Devil's Day by Andrew Michael Hurley

Book Review

"In the wink of an eye, as quick as a flea,
The Devil he jumped from me to thee.
And only when the Devil had gone,
Did I know that he and I'd been one."

Devil's Day was released in the UK on 19th October 2017. It is written by Andrew Michael Hurley and published by John Murray Press.

I haven't read The Loney, Andrew Michael Hurley's critically acclaimed first novel, but all the good reviews I've read means it has been on my tbr list for ages. But when I saw that Hurley had a new book out I decided to read that first, especially as the blurb drew me in, with talk of an isolated country community, family dynamics and the supernatural.

Devil's Day is beautifully written, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me; there's a good story in there but it was a bit lost in strange pacing, disconnected writing and a family dynamic that I didn't find that interesting.

Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan

Book Review

"He would die to stay alive, to savor the sensuous gallop of his thoughts toward some truth he hadn't yet perceived."


Manhattan Beach will be released in the UK on 3rd October 2017. It is written by Jennifer Egan and published by Corsair.

I'm still not sure how I feel about Manhattan Beach. It has a strange way of encroaching on you and, even though it's not a thrill a minute, you can't put it down. And yet, I felt that the story was a bit too meandering and had too many different directions, many of which came to nothing in the end.

The History of Bees by Maja Lunde

Book Review

"...in order to live in nature, with nature, we must detach ourselves from the nature in ourselves."

The History of Bees will be released in the UK on 7th September 2017. It is written by Maja Lunde and published by Scribner.

The History of Bees is a wonderfully written but sometimes slow look at the lives of three different beekeepers. It's also a truly terrifying examination of how important bees are to the world and our existence.

The Burning Girl by Claire Messud

Book Review

"Sometimes I felt that growing up and being a girl was about learning to be afraid."

The Burning Girl will be released on 7th September. It is written by Claire Messud and published by Fleet.

This is a strange one. I was expecting The Burning Girl to be a thriller, but it's more of an exploration of a friendship with a slow (forgive me for the pun) burn. It has depth and Messud's writing is beautiful yet realistic.