Read Our User Submitted Book Reviews.

On this page are the book reviews in alphabetical order by author, this page covers authors from G to L.

Alternatively you can search for a book by genre in our Fiction section or our Non Fiction section and a Children/Young Adult section.

As we receive more reviews we make split the pages down further but will ensure that the site is easy to navigate.

Enjoy reading the reviews that have been submitted and as always if you wish to Submit A Review we are always happy to receive them.

Book Reviews By Authors

You can find the rest of our Book Reviews By Authors here.

 

Authors I

Greg Iles – The Devil’s Punchbowl

Penn Cage’s weekend is going from busy to chaotic after he finds out what’s really happening around the town he calls home.

John Irving – A Prayer for Owen Meany

From talented storyteller John Irving comes the story of two eleven-year-old boys whose ordinary lives are transformed after a tragic fatal accident. An extraordinary story of friendship, faith and religion told with both dark humour and insight.

Walter Isaacson – Leonardo Da Vinci

A biography that combines the pages of Leonardo’s notebooks and the knowledge of his life and work perfectly.

Kazuo Ishiguro – Klara and the Sun

Klara and the Sun is Kazuo Ishiguro’s first novel since winning the Nobel Prize for Literature, and the author explores our rapidly changing world to ask the question ‘what does it mean to love?’ Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational abilities carefully watching the behaviour of the customers who come in to browse the store as well as those who pass by outside. She remains hopeful that one day a customer will choose her but when the possibility emerges, Klara is warned not to put too much faith in human promises.

Kazuo Ishiguro – Never Let Me Go

Within Hailsham, an exclusive boarding school Kathy, Ruth and Tommy become friends, now years later they reunite and find out why the teachers at school kept saying they were so special.

Naomi Ishiguro – Escape Routes

Escape Routes is a collection of imaginative, magical fantasy short stories by Naomi Ishiguro, a former employee of the much-loved bookshop, Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights. Ishiguro’s début into publishing is a truly intriguing collection of stories which vary in style and topic, from the wonder of flying from a rooftop with birds to the chilling tale of a Ratcatcher.

Masaji Ishikawa – A River in Darkness

Many families including Masiji Ishikawa’s left Japan for a better life but found instead a life of hardship in the brutal dictatorship. Ishikawa’s memoir provides a unique insight into real-life inside North Korea and his harrowing journey to escape across the Chinese border.

Professor Mazharul Islam – A History of Folktale Collections in British India

Over the years India has had a great and complex intermixture of culture resulting in a lot of comingled-tales in the area.

Eowyn Ivey – The Snow Child

For Jack and Mabel moving to Alaska was meant to be a fresh start but things aren’t going to plan, that is until the day after building a snow child when they discover the snow child gone and a blonde haired girl running through the trees.

Eowyn Ivey – To the Bright Edge of the World

The winter of 1885 separates Lieutenant Colonel Allen Forrester and his wife Sophie as he leads a yearlong expedition up the Wolverine river.

Uzodinma Iweala – Speak No Evil

Devastating consequences occur when two privileged teens from very different backgrounds share a revelation. With conservative and Nigerian parents, Queer Niru struggles to keep his painful secret and only tells his best friend, Meredith.

Authors J

Shirley Jackson – The Haunting of Hill House

Four enter the notorious Hill House, each with their own agenda, as they experience spooky encounters, Hill house is building for something more terrifying.

A. J. Jacobs. – The Year of Living Biblically

A. J. Jacobs attempts to obey the hundreds of less-publicized rules within the bible to discover the relevance of faith in our modern world.

Eric Jager – Blood Royal: A True Tale of Crime and Detection in Medieval Paris

November 1407 a band of masked men murdered Louis of Orleans, the crime stunned and paralyzed France, the city’s chief law enforcement officer, Guillaume de Tignonville investigates.

E L James – The Mister

The latest offering from bestselling 50 Shades author. Join Maxim Trevelyan on his thrilling and erotic journey from family tragedy to finding his soulmate.

Erica James – The Dandelion Years

Saskia works alongside her father in his book store, she restores old books that come his way, inside a bible she finds a hidden diary that will change her life.

Henry James – The Portrait of a Lady

The Portrait of a Lady is Henry James’ best known works and has stood the test of time since it was first published in 1881. This dramatic tale of betrayal was the forerunner for many classic psychological thrillers today.

James st James – Disco Bloodbath

Disco Bloodbath by James St. James takes the reader to the post-Warhol 80s clubland, home to the surreality of the Club Kids, hedonistic living, drug taking, glittering parties and unimaginable debauchery. The author reveals the true story of Michael Alig, a club-promoter who finds trouble following the murder of a drug dealer.

M. R. James – The Haunted Doll House

A small collection of horror stories from a dolls house that comes to life to a rearranging piece of artwork and a mysterious Ash tree that could hold the key to why residents at Castringham Hall keep dying.

Peter James – Billionaire

Alex Rocq has a comfortable life, a lucrative job, expensive car, luxury flat in London and a country cottage but he wants more. Alex decides to take a big risk that doesn’t pay off, now with an offer to pay all his dept off how far will he go?

Peter James – Absolute Proof

What would it take to prove God’s existence and what would the consequences be for humanity? When a journalist receives a call from someone who claims they absoute proof the Christian church don’t seem so keen for it to come to light, there must be more to this bold claim that meets the eye.

Stuart James – Turn the Other Way

A terrifyingly psychological horror full of blood gore and the revenge as the story twists and turns from the past to the present and back again.

Balli Kaur Jaswal – Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows

After the death of her father, NIkki, a law school dropout takes a job teaching “creative writing” at the community center in London’s close- knit Punjabi community, but as time goes on she realises the class she is teaching could put her widow pupils in danger from the self appointed “moral police” of her community.

Balli Kaur Jaswal – The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters

From the author of Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows comes Balli Kaur’s Jaswal’s The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters. The British born Shergill Sisters barely got on as children but as adults they’ve drifted even further apart. Until, on her deathbed, their mother makes one final wish, that her daughters will make a pilgrimage together to the Golden Temple in Amritsar to carry out her final rites.

Kirthi Jayakumar – The Doodler of Dimashq

A civil war raging around her, Ameenah is sent of to marry as a child bride, pleasantly surprised with the man she has been given to she tries to hold onto her childhood and her love of doodling.

Sanath Jayasuriya – Chandresh Narayanan

Written by sports journalist Sanath Jayasuriya, this is the story of a Sri Lankan cricketer who shaped that nation’s cricketing history.

Honoree Fanonne Jeffers – The Love Songs of W.E.B.DuBois

A New York Times Bestselling novel, Honoree Fanonne Jeffers’s début The Love Songs of W.E.B.DuBois is a book that chronicles the journeys of multiple generations of one American family from centuries of the colonial slave trade, through the Civil war to our own tumultuous present day. From the prize-winning poet, Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, this is a novel that follows Ailey as she explores her family’s past, revealing shocking tales from her ancestors; Black, Indigenous, and White, living in the Deep South.

Taylor Jenkins Reid – Daisy Jones & the Six

A tale of the 1970s music scene, a band, The Six and their lead singer Daisy Jones. The story of the rise of the band and their inevitable fall.

Caitlyn Jenner – The Secrets of My Life

Caitlyn Jenner’s poignant, honest, and humorous memoir, written with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Buzz Bissinger, covers her childhood as Bruce Jenner and the confusion of growing up, her transition and her experiences as a transgender woman in the spotlight of fame.

Amanda Jennings – In Her Wake

The death of her mother takes Bella to the Cornish coast on the search for the truths that have been hidden from her and a 25 year old mystery that could cost her life.

Pam Jenoff – The Last Summer at Chelsea Beach

Adelia Monteforte finds herself falling for the Irish-Catholic boy next door in this heartbreaking love story, set in the era of World War II.

Liz Jensen  – The Ninth Life of Louis Drax

When Louis Drax falls off a cliff into a ravine his family is shattered, his mother is paralysed by shock, his father has vanished and Louis the only person who holds the key to this mystery surrounding his fall is in a coma.

Lisa Jewell – The Girls

After Pip’s sister Grace is attacked in the community garden on Virginia Terrace, suspicion grows quickly among the residents, what secrets will be revealed?

Denis Johnson – The Largesse of the Sea Maiden 

Johnson’s collection of short stories contemplates mortality, the ghosts of the past along with the elusive and unexpected ways the mysteries of the universe assert themselves.

Milly Johnson – The Tea Shop on the Corner

Leni’s newly opened tea shop brings in an array of characters, with an open ear and a smile on her face Leni listens to all their troubles, but will her own problems creep up to the surface?

E.K. Johnston – A Thousand Nights

In order to save her sister from the marriage to Lo-Melkhiin and certain death she sacrifices herself, through the magic of stories told to Lo-Melkhiin can she keep herself alive in a place so many others have periled?

Kirk Wallace Johnson – The Feather Thief

Kirk Wallace Johnson was in a river in New Mexico when he first heard the news on a heist at the Natural History Museum at Tring. 20-year-old musical prodigy Edwin Rist broke in and stole as many rare bird specimens as he could carry before escaping. Johnson then embarks of an investigation which leads him into a secretive underground community obsessive with the art of salmon fly-tying. Johnson asks himself was Rist a genius or just a pawn?

Ty Johnston – The Darkbow Collection

Kron Darkbow is joined by companions, with enemies around every corner will all make it through alive?

Joanna Jolly – Red River Girl

BBC journalist Joanna Jolly recounts the story of Tina Fontaine a runaway whose body is found in Winnipeg’s Red River. An in-depth account of the investigation that followed this discovery. A true-crime story of an Indigenous teenager failed by the system.

Jonas Jonasson – The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden

A lively tale, The Girl who Saved the King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson. No spoiler review by Kath Cross.

Jonas Jonasson – The 100 year old man who climbed out of the window and disappeared

Find out what adventures Allan had in his long life while joining him as he climbs out his window. Reviewed by Jake Mann and Kath Cross.

Ragnar Jonasson – Snow Blind

The first in a series of crime novels by established Icelandic author Ragnar Jonasson. The story and translation work for Sandra Foy our reviewer, who loved it.

Ragnar Jonasson – Nightblind

Ari is sick at home when his new inspector Herjolful gets shot on the job while, Ali is reunited with his old boss Tomas to solve the case.

Ragnar Jónasson – The Darkness

A shocking Nordic Noir and the first in the Hidden Iceland series, The Darkness is full of secrets and mysteries. D.I. Hulda Hermannsdóttir, forced into early retirement, picks up one final cold case but can she solve it or will the truth be forever hidden?

Bernard Jones – The Discovery of Troy and its Lost History

We all know the story of Troy, but do we know the true story. In this fascinating book historian Bernard Jones uncovers the real story of the Greeks and the Trojans and the destruction of the city of Troy.

Hardy Jones – Every Bitter Thing

The difficult subject of child abuse through the eyes of a young boy. No spoiler review by Tammy Hornbeck.

Robert Jones, Jr. – The Prophets

Robert Jones, Jr’s The Prophets is a début that has been likened to the writing of Toni Morrison and Zora Neale Hurston. The novel is set on a Halifax plantation which is overseen by the owner, Massa Paul. Two young enslaved men find their haven in which they can be alone together, away from the blistering sun in a barn where they keep animals. However, a fellow slave, Amos begins to direct suspicion on them after noticing their flickering glances and unspoken conversations and preaching the words of Massa Paul’s gospel, Amos betrays Samuel and Isaiah.

Tayari Jones – An American Marriage

An American Marriage is described a stirring love story and what happens when two people are dragged apart for reasons out of their control. A look at love, America, the past and the future.

Tayari Jones – Silver Sparrow

Silver Sparrow is the breath-taking new novel from Tayari Jones, the author of the critically acclaimed winner of the 2019 Women’s Prize for Fiction, An American Marriage. James Witherspoon has two families, one secret and one public but when his two daughters meet, they soon form a friendship, however, only one of them knows the truth and their new-found relationship is soon to implode. Tayari Jones’ Silver Sparrow is an observant and compelling tale of family secrets that tells the tale of a man’s deception, family complexities and the two teenagers caught in the middle of it all. 

Robert Jordan – Wheel of Time (series)

A review of the epic fantasy series from Robert Jordan, Wheel of Time. There are 14 books in the series in all and they are hugely popular.

Alka Joshi – The Henna Artist

After Lakshmi escapes from an abusive marriage, she makes her way to the city of Jaipur, where she soon becomes the most requested henna artist and a confidante for the many wealthy women who visit her. Known for her beautiful designs and wise advice, Lakshmi most tread a careful line to avoid the jealous gossip that could ruin her reputation. As she pursues her life of independence though, she is confronted by her husband who has tracked her down, bringing a young girl along with him, a sister that Lakshmi never knew existed.

Zeyn Joukhadar – The Map of Salt and Stars

Set in Syria, this is the story of a family’s journey to flee their war-torn home told through the eyes of Nour, who in turn tells the story of Rawiya a twelfth-century girl with a different kind of difficult journey.

Rachel Joyce – Miss Benson’s Beetle

A New York Times Bestseller, Miss Bensen’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce is set in 1950 and follows Margery Benson as she quits her dead-end job and hires an assistant to accompany her on an expedition. End Pretty, her new assistant in her pink travel suit is not quite the companion Miss Benson had in mind but together they are drawn into adventures, break rules risk everything and discover their best selves in this story about friendship and what it means to be a woman.

Rachel Joyce – The Music Shop

Frank has a gift of knowing what music each customer needs that enters his music shop but when Ilse Brauchmann requests his knowledge he’s torn between running and helping, if he can help her maybe the music could help heal them both.

Rachel Joyce – The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

CONTAINS SPOILERS!

Receiving a goodbye letter from a woman he hasn’t heard from in twenty years Harold heads off to send a quick reply and ends up walking the six hundred miles to deliver it in person.

C. G. Jung, Aniela Jaffe (editor) – Memories, Dreams, Reflections

Jung starts by writing about his childhood and personal life and delves into his exploration of the psyche.

Authors K

Rachel Kadish – The Weight of Ink

Newly discovered documents set Helen on a race against a fast paced team of historians to determine the identity of an elusive scribe for a blind rabbi in the 1660’s.

Anirudh Kala – Two and a Half Rivers

Getting its title from the history of the Partition which left India with only two and a half rivers, Anirudh Kala’s novel offers a poignant commentary on religion and terrorism, and their turbulent connection. A recently divorced doctor relocates to an isolated home on the riverbank but that following summer dead bodies start appearing in what becomes known as the ‘Punjab problem’. Meanwhile, a young Dalit couple leave their caste-ridden existence behind and relocate to Bombay.

Meena Kandasamy  – When I Hit You

After falling in love with a university professor and heading out to build a better life together it soon becomes clear he is only after an obedient wife and he’ll go to unthinkable lengths to get her.

Payal Kapadia – Horrid High : Back to School

Another term at Horrid High and with the Grand Plan still missing and Granny Grit away will Ferg and his friends survive in the world’s most horrid school?

Lesley Kara – The Rumour

Would you spread a rumour just to ingratiate yourself with the clique of school-gate mothers? What harm could it do? A Sunday Times Bestseller, this is a disturbing tale of paranoia, false accusations and suspicion.

Lauren Kate – Fallen

The first of the Fallen series brings a captivating look into the mysterious world that Luce lives in, and the trouble she faces.

Mark Bittman & David Katz – How to Eat

Bestselling authors Mark Bittman and Dr David Katz answer all your food-based questions in their co-authored book, How to Eat: All Your Food and Diet Questions Answered. Inspired by their viral hit article on Grub Street for New York magazine, Bittman and Katz share their no-nonsense perspective on food and diets answering questions including, do calories really mean anything? and What should humans eat?

Adam Kaul – Turning the Tune: Traditional Music, Tourism, and Social Change in an Irish Village

In the Ireland, the last century has seen some radical changes, which have had a huge impact on local life, but none more so than traditional Irish music. This author focuses on a small village in County Clare, which became a place of comfort for those interested in traditional music.

Adam Kay – Dear NHS: 100 Stories to Say Thank You

Curated by Adam Kay, the author of the best-selling book This is Going to Hurt, Dear NHS is a collection of writing from a variety of household names including Stephen Fry, Graham Norton, Emma Watson, and Ed Sheran. Published during the global coronavirus pandemic, this collection of writing is a thank you letter to the UK’s National Health Service.

Adam Kay – This is Going to Hurt

An open and detailed diary of a junior doctor exploring the reality of working for the NHS. Bitter sweet, hilariously funny and heart-breaking all in one book.

Adam Kay – Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas

Adam Kay, the author of the bestselling book This Is Going to Hurt, returns with a Christmas special book. Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas is a book full of unseen diary entries that cover Kay’s time in the NHS over the Christmas holidays. Full of festive anecdotes and stories, Adam Kay’s Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas is just as painfully hilarious as his first book. 

Sarah Kay – No Matter The Wreckage

No Matter the Wreckage is the debut poetry collection of Sarah Kay collating her work over the past decade and is beautiful, heartbreaking, funny and sublime.

Fergal Keane – Road of Bones

Fergal Keane captures perfectly the pain and losses in the epic siege of Kohima, 1944. A comprehensive review of this WWII wartime account by prolific reviewer, Campbell McAulay.

Mary Beth Keane – Fever

Mary fought to climb up from the lowest rung of the domestic-service ladder to a chef sought after by New York aristocracy but it all came to an end when she was branded Typhoid Mary.

Mary Beth Keane – Ask Again, Yes

Ask Again, Yes is a compassionate and stunningly powerful story of two families. A gripping family epic set over several decades. This beautifully written novel is full of life lessons, grief, hope, forgiveness and understanding.

Fionnuala Kearney – You, Me, & Other People

Lies being revealed are destroying Adam and Beth’s marriage, it’s not over yet, there are still more lies to be uncovered. No spoiler review by Sandra Foy.

Hannah Kent – Burial Rites

Set in 1829 in Northern Iceland, Hannah Kent’s twisted saga, Burial Rites follows the story of Agnes. Accused of murdering her lover and condemned to death, a family is forced to take Agnes into their home and a priest is tasked with absolving her crimes but as winter draws closer, so does her execution date, only Agnes can know the truth and her fate lies in the balance.

Kathleen Kent – The Heretic’s Daughter

Martha Carrier is accused of witchcraft, now she and her daughter Sarah stand together against the hysteria of the trail.

Kody Keplinger – The Duff

The Duff (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) is a YA novel aout growing up, the difficult teenage years and more.

Caroline Kepnes – You

When Beck enters a bookstore, she has no idea she is letting herself in for more than just books in this chilling, creepy, shocking and obsessive thriller.

Piper Kerman – Orange is the New Black

Piper Kerman’s rebellious past has caught up with her, now she must leave her job, live in boyfriend and loving family to spend the next fifteen months as inmate #11187-424.

Katharine Kerr – Daggerspell

A review of Daggerspell, the first in the Deverry fantasy series, comprising 15 books by Katharine Kerr.

Roopal Rashomani Kewalya – The Little Rainmaker

It’s 2028 and global warming has taken hold, it’s years since it rained and ten year old Anoushka doesn’t believe her grandfather’s stories of rainbows and thunder.

Daniel Keyes – Flowers for Algernon

Charlie Gordon’s IQ was 68 before getting a experimental operation, now his intellect has surpassed the doctor who treated him but when the mouse from the first trial determinates and dies it’s only a matter of time before he has the same fate.

Tabish Khair – Night of Happiness

Anil Mehrotra has set up his thriving business empire with the help of his lieutenant, Ahmed, an older man who is different in more ways than one.

Khaled Khalifa – Death is Hard Work

A nightmare story of Bolbol and his siblings who journey across war torn Syria to grant the final wish of their father.

Tarana Husain Khan – The Begum and the Dastan

Inspired by real-life characters and events, Tarana Husain Khan’s The Begum and the Dastan is set in 1897 in the princely state of Sherpur weaving a haunting tale of a grand city and the women who lived there. In the present day, Ameera listens to the tales of Feroza Begum, her great-grandmother, and is forced to consider how much, if anything, has changed for the women of Sherpur.

Noor Inayat Khan – Great Jataka Tales

Twenty stories that bring alive a world that shows the importance of courage, compassion, non-violence and love.

Akhil Khanna – Let’s Talk Money

Well written educational book to help anyone looking for financial advice and investment options. Reviewed by Prathamesh.

Vikas Khanna – The Milk Moustache

Jessi, the milkman’s daughter is on a mission to end the milk strike and make Kal the cow happy again.

Shappi Khorsandi – Kissing Emma

Shappi Khorsandi’s Kissing Emma is a YA novel and part of the BELLATRIX collection, published by Orion Children’s Books. Kissing Emma is a modern tale inspired by the real-life of Emma Hamilton, Lord Nelson’s lover. This novel follows teenager Emma struggling in a world obsessed with looks, money, class, and status.

Shappi Khorsandi – Nina is Not OK

A gritty and darkly funny tale for the modern age of the #MeToo movement which tackles serious and complex issues, Nina is Not OK follows 18-year-old life of the party and alcoholic Nina whose life is crumbling apart.

Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger – Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans

History comes alive in this true story of the battle among the war as New Orleans becomes the point of interest so that America could become what it is today.

Brian Kilmeade – Sam Houston and the Alamo Avengers

Brian Kilmeade’s Sam Houston and the Alamo Avengers tells the historical story of the Texas Revolution in this fast-paced and gripping story. Exploring the hidden depths of Texas’ first president, Sam Houston, Kilmeade takes readers to the scenes of a pivotal point in American history.

Paul Kimmage – Rough Ride: Behind the Wheel With a Pro Cyclist

Paul Kimmage always dreamed of cycling glory but as he turned professional he discovered it’s drugs that allow you to finish the race, he speaks out about the drug issue in sports.

Stephen King – 11.22.63

Jack’s been given the mission to stop J.F.Kennedy’s assassination, the past doesn’t want to be changed and is throwing obstacles in his way.

Stephen King – Billy Summers

From the legendary king of horror and thrillers comes Stephen King’s Billy Summers. The novel tells the story of a killer for hire, Billy Summers, who will only fulfill a job if he knows the target is truly a bad person. Now, however, Billy wants out of the game but there’s one last hit. Unfortunately for Billy, this is the time when everything that could go wrong does go wrong.

Stephen King –  The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger

The last of the Gunslingers Roland Deschain of Gilead is on a mysterious quest pursuing the man in black, an evil being who can bring the dead back to life.

Stephen King – The Dark Tower (series)

This multi genre epic tale begins with Ronald Deschain’s adventure across Mid-World’s apocalyptic landscape in search of the Dark Tower.

Stephen King – Doctor Sleep

Did you ever wonder what happened to Danny Torrance, the kid from the Shining? Well that question is answered in Doctor Sleep, King’s follow up to the famous novel.

Stephen King – Firestarter

A comprehensive review of Stephen King’s 1980 novel Firestarter. One of his early works but not to be overlooked, this is a thrilling read, highly recommended.

Stephen King – Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

Trisha is nine, alone, and lost in the forest, as if that’s not horrific enough. Enjoy this beautifully written Stephen King novel.

Stephen King – The Green Mile

Maybe one of King’s best known novels, The Green Mile is also a hugely successful movie. Reviewed here by Reading Addicts regular, Campbell McAulay.

Stephen King – Hearts in Atlantis

Stephen King brings together five stories set between 1960 and 1999 and each haunted by the Vietnam War, these stories are linked to one another and are full of danger, suspense and heart.

Stephen King – The Institute

The King of horror and thriller, Stephen King returns with The Institute. Set in the woods of Maine in a dark, state institute where children with exceptional gifts are imprisoned and subjected to a series of tests to combine their unique powers from telepathy to telekinesis, Stephen King’s The Institute is a thrilling and heart-breaking novel about childhood betrayal and hopes regained.

Stephen King – Joyland

King just keeps getting better and better as the New York Times Bestseller, Joyland shows. Published in 2013 and loved by Reading Addict Lee Bridge.

Stephen King – Later

Stephen King’s number-one New York Times Bestseller, Later, is a novel that explores growing up and facing your demons. The son of a struggling mother, Jamie just wants an ordinary childhood but he was born with an unnatural ability that his mother urges him to hide. The cost of using his ability Jamie soon discovers when an NYPD detective pulls him into the pursuit of a killer who is threatening to strike again, from beyond the grave. 

Stephen King – Misery

Writer Paul Sheldon wakes after a car accident with mangled legs that have been splinted by his nurse and now capture Annie Wilkes, she wants one thing from him, to write a new novel bringing her favourite character back to life, and she will get what she wants, or else!

Stephen King – Revival

An electrifying novel by Stephen King, A must read. No spoiler review from Shan Williams.

Stephen King – The Stand

A comprehensive review of The Stand, one of King’s early novels, this post apocalyptic epic is considered one of his final works. Reviewed here by prolific reviewer, Campbell McAulay.

Stephen King – Under the Dome

The small town in Maine is instantly shut off from the rest of the world by an impassable, invisible barrier that fall from the sky. What will happen to the residents still inside?

Stephen King – Bazaar of Bad Dreams

Some short stories published in magazines are joined by new thrillers in this collection by the No. 1 bestselling writer, Stephen King.

Stephen King – End of Watch

After taking down the “Mercedes Killer” Bill Hodges and Holly Gibney have started up a investigation agency but as new bodies start showing up with a connection to Brad Hartsfield who is in a vegetative state could he really be behind these new killings?

Stephen King – The Outsider

When Stephen Kings work has never been stronger, he has delivered one of the most unsettling and brutally disturbing stories about an unspeakable crime and a confounding investigation.

Stephen King – Elevation

Unlikely alliances between Scott Carey who is dealing with mysteries regarding his weight and his neighbours as they try to launch their new restaurant while overcoming prejudices due to their same sex relationship.

Dick King-Smith – Babe: The Gallant Pig

Wanting to be more than a Pig, Babe follows Fly (the sheep dog) and sets out on a journey to become a sheep herder.

Barbara Kingsolver – Unsheltered

Spanning from 1871 to 2016, Unsheltered tells the tale of human resilience and courage in the face of adversity as the foundations of their lives and their homes crumble.

Jeff Kinney – Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is the first book in the Wimpy Kid series, spawning a collection of books loved by kids the world over.

Jeff Kinney – Wimpy Kid Hard Luck

Greg Heffley’s best friend, Rowley Jefferson, has ditched him, and finding new friends in middle school is proving to be a difficult task. To change his fortunes, Greg decides to take a leap of faith and turn his decisions over to chance.

Jeff Kinney – Diary of a Wimpy Kid Dog Days

It’s summer vacation, there’s fabulous weather, and all the kids are having fun outside. So where’s Greg Heffley? Inside his house, playing video games of course.

Sophie Kinsella – Remember Me?

Car crash, three years lost to Amnesia, has Lexi really woken up to find she has the perfect life? No spoiler review by Liz J.

Sophie Kinsella – The Undomestic Goddess

Samantha Sweeting is mistaken for an interviewee for a housekeeping job when she tries to get directions home after making a epic mistake and loosing the partnership she has been working towards.

Rudyard Kipling – The Jungle Book

Young Mowgli loves living in the jungle with his animal friends. However, what will he do when he is forced to go live in the man-village?

Stefan Klein – We are all Stardust

Nineteen of the best known scientists talk to Stefan Klein about their work and the way their lives and work affect each other.

Phil Knight – Shoe Dog

Shoe Dog is the memoir from Phil Knight, the creator of the world -renowned Nike brand. In 1962, fresh out of business school, Knight borrowed just $50 from his father to create a company which imports high-quality, low-cost athletic shoes from Japan. This is the start of Phil Knight’s business career. Until now, the man behind the famous ‘swoosh’ Nike tick, has been shrouded in mystery, now, this autobiography reveals it all, with a book rich in wisdom, lesson, humour and insight.

Renee Knight – The Secretary

A chilling thriller about trust, secrets and the dangerous line between loyalty and obsession. The secretary could be the most dangerous person in the room.

Lisa Ko – The Leavers

Polly, Deming Guo’s mother heads off to work one morning and never returns, adopted by two college professors can “Daniel” continue with his life after his mothers disappearance.

Herman Koch – The Dinner

Over dinner in a Amsterdam restaurant two couples talk about what can be done about their two boys that have committed a horrifying act, but how far will each couple go to protect the ones they love?

Katsu Kokichi – Musui’s Story

Samurai Katsu kokichi’s escapades are recounted along with a refreshing perspective on Japanese society, customs, economy and human relationships all set against the backdrop of a Japan still closed off from the rest of the world.

Affinity Konar – Mischling

Twin sisters Pearl and Stasha Zagorski experience privilege and horror as they spend time in Mengele’s Zoo, their identities are altered by the experiences they endure.

Alethea Kontis – Dearest

Friday’s love for Tristan sets her on a quest that could save not just him, but also his six brothers, from a curse that keeps them in swan form by day.

Sohan S Koonar – Paper Lions

Told from three different points of view, Sohan S Koonar’s Paper Lions is an epic novel set in India which spans multiple generations from the beginning of the Second World War to the 1960s. Paper Lions brings historical India to life through the eyes of the characters, through their struggles, the country comes of age.

Jean Hanff Korelitz – The Plot

From the bestselling author of The Undoing, The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz tells the story of Jake, a writing teacher whose student, a young writer, dies before finishing his first novel. Jake helps himself to the plot and the resulting book is a phenomenal success. Somebody out there knows what Jake did though, he can’t figure out who he’s dealing with so he risks something far worse than the loss of his career.

Elizabeth Kostova – The Shadow Land

To salve the wounds left by the loss of her beloved brother Alexandra travels to Sofia, Bulgaria but after helping a elderly couple into a taxi she find a ornately carved wooden box in her possession which hold someone’s ashes, now Alexandra must locate the family and return this precious item.

Alex Kotlowitz – An American Summer

One summer in the city of Chicago. The stories of people whose lives have been affected by gun violence in the city’s most turbulent neighborhoods.

Joyce Kotze – The Runaway Horses

During any war family members are lost in the line of duty but what happens when families are forced to fight on both side, can anything else come out except suffering.

William Kotzwinkle – The Bear Went Over the Mountain

Using the name Hal Jam from the labels of his favourite foods, cloths borrowed from a local store and a novel manuscript found in a briefcase under a tree,  a big black bear heads to New York to seek his fortune.

Jon Krakauer – Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town

A narrative account of the rape culture in Montana illuminating the human drama behind the national plague of campus rape.

Jayne Ann Krentz – Secret Sisters

After the mysterious death of her grandmother, Madeline returns to Washington and with the discovery of a secret believed to be buried forever Madeline and Daphne are intertwined in friendship and fear once more.

Aditi Krishnakumar – Murder In Melucha

Aditi Krishnakumar’s Murder In Melucha is the sequel to the critically acclaimed book, The Magicians of Madh. In this novel full of mystery and humour, Meenakshi and Kalban search for a murderer which is easy said than done in a city where everyone has their own devious motives.

Andrew Krivák – The Signal Flame

In a small town in Pennsylvania’s Endless Mountains a family work the land while waiting and hoping for the return of their youngest son from the Vietnam War.

William Kent Krueger – This Tender Land

An epic tale set in 1932 Minnesota. Odie, Albert, Mose and Emmy flee from the harsh realities of a residential school, steal a canoe and begin their journey sailing down the Missippi. These beautifully drawn characters will stay with you long after the story ends.

Mary Kubica – The Good Girl

A kidnapping set in two parts, from before and after the return of the victim, but what has really happened during this experience?

Mary Kubica -The other Mrs

Sadie has the perfect life, a husband, two children and a highly respected job but every marriage has its secrets and that all shatters when she finds out Will is having an affair. Camille is deeply in love with Will and she’s everything Sadie is not, fiery, hot-headed and beautiful. When Will and Sadie’s neighbour is violently murdered, Camille is the only witness. Who is really behind the murder and how is it linked to Camille’s plan to make Will hers forever. Mary Kubica’s The Other Mrs is a dark and compelling thriller full of insane twists.

Glenn Kurtz – Three Minutes in Poland

An entire book based on three minutes of family footage belonging to Glenn Kurtz’s grandfather inspired this meticulously researched biographical account of the horrors of living under the Nazis.

Rachel Kushner – The Mars Room

Romy Hall is at the start of two life sentences at Stanville Women’s Correctional Facility in 2003, deep in California’s Central Valley. Outside is the world from which she has been separated.

Garima Kushwaha – She Can You Can

She Can You Can is an A-Z encyclopaedia of inspiring Indian female role models from scientists, doctors and astronauts to comedians, artists and activists.

M.A Kuzniar – Midnight in Everwood

Inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann’s The Nutcracker, M.A. Kuzniar’s Midnight in Everwood is an enchanting and darkly twisted historical fantasy that takes the reader into the magical world of Everwood. Set in 1906, Marietta Stelle dreams of being a ballerina but as Christmas draws ever closer her dancing days are drawing to an end at her father’s demand. Marietta must marry and take her place in society in the New Year but when a mysterious toymaker, Dr Drosselmeier, moves into the neighborhood Marietta is drawn into his magic and finds herself in Everwood, a place where magic is darker than it seems.

R.O. Kwon – The Incendiaries

What begins as a tale of love soon turns to loss and the darker side of faith when Phoebe is drawn away from Will by an enigmatic religious cult, and then goes missing.

Holly Kyte – Roaring Girls

Holly Kyte’s Roaring Girls is a feminist history book detailing the lives of eight women, all of whom lived in Britain during the 300 years prior to the first wave of feminism. Since then, there have been four waves of feminism that have brought us to the rights we privilege from today. While the people featured in Kyte’s book might not have been considered feminists by today’s standards, they all lived outside the expected gender norms and pushed the boundaries of the gender binary.

Authors L

Jhumpa Lahiri – Whereabouts

The new novel from the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, Jhumpa Lahiri, Whereabouts is a haunting portrayal of a woman, her decisions, and her life in a lonely, Italian City. Whereabouts perfectly a woman’s reflections on what has been lost, whilst facing with equal hope and rage what may lie ahead in her future.

Anupa Lal – Oddbird

At just three inches tall Oddy lives happily with her pigeon family and squirrel friend, but when her mother decides Oddy should go back to the house she came from she must look at the world through a different perspective.

Ranjit Lal – Budgie, Bridge and Big Djinn

A wonderful adventure story starring teenagers Budgie and Bridge and their ferocious companion Tibetan Mastiff cross German Shepherd Big Jinn. The three set out to get revenge on a gang of bullies but end up in a far more frightening and perilous situation.

CONTAINS SPOILERS!

Ranjit Lal – The Little Ninja Sparrows

Award winning, Ranjit Lal presents the adventures of two runaway baby sparrows. After being traumatised by the  bullying from their older siblings, Chiddy and Gouri refuse to learn how to fly. Instead, they runaway.

Laila Lalami – The Other American

A Moroccan immigrant is killed as he crosses the road, Lalami’s latest novel is a fascinating tale of religion, race division, intolerance, and heartbreak, told by the characters affected by this event.

Catriona Lally – Eggshells

Vivian is an unemployed orphan living in the home of her recently deceased aunt. She boldly lives her life, embracing all her oddities but behind her whimsical charm, something isn’t right, her attempts to connect with strangers or even her sister seem doomed to misunderstandings, is it time someone asked, is Vivian ok? Catriona Lally’s Eggshells is a poignant story that takes the readers hand through Dublin and plays with the myth of the Changling in call to each of us to find our inner Vivian and accept her.

Anne Lamott – Bird by Bird

Advice on life and writing by Anne Lamott. Reviewed here by Kasturi.

John Lanchester – The Wall

Imagine an island surrounded by a wall, patrolled by conscripts, no one allowed to travel in or out. Lanchester’s Booker Longlisted novel is the dystopian story of one man patrolling a wall wishing he were anywhere else.

Ali Land – Good Me, Bad Me

In order to stop her serial killer mum Annie is forced to turn her mother into the police. Now with a new life and identity is the desire to kill nature or nurture?

Reif Larsen – The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet

Twelve year old T.S. Spivet heads out on an adventure to reach an award dinner where the Smithsonian Institution are to award him for the maps he creates. CONTAINS SPOILERS!

Edward J. Larson – To The Edges of the Earth

Edward J. Larson brings us back into the race to be the first to the poles first, with three up for grabs the race is on!

Erik Larson – Isaac’s Storm

Using the information we now know about hurricanes and Cline’s own telegrams, letters and reports Erik Larson build the story of one man’s fatal miscalculation that ended in the death of thousands.

Erik Larson – The Splendid and the Vile

Erik Larson’s The Splendid and the Vile is a unique and gripping portrait of what it was like to be alive during the Blitz in Britain and what it was like to be around Winston Churchill. Drawing on previously secret intelligence reports and diary entries, Larson takes readers on an exploration of the bombed streets of London to Churchill’s own chambers in the tale of leadership in the face of unrelenting horror and war.

Kate Clifford Larson – Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter

A look into the life of the Kennedy daughter hidden away, and the effect her circumstances had on shaping her siblings lives.

Stieg Larsson – The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Disgrace financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist and computer hacker Lisbeth Salander are hired to investigate the disappearance of Harriet Vanger, her uncle is convinced she was murdered by a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family.

Celia Laskey – Under the Rainbow

Celia Laskey’s YA novel Under the Rainbow is a timely and sharp story of the LGBTQIA+ community, prejudices, and acceptance. The American town of Big Burr is named the most homophobic in the country, and a task force of queer activists is sent to live there, unsettling the lives of the locals, bringing truths to the light, and hoping to change ingrained prejudices.

Rebekah Lattin-Rawstrone – Home

No one looks forward to the possibility of getting old and ending up in a care home, this exquisitely written dark novel won’t put you mind at rest. No spoiler review by Shan Williams.

D. H. Lawrence – Lady Chatterley’s Lover

After Clifford Chatterley comes home from war paralyzed, his wife Connie begins an affair with the gamekeeper Oliver Mellors.

Patrice Lawrence – Orangeboy

Orangeboy by Patrice Lawrence is a gripping, young adult crime thriller novel which introduces readers to sixteen-year-old Marlon and Mr Orange. Marlon is staying faithful to the promise to his mother not to follow his brother’s wrong path. That is until he finds himself being hunted, they want to find Mr Orange and they’re using Marlon to get to him. Marlon might have to become the person he never wanted to be to protect the people he loves.

Jade L.B. – Keisha the Sket

In print for the first time since it was first written by 13-year-old Jade L.B. in the early 2000s, Keisha the Sket is an exploration of Black, British youth culture. This publication includes the original, a re-write, plus new essays from esteemed contemporary writers including Candice Carty-Williams.

Tim Lebbon – Coldbrook

Through ‘the breach’ comes an un-dead creature that brings the potential destruction of mankind, only someone who is immune can save them all.

Chang Rae Lee – My Year Abroad

From the award-winning author of Native Speaker and On Such a Full Sea, Chang Rae Lee, My Year Abroad is the story of a young American life that is transformed by an Asian adventure. Tiller is an average American college student while Pong Lou is a larger-than-life, creative Chinese American who sees potential in Tiller and takes him under his wing. When Pong takes him on a trip to Asia, Tiller is pulled into a series of extreme and eye-opening experiences.

Harper Lee – To Kill A Mockingbird

The classic and instant bestseller, To Kill A Mockingbird shows the depths of human behaviour from innocence to cruelty, hatred to humour. A masterpiece of American literature.

Harper Lee – Go Set a Watchman

A no spoiler review of Go Set a Watchman, the forerunner for To Kill a Mockingbird and possibly the most anticipated novel of the century.

Jenny Lee – Anna K

Jenny Lee’s Anna K is a fresh take on Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. Set in New York’s privileged Upper East Side, where the unbelievably rich Anna K is living a life of luxury and beauty with her perfect boyfriend, until that is she meets the notorious playboy Alexi Vronsky, who only has eyes for Anna. Soon, Anna’s perfectly curated life comes crashing down as she can’t just resist Vronsky.

Christy Lefteri – The Beekeeper of Aleppo

Set in Syria, Lefteri’s story of Nuri the beekeeper and his wife Afra living a beautifully simple life until their dreams are destroyed by war. The compelling story of escaping conflict and a journey to safety in Europe written with both intelligence and compassion.

Christy Lefteri – Songbirds

Christy Lefteri’s Songbirds is the heartbreaking follow-up to the million-copy bestseller, The Beekeeper of Aleppo. Nisha has crossed oceans to give her child a future, and her lover Yiannis – a poacher who hunts tiny songbirds – dreams of a new life and marriage to Nisha. His dreams are shattered when Nisha disappears and it is only Yiannis and Petra who care about her disappearance. They set out in search of her, realizing quickly how little they know about Nisha. What they will discover will change them all.

Ursula K Le Guin – A Wizard of Earthsea

Widely regarded as a classic of fantasy and young-adult literature, A wizard of Earthsea tells the story of Ged a mage through his life at a school for wizards on the island.

Asha Lemmie – Fifty Words for Rain

Asha Lemmie’s debut novel, Fifty Words for Rain is the story of a mixed-race girl, Nori, growing up in Japan during WWII. Spanning decades and across continents, Fifty Words for Rain is a heart-wrenching story about love and loss, prejudice, the ties that give you strength, and what it really means to be free. 

Ben Lerner – The Topeka School

Ben Lerner’s The Topeka School follows Adam Gordon a senior in the class of ’97, a cool kid who brings Darren Eberheart, a loner, into his social circle causing disaster. This book examines how to raise a good son in a society overwrought by toxic masculinity. It also delves into the rise of internet trolls and the new right, and the identity crisis of white, cis men in today’s culture.

Luc Leruth & Jean Drèze – Rumble in a Village

Anil Singh, a banker and photographer in London becomes the sole heir of a house and farmland in India after his uncle dies. On the way to the village, Anil discovers that his uncle was murdered. Rumble in a village is a murder mystery novel which also broadens to an entertaining and insightful fictional exploration of life in an Indian village.

Dr Guy Leschziner – The Nocturnal Brain

Dr Leschziner reveals stories from a variety of patients who have issues with sleeping and highlights the effects that not getting enough rest causes on our physical and mental health

Nikolai Leskov – The Enchanted Wanderer and Other Stories

Read our user-submitted book review of Nikolai Leskov’s The Enchanted Wander and Other Stories, as reviewed by Reading Addict – Enchanted Reader.

Robert S. Levine – The Failed Promise

The Failed Promise: Reconstruction, Frederick Douglass, and the Impeachment of Andrew Johnson by Robert S. Levine is a historical biography of the United States of America. This book tells the story of Andrew Johnson’s rise to presidency after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. African American citizens were optimistic that Johnson would pursue policies for Black equality. Frederick Douglass, the country’s most influential Black leader, however, doubts his promises were sincere. Robert S. Levine recounts the conflicts that led to Johnson’s impeachment.

David Levithan and John Green- Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Two writers (John Green and David Levithan), Two Will Graysons, Two separate stories that are about to merge changing the character’s lives forever.

David Levithan and Rachel Cohn – Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist

Seeing his ex girlfriend, Nick turns to the girl next to him (Norah) and asks her to be his girlfriend for five minutes, what follows is an all night adventure.

Buddy Levy – Labyrinth of Ice

Buddy Levy’s Labyrinth of Ice is based on the author’s own extensive research into the true story of the Greely Polar Expedition of 1881, one of the most harrowing and tragic adventures in the history of polar exploration.

Deborah Levy – The Man Who Saw Everything

Longlisted for The Booker Prize, Deborah Levy’s latest novel is a tale that carries you across time and place. Saul Adler is 28, a narcissist and possibly an unreliable narrator. This short but punchy story feels like a dream, or maybe a nightmare.

Tony Levy – The Road to “L”: Do you remember your driving Instructor?

The Road to “L” Do you remember your driving Instructor? by Tony Levy is a humorous memoir Set in Central London during the 80s when the author was working for the British School of Motoring. Packed full of anecdotes and stories from the road whilst taking the reader on a trip around the famous and historic landmarks of London.

C.S. Lewis – The Chronicles of Narnia

Sent to the countryside to wait out the war four children find their way into a magical world through a wardrobe and find their own battle to fight.

Nancy Lewis – Smiling at Strangers: How One Introvert Discovered the Power of Being Kind

Smiling at Stranger is a handbook for building a community of kindness, written by one shy and introverted author. The perfect book to empower even the most introverted of us to interact with the world in a new and different way.

Madhulika Liddle – The Garden of Heaven

Madhulika Liddle’s The Garden of Heaven is the first in The Delhi Quartet series. A rich, character-fuelled, and dramatic narrative set in Delhi that explores its long and eventful history.

Dean Lilleyman – Billy And The Devil

Billy is his own worst enemy, follow his alcohol addiction that takes him into isolation, sexual misadventure and to a place of no return.

Kim Liggett – The Grace Year

The Grace Year, a deeply harrowing tale of a patriarchal dystopia. At 16 all girls are banished to rid themselves of their dangerous magic before they may return to marry. A darkly haunting and riveting story of female repression and survival.

Chia Chia Lin – The Unpassing

This debut novel by Chia Chia Lin tells the heartbreaking story of an immigrant family living in the wilderness of Alaska whilst contending with the loss of a child. A brother’s tale of survival and coming to terms with the death of his sibling.

Tom Lin – The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu

In Tom Lin’s The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu, orphan Ming Tsu the child of Chines immigrants is raised by the leader of a California crime syndicate who trains him to be a deadly enforcer. Ming then falls in love with Ada, the daughter of a powerful railroad magnate, and when they elope he seizes the opportunity for a different life. Ada is soon kidnapped in a violent raid and Ming is conscripted into service for the Central Pacific Railroad. Broken-heart yet defiant, Ming joins forces with blind clairvoyant and they set out to reduce his wife and exact revenge with help from a troupe of magic-show performers with supernatural powers along the way.

Tess Little – The Octopus

When Elspeth attends her ex-husband’s birthday, she does not expect to wake up and find him dead and find herself, along with the rest of the guest, a suspect of murder. Stories from her past with him begin to surface in her mind and she begins to ask questions; who could have killed Richard, why were these eight guests invited to the party, and what sort of person would want to keep a mysterious, intelligent Octopus in their home?

Ken Liu – The Grace of Kings

The friendship of two men each leading their own rebellion against an emperor’s brutal regime will drastically change the balance of power in Dara, but at what cost?

Marjorie M Liu – Monstress Vol 1: Awakening

Set in 1900s Asia, in an alternate, matriarchal world, Marjorie M Liu’s Monstress is the feminist tale of a teenage girl coming to terms with the trauma of war. Packed full of strong female characters, Lui’s story is bought to live by Sana Takeda’s stunning and manga-influenced artwork.

David W. J. Lloyd – The Cancer Bandit and Other Stories

A collection of short stories, dark, funny or with a twist of fantasy there is a story in here for everyone.

Greenstone Lobo – 91 Predictions: The Fate of the World and Its People in the Next Half Century

In Greenstone Lobo’s book, 91 Predictions, author and scientific astrologer explores the fate of our world and the people living in it in the next half century. Lobo predicts what we can expect in the next fifty years, and tells readers how to prepare for it.

T.J. Lockwood – Violent Skies

The sky was always meant to be an invitation to freedom. however, this novel presents how mankind brought the world to its knees.

Jack London – Call of the Wild

St Bernard cross Scotch Collie Buck was a much-loved pet, stolen from his owner he begins a journey that leads him to Canada, where he is sold into “Sled Dog Slavery”. London’s short novel follows Buck’s adventures in the extremes of Yukon, during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush.

Realm Lovejoy – Henge (Le Fay book 1)

Henge is the first in a new young adult series of novels, Le Fay, mixing Arthurian legends with a modern plot for a wonderful fantasy adventure.

Lois Lowry – The Giver

Twelve year old Jonas’s world is given new sight when he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory.

Lisa Lutz – The Spellman Files

Being a member of the Spellman family means being part of Spellman Investigations and invading people’s privacy especially other members of the family’s, but when Izzy wants out of the company she’s given an impossible case to solve first.