Not been on the thread for ages - very sorry to hear about your mum @Piggywaspushed and belated congratulations to @GrannieMainland
A glut of reviews, crime heavy because I was getting some "revision" in ahead of the Chiltern Kills crime writing festival, and now have started to read my festival spoils.
53 Haven’t You Heard? Gossip, Politics and Power – Marie Le Conte
A light-hearted and amusing take on the importance of gossip in Westminster - updated with some funny asides about Le Conte's repeated example of a hypothetical breakaway centrist party actually having come to fruition (albeit short-lived). Le Conte writes well and entertainingly and this is a good insider's portrait of the scandal and pettiness that haunt the corridors of power - and how they can sometimes have an important impact on the political direction of the country.
54 The Family Upstairs – Lisa Jewell
55 None of this is True – Lisa Jewell
Jewell was one of the big draws at Chiltern Kills and I thought I should read some of her books before listening to her speak. I hadn't actually realised she wrote crime novels/thrillers as I still associated her with Ralph's Party type stuff. The Family Upstairs is about a commune/cult type situation and None of This is True has an influencer/stalker plot. Readable, competently-written, decently plotted books - but I don't think I'll rush to read more. I did, however, very much enjoy listening to her talk; she's smart and interesting.
56 Private Revolutions – Yuan Yang
Latest Shelterbox pick - Yang is the first Chinese-born Briton to have been elected as an MP, and this interesting non-fiction work explores the lives of four young Chinese women growing up in the 2000s and 2010s. Yang follows each of her subjects from childhood through to their late 20s/early 30s, looking at rural and urban lives and different classes. A gentle way to learn more about modern China; in particular, I knew nothing about the hukou system and how limiting it is for internal migrants within China. Thinking about reading Jung Chang's update to Wild Swans next - I read Wild Swans as a teenager and remember being enthralled.
57 Without Prejudice – Nicola Williams
Nicola Williams was at the Chiltern Kills Festival, and this is her first book about female, working class Black barrister, Lee Mitchell. It was originally published in the late 90s, and then was republished in 2021 as part of a series of books celebrating Black Britain, curated by Bernadine Evaristo. Williams is a barrister and also sits part-time as a Crown Court judge (incidentally alongside a friend of mine, which is how I first heard about her books). Anyway, I thought this was excellent. Two great plots, well-drawn characters (including a likeable lead), well-written, with a properly realistic depiction of the operation of a barristers' chambers, which you virtually never find in crime fiction. Worth bearing in mind that this was written nearly 30 years ago, and a small sub-plotline involving a trans character now feels quite dated - but the rest of the story doesn't. Overall, highly recommended if you enjoy a legal thriller, and I've already started the second in the series.