Shutterstock / Onchira Wongsiri©The “Friend” team reviews a veritable treasure trove of novels every year.
And with a selection that ranges from thrillers and Scottish works to science fiction and books about astronauts, there’s plenty here for you to try out.
This week, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite award-winning books for you.
Now, we know that winning an award may not necessarily be the mark of quality it purports to be. And it may not be a good indicator that you’ll enjoy them, either!
But we’re sure our readers will appreciate these novels nonetheless!
Why not connect with us on Facebook or Twitter and let us know how you got on?
Photograph by Lucy Crichton.
“Hamnet”, by Maggie O’Farrell
Maggie O’Farrell’s fascinating novel is a fictionalised account of the short life of Hamnet, the son of William Shakespeare, who was born in 1585, and who died at the age of eleven in 1596.
It’s an absolutely superb book, full of wonderful writing, warmth and extraordinary empathy for the characters.
“Hamnet” won The Women’s Prize For Fiction in 2020.
Read Lucy’s full review by clicking here.
Buy yourself a copy from Bookshop.org by clicking here.
Image by Abbie Phillips.
“Girl, Woman, Other”, by Bernardine Evaristo
Bernardine Evaristo’s bookis split into twelve parts. Each part dives deep into the life of one of twelve black British women who are all connected in some way, big or small.
It’s full to the brim with characters that feel real, to the point where they’re all too complex to boil down to a few descriptive words!
“Girl, Woman, Other” won the Booker Prize in 2019.
Read Abbie’s full review by clicking here.
Buy yourself a copy from Bookshop.org by clicking here.
Image by Lucy Crichton.
“An American Marriage”, by Tayari Jones
Tayari Jones’ novel centres on a terrible injustice: a man being tried, convicted and jailed, for a crime he didn’t commit.
The story is told through the viewpoint of three characters, and also through letters — helping us understand the characters’ feelings through a grim imprisonment, and the difficult decisions that must be made because of it.
“An American Marriage” won The Woman’s Prize For Fiction in 2019.
Read Lucy’s full review by clicking here.
Buy yourself a copy from Bookshop.org by clicking here.
For more book reviews from “The People’s Friend”, click here.
Iain McDonald I am the Digital Content Editor at the “Friend”, making me responsible for managing the flow of interesting and entertaining content on the magazine’s website and social media channels.
