Being Bookish

One very early Wednesday morning, I got up to speak with an author on the other side of the world. And this is the result.

In this episode of Being Bookish, I chat with author Lissa Layland about her debut novel Thunderstruck. It's a sweeping romantic fantasy that sets Norse mythology against the very modern fight for climate justice. Lissa explains what the book is about, how the MCU series Loki first sparked the idea, and how fan fiction also helped shape Thunderstruck's premise and unforgettable characters.

At the centre of the story is Althea. Her sense of duty to her family, her bond with her siblings and her own longing to live for herself pull her in different directions. We explore the love triangle between Althea, Lukas (Loki) and Torben (Thor), and why it works so well. We also discuss how Lissa decided who Althea would finally choose, without giving the ending away, and why she realised there was only ever one authentic ending for her heroine.

Together, Lissa and I dug into the novel's big questions. If gods live for millennia, are they really the same person from one age to the next? What do we owe to our families, our communities and the wider world? Lissa talks about where the eco-activism thread came from and how she wove romance, myth and protest into a single story. She also reflects on the role fandom and online communities have played in her writing life.

If you love Mythology, fanfiction and the romance fantasy genre, then Thunderstruck could be the book for you.

As always, zero spoilers, just honest, friendly chat about a book, the characters and the setting.

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Welcome back to another episode of Being Bookish. This week, I'm taking a step back into the world of Dark Fantasy with a tale of dark Fae, withered gods, and an inescapable labyrinth as I dive into Clare Sager's dark romantasy novel, King of Ravens, the first book in her Upon a Broken Throne duology.

The story follows Rhiannon, a sickly mortal who has been isolated in her family home. After her brother gifts her a mirror and a series of events lead to him tearing down walls around their house, she is thrust into a twisted bargain when Drystan, an unseelie king of the dead, arrives to claim her as his bride to save her family.

Whisked away to the Underworld fortress of Mordren, Rhiannon has to navigate a dangerous court of scheming courtiers and hungry nobles, eventually facing a treacherous six-tier labyrinth to win a chance at freedom. Along the way, long-held family secrets come to light regarding her supposed illness, leading to a gripping cliffhanger that leaves the door wide open for the sequel.

As always, this review is 100% spoiler-free. I also explore the loose ties the book has to the Hades and Persephone myth, and share my regular public service announcement on why we should all ignore reading trends and simply enjoy the books we love.

Grab a cuppa, settle in, and let's talk books!

In this latest episode of the Being Bookish spin-off, The Stephen King Thing, I am joined by Lorraine to take on Stephen King's Dreamcatcher, one of his most divisive novels.

We talk about the book's dated language and the back-cover setup. We also cover how King wrote it while recovering from his accident, and why it reads like a fever dream. Bathroom horror and childish humour come up next. T

hen we get into the heart of the story: four friends, their bond with Duddits, and the compassion and equality that hold the group together. Along the way, we look at the book's many invasions (the stranger at the cabin, the aliens and the military), ask who the real monsters are, and discuss Mr Gray, Jonesy's possession and the film adaptation.

Is Dreamcatcher a lesser King novel, or has it been judged too harshly? We finish by talking about how each of us reads, imagines, ranks and rereads books, push back on gatekeeping around audiobooks and different ways of learning, and look ahead to future Stephen King reads.

Unlike other Being Bookish episodes, this one contains spoilers throughout and is definitely not family friendly.

Welcome back to another episode of Being Bookish. I felt like I wanted to balance out all the incredible fantasy I've been reviewing with another cosy mystery, so I did a quick search of my shelves and came up with Suk Pannu's first Mrs Sidhu novel, Dead and Scone.

For me, this cosy mystery has everything you could want: a cold case, an intriguing present-day murder (or three), a curious and determined amateur sleuth, family conflict, a potential desire for revenge and aubergine bhajis prepared and cooked in a bathroom (you read that right).

So, how did this novel compare to others I've read in the genre? Is it one you'll want to pick up? That's for you to decide. But as always, I dive into what others thought before sharing my personal view.

Grab a coffee, pick up your favourite snacks...or perhaps plug in those headphones and listen on the train!

Cosy Mystery Playlist

In another bonus episode, I am joined by author Sloane Brooks to talk about what happens when sci-fi, fantasy, and romance collide in her latest novel, Written in Starlight, a bold genre mashup that follows Della, Ansel, and a layered mystery stretching between the world of Lumeria and a mysterious library that may hold the key to everything.

Sloane talks about how she wove three distinct storylines into one propulsive narrative, how Ansel's unforgettable found-family crew came together, and what it really takes to structure a complex, multi-threaded novel without losing the reader (or herself) along the way.

We talk about everything from her revision process, publishing timelines, the themes of identity, belonging, and love that beat at the heart of the book, and the relationship choices she agonised over. We also go into how she blended what would have been two books into one!

Sloane also shares where Written in Starlight fits into today's booming sci-fi and fantasy landscape, which beloved scenes landed on the cutting-room floor, and what readers can expect next in the series.

Whether you love fantasy, science fiction, or romance, this book could be the perfect one for you. So grab a coffee, put in those headphones and give this bonus interview a listen before picking up the book!

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In this week's bonus episode, I'm joined by author Charlotte B. Plumb to talk about her debut, Reap and Sow, a gothic fantasy duology about Eda, a young girl whose father placed her and her two older brothers in an untenable position, bargaining with a demon! In order to rescue her brothers from death, she strikes a dangerous pact despite knowing such bargains always end badly.

We dig into the inherited debt that shapes Ida and her siblings, the life-trading magic system at the story's heart, and what really makes someone monstrous: appearance, or the things they put into the world.

Charlotte shares the origins of Kit and the enigmatic Mr Night, why Kit and Eda work so well as foils, and the side characters (including Robin) who bring heart and humour to the darkness.

And because it wouldn't be an author episode without it, we also talk about the craft of writing! Why her debut became a duology, Charlotte's pantser-or-planner process, and the advice she'd give to any writer still chasing their first book deal.

So, grab a drink, light a few candles, and join me for this gothic fantasy exploration.

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In the second episode of this week, I am joined by author Martha Waters to talk about her brand-new novel, Spellstruck.

The story is set in a magical 1920s Britain where spellcasting is outlawed and the class lines cut just as deep as the magic.

We talk about the interwar history Martha wove into the world-building, the opposites-attract chemistry between Vesper and Max, and the family drama and mystery threads that keep the romance from ever feeling small.

Martha also opens up on the craft: whether she drafts in order or jumps around, how she paces herself to avoid burnout, and what finally pushed her to pursue publication. It's a conversation about why romantasy is quietly reshaping publishing, what the interwar years still have to teach us, and how the best romances earn their happy endings by making the world around them feel real.

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This week, in the first of two episodes (a rarity since my early Not Before Coffee Days), I am joined by bestselling author J.R. Ward to talk about the latest instalment in her massive Black Dagger Brotherhood series, Lover Enthroned. Why she jumped the timeline, how the series became a TV adaptation, and what it's like building a fictional universe fans have lived in for two decades.

We talked about everything from dark romance, vampires, and paranormal fantasy, and she makes an unflinching case for romance readers and writers in a publishing world that still seems to have a less-than-positive view of the genre. She shares what she admires about today's author business, how she approaches fandom and collectable editions, and how she keeps a long-running series accessible to new readers while planning connected arcs.

Along the way: what makes a darker romantic hero believable, why representation matters in romance, the leap from lawyer to author, and how Ward defines success across books, adaptations, and sheer persistence.

So grab a coffee, get your headphones ready and give this one a listen...it's an interesting and exciting ride!

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Welcome to my sixth anniversary episode. I thought long and hard about what I should talk about, and when I looked at my bookcase and realised I had yet to read the latest instalment of the Agatha Raisin series, Sugar and Spite, I knew that this was the perfect opportunity.

The many books in the Agatha Raisin series, including the inaugural instalment, The Quiche of Death, have played a very important role in Being Bookish over the years, so what better way to celebrate an important anniversary than to talk about book 36, Sugar and Spite?

Two murders, a drug lord, an organised shoplifting ring, a life in peril, stolen sheep, and so much more make this book an interesting one. As with every Agatha Raisin novel, a lot happens and though I refuse to divert from my goal of never spoiling a book in these episodes.

So while you're not going to find out whodunnit, or any other complex twists that make this book what it is, I am going to talk about my views, the intriguing way that the story develops, and the fact that the Agatha Raisin series is told using the floating timeline device!

Cosy Mystery Playlist

In this week’s episode of Being Bookish, I am joined by novelist Simon Wroe to discuss his new novel, Ghost Month (released in hardback on the 27th of August).

The novel is set in a London where the dead return to Earth for a single month (September) every year.

During our conversation, we explore the book's interlocking cast and the events that connect them.

We have Jane and the husband she rents to help hide a secret from her returning mother. Her sister, Angie, is caught between her living husband Peter and a returning ex. Eight-year-old Eddie's fractured family, suffering under the weight of mother Elizabeth's unresolved grief over David. Finally, we have Lil, whose storyline may be the book's most heartbreaking.

Along the way, we get into what the ghosts really offer: closure for the dead, or closure for the living left behind. Simon also opens up about how his own experiences of grief shaped the novel, how he built its overlapping structure across multiple perspectives, and his writing process: planning versus emotion, scenes versus momentum. Plus, what’s Simon up to next?

There’s also the all-important question the book leaves every reader with: would you want a lost loved one to come back, even briefly, or should they remain a beloved and precious memory?

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