This might sound random, but I would actually especially recommend Wolf Hall to fans of The West Wing. They both focus on all the back-room manoeuvering that takes place one step removed from the seat of power, and although Henry VIII is a far less sympathetic character than Martin Sheen‘s President Bartlet, the vibes match very well. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/wolf-hall-hilary-mantel-review/

It doesn‘t feel like it‘s on the front foot of feminism, with all the allusions to Thorn‘s advanced years as an impediment to finding love and the primary motivation being marriage – but the ending is a good one that rescues it somewhat from the jaws of archaic tropes. There‘s no steam or spice – just good, silly fun and a few talking cats. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/an-ancient-witchs-guide-to-modern-dating-ce...

There‘s a certain kind of literary snob who would look down on The Thursday Murder Club, and I say boo to them. It‘s fun, it‘s funny, and it‘s got clever misdirects – not to mention a gang of characters I‘d love to have a cup of tea with. And it‘s not all kook and quirk; Osman addresses the challenges that come with ageing in a clear and compassionate way. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/the-thursday-murder-club-richard-osman/

I‘ll admit that it‘s a little dull to listen to detailed deconstructions of strategies in a game show I‘ve never watched. But that‘s not to say that Behind The Mirror has nothing to offer the uninitiated: the chapters about the history and development of the show, and the discussion of it as a precursor to platforms like Twitch, are fascinating. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/behind-the-mirror-taran-armstrong/

A timid author might have given the reader a bit of distance from a protagonist as repugnant as Eileen, but Moshfegh is anything but timid. No one writes confronting fiction about distasteful women quite like her. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/eileen-ottessa-moshfegh/

For me, the best part is that each chapter includes the actual recipes, so you can make your own Ex-Boyfriend‘s Favourite Butter Chicken Curry, So What If I‘m High Maintenance Potato Salad, and so on. I personally am itching to try my hand at making the Red Flags Megastore Hamburger Steak 🤤 Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/the-ex-boyfriends-favourite-recipe-funeral-...

As insightful and interesting as So You‘ve Been Publicly Shamed is in its current form, I finished it desperate for a revised and updated edition, one that addresses public shaming not as a “new trend we should be wary of” but as an ever-present reality of daily life in the 2020s. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/so-youve-been-publicly-shamed-jon-ronson-re...

It has an interesting point-of-view that I‘ve never seen in a true crime book before… but if I‘m honest, I‘m not sure taking this creative license was entirely necessary for such a sensational case, where the facts are already stranger than fiction 🤷‍♀️ Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/the-mushroom-murders-greg-haddrick/

It roughly boils down to applying the principles of economics to social phenomena outside the scope of property and finance. It‘s a good idea, if not a particularly revolutionary one… It‘s just a shame that it was executed so poorly and with so little intellectual rigour, given the subsequent popularity of the book. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/freakonomics-steven-d-levitt-stephen-j-dubn...

Last One Out unfolds gently, slowly, with Harper apparently more focused on highlighting the plight of small towns squeezed by mining companies than giving readers clues to solve the mystery. I‘m relieved to report that she doesn‘t go the corporate espionage route to explain Sam‘s disappearance – though the specter of the mine still looms over everything that happens. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/last-one-out-jane-harper/

The allegory isn‘t subtle, but I think that‘s kind of the point. Upright Women Wanted is a rallying cry for communities living in persecution in Trump‘s America. Using the iconography of the Western genre, Gailey galvanises readers with a Handmaid‘s Tale-esque story of secret rebellion and guerilla warfare. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/upright-women-wanted-sarah-gailey-review/

Despite knowing (all too well) how it turns out, I was gripped every single minute. She names names, and she doesn‘t even shy away from an “I told you so” in the Afterword. It‘s an authentic and intimate account of a pivotal moment in history, well deserving of its place on any shelf. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/107-days-kamala-harris/

If The Love Hypothesis was the first Ali Hazelwood book you read and it put you off her for life, I honestly wouldn‘t blame you… but I would gently encourage you to check out some of her later work. Books like Not In Love bear very little resemblance to this amateurish mess. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/the-love-hypothesis-ali-hazelwood-review/

I‘ll admit that One Story is a bit hard to unpick. It‘s very smart, very ominous, very funny, but also a little perplexing at times. I can‘t help but feel like some aspects of the story went over my head. Still, it was worth a read for the laughs and the moments of scary insight into the apps that dominate our lives. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/one-story-pip-finkemeyer/

Luckily, the contents of Dear Dickhead live up to the promise of its title. Despentes has created characters that contain multitudes, and chosen a form that allows for the full expression of their contradictions and foibles. It's a complex novel, both raging and pensive. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/dear-dickhead-virginie-despentes/

It struck me again and again, as I read The Perils Of Girlhood, how each of the experiences she describes are both traumatic and mundane – each is damaging, and yet each happens every day to the women and girls we know. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/the-perils-of-girlhood-melissa-fraterrigo/

Quietly Hostile was exactly what I hoped and needed from Irby. I‘d recommend it even to the uninitiated, as it‘s a great sample plate of everything that makes her work wonderful fun to read. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/quietly-hostile-samantha-irby/

Learning to solve cryptic crossword clues is kind of like learning another language, making Minute Cryptic kind of like Duolingo for wordplay. Tiernan – with his trusty clue constructor, Liam Runnalls – has created a completely accessible guide that explains each component of a clue with plenty of examples, hand-holding, and positive reinforcement. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/minute-cryptic-angas-tiernan-liam-runnalls/

I‘m not sure why people hold up A Little Life as the poster child for trauma porn when this book is still in print. I cannot possibly recommend it in good conscience, but I leave room for the idea that there are stronger stomachs than mine out there who might find some value in it. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/my-absolute-darling-gabriel-tallent/

Eva Reddy‘s Trip Of A Lifetime could have been a really fun, lighthearted read, except that I found the constant negative body talk to be a real bummer. That said, I know in my bones that it'll be a great pick for a different kind of reader – I highly recommend it to folks who love stories about travel mishaps and finding oneself in middle age. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/eva-reddys-trip-of-a-lifetime-fiona-mckenzi...

I‘m struggling to decide how I feel about this book, because it‘s undoubtedly well done, but it‘s also difficult to read and near impossible to recommend – even long after turning the last page, I feel unsettled and upset by it, which is undoubtedly the point. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/trust-exercise-susan-choi-review/

Hot Desk is billed as a workplace rivals rom-com, for fans of You‘ve Got Mail. The thing is, as I read it, the “romance” is kind of secondary. Hot Desk is actually a mystery for the MeToo era, and it‘s surprisingly intriguing. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/hot-desk-laura-dickerman/

I appreciate Doppelganger as a work of meticulously researched non-fiction, with a fascinating source of inspiration… I just wish it had been a different book. There‘s a super-interesting story to tell there, but Klein chose to take it in another direction. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/doppelganger-naomi-klein-review/

Sulari Gentill remains the reigning queen of the metafictional mystery-thriller. Five Found Dead is sharp, it's funny, and it kept me guessing all the way to the very end. I heartily recommend it to any and all mystery fans. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/five-found-dead-sulari-gentill/

I found Fake Law surprisingly funny, despite the serious subject matter. The Secret Barrister has a wonderful turn of phrase, and doesn‘t hold back in criticising those who deserve it. But even without the laughs, it's a good read, and a crucial lesson in critical thinking and media literacy. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/fake-law-the-secret-barrister/

This is the rare case of a non-fiction writer producing quality fiction that doesn‘t just feel like a roman a clef. A Particularly Nasty Case is rollicking good fun, sharp and funny. Your heart will be in your mouth, and your guts will fall to the floor as the unstable genius desperately tries to convince everyone around him that a wily murderer is on the loose. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/a-particularly-nasty-case-adam-kay/

Even though Hendrix styles The Southern Book Club‘s Guide To Slaying Vampires as a horror-comedy, as he has done with his other novels, it‘s actually a novel of surprising depth and insight. That‘s not to say it‘s not scary or gruesome. So, if you‘re up for a complex, horrifying read with comedic elements, this is the book for you. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/the-southern-book-clubs-guide-to-slaying-va...

Starry Eyed is vastly different to Her Fidelity, so don‘t pick it up hoping for more of the same from Pollock. Addilyn is a rather naive 30-year-old, and her immaturity leads her to make some choices that will have you banging your head against the wall on her behalf. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/starry-eyed-katharine-pollock/

Is Columbine a good book? Yes, undoubtedly. Would I recommend it? It‘s hard to say. It‘s a book that is incredibly well written and beyond reproach in terms of research and attention to detail… but that‘s also its downfall. It‘s scary and depressing and gory, at times. So, I guess, I could only recommend it with an asterisk: read with caution. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/columbine-dave-cullen-review/

Have you ever been mocked or derided for saying the word “like” too much? If you‘re a millennial woman, chances are good that the answer is yes. I know I have! But never fear: someone has finally, finally written a book in defense of our verbal tic. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/like-megan-c-reynolds/

It‘s the conceit that makes this an interesting novel. An otherwise standard tragic love story is given an intriguing twist in its telling, and that‘s the strongest thing to recommend it. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/one-day-david-nicholls/

Bogle and Wilson quote a lot of experts in Conspiracy Nation – which is laudable in terms of verifying what they‘re saying, but sometimes their own message gets buried. I would‘ve liked to see more personal stories, interviews with conspiracy theorists themselves and/or people who loved them. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/conspiracy-nation-ariel-bogle-cam-wilson/

Fourth Wing has an excellent twist presented on the final page. So, even with my qualms about it, I finished it with a smile and a respectful tip of the hat in Yarros‘s direction. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/fourth-wing-rebecca-yarros/

A lot of the chapters of People With No Charisma could stand alone as short stories, which makes it the perfect pick if you need something you can pick up and put down. It is also, of course, very funny and very wry. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/people-with-no-charisma-jente-posthuma/

Did You See Melody? is a pacy and intriguing mystery-thriller. The premise, the setting, and the side characters were enough to counter-balance the let down of the denouement. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/did-you-see-melody-sophie-hannah/

You Went To Emergency For What? crosses the line of dark humour into outright cruelty. Many times, Booth relates a horrific story of systemic failure and community neglect with an eyeroll and a “can you BELIEVE what this idiot called 000 for?”. It‘s not funny. It‘s fucked up. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/you-went-to-emergency-for-what-tim-booth/

Even with the truly bizarre twist, Moriarty makes it work. She truly nails it – and I‘m not just saying that because I don‘t want to be the mean reviewer who meets a sticky end in her next book. (Whichever real-life reviewer inspired Helen Ihnat in Nine Perfect Strangers needs our thoughts and prayers). Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/nine-perfect-strangers-liane-moriarty/

I must admit, I was on guard from the very start of The Neighbours, because Babbington makes a point of mentioning in the very first chapter that the family dog, Sophie, is very old. I forged ahead, with reservations, and soon found myself drawn into the story. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/the-neighbours-emma-babbington/

I liked that Thea and Gavin felt like a real couple in the sense that their hang-ups and insecurities and habits all felt realistic and natural. The Bromance Book Club is a book about how they figure out how to communicate and appreciate each other (and themselves) more. The men-reading-romance angle is a great hook, but it‘s not the core of this story. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/the-bromance-book-club-lyssa-kay-adams/

A Most Puzzling Murder is unlike any other book I‘ve read before – and not just for the reasons you‘d expect. I wasn't blown away by it, but it's a fun and innovative read and it's fun to try something new. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/a-most-puzzling-murder-bianca-marais/

I probably would have quite liked it if I hadn‘t already read and loved The Likeness. It‘s impossible not to compare them, and The Likeness comes out streets ahead. So, contrary to popular wisdom of other French fans, I wouldn‘t recommend starting with In The Woods. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/in-the-woods-tana-french/

Are you the kind of reader that rolls your eyes at common tropes of the romance genre? Fake dating, enemies-to-lovers, all of it feels too unrealistic and contrived? Then An Academic Affair is the perfect romance book for your cynical heart. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/an-academic-affair-jodi-mcalister/

Victoria has all the intrigue and political and romantic manoeuvring of the best fictional monarchies (think Game Of Thrones). I think even the most staunch republicans and anti-monarchists would be drawn in by it. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/victoria-julia-baird/

Be A Good Girl, Valerie is an easy read about a confronting subject, one that‘s well-paced and evenly handled. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/be-a-good-girl-valerie-marcia-van-zeller/

I have a lot of thoughts about why You became so popular. I think it might have something to do with the fact that – aside from anything else – it‘s a story about a man who cares very deeply about a woman. Yes, in a very sick and twisted way, but still. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/you-caroline-kepnes/

Maybe I‘m a bit cynical, but I felt like some of the “dark secrets” revealed in The Favourite just really weren‘t all that dark. They seemed like normal family stuff, and the Fishers just an overdramatic lot who made mountains out of the proverbial molehills. Still, it was an interesting read about a family dynamic far removed from my own. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/the-favourite-fran-littlewood/

The Beatles and Philosophy falls at the more academic end of the spectrum, despite its pop culture focus. It‘s written for someone who‘s already across the basics of philosophical thought, and an intimate knowledge of the Beatles catalogue is pretty much essential. Luckily, I came equipped with both. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/the-beatles-and-philosophy-michael-baur-ste...

I'm roughly the same age as Alderton, so a lot of our perspectives and nostalgic memories revolve around the same touchpoints (like MSN Messenger being the epicenter of our social lives in our early teens). That familiarity was a big part of my enjoyment of this memoir, so I‘ll acknowledge that mileage might vary for readers of different age groups. https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/everything-i-know-about-love-dolly-alderton...

The Ones We Love has deeply ominous vibes, with its Bluebeard-esque forbidden room and a veritable mountain of clues in the first fifty pages, none of which seem to add up. Gradually, Snokestra leads the reader out of the woods, and the story comes together nicely in the end. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/the-ones-we-love-anna-snoekstra/

By The Book is very earnest – as you‘d expect from anything Disney branded – and a very slow burn. Izzy and Beau don‘t even kiss until about two-thirds of the way through. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/by-the-book-jasmine-guillory/