We Are Reading
At Jaffé & Neale we are always happy to recommend our favourite reads. Here are our current picks:
“Hilarious dialogue as an obedient daughter tries to care for her eccentric and ageing parents in France. Razor-sharp observations with wonderful anecdotes, including one about a deep freeze called Boswell.”
The Usual Desire to Kill
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
“Babs Dionne is a mafia character you’ve never met before and will never forget. Ron Currie has written a gripping family thriller. Can Babs save her empire and her family from imploding as a territory war breaks out in Little Canada, Maine?”
The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne
Review by Patrick Neale
Review by Patrick Neale
“Edward Abbey meets Don Delillo meets Joan Didion – a truly engaging novel that captures the beauty of the American desert and the frailty of modern life; beautiful. It will stay with you…”
Elegy Southwest
Review by Patrick Neale
Review by Patrick Neale
“Two rival writers, a reclusive legend and one unforgettable summer, Emily Henry reveals big feelings, bigger secrets and the biggest story of their lives. Lies, love and truth collide in the most unexpected plot twist.”
Great Big Beautiful Life
Review by Rabab Bahrainwala
Review by Rabab Bahrainwala
“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
“Remarkable men, ridiculous planes, crossing uncharted airspace. Pilots from the First World War compete to cross the Atlantic in wood and canvas crates, totally fearless. A brilliant and little known act of foolhardy bravery.”
The Big Hop
Review by Patrick Neale
Review by Patrick Neale
“Murder, snowstorms and a sassy grandma – what more could you want? This debut novel is a witty locked-room mystery set on an island with a sharp grandmother-granddaughter sleuthing duo. Perfect for cosy thriller fans. (Agatha Christie with a modern twist).”
This Is Not A Game
Review by Rabab Bahrainwala
Review by Rabab Bahrainwala
“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
“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
“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
“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