June 23, 2022 I Used to Live Here Once by Miranda Seymour Reviewed by Harriet I discovered Jean Rhys in my twenties, and raced through her three great 1930s novels, After Leaving Mr Mackenzie, Voyage in…
June 23, 2022 One Day I Shall Astonish the World by Nina Stibbe Review by Annabel I’ve been a fan of Nina Stibbe since she first hit the literary scene in 2013 with Love, Nina, an hilarious memoir…
June 21, 2022 Letters to Gwen John by Celia Paul Reviewed by Karen Langley In recent years, artist Gwen John’s star has risen, with her work nowadays receiving much more acclaim than that of…
June 21, 2022 Cold Heaven by Brian Moore Reviewed by Harriet This is the first book I’ve read by the multi-award-winning Irish Canadian author, but on the strength of this remarkable novel…
June 16, 2022 Good Pop, Bad Pop: An Inventory by Jarvis Cocker Review by Annabel Since he first came into the public eye, Jarvis Cocker has always presented a delightful, non-conformist approach to life – droll…
June 16, 2022 Brave Hearted: The Dramatic Story of Women of the American West, by Katie Hickman Reviewed by Harriet Back in 2020 I reviewed Katie Hickman’s previous book, She-Merchants, Buccaneers and Gentlewomen, a fascinating account of the earliest British women…
June 14, 2022 Time Is a Mother by Ocean Vuong Review by Anna Hollingsworth War, identity, cultural outsiderness, exploitation, love, family and belonging (or more often not) were at the core of Ocean Vuong’s…
June 14, 2022 100 Voices: 100 Women Share their Stories of Achievement, ed. Miranda Roszkowski Review by Liz Dexter We need to read about the achievements of women, not least because we are constantly reminded of the achievements of…
June 9, 2022 Three by Valérie Perrin Translated by Hildegarde Serle Reviewed by Harriet My name is Virginie. I’m the same age as them. Today, out of the three, only Adrian still…
June 9, 2022 Snow Widows: Scott’s Fatal Antarctic Expedition Through the Eyes of the Women They Left Behind by Katherine MacInnes Review by Liz Dexter “I have chased the Snow Widows through dusty attics and auction rooms, and sifted them from history’s cutting room floors.”…
June 2, 2022 ‘Sensational Books’ at the Bodleian By Annabel On Tuesday I was privileged to be invited to join a press event for the Bodleian Libraries’ new (much-delayed by Covid) exhibition…
June 2, 2022 Exiles: Three Island Journeys by William Atkins Review by Karen Langley In our turbulent modern world, the concept of exile is never far away from the headlines. Wars and religious conflicts…
June 1, 2022 Guest Post: Sally Emerson on the themes and inspiration for her new book, ‘Perfect, Stories of the Impossible’. Back in 2017, Shiny editor Harriet reviewed a reprint of one of Sally Emerson’s novels, Separation, first published in 1992 – describing it as…
