Shy by Max Porter (4*) , narrated by Joe Gaminara (5*)

This is the second [author:Max Porter|13807841] book I have read. And I must highly recommend him as a writer, especially for people who love words, rhythm and rhyme. His plots are thin, sparse, but his language is rich, lush and exorbitant. Reading him is like lying in your favourite bubble bath, soaking it all in. In this book we have Shy a very troubled youth, now having his last chance at the 'Last Chance' school an unconventional rehab institution for delinquent, disturbed and violent offenders.

I would advice listening to the audio narrated brilliantly by Joe Gaminara alongside the textual copy. His narration captures the multi-voice way Porter writes, bringing the author's architectural style of producing words on the page to the narration. Gaminara brings the building bricks of the text - its spacing, loft and right justifications, italics etc - to life. So much added value.

Porter is incredibly innovative in in writing style - unique? You really hear the hip-hop, bass and drums that Shy likes, you experience the chaos of his mind, how he tries to handle his own frustrations, his ignorance, his questioning, his interactions with other, the noise, noise noise of his existence. This is a powerful book. Not easy subject matter. But you will know you have read it.

Assembly by Natasha Brown (4*)

My roll of short great novels continues.

Race and class in Modern Britain circa 2013 . Social climbing today for old money and new. Privilege and expectation versus work hard, work harder mantra or the migrant and the masses. Although some passages feel like creative writing exercises re-used, this woman can write. She makes the essence of her protagonist explode from the concise 100 pages of tight text into full bloom in your mind.

Deservedly on the Granta 2023 Best of Young British Novelists list

On the Calculation of Volume I by Solvej Balle, Translated from the Danish by Barbara J. Haveland (4*)

This book takes the concept found in Groundhog Day, and in The Time Traveller's Wife etc and runs with it in 1st person narrative of antiquarian book seller Tara. As she tells her husband about the repetition , each day's recantation getting longer and longer, we see her try to maintain then be a voyeur and then remove herself from his 18th, from his life, their house, their life. It was an addictive listen. Ive ordered Book 2 of the series from the library to see how she develops this and where she takes it.