With 2018 drawing to a close, everyone is sharing their favourite books of the year. At Blake Friedmann, we are so proud that our authors have been featured in so many of these selections. In celebration of these amazing achievements, we have compiled this summary of the lists in which our authors were included, along with the praise that accompanied their selection.
SILENCE IS MY MOTHER TONGUE by Sulaiman Addonia
Brittle Paper, African Books of 2018
'Mesmerizing story… It's impossible not to fall in love with Saba. She brings a ton of emotional texture to the story.'
SLAY IN YOUR LANE by Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinene
Grazia, The 12 Books We Couldn’t Stop Talking About This Year
‘Guide to being a black girl in modern urban Britain which is essential reading for both the women it describes and anyone who could do with a crash course in understanding their lives. Unmissable.’
The Guardian, Favourite Books of 2018
‘Never would I have thought a modern take on the British black female experience would be covered so wonderfully and with such excitement by two British black females. The range of topics were discussion worthy, and filled me for weeks with talking points … BUY A COPY FOR THE NEW YEAR AND BE SURPRISED AND EXCITED.’
Kimberley Sheehan, The Reading Agency, Books of the Year 2018
‘This book is a brilliant starting point to understand what it's like to be woman, black and a Londoner in 2018. It ultimately left me feeling hopeful about the future for women and empowered -- which has been a nice change compared to the rest of the year!’
Forbes, The Most Empowering Books by Female Authors of 2018
‘In this highly anticipated work from award-winning journalist Yomi Adegoke and her best friend, marketer Elizabeth Uviebinene SLAY IN YOUR LANE celebrates the gains that black women have already made in Britain whilst also highlighting the work that still needs to be done. It’s an encouraging and honest account of their own lives and a celebration of the achievements of some of Britain’s most successful black women that’ll leave you feeling fired up and hopeful for the future. For black women it serves as an inspiration and for other women and men a guide on how we can better support women of colour.’
CITY WITHOUT STARS by Tim Baker
Jake Kerridge, Crime Time, Best of the Year 2018
Raven Crime Reads, Top 10 Crime Reads of the Year 2018
‘CITY WITHOUT STARS is an intense, emotive and completely absorbing read, suffused with a violent energy, and with an unrelenting pace to its narrative. It heightens the reader’s senses and imagination throughout, completely enveloping the reader in this corrupt and violent society, with instances of intense human frailty and moments of strength, underpinned by precise description, and flurries of dark humour. I thought it was absolutely marvellous.’
The Telegraph, 50 Best Books of 2018
‘A grim but unputdownable thriller set in Mexico, where the homicide rate is so high that a prolific serial killer goes nearly unnoticed.’
UNCOVERED by Ian Birch
Steve Smith, Folio Magazine, The Best Books for Print Lovers 2018
‘This is the book true magazine geeks will appreciate most this holiday… a deft and deep compendium of provocations from titles large and small.’
LITTLE by Edward Carey
The Times, Books of the Year (Historical Fiction)
'Told with extraordinary panache, and illustrated by Edward Carey, this tale of the founder of Madame Tussauds is a macabre joy.'
Sunday Times Culture Magazine, Books of the Year
'Edward Carey's LITTLE is weird, wonderful and unlike any other historical novel this year. Enriched by the author's own illustrations, this retelling of the early life of Marie Grosholtz (aka Madame Tussaud) is both macabre and moving.'
Kirkus, Best Historical Fiction
Amal El-Mohtar, NPR, Best Books of 2018
'Picking up on the same themes of bodies and objects as his Iremonger trilogy, Edward Carey's LITTLE is a tenderly macabre fictional memoir written in the voice of Anne Marie Grosholtz, the woman who would become Madame Tussaud… her life is full of deep sadness mixed with fabulous incident, and compassionate insight punctuated by the author's whimsical illustrations.'
William Ryan, Irish Independent, Authors Top Books of 2018
'A gripping novel of shy wit and darkly humorous occurrences and is mesmerising in its virtuosity. On top of which the author's own illustrations are wonderfully bizarre, as indeed is the story he tells.'
GOOD SAMARITANS by Will Carver
Jon Coates, Crime Time, Best of the Year 2018
Jake Kerridge, Crime Time, Best of the Year 2018
HOLD/HOUSEGIRL by Michael Donkor
Melissa Gray, NPR, Best Books of 2018
‘I hate novels. This is a strong statement, I know – here’s why I make it before telling you about HOUSEGIRL: I hate novels because too often, I know exactly where the story is heading, where the characters are heading. I loved HOUSEGIRL because Michael Donkor's storytelling and character building were so exquisite… Two days after I finished the book, I found myself actually missing the characters. This is a rare accomplishment for a first-time author, which is why I recommend HOUSEGIRL – even though it's a novel.'
The Observer, Best Books of 2018
‘Exquisite debut’
Brittle Paper, African Books of 2018
'A unique take on the classic "housegirl" narrative.'
PRETEND YOU DON’T KNOW ME by Finuala Dowling
Jackie Kay, The Guardian, Best Books of 2018
‘A witty and wise collection. Her sequence about her mother’s dementia is very touching. Elsewhere, these vital works will have you crying with laughter.’
TODAY SOUTH LONDON, TOMORROW SOUTH LONDON by Andrew Grumbridge and Vincent Raison
Evening Standard, Best Comedy Books and DVDs of 2018
THE CHILDREN’S HOME by Charles Lambert
New York Times, Before Watching ‘The Haunting of Hill House,’ Read These 13 Haunted Books
‘”Abandoned children of varying ages begin showing up at the sprawling estate of a disfigured recluse, Morgan Fletcher,” Carmela Ciuraru wrote, calling it “one of the year’s most bizarre stories.” “Lambert’s subtle prose enhances the novel’s creepiness, as does his refusal to fully resolve or explain its many mysteries.”’
BOOKWORM by Lucy Mangan
Den of Geeks, Top Books of 2018
‘I’d like to report a robbery. Under cover of darkness, writer and Guardian TV critic Lucy Mangan crept into my soul, pocketed my memories and wrote them up beautifully in the guise of her “memoir of childhood reading.”… Lucy Mangan’s funny, warm BOOKWORM is personal and universal in the way that the very best books are… [It] rekindles old obsessions and sends you in search of any stories you may have missed at the time. I loved this book so much, I ate it.’
THE WOMAN IN THE BLUE CLOAK by Deon Meyer
The Times, Books of the Year 2018
'Are novellas making a comeback? If they can match the elegance of [THE WOMAN IN THE BLUE CLOAK], let's hope so. THE WOMAN IN THE BLUE CLOAK is a delicate story of a Dutch paining and the death of a naked woman in Cape Town. As usual, DI Benny Griessel inquires.'
WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT by Sheila O’Flanagan
One of Ireland’s best-selling books of 2018
THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS by Edward Wilson Lee
The Spectator, Books of the Year
‘the fascinating history of Christopher Columbus’s illegitimate son Hernando, guardian of his father’s flame, courtier, bibliophile and cataloguer supreme, whose travels took him to the heart of 16th-century Europe.’