What We've Been Reading

Dark Lies the Island by Kevin Barry

The Heart in Winter was one of my top reads of 2024, and I have been eagerly reading other Kevin Barry titles since then. He's such a brilliant writer and probably one of my favourite Irish authors (alongside Donal Ryan and Claire Keegan of course!).

I loved this collection of short and sharp stories, which encompass a 'real ale' day out, an ill fated romance, OAP criminals and other such random, yet original stories. They are dark and gritty, but wry, funny and beautifully and empathetically written. Having read his more recent publications, it definitely feels as though this collection is a foreshadowing of his later work.

Marianne

Floating Hotel by Grace Curtis

I love a niche genre and my latest read was just that- a cosy sci-fi story, if you can believe that! As the title suggests, it’s set on a floating luxury hotel in space with a mix of fun and quirky characters.

Entertaining and easy-going, I really enjoyed unravelling the mystery the further along I got into the story, as well as reading about the relationships the hotel staff have with each other (found family all the way!).

If you like authors similar to Becky Chambers, I'd recommend picking this one up. There is more emphasis on the characters than the sci-fi elements, so if you're a reluctant sci-fi reader, this would be a good place to start.

In fact Grace Curtis has written two other titles, so take your pick! I'm super keen to get to the other two very soon and look forward to discussing this with the Willoughby team, as I will absolutely forcing them to read it.

Alisha

Sunrise on the reaping by Suzanne Collins

This book was a must-read for me and it really lived up to the hype. I know some prequels released years after the original can just come across as gimmicky or simply money grabs, but this is not that. If anything it has come out at just the right time. It has given time for the original YA fanbase time to grow up and appreciate the nuances Sunrise on the Reaping brings, and is a good opportunity to revisit the original trilogy from a different perspective and with a deeper understanding.

The book was better than I expected! Katniss was an unreliable narrator in the original trilogy; a 16-year-old girl forced to deal with everything as it happened. It made the rebellion seem quick and spontaneous. But this book added so much more context and nuance. It doesn’t create plot holes or mention characters just for nostalgia’s sake. It fleshes them out and gives a wider view of Panem and the districts as a whole, especially the victors. I love that it showed the roots of rebellion slowly growing and spreading, as well as the years required for big systematic change. Revolution doesn’t happen over night! I greatly admire Suzanne Collins' writing and definitely recommend any readers of The Hunger Games trilogy to pick this one up!

Aishah

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Dark Places was a re-read for me this month, after reading it many years ago. Luckily I remembered nothing of the plot other than the bare bones, so it was just as an exciting read this time as it was before! Flynn is the queen of writing messy, female antiheroes; women you can't help but root for, despite their multitudinous flaws. The protagonist of Dark Places, Libby Day, is one such character. The depressed and light-fingered sole survivor of a family massacre in the 1980s (and for which her brother is serving a lengthy prison sentence), she is approached by a local 'Kill Club', a true crime-obsessed group that are adamant her brother, Ben, is innocent. As she delves into the crime with the help of Kill Club member, Lyle, she soon discovers things are not how they originally seemed. Chapters alternate between the present day and the fateful days leading up to the horrific crime. Secrets are gradually revealed and motives unpicked and unravelled. This is up there for me as one of Flynn's best thrillers and you're always in a safe pair of hands with her, so do check it out if you missed the original hype!