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whatsarahandlouread, Bath (2026)

07/08/2026

REVIEW by Lou - Can you tell I’m obsessed by Deborah Levy? I’ll always rush to read anything she writes.
If like me, you enjoyed Real Estate, the last of her three living autobiographies, and wanted to know what Deborah did next, this book might tell part of the story. It’s a fascinating account of her life of an author in Paris as she tries to write an essay on Gertrude Stein. Alongside details of Stein’s life and influence, the narrator describes her own life and friendships in Paris.
As with all of Levy’s books, this fizzes with clever ideas, challenges preconceptions, educates and entertains. It’s full of fascinating details about Stein’s life and relationships, with lots of great stories about Paris at the time, including her meetings with Picasso and Hemingway.
Alongside her research on Stein, the narrator describes her close friendships with
Eva and F***y as together they search for Eva’s lost cat, explore Paris and discuss their lives and their thoughts about Gertrude Stein.
A clever, thought provoking read that I really enjoyed and that made me want to run off to Paris right away. Anyone else keen?

Thanks to Women's Prize and Penguin Hamish Hamilton for the proof copy.

03/08/2026

REVIEW by Lou
Just the sort of heroine I love! Middle aged, obsessed with philosophy, prone to over thinking, struggling with relationships, confused and prone to acting unpredictably. Adora, the heroine of this book, is all of these things and more!
When we first meet her, she’s working as a moral tutor for a rich New York family, enjoying life with her teenage daughter and trying to set up a communal living arrangement with other women on the floor or her apartment building.
A seemingly chance meeting with a man at the opera, the mysterious Dante, upends her orderly life. The story veers off into a complicated, slightly madcap plot, involving possible arms deals, espionage, art history, Stoicism, romance, deceit and the Venus de Milo. And there’s a trip to Paris and flashbacks to Adora’s previous life as well.
It’a funny, surprising and slightly bonkers - mostly in a good way!
For me the slightly manic plot overwhelmed the characters and relationships at times. The romance between Adora and Dante didn’t feel very believable although that might have been the point. Generally though this was an enjoyable, surprising, engaging read. If you enjoy an action packed, cleverly plotted, funny read, I’d recommend this. It’s the perfect book to read on a sun lounger while sipping cocktails and people watching.
Fans of Semple’s best selling earlier novel, Where’d You Go Bernadette, will, I think, love this too. It challenges the assumptions about midlife and motherhood in a similar way as Bernadette’s story revealed messy realities about early motherhood.
If you’ve read this, I’d love to know your thoughts.

28/07/2026

Sarah says: A beautiful, uncompromising and compelling story. It would have been a worthy winner of the Women’s Prize in my opinion. Set in Belfast it follows the aftermath of a s*xual assault at a party. Most of the voices we hear from are the women involved, Misty, the teenager assaulted and Frankie, Miriam and Bronagh, the mothers of the boys involved. It couldn’t resonate more with the current news cycle and hits nerves both as a parent and as a child navigating the modern world.

Class, money, power and s*xual politics are all interrogated. A brilliant character study, subtly layered, skilfully constructed and unafraid to explore the grey areas of morality.

Buy it from us at link in bio.

This is Erskine’s first novel, one that I picked up eagerly as her earlier books were short story collections, not my favourite genre but clearly one that has honed her skills. Her writing is forensic and intelligent, and this critique of our society blistering whilst remaining empathetic to the individuals involved. Whilst the reader is solidly on Misty’s side, Erskine manages to elicit some sympathy for the boys involved and their parents.

I found the examination of s*x, and its commodification, and how women navigate it differently fascinating: brittle Frankie who has used her looks to her advantage, Misty who is trying a modern method of empowerment on the eponymous Benefactors (or ‘Bennyz’), an Only-Fans-style website, and Misty’s absent mother Leigh.

The main narrative is interspersed with vignettes from other local characters, a style that reminded me of Jon McGregor, and i found it added to the depth of the book as well as zooming out and giving context to the main story.

26/07/2026

Review by Lou - If you don’t mind your holiday reading being on the darker side and you enjoy an atmospheric, twisty thriller, this might be just what you’re looking for. There’s some wonderfully evocative nature writing, environmental dystopia and a love story too in there too.
Dominic and his three children live on a remote, desolate island as stewards of a seed bank. It’s meant to conserve a seed from every plant in the world in the face of increasing environmental devastation. But the island is not immune and difficult decisions about how much can be saved are having to be made.
When a stranger, Rowan, is rescued from a sinking ship, her arrival unsettles the family dynamics and threatens to reveal the secrets they are all hiding.
The tensions mounts, the environmental threats encroach further and things start to implode. McConaghy writes powerfully about environmental threats, grief and the intensity of relationships new and old. The plot twists and turns cleverly, although there was one aspect that didn’t work for me, but overall I really enjoyed this and some of the ideas in it have really stuck with me.
A impressive, original novel that was deservedly on the Women’s Prize Longlist.
If you’ve read it, I’d love to know what you think.

# wilddarkshore

15/07/2026

Country People by Daniel Mason

Sarah says: A wry and gentle story full of warmth about finding your feet in a new place, fitting into a new community and the importance of stories in making sense of the world. Refreshingly, this is written from the point of view of the father of the family who, although he is ‘finishing his PhD’, is essentially a house husband who has moved from the city to the country for his wife’s career.

A homely meditation on family and community, history and folklore, its heightened sense of reality and cast of comedic supporting characters is grounded by the perceptive descriptions of family life. It’s very all-American, funny and moving and the disparate strands of narrative are tied up in a particularly neat and satisfactory manner at the end. I’m not yet in love with Daniel Mason’s work but I will certainly be reading more of it.

Thank you to John Murray Press and NetGalley for the proof. You can buy this from our page - link in bio.

03/07/2026

The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson.

Sarah says: Out yesterday in the UK, this is the perfect Summer read – a gentle comedy of manners set on the affluent Massachusetts Coast. When newcomer Caroline meets Van Whittaker they fall madly in love. But Van is part of a close-knit group of friends who have grown up together and fitting in with them is soon complicated by a massive curveball.

Around the central romance, Jackson observes the ups and downs of parenthood, family, careers, friendship and money with her trademark perception and wit. Her characters are well rounded, the aspirational setting doesn’t make them immune to the vicissitudes of life and there is a great balance between everyday life and the odd plot twist.

This would be perfect to read on a beach or in the garden, with enough jeopardy to keep you reading without putting you through the wringer too much!

Thanks to NetGalley and for sending me a copy to review.

Buy it from us at link in bio.

01/07/2026

Review by Lou - Whistler by Ann Patchett
What a joy to be back in Ann Patchett’s wise and capable hands. This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it didn’t disappoint. Patchett’s writing just keeps getting better as does her ability to reveal the inner lives of her characters.
On a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Daphne is followed by an older man who turns out to be Eddie, who was briefly her stepfather. As the two reconnect, the reasons for the strength of the bond between them are gently and elegantly exposed.
Patchett’s love for her characters shines through, as does her warmth and understanding of the complexities and misunderstandings that happen within families.
This is a wonderfully, warm and wise book, cleverly structured, beautifully written and a joy to read. Just wonderful. Easily one of my books of the year.
If you’re already an Ann Patchett fan, you’ll love this. I think it’s her best yet. If you’ve read it, let me know if you agree. (Although, I’ll always have a soft spot for the bonkers but brilliant, Stare of Wonder.)
If you’ve haven’t read any Ann Patchett, what are you waiting for? If you love books about complicated family relationships or are a fan of Elizabeth Strout or Anne Tyler, I think you’ll love Ann Patchett. This would be a good one to start with, or you could go back to her first bestseller, Bel Canto. Or I’d you’re an audio book fan, I’d recommend The Dutch House read by Tom Hanks or Tom Lake read by Meryl Streep. Enjoy!

21/06/2026

Lou says: Celebrating Father’s Day with some fascinating fictional fathers from some recent reads.
Full reviews to follow, but yes Ann Patchett’s Whistler is as warm, wise and wonderfully written as we’d hoped and expected it would be.
I really enjoyed Charlotte McConaghy’s, Wild Dark Shore too, an original mix of environmental dystopia, family saga, psychological thriller and love story.
Liza Ridzen’s When the Cranes Fly South is a tender, heartbreaking portrayal of a father and son trying to reconnect. Have tissues the ready!
Who are your favourite fictional fathers?

20/06/2026

My name is Sarah and I have a cookbook addiction.

I have an embarrassment of cookery books but I can’t resist a new one, particularly one this ravishing. I follow From Lucie and would love to visit her East Village bakery but the next best thing is reading her recipes and drooling over the pictures.

I’ve already bookmarked her Lemon Hibiscus Mini cakes, Cardamom Polenta Rose Water Bundt Cake and the Raspberry Yoghurt Basil Cake to make.

Beautiful, inspiring and escapist. Plus there’s plenty in here whether you’re vegan, a beginner baker or a professional.

Buy it from us at link in bio.

11/06/2026

What a wonderful day celebrating women’s writing at the Women's Prize event yesterday.
Thanks to the organisers, authors and all the lovely bookish people I met for making it such a wonderful day.
There were so many highlights and lots of new book recommendations.
I started off listened to Kathryn Stockett discussing her new book, The Calamity Project which Sarah has read and loved. Kathryn is hopeful that we won’t have to wait 17 years for her next book!
Then I listened to the authors from the Discoveries writers development program read from their books. What a wonderfully diverse range of books and authors! I now want to read them all but am going to start with Ruth Rossengarten’s Over, a fragmentary account of a relationship breakdown, which sounds fascinating in form and content.
I loved the Between the Covers event with Jo Brand, Alan Davis and Abi Dare, author of The Girl with the Louding Voice. They started off discussing The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters and then Sarah Waters made a guest appearance. Luckily everyone had been really complimentary about the book!
For a perfect end to the evening, the finalists for the non fiction and fiction prizes all read extracts from their books and answered questions. So many brilliant books! Now I want them all to win!
The winners will be announced this evening at 6.30. I can’t wait!
Any predictions?

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