The bookshelf: New books to read this week

No Small Thing by Orlaine McDonald

Orlaine McDonald presents her first novel, a crackling fire of a story following three generations of a Black family in working-class London. Livia has been wilfully running away from her life for years, until daughter Mickey and granddaughter Summer arrive on her doorstep with emotional baggage in tow. Over the course of a year spent begrudgingly cohabiting, the trauma, guilt and abandonment that haunts their pasts threatens to destroy their futures too. Opening with a suicide observed by the women’s neighbour who watches the three spark against each other for one tumultuous year, No Small Thing is a poetic, emotional and gripping insight into race, parenthood and class in modern Britain. Compelling and unforgettable, this is a marvellous debut.

9/10

The Cracked Mirror by Chris Brookmyre

The Cracked Mirror brings together two unlikely detectives, Penny Coyne – who’s in Miss Marple’s ilk, and Johnny Hawke, a hard-bitten maverick LA cop in the style of a Michael Connelly protagonist. Two different strands are woven together following two deaths, with the pair arriving at a wedding of a wealthy family whose business chicanery rivals Succession, where a mysterious locked-room death occurs. Action-packed, the plot makes you wonder what the inside of Brookmyre’s head is like – as where it ends up isn’t what you expect from the start. There’s classic plotting alongside bigger questions about artificial intelligence, intellectual property, dementia, sibling rivalry and the privilege of wealth. It’s an interesting mix of classic crime and something a little more cutting edge, while being readable.

8/10

Gold Rush by Olivia Petter

Gold Rush offers a timely exploration of the darker side of celebrity culture in the wake of the #MeToo movement. Narrated by a Rose, a young woman working in PR, it unveils the competitive and often unglamorous reality of showbusiness, highlighting how icons can exploit their power. The story resonates with its unflinching portrayal of abuse and the struggle for accountability. Rose’s struggle to speak out resonates with the guilt and blame that many women feel in these situations. This compelling read sheds light on the pervasive issues of power imbalance and the courage required to challenge the status quo, urging the reader to confront uncomfortable truths about exploitation and the price of fame.

Non-fiction

Our Country in Crisis by Kwajo Tweneboa

A sad and poignant reminder of how far the housing quality in the UK has fallen, this book should be a must-read for anyone who has an interest in UK housing and the solutions to its problems. Writer and campaigner, Kwajo Tweneboa, does a great job of bringing to bear his experience and knowledge of the problems faced in and by the UK housing sector, simplifying it all in a series of story-like chapters across different areas. It is rare that someone who has lived experience writes it down, and it is even rarer that it is in such a crucial area as this. A really important and compelling read.

Children’s book of the week

Billie’s Buzz by Alison Brown

Billie is a confident bee who wants to show off her skills in a talent show – but she needs to be a pet in order to participate. She befriends a boy who agrees to enter her into the competition, on the condition that she hides her true identity. As the story unfolds, we get to find out more about the importance of bees and how they are vital for all sorts of plant growth. There are also lovely messages in it around how important it is to be yourself too. So will Billie get the win she so desperately desires? Can a little bee really beat a whole host of pets on an agility course?

(Review by Lauren Westmoreland)