Best Book Forward

• 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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• 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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• The Complexities of Sisterhood: Fran Littlewood on The Favourite

  Oh my goodness, chatting with the wonderful Fran Littlewood in this episode of Best Book Forward was an absolute joy from start to finish!Fran joined me to natter all about her absolutely fabulous new novel, The Favourite – which is just a brilliant, rollercoaster family saga about the Fishers. Their seemingly normal family holiday gets completely turned upside down when Dad accidentally lets slip... wait for it... that he has a favourite daughter! Talk about awkward!In our chat, we dive into how Fran's own life as one of three sisters helped spark the story, how our relationships with our siblings really do shape who we are, the rollercoaster ride of parenting and ageing, and how our memories of the very same family moments can be hilariously (or sometimes frustratingly!) different from everyone else’s!This episode was recorded in March (Season 3 took a little longer to bring to life than I'd hoped), the good news is there is no need to preorder you can rush to your local bookshop and grab your copy today!And of course, as always, we uncovered the five incredible books that have played a huge role in shaping Fran's life. Get ready to add these to your list (or maybe revisit some old friends!):Malory Towers by Enid BlytonThe Pursuit of Love by Nancy MitfordThe Secret History by Donna TarttBack When We Were Grownups by Anne TylerHey Yeah Right Get A Life by Helen SimpsonAlso mentioned in this episode:The Bee Sting by Paul MurrayA huge thank you to the lovely @MrsMarr and @NicTheBookWorm! I really hope you enjoyed hearing your brilliant questions answered on the show.If you enjoyed this episode (and I really hope you did!), it would mean the absolute world to me if you could take a few moments to rate, review, and subscribe – and even better, tell all your bookish buddies about Best Book Forward!Have a fantastic week, and I'll see you back here next Thursday for more bookish fun!

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• Best Book Forward; Chapter 3

  Best Book Forward Season 3 is Here!Welcome back to Best Book Forward! Get ready because we are launching a brand new season of eight episodes, packed with authors so incredible I honestly had to pinch myself that it was all really happening! I absolutely cannot wait for you to tune in!New to Best Book Forward? Hi, I'm Helen (@bestbookforward), your friendly neighbourhood book pusher! Think of this podcast as your ultimate bookish version of Desert Island Discs, where I get to chat with some truly amazing authors about the five books that have shaped their lives and writing journeys. It's always such a joy, and I learn something new every single time (and I also add a lot of books to my TBR, I have no shelf-control)!Who's Joining Us This Season?!Over the next few weeks, I'll be bringing you brilliant conversations with literary superstars Liane Moriarty, Gillian McAllister, Claire Douglas, Frances Quinn, Virginia Evans, Lucy Steeds, Fran Littlewood, and Clare Leslie Hall. Excited? You absolutely should be! I know I am!When Can You Dive In?The very first episode of Season 3 drops this Thursday, 5th June! And for a little extra pre-launch fun, head over to my Instagram on Wednesday where you'll get the exclusive sneak peek of which of my fabulous guests is first up on the show!Ready to join the bookish adventure?Subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts - that way you'll never miss an episode!Follow me on Instagram @bestbookforward for behind-the-scenes peeks and bookish fun.Check out the Best Book Forward website: www.bestbookforward.org Catch up on previous episodes Catch up now

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