Sathnam Sanghera is the same age as I am, he’s Indian and grew up in the same part of Wolverhampton as I did. He went to the Boys Grammar, which means he had a very similar education to mine. Basically he could be me. There is so much I have identified with, both in his first book (The Boy With the Top Knot) and this, his first novel. It’s full of so many insights too. I especially like those from the point of view of the first generation of Indians to be born in England. I wish that I had realised I wasn’t the only one who had those feelings as a young adult.

Some of the characters are a little cartoonish – Ranjit being a prime example – but this is a good tale and very well told. I’d recommend it.

I just finished this prequel to Luther the TV series. Neil Cross wrote it after he wrote the TV series so there aren’t any inconsistencies between book and TV. This is very pleasing to me. One of the reasons I will never watch the film of One Day is that Anne Hathaway could never be a convincing Northern girl in my eyes. But The Calling’s characters are partly built on their TV portrayals – NC says as much in the acknowledgements – so it’s all good.

The Calling is the story of Henry, the guy whom Luther lets fall in the brewery in the very first scene. I love how the book explains everything, letting the story unfold darkly to its climax. I’d forgotten that scene in the brewery so reading the ending was just as tense for me as if I hadn’t seen it. I had to watch those first few minutes again straight after I finished the book.

The book’s style is edgy and sharp, occasionally bordering on OTT, but certainly nowhere near as ridiculous as Dan Brown. There are some very tense passages and some very, very dark subject matter. We’re talking babies, kids, dogs, that kind of thing. I was shocked. It would be wrong to say I enjoyed the book, but it is an excellent, gripping read.

This is a very easy read, split into lots of short chapters and so easy to dip into whenever you have five minutes. GP seems to have crammed a lot into his younger life and it’s interesting to see how his experiences and thoughts have manifested themselves in his art. But I have to say I didn’t recognise some of the things he did with his friends as art; it seemed like a bunch of exhibitionists dressing up (or not) and indulging themselves in the name of being creative.

This biography will be enjoyed by those who are interested in Grayson Perry but it left me feeling a little flat. His recent Reith lectures are much more vibrant and entertaining.

The first section of this is compelling, with its lovely stream-of-consciousness style. I couldn’t connect with the second section quite as much but the plot is still interesting and kept me turning the pages. The third section was extremely hard work, with its many many numbered sections. They are obviously very clever, but a little cryptic. The penultimate section is fairly edgy and menacing. The final section contains some kind of resolution.

This is an unusual book, entertaining and real. There are definitely aspects of the female characters that I relate to and it feels very much of the present time. The only problem is that doesn’t hang together as a novel for me, although I suppose it didn’t help that I read the book over a long time. I’m not familiar with that part of London either, which is a shame as the setting is almost a character of its own.

In summary I would say that NW is thought-provoking but unsatisfying.

Guardian podcast: Zadie Smith on NW