February 2025 Reading Superlatives

I have read a particularly good selection of books this month, and found it hard to choose the best ones.

Most Entertaining Novel

The Housekeepers by Alex Hay. In this novel, set in 1901, a group of women carry out the audacious plan of stealing the contents of a London mansion in one evening. I found it engrossing, and hard to put down. There is a good amount of action as events move to a climax, and I kept thinking that it would make a really good film. I was also interested in the very different experiences of the various characters, and the contrast between the rich and their servants.

Most Impressive Novella

Carys Davies’ Clear is another historical story, but this time we are in 1843 Scotland looking at the impact of the Clearances on three people. I appreciate this may make it sound rather grim or boring, but I found it absorbing. It is beautifully written and I cared greatly about the characters, particularly Mary. It is also very good on themes such as communication, language and loneliness.

Most Interesting Non-Fiction Book

I was drawn to Jane Cholmeley’s book by its title: A Bookshop of One’s Own. The bookshop in question is the Silver Moon which was feminist, based in London, and existed from 1984 and 2001. Cholmeley writes in a very engaging way with a good amount of humour, and is quick to acknowledge her own faults and mistakes. I loved the practical details about matters such as choosing stock, dealing with customers, and running events. There were also a lot of interesting comments on how feminism was developing at this time.

Most Enjoyable  Children’s Book

Karen McCombie’s World of Wanda (9+) is a very readable novel about a twelve-year-old girl with ADHD who does not go to school because her unconventional mother likes to travel a lot. This mother has also kept a lot of secrets so neither Wanda nor her father knows about the other’s existence. McCombie sympathetically shows the complications that ensue when Wanda discovers her father’s identity and turns to him for help. The alternate narration by her half-sister adds to the book’s depth and humour. I liked the characters, and thought it was very good on relationships and family.

Best Picture Book

Mariajo Ilustrajo’s I Love Books clearly has a message: reading is fun and offers excitement and escape. I obviously share this enthusiasm for books so this appealed to me from the start. There is also an engaging protagonist – a schoolgirl who is horrified when she is told that she has to read a book over the summer holidays. Her assumption that all books are boring changes dramatically.  I think the book avoids being too didactic by using a good amount of humour, and having very appealing illustrations which are particularly colourful for the sections where she is reading. The cat and the fox are definite bonuses!

Finally

I don’t want to go on at too much length, but if you are looking for a book which offers escapism, humour, and a thoroughly satisfactory ending, I would recommend Laura Wood’s A Game of Scandal. This is marketed for teenagers, but is an excellent read for adults as well.

I will stop now!

Happy reading,

Frances

Please note that I have taken the idea of ‘superlatives’ from the excellent book blog Elle Thinks (https://ellethinks.wordpress.com/).

(If you are interested in any of the books on this recommendations list, just give us an email and we’ll order them in for you!)