Tag: Book Recommendations

Published October 13th, 2026 by Manilla Press
Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Humorous Fiction, Coming-of-Age Story

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

The number one bestselling author of global sensation Lessons in Chemistry returns. Peck & Peck is the irresistible story of a young man whose life is turned upside down when he is hired by the most prestigious, secretive and dysfunctional poetry journal in the world: the renowned Peck & Peck . . .

‘Charming, uplifting, soulful, and original’ KRISTIN HANNAH, bestselling author of The Women

‘A brilliant satire that’s full of humor and heart’ MEG MASON, bestselling author of Sorrow and Bliss

It’s 1982, New York City. Crime is on the rise, muggings are in the streets, and Batter Gray, recent college graduate with a skill that no one wants – an ‘ear’ for poetry – is worried about his future. While all his friends have real jobs, he’s folding T-shirts at the Gap. As for love? No. Not unless you count Sallie Mae, the student loan tyrant. He hears from Sallie all the time.

But when Batter gets a dream job at Peck & Peck, the most prestigious poetry quarterly in the world, his life moves into the literary fast lane. Soon Batter is knee-deep in the secret war between the two Editors in Chief, the famous Peck brothers – twins and enemies – as well as being privy to the private affairs of their thirty-nine editors, whose professed mission is the same: Find originality. Reward creativity. Burn the rest. And by ‘burn’, they mean incinerate.

Because at Peck & Peck, ‘good’ isn’t good enough, ‘interesting’ doesn’t cut it, plagiarists aren’t tolerated, and parolees run the mailroom. Still want to submit your poem? Go with God.

Welcome to another dazzling and unforgettable novel from Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry. Hugely original, brilliantly funny and peopled with unforgettable characters, Peck & Peck is both a passionate ode to the written word and a heartwarming exploration of all that makes us human.

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MY REVIEW:

Meet Batter Gray. An ordinary man with an extraordinary ‘ear’ for poetry, Batter has always dreamed of working for Peck and Peck, the best poetry quarterly in the world. But life isn’t going the way he hoped. His college friends are getting well-paid jobs while he’s juggling three menial jobs and struggling to make ends meet. Then fate steps in and Batter finds himself outside the offices of Peck and Peck. He’s granted an interview and is thrilled to get the job; even though he’s in the copy room rather than editing the journal. But Batter soon realises that there’s something strange going on at Peck and Peck and finds himself caught in the crossfires between the twin brothers fighting for control of the quarterly. 

WHAT. A. BOOK. Witty, wise, heartwarming and uplifting, this magnificent story is a balm for the soul. Feeling both fantastical and yet also firmly rooted in reality, this moving story invites us to step inside a world made of poetry and words that you will get lost in. A story about life, love, friendship, family and standing up for what you believe in, it contains many life lessons and thought-provoking moments that will stay with me. I never wanted it to end. But I will admit, I’d been nervous before starting this book. I loved Lessons in Chemistry and its protagonist Elizabeth Zott so much that I was worried this wouldn’t meet my high hopes. But I needen’t have worried. Bonnie Garmus showcases she is no one-hit wonder with this spectacular story. She also shows us she has a style of writing that is distinctly all her own, creating joyful stories about quirky characters that will break and then mend your heart.

This is a book that contains lots of small details that enhance the joy of reading it. The book opens with a list of the different definitions of ‘peck’, something I loved and really set the tone of the story. Then, as a namenerd I loved the unusual names in this book and the story of how Batter the human got his name. And I can’t write this review without mentioning the scene setting. From the extraordinary offices of Peck and Peck to the city of New York, the imagery is so evocative and detailed that these places leapt from the page and felt like characters in their own right.

Bonnie has filled the book with a cast of original, offbeat and flawed characters who leap from the pages. Batter is an unforgettable protagonist who manages to be both the everyman and totally stand out from the crowd. I loved his best friend, Paul, and his parents, but my favourite character is Batter’s namesake, Batter the dog. I loved this iconic character. Although he is only ever a memory that we hear about when Batter’s mum tells her wild stories of the dog’s heroics, he was so vividly written that he felt alive. Another thing I enjoyed is that we were never completely sure who the ‘bad guy’ was and Bonnie kept me guessing and there were a number of reveals that took me by surprise. 

This unforgettable story is a must for every reader’s TBR.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

Thank you to Manilla Press for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Bonnie Garmus is a coffee-dependent American novelist. Her debut novel, Lessons in Chemistry, was a Good Morning America Book Club Pick, a Goodreads Choice Best Book of the Year, and a Barnes & Noble Book of the Year. It spent nearly two years on the New York Times bestseller list, nearly three years on Der Spiegel, was selected as one of the top 100 books in the 21st Century by readers of the New York Times and was voted #5 of Australia’s ABC Radio Top 100 Books of the 21st Century. Selected by Queen Camilla for the Queen’s Reading Room, it has been honored with sixteen other international literary awards. Translated into more than forty languages, it was made into an Apple TV limited series. Peck & Peck is her second novel.

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx

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