Books I Read Last November

Nine Pints by Rose George is a non-fiction about โthe mysterious, miraculous world of bloodโ. The title refers to the approximate amount of blood we have in our bodies, and George explores various blood-related topics across nine chapters covering disease, cultural attitudes and medical breakthroughs.
Georgeโs global tour includes HIV education in South Africa, the taboo of menstruation in Nepal, the infected blood scandal in the UK and a controversial plasma clinic in Canada.
There are also more positive stories about pioneers such as Oxford scientist Dame Janet Vaughan who set up the worldโs first mass blood donation system during the Second World War and Arunchalam Muruganantham who helped develop low-cost sanitary products in India.
George is an engaging popular science author whose thorough essays combine historical research and field reporting and are crammed with facts. Itโs probably not the ideal book for anyone who is particularly squeamish, but at least there arenโt any illustrations.
Broken Heartlands: A Journey Through Labourโs Lost England by Sebastian Payne details the Gateshead-born political journalistโs road trip through the โred wallโ seats in the Midlands and north of England, which were previously Labour strongholds but voted for the Conservative Party in the 2019 general election for the first time in several decades.
Payne interviews past and present MPs and other political figures and locals to understand how the Brexit referendum and Jeremy Corbynโs leadership caused such a dramatic swing to the right in these areas.
Published in 2021, some of Payneโs predictions about the future havenโt aged too well (โThe Westminster parlour game of โwho will be the next Tory leaderโ is likely to be some way offโ p. 283), but his analysis of the reasons why the Labour Party polled so badly in 2019 remains pertinent reading ahead of the next general election.
He is also right to highlight the diversity of the red wall itself and that deindustrialisation and demographic change have been felt more keenly in some areas than others. The bonus chapter in the 2022 paperback edition looks at the equivalent โblue wallโ of Conservative heartlands in Surrey.
Payne didnโt seem too convinced at the time of writing that the Tories faced extinction in these areas. However, recent by-election results suggest otherwise, so perhaps there is potential for a sequel about the aftermath of the next general election. Recognised as a Book of the Year by both the Guardian and the Daily Mail, โBroken Heartlandsโ is worth reading whatever your political views.
Normal Rules Donโt Apply by Kate Atkinson is a collection of interconnected short stories. Particularly for authors best known for their long-form work, short stories are often a means for experimentation and Atkinson certainly covers a wide range of genres here including some unusual dabbles in science fiction and folklore whimsy.
The opening story set in 2028 where a type of darkness known as The Void descends for five minutes and kills anyone who was outdoors during that time may sound grim but is still full of her trademark dry humour.
Some of the stories feature a recurring character called Franklin, and this made me wonder if he was supposed to be a protagonist in a novel which didnโt quite work out, or if Atkinson might revisit him properly in the future.
Overall, itโs a bit of a mixed bag, as short story collections usually are, but still full of Atkinsonโs inimitable style.
All the Little Bird-Hearts by Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow was longlisted for this yearโs Booker Prize. Sicilian-born Sunday Forrester is autistic and lives with her 16-year-old daughter Dolly in rural England.
Their glamorous new neighbours, Vita and Rollo, quickly become involved in their lives, disrupting Sundayโs preference for stability and routine. Debut author Lloyd-Barlow is also autistic, and her lived experience informs her portrayal of Sundayโs preoccupations with food, other peopleโs word pronunciations and unravelling social etiquette cues.
When Dolly starts becoming more influenced by Vita and Rollo, the story offers a unique and more complex perspective of a mother-daughter relationship, particularly when revelations about Sundayโs past come to light.
โAll the Little Bird-Heartsโ is a quietly affecting and empathetically written novel and Iโm glad that its Booker Prize longlisting will help it find a wider audience.
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About the Author

Emma Thompson is a passionate bookworm with a deep appreciation for literature across various genres. With a degree in English Literature, she has a keen eye for analyzing and dissecting the intricacies of a book’s themes and writing style.
Emma has been an active reviewer for over five years, sharing her insights and recommendations with fellow readers.