Lost Dog by Kate Spicer
“It’s grown-up, intelligent and marbled throughout with a wit that is, appropriately, dry as a bone.”
Literary Review
A Sunday Times top ten bestseller in hardback last year, Spicer’s Lost Dog (now out in paperback) is a sassy smart tale of a Notting Hill girl who seems to have the world at her feet only for her to suddenly lose her footing. Her unravelling, self-hatred and despair are only stopped when she falls in love with a rescue Lurcher, named Wolfy. Then one day Wolfy goes missing and what follows is an epic 9-day search as Spicer pounds the streets of the capital, plaintively shouting his name. There are sightings, false dawns and incredible characters along the way. A brilliant study of loss and love. Perfect for lovers of dogs and even those who don’t!
(Lost Dog by Kate Spicer is published by Ebury Press £9.99)
Falastin by Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley
“This lavish compendium of Palestinian recipes… photographed so vividly you can almost smell the freshly chopped parsley.”
The Times
“A vibrant collection of recipes that reflect Palestinian traditions and yet is utterly contemporary… I really want to cook everything in this.”
Nigella Lawson
A love letter to Palestine with over 110 of the most glorious, vibrant, delicious dishes the Middle East has to offer, Falastin, picks up the baton from Jerusalem, Sami Tamimi last best selling partnership, also with a forward from Tamimi’s business partner, Yotam Ottolenghi. And from the roasted cod with coriander crush (see Sami cook this on Locked down Lunch) to the labneh cheesecake with roasted apricots each and every page is a feast of colour and spices. It’s a truly beautiful book with incredible photography from Jenny Zarins. Beyond delicious.
(Falastin by Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley is published by Ebury Press £27).
Husband Replacement Therapy by Kathy Lette
“We devoured Kathy’s newy over a cardonnay in one sitting! She is the thinking lady’s hornbag.”
Kath and Kim
Back to her best acerbic, witty, skewering form Kathy Lette’s latest novel (this is her 14th) tells the story of Ruby who after being diagnosed with terminal cancer decides to let rip at her own 50th birthday party. She imbibes too many bubbles and the home-truths come pouring out. She accuses her husband of having an affair and lambasts her mother for playing her three daughters off against each other. Like a galleon in full sale Ruby then launches herself with gusto. She cashes in her life saves, gathers up her sisters and goes on a cruise, with a difference… Funny, life affirming and exactly the sort of joyful journey you need in lockdown, Husband Replacement Therapy (HRT) has all the jokes and the one-liners and sharp well observed truths you’d expect from Lette. A joy.
(Husband Replacement Therapy by Kathy Lette is published by Penguin $16 (AUS))