Meet the Book Blogger: The Quick and the Read

My blog has been running for two whole months now and it has been an absolute pleasure to run it and to meet so many lovely book people on Twitter!

I’m quite shy by nature, but I thought I’d pick up the blog tag from @BlogsBookworm at Mystery Bookworm Blogs and introduce myself properly. This was an original tag by Lauren at Lala’s Book Reviews so I’m using her questions…

Introduce yourself!

Hi, I’m Kate. Sometimes known as The Quick and the Read on the internet, but usually Kate or Mum or Mrs B (in the classroom). I live in the very rainy area to the south of Cheshire where I teach, read and raise my two children.

Do you have any pets?

2 cats and 4 bantam hens – I’ve kept chickens for about 10 years and they are fantastic pets, plus there’s always the bonus of fresh eggs!

One of my cats, Geoff, whose party trick is sleeping in weird positions!

What is your favourite thing to drink?

Always coffee. I’m very caffeine-dependent, I think, and it is the only reason I’m vertical most days!

What is your favourite season?

I’m really not good in hot weather so probably autumn. It rains all year round in south Cheshire anyway, but there’s something about the darker evenings and the beginnings of anticipating Christmas that I like.

Do you have any special talents?

Haha, no. I once won a prize for my weaving at summer school when I was 9 – does that count?!

When and why did you start your blog?

I’ve always been absolutely passionate about reading, so I hoped that blogging would connect me with like-minded people because I’m quite shy in real life. In the two months since I started the blog, this has definitely been the case. I’d also reviewed on NetGalley a lot over the past few years but wanted more of an outlet for my bookish thoughts!

What is something that you wish you knew about blogging when you first started?

This could probably be a book in its own right! Mainly, I wish that I had known more about the quirks of WordPress because it has been a very steep learning curve for me as a technophobe!

What has been the hardest part about blogging?

The writing is the easy bit – the messing around with pictures is the bit I find hard. I’m not a natural photographer – one of the reasons I avoid Instagram like the plague – but have had to reluctantly start snapping!

My other cat, Ivy, really not helping with blog photography!

What has been the most rewarding part of blogging?

Definitely finding my tribe on book Twitter. Everyone has been really supportive and lovely – it is genuinely a pleasure to find people always willing to talk about and recommend books.

Do you write your posts ahead of time or write them the day of posting?

Always ahead of time – I’m fitting blogging round family and work so there’s no chance that I’ll be able to predict when I’ll get writing time!

Who are your top five favourite authors?

This honestly varies all the time! Right now, I’m loving these:

  1. Laura Purcell
  2. Caitlin Moran
  3. PG Wodehouse
  4. Jeanette Winterson
  5. Nina Stibbe

What genre do you read the most?

I’m obsessed with historical fiction – I will read anything set in the Victorian era, but also Edwardian/Regency/1920s are favourites. I love crime fiction too, so historical crime fiction really floats my boat!

What genre surprised you by how much you love it?

If asked, I’d say I don’t like horror books but I have started edging into ghost stories and books about the supernatural and I’ve been pleasantly surprised. I do like a vampire too, it turns out (although I still can’t get on with ‘Twilight’ – sorry!)

Which popular book didn’t live up to the hype for you?

I’m so reluctant to slate any books because of how much love and work goes into their creation. There are a few classics I really didn’t enjoy when I was at university for a whole host of reasons – I’ll go with saying I am not intelligent enough to have got anything worthwhile out of ‘Moby Dick’!

Who are some popular authors you haven’t read?

Loads of them, but mostly in genres that I’m not really into – just looking at the bestselling authors list on Wikipedia I can spot Stephen King, Barbara Cartland, Dean Koontz, Jeffrey Archer, John Grisham… I’m also a bit contrary (some may say awkward…) so I don’t read things just because they’re popular.

What upcoming releases are you excited to read?

I’m lucky because NetGalley have already given me some amazing ARCs for the end of 2020 and 2021 so I’ve read some of the ones I really wanted – ‘The Betrayals’ by Bridget Collins and ‘Daughters of Night’ by Laura Shepherd-Robinson to give two examples. Other than those, I’m looking forward to Laura Purcell’s new book, ‘The Shape of Darkness’ and the next books from Abir Mukherjee and Vaseem Khan – both murder mystery series set in India.

Do you listen to music while reading?

No – as I’ve got older, I can only concentrate on one thing at a time!

Where else can I find you online?

On Twitter as @thequickandthe4 mainly, or you can link to my Goodreads through this blog.

I open this blog tag to anyone who wants to take part! If you do decide to do it, please credit Lauren (link at the top of the post) and me for the tag.

Thanks for reading. Please do find me on Twitter for a chat and follow this blog for more bookish things!

Header photo with thanks to Giulia May for sharing their work on Unsplash.

Fantastic Non-Fiction: Female Focus!

I read a lot of non-fiction which tends to fall into several sub-categories – Victorians, social history, historical biography, women’s history, feminism.

For today’s post, I wanted to talk about some of the best in non-fiction books specifically about women and their lives – from historical perspectives to the modern day. These are the my top 5 picks from an awful lot of books so I hope you find something that catches your eye!

‘How Was It For You?’ by Virginia Nicholson

I love social history and anything with a feminist perspective, but I’ll admit that I knew very little about the 1960s before reading this book.

I think I’d bought into the vague modern notion of the ‘Swinging Sixties’, a time when societal expectations changed after the restrictive 1950s, a time of permissiveness and free love and hippies and Biba. The sixties as revolutionary but in a good way.

Nicholson goes some way to explode this myth about the decade often recalled with a sense of nostalgia by those who experienced it (my dad being a prime example!) She reveals the truth behind the ‘free love’ headline: this was not a great time for women. From illegal abortions to sexism at all levels of society, the 1960s were not always kind to the sisterhood. While seeming to be an age of opportunity and freedom (the pill, the opening of the job market to women, recreational drugs, the possibility of finding your ‘tribe’ of mods/rockers/hippies, and an exciting shift in popular music), the reality was that gender equality was not part of the deal.

Despite this overall message, the book is not pessimistic or depressing. Nicholson cleverly charts the decade chronologically, interspersing an account of the historical events with interviews with a range of women who lived through the 1960s. These range from the mother of a thalidomide baby to a campaigning feminist to a women who experienced teen pregnancy to Patricia Quinn (Magenta in ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ and a personal heroine of mine!) These women show that the sixties were an era of contradictions and complexities, of great change, of fun but also huge challenges.

The scope of the book is mind-boggling. It manages to cover personal stories from the interviewees and also the big news events of the day. In a fast paced narrative, we are whisked through huge cultural revolutions and major news stories: Beatlemania, Profumo, Playboy bunny girls, LSD, groupies, Mary Whitehouse, racism, Lady Chatterley, the moon landings, Carnaby Street, feminism…the list goes on.

There is so much packed into the book, yet the flow of the text never seems forced or unnatural; it is an absolutely engrossing read.

I recommend this to anyone interested in social history, feminism or women’s lives. Whether you remember the sixties or not, there is so much to learn from this engaging and thought provoking book.

‘Difficult Women’ by Helen Lewis

Thanks to Jen Theodore for sharing their work on Unsplash.

This is a book that I’ve talked about before on this blog, but it bears repeating. I have told everyone who will listen about this one!

I thought I was pretty good on my history of women’s rights and feminism, but found plenty in this eye-opening, thought-provoking and engaging book that was new to me. In the book, Lewis charts key moments in women’s history through 11 ‘fights’ – key moments in history when the titular ‘Difficult Women’ have stood up and made change happen in society.

These changes range from divorce laws protecting women’s rights to have access to their children and property, the availability of safe and legal abortions, gaining votes for women after World War 1, establishing refuges for victims of domestic violence, achieving equal access to education and the changing roles of the female workforce. Each of these struggles is a separate chapter, with Lewis introducing us to some of the ‘difficult women’ who led the various movements.

What I loved about this book was that the stories told weren’t the usual ones. For every Pankhurst in the chapter on votes for women, there were a whole host of lesser known but still fascinating women who played important roles in achieving the women’s vote in 1918. I felt that I’d learnt about a whole new cast of feminists and so many different perspectives on feminist ideology.

Lewis doesn’t try to convince us that these women were perfect – she tackles head on some of the contradictions of feminism and the internal disagreements, for example not shying away from Marie Stopes interest in eugenics or the suffragettes willingness to do violent and terrible things to achieve their aims.

I’d wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in women’s history or changing place in society. The book isn’t – and doesn’t claim to be – an exhaustive history of feminism, but it is lively and entertaining, well-researched and engrossing. The topics covered are fascinating and Lewis is a witty, perceptive and clear-sighted guide through some tricky subjects.

‘The Trouble with Women’ by Jacky Fleming

This is a book that seems to be a light read – it’s mainly illustrations – but the weight of the messages is immense!

I have a background in studying feminist literature and admit I was intrigued when I saw this book with it’s woman in a bubble (actually the Domestic Sphere – capitalisation essential – as we soon find out) on the cover and ironic title.

It’s an absolute gem! Lovely illustrations accompany an acerbic narrative of female history; traditional ideas about women aren’t criticised directly, but more shown to be ludicrous through the wording and illustrations (I especially loved the idea that women couldn’t stand up without corsets, alongside illustrated lolling women!) Men are Geniuses (with a capital letter, obviously), while women aren’t suited to anything that might damage their marriage prospects (including, but not limited to, art, science, writing, riding bicycles).

This book is an obvious choice for anyone interested in women’s history and feminism., and is one I’ll be sharing with my daughter when she is old enough.

However, it has much wider appeal than us card-carrying feminists! Indeed, this book should also be read by anyone who thinks that the fight for equality is over; there’s plenty of food for thought here about the messages we are still given about women’s role in history.

‘Moranifesto’ by Caitlin Moran

Regular visitors to the blog may have already spotted my love for Caitlin Moran who – I think – has one of the most original, funny and relatable voices in modern journalism.

She writes regularly for ‘The Times’ and ‘The Sunday Times’ but also has a number of books (both fiction and non-fiction) under her belt. Her new book, ‘More Than A Woman’ has just been released, but I’d like to point you towards ‘Moranifesto’ as being the book that perfectly encapsulates her quirky and humorous take on life.

Although I really don’t agree with her on some things (for example, her Beatles obsession), on the important things we are aligned. She writes engagingly and persuasively, whether it is about feminism, the Paralympics, the need for libraries or the wonderousness of Benedict Cumberbatch!

Although her writing is fundamentally feminist, she covers a massive amount of ground on some extremely wide-ranging topics and is always readable. She is also notoriously ‘over-sharey’ so there’s some hilarious and eye-opening content.

The other thing that’s great about this book is that Moran is a thinker. Although a lot of her musings may seem amusing or dealing with trivialities, she absolutely nails society’s problems (often to do with inequality and injustices) and offers a hopeful way forward – her ‘Moranifesto’.

I wish they’d put her in charge now!

‘Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady’s Guide to Sex, Marriage and Manners‘ by Therese ONeill

Those who know me know that I love funny books and anything about Victorians. This is both and yet gives an engaging social history on how women lived in the Victorian era.

I do tend towards a romantic view of the Victorian era whilst also knowing that this is ridiculous – the statistics on child mortality, life expectancy and poverty should dispel that myth. However, I was keen to know about the reality of being a Victorian woman which is why I picked up this book.

The key thing to note is that this is about being a Victorian lady – a very small percentage of the population, as most women did not have the disposable income or time to meet the exacting standards of the etiquette guides (that ONeill uses as the basis for her fascinating book).

The book includes some really interesting social history on women’s clothing, bathing options, treatments for ‘hysteria’ (a condition only experienced by white, upper class women!) and contraception, among other things.

It is also really very funny and so makes my list easily!

Here are some others from my (to be honest – terrifyingly huge) TBR…

‘The Five’ by Hallie Rubenhold

‘Rise Up, Women!’ by Diane Atkinson

‘Bloody Brilliant Women’ by Cathy Newman

‘She-Merchants, Buccaneers and Gentlewomen: British Women in India 1600-1900’ by Katie Hickman

‘Square Haunting: Five Women, Freedom and London Between the Wars’ by Francesca Wade

‘Outsiders: Five Women Writers Who Changed the World’ by Lyndall Gordon

‘Maiden Voyages’ by Sian Evans

Header photo with thanks to Gabrielle Rocha Rios for sharing their work on Unsplash.

‘A Theatre for Dreamers’ by Polly Samson (AUDIOBOOK)

Something a bit different for me today – an audiobook!

I’ll admit to not always getting on brilliantly with audiobooks at times in the past, but I really couldn’t resist the sound of this one after I saw Polly Samson read sections of it during a Hay Festival online event. I found she had a really soothing voice and I was intrigued by the story that she described, plus the fact that she had written music to accompany the novel with her husband, Dave Gilmour.

The story is told by a fictional character, Erica, who arrives on the Greek island of Hydra in 1960. Her mother has died and she is visiting her mother’s friend, Charmian Clift, who lives on the island with her husband, George Johnston (a writer) and their children. Erica arrives with her boyfriend, Jimmy, and what follows is a glorious time in which Erica learns about love, loss, her mother’s past, art and writing.

Erica’s time on Hydra introduces us to a massive cast of characters, some of whom were real people – including Charmian and George, Leonard Cohen, Axel Jensen and Marianne Ihlen. This is one book where you will be constantly googling the people to find out the reality behind the fiction! The only issue I had was the fact that the novel serves us with a massive cast and I couldn’t always remember who was who!

Thanks to Nemanja .O. for sharing their work on Unsplash.

One of the main stars of the novel is Hydra itself and the reader is treated to the sun-soaked, heady, irresistible charms of the island throughout. It sounds like a beautiful place and absolutely perfect for this tale of 1960s free spirits in what was essentially a big artistic community of expats.

Another draw for the novel is Charmian Clift herself who becomes a mother-figure to Erica but is hiding her own secrets. Indeed, it is Erica’s relationship with Charmian that drives a lot of the narrative, so it was no surprise to learn that it was Charmian’s own writing that led Polly Samson to write this book.

I think this is a novel definitely enhanced by the audiobook format. It was lovely to hear Polly Samson read the book as I got a real sense of how she imagined the characters to speak. I also thought that the little musical interludes between chapters and the song at the end enhanced the narrative – it gave more of a taste of the time and music and added depth to the novel. As already mentioned, Polly Samson’s voice is extremely relaxing to listen to and I really enjoyed being caught up in her world of artists, poets and novelists on Hydra as related to me in her hypnotic voice! Although I found the narrative a bit sprawling and long in places, I found I enjoyed the way it was presented.

I would highly recommend this audiobook – it really does offer more than just an audio recording of the novel and I liked the story of the intertwined lives and the lasting impact of the events of 1960.

With thanks to NetGalley who gave me a copy of the audiobook in return for an honest review.

If you’d like to buy a copy, the Amazon link is below – I may receive commission on any purchases at no extra cost to you (excellent!)

Header image with thanks to Dominik Gawlik for sharing their work on Unsplash.

‘Rainbow Milk’ by Paul Mendez

This book, published in April, is one I really enjoyed and would recommend.

The story opens in the 1950s with boxer Norman Alonso and his family settling in the Black Country. He clearly isn’t well and the family face racism from the British people, but Norman hopes that the move will secure his family’s future.

This story is then abandoned to pick up the story of Jesse McCarthy in the early 2000s. A young, black Jehovah’s Witness, he seems to have a bright future ahead of him until one misjudgement on his part causes him to be rejected by the church and his family. He moves to London in an attempt to find his place in the world, instead finding racism, waiting tables, sex work and a whole host of people to become his new family. Jesse’s story occupies the vast majority of the book as he forges his own identity and finds his place in the world.

I found a lot of this novel absolutely compelling – Jesse is an engaging character and he meets a load of unusual and quirky people throughout the novel. The description of Jesse’s childhood and the Jehovah’s Witness movement was fascinating – totally alien to me, but really interesting. Jesse’s struggles with his sexuality and involvement in sex work were also really believable, although really quite graphic in places as other reviewers have suggested.

However, I did find the book slightly uneven, particularly the long descriptions of waiting tables and the final bringing together of the family strands, both of which slowed the pace dramatically and I thought could have been a bit more rigorously edited. These are small quibbles, however, and should absolutely not stop anyone reading this book!

Overall, this is a very unusual story and definitely an interesting portrayal of a complex life. It’s not for the faint-hearted, but Jesse is a lively, likeable and memorable character who will stay with you for quite a while to come.

I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

If you’d like your own copy of the book, my affiliate link is below – thank you for supporting my blog!

Header photo with thanks to Jason Leung for sharing their work on Unsplash.

WWW Wednesday!

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It’s open for everyone to join in and share what they have been/are/will be reading!

Links below are affiliate links for books available now – so I may earn commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my blog!

What are you currently reading?

I’m reading Rebecca Lipkin’s ‘Unto the Last’ for a blog tour later in the month. This is a gorgeous, sweeping historical novel about Victorian writer John Ruskin and his relationship with his student, Rose La Touche.

I’m also reading my pre-ordered books from the bumper crop on 3rd September. I’m loving Peter Ross’ ‘A Tomb With a View’ which takes the reader on a fascinating tour through graveyards and the stories they hold. I’m also enjoying Caitlin Moran’s ‘More Than a Woman’ – I love her writing for ‘The Times’ and all her previous books and this one is (brilliantly) more of the same!

What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished Sarah Pearse’s ‘The Sanatorium’, a tense and twisty mystery set in an old sanatorium that has been converted into a luxury hotel. It’s high in th Swiss Alps and – when an avalanche and bad weather cut off access – the perfect setting for a scary story! I liked this a lot, but as publication isn’t until 2021, I’ll hold the full review until nearer the time.

I also just finished Susie Donkin’s ‘Zeus is a Dick’, a very funny and very rude retelling of the Greek myths. Publication of this one is November, so watch this space for a review!

OK, so this is Cronos (Zeus’ dad) but you get the idea…Thanks to Francisco Ghisletti for sharing their work on Unsplash.

What do you think you’ll read next?

I’m about to start a buddy read with Jodie at Relish Books – we kept hearing about the Will Carver books on Twitter and so are going to give the first book – ‘Good Samaritans’ a try.

I’m also keen to read ‘Pandora’s Jar’ by Natalie Haynes ahead of its publication in October. This has been on my TBR for a while, but I’ve got more of a taste for the myths since ‘Zeus is a Dick’!

I received free copies for review of ‘Unto this Last’, ‘The Sanatorium’, ‘Zeus is a Dick’ and ‘Pandora’s Jar’ – the rest were paid for from my own pocket. Regardless of source, all opinions are entirely my own.

‘The Gran Tour’ by Ben Aitken

Another 3rd September release and another one of my recommendations!

I love a funny travel book so I picked this up hoping for a Bill Bryson-style book that would make me laugh and look at things from a new perspective. I wasn’t disappointed with this story of a 30-something man on a series of Shearings coach tours with his elders (but only actually once with his Gran!)

Ben Aitken is an incisive and engaging narrator as he writes about the six coach holidays he took in the UK and abroad. He observes keenly and gives the reader some interesting insights into the generation gap. His writing is sometimes poignant, but also often very funny as he presents the people he shared the coach trips with – some brilliant, eccentric characters and those who really have experienced life’s ups and downs. What these older people have gone through is often sad – bereavement, illness, life’s disappointments – but they are also survivors and making the most of the time they have. Whether that is bingo, booze or bra-flinging, they know how to have fun! Indeed, it’s much more about people than places, which is good but wasn’t quite what I was expecting.

This is an enjoyable read that does make you think about life’s lessons and what we can learn from the older generation. It made me laugh, briefly consider a coach holiday (my husband said no) and order another book by this writer.

I can also recommend ‘A Chip Shop in Poznan: My Unlikely Year in Poland’ by Ben Aitken – an engaging, eye-opening and witty account of the writer’s year trying to live a Polish life.

I received a free copy of ‘The Gran Tour’ from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Links for both books are below – I may earn commission on purchases at no extra cost to you.

Header photo with thanks to Annie Spratt for sharing their work on Unsplash.

Blog Tour: ‘The Watcher’ by Kate Medina

Today, I’m excited to be welcoming you to my stop on the blog tour for ‘The Watcher’ by Kate Medina. This book was released on 3rd September by Harper Collins. The blog tour is organised by Random Things Tours.

From the Publisher

If you see him it’s already too late…


‘A brilliant and believable female lead’ Good Housekeeping

Some secrets can’t be hidden.


The Fullers are the picture-perfect family, a wealthy couple with a grand home in the middle of remote woodland. But even they have something to hide – and it will prove fatal.


Some crimes can’t be forgotten.

Psychologist Dr Jessie Flynn and DI Marilyn Simmons arrive at the Fuller’s home to find a suburban nightmare. A crime scene more disturbing than anything they have ever encountered.


Some killers can’t be stopped.

Jessie knows that this is no random act of violence. And if she can’t unlock the motivation behind the crime and shine a light into this killer’s mind, the Fullers won’t be the only family to die…


Praise for Kate Medina:


‘A tense and pacy thriller’ – Sun


‘If psychological thrillers are your bag, then look no further’ – Closer


‘A haunting thriller’ – Grazia


‘Medina demonstrates that she’s a considerable find’ – Independent

My Review

I hadn’t read any other books by Kate Medina before this, but that’s something I now need to rectify! Although I read this as a stand alone novel, it is actually the fourth in the series featuring psychologist Dr Jessie Flynn who works with the Surrey and Sussex Serious Crimes Unit alongside DI Bobby Simmons (known to everyone as ‘Marilyn’).

This novel opens with the gruesome and horrific murder of a married couple in their large and remote house. Dr Jessie Flynn is brought in to advise on what looks to be an interesting case in psychological terms as the dead man has unusual – and perhaps significant – injures. The Surrey and Sussex Serious Crimes unit seem to have a problem on their hands – they have few leads and the dead man was known to be deeply unpleasant, so there is also no shortage of suspects. It soon becomes clear that the murders are part of a much larger situation, but poor Dr Jessie Flynn is also struggling with issues in her private life and past that risk overshadowing her work.

I think the thing that stood out for me with this book is how absolutely terrifying it is in places! It’s called ‘The Watcher’ so I should have had a clue, but there are so many heart-in-mouth scenes where characters are being observed in their own homes. The creepy sense that someone malevolent is watching is conveyed so well that I really felt so tense reading!

Another strength of the book is the plotting. Without giving any spoilers, I do need to just mention that there were several points in the story where I was totally going down the wrong path with my thinking and was genuinely surprised.

Dr Jessie Flynn is also an engaging and intriguing central character. Obviously I’ve missed a lot of the backstory in the first three books, but the fact that she is coping with the trauma of her own past brings an extra dimension to this story. Her history (as much as her psychological training) allow her to empathise with the troubled boy, Robbie, who is linked to the story via another police officer in the team.

The rest of the police team are also distinct characters which I really appreciated – often the supporting cast in this type of book can be a little flat in terms of characterisation, but I found myself really liking several of them and appreciating how their differences actually made a solid team.

Overall, I would say this this is a strong police procedural with plenty of menace. I would recommend this to anyone who is after a truly surprising crime novel – not in the sense of an amazing plot twist (I hate those reviews that put you on edge for an amazing revelation!) but in the sense of a skilfully crafted plot with plenty of unusual elements.

About the Author

Kate Medina has always been fascinated by the ‘whys’ of human behaviour, an interest that drove her to study Psychology at university and later to start a crime series featuring clinical psychologist Dr Jessie Flynn. She has an MA in Creative Writingfrom Bath Spa University and her debut novel White Crocodile received widespread critical acclaim, as did Fire Damage, Scared to
Death AND Two Little Girls, the first three books in the Jessie Flynn series.


Before turning to writing full time, Kate spent five years in the Territorial Army and has lectured at the London Business School and the London School of Economics. She lives in London with her husband and three children.

Blog Tour: ‘Longhand’ by Andy Hamilton

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Andy Hamilton’s book ‘Longhand’. This was published on 3rd September by Unbound. The tour is organised by Random Things Tours.

From the publisher


‘From beginning to end, a joy to read. A tale of mingled tragedy and comedy,
disaster and triumph … A handwritten love letter to a woman we never meet,
that’s also a love letter to humanity’ NEIL GAIMAN

The new novel from comedy legend Andy Hamilton, whose writing credits include
Outnumbered and Drop the Dead Donkey, Longhand reimagines the life of immortal Greek hero Heracles, who is currently residing in contemporary Scotland with his girlfriend Bess.

Written entirely in Andy’s own longhand, complete with crossings out and edits
Malcolm George Galbraith is a large, somewhat clumsy, Scotsman. He’s being forced to leave the woman he loves behind and needs to explain why.


So he leaves her a handwritten note on the kitchen table (well, more a 300-page letter than a note).


In it, Malcolm decides to start from the beginning and tell the whole story of his long life, something he’s never dared do before.


Because Malcolm isn’t what he seems: he’s had other names and lived in other places. A lot of other places. As it gathers pace, Malcolm’s story combines tragedy, comedy, mystery, a touch of leprosy, several murders, a massacre, a ritual sacrifice, an insane tyrant, two great romances, a landslide, a fire, and a talking fish.

‘A glorious comic novel, a brilliant satire, an artwork and a historical document. Never has the word “readable” meant more. Never has the word “manuscript” been more literal. Hand-written, rib-tickling, spine-tingling and heart-wringing. Uniquely brilliant’ STEPHEN FRY

My Review

I honestly did not know what to expect from this novel and started it with only three pieces of information:

  1. Andy Hamilton is funny – he co-created ‘Drop the Dead Donkey’ and ‘Outnumbered’ and has appeared on numerous other funny TV panel shows so his comedy pedigree isn’t in question.
  2. ‘Longhand’ is written in…well, longhand. The whole book is handwritten, mercifully by someone (Hamilton himself) who has beautiful and easy-to-read writing.
  3. It’s published by Unbound, the crowdfunded publisher known for some quirky and brilliant books.

So far, so good! What I wasn’t prepared for was the sheer scale and range of this book – geographically, narratively, emotionally… wow, it’s unexpected!

The book purports to be a letter written by a man called Malcolm Galbraith to his partner of twenty years, Bess. He is being forced to leave her and this is his farewell note in which he explains why.

And this is where the story gets really strange. Malcolm isn’t the mild-mannered Scotsman that Bess has known and loved. He actually has a past in which he lived in other places and other times, had other names and identities, and the 350-odd pages of this novel can barely contain it all!

In his chequered past, there are murders, a sacrificial cow, two romances, tyrannical rulers, a massacre, a landslide, a court battle… the reader can start to see that this is no ordinary life. Malcolm has faced great tragedies in his time and only now is he prepared to lay his life story out before (one of) the love(s) of his life, Bess.

I’ll admit that this book has much more emotional depth than I was expecting. Malcolm is being forced to leave and the poignancy of this situation is evident throughout – it is only at the point of leaving that he can share his hidden secrets. And it’s a huge risk – his story is bizarre and incredible, but will it also be unbelievable for Bess?

It’s so hard to review this without giving away the key ideas behind the story which I really don’t want to do because it totally knocked me for six and I think all readers should feel that same incredulity and uncertainty!

However, what can be said is that Malcolm’s story, set in the distant past as it is, reveals a lot about modern society. Through elements which seem disparate from 21st century Britain, we get glimpses of some really big and important ideas. Brexit Britain. The cult of selfishness. Abuse of power. Love’s small intimacies. Death and grief. Family relationships. Not learning from history’s mistakes. The strength of the NHS. Malcolm has experienced it all and has moments of profound wisdom.

Malcolm’s story also has moments of immense tragedy, which I also didn’t really see coming. For something that is ostensibly a funny book, it is very moving. I actually read this book in one sitting because I really needed to see how it ended!

And yes, it is also very funny.

The real joys in the novel are the everyday observations, the juxtaposition of the epic story with Malcolm’s asides about fixing the boiler, the presentation of some lovely comic characters. Without giving anything away, watch out for the football match and Billy’s Dad, the dodgy lawyer, the talking fish and – even more surreally – Elvis.

I’ve admitted that I picked this book up armed with only the three pieces of information at the start of this review. However, I finished reading it (at way after midnight!) with the sense that I’d read something really quite special. It’s way beyond a funny, entertaining read – yes, it ticks those boxes but it is also wise and thought-provoking.

This book really is one that will stay with me for a long time. You should read it!

And if you still aren’t convinced, you only need to look in the back of this book for the sponsors who put their own hard-earned cash into making this book a reality. The people who had faith in this story and in Andy Hamilton include Brenda Blethyn, Rory Bremner, Richard Osman and Neil Gaiman – an impressive roll-call of supporters in anyone’s books.

About the Author

Andy Hamilton is a comedy writer, performer and director. He regularly appears on the BBC TV panel shows Have I Got News for You and on Radio 4’s News
Quiz and I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue. His television writing credits include Outnumbered, Drop the Dead Donkey, Not the Nine O’Clock News, Trevor’s World of Sport, Ballot Monkeys, Power Monkeys and many others. He also co-created the movie What We Did On Our Holiday. For twenty years he has played Satan in the Radio 4 comedy Old Harry’s Game, which he also writes.

‘Shakespearean’ by Robert McCrum

Another 3rd September publication. Don’t forget to follow my blog to see all the reviews of new books this week.

I’m an English teacher and Shakespeare obsessive so I was very pleased to receive a free copy of this book pre-publication from NetGalley in return for an honest review. I was particularly intrigued about this book as I had read about Robert McCrum’s stroke and the part that he had credited Shakespeare with in his recovery (being the fragments of language that made sense to him in the aftermath of his medical crisis).

McCrum is a very knowledgeable and interesting guide to Shakespeare and – possibly more engagingly – what ‘Shakespearean’ has come to mean in the centuries following the death of the bard. This book is part memoir of McCrum’s own experiences with Shakespeare as part of his own Shakespeare Club who attend various performances. However, it also contains so much more than this – snippets of Shakespeare’s biography, historical context, information about the reception of the plays in different places and times, bits of critical analysis and commentary – the book is packed with information and supported with extensive endnotes and a bibliography.

Personally, I particularly enjoyed the bits about the plays I know best – which tended to be the tragedies and comedies. I appreciated the fact that the book was comprehensive, but found the history play sections a bit more of a challenge. I also found the structure of the book a little difficult in places – when it worked, it was like a fascinating chat with someone really interesting as it went off on interesting tangents and picked up related thoughts well. However, when it was less successful it came across as a little unstructured and random.

Having just read Emma Smith’s excellent ‘This is Shakespeare’, I found it really thought-provoking to compare and contrast the different takes on the same material. In particular, the ideas around the end of Shakespeare’s career were striking and the extent to which he reflected this in Prospero in ‘The Tempest’. I also really enjoyed the way that McCrum wrote about the way that Shakespeare’s plays transferred to – and became highly significant in – America, mainly because this was an area I hadn’t really read about before.

Despite the little niggles, I did enjoy this and did learn some interesting new things. I would recommend this to people who are already fairly familiar with Shakespeare’s plays as McCrum does anticipate that you share his passion and have a working knowledge of the texts. This is an engaging stroll through Shakespeare’s works with an entertaining and lively guide.

You can buy your own copy of ‘Shakespearean’ using the link below – I may earn commission on purchases at no extra cost to you.

Header photo with thanks to Matt Riches for sharing their work on Unsplash.

‘The Thursday Murder Club’ by Richard Osman

One of the most hyped new releases of 3rd September – happy publication day to Richard Osman’s debut crime novel!

I’ve long admired Richard Osman on ‘Pointless’ and have read some of the non-fiction quiz/humour books that he has written with Alexander Armstrong. I was, therefore, very keen to see this wit and verve applied to fiction and am very grateful to NetGalley for my ARC.

The story follows four older people living in a retirement village who have, for various reasons, come together to discuss cold crimes in their Thursday Murder Club. When a murder happens connected to the developers working on the retirement home , they are keen to launch their own investigations. Due to their connections and wiliness, they start to run rings around the nice but two-steps-behind police officers assigned to the case.

I really liked that these characters were not diminished by their age and infirmity. Some of them had ailments and frailty, but they were also mentally tough and funny and clever and – to be honest – trying to live their best life in retirement. They drew on their years of experience and the professional skills from their former careers and achieved a lot. The mystery surrounding Elizabeth’s past career was an interesting conceit and allowed the amateur detectives access to important information, while the willingness of them all to play on the stereotypes of infirm old people was humorous – they absolutely knew when to use their age to their advantage!

The setting was also inventive and drew on the conventions of classic crime novels by providing a closed community for the sleuths to work within.

I wasn’t really prepared for some of the poignancy of the novel. It has some very funny lines and situations, but it is also sad in parts about ageing and grief. This really adds depth to the novel and -I will admit – really surprised me.

Overall, this is an enjoyable and fairly light read. I was going to say it was a cosy crime novel, but I think the depth of the emotional hit removes it from this – these are a bunch of real people with real problems, but who are finding comfort in community and crime-solving!

If you would like to buy your own copy of the novel, please use the link below – I may earn commission on this at no extra cost to you.

Header photo with thanks to Sincerely Media for sharing their work on Unsplash.