Blake Mills who led the construction of Daisy Jones and the Six’s 1970s-era debut, Aurora, was almost bound to fail when faced with the task – given that Taylor Jenkins Reid had described the album as changing the face of rock and roll itself. It’s an incredible feat then that this album – the work of a supposed fictional band, stands up as an extraordinary record. One of the greatest records of all time? Probably not, but the record is a perfect and integral part of the Prime Video adaptation of Daisy Jones and the Six. It’s no small wonder that the record is a polished gem of a record, given that it features songwriting contributions from Phoebe Bridgers, Jackson Browne, Marcus Mumford and more.

The magic of Aurora though is in the live and vintage feel, with which Mills has imbued the record. Aurora kicks off the record, a pacy and thrumming off kilter track that feels experimentally 70s in feel, as Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin) sings an ode to his wife Camila. ‘You’re my morning sun / Aurora, you’re my morning sun.’ The track is infused seamlessly with the touches of Riley Keogh’s vocal that soar above the rock melee, complete with a rip roaring and riotous guitar solo to round out the track. The live feel runs through throughout in the transitions between songs, blending seamlessly into Daisy Jones (Riley Keogh)’s honeyed rock vocals on ‘Let Me Down Easy’ where she pleads with a lover to let her go gently, before the duo trade lyrics back and forth. It’s no small stretch to imagine the track as a hit of the 70s, one that became an easy break out hit.

There is more than enough emotion that points to the rest of the show on Aurora. So, ‘Kill You to Try’ is an anger fuelled and bitter track, filled with a lot of pain albeit with a gorgeous and resplendent harmony layered latter half replete with triangle and a luscious groove. It’s a moodiness brought back on ‘You Were Gone’ – a groovy and moody Billy Sunne-led track .

The record is often at its best when the pain of the Dunne and Jones’ vocals is allowed to shine through. So, ‘Two Against Three’ offers a gorgeous pared back track from Daisy complete with an acoustic strumming guitar, as she points to the pain of the love triangle and final track ‘No Words’ is a quieter and pluckier track where Billy and Daisy trade off lyrics about being unable to put their emotions into words – a plaintive note to round out the album.

Still, the duo are also poised and brilliant when they trade lyrics back and forth, sparring at each other in song. So, on the pre-released ‘Look At Us Now’ and ‘Regret Me’ the duo appear to bait and dare each other back and forth, indicating that they can really ‘make a good thing bad.’

It is in the latter half of the record that the brilliance of Aurora is truly unleashed. So, ‘Please’ offers a musical ode to the 70s itself, complete with an Elton John-esque build and solo from Dunne, infused with a Magical Mystery Tour tinged production. On ‘The River,’ the band is seamlessly brought together in a truly delightful and hopeful track, where their harmonies are brought to their true potential.

Whilst Aurora can by no means stand shoulder to shoulder with Rumours, something truly magical was achieved in Aurora – an evocation of real nostalgia for 1970s rock and roll, and live and authentic songwriting and experimentation. Above all, the record is a love letter to the era and music itself.

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Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Rating: A-

Taylor Jenkins Reid consistently knocks it out of the park with her string of latest releases. This novel centres around the fictional tennis player, Carrie Soto, and her attempts to make a comeback. It’s a brilliantly plotted, fast-paced novel that peeks behind the curtain of what it means to be a woman in sport.

Read our full review here.

The Culture Map by Erin Meyer

Rating: A+

This is a vital read for anyone who works within an international company – the book allows a framework to work and understand the gaps between different cultures and the painpoints that may cause misunderstanding and confusions.

Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris

Rating: A-

This stunning novel by Heather Morris tells the story of Cilka Klein, who having endured unspeakable horrors under the Nazi regime was forced into hard labour in Siberian camps. Over time, she learns to survive in this horrific environment. What the novel brings to life, more than anything, are the everyday horrors endured in these labour camps.

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

Rating: B+

Based off The Bachelor, The Charm Offensive is the tender and emotional love story between Charlie – the lead of the series Ever After and his male producer Dev. More than this though, the story brings to life, the human side of what it is like grappling with anxiety and also of understanding your own sexuality.

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Carrie Soto Is Back – the new novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid – may be one of the most hotly-anticipated novels of 2022, following hot on the heels of Malibu Rising. It is a powerful story about greatness against the odds, the inside of an athlete’s psyche and the beauty of ageing.

Carrie Soto has retired from tennis as one of the best players the world has ever seen, now her record of twenty Grand Slam titles stands under threat from newcomer Nicki Chan. Seeing her record on the verge of falling, she decides to make a comeback, with the aid of her father and coach Javier. At thirty-seven years old she is one of the oldest players in the game and so this comeback is anything but easy – even picking her hitting partner turns out to be an ordeal given her past as ‘the Battle-Axe.’

Even for those who are not fans of tennis, there is a beauty and spellbinding grace in the way that Jenkins Reid speaks of the game and narrates the matches that Carrie Soto wins and loses. It’s an intoxicating story that will appeal to fans of Jenkins Reid and newcomers to her writing.

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If you’ve even casually scrolled through BookTok, you’ll be familiar with ‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.’ The book has sold an absurd number of copies and has become a viral sensation. So far, what we know so far about the movie adaptation is fairly limited, however, we do know that the novel will be adapted for Netflix by Liz Tigelaar (‘Little Fires Everywhere’) and Reid herself will be one of the executive producers for the new movie.

So far, no release date or casting have been announced for the film but we will update this page as more information gets released.

The adaptation was announced in March 2022, so it may be some time before we get any further details.

The novel though revolves around reclusive Hollywood legendary film actress Evelyn Hugo, who has chosen to recount the story of her life to reporter – Monique Grant. Hugo recounts the story of her time in the Golden Age of Hollywood, her rise to fame, her seven marriages and the secrets and lies behind each one. The novel is a twisting and turning book full of surprises, intrigues and mystery that will translate flawlessly to the screen – we hope!

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1.  A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Frost and Starlight is the 4th book in Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses series. It’s a blissful interlude after the breathless pace of A Court of Mist and Fury telling the story of Feyre, Rhys and their friends celebration of the Winter Solstice – Feyre’s first as High Lady.

The book is narrated by Feyre and Rhysand and is wondrous tale of hope and promise, setting the stage for the last instalment of the series – A Court of Silver Flames.

This novel had a mixed reception from fans, but when taken as a palate cleanser between books, it is a welcome and hopeful reprieve.

Read our full review of the first novel here.

2. One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

One True Loves is a startlingly powerful novel about loss, heartache and the true meaning of love. The novel centres around Emma Blair who marries her high school sweetheart, Jesse. They build a life for themselves, leaving their hometown in Massachusetts and pursuing a life of adventure and travel. On their first wedding anniversary, Jesse is on a helicopter over the Pacific when it goes missing. Emma is heartbroken, quitting her job and moving home in an effort to put her life back together. Years later, now in her thirties, Emma runs into an old friend, Sam, and finds herself falling in love again. When Emma and Sam get engaged, it feels like Emma’s second chance at happiness.. until Jesse is found – alive. With a husband and a fiancé, Emma has to now figure out who she is and what she wants, while trying to protect both men who she loves deeply.

Read our full review here.

3. The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling is a very quick read, but for those expecting something clever from Rachel Hawkins, this is not it. The Ex Hex feels childish at times, not just with the content but the writing itself. Whilst an enjoyable and easy read, the characters feel quite surface level and so the reader is not suckered in in the way they have been in her other works. Honestly, we’d give this one a miss, despite its TikTok viral crown.

Read our full review here.

4. Men Who Hate Women by Laura Bates

5. Detransition Baby by Torrey Peters

Detransition Baby was one of the biggest, most acclaimed debuts of 2021. It is a whipsmart debut about three women—transgender and cisgender—whose lives collide after an unexpected pregnancy forces them to confront their deepest desires around gender, motherhood, and sex.

It is a provocative debut that will shift perceptions – an immensely eye-opening novel that will garner empathy for those of all genders encountering motherhood for the first time.

Pick up a copy here.

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Even though The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and the Six have earned widespread acclaim and viral success, one of her earlier backlist titles is well worthy of recognition. One True Loves is a startlingly powerful novel about loss, heartache and the true meaning of love. The novel centres around Emma Blair who marries her high school sweetheart, Jesse. They build a life for themselves, leaving their hometown in Massachusetts and pursuing a life of adventure and travel. On their first wedding anniversary, Jesse is on a helicopter over the Pacific when it goes missing. Emma is heartbroken, quitting her job and moving home in an effort to put her life back together. Years later, now in her thirties, Emma runs into an old friend, Sam, and finds herself falling in love again. When Emma and Sam get engaged, it feels like Emma’s second chance at happiness.. until Jesse is found – alive. With a husband and a fiancé, Emma has to now figure out who she is and what she wants, while trying to protect both men who she loves deeply. 

One True Loves is a novel of immense power, unpicking the depths of heartache and the true meaning of love, including what it really means to let someone go. It’s beautifully and propulsively written, as ever, by Taylor Jenkins Reid who is a master of these kinds of works.

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In 2021 it was announced that a movie adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel One True Loves was in the works. The film will be directed by Andy Fickman, with the screenplay written by Taylor and Alex Jenkins Reid. The film will star Phillippa Soo as Emma, alongside Simu Liu as Sam and Luke Bracey as Jesse.

The novel centres around Emma who moves back to Massachusetts after her husband Jesse disappears in a helicopter crash. Four years later, Emma has put her life back together and runs into her old best friend, Sam, and they become inseparable. The two get engaged and are living happily until Emma receives an unexpected phone call revealing Jesse is alive. Now Emma must decide who is her ‘one true love’ – her husband or her fiancee?

Filming for the movie was originally set in Massachusetts, but was ultimately moved to Wilmington, North Carolina. It will be released in select theatres on 7th April and digitally on 14th April.

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[tps_title] 1. Sex and the City by Candace Bushnell [/tps_title]

We all know the TV show and film, but Sex and the City was originally a book by Candace Bushnell. Sex and the City is a collection of essays by Bushnell based on her and her friends’ lifestyles.

Pick up a copy of the novel here.

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Taylor Jenkins Reid paints the glamour of the past century like no other commercial novelist of the moment. So in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, she painted a picture of Hollywood glamour in the 1960s and in Daisy Jones and the Six, she describes the gritty underbelly of rock n’ roll in the 1960s. Now, she is back with a new novel situated in the surfing culture of the 1970s – for those paying attention, it builds on the story of Mick Riva, one of Evelyn Hugo’s ex-husbands, his first wife June and their four children – Nina, Hud, Jay and Kit.

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Holding Her Breath, Eimear Ryan (Penguin, 2021), C+

Eimear Ryan’s forthcoming novel tells the coming of age story of Beth Crowe, as she starts her journey at university, shadowed by the ghostof  her potential as a competitive swimmer and as she attempts to create an identity for herself outside both her swimming career and her family history (she is the granddaughter of a famous poet). For fans of Sally Rooney, this is a fresh and exciting summer read.

Pre-order a copy here.

Hamnet, Maggie O’Farrell (Tinder Press, 2020), A+

Maggie O’Farrell’s first historical novel is the fictional story behind Shakespeare’s famous play – the story of the death of Shakespeare’s son and the effect on his life.

Read our full review here.

Pick up a copy here.

Conversations on Love, Natasha Lunn (Penguin, 2021), A+

Natasha Lunn’s Conversations on Love examines love in all of its many forms – it’s an astonishing, joyful celebration of love, from some of the most important voices in literature.

Pre-order a copy here.

The Last Thing He Told Me, Laura Dave (Profile Books, 2021) B+

The Last Thing He Told Me is a propulsive mystery. Hannah finds out that her husband Owen has gone missing and she seeks to uncover the truth behind his disappearance with her step-daughter Bailey.

Read our full review here.

Pick up a copy here.

Malibu Rising, Taylor Jenkins Reid  (Cornerstone, 2021) A

Taylor Jenkins Reid’s latest novel is as compelling and propulsive as Daisy Jones, it’s the story of siblings growing up in Malibu and the events that unfold around one night.

Pick up a copy here.

Eat a Peach, David Chang (Penguin, 2020), A-

David Chang’s phenomenal memoir is the story of a man succeeding against the odds – it’s an inspiring story even for those for whom Momofuku means nothing.

Read our full review here.

Pick up a copy here.

The Push, Ashley Audrain (Penguin, 2021) B+

The Push is a psychological drama, telling the story of the unravelling of a family – a woman whose initial experience with motherhood does not live up to her expectations.

Read our full review here.

Pick up a copy here.

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