From my list on books you read and re-read even though you know every word by heart.
Why am I passionate about this?
I learned to read at four and have been telling stories ever since. Books were my escape from unhappiness into a new and endless world. Left to myself, Iâd read ten or so weekly, and my mind was packed with characters, dialogue, jokes, prose, and poetry like an over-brimming literary reservoir. Words are my thing, and I am an avid collector of them. I was reading David Copperfield at eight and specialised in 18th and 19th-century literature at university. Iâve written five books and am working on the sixth. I love writing humour but have also authored Jane Austen Fan Fiction and poetry. Without books, my world is nothing.
Ruth's book list on books you read and re-read even though you know every word by heart
Why did Ruth love this book?
I simply loved this book. It took me straight back to the long, hot summer of 1976 and to the confusing feelings around being a teenager. The smell of phone boxes, flares, awful hair â it was all there.
The main character, a 14-year-old would-be poet, has lost her mother and is living with her alcoholic father. Sheâs an attractive and engaging character, and when she was fostered by a local family, I assumed her life would get better. Not the case. The teenage daughter loathes her, and there are more secrets in this respectable family than in her own.
Funny, poignant, sad, and I hated to say goodbye to the characters. A fabulous read.
3 authors picked Cuckoo in the Nest as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
'Fresh, authentic and darkly funny. It's a beautifully told story full of warmth and emotion without ever being sentimental - I absolutely loved it' Ruth Hogan, bestselling author of The Keeper of Lost Things
Itâs the heatwave summer of 1976 and 14-year-old would be poet Jackie Chadwick is newly fostered by the Walls. She desperately needs stability, but their insecure, jealous teenage daughter isn't happy about the cuckoo in the nest and sets about ousting her.
When her attempts to do so lead to near-tragedy â and the Wallsâ veneer of middle-class respectability begins to crumble â everyone in theâŚ