The House of Hidden Mothers by Meera Syal

I have so many thoughts and feelings about The House of Hidden Mothers by Meera Syal that it is hard to know where to begin. First, I’ll say that I really enjoyed this novel, more than I expected to. It is a triumph that tackles so many different issues faced by women in today’s world. As always, Syal writes with humour and grace that never belittles the experiences of her characters.

The Last Word by Hanif Kureishi

It’s been a long time since I’ve read anything by Hanif Kureishi. In fact, i think the only thing I’ve read by him was the Buddha of Suburbia (brilliant, if memory serves). Along comes The Last Word and I thought, why not? Kureishi is a well-known satirist, and in this book he takes an aging, once-famous author to task.