Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck

Feeling a sense of wanderlust and out of touch with his fellow Americans, Steinbeck embarks on an investigation of America, his purpose: to listen and understand localness. The account of his travels is prophetic, philosophical, and above all, human. It offers a snapshot of America in 1960, celebrating social interactions, the serendipity of journeys and the unknown in the everyday. His honest practical approach keeps his romantism for the past in check, couching nostalgia in the reality of the era. His observations describe the complexities of this diverse nation; at times troubled, deeply personal, yet generous and hopeful, Steinbeck writes with such a refreshing ease - a privilege to be in the hands of such a prodigiously talented writer. 

City of Vengeance by D V Bishop

Prepare to be transported to sixteenth century Florence, awash with institutional corruption and personal intrigue, at the centre of which is Cesare Aldo; soldier and officer of the criminal court, struggling to hold on to his life and integrity, as he’s tasked with investigating a politically sensitive murder. The plot is wonderfully labyrinthine (as befits its setting) and Aldo a charismatic yet flawed central protagonist, as he attempts to navigate the murky moral waters of Medici Florence, never without his trusty stiletto tucked into his boot.

Vagabonds - Oskar Jensen

Full of interest, insight and wonderful research, this book brings an incredibly fresh perspective to the study of poverty in nineteenth century London. Oskar Jensen has eschewed the ‘top down’ approach to his study and instead concentrates on the stories of individual ingenuity, endurance, success and failure amidst the capital’s poor. He cleverly ranges across age and gender to highlight particular issues faced and writes brilliantly about the complex psychological and prejudicial interactions between the perceived ‘lower’ classes and those they encounter. In its examination of the ‘othering’ so often at the heart of social injustice, this is a book which still resonates hugely with us today.

Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes

The formidable talents of Natalie Haynes are on dazzling display in this retelling of the myth of Medusa and Perseus. In this fiercely feminist reframing, we have a story placing family, acceptance and nurturing at its heart on the part of the Gorgons, and a brilliantly constructed narrative interrogating the idea of what constitutes a monster; the othering of those who aren’t like us: the fear of the unknown. Haynes then brilliantly demonstrates what happens when the conventions of the ‘monster’ narrative are carried to their inevitable, tragic conclusion; when Perseus, the supposed hero, is revealed in all his vainglorious brutality. A fantastically thought provoking read.

Keeping a Nature Journal by Clare Walker Leslie

I walk, enjoy the wind in my hair (breeze not gusts) and have a deep sense of pleasure from being surrounded by the natural world but I certainly wouldn’t say I’m artistic. Yet, I took this book, a new notebook, and my pencil case on holiday when time takes on a more generous dimension. Spurred on by Clare’s constructive suggestions, practical tips, and gentle, supportive encouragement, I started my own nature journal. Not only fun and unexpectedly relaxing, this source of inspiration also heightened my sense of awareness and I noticed so much more; insects, unusual patterns in bark and stones, and stunning changes in light. It’s brilliant when a book opens your eyes. So go on, have a play and try something new!

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

It feels as though the whole of humanity resides in this hugely ambitious novel; its multi-timeline narrative journeys back to the fall of Constantinople, charts the upheaval and conflict of the twentieth century and propels us, perhaps, into a strange and uncertain future. Our guides to these worlds are a set of characters whose experiences are vital, terrifying and beautiful, and each in their particular way is obsessed by an ancient text which seems reborn or rediscovered regardless of the passage of time. Ultimately this book is a testament to the power stories have to sustain us and to bear witness to the connectedness of our fleeting individual lives: life-affirming and utterly wonderful.

Landlines by Raynor Winn

Landlines combines everything I loved about The Salt Path with a deeper understanding of the humour and interdependence that underpins Raynor and Moth’s relationship. Faced with a decline in Moth’s health, Raynor reaches for the one thing they know can bring solace – another guidebook; another path. But this is not just any path: encompassing over 200 miles of terrain through some of the UK’s most remote landscapes, the Cape Wrath Trail presents Raynor and Moth with their biggest challenge yet. Deciding to put themselves ‘in the way of hope’, with ill-fitting boots and chronically inadequate provisions, Raynor and Moth put their faith in the process of putting one foot in front of the other, sharing fascinating perspectives on how we impact, relate to and curate the natural world.

The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai

This is a compelling and engaging account of one family’s unflinching determination and endurance to survive the atrocities and desperate suffering that plagued Vietnam over decades. Told in the first person from both Huong and her grandmother, the storytelling has an immediacy and familiarity, and I found the rhythm of the writing and voices strangely consoling in the face of the brutality and hardship the pair face. The unveiling of one family’s story is set against the wider back drop of the history and politics of this country’s conflicts and through it all there is the incredible integrity, resilience and hope of the human spirit.

Tough Women edited by Jenny Tough

There is something special when you read the right book at the right moment; in 2021 this was the book for me. A compilation of accounts by a selection of inspirational women who thrive in the face of a physical challenge - certainly not always the fastest, highest or most epic, this is about individuals’ personal challenges and one’s capability to dig deep. I read it when the confines of lockdown felt at their most restrictive but within these accounts, I found hope and inspiration. Yes, we’d be outdoors again, experiencing the adrenalin of embracing playground wildernesses. I’ve been on some amazing walks this year, thanks to the motivation of these stories, I hope it leads to some great adventures for you too.

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World by Elif Shafak

It’s not often that the heroine of a novel dies in the first sentence, but the fact that Shafak develops a dead character with such intimacy and integrity is testament to her writing. From the beginning, I felt I was in the hands of a gifted writer. This is a multisensory novel; as Tequila Leila lies dying, different smells conjure memories from her life. From her childhood in rural Turkey to the life she has created for herself in the underbelly of Istanbul, there is a great richness in the scents, sounds and colours in a country where the cultures of the East and West collide. Yet, the greatest richness comes from the friendships she has made and the power of these continue long after Leila has left the world.

We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker

This is a genuine emotional roller coaster of a novel which examines the consequences which ripple out across time after a young girl is found dead outside a small Californian town. Years later, her supposed killer is released from jail and returns home; her damaged, psychologically fragile sister Star is then found dead, and the town seethes with suspicion once more. Star’s children Duchess and Robin become the focal point of the town’s attention; who will protect them as the local police struggle to find out what happened? This novel is heartbreakingly poignant as it follows the children’s journey to try and reach some kind of sanctuary, and in the teenage Duchess Day Radley, Chris Whitaker has created a complex, brave, and utterly compelling heroine.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

This is a wonderfully bold piece of imaginative storytelling. A novel which plunges the reader into the unforgettable world of its central character; where tides cause waves to crash through a house of infinite and strange spaces, all revealed to the reader in poignant detail as we try to work out just who and where Piranesi actually is. There’s a mystery to solve but the truth is as obscure to the novel’s central character as it is to the reader, with the curtain only slowly and tantalising being drawn aside by this supremely talented author. Clarke’s book is a subtle and beautiful look at humanity’s constant questing for something beyond ourselves, into obsessive investigation and the consequences thereof. Stunning, moving and delicately memorable.

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

The Dutch House is that rare thing; a beautifully written novel which has you wanting to slow down to savour each word and race to find out what happens next. The story has its genesis in events which unfold in ‘The Dutch House’ and which reverberate into the protagonists’ future. With exquisite subtlety, Ann Patchett gently uncovers the tremors which underpin many of the characters’ ostensibly functional lives – often encapsulating a lifetime of emotion in a few words. Prepare yourself for heartbreak and joy – I can’t remember when I found a novel this satisfying, or thought about it as much once I’d put it down.

The Bell in the Lake by Lars Mytting

This is a wonderfully absorbing story set in a small rural community in Norway where, in 1880, the beauty of its surroundings is starkly contrasted with the harsh reality of desperately long, cold winters and people’s struggle for survival. Here, lifestyles and mindsets are strongly rooted in the land, but times are slowly changing, and the arrival of a new pastor calls into question the formidable position of the church. The story centres around three main characters all of whom dream of achieving their ambitions but to do so means breaking society’s restrictive conventions. Mytting’s characters have depth, his storytelling is vivid and emotionally rich, and his writing effortlessly unfolds a captivating tale.

The Northumbrians by Dan Jackson

As the author sets out in his preface, the purpose of this hugely informative and entertaining book is to attempt an understanding of ‘why the North East remains one of the most distinctive parts of England’. I’m sure no native of the area would dispute this assertion, and in this vividly rendered, meticulously researched book Dan Jackson swoops and soars over crucial aspects of our region’s social, political, intellectual and industrial history. There emerges from its pages an affectionate but never sentimental portrait of a people uniquely shaped by their environment. It’s a must read for anyone interested in North East history from the Tees to the Tweed. Just wonderful.

Norwegian by Night by Derek B Miller

This is an incredibly gripping debut novel by an American writer who works for the UN and currently lives in Norway with his family. The idea of uprooting oneself and trying to assimilate into another culture is a prominent theme in this interesting book.

The novel, set in Oslo, has the plot and pace of a thriller with the central character rescuing a young boy after his mother has been murdered in his apartment block. However, its overriding concern seems to be with the effect of and attitude towards conflict at individual, family and national level. The main character Sheldon Horowitz is a veteran of the Korean War, and a large part of the novel concerns his seeking what he sees as atonement for the death of his own son in the Vietnam War. Meanwhile other characters have been involved both as aggressors and victims of the more recent conflict in the Balkans. By turns moving and comic this is that quite rare thing – a genuinely thought provoking thriller.

West by Carys Davies

I loved the spare beauty of this novel which encompasses so much with so few words. The story is a deceptively simple one with the transcendent air of myth; American pioneer Cy Bellman leaves his home and family on a quest to discover a giant beast, the bones of which have allegedly been unearthed in Kentucky. While Cy follows his dreams into a land of both physical and spiritual extremes, he believes his daughter, Bess, to be safe at home living with his sister. However, by abandoning his paternal duties, has he in fact left Bess prey to threats of a different, more insidious kind? The insightful, menacing portrayals of both the unknown wilderness and the familiar domestic landscape are utterly compelling and the emotional engagement I felt with both Cy and Bess has been long lasting.

Salt Creek by Lucy Treloar

This beautifully written novel is a subtle examination of the effects of Victorian imperial ambition on both the lives of the indigenous people of South Australia and on those seeking to subjugate them. The novel follows one English family, the Finches, telling their story through the eyes of the eldest daughter Hester. It chronicles her initial feelings of duty and responsibility towards her family which are gradually undermined by the growing conflict she witnesses between the beliefs they claim to espouse and the way in which they behave. This is thrown into sharp relief when a boy from the Ngarrindjeri tribe becomes a part of their lives. Wonderful characters people this book, where the personal seamlessly unveils the political, against the backdrop of the stunning yet often brutal Australian landscape. This book was a huge success with our Cogito Fiction Book Group.