We Are Reading
At Jaffé & Neale we are always happy to recommend our favourite reads. Here are our current picks:
“An extraordinary debut novel. Nesting is a maddening, politically charged potboiler that is undoubtedly an early contender for the 2025 Booker Prize. In fact, they shouldn’t even bother with a longlist this year, they should just give it to Roisin O’Donnell.”
Nesting
Review by David Faulds
Review by David Faulds
“Take yourself on the perfect trip around the world. Join the staff of the space station in this beautiful, poetic, perfect novel. Genius and a worthy Booker Winner. Second only to our beloved Playground by Richard Powers”
Orbital
Review by Patrick Neale
Review by Patrick Neale
“The long-awaited second novel from the author of bestselling The Woman in the Window, this taut psychological thriller does not disappoint. It’s brilliantly and intricately plotted, with a twist you won’t see coming. End of Story tips its hat to classic detective fiction but is unashamedly 21st century in its setting and ambience.”
End of Story
Review by Rachel White
Review by Rachel White
“Taking the form of a stream-of-consciousness email rant at their letting agent, Goodlord lays waste to dubious housing, precarious low-paid work, and toxic relationships. ”
Goodlord
Review by David Faulds
Review by David Faulds
“Such an all encompassing and unclassifiable book. It bridges history, travel writing, natural history with stunning prose. Sophy Roberts has found a tiny story in colonial history and used it to write a masterpiece. She writes about human tragedy, past and present, with such delicacy. Each page unfolds unforgettable images.”
A Training School for Elephants
Review by Patrick Neale
Review by Patrick Neale
“This is as good as Let The Great World Spin. Buckle up for a modern day Heart of Darkness from one of Ireland’s most poetic and poignant writers.”
Twist
Review by Patrick Neale
Review by Patrick Neale
“I came to this novel not knowing much about it or really having read the blurb. I’m so glad that I discovered it, and also for it have been shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize. Dutch author, Yael van der Wouden, creates a tautly written story around the life of Isabel in the 1960s who lives a seemingly quiet life in a provincial backwater. But there are secrets to be gradually revealed, which implicate not only Isabel’s family, but also reflect on the politics and culture of Dutch post-war life.”
The Safekeep
Review by Rachel White
Review by Rachel White
“Simultaneously horrifying and heartwarming. One of the most original novels I’ve ever read: a visceral and moving exploration of art, violence, and pathos.”
Glorious Exploits
Review by Hattie Williams
Review by Hattie Williams
“A stunning, emotional family epic that lingers long after the last page – a story of sisters, secrets, and second chances, where love is both the wound and the cure. Some families are built on love, others on longing– this one is built on both. This book will truly break your heart and put it back together again. Patrick, Polly & Rachel are on the same page as me! ”
Hello Beautiful
Review by Rabab Bahrainwala
Review by Rabab Bahrainwala
“Nussaibah Younis could have written a very serious and very worthy tome about her time spent working to deradicalise women affiliated with ISIS, but instead she’s turned her experiences into a brilliantly funny, dark comedy that shines light on the barriers and Kafkaesque bureaucracy those in her field face, whilst giving a human face to those vilified in the press.”
Fundamentally
Review by David Faulds
Review by David Faulds
“Callan Wink writes with the simplicity of Steinbeck. This is a modern Of Mice and Men. Two brothers get embroiled in trophy smuggling in Montana and try to recover their family after the death of their father. It’s beautiful and thrilling.”
Beartooth
Review by Patrick Neale
Review by Patrick Neale
“One of my hero farmers takes you to the wilds of the North Norway coast, where he has a profound experience helping two remarkable women keep the eider ducks safe. His writing transports you to the edge of the world.”
The Place of Tides
Review by Patrick Neale
Review by Patrick Neale
“A stolen egg, a hidden past, and a somewhat chaotic chase. The Impossible Thing weaves together two timelines: a pre-war rural North Yorkshire community engaged in illicit egg collecting, and the modern-day pursuit of a rare red ‘Metland’ egg. As their paths converge, a tangled web of mystery and crime unravels…”
The Impossible Thing
Review by Rachel White
Review by Rachel White
“Dream Count is worth the twelve year wait Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie fans have had to endure since Americanah, with what is in essence four novellas in one sweeping, far-reaching great novel, written with the virtuoso precision of a world class pianist.”
Dream Count
Review by David Faulds
Review by David Faulds
“A beautifully raw story of heartache, healing and the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood. It is as haunting as it is breathtaking. Coco Mellors stuns me once again.”
Blue Sisters
Review by Rabab Bahrainwala
Review by Rabab Bahrainwala