BOOKS Q&A: Cathy Bramley

Cathy Bramley lives in Nottinghamshire and is the Sunday Times bestselling author of romantic comedies including Wickham Hall, The Lemon Tree Café, Hetty's Farmhouse Bakery and A Match Made in Devon. 

Name a book that . . .  

 . . . inspired you as a child

The Phoenix and the Carpet by E Nesbit. I read this book over and over again. I just loved the idea of going on an adventure. 

. . . inspires you now

Anything by Marian Keyes. I don't just love her books, I love her! I recently finished Grown Ups and it was incredible. How she juggled the huge cast of characters is beyond me. An extremely talented author. 

. . . surprised you

Together by Julie Cohen. I’m a big fan of Julie’s work, but this one completely blew me away. Not just the story, but the structure. So clever, so compelling!  

. . . makes you cry 

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. Exquisitely written. I held my breath for most of it. I absolutely loved it. 

. . . makes you laugh 

Like a House on Fire by Caroline Hulse. Brilliantly observed and searingly painful and hilarious. Caroline is such a talented writer. . 

. . . makes you think until your head hurts

The After Wife by Cass Hunter. This book stayed with me for a long time. It is scarily realistic. 

. . . you’ve always meant to read but never quite got around to 

The Seven Sisters series by Lucinda Riley. I know I will love these books, but I’ve always got so much to read that I haven’t yet found the time. 

. . . you couldn’t finish 

 I always finish books. Always. 

. . . you recommend to others 

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. Kate’s skill in storytelling is second to none. This novel dips in and out of time and takes you backwards and forwards. It is incredibly clever and when I finished the book, I was sad to leave the Todd family behind.  . 

. . . made you miss your bus/tram/train stop 

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. I read it on a flight. The cabin crew asked me a couple of times if I was OK because I was crying so much. The plane landed and I was still glued to the page as all the other passengers disembarked.