BOOK OF THE WEEK
Becoming by Michelle Obama is published in hardback by Viking, priced £25 (ebook £11.99)
AS YOU'D imagine, there's been some serious hype surrounding the former First Lady's memoir, Becoming. It sees Michelle Obama – wife to Barack, mother to Malia and Sasha, first African-American First Lady, lawyer, role model, absolute queen – share a glimpse into her life, the one behind the facade of the White House. It starts with her jazz-infused upbringing, how her parents were set on 'raising adults, not children', her earliest realisations that race could make you conspicuous and what her education meant to her – and the power it gave her. She opens up about having her daughters through IVF, suffering miscarriage, undergoing marriage counselling with Barack, and the strains of living within the ever-turning political sphere. It's written with a touch that's light and welcoming and is gently paced. It's not what you'd call a scintillating read – don't expect bombshells. Instead, it's full of grace, sincerity and understanding. You can't not fall a little in love with her.
8/10
Ella Walker
FICTION
Severance by Ling Ma is published in hardback by Text Publishing, priced £10.99 (ebook £5.69)
LING Ma's debut is a satirical look at capitalism in the modern world, focusing on banality amidst an apocalypse. Shen Fever has taken over the world, leaving the infected unconsciously going through their daily routines, until their bodies eventually decompose. Few people manage to avoid the sickness, and Candace Chen is one of them. The last person left in New York, she too refuses to deviate from her usual habits, even while the city is slowly shutting down around her. Eventually Candace joins a group of survivors heading out of the city, but struggles to integrate with their cult-like behaviours. In Severance, the dying world becomes quiet instead of violent, and in place of fear, there's a sort of vulnerable relief – with a balance of terror and humour running throughout. But what underpins it all is the feeling that it could so easily be our real-life future.
10/10
Rebecca Wilcock
A Keeper by Graham Norton is published in hardback by Hodder & Stoughton, priced £20 (ebook £9.99)
BROADCASTER Graham Norton's second novel is surprising and sensitive – and not what you might expect if you've ever watched his chat show. The heart of the Cork man's ovel is a family story – split over two generations and 40 years apart. Elizabeth Keane returns to Ireland after her mother's death to sort out her things and finds a small stash of letters that shed light on her mother's past. The narrative switches backwards and forwards in time between the two intercut stories with a masterful skill in construction. Grief, bereavement and loss are perceptively dealt with. There's an honest picture of family ties and relationships with gentle humour running through the messy lives portrayed. Minor characters are well drawn and illustrate the pressures on small communities. The balance between the two stories never goes out of kilter and the ways we impact the closest to us is acutely observed.
7/10
Bridie Pritchard
Still Lives by Maria Hummel is published in hardback by Quercus, priced £14.99 (ebook £3.99)
ALREADY a hit in the US (it was featured in Reese Witherspoon's book club), Still Lives glides along, like a car slipping through LA – at times halting in traffic, at others, as slick and glossy as a Hollywood movie. Struggling art gallery Roque has landed the latest work of artist Kim Lord, whose new exhibit, Still Lives, explores the portrayal of female American murder victims. At the launch part, Lord fails to arrive, leaving the revellers – including museum editor Maggie – feeling thoroughly uneasy. Then Maggie's ex (Lord's currant beau) is arrested on suspicion of the painter's presumed murder, and Maggie decides to take it upon herself an investigate. It's a bit scrappy, Maggie is no slick PI, but Hummel's discussion of violence against women and the fear women carry with them, is frank and incredibly relatable. The twist is not as shocking as the quotes on the jacket would have you believe, but it's certainly an intriguing, and often disturbing, read.
7/10
Ella Walker
The House On Vesper Sands by Paraic O'Donnell is published in hardback by Weidenfeld & Nicolson, priced £14.99 (ebook £7.99)
IN THIS Victorian-era mystery by Co Wicklow writer Paraic O'Donnell, detectives professional and amateur become involved in a murder-hunt with sinister supernatural overtones. Gideon Bliss, a theology student down from Cambridge, is on the hunt for a missing servant girl Angie Tatton. His uncle has left him only cryptic letters about girls of a certain ilk that he works to help. Penniless, Gideon falls in with the bullish Inspector Cutter, a detective investigating the death of a seamstress at the home of her employer Lord Strythe. The seamstress is found to have a cryptic message stitched into her own skin. Strythe himself will later vanish, witnessed by Octavia Hillingdon, a society columnist. Gradually all these characters converge on the house of the title, where questions are answered and dark secrets emerge. At times the plot relied a little on coincidence and occasionally I lost sight of the narrative's quarry. But these are quibbles with a book that creates such a deeply satisfying world.
7/10
Dan Brotzel
CHILDREN'S
Matt Millz Stands Up! by Harry Hill is published in hardback by Faber & Faber, priced £10.99 (ebook £6.98)
YEARS of erring on the side of surreal have paid off for Harry Hill in his Matt Millz series. Encapsulating the feel of the weekend family dramas of years gone by, we meet up with 12-year-old comic Matt Mills (stage name Millz) who shot to fame overnight after an appearance on talent show The T Factor. He was disqualified for being too young – but not before he stormed his stand-up set. What happens to the youngster after fame strikes? Can he keep his star on the rise or will he crash and burn? Hill has weaved some of the pitfalls of the stand-up's working life into a credible and enjoyable story. Showing both the ups and downs of being a gigging comedian, he has a team of friends on board – special mention for the uber-wise 11-year-old entertainments manager Kitty. What a way to introduce some of the best funny talent from the last 60 years to a whole new generation.
8/10
Rachel Howdle
