| A Nursery Rhyme for Every Night of the Year by Allie Esiri £20 Somehow, Allie Esiri has found 366 nursery rhymes, from the very familiar to the brand new. The poems are arranged by season and theme, so there’s always something suitable for the occasion. Combining the traditional with the contemporary, this is a dream present for a new baby. Buy Now |
