5 new books to read this week
This week’s bookcase includes reviews of Bored Gay Werewolf by Tony Santorella and A Death In The Parish by Reverend Richard Coles.
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Your support makes all the difference.New releases provide plenty of options for summer beach reads…
Fiction
1. Bored Gay Werewolf by Tony Santorella is published in hardback by Atlantic Books, priced £14.99 (ebook £6.99). Available now
Tony Santorella’s debut has hints of darkness, but is still easy to read and funny. Our lead is Brian – the Bored Gay Werewolf in question. A mid-20s college dropout, who works in a cafe bar by day, and meets men on Grindr and finds the odd victim by night. When he meets fellow lycanthrope and life coach Tyler, Brian starts to make some silly mistakes in his wolf form, and Tyler sets up a support group for others like them. Equipped with a set of mantras and instructions for self-care as the next full moon approaches, Brian begins to learn more about his ‘anger-management’ issues. As he withdraws from his cafe friends and wraps himself in the cult-like embrace of Tyler and his pack, he becomes aware of something much darker. A fun read, perfect for Pride month and those who love non-serious coming-of-age tales.8/10(Review by Rachel Howdle)
2. A Death In The Parish by Reverend Richard Coles is published in hardback by W&N, priced £18.99 (ebook £7.99). Available now
After the runaway success of his debut cosy crime caper Murder Before Evensong, the celebrity vicar, broadcaster and writer is back with the second in the Canon Clement series, set in a sleepy English village in the late 1980s. In the latest instalment, the parish of Champton is joined by two neighbouring parishes and their associate vicar, an evangelical keen to put his stamp on the place. When a wayward teenager is found with his throat slashed in an abandoned chapel in what initially seems like a ritualistic killing, Canon Daniel Clement, rector of Champton, sets out to solve the mystery, surrounded by a clutch of familiar characters. The plot features some unexpected twists and points of reflection in an era before there were women priests, and explores the huge differences in attitudes among clergy. A good holiday read, with much gentle humour peppered among the village characters, despite the nature of the crime.8/10(Review by Hannah Stephenson)
3. The Girls Of Summer by Katie Bishop is published in hardback by Bantam, priced £14.99 (ebook £7.99). Available now
The Girls Of Summer is very much a book of the #MeToo era, exploring grey areas of consent and looking at abuses of power. Set between the past – where 17-year-old Rachel visits a Greek island and starts a relationship with a much older man – and the present, where an unhappily married Rachel struggles through life, looking back at the past with rose-tinted glasses, but increasingly realising it might not be what she thought. Rachel ‘loved’ Alistair, so she blocks out all the awful things that happened – including being drugged and raped by his boss and other wealthy men. Despite the summery setting, the content is understandably grim – but it’s written like a thriller, so you’ll keep wanting to the turn the page. Pacy and readable, it’s set to be a big summer hit.7/10(Review by Prudence Wade)
Non-fiction
4. Animal Liberation Now by Peter Singer is published in hardback by Bodley Head, priced £20 (ebook £9.99). Available now
With praise from primatologist Jane Goodall and actor Joaquin Phoenix and a foreward by historian Yuval Noah Harari, Peter Singer’s updated version of Animal Liberation is highly anticipated. The seminal book was originally published in 1975, and Animal Liberation Now has been almost entirely rewritten to reflect the issues of today. Singer’s revelations around protecting animals were radical in the Seventies, but are much more widely accepted today. This version reflects the progress that has been made in a world where veganism is much more common, and yet our environment is on the brink of collapse, and new issues – such as lab-grown meat and changes to factory farming – have come to the fore. As a philosopher, Singer’s style is in-depth and quite academic, but there’s a reason Animal Liberation hasn’t gone out of print since the Seventies – he makes a persuasive argument, and one that’s now better suited to our times.8/10(Review by Prudence Wade)
Children’s book of the week
5. My Heart Was A Tree by Michael Morpurgo, illustrated by Yuval Zommer, is published in hardback by Two Hoots, priced £16.99 (ebook £7.99). Available now
This is a heartwarming, funny and sometimes educational book that will appeal to all ages. It’s a collection of poems and stories covering the life of a tree, from seed onwards – how it grows and the benefits to man, the planet and animals alike. One of the poems shows the lifeline of a tree and how it evolves, one tree dropping its seed and being picked up and carried by a bird to reseed elsewhere. This enables the tree it to have nine different lives, eventually ending up as driftwood to make a chair. One of the short stories is about a white stag living in the woods, covering several themes, including friendship, loyalty and love. The book is a delight to read, and the colourful illustrations enhance the total experience. It will provide hours of joy, during which you can clearly see the writer’s love of trees.(Review by Joanne Brennan)9/10
BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING JUNE 10
HARDBACK (FICTION)1. The Shadow Cabinet by Juno Dawson2. A Death In The Parish by Reverend Richard Coles3. Yellowface by Rebecca F Kuang4. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros5. Winter’s Gifts by Ben Aaronovitch6. Happy Place by Emily Henry7. Atlas: The Story Of Pa Salt by Lucinda Riley & Harry Whittaker8. Killing Moon by Jo Nesbo9. Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe10. The Making Of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece by Tom Hanks(Compiled by Waterstones)
HARDBACK (NON-FICTION)1. Pageboy by Elliot Page2. The Extra Mile by Kevin Sinfield3. Into The Void by Geezer Butler4. Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken5. Hitler, Stalin, Mum And Dad by Daniel Finkelstein6. The Future Of Geography by Tim Marshall7. But What Can I Do? by Alastair Campbell8. Eject! Eject! by John Nichol9. The Wager by David Grann10. Johnson At 10 by Anthony Seldon & Raymond Newell(Compiled by Waterstones)
AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NON-FICTION)1. Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken2. Atomic Habits by James Clear3. Lady’s Well by LJ Ross4. The Bedroom Window by K. L. Slater5. Lessons In Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus6. The Creative Act by Rick Rubin7. Pageboy by Elliot Page8. Spare by The Duke of Sussex9. A Silent Death by Peter May10. Winter’s Gifts by Ben Aaronovitch(Compiled by Audible)