Why am I passionate about this?

I like to read and write novels that are uplifting and life-affirming where the main character, who's often quirky and upbeat, must find their way out of the drama and chaos life has dealt them. Growing up in a family where humor – often black – reigned supreme, with a father who penned silly limericks, I’m drawn to seeing the funny side of things. Showing the light and dark of life in a comedic yet poignant way not only makes for entertaining reading but is enlightening and inspiring. I believe novels should reflect us and our failings while offering hope that it’ll all be alright in the end. 


I wrote

The Likely Resolutions of Oliver Clock

By Jane Riley,

Book cover of The Likely Resolutions of Oliver Clock

What is my book about?

Oliver Clock has everything arranged just so. A steady job running the family funeral home. A fridge stocked with ready…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Funny Thing about Norman Foreman

Jane Riley Why did I love this book?

What a joyous read! Which may seem like a funny thing to say when the story revolves around twelve-year-old Norman, mourning the loss of his best friend, and his single mother Sadie, who has past issues to resolve. But trust me, it’s so funny and cute and is a rollicking good read. They go on an adventure, with their elderly friend Leonard, to realise Norman’s (and his late friend’s) dreams of performing at the Edinburgh comedy festival, and to discover who Norman’s father is. Written from both characters’ points of view, you get to see different perspectives on their situation, which makes the story even more nuanced. I especially love Norman’s voice and how he’s so full of life and excitement for what the future may hold.  

By Julietta Henderson,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Funny Thing about Norman Foreman as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The inspiring, feel-good Richard & Judy Book Club pick about a small boy with a big heart - and even bigger dreams.

'One of those gorgeous books that completely lifts your spirits and restores your faith in humanity' - Ruth Jones, co-creator of Gavin and Stacey and bestselling author of Us Three

It was a journey they would always remember . . . for a friend they'd never forget.

Norman and Jax are a legendary comedic duo in waiting, with a five-year plan to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe by the time they're fifteen. But when Jax dies before they…


Book cover of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine

Jane Riley Why did I love this book?

You can’t get more quirky than Eleanor Oliphant with her unique take on life and the people around her. She’s hilarious in her observations and her goal to meet – and date – a musician drives the narrative forward in an, often, comic way. But her idiosyncrasies hide a darker truth and as the novel progresses, the reality of what she’s dealing with is revealed. I loved this book for being able to combine the light and dark of life in a compelling way, as well as for the writing style and the original voice of Eleanor. We see her world as she sees it and are drawn immediately into her story. I didn’t want it to end but its ending is so satisfactory that I’m glad it did. 

By Gail Honeyman,

Why should I read it?

28 authors picked Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick

"Beautifully written and incredibly funny, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is about the importance of friendship and human connection. I fell in love with Eleanor, an eccentric and regimented loner whose life beautifully unfolds after a chance encounter with a stranger; I think you will fall in love, too!" -Reese Witherspoon

No one's ever told Eleanor that life should be better than fine.

Meet Eleanor Oliphant: She struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she's thinking. Nothing is missing in her carefully timetabled life of…


Book cover of The Rosie Project

Jane Riley Why did I love this book?

Like my character, Oliver, the main protagonist in this novel, Don Tillman is searching for love – or more specifically, a wife. But he goes about it in an entirely different way. Whereas Oliver doesn’t know where to start, Don’s approach is methodical and scientific – appropriate given he’s a socially inept scientist. He creates The Wife Project as if he’s setting out to hire an employee or devising a financial plan, which makes for very funny reading. From the get-go, the character of Don with all his eccentricities and fastidiousness is nothing but charming. I love the originality of the premise and the character of Don.

By Graeme Simsion,

Why should I read it?

9 authors picked The Rosie Project as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The international bestselling romantic comedy “bursting with warmth, emotional depth, and…humor,” (Entertainment Weekly) featuring the oddly charming, socially challenged genetics professor, Don, as he seeks true love.

The art of love is never a science: Meet Don Tillman, a brilliant yet socially inept professor of genetics, who’s decided it’s time he found a wife. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which Don approaches all things, he designs the Wife Project to find his perfect partner: a sixteen-page, scientifically valid survey to filter out the drinkers, the smokers, the late arrivers.

Rosie Jarman possesses all these qualities. Don easily disqualifies her…


Book cover of Dinner with the Schnabels

Jane Riley Why did I love this book?

The main protagonist Simon Larsen reminds me a little of my character, Oliver Clock, where for a while things had been going pretty well for him, until they very definitely don’t. When Simon’s world collapses around him – his business fails and he loses the family home he can’t seem to find the best way out, let alone get off the couch. This is a funny, warm, and brilliantly observed novel about the chaos of marriage and families – especially those whom you’ve married into. As a writer, I admire the author’s clever way with words and as a reader, I laughed out loud in parts. 

By Toni Jordan,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Dinner with the Schnabels as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'I loved every page of this funny, warm, delightful novel!' LIANE MORIARTY

'A smart, funny novel about love, marriage and family.' Weekend Australian

'With sharply observed characters and comic set-pieces to make you laugh out loud, Dinner with the Schnabels is great fun to read and casts a more mature and acerbic eye on modern masculinity.' Sydney Morning Herald, Fiction Pick of the Week

You can marry into them, but can you ever really be one of them?

A novel about marriage, love and family.

Things haven't gone well for Simon Larsen lately. He adores his wife, Tansy, and his…


Book cover of The Full Ridiculous

Jane Riley Why did I love this book?

In a similar vein to the previous book, this novel focuses on a man whose life is spiralling out of control. His professional life begins to crumble, he nearly gets run over by a car and his two teenage children get themselves into angst-causing strife. What I love the most about this book is that it’s narrated in the second person by the main character Michael who’s essentially having a mid-life crisis breakdown. This can be hard to pull off, but it works here as it’s like Michael’s providing commentary on himself and his life as if observing someone else. It makes for some hilarious writing, despite the serious theme. The author shows that sometimes to really appreciate the highs of life, you need to hit rock bottom first. 

By Mark Lamprell,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Full Ridiculous as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Michaelo O’Dell is hit by a car, and when he doesn’t die, he is surprised and pleased. But he can’t seem to move, frozen in the crash position. He can’t concentrate, or control his anger and grief, or work out what to do about much of anything. His professional life begins to crumble, and although his wife Wendy is heroically supportive, his teenage children only exacerbate his post-accident angst. His daughter Rosie punches out a vindictive schoolmate, plunging the family into a special parent-teacher hell. Meanwhile, his son Declan is found with a stash of illicit drugs, and a strange…


Explore my book 😀

The Likely Resolutions of Oliver Clock

By Jane Riley,

Book cover of The Likely Resolutions of Oliver Clock

What is my book about?

Oliver Clock has everything arranged just so. A steady job running the family funeral home. A fridge stocked with ready meals. A drawer full of colour-coded socks. A plan (of sorts) to stay trim enough for a standard-sized coffin. And in florist Marie, he’s found the love of his life – not that she’s aware of it.

When a tragedy takes Marie out of his life, he discovers too late that she secretly loved him. Now faced with an empty love life, a family funeral business in trouble, a fast-approaching fortieth birthday, and a notebook of resolutions he’s never achieved, Oliver resolves to open himself up to life and love—and all the mess that comes with it.

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Falcon's Call

By Mike Waller,

Book cover of Falcon's Call

Mike Waller Author Of Falcon's Call

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

As a child, I lived in a small valley sheltered from the night city lights. I could see the stars, and from that time, that is where my imagination dwelled. As a teenager, I read several of the books I have listed here, and from that point, I was inspired to read more and also to write myself. I sincerely believe that despite our current problems, humanity will outlive its troubled childhood and reach for the stars. We are destined for the stars, and only in the works of science fiction writers is that future explored. The books below helped me to become a successful author in my own right.

Mike's book list on scifi humanity’s future in space and time

What is my book about?

An alien starship appears in the Solar System! Humanity faces a glorious future, or total extinction, and only Joe Falcon can make the choice. Never would Joe have imagined it would fall to him to make the decision that would alter the destiny of two worlds, launching humanity towards a glorious future, or to extinction.

Falcon's Call is an action packed dive into the unknown, written in the style of the great, classic, science-fiction stories. If you like surprising plot twists, compelling characters and a hero who actually cares, you must read this new novel by Mike Waller.

Falcon's Call

By Mike Waller,

What is this book about?

Reader's Favorite Gold Medal winner 2019
B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree 2019
Chill With A Book Premier Award 2019

In a heart-pounding battle for humanity's survival, one man holds the key to a glorious future or utter extinction.

In a race against time, Earth and Mars race to claim a derelict alien ship as it enters the Solar System, both aware that whichever planet succeeds might in so doing achieve technological advantage over the other. But who should they send? Joe Falcon, an unlikely candidate, never saw himself as the "right" person. Accompanied by a crew of misfits, each fleeing their own…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in a middle age man, isolation, and neurodiversity?

A Middle Age Man 14 books
Isolation 21 books
Neurodiversity 89 books