**** Compelling ... Sounes takes pride in carefully debunking the myths that have crept in from Reed's own fictionalisations

Explosive

Controversial ... Sounes' book pushes the standard Reed narrative

A walk on the dark side

A must read... Sounes chronicles Reed's turbulent, and often brutal, relationships with men and women... and the wayward talent that produced such classics as Walk On The Wild Side.

Izzard has a knack for reducing centuries' worth of history to just a few exquisite words (the Romans were just 'fascist plumbers', for example)

The funniest man in England

The funniest man in, well, pretty much all of the known universe

Izzard is fleet of foot - even in Cuban heels

Had the Pythons stuck it out, they'd certainly be doing Izzard-like gags

A consistent intelligence underpins Izzard's whimsy

True Izzardians are every bit as committed in their fandom as Star Trek or Dr Who fans

Eddie Izzard is my favorite stand-up chameleon

I had never heard of Eddie Izzard before, but judging by this delightful memoir, he has a glittering career ahead of him. I particularly enjoyed his descriptions of working in a Vatican slaughterhouse, acting as Deputy Foreign Minister in Gladstone's first administration, his whacky exploits at his uncle's Taxidermy Cafe, and his tragic death at the age of only eight at the Morris Dancing Finals in Bruges

One of the most colourful and intimate portraits yet painted of Bowie

A vivid catalogue of anecdote, opinion, gossip and memoir

There is literally no better way to spend your time than by reading about the late, great, beautiful and brilliant David Bowie, brought to you by fellow superfan and GQ editor Dylan Jones

This oral history is by far the best … It’s gossipy, fascinating stuff

The perfect accompaniment to roaring fires and languid winter evenings, this book
guarantees to see any man through the festive period

A must-have for Bowie fans

Revelatory and surprising – perfect for the Ziggy completist

Beguiling … the fabulosity of Bowie’s life and times lends itself extraordinarily well
to the oral history form

An affectionate, sometimes surprising, always fascinating picture of a Star Man in the real world

Of all the volumes to appear since Bowie’s death last year, this is perhaps the most useful

A treat for enthusiasts […] it bulges with essential and telling Spinal Tappish gossip

An intimate, detailed and gossip-spangled survey of the life of the great enigma

There are sixty-two and a half million books written about David Bowie; this is the one that has been unanimously praised. Indeed, David Bowie: A life might be the only one that you really need.

You can go to any page and read something really interesting. It’s the only book about another artist that I’ve really enjoyed.

A quirky, romantic fairy tale perfect for summer.

My Christmas pick: I love any novel by Rachel Joyce, whose The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry was a huge success. Now she has created another Pied Piper of the heart in Frank, the proprietor of The Music Shop...This bewitching love story sings out the unique beauty of every human being, leaving you uplifted.

The Music Shop is a one gulp, super-satisfying read. Love it, love it, love it.

Joyce, a British actress and playwright, whose first novel, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, was longlisted for the Man Booker, continues to enchant and break hearts with her lovable misfits trying to survive in a modern world determined to pass them by. Irresistible.

An unforgettable story of music, loss and hope. Fans of High Fidelity, meet your next quirky love story. Vinyl fans, hold onto your turntables - Joyce's latest is a buoyant homage to the healing power of music well-played.

‘The Music Shop’ is an unabashedly sentimental tribute to the healing power of great songs, and Joyce is hip to greatness in any key…. [The novel] captures the sheer, transformative joy of romance — ‘a ballooning of happiness.’ Joyce’s understated humor…offers something like the pleasure of A.A. Milne for adults. She has a kind of sweetness that’s never saccharine, a kind of simplicity that’s never simplistic…. I wouldn’t change a single note. Rachel Joyce, if music be the food of love, write on!

Rachel Joyce’s charming and deceptively simple fourth novel chronicles an offbeat love story between a mystery woman and an ardent, if lonely, collector and gently explores the power of memory and music and the certainty of change…. love, friendship, and especially the healing powers of music all rise together into a triumphant crescendo…. This lovely novel is as satisfying and enlightening as the music that suffuses its every page.

Magnificent…. Joyce’s novel is intellectually and emotionally satisfying on every possible level. If you love words, if you love music, if you love, this is 2018’s first must-read, and it will be without question one of the year’s best.

Joyce has a knack for quickly sketching characters in a way that makes them stick…. This is a touching, sometimes funny book about surviving change, the power of music and the importance of having a community — wacky or not. As with all of Joyce’s books, it will surprise you.

Joyce…continues to enchant and break hearts with her lovable misfits trying to survive in a modern world determined to pass them by. Irresistible.

Magical…. [Rachel] Joyce has a winner in this deceptively simple love story…. Joyce’s odes to music…and the notion that the perfect song can transform one’s life make this novel a triumph.

Whether on foot, as in her novel The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, or track by track, on this unlikely musical odyssey, Joyce excels in enveloping readers in epic journeys of lost connections and loving reunions.

[Rachel] Joyce sets up a charming cast of characters, and her spirals into the sonic landscapes of brilliant musicians are delightful, casting a vivid backdrop for the quietly desperate romance between Frank and Ilse. From nocturnes to punk, this musical romance is ripe for filming.