Jason Kitcat

DS Cross Series – Tim Sullivan

Having enjoyed book 4 in the series, I went back to read the previous three: The Dentist, The Cyclist and The Patient. Then I went forward and read The Monk, The Teacher and The Bookseller. Each title refers to a murder victim who DS Cross will seek to understand to find their murderer. The plots are engaging and filled with compelling characters. Really solid reads, but not quite Wallander levels of brilliance, sorry I know that’s a high bar.

The Broken Afternoon – Simon Mason

My daughter picked this up over the Christmas holidays but didn’t manage to finish it before her return to university. Curious, I gave it a go. It’s a solid crime fiction detective mystery. The main characters are the un-related Ray Wilkins, a smooth well-educated detective; and Ryan Wilkins, a rough and rowdy youngster recently dismissed from the Police. Interesting characters and plot but not quite enough to make me want to reach for other books in the series. The main detectives just aren’t that likeable, which feels like a flaw when you’re creating a book series that hangs on them. I also found the descriptions of Oxford bordering on obsessive.

Clear – Carys Davies

The hyperbolic praise of this book, which naturally is plastered over the cover, probably didn’t help with my expectation management. There’s a lot going for it: An intriguing setting in 1840s Scotland as landlords clear their tenants in favour of cattle; beautifully described scenery and weather; and the outlines of interesting characters. But sadly, this short novel doesn’t deliver. The vaguely described denouement just doesn’t make sense. Some reviewers commented that the ending “hadn’t been earned” – maybe that, or it just did not feel in line with any of the characters as described. Disappointing I’m afraid. I know I find writing endings incredibly hard, so I do sympathise.

Convenience Store Woman – Sayaka Murata

Keiko is 36 years old and has worked in the same Japanese convenience store for 18 years. She really lives and breathes that store. When she’s not working there, she thinks of it and does everything she can to be ready to work again. Murata’s writing compels you to believe in this character’s quirks and distinctiveness. Is this a book about loneliness or societal norms? It could be a way of exploring how neurodiverse people experience the world. Or it could be a satirical take on gender norms in modern society. I think it probably is trying to do all those things. I was gripped.

The Politician – Tim Sullivan

Like a really good episode of Poirot this book delivers exactly what you hope to get from a crime thriller: An interesting detective, a crime that ‘ordinary’ police officers can’t crack, and a range of characters that draw you in. Set in and around Bristol, with DS Cross as the lead detective, who combines Asperger’s with great detecting. A perfectly enjoyable read.

Sympathy Tower Tokyo – Rie Qudan

This is an incredibly confident, thought-provoking book. The author successfully pulls off multiple changes in narrator, timeline and more. It is set in an alternative near future where Japanese society (not without debate and protest) takes a completely different, empathetic model to crime and criminals. This will be epitomised by a new alternative to prison – the sympathy tower. An idea packed book with some fascinating characters as well as commentary on societal norms about the assumed “best” ways to deal with criminals.

Shy creatures – Clare Chambers

Several people recommended this to me in short succession. And how right they were!

A beautifully written novel with richly drawn characters. The book flits with ease between war-time 1940s Croydon and in the early 60s. The main character is Helen, an art therapist whose conscience is torn by the affair she is conducting with her married colleague. Things really get going when a mute man is discovered in a dilapidated house with a beard down to his waist. Family secrets are unearthed and relationships shift. Hugely enjoyable and superbly written.

When the Cranes Fly South – Lisa Ridzén

A superbly crafted book which focusses on elderly grandfather Bo as he struggles to keep looking after himself and his dog in rural Sweden. Family and carers do their best but Bo feels he is losing his autonomy. Portrays the difficulty men have in sharing their feelings and truths in such a poignant way. The flashes of memories, the reflections on life, this is a book rich in empathy.

Small Pleasures – Clare Chambers

1950s London – a 39 year old journalist who lives at home with her mother is tasked with investigating a woman’s claim that she had a virgin birth of her daughter. A beautifully observed novel, rich with carefully researched touches from the era, explores love and family through an intriguing plot. No spoilers but I’m not sure the ending was quite to my taste. I’m still ruminating on that. A good read, but I think Shy Creatures is the better book.

The Rest of Our Lives – Ben Markovits

A family prepares for their youngest child to leave for university. This was the moment when the narrator swore he would leave his unfaithful wife some 12 years before. The narrator departs on a road trip and we learn more about him and his family, how and why midlife has shaped the family to what they are today. A light read with poignant, well observed moments.

Extremophile – Ian Green

My eldest daughter picked this book up for me from the library. Usually I research a book before committing, but I went in cold on this one, and loved it. It brought me back to the wild energy of early cyberpunk novels: the edginess, the sense of possibility, the scary thought experiments, all wrapped in a good story. Think post-climate crash, bioengineering AI hacking in a world dominated by corporate interests. A great read.

The Good Enough Job – Simone Stolzoff

Do we need another book about work-life balance? Apparently we do because this one unlocked my thinking in new ways. Worth it just for the chapter on ‘vocational awe’ – the idea that your vocation is so important that the workers will put up with nearly anything just to keep their vocation.

This book helped me to realise how much of the ‘work must be a passion/calling/higher mission’ type narrative I have absorbed through my obsession with magazines like Wired and FastCompany back in my 20s.

‘Good enough‘ is such a useful term, in and out of work. It helps to challenge the perfectionism which can become untamed in our minds amidst so much pressure for perfect. The Good Enough Job doesn’t advocate the ‘tune in, drop out’ type approach; but does humanely challenge us on what success might mean for each of us.

The Guest Cat – Takashi Hiraide

A short but deep, rich book. I daren’t say a novel as there is suggestion it may be quite autobiographical. Regardless, it is beautiful. The author’s background as a poet comes through even in translation from Japanese as he carefully, richly describes wonderful little moments in life. There’s a wonderful passage when Chibi, the guest cat in question, cannot resist some fresh shrimp:

“Chibi couldn’t wait for the next mouthful. Perhaps the whole process had become too tedious, too painfully slow for her. I could see her slowly close in, inch by inch, her whole being focused on her prey. Here eyes narrowed like a warrior demon guarding the gate of an ancient temple…”

I read the book twice in quick succession because I felt there was so much to appreciate. It describes the life in a Tokyo suburb of a married couple without children in their late thirties, entranced by their neighbours’ cat.

The cat is described as slim and mostly white. And *spoiler alert* it dies when hit by a car. Astonishingly, the day I finished my second read, I passed some people tending to a slim, white cat on the side of the road in my village. It lay flat out with no blood but clearly dead, something I have never witnessed before.

Want – Anonymous, Edited by Gillian Anderson

Preparing for her role as sex therapist Dr Jean Milburn in the TV series Sex Education, Gillian Anderson read Nancy Friday’s My Secret Garden. A groundbreaking 1970s collection of women’s sexual fantasies, it smashed taboos and certainly left an impression when I read it twenty odd years ago. Anderson has followed a similar model in soliciting and collecting women’s fantasies for Want. But times have changed, illegal and morally dubious fantasies were not included in Want which makes it less ‘daring’ but still powerful. Some of the most memorable entries were the saddest contributions, those who lacked love and understanding so found comfort in fantasies instead.

Men Without Women – Haruki Murakami

This collection of short stories is all about men longing for, struggling with or mourning the absence of a female partner; hence the title. Short stories are best, in my view, when they build enough of a world to be believable, give you enough to satisfy and intrigue then finish whilst you still want more. Of course Murakami does this with aplomb and each story is a capsule filled with character and metaphor. Thoroughly enjoyable.

You Are Here – David Nicholls

I’ve heard of David Nicholls’ work, especially One Day but never read any. You Are Here is beautifully written and cleverly structured. A headteacher invites a group of her friends on a multi-day walk, really with the aim of matchmaking. We follow two characters who are wonderfully portrayed as rather flawed but lovable individuals as they reluctantly engage with this forced socialising. Romance blossoms, but in such a subtle and real way. A real pleasure to read.

Butter – Asako Yuzuki

The butter yellow cover of Yuzuki’s book had caught my eye several times as I’d roamed London’s bookshops. That it combines food and Japan made it even more intriguing. It wasn’t long before my appetite could no longer resist. And what a treat it is! Absolutely sumptuous description of food and flavour, combined with a stark critique of the absurd standards women are held to. In simple terms this is a murder mystery, based on a true story: A woman who is accused of seducing and killing a number of lonely men while taking their money to enjoy fine dining. But that does disservice to the richness of this novel as it deftly explores the key female characters, and uses them to reflect on modern life in Japan, especially for working women. It’s truly a remarkably powerful and unique book that left me with lots to ponder, and eat. It really whetted my appetite, especially for the signature dish of hot rice with cold butter and a splash of soy sauce. It’s good!

The Gradual Disappearance of Jane Ashland – Nicolai Houm

An American woman wakes up alone in a tent amidst the Norwegian wilderness. Through a series of flashes forward and backwards we come to understand why. A beautiful study on loss and identity.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running – Haruki Murakami

I am bang smack in the target market for this book: A keen runner and a fan of Haruki Murakami. It was unlikely I wasn’t going to enjoy this memoir of how running helps him to write. It delivered, in Murakami’s uniquely humble and personal voice. A lovely insight into the author, long distance running and glimpses on his approach to writing. Loved it.

Novelist As A Vocation – Haruki Murakami

A remarkably open and engaging series of essays on writing as a profession. Both general thoughts, such as on book awards, as well as very personal reflections on how Murakami approaches writing: Lots of rewriting and lots of running it would seem. Very enjoyable for any fan of novels or Murakami, ideally both.

Creation Lake – Rachel Kushner

Picked this up on a whim at the Trafalgar Square Waterstones and I did not regret it. A thought provoking, fresh and engaging tale of espionage. The female protagonist is some kind of spy/agent provocateur for hire tasked with undermining an environmental movement. Nothing goes quite as expected and you finish the book with lots to ponder. Which is the sign of a good book in my view.

Ultra-Processed People – Chris van Tulleken

I didn’t know Chris’s work on TV, radio or podcasts before reading this book. My partner immediately knew “oh he’s the one with the twin Xand”. I also knew much of what he wrote having read many books in a similar vein e.g. Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma, have supported the Soil Association and so on.

And yet this book did end up surprising and moving me. It brought together so many threads in a fresh and compelling way. It examines the economic incentives to ask “what is the purpose of an ultra-processed food?”, to which the answer is to make money. There are sections looking at how all the additives may confuse our appetite control, our gut flora and much more. It’s also incredibly non-judgmental which I think makes it far more approachable. A powerful read which led to me having another hard look at our food shopping habits.

Hunkeler’s Secret – Hansjorg Schneider

Another brooding short novel featuring a now-retired Inspector Hunker in and around Basel. Short, satisfying and thoughtful as it explores the role of the banking industry in Swiss society, what it means to be retired, and how Switzerland dealt with those escaping the Nazis. Great for those of us sorely missing Henning Mankell.

Death in the Blood – Caroline Wheeler

While the Horizon Post Office scandal was the largest miscarriage of justice in British history, the Infected Blood scandal was the worst treatment disaster in the NHS’ history. Thousands have died and thousands more suffer from terrible consequences of HIV, Hepatitis and more. Wheeler starkly sets out the human impact of terrible decision-making in both government and medical establishments, and even worse the attempts to avoid accountability as the impact of the errors became ever clearer. Anyone in public service should read this to help ensure we never see such disasters again.