Fiction

1. The Secret Lives Of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw is published in hardback by Pushkin ONE, priced £14.99 (ebook £9.99). 

The phrase 'church ladies' conjures up a variety of images, according to the reader's own cultural understanding of the church. The Secret Lives Of Church Ladies is a modern glimpse into the deeper feelings and emotions of a group of black female friends, linked by their childhood membership of a congregation. The women meet every New Year's Eve, when they can express their secret desires, forbidden loves, and transgressive thoughts. Funny, affectionate, startling, even shocking, they share things we may think, but can only say to our closest confidantes. The umbrella of the ladies' church connection adds another dimension to this well-crafted collection of stories - the all-pervading sense that someone else - God perhaps - is listening.

9/10

(Review by Victoria Barry)

 

2. Thrown by Sara Cox is published in hardback by Coronet, priced £14.99 (ebook £6.99). 

Wannabe authors are often told to write about what they know. It's hard to tell how much Radio 2 DJ and broadcaster Sara Cox knows about being the manager of a community centre, but her life lessons and presenting experience from The Great Pottery Throwdown has definitely come up trumps. Weaving the stories of four women who decide to sign up for a local pottery class, she has created a welcoming world full of wonder and hope, set against gritty real-life problems that are often kept secret. It's a pleasure to get to know the characters of Thrown - especially Becky, a single mum who is learning about herself and growing stronger and more independent every day - and Sheila, who is yearning to start a new life in Spain, but needs to get her husband to agree. A great summer read, with Cox's voice jumping off the page.

9/10

(Review by Rachel Howdle)

 

3. Idol by Louise O'Neill is published in hardback by Bantam Press, priced £14.99 (ebook £5.99). 

With conversations around consent, cancel culture and wellness, Idol is a book firmly placed in the now. Samantha Miller is a world-famous wellness guru - but when she publishes an essay about a sexual awakening she had with her teenage best friend, the ex-friend gets in touch to say she doesn't remember it the same way - threatening to topple everything Samantha has built. It's a cleverly constructed story, told from Samantha's perspective, so we're initially on her side - only to realise how insidious her actions are, and the darkness that lies within. It brings up interesting questions about the modern cult of wellness - skewering well-known lifestyle idols in the process - but while incredibly readable, the story meanders in the middle. Ultimately, it builds up to a satisfying conclusion - one you can't help but read with gritted teeth as the action unfolds - but it takes a bit too long to get there.

7/10

(Review by Prudence Wade)

 

Non-fiction

4. This Is Not A Pity Memoir by Abi Morgan is published in hardback by John Murray Press, priced £12.99 (ebook £8.49).

Pity aside, it's impossible not to feel a huge amount of sympathy for Abi Morgan, whose long-term partner, actor Jacob Krichefski, collapses and is put into an induced coma after complications caused by a drug used to treat his multiple sclerosis. When he wakes, months later, Krichefski suffers a rare psychological condition that puts an immense strain on their relationship, and Morgan receives a devastating diagnosis of her own - but she continues to rally friends, family and the couple's two children to battle a disease with crushing effects, not just for the patient, but everyone around them. As a scriptwriter, Morgan knows how to craft dramatic prose. She doesn't pull any punches, describing with unflinching honesty the anger and resentment that bubbles up during some of her darkest moments. Interspersed with glimpses of the couple's glamorous life - rubbing shoulders with A-listers and walking Hollywood red carpets - before MS turned their world upside down, it makes for a captivating, heartbreaking, but ultimately hopeful read, that will resonate with anyone who has had to cope with the illness of a loved one.

9/10

(Review by Katie Wright)

 

Children's book of the week

5. When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill is published in hardback by Hot Key Books, priced £14.99 (ebook £9.99). 

The title of When Women Were Dragons might suggest a fantasy novel, but beneath the surface lurks a living and fire-breathing story of women's battle for equality. In this book, Kelly Barnhill would have us believe women have dragons inside them, helping them battle to right inequalities and crush stereotypes. At the centre of this upheaval is Alex Green, whose aunt becomes a dragon and her mother dies of cancer, all the time bringing up youngster sister Beatrice after they are abandoned by their father. Barnhill's story is of family, love in its many forms, and the female members of that family who fight for what they think is right. The reader is borne along on the peaks and troughs of a battle for recognition, as if they were riding a dragon through the skies.

8/10

(Review by Roddy Brooks)