The Literary Sofa
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Guest Author – Catherine McNamara on Older Love
My Summer Reads guest season continues today with a repeat visit from Catherine McNamara who is the real deal: a writer whose work has wowed me since I first discovered it, a kindred spirit and a great friend. As writers Cat and I have many interests in common and several of our stimulating conversations have … 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
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 – The Light Between Oceans by M L Stedman
Sometimes you just get a feeling about a book. As I mentioned in a recent post Book Titles – (Don’t) Call It What You Like, I wanted to read The Light Between Oceans from the moment I heard the title: it is original, it conveys the theme and gives a real taste of the beauty … Continue reading
Book Review – The Last Summer by Judith Kinghorn
When a review copy of Judith Kinghorn’s debut The Last Summer found its way to me just before Christmas, I had only recently published my Fiction Hot Picks for 2012 and immediately felt it should have been included, given the current mania for all things World War I. If you are a fan of British TV … Continue reading
Book Review – The Bellwether Revivals by Benjamin Wood
I love spreading the word about good fiction, especially by debut authors – you can take my reviews as recommendations because I don’t have time to spend on books I haven’t enjoyed. It’s fascinating taking a critical look at how and why a novel works but it can be surprisingly hard to pin down. Some … Continue reading
Book Review: The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides
I don’t often await a novel with as much anticipation as the latest from Jeffrey Eugenides. Both The Virgin Suicides and Middlesex drew me into worlds which were bizarre but utterly captivating, so I fully expected to be writing a rave review of The Marriage Plot. Well, it’s not going to happen. It seems that … Continue reading
The Time We Had: 20 years later, I remember my Dad
My Dad died 20 years ago this week, on 14 October 1991, of a rare kidney cancer which can’t be diagnosed until it’s too late. He was 58. I was already considering writing something about him because of his anniversary, but it was the death last week of Steve Jobs, founder of Apple at the … Continue reading
My new novel SCENT – out in paperback on 19 May 2022
The Literary Sofa 