Tag Archives: Reading

The 5 Books That Changed Me by Jane Lambert

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‘Rebecca’ by Daphne du Maurier: My mum gave me this book when I was about 15.

As a shy, gauche teenager I identified with the second Mrs de Winter. Her story taught me to not always take situations or people at face value, that being shy is not a sign of weakness, not to compare myself to others and to be true to myself.  

‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’ by Helen Fielding: Like Bridget, I used to want to be in a meaningful relationship, but would fall for the wrong guys. I eventually learned that I deserved better, to have self-respect and to stop putting up with bad behaviour – just as Bridget did. I too can be clumsy and say the wrong thing at the wrong time. Bridget taught me to laugh at myself and that I’m okay just as I am. 

‘The Understudy’ by David Nicholls: I was drawn to this book as I have been an understudy many (too many!) times. Though fiction, the authenticity of the narrative made me wonder if the writer was, or had been an actor. I was right, and it is his personal story which inspired me to take my writing more seriously and to aim high. As an actor you’re dependent on someone hiring you. You have no control. As a writer you produce your own work. It’s rewarding to be part of something you have created. I have ‘The Understudy’ to thank for leading me to David Nicholls, who set me on an alternative and more enriching creative path. 

‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time’ by Mark Haddon: This book had a huge effect on me. The story is told through the eyes of 15-year-old Christopher, whose inability to tell lies, social awkwardness and logical take on the world give you an insight into being on the autistic spectrum and the effect it has on those around you. I could identify with some of Christopher’s thoughts, such as: “I find people confusing” and “I want my name to mean me.” Christopher’s story gave me an appreciation of how being “different” brings its own special gifts and should be celebrated. I was lucky enough to be involved in the London stage production.  I was lucky enough to be involved in the London stage production.

‘Big Magic’ by Elizabeth Gilbert: “The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them.” When I was writing my first novel there was an annoying voice whispering in my ear that it was a waste of time. Who did I think I was? JK Rowling? ‘Big Magic’ taught me to believe in myself and not let fear stand in my way. Thanks to this book, I have learned to live alongside fear so I may strive to be better, but not let it control my mind. This has helped me in my acting career too. I still suffer occasionally from ‘Imposter Syndrome’, but dipping into this book gives me a dose of self-belief and puts me back on the right track. 

♥

THE BOOKS THAT CHANGED ME BY HÉLENE FERMONT 


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Ever since I was very young my parents instilled in me a love for literature. We had a big library room at the back of the house, with books by all kinds of authors, Swedish and international, filling the shelves. I distinctly recall my mother’s delight each time someone gave her a new book – she’d read and share it with the members of her book club. She went to great lengths preparing lovely delicious lunches and dressed up for the occasion. Back then, in the 80s, books were special and quite expensive. Some even impossible to get hold of. My parents queued up outside the biggest bookseller for hours on end one night in February every year to browse and buy new books by their favourite authors. They always bought new books for me and my brother and gave them to us on our birthdays. I still remember the excitement of reading a new book.
There are too many authors whose books I loved then, and regularly return to, to list here. My favourite books are the kind of books that linger in my heart and mind long after I’ve finished reading them. As the author of character driven Psychological Thrillers, and a huge fan of character focused books, the following books changed me and inspired me to write.

Loves Music Loves To Dance by Mary Higgins Clark
This book centres around personal ads, and was published before the Internet.
It highlights the dangers of meeting strangers and is a gripping story with great characters. I’ve read all her books and learn something new each time I return to them.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larson
After reading this intriguing and very graphic book, I became hooked on the sequels and, of course, the wonderful complex main character and storyline.

Small Town Girl by LaVyrle Spencer
The storyline centres around a famous singer who returns home to look after her mother. The characters are so vivid, complex and human I instantly felt and feel as if they could be part of my life. I always return to this author’s books to inspire me.

Hamilton Beach by Linda Olsson
This is a very sad book about grief and the grieving process, and how loss affects us when we least expect it. The book is written from the main character’s point of view and perspective of what happened years ago and the place they used to love. The characters and emotional journeys are wonderful as is the beautiful scenery. This is a hard book to read but very relatable for people in a similar situation. The author’s books centre around universal topics and unexpected life changing events.

Yes Of Course It Hurts When Buds Are Breaking by Karin Boye
Karin Boye’s one of Sweden’s most famous author and poet. This is my favourite poem as it touches my heart in numerous ways.The words and sentiments are beautiful, very relatable and sad. I think of my beloved parents and all the wonderful times we had together. This was their favourite poem as well.

 

 

Marian Keyes Shares Her Ultimate Comfort Reads for Hard Times.

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International best-selling novelist Marian Keyes (Watermelon, Rachel’s Holiday and The Break) has today revealed her Ultimate Comfort Reads for challenging times, with a curated list shared on Bookshop in support of indie bookshops, and to mark the paperback publication of her globally acclaimed Sunday Times No.1 novel, Grown Ups (Penguin Michael Joseph, £8.99).

Marien Keyes, comfort books, Marien Keyes, comfort books,

Confessing she’s “personally … desperate for a holiday from reality and from my head”, Marian’s recommended reads will offer readers some much-needed solace and escapism into a world of bookish pleasure during lockdown, and beyond.

Marien Keyes, comfort books,

From Booker-nominated debut novels to fiercely funny memoirs, and from heart-warming stories turned into much-loved TV series to feminist retellings of traditional fairy tales, Marian’s curated list aims to inspire, engage and entertain, as an antidote to the difficult times we’re living in.

Marian’s list includes: Stella Gibbons’s Cold Comfort Farm, a classic comedy novel named one of BBC ‘100 Novels That Shaped Our World’; The Surface Breaks by Louise O’Neill, a feminist reimagining of The Little Mermaid; My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite, the sensational debut novel nominated for the Booker Prize in 2019; Love, Nina by Nina Stibbe, a laugh-out-lout memoir adapted into a popular BBC series by Nick Hornby; Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld, a Pride and Prejudice catapulted into our modern world; Dear Mrs Bird by AJ Pearce, the Sunday Times best-seller chosen as a Richard & Judy Book Club Pick; the WWII romance The Morning Gift by Eva Ibbotson, based on the author’s own experience as a refugee.

The list has been released by Bookshop.org – the alternative to Amazon for shoppers wanting to support independent bookshops when they shop online. Celebrated by critics, readers and booksellers, Marian is known for her untiring support of independent bookshops. She was one of the first authors to take part in “At Home with Four Indies”, the virtual series of events launched in lockdown by independent booksellers from Linghams (Heswall), Booka (Oswestery), Book-ish (Crickhowell) and Forum Books (Corbridge).

Marian Keyes, author of Grown Ups, said: “Life is very challenging at the moment and personally, I’m desperate for a holiday from reality and from my head. Reading has always been a huge pleasure for me but because so much fear is circulating, there are lots of subjects I’m currently not able for. I’ve put together a collection of titles that I’ve found engaging, uplifting, distracting and entertaining. I hope that some of them give you enjoyment and respite. I am thrilled to share this list on a platform that supports the vital work of independent bookshops.”

One of the most successful novelists of all time, Keyes’ books have sold over 30 million copies in 33 languages, and her writing has received several accolades, including the British Book Awards, the Irish Book Awards and the inaugural Melissa Nathan Prize for Comedy Romance. In the last year, Marian has been chair of judges for the Comedy Women in Print prize, and the second series of her instant hit, Between Ourselves, will air on BBC Radio 4 on 18 February 2021.

Marian joins a growing number of authors to share a curated reading list on Bookshop.org, such as: Elena Ferrante, Malorie Blackman, Nikesh Shukla, Emma Gannon and more. Author reading lists on Bookshop.org have proven to have a tangible impact on sales figures for the books they feature, shining a light on many lesser known works beyond bestseller lists.

Marian Keyes’ Ultimate Comfort Reads:

  • The Secret Countess by Eva Ibbotson (Pan MacMillan)
  • Oh My God, What A Complete Aisling by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen (PRH)
  • I Never Said I Loved You by Rhik Samadder (Hachette)
  • Gravity is the Thing by Jacqueline Moriarty (Atlantic)
  • Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny (Harper Collins)
  • Love, Nina by Nina Stibbe (PRH)
  • Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss by Ranjeev Balasubramanyam (PRH)
  • Writers and Lovers by Lily King (Pan MacMillan)
  • The Surface Breaks by Louise O’Neill (Scholastic)
  • The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan (Little, Brown)
  • Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons (PRH)
  • Filter This by Sophie White (Hachette)
  • The Diary of a Provincial Lady by E.M. Delafield (PRH)
  • My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (Atlantic)
  • The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abi Waxman (Hachette)
  • If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane (Harper Collins)
  • Odd One Out by Lissa Evans (Simon & Schuster)
  • Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid (Bloomsbury)
  • The Switch by Beth O’Leary (Hachette)
  • The Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard (Pan MacMillan)
  • Dear Mrs Bird by AJ Pearce (Pan MacMillan)
  • Brother of The More Famous Jack by Barbara Trapido (Bloomsbury)
  • The Morning Gift by Eva Ibbotson (PanMacMillan)
  • Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld (Harper Collins)

 

What would you add?

www.Bookshop.org

5 Books That Changed Me: CJ Daugherty

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CJ Daugherty The Secret History, by Donna Tartt

This fast-paced but dreamy novel set at a private university in the New England mountains, starts with a murder and tells the story of how it happened in reverse, as a group of elegant young friends obsessed with Greek mythology take everything too far, and close friendships fall to pieces. In her most restrained and elegant book, Tartt performs a magic trick by inventing fascinating characters who are capable of cold-blooded murder, and then making you like them. You know from the start they are killers, and yet you still want to be their friend. I re-read this book regularly.

The Likeness, by Tana French

This Irish crime novel by Tana French is one of my all-time favorite books. I’ve read it multiple times. It follows a female detective as she investigates a murder victim who looks exactly like her. Using their alikeness as a weapon, she takes over the dead woman’s life – moving in with her friends into a house in the countryside outside Dublin. She begins investigating them from within but then, slowly becomes seduced by them, and the rambling mansion where they live. Unfortunately, this is a very dangerous decision. Because one of them is a killer.

The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern

This is an elegant, wandering, multi-strand tale of a mysterious circus that travels in secrecy and arrives without warning. Nobody knows when or where it will appear, or how long it will stay. The tents are filled with magical, mysterious displays. People are obsessed with it, and for good reason. It could be dangerous or simply wonderful — even after reading the book it’s hard to know which. Either way it doesn’t matter. It’s so beautifully written, I long to wake up one morning, as dawn washes the dark from the sky, to find the circus has appeared in my town. 

Station 11, by Emily St John Mandel

I bought this book after everyone I trust in the world told me it was amazing, and they were ALL right. It starts in a pandemic apocalypse (sound familiar?) and then jumps forward in time to follow a group of survivors who are exploring the remains of America in a roving band of Shakespearean actors, travelling from settlement to settlement performing plays for people who can barely remember a time before life was like this. It’s both scary and thoughtful, and ultimately filled with hope. Maybe just skim the first chapter while we’re all locked in our houses, but the rest will lift you.

Circe, by Madeline Miller

This feminist reinterpretation of The Odyssey told from the perspective of the banished witch, Circe, is the most beautiful, heartbreaking, glorious look at the Greek myths in all of time. Circe’s story is bittersweet. She’s young and voiceless, expected to be nothing but beautiful and compliant. Because she isn’t either of those things, she’s punished by being banished to an island to live completely alone. There, in isolation, she finds herself. The tale is told with wonderful compassion. It’s funny and dry, and terribly poignant in places. I cried 3 times listening to the audiobook. Honestly, it’s so gorgeously written I don’t know why I bother.

 

Number 10 by CJ Daugherty is out now, £9.99 from Moonflower Books available on Amazon here.

 

The books that have changed me by Margaret Graham (aka Milly Adams and Annie Clarke)

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The books that changed me, or should I say perhaps, developed my understanding… Heavens, so many, but let me take a stab at it.

Margaret Graham, Annie Clarke, Milly Adams, books that changed me

As a child I read The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett in which an obnoxious orphan Mary Lennox arrives to live with her uncle at Misselthwaite Manor in Yorkshire. Archibald Craven  locked  the door leading to his wife’s beloved garden on her death. He also secreted his son, with crooked legs and back , in his own quarters for his own safety, and went about his business elsewhere, leaving the kindly servants to care for this disparate household.

The children find the secret garden, and slowly as they work within it, and  as the seasons roll on, the healing of both begins.   This book introduced me to a love of gardening, to the relentless rhythm of the seasons which has given me solace and a sense of something ‘bigger’. It grounds me.

Then as a teenager I read I Never Promised you a Rose Garden by Joanne Greenberg. This is the story of a  schizophrenic young woman, who spends some years receiving therapy ina residential centre. As  the young woman recovers she is devastated to realise that the world is not perfect, that happiness is not a given. That there are ups and downs, and one must find a ‘centre’. But as the psychiatrist says: I helped you heal, but I never promised a rose garden, I promised you a life.

I found this profound, and it stabilized the angst of a teenager, and was a great guide as an adult.

As an adult I was struggling to write my first novel – to navigate my way through the muddle of my thoughts, . I read Cinderella to my children one evening, and realised that it is the clearest example of the common structural form. It enabled me to write my first novel, and create almost 30 other books. It also allowed me to teach aspiring authors, perhaps the most rewarding part of my writing life, apart from editing Frost Magazine.

Basically, there is one protagonist, Cinderella, she has helpers ( mentors) and enemies (antagonists). Cinderella is on a journey, which is the plot, in order to resolved the theme, which for me was her quest to find love. Fourth must be Reginald Hill’s Dalziel and Pascoe novels. Erudite, immaculately structured with characters in complete balance, and scattered with laugh-aloud humour. They freed something in me, and made me brave enough to be myself, and allow the humour I inherited from my parents free rein.

Fourth are the Reginald Hill Dalziel and Pascoe novels, beautifully structured and written, with a superb balance of characters. Erudite, fascinating, and laugh-aloud funny. They gave me the courage to allow myself to use my own sense of humour, inherited from Mum and Dad. 

Fifth and perhaps most importantly From Both Ends of the Stethoscope by award winning author Dr Kathleen Thompson

Dr Thompson is ‘the doctor who knows’ what it is to face the chilling cancer diagnosis, and then find your way through the maze of information and treatment. The book is set out in an extraordinarily accessible way for the patient, and also for those like me who have friends with this  illness,  it gives me a way of helping, of listening, of supporting. It is life enhancing, and invaluable.

If I can sneak in a sixth, The Variety Girls series by Tracy Baines made me realise I should have been on the stage, not stuck in a study writing. You see, I could have ‘hoofed’ with the best of them, and hugged the spotlight, and showed off, and my mum would have been shocked, then proud, as I received a standing ovation – just me, not the rest of the chorus, of course. Ah, well, I can dream.

 

March Reading Round-up.

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Kitty. 

I finished Circe by Madeline Miller this month and I cannot do justice to how much I loved it. The story of Circe, a woman locked in by her divinity whilst also dealing with the very female roles of mother, daughter, sister and lover. This retelling made Circe much more accessible and empathetic than the male-centric version that I grew up with. Full of self-discovery, courage and empowerment it turns the myth of vicious witch into a story of a true heroine. I loved it so much that having read it once I am going to store it, like a secret treasure, for a re-read in a few months so I can wallow in it slowly and feel the magic again. 

I’m also reading Lionel Shriver’s Property, a collection of short stories. I very rarely read short stories and have such a marmite reaction to Shriver’s novels (sometimes I adore her, others not so much – I am, however, always in awe) that I wanted to read these. As ever, her writing is taut, crisp and twisty with each story leaving me admiring her incisive skill and her insight into the reality of the human condition. Sometimes unnerving, sometimes a little bleak but razor-sharp. Quite remarkable. 

Kirsten.

It’s been non-fiction for me this month. I am researching London during World War One for a possible upcoming WIP and I stumbled across A Home Front Diary by Lillie Scales. Lillie lived in Hornsey and ‘she wrote about everything that came to mind … the result is an intimate and honest portrayal of day to day like for a middle-class family’. It’s fascinating – from the difficulty of getting food and the introduction of rationing, to the fear of the ever-increasing bombing raids. It’s all much more as I imagined the Second World War – sheltering from bombs in the Underground Stations and such like. I have also been reading Round About A Pound A Week by Maud Pember Reeves which concerns itself with the other end of the social scale. To quote the preface ‘for four years between 1909 and 1915, Maud Pember Reeves and other members of the Fabian Women’s Group visited 42 families in and around Lambeth-Walk to record in minute detail exactly how they survived on their low incomes.’ Reading about their daily struggle to survive makes absolutely fascinating – yet sober and harrowing – reading. It’s also so uplifting to read about the cheerful and loving homes that many women created in the midst of appalling poverty and depravation. Inspirational and humbling! 

Cass.

In Stolen Sister, the latest release from Linda Huber, the contrasting actions of two people many years earlier result in repercussions no one could have imagined.
When young parents, Paula and Joe, head off to a reunion with their barely days old daughter, they have no idea of the tragedy about to befall them. Their two older children, Vicky and Jamie (who suffers from disabilities and needs constant care), were to be cared for by Paula’s aunt, Maisie – just for a couple of days, or so it was assumed.
The tragedy has a far-reaching impact, with both Aunt Maisie and the young couple’s friend, Sylvie (also at the reunion) making decisions in a moment of crisis that will haunt them for the rest of their lives.
With siblings torn apart without their knowledge, a ‘mother’ who seems intent on history repeating itself and a race against time to protect a child, Linda Huber has crafted an excellent, gripping family drama!

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A Break From Business: Holiday Reading: Jane Cable on fiction from Cornwall, her adopted county

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The question I’m asked most frequently since moving to Cornwall is ‘so are you going to write a Cornish book now?’ The answer is that I’m in no hurry to, but in that I seem to be alone and with so much fiction set in the county I thought I’d pick out a few which would make great holiday reading.

Old favourites

I would have to start with Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, in many ways the ultimate in romantic fiction with a seriously heavy twist of suspense. The beautiful house by the sea, the spooky aged retainer and the dear departed wife in the background, it has it all – especially as it didn’t resolve in the way I expected.

Also a classic is Rosamunde Pilcher’s The Shell Seekers which is in part set in Cornwall and known to readers of this column as my favourite book. The characters are so superbly drawn they could break – or make – your heart every time. But almost as good and often forgotten is Pilcher’s Coming Home, a saga which starts in Cornwall in the late 1930s and follows the heroine and her adopted family through the Second World War.

Another writer from my youth associated with the county is Mary Wesley. Camomile Lawn is her most famous Cornish novel and always a popular choice but I enjoyed Harnessing Peacocks far more. I like her heroine Hebe’s unconventional take on life – it seems especially suited to a backdrop in Cornwall.

In a totally different vein is Patrick Gale’s Notes From an Exhibition which perfectly captures (for me, anyway) the artist community at St Ives. The book tells the story of a family coming to terms with the dazzling genius of their late mother. At times a harrowing tale of depression, the wonderful language Gale uses lifts us and takes us to a completely different place.

New friends

Cornwall is now famous for chicklit and romcoms, a trend surely started by Judy Astley with her Just for the Summer, a sharp, witty read about Londoners who decamp to their Cornish second homes for the holidays.

Among those new out this summer, which means I haven’t actually read them but they may well appeal, are these:

Confetti at The Cornish Café by Phillipa Ashley – the third book in this hugely successful series sees the café become a celebrity wedding venue. Described as warm, funny and feel good by doyenne of romantic fiction Katie Fforde.

The Returning Tide by Liz Fenwick – the latest from a writer who has a built a career based on Cornish novels, this time with a saga of sisters and a wartime betrayal that spans the generations.

The Cornish Hotel by the Sea by Karen King – a heart-warming novel from my April Business of Books guest. Ellie returns to help her widowed mother keep the family hotel afloat, but will she succeed or will love intervene?

Dying to Take The Tour by Chrissie Loveday – a murder mystery set against the backdrop of a Poldark sightseeing tour. Cosy crime from a writer who I have to admit is a Cornish neighbour and is also published by Endeavour Press.

 

 

Five Books To Read This August

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The Upstairs Room is one of our favourite books of the year. Now out in paperback. Read it now.

 

A very clever and well written book with a message. An environmental wake up call for a fragile planet.

 

A engrossing and fun novel. Perfect for fans of Call The Midwife. The second book in the Nurses of Steeple Street series.

 

A stunning book from Lisa Jewell. An edge of your seat unputdownable thriller. One of the books of the year. You won’t forget it.

 

A smart take on the original classic. Written in an unconventional way that works. The story of one woman and her life. Well observed and entertaining.

All available from amazon.co.uk