Book Reviews of the Week: 22.06.20

The Simplicity Principle Julia Hobsbawn

Buy The Simplicity Principle from your local Bookseller:

Julia Hobsbawm is a fascinating thinker and in this book she teaches us how to live a clearer, simpler life really thoughtfully.”–Johann Hari, author of Lost Connection

Julia Hobsbawm’s insightful and practical book gives us simple but highly effective tools to calmly navigate life and flourish in the age of complexity.”–Louise Chester, Founder, Mindfulness at Work


Practical, clear, sharp concise, Julia Hobsbawm’s The Simplicity Principle is a port of quiet clever perfection in the current surrounding storm. Our lives are too cluttered, no one can concentrate, there are over 250 billion emails sent every 24 hours, our brains are overwhelmed and we can make any choices, let alone the right choices. It’s hard to believe that this book was not written for the COVID pandemic and it’s aftermath. Julia’s book is prescient and advises that we look to the bees and understand the power of six and nature’s beautiful gift of the hexagon to clear out cluttered minds. Simple, yet perfect.  

The Simplicity Principle by Julia Hobsbawm Kogan Page Ltd £14.99

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

Buy The Family Upstairs from your local Bookseller:

‘I swear I didn’t breathe the whole time I was reading it. Gripping, pacy, brilliantly twisty.’ CLARE MACKINTOSH

‘Creepy, intricate and utterly immersive: an excellent holiday read.’ GUARDIAN

‘A twisty and engrossing story of betrayal and redemption.’ IAN RANKIN

Told from three different view points with three very different characters, Lisa Jewell’s The Family Upstairs is a plot twisting, turning, zigzagging, weaving, thriller of such high quality it has been in the Sunday Times top ten for weeks.

The story starts with Libby, who turns inherits an expensive mansion on Cheyne Walk in Chelsea on her 25th birthday. Her parents have mysteriously committed suicide when she’s 10 months old and abandoned her in a baby cot and from there, all ensues. Cults and all their additional horrors are dealt with an expert eye and sharp turn of phrase. This is vintage Jewel at her breath-taking best. Fantastic! The Family Upstairs is a plot twisting, turning, zigzagging, weaving, thriller of such high quality it has been in the Sunday Times top ten for weeks.

The story starts with Libby, who turns inherits an expensive mansion on Cheyne Walk in Chelsea on her 25th birthday. Her parents have mysteriously committed suicide when she’s 10 months old and abandoned her in a baby cot and from there, all ensues. Cults and all their additional horrors are dealt with an expert eye and sharp turn of phrase. This is vintage Jewel at her breath-taking best. Fantastic!

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell is published by Arrow £8.99

Life and Other Happy Endings by Melanie Cantor

Buy Life and Other Happy Endings from your local Bookseller:

 ‘Filled with warmth and wit. Will make you want to throw on your saved-for-best dress and live your own life to the fullest.’ Heat
‘Witty, very touching and entirely unexpected.’ Jenny Colgan

When Jennifer Cole is told she has three months to live she decides to write three letters sharing the desires, fears and frustrations she has always kept to herself. One goes to her sister. The other to her ex-husband and the last is sent to her ex-lover. And at first she finds that telling the truth makes her feel free and liberated and then, a little further down the line, the world turns on its head. This is Melanie Cantor’s first novel and it is sharp and funny and a delight. It’s been optioned for a film and it is easy to see why. Well-crafted and smart. A cracking debut.

Life and Other Happy Endings Black Swan £7.99

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

%d bloggers like this: