Greetings from the snowy slopes of Austria! I am currently writing to you from the snowy mountains of Lech. As I take a break from my skiing adventures, I'm excited to share with you some more exciting book recommendations. Nestled in the cozy warmth of my hotel, with a cup of steaming hot chocolate, I am very excited to have a reason to sit and type away. Is this what real writers feel like?
Just a note: Please know that all of the titles in this list are hyperlinked and will take you to Bookshop Org where you can find out more about the book and order a copy. Any books purchased will see a % go towards supporting my bookshop, Book Bodega. It also means I can do fun, free things like writing this newsletter :). Remember to shop small for your books!
The Hearing Test by Eliza Barry Callahan
This book was kindly sent to me by
and it was one I hadn’t heard of but I was immediately intrigued by. The Hearing Test features a young woman who suddenly wakes up one day unable to hear properly and is diagnosed with Sudden Deafness. The progression from her partial deafness is the possibility of a future where she is completely deaf. Over the course of the year, the narrator keeps a diary of her year.This book is gorgeous. The writing is so rich and the topic is both strange and playful. I absolutely inhaled this book and I really want everyone to read it. It gave me quite strong Rachel Cusk vibes, so if you’re into Cusk then you should pick this up.
Holly by Stephen King
Ok, this is King’s latest novel - I feel he doesn’t need much introduction as he’s known as the king of horror. I find his novels exquisitely detailed, the plot is always unguessable and the characters often feel very real. This novel follows on from previous novels (Mr Mercedes and Finders Keepers) with the Finders Keepers private investigator service with Holly and the late Bill Hodges. Before you ask - I don’t think you have to read the previous two to understand this one, it works as a standalone but the characters aren’t new. I love Stephen Kings books. I got super into his books when I was a teenager and couldn’t afford to buy new books so I’d hunt my village charity shop and there would often be lots of his books - which I wasn’t mad about. Holly is a relatively new one, it came out in September 2023 and was published by Scribner. I just find his books really immersive. You can get completely lost in his stories and they often have a slight fantastical element to them although Holly doesn’t. Holly takes on a case of a missing girl Bonnie and we follow along as Holly tries to unravel what happened to Bonnie. It’s creepy and fantastic.
You Are Here by David Nicholls
Ok, can I just fangirl for a quick second? This book was sent to me… by…. DAVID NICHOLLS HIMSELF! I will not play it cool, I was very excited when this arrived in the post. David had mentioned a while back after I tweeted him that he’d run out of proofs but he’d remember when they printed more and HE DID! So thank you Mr Nicholls, I’m honoured.
Anyway - the book. I always think of Nicholls book’s as romantic comedies and this book fits into that same mould, in a really good way. You Are Here follows two divorced strangers as they walk Alfred Wainwright’s Coast to Coast walk. This book almost felt like a nature book which I have a real soft spot for and find very relaxing to read. You really settle into this book and I think it’s a good Saturday night in by the fire type read or if you’re feeling positive then a good Saturday afternoon on the beach in the sunshine.
I’m not always the biggest love story fan because I think they can be a little cheesy but I really enjoyed this. It’s just two people getting to know each other on a very long walk.
I’d love to know what you’ve been reading in the comments below. See you next week! xxx