5 new books to read this week

A laugh-out-loud debut by Madeline Cash is one of this week’s new releases…

Fiction

1. Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash is published in hardback by Doubleday, priced £16.99 (ebook £8.99). Available now

This is a laugh-out-loud funny and a brilliant debut novel from Madeline Cash. This story follows the dysfunctional American Flynn family: parents Bud and Catherine, and their three daughters – Harper, Abigail and Louise. As Bud and Catherine’s marriage falls into turmoil, they struggle to hold their family together while their children constantly find themselves getting into trouble. Each character is wildly flawed, full of anxieties and inner turmoil, but you can’t help but fall completely in love with the Flynn family. Told from inside the heads of each family member, the story sees them spiralling in different directions before becoming connected through the discovery of a criminal conspiracy. The result is a wildly entertaining, sharply written novel that keeps you hooked throughout.
9/10
(Review by Jacqueline Ling)

2. Stowaways by Andre Aciman is published in hardback by Faber & Faber, priced £12.99 (ebook £4.99). Available February 12

The idea that your life can be turned upside down in a nanosecond is fascinating, and is one of the many themes in author Andre Aciman’s new novella, Stowaways. Julian is enjoying a very run-of-the-mill summer’s evening in his Manhattan apartment when the ping of a email signals the aforementioned life-changing event. Mysteriously entitled ‘From Paul Axel’, the email is met with confusion from Julian, who knows Paul simply as a friendly chap who frequents the same coffee shop as him. Mere acquaintances, Julian is shocked to discover that Paul has died. But he is even more shocked to discover the depth of feeling Paul held for him. Aciman’s modern-day twist on Brief Encounter features hidden lives, forbidden feelings and unrequited love – all of which are kept safely ‘stowed away’ until the end of life. It’s a beautifully written examination of the human condition that cannot fail to force a look in the mirror.
8/10
(Review by Rachel Howard)

3. A Better Life by Lionel Shriver is published in hardback by The Borough Press, priced £22 (ebook £12.99). Available February 17

Never one to shy away from controversial topics, Lionel Shriver decides to tackle the issue of immigration head on. Gloria Bonaventura is divorcee living with her son Nico in a large house in Brooklyn. A new programme, Big Apple, Big Heart, has been launched asking residents to take in migrants in return for a small sum. Gloria welcomes Martine from Honduras with open arms even though Nico, who prefers peace and quiet, is sceptical. Everything seems to be going smoothly until the arrival of two men linked to Martine, who seem to move into the house without permission. Is Nico right that they are up to no good and is Martine really who she says she is? Quite often, this book reads less like a novel and more like an essay on everything the author thinks is wrong with immigration. However, this is designed to be deliberately provocative fiction – and that is what Shriver does best.
7/10
(Review by Jane Kirby)

Non-fiction

4. Nation Of Strangers by Ece Temelkuran is published in hardback by Canongate Books, priced £18.99 (ebook £15.19). Available February 12

Turkish journalist and author Ece Temelkuran writes a series of letters to strangers over a period of time in the years after she was forced to leave her home country for the last time. A Nation of Strangers is a novel way to navigate being uprooted and starting again, documenting the journey and emotions through the mundane immigration office queues to the most touching interactions with fellow ‘strangers’. Through writing to the reader, Temelkuran puts her human experience and connection at the heart of this account from someone in exile, a perspective often missing from immigration debates. It is an important reminder of humanity as hope and explores the changing nature of home in this uncertain world.
8/10
(Review by Anahita Hossein-Pour)

Children’s book of the week

5. An Epic History of Failure by Natalie Younger, illustrated by Ella Kasperowicz, is published in hardback by Neon Squid, priced £10.99. Available February 19

This book is fabulous and full of the “mindless mishaps” that have littered history. From the ones people know about, such as the Titanic tragedy, to the more obscure, such as the day the streets of Boston became flooded with treacle, it is sure to delight young history fans. Ever wondered why the Tower of Pisa leans? And why wasn’t Bach’s music recognised in his lifetime? It’s all in here, written in a way that both amuses and entertains. The book is beautifully illustrated throughout and has a nice introduction which basically tells children why it’s OK to fail and how to learn from mistakes. An Epic History Of Failure is part of Neon Squid’s Wacky Histories series, whose other brilliant tiles include A Sick History Of Medicine.
9/10
(Review by Jane Kirby)

BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING FEBRUARY 7

HARDBACK (FICTION)
1. The Lies That Summon The Night by Tessonja Odette
2. Isles Of The Emberdark by Brandon Sanderson
3. A Stage Set For Villains by Shannon J. Spann
4. Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy
5. Departure(s) by Julian Barnes
6. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
7. The Persian by David McCloskey
8. Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash
9. The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
10. The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao
(Compiled by Waterstones)

HARDBACK (NON-FICTION)
1. Learn Like A Lobster by Helen Tupper & Sarah Ellis
2. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins & Sawyer Robbins
3. Always Remember by Charlie Mackesy
4. Eat Yourself Healthy by Jamie Oliver
5. In The Hide by Gordon Buchanan
6. I Still Believe In Miracles by Lucas Jones
7. The Wisdom Of Ancient Japan by Saori Okada
8. Don’t Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen
9. Everybody Loves Our Dollars – How Money Laundering Won by Oliver Bullough
10. Ikigai by Hector Garcia & Francesc Miralles
(Compiled by Waterstones)

AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NONFICTION)
1. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
2. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
3. Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
4. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
5. My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney
6. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
7. The Names by Florence Knapp
8. Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden
9. A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms by George R.R. Martin
10. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
(Compiled by Audible)