Like everyone else, I read The Woman in Me, by Britney Spears (and possibly Sam Lansky). I listened to the audiobook, beautifully narrated by Michelle Williams. It was an incredibly difficult listen; ten minutes in we’d already had a graveside suicide. It is comparable to I’m Glad my Mom Died by Jeannette McCurdy, in that it is the story of a talented girl and how her family takes advantage of her (although McCurdy’s book is far superior, in my opinion). Those looking for tales of early noughties pop anecdotes may be disappointed, but worth a brief read or listen.
Lamb by Matt Hill kept popping up on my Instagram feed, for various reasons, and I’m so thankful to Beckii at Dead Ink for sending over a copy (it’s not available in the US yet, boo!). Lamb is a weird, bold novel, starting with an incident with a lorry in protest of AI drivers, and turns into a story about family, in some strange forms. Totally unpredictable, and oddly beautiful.
The cover of Crow Face, Doll Face by Carly Holmes (and indeed the title) may suggest that this is a horror novel. So I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be an uncanny tale of quiet domestic terror, similar to Barbara Comyns and Penelope Mortimer. I loved this book so much, I messaged Holmes halfway through to let her know. If you love Comyns’ The Vet’s Daughter, you will undoubtedly enjoy this. And Holmes’ 2018 short story collection Figurehead is rather wonderful too.
I also read and loved:
California Reading 