Enjoy Life

July 23 Hardback book reviews

Looking for something new to read, well Simon Evans has the answer, as he reviews the latest hardbacks. We'd love to know if you've read any of the books yourself, or have a recommendation of your own. Let us know your thoughts on any of our social media pages: Facebook Instagram Twitter

None of this is True, by Lisa Jewell

Two women, ‘birth twins’, born on the same day, within hours of each other, in the same hospital, meet at a posh pub where they are both celebrating their 45th birthday. The two women meet again, apparently by chance, and the darkness at the heart of both their lives soon becomes apparent. It all ends up as a Netflix series, but there are yet more twists in store. This is a compelling thriller from a writer who doesn’t stint on the kind of plot swerves that send shivers down the spine.

Published by Century Price £20 Pages 402 ISBN 9781529195972

Burn It Down, by Maureen Ryan

Do Hollywood stars behave badly? Do bears do their business in the woods? Does the Pope live in the Vatican. It’s so obvious it barely needs stating, but the events of the past decade have cast an even more glaring spotlight on the misbehaviour of Hollywood stars – mostly, but not exclusively, men.

During her 30-year career as an entertainment reporter, most recently as a contributing editor to Vanity Fair, Maureen Ryan has been better placed than most to observe this than most and it clearly makes her very angry indeed. But, shocking as the revelations in the book are – if not exactly new – regarding the likes of Jeff Garlin (Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Goldbergs) and Saturday Night Live’s Lorne Michaels, the sense of outrage may have been even greater had the author not felt the need to insert herself into the narrative quite so often.

It’s entirely understandable, given Ryan alleges she was herself a victim of sexual assault by an un-named television executive, but her excellent journalism should really be allowed to speak for itself.

Published by Mariner Books Price £25 Pages 398 ISBN 9780063269279

1964: Eyes of the Storm, by Paul McCartney

The hefty price tag means this book of photographs by the ex-Beatle, accompanying his currently running exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, is only likely to be snapped up by diehards. However, in terms of the glimpse the 275 images give into life in the group as fame descended upon them in 1964 – the year Beatlemania became a global phenomenon – they are priceless.

The images are sometimes blurry and out of focus, but that is part of the charm. We see the group fooling around in parks and hotel rooms, setting up for shows, and running away from the now ever-present hordes of fans, providing a fascinating insight into not just what life must have been like for these four young men whose lives had been suddenly, irretrievably, changed for ever, but also into the undeniable bond that existed between them before the craziness descended.

Published by Allen Lane Price £60 Pages 360 ISBN 9780241619711

Everyone is Lying, by Shari Lapena

Shari Lapena has been described as the queen of the ‘just one more chapter’ thriller, and having devoured this compelling novel in double-quick time it’s easy to see why.

When glamorous middle-aged Nora brings to an end the affair she has been having with slick medic William she has no way of knowing that this difficult choice will have all manner of unintended consequences, not least the disappearance of a child and the descent of a respectable neighbourhood into fear, suspicion, rumour and recrimination. Plot twists are planted like hand grenades throughout the narrative, set to go off when you least expect them, and the denouement is as surprising as it is shocking.

Published by Bantam Price £18.99 Pages 346 ISBN 9781787635647

Parachute Women, by Elizabeth Winder

This is the story of four women who, in the, author’s words, “taught a band of middle-class boys to be bad. They opened the doors to subterranean art and alternative lifestyles, turned them on to Russian literature, occult practices, LSD, and high society.” The band in question was the Rolling Stones and the four women were Marianne Faithfull, Anita Pallenberg, Bianca Jagger and Marsha Hunt, all of whom were linked romantically with members of the band (in a couple of cases more than one).

Winder’s contention is that while these women turned the Stones into “rock and roll outlaws” they, in turn, “were devoured, processed, spat out and commodified by the relentlessly male music industry.” But while the four women’s stories are indeed compelling you feel the story is perhaps a little more nuanced than that. It doesn’t help that the author appears to take an ambivalent attitude towards the darker, decadent side of the Sixties that the Stones came to represent. Were not the four women as much products – and victims – of their time as the Stones? This is not really addressed but it’s a fascinating read nonetheless and conjures up the sleazy milieu that seemed to accompany the group at the height of their powers in the Sixties and early Seventies.

Published by Hachette Price £22 Pages 288 ISBN ‎ 9781580059589

Other stories in Enjoy Life

April's book reviews
April's CD reviews
March's DVD review
March book reviews
March's CD reviews
February's DVDs
February's books
Winter books
January's DVD releases
Christmas book reviews
November DVD reviews
November's Music Reviews
November book reviews
October's DVD reviews
October's New CD releases
October's book reviews
September's DVD Reviews
DVD selection for August 2023
September's book reviews
Latest music reviews August 2023
August Round up
August Paperback Reviews
August hardback book reviews
July 2023 Roundup
Pick of the paperbacks July 2023
July 2023 DVD releases
July 2023 CD reviews
Pick of the paperbacks June 2023
June DVDs
Hardback book reviews - June 2023
Simon Evans CD Reviews for June 2023
Tesco Summer indoors and out
Book reviews
May 2023 paperback book reviews
May 2023 Hardback book reviews
May's DVD Selection
May's CD selection
Round up of April 2023's book reviews
April 2023 paperback reviews
April 2023 Hardback book reviews
More March 2023 must-reads
March - Pick of the paperbacks
March hardback recommendations
Afternoon Tea
March 2023 - DVD releases
March 2023 Music
February 2023 Books Round up
Pick of the paperbacks - February 2023
Book reviews February 2023
DVD recommendations
February's music reviews
Freedom on two wheels
Make do and mend
Foray into the Fens
Christmas reads
Tasty, healthy recipes by Joanne Wood
Keeping fit and healthy with the Green goddess Part 2
Keeping fit and healthy with the Green goddess Part 1
Finger-licking Good! Tasty Chicken recipes
Beauty: Say 'Allo 'Allo to an alluring look
British Library: Palace of the printed word
Look good and feel great with CBD
Interior design: Inspiration for outdoor spaces
Summer fun at Belvoir Castle
Finding Fitness Starts With Fashion
‘In Vogue’ Veg – Cavolo Nero Sales Grow by 14%
Eat Continental and live longer
A life-affirming book... about death
Get Sewing: Floral bespoke notebook cover
Find your family fortunes... for FREE!
Beauty: Get set for spring...
Spanish Recipes: Small is beautiful
The Vegan Revolution
Interior Design: Maximise your living space
Pets need a spring clean too
Visit Family Tree Live
MasterChef: Classic with a Twist
Get Sewing: Quilted pot-holder
Bob Dylan "Rock and Roll music wasn’t enough for me”
Plant Power Day: 7th March 2019
Interior Design: Less is more in minimalist home
A second chance at love
Interior Design: Great Gatsby Cabinet
The rise and rise of the birthday cake
Walking back to happiness
Baking With Veg
Totally Tina Tour
How to take care of your hair over-50
The nation's most popular cake recipes
Your views: Can you help?
Hail the grandparent aupairs
Beauty: Denise Welch "I love the shape I'm in at 60"
The Austerity Olympics
Healthy reasons to acquire a taste for olives
Grand Treats for Grandchildren
Declutter your home, and clear your mind
Scandi-style Mules for Swollen Feet
Beetroot and Walnut Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
In your garden: October
Dr Norman Croucher: The toughest summit of them all
Craft Corner: Sweet Easter Basket
Have your cake and eat your Easter egg too!
Interior Design: Moroccan inspired drawers
BR remembered... 70 years on
A gentleman's guide to spring fashion
Why antique jewellery is glittering
New Year, new beauty habits
Cliff Richard "I have a deeper faith now"
Do you remember? Oliver!
What we really look for in retirement living
Interior Design: Wedding bells on a budget
Counter culture: The revival of the board game
Jodie Whittaker: "Doctor Who is all about change"
85 year old Grandmother gains a PhD
Dame Eileen and a Crowning glory
Writing the story of you life
Why winter shouldn't stop you: don't wait until New Year
World' first 'wellness shed' stirs up mindfulness
Growing old is amazing
Don't miss out on the internet age
Prepare to feel ancient...
Hawks: Up close and personal
Studious retiree heads back to school
Garden Expert: Soaking up the sun
Emily Watson "I'ts such a gypsy life"
Here's to you Mrs Robinson
Brits Embracing 'Urban Birding'
Volunteering for Nature
The Secret to Younger Looking Eyes
Anti-ageing Options Part 2
Anti-ageing Options
End of the road for a pop icon
Reaching out to Dementia Sufferers: Sporting Memories Network
Are you ready for retirement?
Afternoon Tea Recipes
Surprisingly Good Wholegrain Recipes: Savoury
Staying safe in the Summer heat: Drowning prevention
Stardust Memories
Baking made easy
Cooking for one
The real cost of your wine