Reader’s RETREAT
A novel way to spend ‘me time’
In recent months, I have implemented a screen ban at night, so instead of watching telly or being on the computer, I read books. It’s been fab – if a little heavy on the thrillers – but here are some of my favourites. They’re perfect to hunker down with at home in the colder months or pack them in your suitcase to read poolside on a tropical midwinter break.
AYEARATHOTELGONDOLA by Nicky Pellegrino, Hachette, $29.99
Reading one of Nicky’s books is as good as going to Italy and this year she’s saved you the long-haul journey to Venice, where one-time adventurer Kat is living the dream. But is she having a love affair with a sexy Italian or is she looking at the world through bellini-coloured glasses? More delicious fare from a local favourite.
THEWOMANINTHE WINDOW by A.J. Finn, HarperCollins, $29.99
In the same vein as
TheGirlontheTrain, Anna Fox is a shut-in who drunkenly keeps watch on the goingson outside her house without actually engaging in them. But the trouble with all that daytime tippling is when she suspects something terrible has happened across the way, no-one will believe her. Gripping.
ELEANOROLIPHANT ISCOMPLETELYFINE by Gail Honeyman, HarperCollins, $26.99
This fantastic novel was discovered through a writing competition and sold for squillions, changing the life of its 40-something author forever. Eleanor Oliphant’s own life desperately needs change. She’s an offkilter outsider who works in an office and spends weekends drinking vodka on her own. What Eleanor needs is a friend. And when she gets one, it makes all the difference. Very funny. Very weepy. Loved it.
THE WIFE BETWEEN US by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, Pan Macmillan, $34.99
A combined effort between an author and her one-time editor, this thriller has more twists than a 1960s pop song. It’s about a man and his first wife, and her replacement. Or is it? I’m usually pretty good at picking where these things are going, but I repeatedly got it wrong with this one, which makes it all the more fabulous.
NEEDTOKNOW by Karen Cleveland, Transworld, $36.99
If you’re a fan of the popular TV show The Americans, you’ll like this. Vivian Miller is an office grunt doing analytics for the CIA and juggling the four children she’s raising with her lovely husband. Or is he? When his name turns up on a list of Russian agents deep undercover in the US, Vivian certainly has cause to wonder, as do we. Written by a former CIA operative.
THE IMMORTALISTS by Chloe Benjamin, Headline, $34.99
It’s 1969 and the four Gold children go to a gypsy woman on New York’s Lower East Side, who predicts the exact day on which they each will die. The book then follows the children’s lives, in the order in which they do eventually leave this mortal coil. A sad but gripping read that makes you wonder what you’d do differently if you were given such a specific road map as a youngster.
SUNBURN by Laura Lippman, Faber & Faber, $31.95
I don’t know why, but I love books about women who leave their families. In this noir thriller, inspired by ThePostmanAlways RingsTwice, Polly Costello abandons her second family (double joy!) for life in a small town where she falls in love with the man who has been employed to spy on her. A brilliant guessing game ensues – is Polly good or bad and who will live to tell the tale?
EVERYTHINGHEREIS BEAUTIFUL by Mira T. Lee, Viking Press, $25.95
I have a great local book store (Dear Reader in Grey Lynn, Auckland) and still love turning real pages, but I read on the Kindle as well and one of the features I like is the “readers who bought this also bought” function. I found this book here after buying and loving Celeste Ng. It’s another heartbreaking family drama – this time the story of two sisters when one has devastating mental health issues.
LITTLEFIRES EVERYWHERE by Celeste Ng, Little, Brown, $34.99
Next to thrillers, I love a family drama and this is a goodie. The daughter of a footloose single mother falls for a family from the opposite side of the tracks. The end result? It’s all in the title. I loved this so much, I instantly downloaded the author’s debut – a thriller, of course, called Everything INeverToldYou.
PRIESTDADDY by Patricia Lockwood, Riverhead Books, $24.95
And now for something completely different. Who knew that Catholic priests could be married with children? In this eye-opening memoir, poet Patricia Lockwood explains how it works. Her papa certainly isn’t like any of the priests I’ve encountered, spending much of his time shouting at his children or playing the guitar while wearing skimpy shorts. Gorgeous, different, hilarious.