Sunday, 3 May 2026

Finished, Reading, New Arrivals

Dear friends. Today sees my occasional update on what I've finished reading, am currently reading, and the new arrivals. If you click on the titles of those I've read you'll be taken to my review on Goodreads. Reviews will be published here on the 3rd Friday of the month.

An asterisk indicates a book bought myself. The rest are digital advance copies, courtesy of NetGalley and the publishers.

BOOKS READ RECENTLY

Crescendo by Jane Healey

It’s the summer of 1957 and Max, a piano prodigy, is on a sold-out concert tour. His beautiful twin sister, Natasha, serves as his manager and minder. But despite Natasha’s careful planning, he begins, for the first time in his career, to make mistakes on stage.

Upending his schedule to seek a cure in Paris, Max sets up the pair in the sprawling mansion of a handsome and wealthy count. But Henri is more than just a patron of the arts; he has also been – unknown to Max – Natasha’s lover. Over the summer the sibling rivalry creates a cauldron of explosive emotions. The book is published on 4 June.

Death of an Ordinary Man by Sarah Penny *

Sarah Perry's father-in-law David died in the autumn of 2022, only nine days after a cancer diagnosis. Until then he'd been a healthy and happy he loved stamp collecting, fish and chips, comic novels, his local church, and the Antiques Roadshow. He was in some ways a very ordinary man, but as he began to die, it became clear how extraordinary he was.

CURRENTLY READING

Hungry Eyes is a memoir of identity, tracing a path through the moments and meals that shape who we become, and the ingredients we use to gradually build a life. TV presenter and novelist Dawn O'Porter explores the lifelong pressure to ‘bring something to the table’, and how it determines who we think we are. The book comes out on 18 June.

I haven't been tempted by many books on NetGalley lately so I raided the shared Amazon library. I remember how Jane Garvey, from Jane and Fi (podcast) is very fond of Ken Follett so I started the Fall of Giants trilogy. I was initially put off by the fact it's an epic saga, spanning different countries with dozens of characters, but the first chapter about a 13 year old boy starting his lifelong job in a Welsh coal mine hooked me in.

NEW ARRIVALS

In her first book, THE AGE REBELLION, Lyndsey Simpson - Global CEO of 55/Redefined - shows you how to plan a life you never want to retire from. A life of purpose, fulfilment and joy... whatever your age. The book is published on 7 May.

I was always intrigued by the gossip queens Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper, who competed to find the most juicy and shocking titbits of gossip. They could launch and sink careers. Their rivalry was the stuff of legend, a clash of titans that resonated far beyond the Hollywood Hills. You'll have to wait for this one: it doesn't come out until November.

Any books grab your attention?