Loved this. Working my way backwards from “Matrix” I’m coming to see how Groff’s enduring theme is the intricacies of communal life seen through the perspective of individual psyches

Quite a gruelling tale (exceptionally well written) about wealth, intergenerational trauma and PTSD

A weekend for short, mystical stories — my first ever David Almond, purchased in the closing week of the lamented Good Book Shop

All the pieces are in place here (missing mother | hidden magical world | green magic | lonely kid makes friends | obvious villain / true villain | food descriptions | magical transportation) and there’s a Tom’s Midnight Garden-esque element that’s quite lovely. Not for adults maybe; too predictable

On an Arthurian streak. Nicola Griffith took three weeks off writing “Menewood” to produce “Spear”, a gender-switching, queer love novella crafted around the figure of Perceval/Peretur. A gorgeous introduction to her writing if you’ve not tried her before

Paris and Versailles, late 17th century — a group of women amuse, empower and endanger themselves in a salon devoted to the telling of contes de feés; fairytales that mock or challenge the political and social status quo

Meanwhile Lev Grossman’s new Arthurian novel could’ve been made in a lab just to suit me.

Benjamin Myers has become my favourite writer about men and male relationships. This book reminded me of Max Porter’s “Shy” (same sense of so thoroughly inhabiting a small slice of the world) but without that book’s desperation.

Let’s do a swap when you get a book-tour breather 💗

This one surprised me. I actually picked it up thinking “Ooh! New Susan Cooper”. The Slavic folklore base pushed me over the purchasing line. Totally exceeded my expectations — more plot and interiority than a fairytale, completely unsentimental, beautifully written