february-march 2026 books…

Gwen John (Alicia Foster): I read this book prior to attending the exhibition of the artist’s work at the National Museum, Cardiff – and it proved very useful. Although I had long been an admirer of her work, I knew only rudimentary facts about her life. Like her brother, Augustus, she attended the Slade School of Fine Art from the age of 18 – which unlike the Royal Academy, for instance, allowed male and female artists to work and study together relatively unimpeded. What I hadn’t realised was that, from 1904 until her death in 1939, she went on to spend most of her time in Paris… and, indeed, was Rodin’s lover (and frequent model) for some 10 years! I had imagined her as being something of a recluse (‘famous for painting solitary women’), but this was far from being the case. Towards the end of her life she embraced an ardent Catholicism. A useful, fascinating book that filled in LOTS of gaps in my knowledge about Gwen John and the background to some of her beautiful paintings.
The Impossible Fortune (Richard Osman): Two admissions: a) I’m appalled that ‘celebrities’ who make shed loads of money doing ‘other things’, decide to become writers, make shed loads of more money while aspiring writers struggle to make ends meet, and b) I have to admit that Osman is a very clever, gifted author! Ridiculously, I realise that this is the fifth ‘Thursday Murder Club Mystery’ that I’ve read… and, just like the others, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this “warm, wise and witty” novel (as Val McDermid has apparently described it). I love all of the Murder Club’s characters (especially Joyce!). Another very pleasurable read.
Salt (David Harsent): I came across this book of poetry at our local £5 Bookshop. I’d never previously come across the author but, slowly reading his poems out loud to myself (as you do!) as one of my early morning rituals, I came to really enjoy his ‘way with words’. The book’s dust jacket provides an apt description: “The poems in this book are a series, not a sequence. They belong to each other in mood, in tone and by way of certain images and words that form a ricochet of echoes – not least the word ‘salt’”. I rather loved it and will seek out more of Harsent’s poetry in future.
Magic In Mossthorn Bridge (Alice Broadway): Exciting to be reading a new book by our very gifted author daughter (she’s a wonderful story-teller)! The book’s cover describes it as “a sweet and cozy small-town romance” – which, on the face of it, is really not my ‘scene’(!)… and yet I found it quite compelling (I read it in 2 days!). The setting is the town and community of Mossthorn Bridge in the north of England. After 10 years’ absence, a young woman returns to run her aunt’s music shop. But there are issues: a) her ‘first love’ still lives in the town (their relationship hadn’t ended well), b) her old flame is the son of the town's biggest landlord/landowner (who thinks he rules the town), c) their respective families despise each other and d) there’s magic involved (which rather complicates things!!). The two young people are forced into taking part in a community play (a very selective retelling of the town's history – written by the aforementioned major landowner/father). A story about power, music, fable/magic and love. I’m looking forward to the sequel already!
Waterland (Graham Swift): This rather lovely – and sometimes challenging - book (first published in 1983) is a brilliant mixture of history of England, a Fenland documentary and a fictional autobiography. It’s about the changing landscape/land reclamation, social history, empire-building, brewers, sluice-minders, Victorian patriarchs, local eccentrics and family fortunes… oh, and murder, incest, guilt and insanity! Swift is a brilliant writer and I found the novel completely enthralling.