We Are Reading
At Jaffé & Neale we are always happy to recommend our favourite reads. Here are our current picks:
“Ben Shattuck is the ‘lovechild’ of Annie Proulx and Raymond Carver. I can’t praise this collection of short stories highly enough. Set on Nantucket over 100 years, with delicate links and delightful prose. A joy to read.”
The History of Sound
Review by Patrick Neale
Review by Patrick Neale
“Like The Salt Path, but for people who like stone circles (…and probably more factually accurate)….”
Stone Lands
Review by David Faulds
Review by David Faulds
“A stunning, emotional family epic that lingers long after the last page – a story of sisters, secrets, and second chances, where love is both the wound and the cure. Some families are built on love, others on longing– this one is built on both. This book will truly break your heart and put it back together again. Patrick, Polly & Rachel are on the same page as me! ”
Hello Beautiful
Review by Rabab Bahrainwala
Review by Rabab Bahrainwala
“Masterfully condenses 400 years of a nation’s history into the story of a single plot of land. As a reader you encounter an array of protagonists with heart-breaking and idiosyncratic passion.”
North Woods
Review by Rachel White
Review by Rachel White
“Richard Flanagan has created a moving and gripping memoir, capturing the horrors of his father’s incarceration in the Second World War (as recounted in the Booker Winner Narrow Road to the Deep North), the arrival of the Atomic Bomb, first envisaged by H G Wells and his near death from drowning while canoeing at the age of 21. His laser clear view of what it means to be a human makes it a privilege to read and accompany him on his reflections of growing up in Tasmania, an island with a haunted and guilty past.”
Question 7
Review by Patrick Neale
Review by Patrick Neale
“This is ‘The Secret Barrister’ turned novelist. S J Fleet creates a thrilling courtroom drama. The failings of the police and judiciary are laid bare and a gripping story unfolds.”
The Cut Throat Trial
Review by Patrick Neale
Review by Patrick Neale
“Ripeness is a novel that asks many questions: What does it mean to belong? Can we call ourselves ‘from’ somewhere if we weren’t born there? Weaving two narrative strands of modern-day west coast Ireland and 1960s rural Italy, this is an immersive, enriching story that will keep you hooked.”
Ripeness
Review by Rachel White
Review by Rachel White
“An older sister inherits a rambling Sussex estate and rewilds large sections of the land. Her brother wants to convert a sacred wood into a tech-bro retreat. The younger sister seemingly doesn’t care about any of it. A sharp, insightful and multi-faceted novel.”
Albion
Review by Rachel White
Review by Rachel White
“Nussaibah Younis could have written a very serious and very worthy tome about her time spent working to deradicalise women affiliated with ISIS, but instead she’s turned her experiences into a brilliantly funny, dark comedy that shines light on the barriers and Kafkaesque bureaucracy those in her field face, whilst giving a human face to those vilified in the press.”
Fundamentally
Review by David Faulds
Review by David Faulds
“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl describes the very real experience of children facing adult obstacles. The funniest, sad book I’ve ever read.”
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Review by Pearl Goddard
Review by Pearl Goddard
“The minute-by-minute story of the Iranian Embassy Siege, told as if John le Carré had been asked to write an episode of Line of Duty.”
The Siege
Review by David Faulds
Review by David Faulds
“Now out in paperback, this is an immersive mystery read that ticks all the boxes for whiling away hot summer afternoons. Tight plotting alongside well-drawn characterisations bring the leafy, if somewhat dark, world of the Adirondacks during the ’60s and ’70s alive.”
The God of the Woods
Review by Rachel White
Review by Rachel White