5 new books to read this week

Crazy Rich Asians writer Kevin Kwan is back with his latest look at the glamorous lives of the rich and famous…

Fiction

1. I Love You, I Love You, I Love You by Laura Dockrill is published in hardback by HQ, priced £16.99 (ebook £9.99). Available now

Ella and Lowe first meet as teenagers and it’s love at first sight for her, although she opts for friendship rather than reveal her true feelings. The book chart the ups and downs of their 15-year relationship in what is a highly-relatable read for anyone who remembers their first love. The author switches between past and present, perfectly evoking that early 2000s feeling, with plenty of nostalgic references and characters that really have you rooting for them. Described as Dockrill’s “ultimate love letter” to her partner, this is an absolute gem – an enjoyable journey that is a perfect summer read.

9/10

‘Closing doesn’t mean failure’ - chef Sean Harrigan on the anguish - and relief - of shutting his restaurant

The hidden benefits of the part of a banana people throw away

(Review by Anita Chambers)

2. All Fours by Miranda July is published in hardback by Canongate Books, priced £20 (ebook £15.99). Available now

Miranda July’s second novel All Fours focuses on a type of midlife crisis – but as is to be expected from the actress and filmmaker, it is far from conventional. A 45-year-old artist plans to drive across the US to New York to visit friends, leaving her child and husband in LA, but instead checks into a motel on the outskirts of her home city and takes her life down a completely different track – encompassing new love interests and parking lot performance art. Incredibly smart, funny and engaging, All Fours is full of killer lines, but is also a moving meditation on marriage, motherhood, midlife and trauma.

9/10

(Review by Laura Paterson)

3. Lies And Weddings by Kevin Kwan is published in hardback by Hutchinson Heinemann, priced £18.99 (ebook £7.99). Available now

If you’re after the perfect beach read, look no further than Crazy Rich Asians author Kevin Kwan’s latest book. Once again, Kwan turns to the highest echelons of society – we’re talking English lords and Chinese billionaires, so you can be sure the parties are extravagant and the outfits opulent. It centres on Rufus – future Earl of Greshamsbury and son of a Chinese supermodel, who has high expectations of who he’ll marry – but he’s more interested in girl-next-door, doctor Eden. Lavish weddings stud the action, from hot air balloons in Morocco to volcanic eruptions in Hawaii, as Rufus grapples with a tale as old as time: should he do what his mother wants and marry for money, or follow his heart? This is a fun easy read with colourful characters, with the author’s asides feeling like a modern-day Jane Austen.

8/10

(Review by Prudence Wade)

Non-fiction

4. Scattered: The Making And Unmaking Of A Refugee by Aamna Mohdin is published in hardback by Bloomsbury Publishing, priced £18.99 (ebook £13.29). Available now

It’s hard for most of us to really understand what refugees go through and the impact it can have on future generations, but Guardian journalist Aamna Mohdin does an amazing job at sharing a crucial story. While recounting the journey her parents went through as Somali refugees, and the impact it had on her life as a British-Somali, Mohdin tells a compelling, emotional and insightful story. We learn about the sacrifices her parents made, the hardships they endured and the challenge she faced with her identity. Scattered is a must-read. It highlights the importance of humanising refugees and gives a voice to those who still struggle to be heard.

10/10

(Review by Maryam Munir)

Children’s book of the week

5. Goodnight Sun by Eoin McLaughlin, illustrated by Morag Hood, is published in paperback by Faber & Faber, priced £7.99 (ebook £4.99). Available now

Know a toddler who tries to put off going to bed? The Sun uses the same crafty tactics in Goodnight Sun but on a more planetary scale, including saying they need a drink (of the sea) and hiding, but behind mountains. Written by Eoin McLaughlin, bestselling author of The Hug, this is a spirited and joyful book which winds down towards the end, fitting in well with the bedtime routine. Morag Hood’s vibrant illustrations of the cheeky Sun perfectly capture trying to herd a toddler to bed and my own two-and-a-half year old was engrossed – and was particularly tickled by the final joke.

7/10

(Review by Laura Paterson)

BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING JUNE 22

HARDBACK (FICTION)

1. When The Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker

2. The Suspect by Rob Rinder

3. Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors

4. Long Island by Colm Tóibín

5. Murder At The Monastery by Reverend Richard Coles

6. You Like It Darker by Stephen King

7. The Silence In Between by Josie Ferguson

8. The Ministry Of Time by Kaliane Bradley

9. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

10. The Man In Black And Other Stories by Elly Griffiths

(Compiled by Waterstones)

HARDBACK (NON-FICTION)

1. Pinch Of Nom Air Fryer by Kate & Kay Allinson

2. Finding My Voice by Rachel Stevens

3. The House Of Beckham by Tom Bower

4. MILF by Paloma Faith

5. Operation Biting by Max Hastings

6. Challenger by Adam Higginbotham

7. The Women Who Wouldn’t Wheesht by Susan Dalgety & Lucy Hunter Blackburn

8. Great Britain? by Torsten Bell

9. Endgame 1944 by Jonathan Dimbleby

10. So Good by Emily English

(Compiled by Waterstones)

AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NON-FICTION)

1. Atomic Habits by James Clear

2. The Suspect by Rob Rinder

3. Unruly by David Mitchell

4. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

5. None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

6. Just One Thing by Dr Michael Mosley

7. The Fellowship Of The Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien

8. My Favourite Mistake by Marian Keyes

9. Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken

10. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

(Compiled by Audible)