The Literary Sofa
Isabel Costello
Book Review – The Engagement by Chloe Hooper
When compiling my two main listings of the year I always like to include fiction from different parts of the world. The vivid sense of both urban and rural Australia in Chloe Hooper’s novel The Engagement is one of many qualities which earned it a place in my Fiction Hot Picks for 2013. Unlike most of … Continue reading
Guest Author – Sarah Butler Ten Things I’ve learnt whilst writing about Cities
Despite growing up in the country I’ve become a real city person as an adult and have lived in London (south then north) for over half my life. In any city, I’m particularly drawn to the everyday and what often goes unnoticed. It was Sarah Butler’s ability to observe and capture the real essence of London which made … Continue reading
Why am I doing this again?
I only talk about my own writing on this blog when I reach a significant point. A year ago, I wrote about how it felt to finish my first novel. In the summer something unrelated prompted me to reflect on my early experience of rejection. This time the milestone was when I decided to stop … Continue reading
Book Review – The Starboard Sea by Amber Dermont
HALF of my Fiction Hot Picks for 2013 have a January UK publication date, and I didn’t anticipate what a scramble it would be to give them the attention they deserve. They are all excellent of course, but The Starboard Sea is one of the best books I’ve read in years, which is why it’s the … Continue reading
Guest Author – Katharina Hagena on her Debut being Translated into 24 Languages
My Hot Picks for 2013 includes two titles in translation, the first time that foreign-language fiction has been featured here. Whenever I wander around a bookshop in a non English-speaking country, I’m amazed how many titles are in translation – and not just from the huge English language market. The fact is, many other nationalities … Continue reading
On Location #5 – South Africa
My husband JC and I share a love of travel. Just a couple of months after we met, we Inter-Railed around Western Europe (back when Eastern Europe was off limits!) for a month with a tent and a daily budget of £5 (really), which could have brought a a good thing to a swift end…. … Continue reading
Guest Author – Emma Chapman on Setting her Debut Novel in Scandinavia
Emma Chapman’s debut novel How To Be A Good Wife was released last week after months of mounting anticipation amongst would-be readers. I had the good fortune to read a review copy in the autumn and to meet Emma and other up-and-coming Picador authors shortly afterwards, and I was so impressed with her debut that it made … Continue reading
Warning – You are about to enter The Cliché Zone
Enough of the serious stuff – it’s silly season. The Literary Sofa is usually all about good fiction and good writing – you’ve heard about my Best Books of 2012, you’ve seen my Fiction Hot Picks for 2013, but my final blogpost of the year is dedicated to a subject which doesn’t normally get a … Continue reading
Fiction Hot Picks for 2013
2012 has been an incredible first full year for the Literary Sofa and after months of research, tip-offs and an intense reading marathon, it’s time to unveil my Fiction Hot Picks for 2013. It’s very rewarding when people tell me my blog is where they go to find out about the best new fiction, and compiling these listings is one … Continue reading
Book Review – Lightning Rods by Helen DeWitt
Last week in 2012 – My Year in Books I revealed my six personal favourites. Today, for my final review of the year I’ve chosen one of the most memorable books I’ve read, Helen DeWitt’s Lightning Rods, which took an entire decade to find a publisher before being released by New Directions in the USA … Continue reading
My new novel SCENT – out in paperback on 19 May 2022
The Literary Sofa 