Best Book Forward

I am absolutely thrilled to kick off the new season with the brilliant Sunday Times bestselling author, Dr. Joanna Cannon, to talk all about her beautiful new novel, An Unlikely Visitor.
In this episode, Jo talks about her journey from becoming a doctor in her 40s to a bestselling author, how everything in life worth having starts with a pinch of anxiety and how meeting one reader in a signing line led to Jo dedicating this novel to her.
Of course, no episode of Best Book Forward is complete without lots of book chat and Jo’s love of books shines through this chat. We could have talked books all day long.
Joanna’s Book Choices:
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Talking Heads by Alan Bennett
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
When God Was A Rabbit by Sarah Winman

Books by Dr. Joanna Cannon:
An Unlikely Visitor
The Trouble with Goats and Sheep
A Tidy Ending
Three Things About Elsie

Other Books Mentioned:
The Midnight Train by Matt Haig
Roman Mornings by Matson Taylor
Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves
Tin Man by Sarah Winman
My Cousin Rachel by Daphne Du Maurier
The Lido by Libby Page
Still Life by Sarah Winman

If you loved listening to this episode, please take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review Best Book Forward on your favourite podcast app, and don’t forget to tell your book-loving friends. It really helps new listeners discover our cozy reading community and helps us grow!
See you next Thursday for another wonderful guest, and happy listening!
🎧 Listen & Subscribe Now: : Best Book Forward Podcast
📲 Connect with Us:
Follow Helen on Instagram: @bestbookforward
Discover more book recommendations on our Website: https://bestbookforward.org/

Welcome to this very special preview episode of Best Book Forward! Today, I am giving you an exclusive sneak peek into my conversation with the brilliant bestselling author, Dr. Joanna Cannon, ahead of her main episode dropping this Thursday.
To celebrate the launch of her beautiful new novel, An Unlikely Visitor, we are wrapping up today's episode with a very special, exclusive audiobook preview, read beautifully by Emily Joyce. Trust me when I say it is pure joy. It made me want to just curl up in my favourite chair with a cup of tea and keep listening all afternoon!
In this quick preview, I am sharing a little glimpse of what is to come later this week. We chat about Jo’s incredible journey from working as a doctor to becoming a bestselling author and I had a goosebumps moment when Jo talked about how she believes that everything in life that is truly worth having starts with a pinch of anxiety (and I totally agree with her)>
What really shines through for me in this whole episode is Jo’s completely infectious love of books, and I just know you are going to absolutely love this chat. Both the main interview and An Unlikely Visitor release this coming Thursday, and I hope you'll be diving into both.
If you are already subscribed to Best Book Forward, your podcast app will send you a little notification the moment the main episode lands. In the meantime, come and say hello to us both over on Instagram by hitting the links below!
🎧 Listen & Subscribe https://best-book-forward.captivate.fm/listen
📲 Connect with Us
Follow Helen on Instagram: @bestbookforward
Follow Joanna Cannon on Instagram: @joannacannonauthor

🎙️ Best Book Forward – Season 6 Trailer
A brand new season of Best Book Forward is almost here!
Join me for another chapter of bookish conversation, where each week I sit down with incredible authors to explore the books that have shaped their lives. You can think of it as a bookish take on Desert Island Discs.
For June and July, we are packing our bags and heading from the bustling streets of early-2000s London to sun-drenched Positano. We will be travelling to nineteenth-century France and 1970s Rome, exploring unforgettable summers, unexpected visitors, love stories, secrets, and lives changed forever.
Together, we’ll dive into the books our authors return to again and again, and we will explore how memory, identity, love, and reinvention shape the stories that stay with us long after the final page is turned.
Exciting news for this season: We are going twice weekly!
The main interview episodes will continue exactly as they always have, dropping every single Thursday. But on Tuesdays, I’ll be bringing you shorter preview episodes where I'll announce my next guest, give you a little glimpse into our chat, and share an exclusive reading from the author to get you excited for the week ahead.
So, wherever you’re spending your summer this year, whether you are on a plane, by the sea, relaxing in the garden, or just stealing a quiet moment for yourself, bring a book, and bring us with you. Though be warned, this podcast is highly likely to expand your TBR list, so you might want to double-check your airline baggage allowance before you hit download!
The very first preview episode drops on Tuesday 2nd June, and if you’re subscribed, it’ll be ready and waiting for you.
🎧 Listen & Subscribe https://best-book-forward.captivate.fm/listen
📲 Stay Connected
Follow on Instagram: @bestbookforward
Website: https://bestbookforward.org/

Kate Lord Brown on The Silver Thread
In this final episode of Season 5, I’m joined by bestselling author Kate Lord Brown to talk about her beautiful new novel, The Silver Thread. We discuss Kate’s love of uncovering forgotten histories, the real-life inspirations behind the novel, and how Liberty London became an unexpected doorway into the past.
Of course, no episode of Best Book Forward is complete without book recommendations. Here are the books that have shaped Kate. You’ll find links to buy below:
Books by Kate:
The Silver Thread
The Golden Hour
A Summer at the Castle
A Season of Secrets
Kate’s Book Choices:
The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa
Brother of the More Famous Jack by Barbara Trapido
Heartburn by Nora Ephron
Light Years by James Salter
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
Other Books Mentioned:
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
The Homemade God by Rachel Joyce
Season 6 is coming really soon and I cannot wait to tell you what I’ve been working on. But first a huge thanks to my guests who have been:
Julie Owen Moylan
Lucy Apps
Sarah Vaughan
Heidi Swain
Ilona Bannister
Andrea Mara
Lucy Ashe
and Kate Lord Brown
In the meantime, if you’ve enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate and review Best Book Forward, and don’t forget to tell your friends. It really helps new listeners discover the show.
See you soon, and happy listening.
Listen & Subscribe Now:
https://best-book-forward.captivate.fm/listen
To stay in touch with Best Book Forward news please follow me on Instagram @bestbookforward or visit my website: https://bestbookforward.org/

Lucy Ashe on The Model Patient
In this episode, I’m joined by author Lucy Ashe to talk about her latest novel, The Model Patient, looking at her own experiences with therapy helped shaped the story and how her research into women’s lives in the 1960s made her feel a sense of urgency.
Of course, no episode of Best Book Forward is complete without book recommendations. Here are the books that have shaped Lucy. You’ll find links to buy below:
Books by Lucy:
The Model Patient
Clara & Olivia
The Sleeping Beauties

Lucy’s Book Choices:
Northern Lights by Philip Pullman
Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
All About Love by Bell Hooks
Other Books Mentioned
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Why We Dream by Alice Robb
Woman's Lore by Sarah Clegg
I’ll be back next week with another author conversation, and I’d love for you to join me for that too.
In the meantime, if you’ve enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review Best Book Forward, and don’t forget to tell your friends. It really helps new listeners discover the show.
See you tomorrow, and happy listening.
Listen & Subscribe Now:
https://best-book-forward.captivate.fm/listen
To stay in touch with Best Book Forward news please follow me on Instagram @bestbookforward or visit my website: https://bestbookforward.org/