I like to write characters and situations that readers relate to and find reassurance from. Laughter comes from shared experiences of frustration and mistakes, it reassures us that we are normal and not alone, giving us a big hug when feeling overwhelmed or down. I love the healing power of comedy and use it in all my work. Reading how other authors use comedy improves my writing and expands my viewpoint. I also perform comedy with a mixture of storytelling, standup, and belly dancing, I learn from the audience's reaction and feedback, which not only feeds into my novels but makes me feel like a million dollars.
Deliciously Scottish with sparky dialogue that had me laughing out loud.
The characters are all flawed, making mistakes I can identify with. I find relationships difficult at times, and this book was reassuringly familiar—like I wasn't "the only one". I also love the wee boy Bertie and his desperate need not to hurt anyone, a familiar feeling I could relate to, and found myself forgiving the "pushover” in me.
Life for Bertie seems to be moving at a pace that is rather out of his control. In Drummond Place gardens it seems that Olive has their future together all planned out. Meanwhile, upstairs at 44 Scotland Street, Bertie's father Stuart is powerless to stop over-bearing Irene and her motion for Bertie to travel to Aberdeen on a three-month secondment. And, further up in the New Town, while Bruce Anderson plots with old-school chums, love blossoms in Big Lou's Cafe.
Warm hearted, humorous and wonderfully wise, Love in the Time of Bertie offers philosophical insight as well as sartorial elegance.…
Deborah's characters struggle with the disappointments of getting older with a bittersweet humor that I found comforting.
Just shy of the "pensioner age" myself, I can relate to the loneliness and regret of lost dreams experienced by the characters. I was captivated by her storytelling. I felt like I was there, and that I not only knew the characters but shared their feelings when alone.
At Myrtle House, the twin beds have never been so busy...
The irrepressible Russell 'Buffy' Buffery has upped sticks from London and moved to a decrepit B&B in rural Wales. He needs to fill the beds, and what better way than with 'Courses for Divorces', his new money-making wheeze.
Those checking in include: Harold, whose wife has run off with a younger woman; Amy, who's been unexpectedly dumped by her (not-so) weedy boyfriend and Andy, the hypochondriac postman whose girlfriend is much too much for him to handle.
Under Buffy's tutelage, these casualties of the marriage-go-round find themselves re-learning all…
I was asked to do some storytelling for children, then regretted accepting until I found this book. Born in Australia but now living in Scotland, I miss the humor I grew up with.
This fantastic children's book gave me the confidence to "go all out," lose my rigid upbringing, and allow the little girl in me to tell the story as she had not only been forbidden to do but made to feel ashamed that she wanted to.
There are lots of laughs at every level in The 117-Storey Treehouse, the ninth book in the number one bestselling Treehouse series from Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton.
Andy and Terry have added another thirteen levels of crazy fun to their every-growing treehouse (it used to be a 104-story treehouse, but it just keeps growing!) They've got a tiny-horse level, a pyjama-party room and an Underpants Museum and Treehouse Information Centre! But Andy and Terry have found themselves running from the Story Police and the only way to escape, is through the terrifying Door of Doom!
An Australian novel about happiness with the sort of dialogue and food that took me back to my childhood, it is a deliciously reassuring story.
Like many, I can spend too much time on the internet or watching TV, which often leaves me feeling dissatisfied. Ladies in Black is the sort of read that reminds me that happiness is in the ordinary and is as fleeting as the clouds that pass over the sun.
Now a major motion picture starring Rachael Taylor, Angourie Rice and Jullia Ormond.
At the very end of the Ladies’ Frocks Departments, past Cocktail Frocks, there was something very special, something quite, quite wonderful; but it wasn’t for everybody: that was the point. Because there, at the very end, there was a lovely arch, on which was written in curly letters Model Gowns.
Written by a superb novelist of contemporary manners, Ladies in Black is a fairytale which illuminates the extraordinariness of ordinary lives. The women in black are run off their feet, what with the Christmas rush and the…
The Midnight Library had me on the edge of my seat—took me by surprise. Sometimes I will stew over my past mistakes, scream at myself for being "a fool" and berate myself with a "What was I thinking?"
A book like The Midnight Library is a gentle reminder that these thoughts are universal, a part of life, but only a part—there is also hope, friendships, laughter, and letting go.
The #1 New York Times bestselling WORLDWIDE phenomenon
Winner of the Goodreads Choice Award for Fiction | A Good Morning America Book Club Pick | Independent (London) Ten Best Books of the Year
"A feel-good book guaranteed to lift your spirits."-The Washington Post
The dazzling reader-favorite about the choices that go into a life well lived, from the acclaimed author of How To Stop Time and The Comfort Book.
Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of…
Does true love overcome age and race? When Neff fell for Tenzam she hoped so until she met his sister.
Neff, a dramatic woman in her early sixties thought sex was but a distant memory until she met Tenzam.
She works for him in an Indian takeaway and despite him lighting her fire more times than she’s served poppadom’s, she struggles to trust him.
Neff pictures Tenzam and her together, happily running a cat sanctuary or a cafe, living as other couple friends do.
Tenzam, a Bangladeshi, sees love differently.
Will Neff and Tenzam be able to meet somewhere in the middle or will Neff return to sleeping with just her cat for company?
From the time I was a girl, I’ve loved stories that put a lump in my throat even as I’m laughing. As a fiction writer, that funny-sad tone is the one I go for in my own work. I gravitate toward female protagonists of all ages who break the mold—women who are intelligent and strong but who also have unconventional, quirky personalities. Women who can be hilarious, infuriating, and heartbreaking—sometimes all at once. Because they are complex and unique, these women tend to struggle with life’s challenges more than their contemporaries. That’s what makes their stories so interesting, and why I have chosen the books on this list.
When Mar’s husband divorces her, she reacts by abandoning everything in her past: her home, her friends, even her name. Though it's not easy starting over, she’s ready for new adventures—as long as she can keep things casual. Each month, Mar goes from one acquaintance to the next: a fellow gym member down on her luck, a flirty hip-hop instructor, a bossy but comical consultant. . . and a handsome novelist who wants more than she can give. Mar learns from each encounter. But can she open herself up to true connection?
Surrounded by quirky, endearing characters, Mar navigates her…
"A fun, entertaining novel! I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't enjoy this book as much as I did." -Leslie A. Rasmussen, award-winning author
When Mar Meyer's husband divorces her for another woman, she reacts by abandoning everything in her past: her home, her friends, even her name. Though it's not easy to start over, Mar is young-looking, fit, and ready for new adventures-as long as she can keep things casual.
With each passing month, Mar goes from one acquaintance to the next. Among them: a fellow gym member down on her luck, a flirty hip-hop instructor, a bossy but comical…
