Are you looking for your next great read? Why not try out the books from across the pond? Despite from what governments say, books are essential and are needed now, more than ever. So if you are need of a variety and want to read diverse stories, then I suggest you try out some British and Irish titles!
We may have left 2023 behind, but the pain and struggles of last year are still being faced, especially independent bookstores. Continue to support indie bookstores by shopping on Bookshop.org and Hive.co.uk.
Waterstones currently ships to the United States but there will be an international shipping fee. You can also try with the British bookstore, Blackwell’s, also with Wordery.com. Now on with the recommendations!
Featured Book of the Month
Imposter Syndrome by Joseph Knox
Expected Publication Date: July 11
‘When you’re living a lie, you find it’s best to avoid close attachments…’
Lynch, a burned out con-artist, arrives, broke, in London, trying not to dwell on the mistakes that got him there. When he bumps into Bobbie, a rehab-bound heiress – and when she briefly mistakes him for her missing brother – Lynch senses the opportunity, as well as the danger…
Bobbie’s brother, Heydon, was a troubled young man. Five years ago, he walked out of the family home and never went back. His car was found parked on a bridge overlooking the Thames, in the early hours of the same morning. Unsettled by Bobbie’s story, and suffering from a rare attack of conscience, Lynch tries to back off.
But when Bobbie leaves for rehab the following day, he finds himself drawn to her luxurious family home, and into a meeting with her mother, the formidable Miranda. Seeing the same resemblance that her daughter did, Miranda proposes she hire Lynch to assume her son’s identity, in a last-ditch effort to try and flush out his killer.
As Lynch begins to impersonate him, dark forces are lured out of the shadows, and he realises too late that Heydon wasn’t paranoid at all. Someone was watching his every move, and they’ll kill to keep it a secret.
For the first time, Lynch is in a life or death situation he can’t lie his way out of. (Credit: Transworld Publishers Ltd)
The Love Dare by Abiola Bello
Can a dare made at Notting Hill Carnival turn into true love? He’s All That meets How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days in this trope-filled sizzling summer romance, perfect for fans of Joya Goffney and Lynn Painter.
Popular girl Eva Òjó is used to boys falling for her without her even trying. So when her friend dares her to dance with a random guy at Notting Hill Carnival, she meets Saint.
Comic obsessed Saint Rowe-Falade thinks Eva is cute, but he’s not interested in her in that way. He’d rather get lost in stories than look for romance.
When Eva’s birthday party gets out of control and causes damage to her dad’s beloved car, her friends set the ultimate dare: get Saint to take her on one date and they’ll help her pay to fix her dad’s car. Operation fall-in-love-with-Eva is set in motion and Eva makes it her mission to make Saint fall head over heels. But just as Saint starts to warm to Eva, and her own feelings towards him grow, Saint finds out about the dare. Can Eva convince Saint she’s truly into him, or has she lost him for good? (Credit: Simon & Schuster UK)
Person Unlimited: An Ode to My Black Queer Body by Dean Atta
You’ve fought and you’ve run away.
You’ve danced with other Black queer bodies until sunrise.
Sometimes you wanted to be caught and sometimes you wanted to be held.
With all that you’ve endured, you are nothing less than miraculous.
From choirboy to drag act, grandson to mentor, poet to lover, Dean Atta has played many roles in his life. In this formally inventive, candid and courageous book, he explores what he has carried in his body: wins and losses, shame and pride, pain and joy. Dean also investigates how radical self-acceptance and a willingness to abide with discomfort open up the possibility of a life lived beyond definition: a person unlimited. (Credit: Canongate)
Babylonia by Costanza Casati
Animated by historical research and rich with detail, this captivating tale charts the controversial life and rise to power of Semiramis, the only female ruler of the Assyrian Empire
Nothing about Semiramis’s upbringing could have foretold her legacy or the power she would come to wield. A female ruler, once an orphan raised on the outskirts of an empire – certainly no one in Ancient Assyria would bend to her command willingly. This is the epic tale of a woman who knew if she wanted power, she would have to claim it. No one was coming to save her.
There are whispers of her fame in Mesopotamian myth- Semiramis was a queen, an ambitious warrior, a commander and builder whose reputation reaches the majestic proportions of Alexander the Great. Historical record, on the other hand, falls eerily quiet.
In her second novel, Costanza Casati brilliantly weaves myth and ancient history together to give Semiramis a voice, charting her captivating ascent to a throne no one promised her. The world Casati expertly builds is rich with dazzling detail and will transport her readers to the heat of the Assyrian Empire and a world long gone. (Credit: Penguin Books)
If you are willing to wait, this book will be released in the US in 2025. You can preorder your copy at this link.
Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell
Hannah’s love life? Dying. Career? Dead. New pen pal? Deadly.
Hannah Wilson can’t text her ex again – it’s too sad. She can’t snap back at the new boss who took her promotion either – she’ll be fired. But what she can do is write a series of furious letters to William Thompson, arrested for the murders of multiple women he got close to.
You’re a monster, I hope you know that.
Hannah’s shocked when William writes back, each response more surprising than the last. And as communication tips from curiosity to obsession, Hannah has to wonder if William might really be innocent, and whether she even wants him to be…
Taking the investigation into her own hands, will a determined Hannah find out the truth, or simply lose her life along the way? (Credit: Orion Publishing)
Cross by Austin Duffy
1994, the summer of the ceasefire. In the Northern Irish border town of Cross, after decades of violent activity protesting British rule, a community plays out its end game.
Francie, a principled elder of the cause, has authorised the murder of a policeman; his teenage henchmen are triumphant at pulling it off. In the town square, the Widow Donnelly protests because her son has gone missing. Young Cathy Murphy, the daughter of a Protestant, is trying to find her place among a people who ignore her. And pathological Handy Byrne, whose marksmanship makes him a valuable weapon, is out of control. Meanwhile, paranoia is growing because operations are beginning to go wrong. The townsfolk suspect a tout, but no one is willing to accept the evidence before their eyes.
From its dramatic first chapter, Cross is an extraordinary evocation of the loyalties and divisions within a town governed by its own variety of law, where violence is rewarded and complicity is second nature. It is a complex tale of betrayal and brutality at the height of the Troubles, a moving, powerful and empathetic lament for a community that has lost its way in its battle for the nation. (Credit: Granta Books)
I Love You, I Love You, I Love You by Laura Dockrill
The stunning debut adult novel from award-winning author Laura Dockrill.
Ella and Lowe are teenagers when they first meet. For her, it’s love at first sight. But it’s also safest to love from afar, where the friendship zone is her safety net and she can’t get hurt.
Over the next fifteen years, Ella and Lowe share everything: grief, laughter, friendship, bottles of cider, cigarettes in the rain. But there’s one thing Ella can never ask him: whether he feels the same way about her. And every time Lowe kisses another girl, Ella feels her heart break just that little bit more.
So can you ever really just be friends with the love of your life? And what happens when the day comes when you can’t keep the beautiful, terrifying, all-consuming truth to yourself anymore?
From a unique new voice in adult fiction, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You is a glorious nostalgia trip for anyone who has ever known the exquisite pain and pleasure of first love. (Credit: HarperCollins)
First Wife’s Shadow by Adele Parks
His first wife died, now there’s a vacancy.
When Emma meets Matthew, a kind, handsome widower, he seems to be just what she needs.
Yet as their relationship moves fast, Emma’s friends worry Emma might be exploited. She’s a rich woman after all.
Emma doesn’t care Matthew has no money. But as the memory of his perfect first wife hangs over them, Emma does have one tiny doubt.
If Matthew’s wife hadn’t died, he wouldn’t be with her. And Emma wonders if she’s second best. Can she ever fill the dead woman’s shoes?
As jealousy and suspicion blossom between Emma and Matthew, events take a darker, dangerous turn.
Suddenly Emma doesn’t know who she can trust. Her friends? Her husband? Or even herself…? (Credit: HarperCollins UK)
Lover Birds by Leanne Egan
With an irresistible enemies-to-lovers romance, and perfect for fans of Alice Oseman and Becky Albertalli, Lover Birds is a beautifully-written, inclusive and heart-pounding romance.
When Isabel Williams moves to Liverpool, she criticises seemingly everything in Eloise Byrne’s life – her city, her accent, her trademark boldness – so if, when she catches Isabel staring, Eloise feels her pulse race, it must be because they hate each other. It surely couldn’t be for any other reason, could it? Eloise needs to get her ADHD under control in time for A-Levels, but when she meets Isabel, school becomes the least of her concerns. What begins as outright contempt turns into an oddly satisfactory rivalry, but for their rivalry to shift further into romance, their relationship must withstand Isabel’s classism, Eloise’s distrust, and whatever secrets their friends are hiding from them. (Credit: HarperCollins UK)
The Thread That Connects Us by Ayaan Mohamud
When Nick Wychwood loses his wife Elise in a shocking accident, he is left to bring up their daughter Lucy on his own. Moving house gives them the fresh start that they need, where they can put tragedy behind them and forge new friendships. But Lucy, is fragile, vulnerable, easily led. When someone offers her their shoulder, their warmth and understanding, even love, she accepts, unquestioningly. But this ‘someone’ is an online monster; dangerous, deceptive, manipulative – and patiently laying a deadly trap. As he uncovers the hideous truth of what happened to his beloved daughter, Nick vows to track down the person behind the screen. And when he succeeds, a devastating reckoning awaits… Set in the picturesque Cotswolds, Father’s Day explores the power of paternal love, the evil of online trolling, and the morality of extrajudicial punishment. Father’s Day; a day of vengeance. (Credit: Simon & Schuster)
Amir and the Jinn Princess by M.T. Khan
Amir has lived all his life in splendour, being the son of a wealthy businessman. But when his mother disappears at his father’s factory, Amir is the only one who feels sure she’s not gone forever.
When a strange jinn shows up on his doorstep with clues to his mother’s whereabouts, Amir finds himself following Shamsa into the realm of the jinn – a world of trickery, tests and deceit.
But could his mother also be hiding in this world of pink seas and purple skies, and could a jinn princess be his key to finding her? (Credit: Walker Books)
The Dead Friend Project by Joanna Wallace
Expected Publication Date: July 11
Everyone needs a hobby…
Things haven’t been going well for Beth. Her husband has left her for one of her friends. Her fellow school mums judge her for swearing too much and not shifting the baby weight. And now she’s stuck in A&E after her son fell off the climbing wall on the first day of school.
In fact, things haven’t been going well for Beth since Charlotte died – her best friend, a favourite at the school pick-ups and the only person to ever run an interesting PTA meeting. But after being hit by a car while on an ill-timed evening jog, Charlotte is no longer there to help Beth pick up the pieces of her increasingly difficult life.
That is, until Beth discovers that Charlotte left her toddler alone in the house during that fatal run. The Charlotte she knew would never do something so irresponsible, and suddenly Beth is questioning whether Charlotte’s death was really an accident. With a newfound purpose and a glass of wine in hand, it’s time for Beth to uncover what really happened to her best friend. And what better place to start than the circle of chatty school mums, who can’t be as perfect as they pretend. But which of them is hiding something? Beth’s determined to find out. Once she’s put the kids to bed, of course… (Credit: Profile Books)
Cursed Under London by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch
Expected Publication Date: July 11
Two strangers. Two Londons. Two hearts that won’t stop beating…
In an alternative Elizabethan London, Fang awakes from his death to discover he is not quite human anymore. In fact, despite having somehow acquired the power of immortality, he’s also not quite vampire, zombie, werewolf or any of the other supernatural beings who roam the twin cities of Upper London and its underground counterpart, Deep London.
A jaded traveller from the Ming Empire, Fang is desperate to find a way to reverse the spell and get on with being dead when he stumbles upon Lazare de Quitte-Beuf, a theatrical Frenchman who is afflicted with the same mysterious condition. Thrown together by the curse they share, the two men set out to undo the strange magic that binds them. As they are drawn further into the shadowy world of Deep London, they unearth a dangerous plot which they appear to be right in the middle of… And, surely, when in grave danger, the worst thing they could do would be to fall in love, wouldn’t it? (Credit: Duckworth Books)
Let the Games Begin by Rufaro Faith Mazarura
Expected Publication Date: July 18
It’s the Athens 2024 Olympics and Zeke and Olivia are there to win.
Zeke Moyo is the star athlete of Team GB. He’s in Athens to claim the title of fastest man in the world.
Olivia Nkomo has landed a career-making internship, finally earning her seat at the table.
Then Zeke and Olivia collide – literally – on the first day of the games, and something unexpected begins.
But the competition is stirring up uncomfortable memories from Zeke’s past. And Olivia’s dream job is turning into a nightmare.
Will love become a hurdle? Or could running beside the right person change the whole game?
Until Proven Innocent by Nicola Williams
Expected Publication Date: July 18
When the teenage son of a south London pastor is shot at point-blank range, shockwaves echo through the close-knit community.
For barrister Lee Mitchell, born and raised in Peckham, the murder hits close to home. And it comes closer still when she is strong-armed into defending the prime suspect: racist police sergeant Jack Lambert.
In the cut-throat world of the courtroom, where everyone has an agenda and no one is what they seem, Lee will have to choose between fighting the system and fighting for her career . . . (Credit: Penguin Books UK)
The Revenge of Rita Marsh by Nilesha Chauvet
Expected Publication Date: July 18
Rita Marsh is a good person.
By day, she runs a care home, looking after the elderly and infirm.
By night, she’s a vigilante, posing online as young girls and snaring the men who prey on them, exposing them for what they are.
Rita has successfully kept her two lives separate for years. But when an old classmate returns from her past, her two worlds start to collide. With both of her selves unravelling, Rita will have to choose between justice and revenge.
Is she a force for good – or will she become someone to fear? (Credit: Faber & Faber)
Fallout by Lesley Parr
Expected Publication Date: July 18
Is Marcus’s fate decided by his family? Or can he stand up for himself to become the person he really wants to be?
A totally gripping read for readers of 10 and over, from the winner of the Wales Children’s Book of the Year Award 2023.
Marcus has one brother in a youth offender centre and the other is working with their dad on plans for their next theft. Everyone assumes Marcus will follow in their footsteps, but he has other ideas, different hopes.
When a mysterious accident lands a man in hospital, it confirms what everyone in their community expects and Marcus gets the blame. He feels trapped. Only new girl Emma – with her peace protest banners and political badges – questions this story. Can they work together to clear his name – and help Marcus become the person he really wants to be? (Credit: Bloomsbury Publishing)
Le Fay by Sophie Keetch
Expected Publication Date: July 18
‘They should fear me, the power I possessed, and the bright, ravenous rage that now fuelled my every breath… Even I did not know what I was capable of.’
Lady Morgan surveys her life at Camelot: she is safe, valued for her intelligence, and has the love and respect of her brother King Arthur, despite a growing conflict with Queen Guinevere.
It’s not enough. For, between the strict rules of court, a vengeful husband determined to snatch their son away, and a jealous rival in sorcerer Merlin, Morgan desires freedom. And when a face from her past arrives, igniting old memories and new desires, the future she is planning becomes fraught with danger.
Morgan must break the shackles of expectation to seek true happiness. In doing so, she discovers dark new powers that promise control of her life is within reach. But it’s at the risk of destroying everything… (Credit: Oneworld Publications)
The End Crowns All by Bea Fitzgerald
Expected Publication Date: July 18
Love caused this war. At least, that’s what the stories will say. When Cassandra’s patron god, Apollo, offers her the gift of prophecy – and all the power that comes with it – she seizes the opportunity. But when she fails to uphold her end of the agreement, she discovers just how very far she has to fall.
No one believes her visions. Which all seem to be of one girl – and she’s going to start a war. Helen fled Sparta in pursuit of love – though that’s proving more elusive than she’d hoped. Far from home, Helen’s navigating all the politics and backstabbing of the Trojan court.
And one princess seems particularly intent on driving her from the city. . .
But when war finally strikes, it’s more than the army at their walls they must contend with. Cassandra and Helen might hold the key to reweaving fate itself – especially with the prophetic strands drawing them ever closer together.
But how do you change your future when the gods themselves are dictating your demise? (Credit: Penguin Random House Children’s UK)
A Case of Mice and Murder by Sally Smith
Expected Publication Date: July 18
When barrister Gabriel Ward steps out of his rooms at exactly two minutes to seven on a sunny May morning in 1901, his mind is so full of his latest case – the disputed authorship of bestselling children’s book Millie the Temple Church Mouse – that he scarcely registers the body of the Lord Chief Justice of England on his doorstep. But even he cannot fail to notice the judge’s dusty bare feet, in shocking contrast to his flawless evening dress, nor the silver carving knife sticking out of his chest. In the shaded courtyards and ancient buildings of the Inner Temple, the hidden heart of London’s legal world, murder has spent centuries confined firmly to the casebooks. Until now…
The police can enter the Temple only by consent, so who better to investigate this tragic breach of law and order than a man who prizes both above all things? But murder doesn’t answer to logic or reasoned argument, and Gabriel soon discovers that the Temple’s heavy oak doors are hiding more surprising secrets than he’d ever imagined…(Credit: Bloomsbury Publishing)
Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh
Expected Publication Date: July 24
Ruby Johnson is a nanny and maid to wealthy families in Manhattan’s West 74th Street.
She knows their routines. Their secrets. One night, on her way home, Ruby witnesses a neighbour’s murder.
She knows the victim. She knows the killer. She makes an anonymous call to the police and names the murderer. But Ruby didn’t tell the truth… Because there’s something wrong with Ruby Johnson.
Eddie Flynn, conman turned trial lawyer, must defend an innocent man accused of this terrible crime. As Ruby’s deadly game begins, one thing is certain. It won’t be the last murder this witness is involved in… (Credit: Headline Publishing)
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