With the lockdown and social distancing measures continuing in the UK due to the coronavirus, books are a welcome distraction. I read fourteen books in April (yes, I was rather surprised by that number as well) and below are my five favourite. Links from the titles will take you to my review.
Oh, for brighter times ahead when we can once again enjoy simple pleasures such as visiting an actual bookshop (like the one pictured right). You remember those, don’t you? Where you could pick up the books and look at them, chat to fellow book lovers browsing the shelves…
First up is The Far Field by Madhuri Vijay, one of the books on the shortlist for the Dylan Thomas Prize 2020. The author’s debut novel, it tells the story of Shalini, a young woman from Bangalore, who travels to a remote Himalayan village in the troubled northern region of Kashmir in search of a charming Kashmiri salesman who used to visit her childhood home. The book explores the unintended consequences of actions on others, in Shalini’s case, manifested in a quite devastating way.
Talking of literary prizes, my next pick is A Thousand Moons by Sebastian Barry, the follow-up to Days Without End which won The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction in 2017. Published by Faber & Faber on 19th March, it continues the story of John Cole and Thomas McNulty but told from the point of view of Winona, the orphaned Indian girl they adopted. I loved the distinctive and engaging narrative voice the author created for Winona and her resolve to take control of her life, drawing on the legacy of her mother and her Lakota heritage,
On to historical crime and The Figure in the Photograph by Kevin Sullivan, which was published by Allison & Busby on 23rd April. It’s set predominantly in Glasgow at the end of the 19th century, which the author vividly brings to life. A young man who has developed a pioneering photographic technique is drawn into the search for a serial killer who is stalking the crowded streets and tenements of the city.
Next a book by an author who has become a firm favourite of book bloggers and other readers alike – I Am Dust by Louise Beech. Published by Orenda Books on 16th April, I described it as a skilfully crafted combination of crime mystery and ghost story. To whet your appetite still further, it’s set in a theatre.
Lastly, a book which has received a lot of attention – and praise – from readers, literary critics and which is also on the shortlist for The Women’s Prize for Fiction – Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell. The book draws on the author’s abiding fascination with the little-known story behind Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, and is a poignant portrait of a marriage, a family and the impact on both of the loss of a child.
What were your favourite books you read in April? Have you read any of my picks?
You can find details of all the books I’ve read so far in 2020 here with links to my reviews.
First up is Requiem for a Knave by Laura Carlin. Set in medieval England, the book is part historical mystery, part love story. It combines a wealth of period detail with exploration of issues with more contemporary relevance such as gender identity and sexual equality. You can read my full review 
Staying with historical fiction but moving forward to the 20th century, my next choice is Summerland by Lucy Adlington, published by Hot Key Books . Although aimed at young adults, I loved the fictional story of Brigitta, one of the children who survived the Nazi concentration camps or were orphaned by the War and brought to Britain as refugees. Read more about why I enjoyed the book 
Next is Improvement by Joan Silber, published by Allen & Unwin UK. The book is a series of interconnected stories that explore the consequences of our actions on others. It was my first introduction to the author’s writing and I admired her acute observational skills and deft touch. You can read my full review 
Back to historical fiction now and Stasi Winter by David Young, published by Zaffre. Set in pre-unification East Germany during the so-called ‘catastrophic winter’ of 1978/9, it’s the fifth in the series featuring Major Karin Müller of the People’s Police. A crime novel with a touch of the spy thriller, I thought it was terrific and it made me wish I’d discovered the series earlier. Read my full review 
My final choice is Kirsty Wark’s The House by the Loch, published by Two Roads Books. Set in Galloway and moving between the 1950s and the present day, I described it as ‘an emotional, well-crafted story of a family dealing with change, guilt and loss’. You can read my full review 
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