Get ready for a heartwarming and hilarious send-off to Season 2! Today I’m delighted to be joined by the incredible Clare Pooley, author of the bestselling How to Age Disgracefully. Interview Highlights: Inspiration Behind the Novel: Discover what sparked Clare's idea for How to Age Disgracefully.Flawed Characters: Explore Clare's love for writing flawed characters.Real-Life Inspirations: Hear about Clare's connections to Bridget Jones and Thelma & Louise, and how these iconic characters...

Welcome back to Best Book Forward! The podcast where we delve into the books that have shaped our favourite authors' lives. Think of it as your literary Desert Island Discs. Today, I'm thrilled to have the incredible Josie Ferguson join us. Josie is the author of the highly acclaimed debut novel, The Silence in Between, shortlisted for the Waterstones Debut Prize 2024. In this episode, we'll explore the world of Josie's poignant story, discussing themes of sexual violence, trauma, and the...

Listeners are invited into a heartfelt conversation with Susan Fletcher as we discuss her brilliant new novel The Night in Question."  Susan discusses the inspiration behind her protagonist Florrie, an 87-year-old woman who embarks on a quest to uncover the truth behind a mysterious incident in her care home. We also discuss Susan's creative process, particularly how her time during the lockdown influenced her writing and character development.  Of course, we also discuss the five books that...

Join us for a captivating conversation with Nikki May, author of Wahala which is currently being adapted into a major BBC series! Her latest literary masterpiece, This was inspired by Jane Austen's Mansfield Park and explores themes of motherhood, legacy, identity, and culture. Interview Highlights: Mothers and Daughters: Discover the profound impact of mothers on their daughters. Explore how Nikki's characters navigate life without a mother and with a less than ideal one, shaping their...

Get ready for a heartwarming hug of an episode with the brilliant Marianne Cronin, author of the novels that'll make you laugh, cry, and believe in the power of human connection: "The One Hundred Years of Lennie & Margot" and "Eddie Winston is Looking for Love". In this episode we talk about friendship that defies expectations, love that blossoms in the most unexpected places and times, loss that leaves its mark, and the unwavering spirit of self-discovery. You'll also hear Marianne's...

Season 2 Starts Here and what a better way to kick it off than being joined by New York Times Best Selling Author, Catherine Newman! Let's face it, motherhood isn't always sunshine and rainbows. In this episode, Catherine discusses her latest novel, "Sandwich", exploring the messy realities of midlife, the unexpected joys (and challenges!) of parenting teenagers, and navigating the hormonal rollercoaster of menopause. We also delve into the five books that have shaped Catherine's life. From...

Get ready to dive deeper into the literary worlds of your favourite authors!  Best Book Forward is back for a brand new season, and we're serving up six weeks of bookish bliss with incredible authors. Haven't met us yet? Hi, I'm Helen (@bestbookforward), your friendly book pusher! Think of this podcast as a bookish version of Desert Island Discs where I chat with amazing authors about the five books that have shaped their lives. Season One was a literary adventure, featuring authors like Beth...

In this bonus episode of Best Book Forward I was delighted to be joined again by Alice Winn author of In Memoriam.   Alice talks about her journey to writing her bestselling debut and shares her experiences as dyslexic child learning to read as well as sharing a fabulous bookish secret with us. Other books mentioned: Barrington Stokes  Moby Dick by Herman Melville War & Peace by Leo Tolstoy I hope you’ve enjoyed this episode as much as I have. I would be so grateful if you could take the...

In this episode of Best Book Forward I was delighted to be joined by Alice Winn author of In Memoriam.  If you know me you will know how much I love this book, I’ve probably tried to force a copy on you, so having the opportunity to chat to Alice was incredible. The five books that Sophie picked as the books that have shaped her life are: Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding Catch 22 by Joseph Heller Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Passing by Nella Larsen All Quiet on the Western Front by...

In this bonus episode I am joined again by Sophie Irwin; author of A Lady's Guide to Scandal  In this episode Sophie, reads a passage from her new book and we went on to talk more about her life as a writer and a reader and shares a bookish secret with us. Other books mentioned in this episode are: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles Rules of Civility by Amor Towles Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros Game of Thrones by George R R Martin Authors mentioned Taylor...

In this episode of Best Book Forward I was delighted to be joined by Sophie Irwin author of A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin and A Lady's Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin Sophie talked about her love of the Regency period and why she feels we are so drawn to it, as well as sharing memories of reading her first chapter book that set her on her journey to be a reader for life.  The book that was pivotal in changing her life. The five books that Sophie picked as the books that...

For this episode of Best Book Forward I was delighted to be joined again by Matt Cain; author of One Love .  If you missed the main episode where Matt discusses her Desert Island Book. In this episode we talk about how Matt came back fighting after his first novel, The Madonna of Bolton was rejected; using his rage to crowdfund his way to get his book published in just a week! Matt also shares a bookish secret with us that left me feeling really excited ! Books and authors mentioned in this...

In today’s episode my guest is the wonderful Matt Cain., I have been chatting to Matt on Instagram for such a long time so to get to speak to him about his books and the books that he loves was such a treat.  We talked about all of Matt’s books but especially about his latest novel  One Love which comes out on 18 January and is an absolutely brilliant read. We talked about the five books that have shaped Matt’s life and three of them are also favourites of mine. Matt’s Desert Island Book...

In this bonus episode I am joined again by Nina Stibbe; author of Went to London, Took the Dog. In this episode Nina, reads a passage from her new book and we went on to talk more about her life as a writer and a reader. Other books mentioned in this episode are: Started Early Took the Dog by Kate Atkinson Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel by Deborah Moggach The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ by Sue Townsend Ducks Newbury Port by Lucy Ellmann The...

In this episode I was delighted to be joined by Nina Stibbe; who’s latest book Went to London, Took the Dog is out 2 November and is such a brilliant read. I loved talking to Nina, and hearing her talk so patiently about her love of diaries has inspired me to try and keep my own diary.   Nina’s Desert Island Book choices are: Black Beauty by Anna Sewell My Side of the Mountain by Jean George (currently out of print) Secret Diary of Adrian Mole by Sue Townsend Diary of a Nobody by G&W...

In this bonus episode, Beth O'Leary joins Helen to discuss her meteoric rise to fame after publishing her debut novel The Flatshare. Beth talks candidly about her journey to publication, the pressures of writing a second novel after a hugely successful debut, her writing process and daily rituals (or lack thereof!), her reading habits and favourite authors. Beth also reveals her "bookish secret"...

Today’s episode of Best Book Forward was a dream come true for me.  Beth O’Leary was the first author I meet when I started off as a bookstagrammer and I have loved all of her books from her debut The Flatshare to her latest novel The Wake Up Call  In this episode Beth talks about her life as a writer, writing sexy swimming pool scenes as well as how books helped her as a child to find her love of storytelling and writing. Beth’s Desert Island Book choices are: The Autumn Story by Jill...

In this bonus episode of Best Book Forward I was delighted to be joined again by Helen Paris; author of Lost Property and The Invisible Women's Club.  If you missed the main episode where Helen discusses her Desert Island Books with me do have a listen (you'll find it in the same place you found this one!) In this episode Helen read a passage from her new book The Invisible Women’s Club and we went on to talk more about her life as a reader and a writer. The books that are mentioned in this...

In this first episode of Best Book Forward I was delighted to be joined by Helen Paris; author of Lost Property and The Invisible Women's Club. Helen shared wonderful memories of buying her childhood favourites with her dad at WHSmiths at weekends, a wonderful teacher who introduced her to a book she loves and the books that inspired her love of reading and writing. Helen’s Desert Island Books choices are: Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder The Great Gatsby by F Scott...

Join Helen Gambarota, better known online as 'Best Book Forward' for friendly conversations with authors. After discussing her guest's five favourite books, Helen will ask them the impossible question: if you could only pick one to read again, which book would you choose?! Listen out for bonus episodes treating you to readings from the authors' own books. Find out about how to join Helen's book club, and more about her book-ish journey online at https://www.bestbookforward.org/ and on...