To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid is a razor-sharp dissection of identity, belonging, and the blurred lines between love and loyalty. Through the eyes of Changez, a charming Princeton graduate, we witness a tug-of-war between the American Dream and his Pakistani roots. …

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com A book can change your life. But what does that mean? What is an influential book? It seems, on the surface like a simple topic, but really it is intensely personal. Any book can be the change that you need at any point in your life. When I was tagged in this challenge to come up …

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com A short story is a brief glimpse into a different world. In Widow Fantasies, a collection of 33 short stories, we are transported 33 times into the visceral and violent beauty of the lives of women. Author Hollay Ghadery delves and dissects with sharp language that cuts us to our …

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com A feisty heroine, Lyra, teams up with armoured polar bears and her soul-shaped demon to take on a corrupt Church, travel to parallel worlds, and challenge destiny itself. It’s a dazzling tale where science meets magic, leaving readers uncertain and questioning everything — includi…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com James Baldwin’s Another Country is like jazz in prose—sultry, unpredictable, and brimming with soul. Set in 1950s New York, it dances through the lives of artists, misfits, and lovers, exposing raw truths about race, sexuality, and human connection. Baldwin’s characters don’t just…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com A man who can never die traipsing through the annals of history. But the thing is, for him it isn’t history and instead, just the present day. A sweeping novel in which the main character adopts many names, takes on many lives and experiences the rise and fall of empires. And in t…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com I open at the close and today, after 7 books and 7 months, we come to the end of the Harry Potter journey. We are back for the final time for the magical finale where wands are swapped, lives are lost, and Horcruxes take the ultimate beating. It's a dark whirlwind of cloak-and-dag…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively is a clever, kaleidoscopic dive into the memories of Claudia Hampton. Weaving through time, it’s like history told by an unreliable yet fascinating narrator, blending love, war, and introspection. Lively’s writing is sharp and witty, offering both swe…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com 24 years into the century is surely the best time to look back and decide which books are the best books of the 21st century surely? A solid list on flimsy foundations that will most certainly be changed year on year for the next 76 years, or until I die.. whichever comes first! P…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com The names Bond, James Bond. The introduction to one of literatures most famous spies. The man who smokes 70 cigarettes a day. A high-stakes game of words and cards, where James Bond, suave as a martini and sharp as a razor's edge, gambles his heart and lives on the turn of a card.…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com Back again we go to Hogwarts for Harry’s 6th year of mayhem and madness. A novel in which so much is the same and yet there is a world of difference. The threatening tension from previous books of Voldemort is now realised and defined. And in that, a lifting of tension. We are fre…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com The Novella. The Goldilocks length. Not too short, not too long, but that being said, a novella is tough to pull off. What is it that makes a good novella? Is it the length, the story, the characters? There might never be a correct answer to such a question – just a personal prefe…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com Buying a book is the combining moment of pure excitement meeting the expectation of the unknown. But what happens when you buy a book, and it doesn’t live up to your expectations? It is bound to happen; it is impossible to like everything and be honest to yourself, so tune in this…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com You are on a train isolated in the middle of a desert. Everyone you are with is capable of committing murder and getting away with it, but also solving murders and framing others. A melting pot of mystery and ego all wrapped up in this year’s Mystery Writers Society annual event. …

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com Where there is a Weyward there is a way. A novel about three women told through three stories threaded together by similar circumstances. Abuse of some sort and a connection to the natural world. Men labelled them as witches, but a name given to you is not a definition to who you …

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com Harry, Hogwarts, chaos. Three things that seem to come around every year in Harry’s life and this year is no different. Only the chaos this year comes from the external threat of the dark lord Voldemort who is large and attempting to be in charge, mixed with a little political dra…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com A book that haunts you, or maybe you are haunting it? Shirley Jackson’s ‘The Haunting of Hill House is an anxiety inducing horror story that puts the reader in two minds about the nature of haunting. Playing with the English language as much as the reader, Jackson places doubt on …

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com A war that divides a family, divides a city and a country. A girl that grows into a woman moulded by her experiences, but never letting them define who she is. Zulaikha moves through life with an honesty towards it, but a resilience to what it throws at her. This sweeping debut no…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com The final chapter in the First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant and unsurprisingly, he is still as unpleasant as always. Unaccepting of his situation and blaming everyone along the way, Thomas takes the back seat to his own story. The land faces all-out war in this brutal tale of att…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com We are back at Hogwarts for Harry’s 4th years of mischief and mayhem. Between battling dragons, dodging Death Eaters, and navigating the treacherous waters of the Yule Ball, Harry juggles more than just curses. As the Triwizard Tournament unfolds, he learns that Voldemort’s return…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com ‘You don’t get it Tony, you never did.’ Words that echo through this book and we too as the reader become Tony, unsure of what we are missing. A blend of history and the self- delusions of our past, this Booker Prize winning novel delicately unnerves you through the infernal myste…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com A world of infinite halls where Piranesi roams and makes his home. There are 16 people from this world with only two alive – himself and ‘The other’. In this world, they lead different lives as Piranesi tracks the events of the years that pass. But as we delve deeper into the cave…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com Two novellas for the price of one and it's a bargain with the skill of Nora Gold on full display. Two stories that navigate different issues in two very different ways. But both the stories are similar in that they require inflection and honesty - an inflective process and honesty…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com We are back in The Land, and Thomas is just insufferable and unbelieving in his situation. Assuming He is living through a dream sequence, he rejects the dream in a bid to not commit to a growing madness in his mind. But this existential exploration of action vs inaction lays out …

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban sees a shift in the series from a form of fantasy detective fiction in the first two stories, to a story that explores the slow building pressure of a psychological thriller. Harry, now into his teen years is faced with a radically differen…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com Sylvia Plath's "The Bell Jar" is the novel that delves into the mental intricacies of the human mind. The page by page decent of madness sees Esther become increasingly abstracted from the world, but as this is happening, I felt myself more and more abstracted from the story. Tune…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com R.F. Kuang’s Yellowface. Complex to a degree, problematic to a degree, controversial to a degree. Kuang's narrative delves into the intricacies of racial identity and the absurdities of cultural appropriation with a finesse that leaves readers simultaneously chuckling and contempl…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com A fantasy novel known for pushing the boundaries of what not only fantasy can do, but literature as a whole. A leper by the name of Thomas Covenant is cast into a fantasy land he disregards as a bad dream, after falling and hitting his head. But, if this is all a dream, are the co…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com The second instalment into the Harry Potter series sees the book and story delve deeper into the magical world we all have come to love. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets explores the depths of the castle Hogwarts, it introduces us to some new faces and reveals some dark mag…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com A tale of shipwreck, mutiny, and murder. A tale of human endurance. David Grann’s ‘The Wager’ is the shocking true tale of the Wager, a ship that makes up part of the English fleet. In this seafaring adventure, the men are pushed to the limits and also push the limits of their own…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com In a hole in the ground, there lived a Hobbit… And with these words, we begin our journey into one of the richest fantasy worlds ever created, and our first glimpse into the world of Hobbits. Painting: I painted a hobbit door opening upon an acorn because I think the movie got thi…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com From Cyprus to England, the roots of this story are set in the heats of relationships, whatever form that takes. In this book, we journey across lives and times. From a civil war in Cyprus where two star cross lovers hide what is most natural, to the distant shores of England to l…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com It is the story that defined so many of our childhoods. The story that swept the world, captured our hearts and imaginations. Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone is the first introduction into the magical world of Hogwarts and all that comes with it. A place of witches and wiz…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com In Virginia Woolf's "To the Lighthouse," Woolf's prose is a symphony of introspective musings, shifting perspectives, and the delicate dance between the seen and the unseen. The lighthouse, a distant beacon, as the characters strive to reach its elusive shores, much like readers r…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com Three famous historical and literary figures materialise in front of you and tell you that you have been selected by the ‘Supreme One’ as the man to build the first Synagogue on Prince Edward Island. You think you might have gone crazy. This is the opening to Steven Mayoff’s lates…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com "The Man Who Was Thursday" by G.K. Chesterton is a metaphysical thriller that unfolds in a surreal and anarchic world. The protagonist, Gabriel Syme, infiltrates a secret anarchist council only to discover that the members are not what they seem. Each member is named after a day o…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com D'Artagnan, the ambitious country lad, stumbles into the chaotic world of 17th-century France, encountering the dashing trio Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. As they navigate political intrigue and romantic entanglements, their camaraderie becomes as legendary as their exploits. With a…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com In "Howl's Moving Castle," Diana Wynne Jones orchestrates a whimsical symphony of enchantment and eccentricity. As Sophie, the cursed young woman, finds herself in a predicament that turns her world topsy-turvy, the novel unfolds with charm and a healthy dose of mystery about how …

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com A haunting hound is upon the moors. A family curse dances in the fog and sherlock Holmes is strangely absent from his first case back after being killed off. This is a case like no other, upon the uncertain moors in Dartmoor, where rumours swirl in the fog and an ugly truth that l…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com A penguin, Ukraine and the Mafia. "Death and the Penguin" is a darkly humorous novel that dances on the edge of absurdity. Set in a post-Soviet Ukraine, it follows the unlikely friendship between Viktor, a struggling writer, and Misha, his pet penguin. As they navigate a world of …

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com In the lead up to Christmas in a small silent town, Bill Furlong, a local coal merchant visits homes with their deliveries like Santa arriving early with gifts to warm the family. But this small town has a darkness to its silences. The church looms over them in unspoken authority …

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" by Victor Hugo is a towering gem that combines romance, tragedy, and a dash of architectural history. With Quasimodo, the bell-ringer, as its centrepiece, the novel takes readers on a sprawling tale through the city of Paris. The novel delves into the…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com "Hercule Poirot's Christmas" by Agatha Christie is a holiday whodunnit. Set during the festive season, this intriguing novel follows the renowned detective, Hercule Poirot, as he unravels a web of family secrets and deceit. With Christie's signature wit and clever plot twists, rea…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com "Black Boy" by Richard Wright is a powerful memoir that fearlessly delves into the author's journey of self-discovery amidst racial oppression. With a sharp pen and unflinching honesty, Wright paints a vivid portrait of his experiences growing up in the Jim Crow South. Through his…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com "The Passion According to G.H." by Clarice Lispector is a mesmerizing and absurd literary journey that defies conventional storytelling. Lispector's prose dances with madness, exploring the depths of human existence and the complexities of identity. With poetic precision, she delv…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com "Like Water for Chocolate" by Laura Esquivel is a tantalizing feast for the senses, blending the flavors of love, passion, and magical realism. Set in Mexico, this enchanting novel tells the story of Tita, a young woman whose emotions are infused into her cooking. As she navigates…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com In Zamyatin's dystopian masterpiece, We, D-503, an inhabitant of the One State, navigates a world of regimented order and enforced sameness. His life takes an unexpected turn when he encounters I-330, a woman who challenges his rigid worldview and awakens his dormant individuality…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com Station Eleven is a moving and thought-provoking novel about the power of human connection in the face of adversity. It is a story of hope, resilience, and the enduring power of art. The novel follows the intertwined stories of several characters, each grappling with their own los…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com God visiting hell. Satan in a panic. Hell doesn’t look as hellish as it should all because Vincent van Gough has painted the Boulevard. Satan travels on a train to tell Vincent what has to be done to ensure hell gets back to being hellish, and joining us for the journey, Hemmingwa…

To follow and support us, click here: http://anovelreviewpodcast.com Judge for yourself! To view the cover of the book, click here: https://art.nelson-atkins.org/objects/17593/interior-with-a-book This week I get a bit judgemental. I buy a book based off its cover, write down what I think the book will be about, and then read and review it to see h…