Bookstoker Young Readers
The Great Godden
A wonderfully atmospheric summer must-read
Yayoi Kusama Covered Everything in Dots and Wasn’t Sorry
Contagious enthusiasm for a dazzling non-conformist
Welcome to Bookstoker!
We’re here to help you find that book that you can’t put down, the book you’ll push on all your friends, the book that’ll change your life.
We read literary fiction, non-fiction, classics and children’s books, all genres and styles embraced in our aim to share the love. You’ll also find fabulous Bookstagrams and literary news.
A world of bookish delights!
Jane, Meg, Kirstin, Johanne, Lily, Nicole and Julie
Top 100 Book Blogs
Netgalley Member
Review by Julie
The Life Before Us
A funny and moving 20th century French best-selling novel
The Life Before Us by Émile Ajar is a heart-breaking story narrated by Momo, a ten year-old Arab immigrant to France. Momo, who lives in an orphanage run by ex-prostitute Madame Rosa, has seen things no ten-year old should see and is far too advanced for his age. Darkly comical and wonderfully poignant The Life Before Us deserves to join the ranks of rediscovered classics. Why no UK publisher has given its cover a face-lift and republished this wonderful novel is a mystery to me. Read full Review
News by Julie
A Bookclub with a Difference
From now until December, Human Rights Watch will be offering a virtual book club series exploring a range of human rights issues through the lens of award-winning novels and non-fiction. Pairing leading authors with Human Rights Watch’s brilliant researchers, the series will discuss issues of race, identity and democracy and featuring best-selling authors such as Afua Hirsch, Elif Shafak and Hisham Matar. The first in the series will be hosted by Afua Hirsch author, barrister and journalist, on the 13th August from 6.30-7.30pm BST discussing her best-selling book Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging. Join here now!
News by Julie
Struggling to find a good book?
Visit our archive where you’ll find more that 400 reviewed books, all hand-picked by our picky reviewers. We only recommend books we really, really like so rest assured you won’t be wasting your time. Craving something funny? Go to our ‘In the mood for…’ tab in the menu bar on our homepage. There you’ll also find our best long and short reads, thrilling books, challenging and light reads. In our ‘Review’ tab you’ll find our reviews sorted by category, fiction, non-fiction, classics, American literature etc. If you still can’t find anything, send us an email (bookstoker@gmail.com) and we’ll try to help.
News by Julie
Books set in New York City
Having spent the better part of my 20s living in New York City, I have a huge soft spot for this iconic place. I crave books that bring back the noises, the buzz, the beauty, the people and the grittiness of the city. Here’s a selection of some of the very best ones.
News by Julie
This summer’s must read books
So now that the summer holidays are in sight, what will you be reading? The good news is that while we’ve all been locked up at home, some fabulous books have been published. We just haven’t been able to see them displayed in our local bookshops. So here they are, our favourite books over the past few dark months which we can guarantee will brighten up your summer.
Bookstoker Young Readers
Meat Market
Compelling YA Book Prize winner exposes the dark side of the fashion industry
Lark
Outstanding Carnegie Award winning tale of landscape and brotherly bonds
The Infinite
Exuberant crime-busting race against time
News by Julie
Dreaming of going to France?
Review by Johanne
The Cabin in the Mountains
Pining for the fjords
With the onset of COVID-19, Norwegians found themselves suffering from a peculiar kind of cabin fever. Cabin-owners across the nation were no longer allowed to stay at holiday houses outside their home municipality, something that led Norwegians closer to civil disobedience than they had ever ventured before. This obsessive attachment to our holiday homes is explained well in The Cabin in the Mountains by Robert Ferguson. Enamoured with Norwegian culture, the English writer has lived in Norway since the 1980s, and is well equipped to present his compatriots with the many curious aspects of his adopted home country.
