Deep Blue Sea - Tasmina Perry
Summer is approaching, and luckily we can always rely on a good book to take us somewhere special. I’ve been reading Tasmina Perry’s Deep Blue Sea, which offers glittering escapism.
Sitting reading in my flat in London, Deep Blue Sea magically transported me to exotic locations – by luxury sports car and first-class cabin, no less. When I found myself on a white beach in Thailand or in lush Montego Bay, I could almost feel the sun on my skin and the sand beneath my feet.
Tasmina Perry also offers the reader a VIP pass into the arena of the super-rich, with unprecedented access to country mansions and London townhouses, phone-hacking scandals and expensive law suits. I was gripped by this rare glimpse into the world Deep Blue Sea inhabits - dark and dangerous beneath the bright lights and glamour, a world every bit as corrupt as it is chic.
I also loved the smart, female characters – women who are independent, successful and opinionated, with high-flying careers or as strong, outstanding mothers. Rather than envied, I admired these women, as their personalities outshone their cashmere jumpers and designer bags. Part of these women’s charm is that they are flawed, and wholly believable. They embarrass themselves and you cringe with them; they make the wrong choices and you want to shake them and tell them to wake up. Like the relationships you have with your friends, you both admire and admonish them, and love every second of it.
More than anything, Deep Blue Sea is a thrilling read. I was thrown headfirst into an irresistible web of deceit, infidelity and murder, as well as love, laughter, friendship and fun.
And on one last note, who could argue with one of my favorite lines of all: ‘Cake is one of life’s great pleasures’?
So sit down with a slice of cake, a cup of tea (or perhaps an iced margarita) and dive into Deep Blue Sea.
Christina Demosthenous, Editorial
The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls – Anton DiSclafani
There are books that reach out to their readers in ways perhaps unexpected, perhaps unsettling, perhaps uninvited. For me, and I believe for most, these are the books I remember, that seem to become a part of my history in a way I cannot really describe to anyone who has never truly loved a book. The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls is one of those books.
Anton DiSclafani gathers enormous themes of love, lust, coming of age and the complexity of inter-human relationships in such unassuming fashion that you barely notice the enormity of it all until the sizzling conclusion.
Yonahlossee is about a teenage girl learning about herself and the people around her. This is both a challenge and a joy to read, particularly for those close to their siblings, for those baffled by their parents, for those who want too much, or who want anything at all.
Darcy Nicholson, Editorial
The Ocean at the End of the Lane – Neil Gaiman
I have long been a Neil Gaiman fan and I’ve been so excited about The Ocean at the End of the Lane since I came to Headline. A beautiful fable of memories, magic and friendship, I don’t think anyone could read this and not be hit with a sense of nostalgia. Through a young man returning home and reminiscing on his childhood, we’re introduced to some amazing characters – most notably Lettie Hempstock (I wish I could have had a best friend as cool as her when I was 7!). As soon as I started this I was reminded of how wonderful it felt to be a child engrossed in books, full of innocence and occasionally being fearful of adults! Quite possibly Gaiman’s best novel yet.
Deirdre O’Connell, Sales