Best Book Forward

• Here One Moment: Exploring Fate, Fragility, and Fiction with Liane Moriarty

  Oh my goodness, I cannot begin to tell you just how special this episode was for me! Back in 2019, I actually missed an opportunity to ask Liane Moriarty a question because I was too nervous to put my hand up. Fast forward to today, and I can't quite believe I got to do a whole interview with Liane and I absolutely loved every single moment. It was a total dream come true!Liane joins me in this episode to discuss her brilliant new novel, Here One Moment. We chat all about the incredible (and, let's be honest, very unsettling!) premise of a woman giving out death predictions on a delayed flight, and where that idea came from. We then delve into our own opinions on fate, destiny, and even clairvoyants – it was all quite deep for a Monday morning! Of course, as always, we also discover the five books that have shaped Liane’s life, which are:Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth ParkFeeling Sorry For Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty (currently unavailable on bookshop.org)Pennington’s Seventeenth Summer by K.M. PeytonThe Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey NiffeneggerThe Accidental Tourist by Anne TylerBefore we move on, I'd like to officially reassure all my lovely listeners that I have finally picked up The Time Traveller’s Wife, and I am really enjoying it! It only took the gentle encouragement of several bestselling authors to get me to actually pick it up, but hey, I got there in the end!Also mentioned in this episode:The Immortalists by Chloe BenjaminThe Measure by Nikki ErlickThe Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy FowlerForever by Judy BlumeThree Days in June by Anne TylerWell, that is officially it for Season 3! I honestly don't know where the last eight weeks have gone, but I really, really hope that you have enjoyed this season as much as I have. I owe a huge thank you to all my wonderful guests who have made this such a joy:Gillian McAllisterFran LittlewoodLucy SteedsClaire DouglasFrances QuinnClare Leslie HallVirginia EvansAnd of course, the incredible Liane Moriarty!I'm currently buzzing with ideas and working away on Season 4, and I absolutely cannot wait to share more details with you. If you're following me on Instagram, you’ll be amongst the first to know what I’ve got planned. In the meantime, if you've enjoyed this episode (or any others!), please do take a moment to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts. And most importantly, please tell all your book-loving friends about Best Book Forward! Spreading the word truly makes a huge difference and helps more bookworms find us.Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you soon for more bookish chat!

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• Virginia Evans on The Correspondent, Writer's Resilience & Ann Patchett's Kindness

  This episode was such a joy to record! I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Virginia Evans about her stunning debut novel The Correspondent; a book I truly loved. One of my favourite moments during our chat was hearing Virginia share the incredible story of how writing a letter to none other than Ann Patchett turned into a real friendship. Isn’t it just so heartening to know that someone as iconic as Ann Patchett would take the time to encourage and support a new writer? In our conversation, Virginia opens up about her writing journey—from early rejections to the sheer determination that kept her going (thank goodness she did!). We talk about what inspired The Correspondent, how her unforgettable protagonist Sybil came to be, and the enduring power of letter writing in an increasingly digital world.We also reflect on what we might be losing as we move away from the handwritten word. I loved hearing how passionate Virginia is about this, especially as someone who’s always felt a bit self-conscious about my own handwriting. She’s inspired me to embrace the scrawl, good luck to anyone receiving my cards!And of course, Virginia shares the five books that shaped her life which were:Stoner by John WilliamsThe Firm by John Grisham (not currently available on bookshop.org)Rebecca by Daphne Du MaurierOne By One in the Darkness by Deirdre MaddenThe Dutch House by Ann PatchettAlso mentioned in this episode:The Flatshare by Beth O'LearyThe Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan HenryThe Woman in White by Wilkie CollinsAfter You'd Gone by Maggie O'FarrellI also mentioned having my mum’s handwriting embroidered into a piece of art. See Ivy & Stitch for details.I really hope you enjoyed this episode as much as I did. I’ll be back next week with the final episode in this Season (how have eight weeks flown by so fast). If you are enjoying the show I’d be so grateful if you could take the time rate, review, subscribe and most importantly tell your friends all about it. Thanks for listening and see you next week!

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• Team Frank or Team Gabriel? Delving into Broken Country with Claire Leslie Hall

  Oh my goodness, I do feel like the luckiest bookworm sometimes! Getting to chat with all these incredible authors is such a privilege, and today, having the brilliant Clare Leslie Hall on the show has been an absolute joy from start to finish.If you haven't yet picked up her captivating novel, Broken Country, I'm going to have to politely beg you to grab a copy and dive in this summer! Seriously, you won't regret it. I've seen it pop up on so many "Best of 2025" lists (including my very own, of course!). I've actually read it twice and could happily pick it up again – it's just that good.In this episode, Clare gives us the inside scoop on the inspiration behind Broken Country, and shares some fascinating insights into her writing journey. I have to say, I feel incredibly thankful that Clare ignored the advice to give up on this masterpiece; it truly is such a special book, and I'm so glad she persevered with it!As always, we also delve into the five books that have shaped Clare's life. What a fantastic list it was (and yes, she managed to sneak in a few extra recommendations too – because you can never have too many book suggestions, right?!).I Capture The Castle by Dodie SmithMoon Tiger by Penelope LivelyAll The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthyThe Great Gatsby by Scott FitzgeraldThe Go Between by LP HartleyOther books mentioned:Sorrow & Bliss by Meg MasonThe Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley HellerThe Secret History by Donna TarttLeaving by Roxanna RobinsonI really hope you enjoyed this episode as much as I did. Clare was just so wonderful to chat to, I love how obvious it becomes just how important her characters are to her. If you're loving Best Book Forward, please do take a moment to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts – it makes such a difference! And, most importantly, please tell all your bookish friends about us!See you next week for more bookish chat.

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• The Lost Passenger: Frances Quinn on Titanic, a Mother’s Love, and Survival

  Inside The Lost Passenger: Frances Quinn on Titanic, a Mother’s Love, and SurvivalHello book friends! In today’s episode, I am absolutely delighted to be chatting with the brilliant Frances Quinn about her fabulous new novel, The Lost Passenger.We had such a wonderful chat about the inspiration behind this compelling story, and Frances also speaks really openly about the challenges along the way and how she buffers herself against feedback from her team! We dive into her incredible protagonist, Elinor, exploring what drives her to make the life-altering decision to steal another woman's identity to escape her own past. We also chat about the research Frances carried out particularly looking at those who survived the Titanic. Of course, as always on Best Book Forward, we delved into the five books that have shaped Frances throughout her life and writing journey! Five Go Adventuring Again by Enid BlytonAdventures of the Little Wooden Horse by Ursula Moray WilliamsThe Bomber by Liza Marklund (Currently not available)The Vizard Mask by Diana Norman (Also currently not available)Bird by Bird by Anne LemottUnfortunately, two of these titles seem to be a little tricky to get hold of but if you're intrigued, I'd absolutely recommend keeping an eye out in charity shops, you never know what treasures you might unearth!Also mentioned in this episode:This Miseducation of Evie Epworth by Matson TaylorSwimming For Beginners by Nicola Gill - turns out I don’t have this one but I am waiting for my copy to arrive and cannot wait to read it.A massive thank you goes out to my brilliant sister, Lottie, for today's question, and, of course for introducing me to Frances and her wonderful books in the first place!I really hope that you enjoyed this episode as much as I did. Honestly, I could have spent hours chatting with Frances! If you're enjoying Best Book Forward, it would mean the absolute world to me if you could take a few moments to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts. And the very best thing you could do? Tell all your bookish friends about us!I’ll be back with another brilliant episode next week, and I really hope you’ll join me again for more bookish fun!

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• New Neighbours, New Nightmares: Claire Douglas on Crafting Compelling Crime

  Welcome back to another episode and today’s we’re lucky enough to get to chat to Claire Douglas about her latest thriller, The New Neighbours. This was my first of read of Claire’s and I loved it so much I went straight back to the beginning and read her debut which was another winner for me. I can’t wait to read more.In this episode we chat about the inspiration behind The New Neighbours and we managed to keep it completely spoiler free! We discover the inspiration behind the story and find out whether Claire is as brave as her characters (I know I’m not). Of course as always we chat about the five books that have shaped Claire’s life (let’s gloss over the fact she picked the entire Famous Five series). Here are Claire’s choices.The Famous Five by Enid ByltonRachel's Holiday by Marian KeyesThe Moving Finger by Agatha ChristieThe Secret History by Donna TarttThe Magpies by Mark EdwardsAlso mentioned in this episode:We Are Completely Beside OurselvesSandwich by Catherine NewmanI Let You Go by Clare MacIntoshGentleman & Players by Joanne HarrisSince recording I have now read and loved Rachel’s Holiday I only needed three bestselling authors to convince me! If you've enjoyed this episode as much as I enjoyed recording it, please, please do me a little favour! Take a moment to rate, review, and subscribe to Best Book Forward – it makes the world of difference in helping more book lovers find our little corner of the podcast world. And the absolute best thing you could do? Tell a friend who you think would love Claire’s books or our chats! Until next time, happy reading!

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