Dr Aimee Walsh, The Mirror’s resident librarian handpicks five April articles that are “incredibly original.” From Jan Carson to Sophie Mackintosh, these are the books you need to read
Like The Mirror’s resident bookworm and reviewer, my favorite part of the job is sifting through the mountain of new releases to find the stories that matter. Between my life as a novelist and my PhD in contemporary literature, I spend my days (and a lot of nights!)
One of the best things is getting involved in the most anticipated months of the year for fiction and non-fiction before they hit the shelves. It means I’ve done the heavy lifting for you – so if you’re looking for your next idea, here are five titles you need on your radar this April.
From Jan Carson’s magical Belfast reality and Sophie Mackintosh’s haunting visions, to Kaf Okpattah’s forensic investigation into the digital world, my picks for April represent the best of contemporary literature.
Whether it’s the emotional genius of Louise Nealon’s latest or James Bailey’s immersive take on the life of Muriel Spark, I’ve selected five titles that deserve a permanent spot on your nightstand this spring.
Jan Carson – Between the Small and the Far
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Winner of the EU Prize for Literature and Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, Jan Carson is one of Northern Ireland’s most important contemporary voices. His writing is celebrated for its “Belfast Magical Realism,” which combines strong social commentary on the legacy of the Troubles with dark humor and surreal, whimsical elements.
Few and Far Between is set in the summer of 2017, when the last few inhabitants of the Lough Neagh Archipelago face eviction. A flood intended to combat a devastating algae outbreak will cover their homes, forcing them to return to the Mainland for the first time in fifty years.
Robert-John and Marion Connolly came to the islands as children in the 1970s. For many, the Neagh Archipelago represented a utopia, a chance to be free from segregation and the history of the Troubles period in Northern Ireland. But maybe this utopia wasn’t all it seemed.
Available April 9, from Waterstones, Amazon, and Bookshop.org. A special signed edition is available from No Alibis Bookshop.
Sophie Mackintosh – Forever
Shortlisted for the Booker Prize and winner of the Betty Trask Award, Sophie Mackintosh is a master of high-concept, atmospheric fantasy. Her style is characterized by spare prose that explores the visceral realities of women’s experience, power, and survival in dystopian landscapes.
In Permanence, Clara and Francis are in love – but no one knows it. They’ve been out of their lives for months, sharing sweet, stolen evenings in anonymous hotel rooms. Until one day they wake up in the bedroom, none of them realizing how they got there.
They find themselves in a strange, impossible city: a place inhabited entirely by prostitutes. Here they can finally live openly as a couple, without fear of consequences, using the concept of their love. And contact with the real world is impossible. How long can they stay in paradise before the cracks start to show?
Available April 2, from Waterstones, Amazon, and Bookshop.org.
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Kaf Okpattah – Scam Nation
Recipient of the NCTJ Award of Excellence and the youngest presenter of BBC Panorama, Kaf Okpattah is an investigative journalist and contemporary filmmaker. Through powerful, cutting-edge storytelling, Okpattah tackles tough issues like financial fraud and social media crime in a clear yet accessible way.
Fraudsters are often seen as fraudsters – offshore fraudsters or opportunistic criminals who target the elderly, the ignorant and the vulnerable, who want to get their money or their information. But this is no longer true.
Okpattah reveals to Scam Nation that a new generation of fraudsters are using tools such as artificial intelligence, encrypted messages and social media forums to expand their profits, committing crimes that are increasing with new levels of sophistication and unexpected rewards.
Having been immersed in this shadowy world for months, Okpattah takes you into the evil realm of swindlers. And they come to us all.
Available April 23, from Waterstones, Amazon, and Bookshop.org.
Louise Nealon – All Good
Winner of the An Post Irish Book Award for Newcomer of the Year and the Seán Ó Faoláin International Short Story Competition, Louise Nealon is the international bestselling author of Snowflake. Her forthcoming novel, Everything That Is Beautiful, is already being praised by writers and readers alike, with Irish rom-com queen Marian Keyes saying she “absolutely loved it”.
In All Good Things, Niamh Ryan sees the Foleys as family. His childhood flew by on their farm, playing with his best friend Peter and his sister Kate. Now, after a series of traumatic events, family ties are falling apart. Niamh receives drunken phone calls and texts from Peter who doesn’t understand what destroyed their relationship three years ago.
Told from the perspectives of three very different women, Everything is Beautiful presents the story of one complex family in stunningly honest prose. At times funny and deeply moving, and with unparalleled emotional intelligence, this is an unforgettable story of love and family, heartbreak and hope – and who we can become after we pick up the pieces.
Available April 2, from Waterstones, Amazon, and Bookshop.org.
James Bailey – As the Cat Loves the Bird: The Nine Lives of Muriel Spark
Literary doctor and mid-century fiction specialist, James Bailey is the author of the critically acclaimed Muriel Spark’s Early Fiction and the forthcoming biography of the author Muriel Spark Like a Cat Loves a Bird: The Nine Lives of Muriel Spark.
Muriel Spark was one of those who changed the nature of literature. This satirical quality is found in his strange, strange, brutal novels – with their plots featuring pensioners receiving calls from the dead, the devil haunting Peckham and a fascist schoolteacher who misleads his girls – but so is he as a person.
As the Cat Loves the Bird is an exciting new look at the remarkable life and work that spanned much of the twentieth century. From his childhood in Edinburgh to his last years in Tuscany – through South Africa, London, New York and Rome – follows a light journey around the world and through his mysterious and fascinating book.
It tells an irresistible story of change, wisdom and determination and makes a powerful case for this important contemporary artist.
Available April 9, from Waterstones, Amazon, and Bookshop.org.
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