BOOK REVIEW Book Review SUMMER SIZZLERS
The heat is on and the summer is here! Everyone is looking for a good holiday read and there’s plenty around to tempt the literary tastebuds – be it a beachside easy read, a gripping thriller, a tale of love and romance in a faraway land or simply a book that’s been waiting for your undivided attention as it gathers dust on the shelf. For me the ideal holiday read is a subtle blend: strong characters, an engrossing tale, the essential dash of escapism and a sprinkling of light humour. An eye- catching cover and intriguing first line are also key to my somewhat fickle selection process.
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An obvious holiday read that has come to my attention is the New York Times Bestseller, The Vacationers by Emma Straub (Picador, £7.99). The title, cover a
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by Emma Jones
and setting all scream ‘holiday read’ as it tells the story of an American family holidaying in the sunny climes of Majorca. Of course everything is not as it seems. The family is somewhat dysfunctional and full of emotional
baggage but the characters are wonderfully drawn and the writing, as described by the Independent, is “wry and witty … which slips down as easily as a beachside cocktail”. Karen Joy Fowler’s We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves (Serpent’s Tale, £7.99) is another hot ticket. It’s recently been longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2014 and is a Mega Book of the Month on
www.lovereading.co.uk. This is the tale of a modern day American family and how they are affected by their young daughter’s disappearance. The story jumps through time and is told through the eyes of their college-age daughter, Rosemary. This is thought provoking writing that tackles family and sibling bonds with humour and acute observations, with a surprise plot twist in the middle of the book. Altogether a clear choice for anyone looking for an original and compelling read. The Miniaturist by Jessie
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Burton (Picador, H/B) should satisfy the lover of historical fiction and anyone who enjoyed The Girl with A Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier. It is hotly tipped by all the reviewers and has even caught the eye of Hollywood producers. The cover sold it for me and the artistic setting of 17th Century Amsterdam deftly fufils another of my ‘must read’ criteria. It is an accomplished book for a debut writer that grips the reader with its historical tale
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of sex and class in the period of the Dutch Golden Age. The protagonist, 18-year old Nella, arrives in Amsterdam at the house of her new husband who has gifted her a miniature of the very house that they live in. The story unfolds as the model house begins to fill with miniature models of the people and furniture who live in the house and as such the mysteries of her new home and life begin to unravel. The author S J Watson describes it simply as “the kind of book that reminds you why you fell in love with reading.” And finally, ‘mon ami’, for those fans of murder mystery, don’t forget the International Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay from September 14 – 21. This is a popular event with a full and varied programme (
www.agathachristiefestival. com) and this year coincides with the publication of the long awaited new Poirot novel, The Monogram Murders (Harper & Collins) written by the popular crime writer Sophie Hannah.
Open all year but times vary seasonally. 12 Higher Street (opposite The Cherub Inn)
01803 839571
info@dartmouthcommunitybookshop.co.uk www.dartmouthcommunitybookshop.co.uk
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A not-for-profit co-operative organised by volunteers.
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