Where You Go, I Will Go by Christina Fonthes is a gripping and poetic exploration of identity, migration, and finding where you feel you belong. Told across two timelines, blending events in the Congo and the UK, this powerful novel captures the ache of displacement and the quiet resilience of queer Black womanhood.

This week I talk with Christina about her book, the books and experiences that inspired its creation and touch on the sensitive subjects contained within the pages.

There's also talk of favourite books, unredeemable characters and what makes a character human in the eyes of the author and the reader.

It's a deep one this week, people, so buckle up and enjoy the ride. I loved this opportunity to talk with Christina about this novel, and I think it's a wonderful read.

Christina's Links

Instagram

Website

Buy the book

Bookshop.org

Waterstones

Foyles

Amazon UK

This week, I’m heading back to San Francisco’s Chinatown for another delightfully chaotic mystery with our favourite sixty-something sleuth, Vera Wong. In Jesse Sutanto’s latest novel, Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping on a Dead Man, the tea shop is still bustling, but what Vera's craving is just a little more excitement in her now much fuller life. When she encounters a young girl outside the police precinct, Vera senses a mystery in need of an answer, and she's back on the case! A locked briefcase, a viral social media moment, and a trail of secrets are far too much for the calming effects of a cup of her chrysanthemum tea.

In this episode, I share my spoiler-free thoughts on this cosy, yet surprisingly dark sequel. I talk about why Vera continues to be such a compelling character and how this book explores found family and identity in the digital age.

Whether you loved the first Vera Wong book or you're just dipping your toes into the world of cosy crime and cosy mysteries, this one has humour, heart, high-stakes sleuthing, and a grandmother who’s got more guts than your average gumshoe. So, pop the kettle on, settle in, and let’s chat all things books.

Featured Links

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

Cosy Mysteries Playlist

And don't forget, I'm back on Livestream for the Cure this year, on the 17th May. Tune in, take part, and please donate to this incredibly important cause. It's all in the name of Cancer Research.

This week I am taking a look at a book so different than most that I tend to review I honestly am not sure how to define it. Part science fiction, part literary fiction, the story is certainly genre-bending.

Death of the Author, by Nnedi Okorafor is the story of Nigerian American writer Zelu, whose first novel is a breakout success that catapults her, unprepared, into the spotlight. As she navigates fame, family tension, and the boundaries between identity and creativity, the novel explores what it means to tell your own story, and how to maintain ownership of it and your own identity. As things change in her life, love, family, success, she has to learn to handle the criticism that comes with being suddenly successful and under the microscope that fame brings with it.

A sharp, layered narrative blending realism with speculative elements, Death of the Author raises powerful questions around authorship, autonomy, and the cost of visibility.

As ever, I won't spoil the ending!

Featured episodes

The Aurora Cycle

Skyward

The Illuminae Files