I’ve had two recent reviews published at Shiny New Books recently, both read as part of my #20booksofsummer24 reading.
Kala by Colin Walsh
A superb slowburn literary dual time-lined thriller, Irish author Walsh’s debut was a huge hit last year in hardback. I was sent a proof, but didn’t get the time to read it then: out in paperback this summer, I dug it out and really enjoyed it. The story of a group of friends, one of whom, Kala, went missing. Fifteen years later, the discovery of her bones coincides with the return of two of the friends to their village, meeting up with Mush who had stayed – and they are forced to face the consequences as all the secrets come out. Highly recommended.
Read my full review HERE
BUY at Blackwell’s via my affiliate link (free UK P&P)
Table For Two by Amor Towles
I will read anything by Towles, author of the bestselling, now adapted for TV, A Gentleman in Moscow. This volume comprises six short stories, and a short novel which takes a character from his debut novel Rules of Civility, Eve, and follows what she did next. The short stories are fab, told with a knowing humour, twists aplenty, and throwaway last lines. After the first one in which a Russian peasant couple emigrate to the USA, they’re contemporary and involve forgeries, affairs, art and more. The novel, set in the late 1930s see Eve arrive in Hollywood from NYC, making friends wherever she goes including a prominent film star who she has to save from scandal.
Read my full review HERE
BUY at Blackwell’s via my affiliate link (free UK P&P)
Wasn’t Kala superb? A case of reality living up to the hype for me. Very much looking forward to the Towles.
Definitely. I wonder how he’ll follow it up!
These both sound great, I must read A Gentleman in Moscow, I remember when it was doing the rounds but never got to it, due to a period of focusing on women authors.
I loved ‘Gentleman’ – my favourite of Towles’ books so far – but all area brilliant. The TV series was excellent too (Paramount+). Both captured the essential romance of the Count who was under hotel-arrest’s story, but didn’t shy away from the awfulness of the regime – getting the balance just right.
Kala sounds like a good read. I have only read A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles which is one of my favourite book of all time. Always wanted to read more by him.
A Gentleman in Moscow is in my ‘Desert Island LIbrary’. Luckily, with Towles you can’t go wrong. Kala was brilliant, but be warned there are violent scenes in it.
Yay, I have both of these to read, and am delighted you enjoyed them! No idea when I’ll get to them but I will hope it’s sooner rather than later! Great reviews.