I started writing my blog in 2011 and I’ve never had such a long gap between posts before. But even though I’ve written thousands of journalistic words this year I couldn’t bring myself to post a blog. It seemed inconsequential and pointless during the pandemic and anyway, it always got banished to the bottom of the to-do list, along with paperwork, tidying up my office and sorting out the massive ...keep reading
Tributes to the novelist Penny Vincenzi have poured in following her death this week at the age of 78. Her agent, Clare Alexander, described her as “an irreplaceable friend”, while author Sophie Kinsella said: “She was like one of her novels. Once you were in her company you didn’t want to say goodbye.” They’re fitting words. I was a huge fan of Penny Vincenzi’s novels and was lucky enough to ...keep reading
Today I’m delighted to be running an extract from a wonderful new novel – Carrying Albert Home by Homer Hickam. Marie Claire magazine has described Carrying Albert Home as a “must-read… a funny yet tragic tale of a husband and wife’s car journey across the US with Albert the alligator in tow.” The story has three key ingredients. A journey of 1,000 miles. An alligator on the back seat of the car. ...keep reading
Like everyone else I know, I’m deluged with emails, newsletters and press releases from dawn till dusk. But there’s one that arrives at around noon each day that I always look forward to reading. Emerald Street is the daily email from Stylist magazine and it’s packed with great things – book reviews, fashion and beauty recommendations, restaurant reviews and links to thought-provoking features. I’m such a fan that as soon as I spotted that ...keep reading
“On a hot still morning on a beautiful beach in Jamaica, Decca Aitkenhead’s life changed for ever.” So runs the blurb for All at Sea, Decca Aitkenhead’s haunting memoir about her late partner Tony Wilkinson. This remarkable book recounts his early life (he was adopted by a white couple and grew up in Leeds) and his transformation from a dreadlocked criminal with a history of drug dealing and violence to a much-loved ...keep reading
The most memorable hour of the week was spent listening to author Wendy Holden talk about her unforgettable book, Born Survivors. Wendy, a close friend from our Evening Standard days, has written more than thirty books during her career but this one is special. A harrowing account of bravery and love in the midst of unimaginable cruelty, Born Survivors tells the story of three young women sent to Auschwitz II-Birkenau in ...keep reading
I loved Lissa Evans’s Crooked Heart when I read it last year – and now it’s out in paperback I’m enjoying it all over again. Here’s my original review: Crooked Heart is a gem of a book – funny, endearing and beautifully written, with characters so well drawn that you can picture them in your mind’s eye. Set during the Blitz, it’s the story of ten-year-old Noel Bostock, who lives on the edge ...keep reading
Horses, dogs, David Cameron, Boris Johnson and that notorious Riders cover – all this and more featured in Jilly Cooper’s hilarious, hour-long conversation with Rachel Johnson at the Cheltenham Literature Festival yesterday. I can’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than listening to wonderful Jilly. She is 78 now, a slim figure in a white trouser suit, a glass of white wine in her hand and ...keep reading
Fans of Jojo Moyes (and I’m one of them) have been on tenterhooks for months, waiting for the publication of After You, the long-awaited sequel to the mega-selling Me Before You. Well, today is the big day and After You is out at last. Writing a follow-up to a book as loved as Me Before You is no mean feat but Jojo has accomplished it with style and aplomb. She ...keep reading
On the first day of my holiday in France I sat down with a literary treat. The fifth of Nicci French’s gripping Frieda Klein series has just been published and it’s a belter. I didn’t look up again until I’d whizzed through its 375 pages. Frieda Klein is one of my favourite fictional detectives. To be strictly accurate, she’s a psychotherapist rather than a detective but she has the uncanny ...keep reading