BOOKS

EMILY & DAN ROSS STORYSMITH BOOKS

What can we say about the last six months that hasn’t already been said? You don’t need another person telling you just how odd and dramatic it’s all been, so I think it’s probably enough for us to say that here at Storysmith we’re happy to be here on the other side of lockdown, with no small thanks to our wonderful customers across Bristol and beyond. Countless quirks of the situation revealed themselves in that time and, fortunately for us, it meant a lot of people had more time to expand their literary horizons.

Autumn tends to see the publishing industry go slightly overboard with new releases, but with almost 600 new books released on 3 September alone it’s been even more saturated than usual – and being the literary horizon-expanders that we are, we’ve sifted through the endless new titles to bring you some of our favourites. .

“We can’t even bring ourselves to even mention the word ‘ending’, because when you get there you’re going to be little more than a husk of a person . . .” New horizons Here’s a paradox: as normality returns, is now the perfect time to journey to new and unfamiliar worlds?

BREASTS AND EGGS,by Mieko Kawakami We managed to snaffl e an advance copy of this during lockdown, and we’ve been eagerly awaiting its release ever since. A savage and biting takedown of contemporary attitudes to women in Japan, Kawakami tackles motherhood, objectifi cation, plastic surgery and working class womanhood in a way that is grimly funny and totally readable. We meet an intergenerational cast of female characters who are every bit as real (or unreal) as the subjects they discuss. It might be a bit early to be naming our book of the year, but we’ll be very surprised if this isn’t at least in the top three.

LOVE IN COLOUR, by Bolu Babalola There’s been a bit of a ‘thing’ for reinterpreting myths and legends in contemporary literature of late (leaning heavily on Greek mythology), so we were thrilled to see Bolu Babalola take on this concept in a delightfully pan-geographical fashion. Love In Colour breathes new life into folk tales and magical lore rooted in a true diversity of cultures – the Middle East, West Africa, and even countries that no longer exist. Running through all of these tales is the zest of romance, as the title suggests, and all the delicious complications that implies. SISTERS, by Daisy Johnson Lying at the heart of this slim and savage novel is the fact that we know *something* has happened, but we don’t know what – discovering the secrets held between two inseparable sisters named July and September is a haunting treat. Twisty, poetic, feverish and with plenty to say on the nature of control, this is one for Shirley Jackson fans – Daisy Johnson’s voice is clear, compelling and brilliantly terrifying when it needs to be. We can’t even bring ourselves to even mention the word ‘ending’ because when you get there you’re going to be little more than a husk of a person. Do not say we didn’t warn you.

DEATH IN HER HANDS, by Ottessa Moshfegh Who wouldn’t want to be Ottessa Moshfegh? She writes the kind of delicious and darkly witty stories that would make Muriel Spark raise an eyebrow, full of dubious and disturbing characters and daring ideas about what is to live in the modern world, and she writes them sitting in bed. Despite this, we think her work has a signifi cance that goes beyond the bedroom.

Her last novel, My Year Of Rest And Relaxation, inadvertently became a lockdown hit thanks to its unnamed central character who intentionally self-isolates for a whole year, but Death In Her Hands sees Moshfegh change tack, turning a mystery novel on its head. With her trademark caustic wit, she sets up the murder and leads us on a merry dance as protagonist Vesta discovers an anonymous handwritten note which simply reads: “Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn’t me. Here is her dead body.”

Who could resist an opening like that?

As always, it’s our distinct mission as independent booksellers to guide you through indecision, and we hope our recommendations do just that. But as we fumble uncomfortably back into something approaching normal life, increasingly we’re fi nding solace in stories. Our role is changing as a result: now that the shop is back open and we’re seeing our regulars return alongside some new faces, we’re delighted to be helping people fi nd the next story that will transport them somewhere unique. Strangely, it feels more important than ever. Storysmith is now open again at 49 North Street; www.storysmithbooks.com