I can’t say I don’t love the thrill of powering through a great novel, wowed by the literary mind that has conjured up whole worlds, unguessable plots, and shrewdly observed, plausible characters from their imagination.
‘Such A Fun Age’ by Kiley Reid
No other 2020 debut quite compared with Kiley Reid’s brilliant take on the 19th-century novel of manners.
Such a Fun Age centres on 25-year-old African-American nanny Emira, who finds herself caught up in the world of her polite, affluent (and deeply condescending) employers while grappling with what to do with the rest of her life post-university. Witty and thought-provoking.
‘Summer’ by Ali Smith
If you have yet to read Ali Smith’s masterful seasonal quartet – written and published in real time – start at the beginning with
Autumn, released in 2016, and work your way through to