Best Book Forward

A little early Christmas gift for our lovely listeners!

Welcome to The Christmas Chapter: Catching Up with Best Book Forward Friends. A special bonus series where we celebrate the season by reconnecting with some of our lovely past guests.

For this bonus season, I've invited back nine of our past guests back to the mic to share their year, their inspirations, and their favourite reads.

In this special series, you'll discover:

• What our guests have been up to since we last spoke.
• Their must-read book recommendations from the last year.
• A sneak peek at their exciting new projects coming next.

The Christmas Chapter Schedule:

• The first episode drops on Monday 1st December.
• New special episodes will follow daily for nine straight days!

Don't miss a single story. If you love great books and warm conversation, the perfect gift you can give us is hitting that Subscribe button!

Listen & Subscribe Now:

https://best-book-forward.captivate.fm/listen

To stay in touch with Best Book Forward news please follow me on Instagram @bestbookforward or visit my website: https://bestbookforward.org/

Oh my goodness, I cannot begin to tell you just how special this episode was for me! Back in 2019, I actually missed an opportunity to ask Liane Moriarty a question because I was too nervous to put my hand up. Fast forward to today, and I can't quite believe I got to do a whole interview with Liane and I absolutely loved every single moment. It was a total dream come true!

Liane joins me in this episode to discuss her brilliant new novel, Here One Moment. We chat all about the incredible (and, let's be honest, very unsettling!) premise of a woman giving out death predictions on a delayed flight, and where that idea came from. We then delve into our own opinions on fate, destiny, and even clairvoyants – it was all quite deep for a Monday morning! Of course, as always, we also discover the five books that have shaped Liane’s life, which are:

Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park

Feeling Sorry For Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty (currently unavailable on bookshop.org)

Pennington’s Seventeenth Summer by K.M. Peyton

The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler

Before we move on, I'd like to officially reassure all my lovely listeners that I have finally picked up The Time Traveller’s Wife, and I am really enjoying it! It only took the gentle encouragement of several bestselling authors to get me to actually pick it up, but hey, I got there in the end!

Also mentioned in this episode:

• The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
• The Measure by Nikki Erlick
• The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler
• Forever by Judy Blume
• Three Days in June by Anne Tyler

Well, that is officially it for Season 3! I honestly don't know where the last eight weeks have gone, but I really, really hope that you have enjoyed this season as much as I have. I owe a huge thank you to all my wonderful guests who have made this such a joy:

• Gillian McAllister
• Fran Littlewood
• Lucy Steeds
• Claire Douglas
• Frances Quinn
• Clare Leslie Hall
• Virginia Evans
• And of course, the incredible Liane Moriarty!

I'm currently buzzing with ideas and working away on Season 4, and I absolutely cannot wait to share more details with you. If you're following me on Instagram, you’ll be amongst the first to know what I’ve got planned. 

In the meantime, if you've enjoyed this episode (or any others!), please do take a moment to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts. And most importantly, please tell all your book-loving friends about Best Book Forward! Spreading the word truly makes a huge difference and helps more bookworms find us.

Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you soon for more bookish chat!

✨ Update: Since this episode was recorded, Virginia Evans has been longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction for The Correspondent. Congratulations to Virginia ✨

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 Williams

The Firm by John Grisham (not currently available on bookshop.org)

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

One By One in the Darkness by Deirdre Madden

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

Also mentioned in this episode:

The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary

The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

After You'd Gone by Maggie O'Farrell

I 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!

Oh my goodness, I do feel like the luckiest bookworm sometimes! Getting to chat with all these incredible authors is such a privilege, and today, having the brilliant Clare Leslie Hall on the show has been an absolute joy from start to finish.

If you haven't yet picked up her captivating novel, Broken Country, I'm going to have to politely beg you to grab a copy and dive in this summer! Seriously, you won't regret it. I've seen it pop up on so many "Best of 2025" lists (including my very own, of course!). I've actually read it twice and could happily pick it up again – it's just that good.

In this episode, Clare gives us the inside scoop on the inspiration behind Broken Country, and shares some fascinating insights into her writing journey. I have to say, I feel incredibly thankful that Clare ignored the advice to give up on this masterpiece; it truly is such a special book, and I'm so glad she persevered with it!

As always, we also delve into the five books that have shaped Clare's life. What a fantastic list it was (and yes, she managed to sneak in a few extra recommendations too – because you can never have too many book suggestions, right?!).

I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith

Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively

All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy

The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald

The Go Between by LP Hartley

Other books mentioned:

Sorrow & Bliss by Meg Mason

The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Leaving by Roxanna Robinson

I really hope you enjoyed this episode as much as I did. Clare was just so wonderful to chat to, I love how obvious it becomes just how important her characters are to her. 

If you're loving Best Book Forward, please do take a moment to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts – it makes such a difference! And, most importantly, please tell all your bookish friends about us!

See you next week for more bookish chat.

Inside The Lost Passenger: Frances Quinn on Titanic, a Mother’s Love, and Survival

Hello 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 Blyton

Adventures of the Little Wooden Horse by Ursula Moray Williams

The Bomber by Liza Marklund (Currently not available)

The Vizard Mask by Diana Norman (Also currently not available)

Bird by Bird by Anne Lemott

Unfortunately, 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 Taylor

Swimming 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!

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 Bylton

Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes

The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Magpies by Mark Edwards

Also mentioned in this episode:

We Are Completely Beside Ourselves

Sandwich by Catherine Newman

I Let You Go by Clare MacIntosh

Gentleman & Players by Joanne Harris

Since 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!

Get ready for another absolute cracker of an episode this week, because I had the total pleasure of chatting with the incredible Lucy Steeds! Now, if you've been anywhere near me in the last six months, I will have no doubt absolutely insisted that you must read Lucy's stunning novel, The Artist. I’m so in love with this book, its one of my top reads of the year and I really want you to pick it up too.

It was such a joy to chat to Lucy about The Artist, her inspiration and get some fascinating insight into her writing process as well as hearing about her Women’s Prize experience.

Of course as always, we also discussed the five books that have shaped Lucy’s life and what an interesting list it was. I was absolutely convinced she wouldn’t be able to tempt me on the poetry of John Donne but I’m weirdly quite tempted.

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

A Room With A View by E.M. Forster

The Poems of John Donne

In The Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

Also mentioned in this episode:

Fates & Furies by Lauren Groff

Ways of Seeing by John Berger

Self-Portrait by Celia Paul

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 Lucy's book or our chats! Until next time, happy reading!

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 Blyton

The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Back When We Were Grownups by Anne Tyler

Hey Yeah Right Get A Life by Helen Simpson

Also mentioned in this episode:

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray

A 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!

Hello my lovely book friends! Welcome back to a brand spanking new season of Best Book Forward, and we are kicking things off with a bang!

In our Season 3 opener, I had the pleasure of chatting to the one and only Gillian McAllister about her gripping new novel, Famous Last Words. Now, is it just me, or does Gillian just keep knocking it out of the park with every single book? She's just getting better and better! And get this – during our chat (and even more excitingly, when the mics were off!), Gillian let me in on some of the incredible ideas she's brewing for future books. I've been sworn to secrecy, mind you, but honestly, you are going to want to snap up every single thing Gillian puts out because, trust me, her ideas are mind-blowing! I absolutely cannot wait to read them myself.

In this episode, we dive deep into Camilla's world, a literary agent whose seemingly normal life completely implodes when her husband turns out to be the gunman in a hostage situation. Gillian also gives us the inside scoop on the inspiration behind Famous Last Words and how she loves to flip the script on traditional thrillers by telling them through a female lens. And get this – she's not messing around with her research! She's now a qualified Level 1 Hostage Negotiator! How impressive is that?!  We also discuss Gillian’s journey to becoming a bestselling author and I found her story so inspiring; I’m sure you will too.

Of course, as with every episode, we delve into the five books that have shaped Gillian’s life, and you can find them all listed below with handy links if you fancy treating yourself:

The Pact by Jodi Picoult

The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty

You Don't Know Me by Imran Mahmood

Missing, Presumed by Susie Steiner

Also mentioned in this episode:

Gillian’s fabulous podcast The Honest Authors' Podcast

Night Watching by Tracy Sierra - the book Gillian raved about! I plucked up all my courage and read it, and honestly, it's every bit as brilliant (and yes, a little bit terrifying!) as Gillian said. Just maybe don't read it right before bed if you're a bit of a scaredy-cat like me! 😉

A huge thank you to the lovely @WendyReadsBooks and @BookReviewsWithBecky! 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!

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