All the books that entertained, challenged and inspired me in 2024 – find more reviews at instagram.com/stylechapel 📚 #stylechapelreads
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
💚 ‘Homegoing’ is a belief that in death the displaced could return to wherever they had been stolen from. This is the story of the descendants of Maame – an Asante woman in Ghana who flees during a fire, leaving her newborn daughter behind. It takes place over three centuries, starting with two half sisters, Effie and Esi, and the seven generations of their families that follow. From the Gold Coast of Africa to the streets of Harlem, this is such a compelling story (and her debut novel too!) with each chapter moving forward in time with a new generation.
My favourite part of the book was this quote from a teacher in Ghana to his students, “We believe the one who has the power. He is the one who gets to write the story. So, when you study history, you must always ask yourself, whose story am I missing? Whose voice was suppressed so that this voice could come forth?” 🧡
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The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
🇮🇪 The derailing of the Barnes family – Dickie, his wife, Imelda, and their children, Cass and PJ – is a tragicomedy set in a small Irish town. Despite the bleak moments, it also has that typically Irish cutting sense of humour throughout. The family are in the grip of so many meltdowns – financial ruin, the climate crisis, building apocalypse-proof bunkers, deception, homophobia, bad decisions, moral conflicts... it’s all here, layer upon layer.
💚 Murray is a very clever, stylistic writer and makes you feel invested in the detail of his characters. I think Imelda is my favourite: a famous local beauty with expensive tastes and an accent that could strip paint. ☺️ Brace yourself: the sections of the book presented from Imelda’s point of view have no punctuation... because the woman never takes a breath. It gives you a glimpse into her manic headspace (we all know a chaotic, fast-talker).🤯
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Bibliomaniac by Robin Ince
📚 If you love books and bookshops, this is a must-read. A lovely, warm, funny account of Robin’s tour of 100 bookshops around the UK in just two months – from Wigtown to Penzance, and Swansea to Margate. He just loves buying books (don’t we all) and has very eclectic reading habits. Here are two quotes I really loved.
❤️“I don’t retreat into books, I advance out of them. I go into a bookshop with one fascination and come out with five more. I always need another book. I love their potential.” How lovely is that!
And this one: “Another reminder that reading is fuel for empathy, that reading is the best way of trying to walk through other people’s minds.” 💚
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Two compelling books by Irish writers packed with emotion
💙 I loved Water by John Boyne so much that I read it twice. It’s the kind of story that instantly draws you in: a woman moves to a remote island off the west coast of Ireland and immediately changes her name and shaves her head. A beautifully written book from one of my favourite writers. Fans of Claire Keegan will love this: succinct but with huge impact. This is the first in a series of four novellas – followed by Earth, Fire and Air.
💚 Mary Costello’s Barcelona is a collection of short stories which are full of emotion and life-changing moments. The details are sometimes painful and tender but her gorgeous style of writing and ability to craft poetic sentences shines through.
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Three charming books, all set in Italy
💚 Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop by publicist Alba Donati is a personal account of her leaving Florence to return to the small village (Lucignana) where she was born to open a bookshop ‘Libreria Sopra La Penna’ in December 2019. Things I loved about this: the diary format; how every entry ends with the titles of the books sold that day (obviously, I made a list); the booksellers’ manifesto; and the ‘translated’ feel (that won’t be for everyone but I think it adds so much). The Tuscan hills are not the only backdrop – the pandemic is a big feature too and Donati recounts the impact (good and bad) on her small, fledgling business. If you love books and Italy, this is for you. “I like books that make you discover other books – a virtuous cycle that should never be broken.” 💚
🤍 The Enchanted April, Elizabeth von Arnim’s gorgeous novella, is about four very different English women who, after responding to an ad in The Times in 1922, find themselves taking a month-long holiday in a medieval Italian castle. The beautiful cover design and illustration is by Coralie Bickford-Smith. It’s a lovely, gentle read.
❤️ The Three Graces by Amanda Craig is set in Tuscany over two weeks in May. How lovely is the cover! It offers an intriguing mix of characters, a comedy of errors and a well-plotted storyline. The inspiration was the Primavera painting by Botticelli. And in a lovely connection with the book mentioned above, Craig specifically set this story in 2022, a hundred years after Elizabeth von Arnim’s The Enchanted April, which is one of her favourite books set in Tuscany.
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Four engaging stories about ordinary lives
(and they’re all quick reads!)
♥️ Redhead by the Side of the Road: Anne Tyler’s books are always a pleasure to read – understated and uncomplicated. Like this one about Micah Mortimer, the ‘tech hermit’ who fixes computers for a living. Micah is a creature of habit. He mops his floors on Mondays. Vacuums on Fridays. Runs at 7:15 every morning. He’s learned to navigate the world in his own way, until his calm and orderly life is thrown into chaos.
🏴 Summerwater by Sarah Moss is a story told over twenty-four rainy hours in the Scottish highlands. Each chapter is written from a different character’s perspective – and Moss captures their innermost thoughts and family dynamics perfectly. It’s not exactly a cheering read but definitely witty and atmospheric!
🇮🇪 So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan – the perfect emergency-size book. I always carry one, and this is only 47 pages. This short story is very understated, yet beautifully crafted. In Keegan's words: “I do think no story has ever been read properly unless it’s read twice.” I definitely got more out of this one on my second read.
💚 Foster by Claire Keegan – I’ve saved the best until last! She’s one of my favourite authors and to quote another great writer Hilary Mantel, “Every word is the right word in the right place, and the effect is resonant and deeply moving.” At only 86 pages, save this one for a short journey. This outstanding book is a heart-warming story about the kindness of strangers.
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🌾 The Potting Shed Murder by Paula Sutton is set in a sleepy village in rural Norfolk. This is English country living at its finest, featuring a cast of classic characters in all the local hotspots: the village school, corner shop, potting sheds and allotments, not to mention the PTA and WI. Welcome to the world of cottagecore crime.
It was the perfect book to read over a very rainy weekend in a cabin in Somerset! I bought it because I loved the cover and the beautiful blue and white endpapers, but mostly because I’m a big fan of the writer’s IG account (@HillHouseVintage). Think cottagecore and super stylish interiors.
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🇺🇸 Digging to America by Anne Tyler starts with two very different families at Baltimore airport in August 1997, as each awaits the arrival of a baby girl from Korea. The children (and the adoption process) bring the families together, despite their many cultural differences.
No one else writes about human nature in quite the way Anne Tyler does. Her books are never really centred around a gripping plot; the focus is always on her characters who are invariably complicated, flawed and human. She’s a master of describing the small moments and quirks of modern family life.
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🤎 Sea Bean by Sally Huband takes readers on a gentle journey along the rugged shores of Shetland. This is coastal life at its most raw and compelling, told through a captivating blend of nature writing and personal memoir. Sally’s encounters with the sea bean – a rare seed washed ashore after drifting across the Atlantic – become a symbol of resilience and discovery, as she navigates the wild landscapes of the island. A really lovely read for this time of year.