O’Farrell, Maggie (2026) Land. Tinder Press.
In 1865 mapmaker Tomas, and his young son Liam, are working on a project to map an isolated rain-swept Irish peninsula, for the British Ordnance Survey, when they have a mysterious encounter in a copse. Life for neither of them, nor their family, will ever be the same again. Ireland has not long been emptied by the Great Famine and Tomas’ work is set to reflect the changes in the landscape. As we follow Tomas’ journey into madness, and Liam’s shunning of his family, the unsettling history of the peninsula’s settlement unfolds. An epic narrative of relentless tragedy. Ambitious but flawed.
Rating: 3/5
Mason, Daniel (2026) Country People. John Murray.
When Kate accepts a visiting professorship in Vermont she hopes that in a rural environment her husband Miles will finally complete his PhD dissertation. But Miles has been procrastinating. He is 12 years late with his thesis and when the wilds of Vermont produce their own distractions he is lost. Besides the care responsibilities for their two precocious children, and truffle hunting dog, Miles becomes embroiled with a group of eccentric locals, takes on some new challenges from scyther to cross-country skier, and stumbles upon a fantastic local legend. A joyful, immersive and fun experience.
Rating: 5/5
Palmer, Bobby (2026) Main Characters. Headline.
When they first meet sometime model-actor Seb is unsure what he wants from life but Clara is focussed on becoming a director of movies. Their connection is immediate but their big love is full of trauma. Their story is told over time by everyone but them. In this intimate love story we follow Seb and Clara’s romance through the eyes of family, friends and strangers. However as the main characters in their own story only they can determine whether it will be a happily ever after. Raw, tender and heart wrenching. Lovely.
Rating: 4/5
Hickey Margaret (2026) Cold River. Penguin.
When Louis Taylor goes missing deep in Victoria’s High Country Senior Constable Sally White is suspicious. Sally the sole-charge police officer at Edenville, hero of Hickey’s previous crime thrillers, is a tenacious wanna-be detective. Louis had been researching the illegal tobacco trade, also known as chop-chop, that had once been widespread in the region. And, the last person he interviewed had met a gruesome death. Then Sally learns of a young woman who had also gone missing in mysterious circumstances two years earlier. Her peers and superiors declare they are tragic accidents, but Sally thinks the disappearances are connected and is determined to investigate, at her own risk. Exciting.
Rating: 4/5
Kampfner, John (2026) Braver New World: The Countries Daring to Do Things Others Won’t. Atlantic Books..
John Kampfner presents an optimistic reminder that solutions do exist to some of the world’s shared challenges. In this inspirational book he travels to ten countries that are taking radical action to enhance the lives of their populace. From Morocco’s clean energy initiatives, Taiwan’s people-centred highly digitised health system, Canada’s enlightened immigration policies, to Japan’s intergenerational care system, India’s smart agri-tech, and Costa Rica’s groundbreaking climate actions, countries, and cities, across the globe are addressing our most pressing problems with candour and bravery. A rallying and encouraging read.
Rating: 5/5
7:30 Bookclub 