Hello, October
A bumper edition of cosy book recommendations!
I think October might be my favourite month. Crisp mornings, golden leaves, hot chocolate and pumpkin-spice lattes. Getting out the knitwear and lacing up walking boots for a bracing walk. And, of course, snuggling up under a blanket to read a good book.
Did you know that two of my novels are set in autumn? Of course, you can read any of my books in any season (and in any order - something I often get asked about!) but if you like to read seasonally then The 24-Hour Café and The Vintage Shop are both set in autumn.
This week I’ve been reading back through The Lifeline after a bit of a break. It’s helpful to step back from my writing sometimes, especially when I’ve been working on a book for a long time like I have with The Lifeline. When I’m in the book every day I lose sight of it, somehow.
I have to say after reading it afresh…. I really like this book. The Lifeline is a follow-up to my first novel The Lido and picks up Kate’s story five years later. She is a new mum, struggling to adapt to the next phase of her life. But as well as featuring characters from The Lido, this book includes a whole cast of new characters too, characters who I really hope you’ll fall for as much as I did when writing them.
Most important is Phoebe, a woman whose job involves looking after other people but who has forgotten how to look after herself. This book is very personal to me and there are lots of moments that make me well up when I read them back. But mostly I hope that the book will leave you feeling as though you’ve just received a tight, warm hug from a friend. Expect friendship, romance and swimming…
Coming up this month…
In a couple of weeks, I will be heading to New York for a few days and I am very excited. I plan to visit lots of bookshops, wander in Central Park and generally have a cosy autumnal time. I’ll tell you all about it when I’m back!
I also have a few events coming up this month.
Next week I’ll be in Swindon on Monday the 2nd, Dorchester on Tuesday the 3rd and Taunton on Wednesday the 4th. Then on the 12th October I’ll be at Mere Literary Festival and at Yeovil Literary Festival on 27th October. These will be the last events for a while so do come along if you can make it!
What I’ve been reading
September was a great month for reading! I did a fair bit of travelling last month which meant I got through more books than usual - I love a train journey for an excuse to sit and read! Here’s what I read and what I thought…
The Dead Romantics, Ashley Poston - I absolutely LOVED this book! It reminded me of Emily Henry’s Book Lovers, but with ghosts. It’s about a ghostwriter who goes back to the funeral home where she grew up for a family funeral and bumps into her handsome editor, who just happens to be a ghost. I don’t normal go for supernatural themes in books but this was written in such a straightforward, engaging way that I totally believed it. A really joyful treat of a book.
Talking at Night, Claire Daverley - A literary romance that spans many years, following a couple who meet as teenagers but are kept apart by a series of events. I found it a little slow to begin with but loved it once I’d got into it. Really beautiful writing.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin - A totally gorgeous read. I wish I could read this one for the first time all over again. I loved the themes of friendship and the importance of finding work that you love. The characters are video game designers but I found a lot of parallels with writing. And it gave me a fascinating insight into that industry.
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikbry, Gabrielle Zevin - I loved Tomorrow so much that I wanted to read more of Gabrielle Zevin’s books and this one was utterly charming. A very bookish book about a grumpy bookseller whose life is turned upside down when he finds a toddler left unattended in his shop. If you love books set in bookshops like I do and haven’t read this one then add it to your list now!
“The words you can’t find, you borrow. We read to know we’re not alone.”
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikbry, Gabrielle Zevin
What you are looking for is in the library, Michiko Aoyama - Another bookish book I enjoyed this month. This collection of short stories centres around a librarian’s surprising book recommendations and the impact they have on a collection of strangers. A quiet, gentle book with lots of great messages about the power of reading.
“Books will always be essential for some people. And bookshops are a place for those people to discover the books that will become important to them. I will never allow bookshops to vanish from this world.”
What you are looking for is in the library, Michiko Aoyama
The Pumpkin Spice Café, Laurie Gilmore - I started reading this after my grandfather’s funeral when I needed something cosy and soothing and it absolutely did the trick. As you might guess from the pen name of its author, this book has Gilmore-Girls-worthy small-town charm plus generous dashings of romance.
Arthur and Teddy are Coming Out, Ryan Love - I loved the concept of this book: a grandson and grandfather navigate coming out to their family at the same time. And there was lots I enjoyed about it but I didn’t love it - the writing just didn’t grab me and some of the characters didn’t feel fully-rounded. But I do know that reading is so subjective, so let me know if you loved it!
Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader, Anne Fadiman - This series of essays about reading by bookophile Anne Fadiman really made me smile. It’s a pocket-sized read that would make a great gift for a book lover.
Hello Beautiful, Ann Napolitano - Oh, this book was wonderful! It’s a sweeping tale of four sisters and the man who marries into their family. It was such a beautiful portrayal of sisterhood and love. Tissues at the ready!
If you’re looking for more book recommendations for autumn, I’ve pulled together a list of some cosy reads you might like!
What have you read and enjoyed recently? And have you read any of these? I’d love to hear what you thought!
You might remember from a recent newsletter that I recently started a reading journal and am now a little bit obsessed with it. I find writing in it so soothing and I love having a record of everything I’ve read this year. I’ve recently been having fun decorating it with stickers found on Etsy. My two favourite sellers for bookish stickers and accessories are Bluebell Hill Crafts and Barista Shop.
If you keep a reading journal too or feel inspired to start one, here are some journal prompts for you for this month…
Creat an ‘About Me’ page filling it with facts like your favourite book, your favourite bookshops, your favourite reading snack and your favourite place to read.
Go on an autumnal reading walk and document it in your journal. Take your book out of the house, go for a nice walk and find a spot to sit in nature and read. Maybe draw a sketch of your view or just describe it in your journal.
Write a list of your favourite autumnal books.
Things I’m loving…
It’s that time of year again: this week I made a batch of Jamie Oliver’s chocolate porridge. It’s one of my absolute favourite recipes and a bowl of this is such a cosy way to start the day. I might also give this carrot cake porridge a go too.
Speaking of recipes, I’m currently loving Comfort: A Winter Cookbook and the soups in Sabrina Ghayour’s Bazaar.
Autumn is my favourite season for outdoor swimming. There’s an invigorating chill to the water but it’s not yet painfully cold. I can’t wait to swim at Cleveland Pools, the recently re-opened lido not too far from where I live. It’s so heartwarming to hear of a lido that was closed for many years being enjoyed by new swimmers. Rosemary would be proud!
If you are a keen outdoor swimmer too then I’d urge you to check out the crowdfunder for Mental Health Swims. This brilliant organisation runs mental health support swimming groups that have a huge impact. But they need help to continue doing what they do.
And another one for the swimmers out there: I was lucky enough to receive a copy of The Ripple Effect, A Celebration of Britian’s Brilliant Wild Swimming Communities and it is beautiful. My next book, The Lifeline, has a wild swimming group at its heart so this book feels very relevant to me!
I keep walking past these amazing high-waisted trousers in the window of one of my fab local shops, Deadly is the Female and they are giving me glorious autumnal vibes. I mean, they’re even called ‘Pumpkin Spice’.
Berylune is one of my favourite little online gift places and their autumn collection makes me very happy. It’s inspired me to make an autumn display at home using twigs arranged in a vase and with autumnal decorations hanging from them.
Wishing you a happy October,
Also looking forward to checking out Cleveland Pools!!! I just moved to Bristol