Home
/
Fiction
/
The Happy Reader - Issue 15
The Happy Reader - Issue 15
Jan 11, 2026 9:24 PM

The Happy Reader - Issue 15

For avid readers and the uninitiated alike, this is a chance to reengage with classic literature and to stay inspired and entertained.

The concept of the magazine is simple: the first half is a long-form interview with a notable book fanatic and the second half explores one classic work of literature from an array of surprising and invigorating angles.

Reviews

Fantastic collection of stories

—— Jedi Council

One of the best Star Wars books released this year[...] With a range of styles and characters, there's a lot here to talk about. The From A Certain Point of View series, tied around the 40th anniversary of each movie, continues to be a fun event and a way to see Star Wars takes from some of today's top authors. If you liked the A New Hope installment, you'll get a lot of bang for your buck from the second book.

—— Den of Geek UK

If you love Star Wars then this book is for you. I personally can't wait for the Return of the Jedi edition... an excellent Christmas/Hannukah gift for any Star Wars fan out there.

—— Notting Hill Nerd

Absolutely recommend it ... the work that has gone into this is outstanding ... the selection of authors is wonderful, diverse, a lot of different voices to be heard

—— Star Wars Sessions Podcast

Reminiscent of the stylistic tricks of F Scott Fitzgerald...With its rebellion against inequality and debates about capitalism, there are clear echoes from 1909 to the US today. Incitement to riot, dreadfully topical since the assault on the Capitol last month, also gets a look in. But The Cold Millions offers more: a study of individuals living, willingly or unwillingly, through tumult.

—— FT

Colourful and punchy

—— The Times

Walter is a class act...the fierce struggle for free speech and workers' rights is genuinely stirring.

—— Max Davidson , Mail on Sunday

A timely and poetic read that vividly depicts the American melting pot at its most unequal and volatile . . . a compelling portrait of America at the dawn of the 20th Century

—— Sunday Express

Expansive, beguiling . . . A thrilling yarn that simultaneously underscores the cost of progress and celebrates the American spirit

—— O Magazine

It's a tremendous work, a vivid, propulsive, historical novel with a politically explosive backdrop that reverberates through our own

—— USA Today

Jess Walter is a superb storyteller. As polished and hard as a diamond, The Cold Millions reminds us of America's tempestuous past and suggests that all this is anything but past

—— Boston Globe

Walter marshals a motley, fascinating cast of characters so finely drawn that they lift from the page. I haven't encountered a more satisfying and moving novel about the struggle for workers' rights in America

—— San Francisco Chronicle

A layered, multi-character panorama

—— Vogue

It's often said that a novel contains the world; Walter brings new meaning to this phrase, peopling The Cold Millions with vaudeville stars, hobos, suffragists, tycoons, union agitators, policemen, and dozens of other vibrant characters. Warm and deeply humane, this transporting novel is a staggering achievement from a landmark writer

—— Esquire

The fact that the same author has written books as wildly different and all as transporting as The Zero, The Financial Lives of the Poets, Beautiful Ruins, and now this latest tour de force is testimony to Walter's protean storytelling power and astounding ability to set a scene, any scene . . . We have heard that Jess Walter writes nonstop: Seven days a week, 365 days a year. Please, never stop.

—— Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Superb.... a splendid postmodern rendition of the social realist novels of the 1930s by Henry Roth, John Steinbeck, and John Dos Passos, updated with strong female characters and executed with pristine prose. This could well be Walter's best work yet.

—— Publishers Weekly, starred review

A great tapestry of busy-ness . . . Walter's descriptive passage are marvellous

—— Francesca Carington , Sunday Telegraph

Written in her [Lawson's] inimitable warm and conversational style, it's [Cook, Eat, Repeat] an electric mix

—— Hannah Beckerman , UK Press Syndication

A stunning variety of recipes in this year's cookbook collection', mention: 'A delicious and delightful combination of recipes intertwined with narrative essays about food, all written in Nigella's engaging and insightful prose

—— Fiona Murphy , SHEmazing!, *Christmas Gift Guide 2020*

Thrilling... A wise, digressive celebration of the life-affirming pleasures of eating that sparkles with descriptive sentences that are just as delectable as dishes that cover everything from crab mac'n'cheese to sweet and salty chocolate cookies specifically designed not to be shared... Nigella's latest book -- through its wisdom, wit and urge to bring joy -- has the knack of making an uncertain future feel that little bit more bearable

—— Jimi Famurewa , Waitrose Weekly

Cook, Eat, Repeat is an informative, intelligent, thought-provoking and amusing book. Surely the combination of her delicious recipes and delicious words is a dream come true

—— Rachel Hagen , Woman & Home

There's not a cook in the country who won't be licking their lips in anticipation

—— Hannah Stephenson , UK Press Syndication, *Christmas Gift Guide 2020*

Wonderful... Its real strength is that Nigella is such a pleasure to read

—— Constance Craig Smith , Daily Mail, *Christmas Gift Guide 2020*

A delicious and delightful combination of recipes intertwined with narrative essays about food, all written in the cook's engaging and insightful prose

—— Great British Food

There is everything you want from a cookbook - brilliant recipes, a little bit of humour and, most importantly, a lot of comfort

—— Love Food

Beautifully written... A must for domestic goddesses

—— Charlotte Heathcote , Sunday Express, *Christmas Gift Guide 2020*

Heartbreaking and humorous in equal measures

—— Boundless

A bouncy, comedy drama. Funny, poignant and bursting with joie de vivre

—— Daily Mail

A thought-provoking read . . . shows the true extent of motherly love

—— Publishers Association

Dawn French moves between the aftermath of that fateful night and 18 years later, when the explosive impact of Hope's actions is finally felt

—— Daily Express

A heartfelt story, handled so carefully and empathetically

—— Aisling Bea

Because Of You is a tale told with warmth by a storyteller who never takes herself too seriously

—— Sunday Express

Heartbreaking but redemptive, and lightened by French's trademark humour, this is a compelling read that will keep you poised between laughter and tears

—— Daily Mail

A tantalising story of motherhood told with Dawn French's signature warmth

—— Sainsbury's Magazine

As ever, even in the darkest of times, Dawn has found humour to inject into her novel

—— Best

A brilliant book

—— Good Housekeeping

The life-affirming and unmissable new novel

—— Eastern Daily Press

A tale told with warmth

—— Daily Record

While Dawn French's latest novel contains a dash of humour, it's also heart-wrenching

—— The Hunsbury Handbook

A fabulous emotional tearjerker of a novel

—— Silversurfers

Praise for Dawn French

—— -

Hilarious and brilliant

—— Woman & Home

I adored According to YES. It's so different to anything I've read in forever, so charming, wise, brilliantly written. I loved it all

—— Marian Keyes

Witty and wise, it'll have you burning the midnight oil. A cracker

—— Woman's Weekly

Very funny and packs an emotional clout. Brilliant!

—— Heat

An enlightening and feel-good read offering a fresh look at life and how to embrace it. Funny and enjoyable to the end

—— We Love This Book

There is lots of fun to be had reading this book. It's impossible not to warm to Rosie, a funny and open-hearted woman who acts as a salve and comfort blanket for this unhappy, inhibited family. There's something quite joyous about the way she unashamedly romps her way through the novel, changing the lives of those around her for the better

—— Express

Another hilarious novel!

—— Bella

French can spin a yarn . . . which sets According to YES apart. Think the vicar of Dibley, without the dog collar. YES YES YES indeed

—— Independent

Wise and poignant

—— Beyond the Joke

Heart-warming

—— Choice Magazine
Comments
Welcome to zzdbook comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdbook.com All Rights Reserved