How do you choose what to read?

La Baule first thing in the morning

I recently went to France with my family for two weeks; an opportunity to catch up on reading plus to acquaint myself with the beach, fresh pains au chocolat at breakfast and rosé wine at dinner. My Kindle ‘to be read’ list is pages long, but why did I choose to download and read these books before the others? All were recommended by word of mouth.

Bridget Jones: Mad about the Boy by Helen Fielding

Recommended to me by a writing friend and I wanted to start the holiday with something light. I’d read reviews saying it wasn’t as good as the other Bridget Jones books and I thought it wouldn’t be the same without Darcy. This book is hilarious in places. Helen Fielding is clever too as she picks up on current trends such as Twitter (which she gets completely right) and if you’re a parent, you may find her observations amusing.

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

This summer’s hit, a historical novel set in Amsterdam in 1686 has been mentioned all over Twitter and in newspapers and magazines. But I bought it because someone at the RNA Conference recommended it to me over breakfast when I said I liked Tracy Chevalier’s novels. Jessie Burton writes beautifully and is a gifted storyteller. If you like Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier and/or Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach, you'll probably enjoy The Miniaturist.

Article in the Daily Mail about Jessie Burton's success and her agent, Juliet Mushens talks about how to write a bestseller.

Blog post by Jessie Burton about how she got her agent.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

This doorstop of a novel is set mainly in New York, a reason I loved it so much. It follows Theo Decker from the age of thirteen and involves a 1654 Fabritius painting (don’t want to give any spoilers so will stop there...) and there’s something a bit ‘Catcher in the Rye’ about it. My neighbour recommended this to me because my Book 2 is about a painting. I love the way Donna Tartt writes-her descriptions are wonderful and she creates fantastic characters.

Article in the Independent about The Goldfinch

Before I go, I’m excited to tell you that I’m updating Twitter and Facebook on behalf of The Historical Novel Society ("HNS") in the run up to the conference, 5-7 September in London. I’m also going and can’t wait! There will be some brilliant speakers and workshops-Jessie Burton (who wrote The Miniaturist mentioned above) is on the panel for ‘Confronting Historical Fact with the Unexplained’ and she’s giving a talk with Jay Dixon on ‘The Importance of Place’. You can follow the HNS on Twitter @histnovsoc #HNSLondon 14 and Facebook. If you’d like to book for the conference, you can register here