Three new novels to read in February

Ft a mystery like you’ve never read before and a novel to make you snort with laughter

New month, new books, and while we might only be five weeks into 2024 I think all three of the below novels will be strong contenders for my top reads of the year. Seriously! Please do enjoy.

The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey

In the late 1970s, drainpipe jeans are in fashion, Thatcher has come into power and the serial killer known as the Yorkshire Ripper is still at large. As another young woman is murdered, and locals feel increasingly unsafe on their own streets, 12-year-old Miv’s father begins to consider moving the family somewhere they’ve always avoided: ‘Down South’.

Given that this would mean leaving her best friend Sharon behind, the pair have no choice but to solve the case of the murders themselves. Their method? Listing all the suspicious people and things they come across in their neighbourhood. In the process, they stumble upon more secrets than they could have imagined, including why Miv’s mother suddenly fell silent all those months ago. Prepare yourself, The List of Suspicious Things gets you right in the feelings.

Green Dot by Madeleine Gray

I can’t tell you how much fun I had reading this novel: it has one of the best, strongest and funniest voices I’ve come across in a long time. Narrated by Hera, a 24-year-old based in Sydney, it’s about the big fat mistake she makes in falling for an older man called Arthur - who is, rather inconveniently, very much married.

The affair that follows sends her already quite chaotic life into disarray, and anyone who has spent their twenties misguidedly making questionable decisions will wince with recognition. But one thing she never loses is her sense of humour - making Green Dot a bawdy, sexy, hilarious read.

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

Mia’s father, a stay-at-home dad and the family’s rock, disappears into thin air one morning - going out for a walk and never returning. The only person who knows what might have happened is Mia’s younger brother Eugene, who went with their father and came back alone. The trouble is, Eugene’s rare genetic condition means he cannot speak.

Happiness Falls is a Russian doll of a novel. On its exterior, it’s a missing person mystery; one you stay up late for. Beneath that, it’s a compelling family drama. But at its core, this novel is an intelligent meditation on the nature of happiness - I swear it taught me more about fulfilment than 10 wellbeing books would do combined. Truly, Happiness Falls is quite exquisite.

And finally…

David Nicholls’ 2009 bestseller One Day gets a TV makeover (Photo: Netflix)

Netflix’s new 14-episode adaptation of One Day arrives on Thursday. From the trailer, it looks glorious - far better than the 2011 film iteration. But will it live up? Nicholls’ novel is one of the handful of books I’ve re-read several times - my orange hardback copy is so worn it’s losing its colour - and I’ve been thinking about what exactly made this book so special. Aside from the structure (each chapter taking place on the same day, 15 July, over the course of 20 years), I think it’s one of the most beautiful portraits of both the love in friendship and friendship in love that we have. Anyway, I’ll leave you with my favourite few lines from the book:

“‘Live each day as if it's your last’, that was the conventional advice, but really, who had the energy for that? What if it rained or you felt a bit glandy? It just wasn't practical. Better by far to simply try and be good and courageous and bold and to make a difference. Not change the world exactly, but the bit around you. Go out there with your passion and your electric typewriter and work hard at...something. Cherish your friends, stay true to your principles, live passionately and fully and well. Experience new things. Love and be loved, if you ever get the chance.”