New books to read this week

Comedian-turned-author Bob Mortimer is back with a follow-up to The Satsuma Complex…

Fiction

The Hotel Avocado by Bob Mortimer is published in hardback by Gallery

Comedian Bob Mortimer has delved deeper into the fruit bowl for the follow-up to his bestselling debut novel, The Satsuma Complex. The Hotel Avocado is a stunning sequel, filled with his trademark wacky storylines, tasty side dishes of intrigue, all topped with police and council corruption and violence. The story centres on Gary Thorn, who is prevaricating over whether to stay in his not very exciting legal job in London, watching football in his local and eating pies with neighbour Grace and her dog, or embark on a much more exciting life in Brighton, helping his girlfriend Emily open a hotel. He visits the seaside at weekends, as Emily works hard to make improvements to the hotel, with the help of a giant plastic avocado, fixed – without planning permission – at the entrance. His already complicated life is turned upside down with the arrival of the menacing Mr Sequence, who violently threatens Gary and Emily, trying to strong-arm him to not give evidence in a police corruption trial. It’s genuinely difficult to put this book down – you’ll be entranced by Mortimer’s humour and obvious story-telling skills.

Precipice by Robert Harris is published in hardback by Hutchinson Heinemann

As Britain grapples with the prospect of its first world war, the nation is unaware that their prime minister is engaging in a romantic affair with a young socialite half his age, where official government documents are sent through the standard post and Cabinet meeting discussions are written alongside his declarations of love and yearning. Precipice, the new novel from Robert Harris, seamlessly blends fact and fiction with authentic correspondence from the then-prime minister H. H. Asquith to Venetia Stanley. When a young intelligence officer is assigned to investigate leaks of top-secret documents, their romantic, and at times obsessive, affair becomes a matter of national security. By including genuine telegrams, newspaper reports and official documents from the time, Harris takes his readers on a gripping journey as the war begins overseas, while on the home front, Miss Stanley is gradually becoming one of the most consequential women in British political history.

The Life Impossible by Matt Haig is published in hardback by Canongate Books

On the face of it, Matt Haig’s The Life Impossible delivers another life-affirming modern fairy-tale. But add a surprisingly kick-ass pensioner as protagonist and a dose of the paranormal, and he’s created something magical. Hopelessly entangled in grief and regret, septuagenarian Grace finds life numbing, until a mysterious inheritance whisks her to Ibiza. Searching for the truth culminates in an affecting otherworldly encounter, fundamentally altering her humdrum existence. However, transformative new starts come with responsibility, and Grace must foil nefarious plans threatening the sanctity of her sun-drenched paradise. As joyfully entertaining as a Balearic club and enchantingly addictive, this is a lesson in embracing the unfamiliar, overcoming weighty burdens on the soul, protecting the natural world, and to live every moment to the full. It’s entirely possible that you’ll devour this uplifting story at once, and you might not find a more emotionally satisfying read this year.

Non-fiction

Avoidance, Drugs, Heartbreak And Dogs by Jordan Stephens is published in hardback by Canongate

Rizzle Kicks musician, actor and presenter Jordan Stephens offers a new way to do a memoir in Avoidance, Drugs, Heartbreak And Dogs (which is the acronym for ADHD, a nod to the fact he was diagnosed with the disorder twice). He explores his upbringing, experiences with ADHD and more, but mainly zeroes in on one formative moment in time: a painful breakup with a girlfriend after he made a drunken mistake and cheated on her. It’s a raw meditation on heartbreak, self-loathing and finding yourself – Stephens blames himself, blames others, even goes on a spiritual healing journey in Brazil. He doesn’t shy away from the uglier sides of life and indeed himself, and it raises interesting questions about masculinity and love. You just wonder if it might have benefited from a broader perspective rather than this one breakup.

Children’s book of the week

Try by Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield with Emma Adams, illustrated by Ben Whitehouse, is published in hardback by Macmillan Children’s Books

This is rugby-playing friends Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield’s second book, following 2023’s With You Every Step, which raised £27,000 for the MND Association and Leeds Hospitals Charity. It’s a picture book telling the sweet story of school friends Rob and Kev, who are asked who their hero is. As the day progresses, they realise that their heroes might not necessarily be the rich and famous – but much closer to home. It’s a sweet tale, particularly with the knowledge that Burrow died of motor neurone disease aged 41 in June of this year, and the book will continue to raise money for the MND Association and Leeds Hospitals Charity. While parents might find the storyline a touch twee, the powerful message of bravery and friendship rings through.