Showing posts with label Clare Mackintosh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Clare Mackintosh. Show all posts

Wednesday, 21 December 2016

My Top Reads of 2016!

It's no secret that just like last year 2016 has been a bit of a  mixed bag of a reading year for me BUT that doesn't mean that I didn't read some great books all the same.

Here are five of my favourite reads from 2016, listed in order of preference.




I read a hell of a lot of mysteries and thrillers, so the one's that keep me guessing right till the end have to be very tightly plotted and really very clever indeed! This one is. Catherine Ryan Howard's stunning debut gets and A+ from me. 





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In a year when a whole lot of YA missed the mark for me, Emery Lord's When We Collided, with its gorgeous prose, was a big winner. 



Up next from Emery Lord: The Names They Gave Us releases May 2017.


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Clare Mackintosh is fast becoming one of my go-to authors for creepy crime fiction. I See You is a complicated puzzle of a book with many a twist to keep you reading late into the night.



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One of the most talked about books of 2016, Emma Cline's Manson-family inspired coming-of-age debut, lived up to the hype thanks to its gorgeous prose.



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A gorgeous beach setting and swoony romance give this book the feelgood factor I demand from all of my summer contemps. This one is a great beach read that will leave you with a big ol' smile on your face.




******




Wednesday, 27 July 2016

Book Review: I See You by Clare Mackintosh.


Product details 
Publisher: Sphere.
Hardcover, 368 pages.
Release date: July 28th 2016.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Ages: Adult
Source: Received from publisher for review.

 When Zoe Walker sees her photo in the classifieds section of a London newspaper, she is determined to find out why it's there. There's no explanation, no website: just a grainy image and a phone number. She takes it home to her family, who are convinced it's just someone who looks like Zoe. But the next day the advert shows a photo of a different woman, and another the day after that.

Is it a mistake? A coincidence? Or is someone keeping track of every move they make . .



Her debut novel was a hairpin ride of a thriller that blindsided with its twists and left readers begging for more.  Now, Clare Mackintosh is back: and if you’re a nervous reader who was worried that her second novel wouldn’t live up to the brilliance of  I Let You Go, then put those fears to rest right now. I See You grips from the get go – and it’ll send shivers down your spine right till the very end. 

The very best type of thriller is one that makes a monster out of the everyday; that takes the mundane and renders it horrific. I See You is a book that you’ll read on your daily commute. Or maybe not. Actually, I’d warn against it. But, we’ve all been there, right? The commute is a necessary evil of city life; something that gets you to pillar to post. Beyond that, I’d wager it’s not something anyone spends a whole lot of time thinking about.  We spend our mornings and our evenings in the company of strangers whose gazes we want to avoid, mumbling apologies as trains jerk forward and bodies crush together. These strangers we see day in, day out, knowing nothing about their lives, as they know nothing about ours. But what if that’s not true? What if that stranger on the train knows everything about you: from your exact route to work to your dress size? And what if they want to know more? What if they want to know everything? 

That’s the nightmare scenario facing Zoe Walker, a London commuter who, by chance, sees her picture in the classifieds section of a free newspaper. At first, it looks as though Zoe’s picture is being used as an advert for a dating site. But Zoe’s investigations into the site don’t lead anywhere, and her family are quick to allay her fears, assuring her that the woman in the picture is just someone who bears a slight resemblance to her – not actually her at all.  However, Zoe knows her own face when she sees it, and as she starts checking the classifieds day after day, more adverts are placed for the dating site, each showing a different woman. At first, Zoe is annoyed. Then, she’s frightened. Because this is no ordinary dating site. And soon the women in the photos start turning up dead. Could Zoe be next?

A fantastic idea with expert execution, I See You is another hit from Mackintosh. This is a truly absorbing read and one that will keep you on the edge-of-your-seat as you follow Zoe on her daily life around London, where her very worst nightmare could be just a tube stop away. Just as with I Let You Go, the story of I See You isn’t told at breakneck speed: we get to know a lot about Zoe and her family –she’s a divorcee with two adult children – as well as the cops investigating the case. And soon, everyone – from Zoe’s boss to her daughter’s new boyfriend to random people on the tube- will be on your list of suspects.  That’s part of the fun of this sinister, jigsaw-puzzle tale: with victims seemingly picked at random, the perpetrator could be just about anyone. And you could be next…*Shudders*


In short: A stunning crime thriller with a highly unique premise. I See You is one that you’ll want to read late into the night – but maybe not on your daily commute. 

Monday, 6 June 2016

Five Books to Add to Your Summer Holiday Reading List (Adult Fiction)

Continuing my round-up of Summer Reading Recommendations, here's some Adult Fiction that you really need to check out sometime soon. 

I have a tendency to pump for twisty thrillers set in exotic locations when it comes to my summer reading, but I've tried to mix it up a little here by including a bunch of different genres and settings. 

Hope you enjoy!

*****




LOVE the premise of this one. A tight-knit group of friends, living in Brooklyn, find that their bond is tested when their kids start sleeping together, and secrets from their past rise up again. Sounds full of drama, right? I'm really looking forward to reading it.  The cover illustration is by Leah Reena Goren (whose work I love!) Check out more of her work: here.


When is this available? It's out now!
Click to read the Synopsis.

*****




I think I may have found THE perfect summer read. The Invitation by Lucy Foley, with it's exotic locales - Rome, Cannes, The Italian Riviera - and storyline of star-crossed love, secrets and tragedy, definitely sounds like one for the beach! I have an inkling that this one will appeal to fans of Liza Klaussmann and Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter.


When is this available? August 2nd in the US || July 14th in the UK.
Click to read the Synopsis.


*****




Probably my most anticipated book OF THE YEAR, I See You is the second book from Clare Mackintosh, author of I Let You Go. Have I told you how much I loved I Let You Go? Pretty sure I have. If you want to see my full review of that piece of twisty brilliance GO HERE. I See You promises to be another unputdownable read. It's already getting some great reviews on Goodreads.

When is this available? July 28th.

*****




Set in California, in the summer of 1969, The Girls, which is inspired by the Manson Family cult, is garnering rave reviews just about everywhere. It's blurbed by none other than Lena Dunham, who describes the book as one which will: "break your heart and blow your mind". And it's next up on my TBR, once I get done with the 500+ page tome that is The Unexpected Everything.


When is this available? June 14th in the US || June 16th in the UK.
Click to read the Synopsis.


*****




 I've already read and raved about this one, so you can just GO HERE to read my review. tl;dr: It's a twisty,  tightly-plotted thriller that you definitely want to read, but not if you are going on a cruise.


When is this available? It's out now!
Click to read the Synopsis. 

*****

Is there a bonus book? Of course there's a bonus book!





The blurb reads: "From the acclaimed author of The Bones of You comes a haunting and heartbreaking new psychological thriller about a man thrust into the middle of a murder investigation, forced to confront the secrets of his ex-lover's past." Sounds good, right?   I still haven't gotten around to reading Debbie Howells debut, the bestselling Bones of You, but I have a copy ordered and I'll be sticking it on my TBR as soon as it arrives.  Have you read The Bones of You? I've heard very good things!


When is this available?  July 26th in the US || July 14th in the UK.

****


Friday, 8 April 2016

New Books on my Radar!

Just a selection of my most-anticipated recent and upcoming releases!

 Added any must-have books to your wish list lately? Let me know in comments!




I See You by Clare Mackintosh || Release date: July 2016


You do the same thing every day. 

 You know exactly where you're going.

 You're not alone.

 When Zoe Walker sees her photo in the classifieds section of a London newspaper, she is determined to find out why it's there. There's no explanation: just a website, a grainy image and a phone number. She takes it home to her family, who are convinced it's just someone who looks like Zoe. But the next day the advert shows a photo of a different woman, and another the day after that. 

 Is it a mistake? A coincidence? Or is someone keeping track of every move they make . . .

 I See You is an edge-of-your-seat, page-turning psychological thriller from one of the most exciting and successful British debut talents of 2015.


Read my review of I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh.

*****



The Girls by Emma Cline || Release date: June 2016


California. The summer of 1969. In the dying days of a floundering counter-culture a young girl is unwittingly caught up in unthinkable violence, and a decision made at this moment, on the cusp of adulthood, will shape her life....

'This book will break your heart and blow your mind.' Lena Dunham

Evie Boyd is desperate to be noticed. In the summer of 1969, empty days stretch out under the California sun. The smell of honeysuckle thickens the air and the sidewalks radiate heat.

Until she sees them. The snatch of cold laughter. Hair, long and uncombed. Dirty dresses skimming the tops of thighs. Cheap rings like a second set of knuckles. The girls.

And at the centre, Russell. Russell and the ranch, down a long dirt track and deep in the hills. Incense and clumsily strummed chords. Rumours of sex, frenzied gatherings, teen runaways.

Was there a warning, a sign of things to come? Or is Evie already too enthralled by the girls to see that her life is about to be changed forever?

*****



Distress Signals by Catherine Ryan Howard || Release date: May 2016

Did she leave or was she taken?
The day Adam Dunne's girlfriend, Sarah, fails to return from a Barcelona business trip, his perfect life begins to fall apart. Days later, the arrival of her passport and a note that reads 'I'm sorry - S' sets off real alarm bells. He vows to do whatever it takes to find her. 

Adam is puzzled when he connects Sarah to a cruise ship called the Celebrate - and to a woman, Estelle, who disappeared from the same ship in eerily similar circumstances almost exactly a year before. 

To get the answers, Adam must confront some difficult truths about his relationship with Sarah. He must do things of which he never thought himself capable. And he must try to outwit a predator who seems to have found the perfect hunting ground...


Take Note: Author Catherine Ryan Howard will feature on the blog in May.

*****



The Drowning Girls by Paula Treick DeBoard || Release date: April 2016

Critically acclaimed author of The Mourning Hours and The Fragile World , Paula Treick DeBoard returns with a tale of dark secrets, shocking lies and a dangerous obsession that will change one neighborhood forever  
Liz McGinnis never imagined herself living in a luxurious gated community like The Palms. Ever since she and her family moved in, she's felt like an outsider amongst the Stepford-like wives and their obnoxiously spoiled children. Still, she's determined to make it work—if not for herself, then for her husband, Phil, who landed them this lavish home in the first place, and for her daughter, Danielle, who's about to enter high school. 
Yet underneath the glossy veneer of The Palms, life is far from idyllic. In a place where reputation is everything, Liz soon discovers that even the friendliest residents can't be trusted. So when the gorgeous girl next door befriends Danielle, Liz can't help but find sophisticated Kelsey's interest in her shy and slightly nerdy daughter a bit suspicious. 
But while Kelsey quickly becomes a fixture in the McGinnis home, Liz's relationships with both Danielle and Phil grow strained. Now even her own family seems to be hiding things, and it's not long before their dream of living the high life quickly spirals out of control…
*****
Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke || Release date: March 2016

Every story needs a hero.
Every story needs a villain.
Every story needs a secret.

Wink is the odd, mysterious neighbor girl, wild red hair and freckles. Poppy is the blond bully and the beautiful, manipulative high school queen bee. Midnight is the sweet, uncertain boy caught between them. Wink. Poppy. Midnight. Two girls. One boy. Three voices that burst onto the page in short, sharp, bewitching chapters, and spiral swiftly and inexorably toward something terrible or tricky or tremendous.

What really happened?
Someone knows.
Someone is lying.

*****

Wednesday, 23 December 2015

My Top Reads of 2015!

It's no secret that 2015 has been a bit of a mixed-bag of a reading year for me. I've suffered through some reading slumps, that's for sure, and it's also safe to say that a few of the books I was really looking forward to reading this year didn't quite work out for me. Still, it wasn't all bad. I did read some really great books - just not as many as previous years!

I've decided to split my favourite reads into two categories this year: Adult and Young Adult - and since I don't have a whole lot of favourites from this year (ONE five-star read, guys!) I'll be doing a Top Three in each category. I've also followed Arianne's lead and included a few bonus picks. Enjoy!

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Favourite Adult Fiction
(In order of preference)




This was a very-late-in-the-year read for me, and I'm so glad I managed to fit it in as it turned out to be the only book I rated five-stars this year. I don't award five-stars unless I really, really love a book, and I really loved this one. This was very much a read-it-in-one-sitting book for me as I literally couldn't put it down once the twists started to unfold.  Also, Lily Kintner has to be the best bad girl I've read in a long time. So much fun! (In a very twisted kind of way!)



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I had heard little about I Let You Go until it was recommended to me by my blogger friend Vicki of Cosy Books who told me I would love it. She was right. I was blown away by this book which contains what I referred to in my review as: ONLY ONE OF THE BEST PLOT TWISTS EVER. I love it when a book really surprises me as this one did. I read so many thrillers these days that it doesn't often happen so it's extra special when it does!  




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The Girl on the Train is the book EVERYONE was talking about this year. I've seen a lot of books described as 'The new Gone Girl' but this is one of the few that lived up to that description. A true page-turner, this one kept me hooked from start to finish, and though I did find the outcome easy to predict, this was nonetheless a thoroughly enjoyable read for me.  Movie rights to this one were sold early on, with Emily Blunt since cast in the lead. Put this on your list of movies to watch next year!



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Favourite Young Adult Fiction
(In order of preference)




99 Days is the kind of book you will either love or hate. I've seen a lot of negative reviews for this one pertaining to the subject matter of the book.  99 Days is all about cheating, and the protagonist of the piece, Molly, is a little blasé about the whole thing. She cheats, feels bad about it for a minute, and then cheats again. I should have hated Molly - but I didn't. Instead I found her very real - and I loved reading about her drama-filled life. This is the first book I've read from Katie Cotugno, and it was also my favourite YA read this year.



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All of my favourite YA reads from this year are contemps, so of course Sarah Dessen had to be on this list! That said, I didn't have super high hopes for Saint Anything, since I didn't love Dessen's last release, The Moon and More.  This was a nice surprise then for me, because I just adored this book.  I always find that Dessen's books are so heartwarming and wholesome and honest too, and Saint Anything is certainly no exception to that rule.



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If Jenny Han releases a book in any given year, then it's a good chance said book will make my end-of-year favourites list, because in my mind Jenny Han can do no wrong.  P.S. I Still Love You is another great read from Han full of multi-layered characters, quotable quotes and swoony romance. Lara Jean Covey is a wise-beyond-her-years character you can really root for, while little sister Kitty surely deserves her very own spin-off series at some point. 



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Bonus: Favourite YA Debut of 2015




Another contemp, I know! I really have to start reading outside my comfort zone of thrillers and contemps next year! Anyway, so this was adorable: a tale of friendships, family and football pitched as Pride and Prejudice meets Friday Night Lights. I try to check out a lot of YA debuts every year, and this one definitely stood out for me in 2015. 



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Bonus: Favourite Read of 2015 Published Before 2015




I just right now realised that I never got around to writing a review for Sinner. Ooops. All you need to know is that I loved this book. Maggie Steifvater wrote a whole book about my favourite bad boy Cole St. Clair. How could my reaction be anything but total love?  Here's what I gushingly said about this book per a mini-Goodreads review: 

"Loved this! LOVED Cole (as always!) He is so wonderfully, wonderfully written. Isabel infuriated me at times (as always!) but she and Cole just work together. Sam and Grace are sweet, sweet, sweet, while Cole and Isabel are off the charts hot, and their make-out scenes are written accordingly! Oh, and the writing. The dialogue. The setting. Just WOW. L.O.V.E."

So, I mean, I guess you could say I liked it, yeah...

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And....That is IT from the blog for 2015.* Thank you for reading. An extra special thank you to those who leave comments and feedback on my reviews and ramblings.

Happy Holidays -- I'll see you in 2016!

In the meantime, let me know what you think of my favourite reads of 2015. Tell me what books you loved this year! 


*Unless I get bored and decide to do some end-of-year reading surveys or giveaways.

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Monday, 18 May 2015

Book Review: I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh.


Product details:
Publisher: Sphere.
Paperback, 364 pages.
Release date: Novembers 9th 2014.
Rating:  4½ out of 5.
Ages: Adult
Source: Received from publisher for review.

  A tragic accident. It all happened so quickly. She couldn't have prevented it. Could she?

In a split second, Jenna Gray's world is shattered. Her only hope of moving on is to walk away from everything she knows to start afresh. Desperate to escape her past, Jenna moves to a remote cottage on the Welsh coast, but she is haunted by her fears, her grief and her memories of the cruel November night that changed her life for ever.

DI Ray Stevens is tasked with seeking justice for a mother who is living every parent's worst nightmare. Determined to get to the bottom of the case, it begins to consume him as he puts both his professional and personal life on the line.

As Ray and his team seek to uncover the truth, Jenna, slowly, begins to glimpse the potential for happiness in her future. But her past is about to catch up with her, and the consequences will be devastating .


A truly stunning debut novel crackling with atmospheric tension and thrilling plot-twists, I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh astounds with revelation after stunning revelation in the race to a finish-line that will send shivers down your spine. 

A woman haunted by unimaginable loss and an investigate team determined to bring justice at all costs provide the backdrop to this book, which, early on, you might think is really nothing special: just another run-of-the-mill crime thriller. If this hadn’t come my way via a personal recommendation from someone whose reading taste I really trust and share (thanks, Vicki!)  that’s what I would have thought too.  This book starts with a tragic incident that sets everything in motion, but after that, the pace slows in a maybe not-to-everyone’s-taste way, lulling the reader into a false sense of security of remote cottages, and sandy beaches and rescued pets, and romantic dinners with dishy vets. And then…

Only one of THE BEST PLOT-TWISTS EVER!

I read a lot of thrillers, and I almost always predict the big twists. Far too often I find I’m left disappointed and disgruntled because of this.  It’s my own fault, I know. Don’t ever watch a movie of this type with me either, because I’ll guess the twist and blurt it out. I just can’t help myself. Anyway, the twist here, along with the big twist in Gone Girl are maybe the only two twists that have ever really, really surprised me, in a ‘well, that just left me speechless,’ sort of way. This book is just so clever and it surprised me time and time again.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot of I Let You Go, because I want you to read this book and be surprised, so I’m being intentionally (very) vague in that I’m side-stepping the plot entirely and focusing on other things.

Like the fact that before she was an author, Clare Mackintosh spent twelve years in the police force; something which adds a whole lot of authenticity to this book. I loved the fact that Mackintosh, while providing details of a very thorough police-investigation wasn’t overly technical either (I’ve read crime novels that are bogged down by technical detail, which sometimes makes for a boring read) but what I liked about Mackintosh’s writing was that she gave her characters DI Ray Stevens and his younger colleague, Kate lives outside the police force; I like that we got to spend time with Ray and his family, and I loved how no-nonsense Kate seemingly took everything in her stride.  In fact, I was intrigued by Kate maybe most of all; we don’t get to know a lot about her as our view of her is provided via Stevens, but I feel like there could be an interesting backstory there, and that maybe we could follow her as she rises throughout  the ranks with each new Mackintosh release.

I have no idea if this is the plan, just like I have no idea what Mackintosh’s next book will be, but whatever it is, I’m in.

While the first major plot-twist in this book is a doozy of epic proportions, it’s not the only trump card in this book. If fact, there is so much more to this book, which, in Part II introduces a major player in Jenna’s life, one whose narrative expands her story into a tale that is as compelling and as multi-layered as it is truly shocking and disturbing. A truly great debut, I Let You Go is hands down one of the best books I’ve read this year. If you loved The Girl on the Train, then make this your next read.

Highly recommended.

Monday, 11 May 2015

I Let You Go Blog Tour: Clare Mackintosh Shares Her Reading Habits & Read an Extract of I Let You Go.


I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh || Release date: November 2014

A tragic accident. It all happened so quickly. She couldn't have prevented it. Could she?

In a split second, Jenna Gray's world is shattered. Her only hope of moving on is to walk away from everything she knows to start afresh. Desperate to escape her past, Jenna moves to a remote cottage on the Welsh coast, but she is haunted by her fears, her grief and her memories of the cruel November night that changed her life for ever.

DI Ray Stevens is tasked with seeking justice for a mother who is living every parent's worst nightmare. Determined to get to the bottom of the case, it begins to consume him as he puts both his professional and personal life on the line.

As Ray and his team seek to uncover the truth, Jenna, slowly, begins to glimpse the potential for happiness in her future. But her past is about to catch up with her, and the consequences will be devastating .
 


*****

Guest Post: Clare Mackintosh Shares her Reading Habits.
Not all readers are writers, but I don't know of any writers who aren't readers. A passion for books is surely a prerequisite for their creation? I am, and have always been, a prolific reader. I hate to interrupt a good book, and will sacrifice anything (sleep, food, the housework...) to reach the end of a real page-turner. Before I started writing books myself my reading tastes were fairly rigid. Crime novels for most of the year, and something pink with high heels or cupcakes on the cover for holidays and high days. 

Over the years, and as my own writing began to develop, my reading habits started to change. I began reading for research, as much as for pleasure, exploring crime sub-genres such as mystery, thriller, cosy crime, psychological suspense, in order to find out where my natural writing style lay. I looked at books in a different way, often going back over sections I had already read, in order to unpick how the author had fitted the plot together, or how the carefully placed clues had managed to simultaneously mislead and direct me. 

My role as director of Chipping Norton Literary Festival means I am sent a great deal of books, most of which I try to read, especially if they are appearing at the festival. This pushes me out of my reading comfort zone, with surprising results. Having for many years declared I wasn't a fan of historical fiction, or by romance novels, I would find myself captivated by a Second World War love story. Receiving books through the post is an enormous treat, and I never take it for granted. I read almost everything I receive, and if I like it I tweet about it, and occasionally write a blog post about it. More and more I take the time to review a good book on Goodreads, so that others can discover it too. Right now I'm reading an amazing science fiction book, a genre I have always avoided. 

When I am writing, particularly if I have finished the first draft and am in the hideous middle stage of the rewriting and editing process, where nothing is going right, I often suffer from reader's block. Nothing I pick up grabs me, and if I stumble on a particularly well-written novel I am too wracked with anxiety over my own agonisingly awful manuscript to read it. I have learned now that there is no point in fighting this. Instead I return to old favourites (Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier, or one of Richmal Crompton's timeless Just Williams) and let the words wash over me. My reading muse will return - it always does. 

*****

Read an Extract of I Let You Go:

When I wake, for a second I’m not sure what this feeling is. Everything is the same, and yet everything has changed. Then, before I have even opened my eyes, there is a rush of noise in my head, like an underground train. And there it is: playing out in Technicolor scenes I can’t pause or mute. I press the heels of my palms into my temples as though I can make the images subside through brute force alone, but still they come, thick and fast, as if without them I might forget. On my bedside cabinet is the brass alarm clock Eve gave me when I went to university – ‘Because you’ll never get to lectures, otherwise’ – and I’m shocked to see it’s ten-thirty already. The pain in my hand has been overshadowed by a headache that blinds me if I move my head too fast, and as I peel myself from the bed every muscle aches. I pull on yesterday’s clothes and go into the garden without stopping to make a coffee, even though my mouth is so dry it’s an effort to swallow. I can’t find my shoes, and the frost stings my feet as I make my way across the grass. The garden isn’t large, but winter is on its way, and by the time I reach the other side I can’t feel my toes. The garden studio has been my sanctuary for the last five years. Little more than a shed to the casual observer, it is where I come to think, to work, and to escape. The wooden floor is stained from the lumps of clay that drop from my wheel, firmly placed in the centre of the room, where I can move around it and stand back to view my work with a critical eye. Three sides of the shed are lined with shelves on which I place my sculptures, in an ordered chaos only I could understand. Works in progress, here; fired but not painted, here; waiting to go to customers, here. Hundreds of separate pieces, yet if I shut my eyes, I can still feel the shape of each one beneath my fingers, the wetness of the clay on my palms. I take the key from its hiding place under the window ledge and open the door. It’s worse than I thought. The floor lies unseen beneath a carpet of broken clay; rounded halves of pots ending abruptly in angry jagged peaks. The wooden shelves are all empty, my desk swept clear of work, and the tiny figurines on the window ledge are unrecognisable, crushed into shards that glisten in the sunlight. By the door lies a small statuette of a woman. I made her last year, as part of a series of figures I produced for a shop in Clifton. I had wanted to produce something real, something as far from perfection as it was possible to get, and yet for it still to be beautiful. I made ten women, each with their own distinctive curves, their own bumps and scars and imperfections. I based them on my mother; my sister; girls I taught at pottery class; women I saw walking in the park. This one is me. Loosely, and not so anyone would recognise, but nevertheless me. Chest a little too flat; hips a little too narrow; feet a little too big. A tangle of hair twisted into a knot at the base of the neck. I bend down and pick her up. I had thought her intact, but as I touch her the clay moves beneath my hands, and I’m left with two broken pieces. I look at them, then I hurl them with all my strength towards the wall, where they shatter into tiny pieces that shower down on to my desk. I take a deep breath and let it slowly out.

*****


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