Latest news with #TheBombshell
News24
25-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News24
Welcome to this group for keen readers! Prizes to be won
Welcome to the book club where no one has to cook. It's all about sharing views on the titles we love or loathe – from the hottest bestsellers to the steal-up-on-you sleepers; from the stories that made our hearts beat faster to the ones we slung on the charity shop pile. So, come join me as we swoon, sigh, argue or agree about the pages we step inside, hoping to be swept away to other worlds. We'll have book giveaways galore – a pack of the latest top international fiction titles will go to the best comment. (They are The Bombshell, Aftertaste, Julie Chan Is Dead, and The Wildelings – see below.) Tell us what you're reading and why it's grabbing you, or tell us about what your book club is interested in, or just add your thoughts about these books, and you could win the book package. Speak to Me of Home by Jeanine Cummins (Tinder Press) After American Dirt, Jeanine Cummins' widely fêted, roundly attacked, blockbuster novel about undocumented Mexican migration, I couldn't wait to get my hands on her follow up. Until around page 50, which is when I started to think I probably could have waited. Speak to Me of Home revolves around the lives and loves of three generations of women with Puerto Rican roots living in the US, which run variously shallow, deep, and painfully twisted. Barely a family breakfast goes by without a tortured conversation about racial identity – who is brown enough, who is white enough, who's three parts this and four parts that. At a critical point in the story, there is even a DNA test. As far as the plot goes (which is not very far), there is a car accident, a divorce, a wrenching move from Puerto Rico to America and back again, but little of it adds up to irresistible drama because Cummins is too busy proving her authorial authenticity and explaining her own mixed-heritage identity - which, she told The Guardian, is 'Irish and Puerto Rican. White and Latina'. The upshot is that Speak to Me of Home reads like an overwrought apologia in response to accusations that, in American Dirt, Cummins exploited a race or ethnicity that was not hers to describe and appropriated a story that was not hers to tell. It's not that Cummins has written a bad book, and there are plenty of licks when she lets herself forget for a few pages that she's on a mission to restore her good name, it's just that the shine is missing, the confidence of the author's invisible hand. Sorry Jeanine, but wearing your wounded writer's heart on your sleeve just doesn't make for an immersive reading experience. I stand ready to be egg-bombed by her gazillion fans. Supplied A Mouth Full of Salt by Reem Gaafar (Saqui Books) Among the many eye-catching books that landed on my desk this month, this one jumped out. Sudanese author Reem Gaafar's fiction debut, A Mouth Full of Salt, won her The Island Prize in 2023, but what really pricked my interest was that I'd never come across any novel set in Sudan, a divided land we hear about mostly in the context of war, famine, and when George Clooney has a soundbite on the subject. Reading A Mouth Full of Salt, I learned more than I ever knew about this ruptured country, variously warped by the bitter aftertaste of colonialism, group oppression and a centuries old culture clash between the majority Arab population and the African minority of what is now South Sudan. In a novel that switchbacks across 30-odd years – between the end of colonisation in the 1950s and 1989, where the story begins – Gaafar shines a harsh light on all these things, but she never lets them override the human-size tale she sets out to tell, which opens with the tragic drowning of a village child in the mighty Nile River. And that's just the start of the village's bad luck. Here we have a bumper cast of intriguing characters – good, bad, and a little bit of both – but our protagonists-in-chief are three women, all outsiders in their own way and cornered by the fate of having been born female, who boldly step out of the shadows to make risky choices that drive the action forward. With A Mouth Full of Salt, Reem Gaafar (a doctor by profession) has created a wonderfully readable, intensely atmospheric story, suffused with fiercely enduring love and a river of tears. I cried, I learned, I loved it. *** Here's a quick-look at more new titles I've just added to the to-be-read tower on my bedside table. The Bombshell by Darrow Farr (Atlantic Books) Corsica, 1993: a teenager girl with big ambitions is kidnapped while idling on her motorbike smoking a cigarette. Soon her face will be plastered all over TV, but not for the reasons you might think. Sex! Violence! Revolution! Promises promises! Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle (Bloomsbury) A lonely boy discovers he can communicate with the dead through his cooking. Nigella Lawson called this foodie-ghost-love story a 'hauntingly evocative journey through the realms of pain, pleasure and the power of food'. Well, she should know. Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang (Raven Books) When a glamorous super-influencer is found dead in her apartment, her down-at-heel identical twin decides to steal her dead sister's identity and step into her perfect life. Sound like a copycat version of Rebecca F Kaung's Yellowface? Zhang has big Louboutins to fill. The Trad Wife's Secret by Liane Child (HQ) Madison March spends her days baking, popping out adorable children and making sure dinner is on the table when her husband comes home. But, oops, is her life really the dream her Insta followers believe? I can't wait to see how the deeply weird Trad Wives trend is explored in fiction. The Wildelings by Lisa Harding (Bloomsbury) When childhood friends Jessica and Linda arrive at university in Dublin, they're inseparable – until they meet Mark, an older student who exerts a strange magnetic power over the girls and plunges their friendship into a darker place. Twenty pages in and it's got me by the throat. Fingers crossed. Charlotte Bauer is the author of How To Get Over Being Young. Read an extract here.
Geek Girl Authority
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
New Release Radar: New Books Coming Out on May 27
There are a lot of new books coming out every week. With New Release Radar, I'll help you narrow down the week's new book releases into the titles you should get excited about. This week I have 10 great new books to share with you, including plenty of romances to kick off your summer. Read on! Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan At thirty, Max is tired: of dysphoria, of bad exes, of the nagging sense that life should feel better by now. After a dramatic fall at a New Year's Eve party, she resolves to try something new: heteronormative romance. Enter Vincent. His affection offers Max a glimpse of the stability she's always thought out of reach. But Vincent has unresolved history of his own, and as old wounds resurface, Max is forced to confront what forgiveness truly requires. Can she make peace with her past, and with his? Disappoint Me is a funny, sharp and emotionally resonant novel that explores love, loss, identity and the tangled webs of millennial life. Through dual perspectives, Nicola Dinan delves into the complexities of race, gender and family, examining what it means to confront the painful mistakes of those closest to us. RELATED: New Release Radar: New Books Coming Out On May 20 The Bombshell by Darrow Farr A politician's daughter, 17-year-old Severine Guimard is bold, beautiful and craving stardom. Her moment in the spotlight comes when she's kidnapped by a group of bumbling militants fighting for Corsican independence. As ransom negotiations stall, Severine begins charming her captors, immersing herself in their radical politics and transforming from hostage to figurehead of a revolution. Youthful passion, political awakening and first love abound in Darrow Farr's debut novel. Taking place over the course of one Mediterranean summer, The Bombshell is a glamorous literary achievement. Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood 23-year-old Maya Killgore can't stop thinking about Conor Harkness, her older brother's best friend and a man 15 years her senior. Things come to a head when they're thrown together for a weeklong wedding in Taormina. Tension simmers between ancient ruins, breathtaking coastlines and chaotic family drama. Despite every reason not to pursue him, Maya senses Conor might be hiding something. A summer fling, however complicated, might be worth the risk. It wouldn't be summer without a new Ali Hazelwood. Problematic Summer Romance features enemies-to-lovers, an age gap, forced proximity and plenty of other tropes that fans will love. RELATED: Book Review: Behooved When Devils Sing by Xan Kaur When Dawson Sumter disappears in Carrion, Georgia, all that's left behind is blood in the motel Neera Singh's parents own. Disappearances like this are common, especially every 13 years when the cicadas return. Neera, determined to find Dawson, teams up with three other teens to investigate. As they uncover secrets, they discover the town's wealth may be tied to an ancient legend of three devils. Together, they must uncover the truth and escape the town's dark grip. When Devils Sing is an atmospheric horror novel set in a haunting, rural Georgia landscape. Fans of She Is a Haunting, Mexican Gothic and Midsommar will love Xan Kaur's debut. Love in Focus by Lyla Lee When her seven-year relationship ends, jaded advice columnist Gemma Cho is ready to give up on love. She dives into her work, where she's assigned a high-profile piece on modern romance with world-renowned photographer Celeste Min. The catch? Celeste is Gemma's college ex, the one who broke her heart and vanished overseas. As the two navigate old wounds, undeniable chemistry and a story that could revive Gemma's career, they must decide if love deserves a second shot, or if some heartbreaks are better left in the past. Lyla Lee's new book release is also her adult fiction debut! Love in Focus is a charming second chance romance perfect for fans of The Bold Type and Delilah Green Doesn't Care . RELATED: 10 Books With Queer Protagonists to Read All Year Round Celestial Banquet by Roselle Lim Every generation, the Major Gods host a Celestial Banquet, where chefs compete for the Peaches of Immortality. Hot-headed noodle chef Cai enters the competition with dreams of opening a restaurant and supporting her struggling town. With the help of a drunken Minor God, her childhood friend Bo and noble Seon, Cai faces impossible culinary challenges, from hunting sea serpents to cooking with mystical ingredients. As Cai navigates fierce competition and complicated feelings, she is determined to create a feast worthy of the gods. Even if it means risking her life. The publisher describes Celestial Banquet as ' Iron Chef meets The Hunger Games ' and I absolutely love it. Roselle Lim's new book release combines cooking competitions with literal gods in what promises to be a super fun way. Amplitudes edited by Lee Mandelo Amplitudes: Stories of Queer and Trans Futurity is a bold and imaginative sci-fi anthology exploring what queer life could look like, whether centuries ahead or just around the corner. From dystopian knights and Appalachian romance to skyscraper domesticity and galactic dance floors, these inventive tales blend raw emotion, protest, and play. Featuring never-before-published stories from acclaimed and emerging LGBTQIA+ voices, this collection is a celebration of queer resilience, creativity and possibility. RELATED: 6 More Trans and Nonbinary Writers to Check Out Harmattan Season by Tochi Onyebuchi A veteran and weary private eye, Bouba wants nothing more than to keep his head down in a city veiled in dust and tension. But when a bleeding woman appears on his doorstep and vanishes just as quickly, he falls into a dangerous mystery suspended between two cultures. As unrest simmers between the French occupiers and the long-oppressed dugulen, Bouba must confront buried truths, ancestral powers, and a city teetering on the edge of chaos. Navigating hidden factions, colonial violence, and ghosts of his own past, he's forced to decide where he stands, and how much of himself he's willing to give up for justice. Harmattan Season is a gritty, genre-bending mystery of identity, legacy and power in a world where nothing stays buried for long. Drawing from the tradition of Raymond Chandler and Agatha Christie, Tochi Onyebuchi's standalone novel is a gripping fantasy noir. And They Were Roommates by Page Powars Starting fresh at an elite all-boys school, Charlie's goal is simple: keep his head down, guard his secret, and make it through the year as the academy's only trans student. His plan falls apart, however, when his assigned roommate is Jasper Grimes, the boy who unknowingly broke his heart pre-transition. Jasper doesn't recognize him, and Charlie agrees to ghostwrite love letters to earn a private room. But as late-night talks turn into something deeper, Charlie must decide if he should protect his secret, or risk his heart for a second chance at love. Utterly unrealistic and yet still incredibly charming, And They Were Roommates is a fun, silly YA romance. Page Powars' new book release will delight fans of Casey McQuiston and Lex Croucher. RELATED: Book Review: Gwen and Art Are Not In Love The Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls by Judith Rossell Maggie Fishbone doesn't expect much when she's sent to the Midwatch Institute for Orphans, Runaways, and Wayward Girls, a last resort after causing too much trouble at her last orphanage. But the Institute isn't dreadful at all. Instead, it's full of curious girls training to solve mysteries and fight bad guys. Between fencing lessons and exploring, Maggie makes friends and finally feels at home. When a woman goes missing, Maggie embarks on her first assignment, uncovering the city's hidden secrets. Fans of A Series of Unfortunate Events and The Mysterious Benedict Society will love The Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls . Featuring beautiful black-and-white illustrations and 'Useful Things Every Girl Should Know' this is a whimsical, adventure-packed mystery from bestselling author-illustrator Judith Rossell. You can check out these new book releases at or your local bookstore. What May 27 new release are you most excited to read? Let us know below, and tune in next week to grow your TBR. 12 Debut Books Releasing In 2025 You Have to Check Out
