THIS MONTH’S BEST BOOKS

SARRA MANNING FINDS A NOSTALGIC PAST, AN UNCERTAIN PRESENT AND A DYSTOPIAN FUTURE IN HER FAVOURITE NEW RELEASES

V For Victory by Lissa Evans

(Doubleday, £14.99, out 27th August) The Second World War is limping to an end and the lodgers of Vee Sedge’s Hampstead boarding house can dare to hope. But when Vee witnesses a road accident, it brings a charming American soldier into their lives, much to the dismay of Vee’s ‘nephew’ Noel. V For Victory is an absolute balm for the soul; its characters feel so real (for all their flaws and foibles), and Evans’ writing is effortless. Sharply funny but with real heart.

Glorious Rock Bottom by Bryony Gordon

(Headline, £16.99, out 6th August) An unflinching memoir from journalist Bryony Gordon about her self-destructive relationship with drugs and alcohol. Even marriage and parenthood aren’t reasons to quit her increasingly dangerous habits – until Bryony finally hits her ‘glorious rock bottom’. In rehab, she begins to untangle the knots that bind her to her addictions and learns to live again. Harrowing but ultimately hopeful, this is essential reading.

Scenes Of A Graphic Nature by Caroline O’donoghue

(Virago, £16.99, out 6th August) Charlie Regan’s filmmaking career has flatlined, her father is terminally ill and her best friend Laura has become distant. When Charlie heads to her ancestral west Ireland homeland, Clipim, with Laura, she reconnects with her roots and uncovers the truth about why her father left. This is a darkly humorous, keenly observed blend of millennial drift and murder mystery from a razor-sharp writer.

Blue Ticket by Sophie Mackintosh

(Hamish Hamilton, £12.99, out 27th August) From the author of The Water Cure comes a novel set in a dystopian America where on the day of their first period, girls are allocated a ticket. A white ticket means motherhood and a blue ticket means you can be whoever you want to be. But what if all Calla wants is to have a child? One of the most disquieting novels I’ve read in a while, Blue Ticket will worm its way under your skin and haunt your dreams.

The Wish List by Sophia Money-coutts

(HQ, £12.99, out 6th August) Florence Fairfax’s most meaningful relationship is with her cat. But when a love coach makes Florence manifest her dream lover, the next day she meets Rory Dundee, who is 100% her type on paper. Florence is determined to make things work with Rory, even though the universe keeps throwing another man at her. Heartwarming and saucy in equal measure, this will satisfy all your cravings for a feelgood fiction fix.