An interesting exploration of the act of complaining, and the hostile institutional systems that impede and frustrate. With many relatable examples, often from university workplaces, it becomes clear how injustices and inequalities are reproduced and deeply rooted. Infuriating! #books 💙📚💡

I’m looking forward to seeing @saranahmed.bsky.social in conversation with @noreenmasud.bsky.social tomorrow evening in Bristol. I’m not even halfway through her new book, and already it’s essential reading! 💙📚💡 www.thesmallcitybookshop.co.uk/event-detail...

A lyrical novel set in the changing times of 1990s Malaysia, with vivid descriptions. 16-year-old Jay spends a summer on the failing old family farm, where he begins a tentative romance with the son of the farm manager. The first of a projected quartet. Longlisted for #BookerPrize2025 #books 💙📚🖋️

A fascinating memoir/ cultural history exploring the intersection of Deafness and race in the UK. Beautifully written, as you would expect from this accomplished poet, and full of insight. It was a treat to see him in conversation with @nikeshshukla.bsky.social in Bristol this week. #books 💙📚💡

I’ve been in a book club for one whole year now, and I love it! Every month the dozen of us meet to discuss a novel. It’s always fun and interesting; everyone brings perspectives that I wouldn’t have thought of by myself. Here’s what we’ve read so far - such a brilliant selection! #books 📚💙

The new, overhyped Ian McEwan novel in which he contemplates mortality, tediously. In a vain attempt at relevance, the setting is partly a future, climate- and nuclear war-ravaged archipelago of British Isles. Posh English academic types are introspective, have affairs, & do poetry 🙄 #books 💙📚🖋️

Chilli pickling day again!

A relatable, readable and relevant Korean feminist novel. Jiyoung is experiencing some mental ill-health; we learn about the sexism she has endured since childhood, in the family, education, workplace, relationships and motherhood. (And there are footnotes😊) For Wednesday’s book club #books 💙📚🖋️

A fantastic new telling of the myths of Medea and Jason (& Argonauts). I love the clarity and fidelity of @nataliehaynes.bsky.social writing, and the freshness and relevance she brings to these stories. Thrilled to see her perform in Bath yesterday, which enriched my reading pleasure! #books 💙📚🖋️

A tremendously fun modern spy thriller from a writer at the top of his game. Our favourite Slow Horses are back, and old Joes from The Troubles are haunting (blackmailing) First Desk 😱 The acerbic wit of Jackson Lamb is a delightful treat. Relevant, entertaining, intelligent, great! #books 💙📚⚡️

An interesting collection of nine biographical studies of very different people from around the world, all of whom are autistic. I enjoyed this a lot more than I was expecting to; each pen portrait is well-written, respectful and illuminating. (Personally, I related most to Kana.) #books 💙📚💡

I’m having a glance at the new Mick Herron, Clown Town, published in the UK tomorrow. Two spelling mistakes so far, and I’m only on page 7! In a £22 hardback. I love the Slough House series, but seriously, do better Baskerville / John Murray / Hachette. It’s just rude to be so careless. 📚💙

A fantastic YA dystopian adventure. In the future, post-disaster, a minority of people have developed telepathic skills. The society is oppressively authoritarian, warring and misogynistic. The 2nd in the Torch Trilogy, I was looking forward to this and it didn’t disappoint! Loved this! #books 💙📚🪐

A brilliant and original novel, my new favourite! Yeva is a scientist travelling 2022 Ukraine in her mobile lab trying to save endangered snails. She funds this by dating Western men on “romance tours”. Inventive structure, clever & funny & profound. Great! Longlisted #BookerPrize2025 #books 💙📚🖋️

This is a thorough and eye-opening article 💙📚

A heartfelt and emotional story about an elderly man and his dog. Bo lives in rural Sweden with his Elkhound Sixten; he misses his wife, who has moved to a care home. Lovely and quite moving, whilst never becoming overly sentimental. I admit it brought a tear to my eye! #books 💙📚🖋️

A nostalgic exploration of traditional crafts around the British Isles, and the people earning their living from them today. Well-researched with plenty of local details and interesting facts and characters. A good gift for your Dad, if you’re stuck for ideas. #books 💙📚💡

A tense and lyrical feminist psychological thriller with elements of magical realism & mythology. Ari, Eleni & Hesper spent last summer at Golden Apples treatment facility for eating disorders. Soon there’s a trial- for what crime? Themes of coercive control, desire & trauma. Superb. #books 💙📚🖋️

My latest cartoon for @theguardian.com books. p.s. I have a new book of cartoons out soon: www.tomgauld.com/comic-books-v2

An interesting 1990s Belgian literary novel, riffing on Virginia Woolf’s Orlando. Aline has always suppressed the masculine part of herself; one day it splits off, and occupies the body of a nearby fit young man. Subversive European genderqueer philosophising. #books 💙📚🖋️

Book 29 of 2025 One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad 5/5 Simply a must read. We’re watching a genocide being live-streamed and televised and it feels like half the world (and almost all of the world’s leaders) is pretending it isn’t happening. #booksky

A smart thriller with a great protagonist, set in 90s Atlanta and Norway. Aud Torvingen is tall, fit, skilful, and lethal when necessary - but she also has time for lesbian sex! Excellent writing by @nicolaz.bsky.social; I need to read more by her asap 1st UK publ. for the Aud trilogy #books 💙📚⚡️

A readable and insightful book about relationships. In a series of anonymised vignettes, this psychoanalyst explores what he has learned from his patients about love, over the years. I quite liked this; helps me to understand the humans! UK publication 4th September #books 💙📚💡

A classic gender-swapping novel. Orlando spans the centuries, and switches from male to female in an original narrative. Reads as if it were written by a posh English lady 100 years ago. (Which it was.) Interesting, but heavy going at times. #books 💙📚🖋️

A debut novel with themes of alienation and communication longlisted for the #BookerPrize2025 An Albanian interpreter in New York encounters various people who she sort-of tries to help, often making things worse. Sometimes unsettling and dreamlike, the characters are unfathomable. #books 💙📚🖋️

This is a really great book and a deserving winner! I read it last year and thoroughly enjoyed it. Ideal for fans of The Hunger Games and The Handmaid’s Tale. Looking forward to the sequel, Torchfire, coming later this month. 💙📚

A really interesting and beautifully written collection of essays, which won this year’s Jhalak Prize. Simultaneously personal and intellectual, the author reflects on identity by comparing her modern Palestinian self with her ancestor who fought alongside the Prophet Muhammad. Moving. #books 💙📚💡

A lengthy and unusual meta whodunnit. The author displays an extensive knowledge of classic and golden age crime fiction, but unfortunately exploits the details of the murder of Sandra Rivett by (allegedly) Lord Lucan without acknowledgement. UK publication 14th August 2025. #books 💙📚⚡️

A super fun and funny satire. When a heckler interrupts a jazz performance, he is soon trending online. Accessibly profound, with themes of authenticity, art, culture and human relationships in our difficult modern world. I thoroughly enjoyed this! (But it’s secretly about love.) #books 💙📚🖋️

An evocative literary novel with superb descriptive writing. Thomas is a young shanker, scraping shrimp from the shallows in the early morning with his horse and cart. But he dreams of being a musician. So vividly drawn; made me care deeply. Longlisted for the #BookerPrize2025 #books 💙📚🖋️

An important study of how anti-abortion politics are intrinsically linked to fascism and white supremacy. Although a few years old, @sianushka.bsky.social ‘s thorough research presents undeniable evidence of how far-right ideology is systematically attacking women’s autonomy. #books 💙📚💡

A fantastic, thoughtful and profound speculative sci-fi that skilfully weaves together poetry, music and science to explore identity, self and humanity. @antonhur.com takes themes of AI & nanotechnology, language & storytelling, love & war, to look into the near and distant future. #books 💙📚🪐

www.bristol247.com/culture/book... A lovely article about a very lovely bookshop. #bristol #books 💙📚

A readable, page-turning legal thriller by @barristersecret.bsky.social Teenagers Craig, Arron and Jamal are on trial for the murder of a retired teacher. Each of their lawyers blames the others, in defence of their client. But there’s more to the story than first appears… UK 28 Aug #books 💙📚⚡️

Respect to these authors who are risking a loss of sales and notice, especially tough for their first book. I’ve read Queer as Folklore by @sachacoward.bsky.social and Spoilt Creatures by Amy Twigg and I recommend both of these, they’re great reads! I’m going to seek out the others now too.

A perfectly crafted, quietly emotional novel longlisted for the #BookerPrize2025 When Dawn was 16 and pregnant, her family sent her from her home in Trinidad to nuns in Venezuela, where she gave up her baby. 40 years later, she searches for her daughter, the missing piece of herself. #books 💙📚🖋️

An outstanding literary novel, winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2025. A re-read for me, because it’s this month’s choice for book club. Desire and denial in rural Netherlands, 15 years after WW2. There’s so much packed in this! Important, stylish, atmospheric and taut. #books 💙📚🖋️

An interesting and essential book about our health by trusted expert @profdevisridhar.bsky.social Refreshing to find public policy (clean air & water, transport, guns etc) discussed alongside personal diet & exercise. Effective action & change must be at the governmental level. #books 💙📚💡

Here’s a better picture of the book I mentioned earlier (I only had a proof, the actual published book looks better)… I recommend it for a pacy and engaging summer page turner. 💙📚⚡️

An enjoyable and readable suspense thriller that I couldn’t put down! Waitress Kate is on trial for the murder of 4 wealthy men at a private club in London. The story is told from the perspectives of 5 men in her life - the structure works well and kept me turning those pages Super! #books 💙📚⚡️

My cartoon for this weekend’s @theguardian.com books.

A well-written intellectual novel of two halves. Themes of performance and artifice, the self and social roles. I found it confusing and unsettling, and I’m not sure that I understood it. Thought-provoking, tense and deep. Longlisted for the #BookerPrize2025 #books 💙📚🖋️

A highly informative book about trees. Quite heavy on the scientific terminology, with an emphasis on prehistory and how trees have affected life on earth. The chapter on fire was particularly interesting. In conclusion, trees are better than people. UK publ. 7th August 2025 #books 💙📚💡

A vivid and compelling historical thriller set in 1659 Rome. Men are dying; an inquisitor investigates, suspecting poison. Women, abused, powerless and in danger, turn to Girolama and her knowledge of herbs and potions. Based on true events; detailed, descriptive and atmospheric. #books 💙📚⏳📚⚡️

An insightful and moving exploration of sharp grief and memory. I love her unique writing style; the page is sometimes split into columns. Seemingly fragmented, but actually displaying a greater whole. We really get inside the head of the narrator, her emotions and subconscious. #books 💙📚🖋️

A disappointingly shallow look at the effects of recent technology on human interactions. Lacking any in-depth analysis, this book doesn’t add much to what anyone paying attention would already have considered. The author is from the American Enterprise Institute ☹️ #books 💙📚💡

A lovely, insightful novel about female friendship. 70-somethings Jude, Wendy and Adele spend a stormy Australian Christmas clearing out the beach house of their recently deceased friend. Warm yet unsentimental depiction of inner lives. Wise and witty, for fans of Elizabeth Strout. #books 💙📚🖋️

He’s not wrong.

A dark psychological thriller debut set in London. Rita is a care worker by day, a paedophile-hunter by night. Inevitably, things go wrong… An original, twisty plot with a rage-fuelled, flawed female protagonist I couldn’t help but root for. #books 💙📚⚡️

A thought-provoking dystopia set in near-future Iceland. A referendum approaches: should the “sensitivity assessment”, which measures a person’s potential for antisocial behaviour, be made compulsory? A propulsive narrative which skilfully considers complex ethical issues. Loved this! #books 💙📚🪐