Monthly Roundup – February 2018

January on my blog focused on the Republic of Consciousness Prize for Small Presses, with just a few reviews of the books I was reading thrown in for good measure. This month saw a return to a more familiar format with a focus on new book reviews, although not all recent releases as I kept my New Year promise to myself and also plucked titles from further down my TBR pile.

These included a number of medical themed books. The announcement of the Wellcome Book Prize longlist reminded me that I still had several titles unread that I was eager to get to.

Click on the cover to find out more about the book from the publisher’s website – the links below will take you to my reviews.

  

• This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor, by Adam Kay, published by Picador
• Histories, by Sam Guglani, published by riverrun

  

• Admissions, by Henry Marsh, published by Weidenfeld and Nicolson
• Complications, by Atul Gawande, published by Profile Books

 

I posted four book reviews originally written for other sites.

  

• Sońka, by Ignacy Karpowicz (translated by Maya Zakrzewska-Pim, published by Dalkey Archive Press
• All The Devils Are Here, by David Seabrook, published by Granta

  

• Yuki Means Happiness, by Alison Jean Lester, published by John Murray
• Things We Nearly Knew, by Jim Powell, published by Picador 

 

There were also original reviews of several new releases and books from my TBR pile.

Non-Fiction:

• Lansdowne: The Last Great Whig, by Simon Kerry, published by Unicorn Publishing
• Know Your Place: Essays on the Working Class by the Working Class, published by Dead Ink Books
• Not Quite Lost: Travels Without a Sense of Direction, a diary, by Roz Morris

Fiction:

• Dance of the Jakaranda, by Peter Kimani, published by Saqi Books
• I Love You Too Much, by Alicia Drake, published by Picador

• Craving, by Esther Gerritsen (translated by Michele Hutchison), published by World Editions
• Nutcase, by Tony Williams, published by Salt
• Hotel Silence, by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir (translated by Brian FitzGibbon), published by Pushkin Press

Poetry

• Inner London Buddha, by Mick Guffan, published by Tangerine Press

 

I attended one book event, travelling to Manchester for

• The Republic of Consciousness Prize for Small Presses shortlist announcement

I will be posting more about the author and publisher panels and talks next week.

I posted one interview this month, with

• Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir, author of Hotel Silence.

Next month I have a number of literary outings to look forward to, including the winners event for the Republic of Consciousness Prize on the 20th. I also have more excellent books to read – thank you to the publishers who send me their titles for review.

My thanks also to those who share my words across their social media platforms. Your support is always appreciated.