New books to read this week

Fiction

1. Think Again by Jacqueline Wilson is published in hardback by Bantam

A comforting, engaging, nostalgic, and heartwarming read – the iconic Jacqueline Wilson is back with her latest adult novel called Think Again, a sequel to the Girls franchise. Following Ellie Allard’s life into adulthood, the novel starts on her 40th birthday, where she finds life is not looking exactly how she had imagined – but there is so much for her to learn and discover, she just doesn’t know it yet. Themes of motherhood, friendships, relationships, school, sex, body image, health, and employment are covered in the most relatable way, making you smile and laugh and ask questions to yourself along the way. You never feel alone reading one of Wilson’s books and her writing is brilliant and honest. This is a must-read for any Jacqueline Wilson fan – you won’t be disappointed.

2. What A Way To Go by Bella Mackie is published in hardback by The Borough Press

After the roaring success of her debut, How To Kill Your Family – soon to become a Netflix series starring Anya Taylor-Joy – Bella Mackie is back with another murder mystery. What A Way To Go begins with the suspicious death of ultra-wealthy Anthony Wistern, a businessman who gets gruesomely impaled at his 60th birthday party. The book is subsequently told from multiple perspectives – from Anthony, looking at proceedings from a kind of purgatory; his odious family members, scrabbling for the inheritance and discovering that their father was no angel; and an amateur sleuth, who’s convinced the death is foul play. Mackie’s latest offering is fast-paced, funny and will have you guessing until the end – it will no doubt be another bestseller.

3. Blackwater by Michael McDowell is published in paperback by Penguin

Originally published in 1983, Blackwater I: The Flood is the first in the six-book Blackwater series set in the small community of Perdido, Alabama in the early 20th century. It begins with a catastrophic flood that brings destruction – and something more sinister – to the town. As the waters recede, the focus turns to the efforts of the respectable yet dysfunctional Caskey family, to come to terms with the mysterious newcomer in their midst. While the dialogue is at times somewhat leaden, the horror-inflected southern setting drips with enough atmosphere and charm to keep you engaged.

Non-fiction

4. Rosen’s Almanac by Michael Rosen is published in hardback by Ebury Press

Have you ever wondered what happened to certain words you used to hear all the time? Perhaps they were words your grandma often said when she lost something, or a phrase your grandad picked up from the war that has died out with their generation. In this book, author, poet and broadcaster Michael Rosen delves into our use of words and some of the reasons we choose to change our language over time, as English continues to evolve. This is a brilliant collection of weird and wonderful words and phrases from all over the UK – and some theories behind their meaning, with a different one selected for each day of the year. It’s an enjoyable and light-hearted read which may get you wondering why we no longer use some vocabulary that was once in everyday use.

Children’s book of the week

5. Life In The Wild: Observing The Mysterious Lives Of 10 Real Animals by Lizzie Daly, illustrated by Chiara Fedele, is published in hardback by DK Children

This is a stunning book with delightful colour illustrations that will thrill every wildlife loving child and adult. It takes you through 10 different informative stories, starting with a polar bear and her cub on their journey for sea ice – which will let them hunt for food. Global warming has made this journey longer, with catastrophic results. Other stories include jaguars having to ferociously defend their territories, as well as tales about leopard seals, sharks, crocodiles and more – highlighting their struggles to survive. It is very thought-provoking, highlighting how delicate our planet can be, and why we need to properly care for it.