The Literary Sofa
Isabel Costello
Guest Author – Ruth Figgest on writing about mothers and daughters
This week I am delighted to be hosting a debut novelist with an exceptional track record: Ruth Figgest, who was born in Oxford and grew up in the USA, has been short-listed an incredible six times for the Bridport Prize – she was awarded 2nd place in 2012 and was Highly Commended in 2017. Her debut … Continue reading
Book Review – A Secret Sisterhood by Emily Midorikawa and Emma Claire Sweeney
Last year this book caught my eye for several reasons, not least the beautiful cover which also graces the new paperback edition I finally got around to reading. A Secret Sisterhood by Emily Midorikawa and Emma Claire Sweeney uncovers the ‘hidden friendships’ between Jane Austen and family governess Anne Sharp; Charlotte Brontë and former schoolfriend … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Alicia Drake on Paris as a longterm ex-pat
Hosting today’s guest author and featuring her debut novel, another of my Spring Sofa Spotlight titles, feels like a special occasion and not only because until now I’m the only one who’s written about Paris here. That was destined to change the moment Alicia Drake stood up to read from I love you too much … Continue reading
Guest Author – Claire Dyer on Research and Imagination
Last week’s Spring Sofa Spotlight met with great enthusiasm and lots of my favourite feedback: that people discovered books they may not otherwise have heard of and can’t wait to read. Thank you for the appreciation and for helping to spread the word – I wouldn’t still be running this blog if I didn’t believe … Continue reading
Sofa Spotlight – Spring 2018
Spring is in the air, I’ve been reading (as always) and it’s time for my latest selection of recommended new releases. Narrowing it down is never easy – I’ve enjoyed far more than I can include, especially as there were many with overlapping themes. There’s huge variety amongst the ten which stood out (and I … Continue reading
Quick Reads 2018
This is a quick post about the launch of Quick Reads 2018 from The Reading Agency, a selection of six short books (only £1!) by bestselling authors which are aimed at less confident adult readers or anyone who wants a cracking story but is short on time. There are so many reasons I’m keen to … Continue reading
2018 Reading round-up #1 – Two Books about Vietnam and America
This was just going to be a review of two superb books I read on holiday in Vietnam, both set partly in that country and partly in the United States. But then I decided to make round-ups of my reading a new regular slot because it’s bothered me for a while that some of the … Continue reading
Two Weeks in Vietnam
Last week was a brilliant start to 2018 with lots of interest in my piece on time management – I’m delighted readers found it helpful. My blog is usually about books and writing but every year I include a couple of travelogues and this one’s about my family’s recent trip to Vietnam. We have joined … Continue reading
Starting from here and now
A belated happy new year! This isn’t the first post I was expecting to write in 2018, but for reasons which will become apparent, I’ve decided to take a more relaxed and spontaneous approach to the blog this year. There will still be coverage of new releases and guest posts, but since it goes down … Continue reading
My Books of 2017
This is one of the most fun posts to write but it’s also difficult, when I spend the entire year featuring books I’ve really enjoyed and rated here on the Literary Sofa. So please do look beyond today’s list of my personal favourites to the many brilliant guest author posts I’ve hosted in 2017, which … Continue reading
My new novel SCENT – out in paperback on 19 May 2022
The Literary Sofa 