Category: Literary prose fiction

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

Observational, gently humorous & wholly engrossing

Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

Book 2: better & funnier than Book 1

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Enjoyable action sci-fi featuring a delightfully antisocial cyborg

Orbital by Samantha Harvey

An astonishingly lovely exploration of our capacity for wonder

Rapture by Emily Maguire

Compelling & uplifting historical fiction

The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka

A touching portrait of life and memory loss

Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín

A sensitive story about being torn between the old & the new (mini-review)

The Fraud by Zadie Smith

Engaging historical fiction about deception, privilege & colonialism (mini-review)

Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran

A dark & funny story of memory, power & oppression (mini-review)

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell

Beautifully written retelling of ‘My Last Duchess’ (mini-review)