5 new books to read this week

British novelist Patrick Gale takes readers from Canada to England in his new book…

Fiction

1. Love Lane by Patrick Gale is published in hardback by Tinder Press, priced £20 (ebook £10.99). Available March 26

Love Lane reintroduces Harry Cane, who has made a life for himself as a wheat farmer in Canada, but is forced to return to England once more. There, he is reunited with his long-lost daughter and an extended family who lovingly accept their so-called ‘Cowboy Grandpa’. The novel is told from a number of perspectives and seamlessly spans decades, thanks to Gale’s masterful storytelling. It is atmospheric and tender, while portraying the frequently complex dynamics of family. Gale is a fantastic scene-setter, whether it’s the desolate prairies of Saskatchewan or the inside of Walton Prison; you won’t be able to put it down.
9/10
(Review by Storm Newton)

2. The Palm House by Gwendoline Riley is published in hardback by Picador, priced £16.99 (ebook £8.99). Available April 2

Laura Miller’s friend Edmund Putnam is entering something of a mid-life crisis. He has recently lost his father, and the job he loves at a magazine has become insufferable after the arrival of a new editor. Laura is dealing with plenty of issues herself, trying to navigate life in London while dealing with a difficult relationship with her mother and the memories of her adolescence it brings back. But she is determined to stop Putnam – who is increasingly feeling like a man out of time – slipping into despair. Set in London’s media world, there might not be anything particularly fresh in the story, but The Palm House once again demonstrates Gwendoline Riley’s keen eye for detail, communicated through spare, precise prose. The actual plot is very limited – instead this is a book about characters and their relationships, and the enduring friendships that carry people through.
7/10
(Review by Ian Parker)

3. Celestial Lights by Cecile Pin is published in hardback by Fourth Estate, priced £16.99 (ebook £9.99). Available now

Few books can be inhaled in a single sitting, but Celestial Lights by Cecile Pin, author of Wandering Souls, proves to be one of them. However, prepare to feel utterly chilled and hollowed out by the end of it. Ollie is born the day the Challenger Shuttle breaks apart, and although his childhood passes quite unremarkably, except for one summer spent with the tenacious, vivacious Philly, somehow, step-by-step, he finds himself becoming an astronaut. One tasked with a mission, arranged by a company run by a billionaire (reminiscent of certain personalities currently in the space race…) that will mean leaving his family for an entire decade. Ollie is simultaneously unlikeable and unknowable, but his predicament, and his cool, glassy ability to just keep plodding on with his fate, regardless of the sacrifice, is entrancing. Pin’s prose is incredibly precise and evocative, which staves off just enough of Ollie’s numbing presence. An arresting but strangely insidious read.
7/10
(Review by Ella Walker)

Non-fiction

4. Lifeboat At The End Of The World by Dominic Gregory is published in hardback by William Collins, priced £18.99 (ebook £14.19). Available March 26

This work of non-fiction gives a fascinating insight into the world of a lifeboat volunteer and the human experiences faced by the crew and those it saves. Set in the vast landscape of Dungeness and the English Channel, author Dominic Gregory does well to navigate the service’s 200-year history with present day. It is a moving first-hand account of ordinary people’s courage with vivid imagery down to the smell and sense of being in the sea for hours cold and wet in the dark. In Gregory’s first book, readers are also given a compassionate account of rescuing people in dinghies trying to cross the English Channel, putting humanity and duty first above the political debate around them.
8/10
(Review by Anahita Hossein-Pour)

Children’s book of the week

5. The Magic Scarf by Em Cosh is published in paperback by Farshore, priced £7.99 (no ebook). Available now

A dancer called Jay and a fluffy dog called Star are both shy, so hide from animals, children and even their own shadows. When a huge scarf arrives in a box, both their lives are changed, as it blows in the wind as they speed off on a scooter – leaving flowers falling around the animals and children they used to hide from. Music magically is heard and the pair’s shyness disappears as they dance through the town, which becomes less scary as the streets are filled with new friends. The book, from the author of Kip And The Squiggledoodle, is beautifully illustrated with colourful images of the two main characters – and the special gift which changed their lives. A note from the author explains how when the world seems scary, connecting with others can bring joy.
7/10
(Review by Alan Jones)

BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING MARCH 21

HARDBACK (FICTION)
1. Innamorata by Reid
2. Sweetbitter Song by Rosie Hewlett
3. The Family Friend by Claire Douglas
4. Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
5. Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman
6. Sisters In Yellow by Mieko Kawakami
7. The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
8. Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman
9. The Eye Of The Bedlam Bride by Matt Dinniman
10. Wuthering Heights by Emiley Bronte
(Compiled by Waterstones)

HARDBACK (NON-FICTION)
1. Enough Said by Alan Bennett
2. Loss by Donna Ashworth
3. Rasputin by Antony Beevor
4. Bloody Dangerous by Colin Bell
5. Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins & Sawyer Robbins
6. Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! by Liza Minnelli & Michael Feinstein
7. The Shortest History Of Ireland by James Hawe
8. My Gardening Life by Mary Berry
9. Always Remember by Charlie Mackesy
10. Wisdom Of Ancient Japan by Saori Okada
(Compiled by Waterstones)

AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NONFICTION)
1. Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
2. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
3. Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire by J.K. Rowling
4. Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
5. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
6. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
7. My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney
8. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
9. The Intruder by Freida McFadden
10. Dire Bound by Sable Sorensen
(Compiled by Audible)