September, October, November & December 2024 Books

What I've been reading...

I have to begin this post by shamefully saying that these have been my worst reading months in history. However, there is good reason - in the last three months we moved house, were temporarily living with family whilst renovating our new house, then moved into our new house (which was still full of builders for the first few weeks). It has been a very chaotic time and not many books were read, but I am still excited to share this small list with you. Also, very excited to share with you (in the photo above) our new bookshelves! Obviously, my favourite spot in our new home.

Ok, onto my reviews, in the order that I read them:

Long Island Compromise by Taddy Brodesser-Akner ⭐️⭐️

There was an inordinate amount of hype around this book, and after a few friends recommended it and I consistently found it prominently displayed on the “hot picks” table of various book shops, I caved and chose it for our September book club pick. I can only apologise profusely, as when we had our monthly book club meeting, it turned out everyone found this book as deeply disappointing as I did. It follows a wealthy Jewish-American family grappling with the aftermath of a kidnapping, a premise that initially sounded promising. I found myself unable to connect with any of the characters, who were, for the most part, thoroughly unlikeable. The authors attempt at dark humour felt more jarring than effective, as it wasn’t balanced with enough depth or nuance to evoke any real empathy for the characters struggles. I would not recommend this one.

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was our October book club pick. I was eager to choose something mysterious and suspenseful, but also cosy in the build up to Halloween and as the nights started drawing in, and this book was perfect. It’s part of the Sherlock Holmes series, but you needn’t have read any others in the series to enjoy this one. The story centres around the eerie curse of a phantom hound that has haunted the Baskerville family for generations. The mystery deepens when a suspicious death happens in the family, which Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson investigate. They uncover a web of dark family secrets during their quest to get to the bottom of this mystery and the story keeps you on the edge throughout. There are some great themes of reality vs supernatural, the power of fear and the influence of wealth and family dynamics. While the novel delivers all the thrills of a classic detective story, it also encourages deeper philosophical reflection on these themes. I loved every second of reading this book, not only for the pleasure of returning to the iconic Holmes and Watson duo (I have watched all the films and tv shows), but also for the atmospheric and remote setting of Dartmoor and the suspense of the story that just made me want to snuggle down under a blanket, light a fire and read. If you’re looking for a book to read over the Christmas holidays, I would recommend this one!

Second Place by Rachel Cusk ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I got chatting to a customer in Lutyens & Rubinstein (a wonderful, independent book shop in Notting Hill if you’re ever in the area). As we were both picking up Hot Milk by Deborah Levy, she recommended Second Place and I cannot thank her enough! This was our November book club pick, and although we haven’t had our meeting to discuss it yet, I have already finished it, and couldn’t wait to share some of my thoughts! I loved this book so much. It won’t be for everyone, but if you enjoy a quiet, reflective novel, I think you will find it captivating. A woman invites a famous artist to the remote coastal landscape where she lives, after being mildly obsessed with him for years, with the hope that his artistic vision will penetrate her feeling of unrest. The narrative unfolds with six characters living in close quarters - the woman, her husband, her daughter and her boyfriend, and the visiting artist and his companion. The tension between them is written SO well, with such precision and depth. Cusk’s exploration of identity, creativity, ambition and emotional vulnerablity is both beautiful and unsettling. The protagonist’s constant self-examination made me reflect a lot on my own thoughts and feelings. I particularly loved the way she explores the boundaries of artistic admiration and envy - oh there is so much to say with this book!

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

And finally, the most special book of the year, because our meeting for this one was our first book club in person, which I hosted in a wine bar last Monday evening. This book is a beautiful, lyrical exploration of love, loss, and identity. It’s about the forbidden love of Kostas, a Greek Cypriot, and Defne, a Turkish Cypriot, set against the backdrop of Cyprus’s turbulent history. Shafak's storytelling is incredible, weaving human and natural worlds with the fig tree as a unique narrator, which sounds strange, but it worked so well. Her writing is rich and immersive, balancing historical trauma with hope and renewal. It’s a heart-warming yet heart-breaking story of connection across time, borders, and generations.

Let me know in the comments what you’ve been reading recently and don’t forget to use the ‘chat’ section of this Substack to talk all things books!

Lots of love,

Tanya xx