We're back with more bookseller recommendations! Today, London bookseller, Chiara, takes us through some of her favourite recent reads, and some new and upcoming releases she is looking forward to!
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The Instrumentalist by Harriet Constable
An amazing compelling historical fiction. This is set in Venice in the 18th Century and follows a group of Orphan girls that were abandoned at the Ospedale della Pietà. These orphan girls were given an education, and if talented enough, were taught to play a musical instrument to a high level in the Figlie, an all female orchestra.
I really like the main female character, Anna Maria. Although she is not the most loveable character, and at points you really want to shake her, the reader really gets to see her grow into her own and gain confidence.
At its core this is more than a book about Anna Maria, and the girls at the Pieta, that have been lost to history in favour of Vivaldi. It is a book about friendships and how hard it was to be the very best and to have been a woman in a society and time period that made girls feel secondary to the men. If you are looking for a book based in Venice and love music, then look no further, this is the book for you.
The Glassmakers by Tracy Chevalier
Along the same vibe as The Instrumentalist, The Glassmakers is set in Murano, one of the islands of Venice. Unlike The Instrumentalist this has more of a time travelling element. As the novel takes you from the 15th century up until the 21st.
I found this a very unique take on historical fiction, as this novel not only centres on the Rosso family, but also Murano and Venice, throughout the centuries.
The reader gets to not only experience the characters growing older but experiencing new advances in technology such as the railway, telephone and motor vehicle..
Considering so much history is included in this book, I found the pacing to be very engaging, so much so that I finished this book in a single sitting.
The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers
This is the perfect read for any book lover! At its core this is essentially a love story as the two main characters start to fall in love with each other through the annotations they make in books that they leave at a little library in a park.
I really love how this book has added elements and themes to it; such as, having a family member struggling with mental illness, as well as grieving the loss of a best friend and navigating life without them. I found that the rom-com elements are a nice contrast to what both main characters deal with in their everyday life without feeling too unrealistic and out of touch.
If you love reading books that are about other books then you will love this!
Wuthering Heights meets Ice Skating – Why wouldn’t you immediately want to pick this up!
This takes the classic story of Wuthering Heights and sets it in the late 90’s early 00’s world of figure skating. In between every few of chapters there is a interview segment (set in the present timeline) that reminded me of Daisy Jones and the Six, as the interviewee looks back on the events and the impact these had.
Whilst Katherine and Heath aren’t the most likeable characters and I find their dynamic throughout the book to be very unhinged and toxic, I do feel that it adds a layer of realism to their personalities and again is a direct nod to the classic on which it is inspired by.
Register your interest for a copy of The Favourites here!
Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi
The perfect cosy autumnal read for a Sunday afternoon. I adored how whimsical, warm and *spicy* in some places, this book felt.
Set during the autumn months, this story follows a witch called Dina, who runs her own café, serving magic-infused pastries and custom tea blends to her loyal customers. Dina has been hexed so that all her potential partners have a string of bad luck and near-death episodes. This is until Dina meets Scott (a curator at the British Museum) and who just happens to be the best man at Dina’s best friend’s wedding. The pair find themselves spending a lot of time together, that is until the Hex strikes back!
I love Dina’s relationship with her mother and how both women are very strong figures within the setting of the book, both being figures that other characters in the novel turn to when they need support. This is an amazing book to get you into the autumnal mood!
