The Catchings Press, by Robin McMillion | Book Review

The follow-up to The Children of the Children (reviewed here), The Catchings Press is a literary coming-of-age novel set in 1967-68, in the fictional small town of Catchings, Texas. It’s McMillion’s second novel, and it shares its interest in institutional power and control with that book, though in a considerably different way: here the setting […]

Cutie Pies by the Slice, by Kimberly Nixon | Book Review

If you enjoy Depression-era historical fiction, Cutie Pies by the Slice will definitely be one to add to your reading list this autumn. Set in the twenties to thirties, the novel is Kimberly Nixon’s latest work of family-inspired historical fiction. Following her earlier novel, Rock Bottom, Tennessee, this book is reportedly inspired by her mother’s […]

Cutie Pies by the Slice, by Kimberly Nixon | Book Review

If you enjoy Depression-era historical fiction, Cutie Pies by the Slice will definitely be one to add to your reading list this autumn. Set in the twenties to thirties, the novel is Kimberly Nixon’s latest work of family-inspired historical fiction. Following her earlier novel, Rock Bottom, Tennessee, this book is reportedly inspired by her mother’s […]

So You Want To Be A Professional Athlete, by Linda Soules | Book Review

So You Want To Be A Professional Athlete is another entry in the “So You Want To Be A…” series by Linda Soules, the illustrated career-exploration line for young readers that has grown to nearly 200 titles, covering everything from astronauts to zookeepers. I’m reviewing it alongside another entry in the series, So You Want […]

So You Want To Be A Scientist, by Linda Soules | Book Review

So You Want To Be A Scientist is the latest entry in the “So You Want To Be A…” series by Linda Soules, an illustrated career-exploration line for young readers that now spans nearly 200 titles, covering everything from astronauts to zookeepers. I’m reviewing this book alongside another entry in the series, So You Want […]

Syracuse Will Burn, by Jim Loughran | Book Review

Ancient Sicily is, in large part, criminally underused in historical fiction. Everyone wants to write about the fall of Troy or Caesar crossing the Rubicon, but Syracuse rarely gets a mention outside academic texts. That gap is exactly what Irish writer Jim Loughran is aiming to fill with Syracuse Will Burn, published in July 2026 […]

I Get Knocked Down, by Murphy Buck | Book Review

As the title signposts, I Get Knocked Down is a collection of deeply personal poems that tackle some difficult subjects. Poetry can be tricky to review because it’s such a personal form of writing, and what resonates with one reader may not with another, but I found this to be a genuinely moving collection. Although […]

The Hierarchy of Angels, by W. J. Whitley | Book Review

The Hierarchy of Angels by William Whitley, released in May 2026, is a debut novel that drops readers straight into a richly imagined alternate-history world that feels like a lost Jules Verne epic, with strong shades of Philip Reeve’s Mortal Engines thrown in for good measure. It is a steampunk adventure, but a particularly grounded […]

The Children of the Children, by Robin McMillion | Book Guide and Review

The Children of the Children is a cult drama set during the final years of the Cold War. The novel centres on an apocalyptic religious community called The Fishermen, where charismatic leadership wields absolute control over members, autonomy is gradually surrendered, and the consequences of that surrender pass down to the next generation. For anyone […]