By Elly Griffiths Edgar Stephens, an inspector in Brighton, is a rather boring man. He has nothing going on in his life, he gets no respect from his underlings at work, his family is distant, his friends have all moved on with their lives… All he has is his unusual skill at solving crosswords and […]

by Mike Love Mike Love’s Good Vibrations is his story of his life as one of the founders of the Beach Boys, a band best known for classics like Good Vibrations, Surfin’ USA, and Help Me Rhonda. Most people’s impression is that they are a fun-loving, goofy band. And a lot of the time, they […]

by Peter F. Hamilton  In Great North Road by Peter F. Hamilton humanity has discovered the ability to travel around the galaxy through “portals”. The North family has found great riches as the discoverers and exploiters of the technology. The Norths are special, though: each generation is a clone of the last. Generations of this […]

by Ken Follett On April 15, 2019, Notre-Dame was burning. The historic cathedral, a landmark in human consciousness, that has sat on the banks of the Seine for most of our modern history was engulfed in flame and the people of Paris, and the people of the world could do nothing more than watch. This […]

Forgotten Garden By Kate Morton  In times of uncertainty, I gravitate towards books that are familiar and comforting, like a steaming cup of tea on a rainy day. The Forgotten Garden is my cup-of-tea book, reminiscent of The Secret Garden combined with the coziest mystery that has the reader questioning, at every moment, “what’s next?”.  […]

by Hallie EphronEmily has chucked in her teaching career to start a de-cluttering business with her best friend, Becca. Emily has rules about the decluttering, stipulating that in any case she works on only the owner of the stuff can allow it to be decluttered. Applying this rule to her own marriage may be what […]

by Michael Christie At age 11, Will Cardiel thinks his life is pretty normal.  His mother Diane is agoraphobic and Will has grown up believing that the Outside is full of danger.  He lives life indoors, painting “masterpieces” and opening the door for the delivery men that help Will and his mother maintain their lifestyle. […]

by Paulo Bacigalupi Depleted aquifers, drought, and dust storms in the American Southwest bring out the worst in people and their politics, allowing gangs and militias to run rampant, loosely controlled by the remaining city-states. Each city is struggling not to dry up completely, everyone trying to score enough water to stay alive for another […]

By Elizabeth Gilbert The Lily Playhouse is a crumbling theatre in 1940s New York, hosting shows with chorus lines, flashy dancers, and not much plot.  Vivian Morris, a 19 year old girl recently kicked out of Vassar College, is set to spend the summer there with her Aunt Peg, the Lily’s owner. What follows is […]