How do you choose a book? 5 factors readers consider

Have you ever stopped to think why you choose to read the books you do? Are you a fan of a specific author? A specific genre? A specific format (ebook, audio, paperback, hardback – the physical feel of the book in your hands, the turning of pages, the smell of the paper)? Selecting a book

Lynne Reid Banks: an inspiration

Lynne Reid Banks died last week at the age of 94, after battling cancer. During her long and accomplished life, she wrote over 40 books for both adults and children, and for me, reading them over thirty years ago, they were inspirational in a truly motivating way. Like a lot of teenagers, I took myself

Harnessing Happiness: 3 simple ways to find joy

It’s International Day of Happiness, so today’s post is all about three ways to boost your happiness and wellbeing. Much like reading, the physical act of writing can also encourage a zen-like flow state where you become unaware of the passing hours and are totally immersed in your fictional world. Creating something – a story,

Black Swan Green – David Mitchell

Sometimes you read a book which is so brilliant it reminds you why you got hooked on this writing caper in the first place.  I’ve read a fair few well written books recently, with good characters and a satisfying plot and so forth. But when I picked up Black Swan Green it was like reading