Welcome to this very special preview episode of Best Book Forward! Today, I am giving you an exclusive sneak peek into my conversation with Bobby Palmer ahead of the main episode dropping this Thursday.

Main Characters is out this Thursday, you do not want to miss this book (or episode). Make sure you hang around to the end of the episode to hear Bobby read a little extract for you.

In this quick preview, I am sharing a little glimpse of what is to come later this week. We chat about Bobby’s inspirations and why he decided to write a book with 82 different points of view - I’m glad he did because it makes for a fabulous read

The main episode drops this Thursday so think of this as a little added bonus. If you are already subscribed to Best Book Forward, your podcast app will send you a little notification the moment the main episode lands. In the meantime, come and say hello to us both over on Instagram by hitting the links below!

🎧 Listen & Subscribe https://best-book-forward.captivate.fm/listen

📲 Connect with Us

• Follow Helen on Instagram: @bestbookforward
• Follow Bobby Palmer on Instagram: @thebobpalmer

In this week’s episode I am joined by Karen Swan to talk about her brilliant new novel, Three Summers which is out today in paperback (link below). This episode was a pure joy to record, we actually spoke for nearly two hours as we got chatting before we hit record and I think we could have easily nattered for another hour too.

In this episode, Karen talks about finding the perfect setting for Three Summers, I think we need a Best Book Forward retreat there, how she balances writing emotionally tense scenes and of course the five books that shaped Karen’s life which were.

Karen’s Book Choices:

• My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
• The Summer Book by Tove Jansson
• Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks

Books by Karen Swan

• Three Summers

If you loved listening to this episode, please take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review Best Book Forward on your favourite podcast app, and don’t forget to tell your book-loving friends. It really helps new listeners discover our cozy reading community and helps us grow

See you next Tuesday for our next teaser episode which will be followed with the main episode on Thursday.

🎧 Listen & Subscribe Now: : Best Book Forward Podcast

📲 Connect with Us:

• Follow Helen on Instagram: @bestbookforward
• Discover more book recommendations on our Website: https://bestbookforward.org

Welcome to this very special preview episode of Best Book Forward! Today, I am giving you an exclusive sneak peek into my conversation with the brilliant bestselling author, Karen Swan, ahead of her main episode dropping this Thursday.

Three Summers is out this Thursday in paperback and I had the best time chatting to you Karen about it. Make sure you hang around to the end of the episode to hear Karen read a little extract for you.

In this quick preview, I am sharing a little glimpse of what is to come later this week. We chat about Karen's inspiration and her quest to find the perfect location, you'll hear snippets of Karen talking about the moment she found the perfect spot. I think we need a Best Book Forward reading retreat in Puglia!

The main episode drops this Thursday so think of this as a little added bonus. If you are already subscribed to Best Book Forward, your podcast app will send you a little notification the moment the main episode lands. In the meantime, come and say hello to us both over on Instagram by hitting the links below!

🎧 Listen & Subscribe https://best-book-forward.captivate.fm/listen

📲 Connect with Us

• Follow Helen on Instagram: @bestbookforward
• Follow Karen Swan on Instagram: @KarenSwanAuthor

Welcome to this very special preview episode of Best Book Forward! Today, I am giving you an exclusive sneak peek into my conversation with the brilliant bestselling author, Dr. Joanna Cannon, ahead of her main episode dropping this Thursday.

To celebrate the launch of her beautiful new novel, An Unlikely Visitor, we are wrapping up today's episode with a very special, exclusive audiobook preview, read beautifully by Emily Joyce. Trust me when I say it is pure joy. It made me want to just curl up in my favourite chair with a cup of tea and keep listening all afternoon!

In this quick preview, I am sharing a little glimpse of what is to come later this week. We chat about Jo’s incredible journey from working as a doctor to becoming a bestselling author and I had a goosebumps moment when Jo talked about how she believes that everything in life that is truly worth having starts with a pinch of anxiety (and I totally agree with her)>

What really shines through for me in this whole episode is Jo’s completely infectious love of books, and I just know you are going to absolutely love this chat. Both the main interview and An Unlikely Visitor release this coming Thursday, and I hope you'll be diving into both.

If you are already subscribed to Best Book Forward, your podcast app will send you a little notification the moment the main episode lands. In the meantime, come and say hello to us both over on Instagram by hitting the links below!

🎧 Listen & Subscribe https://best-book-forward.captivate.fm/listen

📲 Connect with Us

• Follow Helen on Instagram: @bestbookforward
• Follow Joanna Cannon on Instagram: @joannacannonauthor

🎙️ Best Book Forward – Season 6 Trailer

A brand new season of Best Book Forward is almost here!

Join me for another chapter of bookish conversation, where each week I sit down with incredible authors to explore the books that have shaped their lives. You can think of it as a bookish take on Desert Island Discs.

For June and July, we are packing our bags and heading from the bustling streets of early-2000s London to sun-drenched Positano. We will be travelling to nineteenth-century France and 1970s Rome, exploring unforgettable summers, unexpected visitors, love stories, secrets, and lives changed forever.

Together, we’ll dive into the books our authors return to again and again, and we will explore how memory, identity, love, and reinvention shape the stories that stay with us long after the final page is turned.

Exciting news for this season: We are going twice weekly!

The main interview episodes will continue exactly as they always have, dropping every single Thursday. But on Tuesdays, I’ll be bringing you shorter preview episodes where I'll announce my next guest, give you a little glimpse into our chat, and share an exclusive reading from the author to get you excited for the week ahead.

So, wherever you’re spending your summer this year, whether you are on a plane, by the sea, relaxing in the garden, or just stealing a quiet moment for yourself, bring a book, and bring us with you. Though be warned, this podcast is highly likely to expand your TBR list, so you might want to double-check your airline baggage allowance before you hit download!

The very first preview episode drops on Tuesday 2nd June, and if you’re subscribed, it’ll be ready and waiting for you.

🎧 Listen & Subscribe https://best-book-forward.captivate.fm/listen

📲 Stay Connected

• Follow on Instagram: @bestbookforward
• Website: https://bestbookforward.org/

Kate Lord Brown on The Silver Thread

In this final episode of Season 5, I’m joined by bestselling author Kate Lord Brown to talk about her beautiful new novel, The Silver Thread. We discuss Kate’s love of uncovering forgotten histories, the real-life inspirations behind the novel, and how Liberty London became an unexpected doorway into the past.

Of course, no episode of Best Book Forward is complete without book recommendations. Here are the books that have shaped Kate. You’ll find links to buy below:

Books by Kate:

The Silver Thread

The Golden Hour

A Summer at the Castle

A Season of Secrets

Kate’s Book Choices:

The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa

Brother of the More Famous Jack by Barbara Trapido

Heartburn by Nora Ephron

Light Years by James Salter

The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje

Other Books Mentioned:

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

The Homemade God by Rachel Joyce

Season 6 is coming really soon and I cannot wait to tell you what I’ve been working on. But first a huge thanks to my guests who have been:

Julie Owen Moylan

Lucy Apps

Sarah Vaughan

Heidi Swain

Ilona Bannister

Andrea Mara

Lucy Ashe

and Kate Lord Brown

In the meantime, if you’ve enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate and review Best Book Forward, and don’t forget to tell your friends. It really helps new listeners discover the show.

See you soon, and happy listening.

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/