My Love Affair With Books

My love affair with literature began when I was very young. In my house books were an important part of life, they were shared and enjoyed, treasures that could ferry you into infinite adventures. My grandmother gave me her old collection of first-edition Enid Blyton books, which, despite having been devoured by the whole family, were in beautiful condition and still are some of my favourite books today.

I remember her bringing down these three vintage suitcases brimming with gorgeous red hardbacks and yellowed paperbacks. I read two a day and worked my way through the suitcases, my Enid Blyton addiction growing by the hour. I still have my grandmother’s old collection and they’re some of my most treasured possessions.

I discovered Agatha Christie in my early teens and fell in love with her inimitable way with words, her genius plots and the unforgettable characters she created. I recently found a first edition copy of A Murder is Announced and I can’t even describe how excited I was. It’s taken pride of place on my bookshelf (one of them!)

Next was Arthur Conan Doyle and classic authors like Dickens, Tolkien, Austen, Hardy, Woolf, Twain, Verne, the Brontës. All authors who buoyed my love of books to new heights. As someone who lived in beautiful Cornwall, naturally Daphine Du Maurier came next. And through her novels, I stumbled upon one of my absolute favourite authors. I found a dog-eared copy of Jamaica Inn in a second-hand bookshop in Truro one afternoon and straight away this paragraph drew me in:

“The cold walls of Jamaica Inn smelt of guilt and deceit. Its dark secrets made the very name a byword for terror among honest Cornish folk.”

I’d not heard of Du Maurier before that (oh, the shame!!) but thank goodness I found that book because I will be a life-long fan of Daphne Du Maurier! She is one of the greats! Just talking about her books is making me want to re-read them all!

Another one of my favourites is Stephen King. The first book of his I read was On Writing and from then on my days were: eat, sleep, work, read Stephen King, repeat. As soon as I finished, I bought a box-full of his fiction titles!

On Writing was followed by Insomnia and through those two books, I sort of unearthed a new found love of books, a side of reading I hadn’t experienced before. His books both thrilled and terrified me. And years later, I’m counting down the days until his next book is out. At the moment I’m reading The Outsider (amazing!) and trying really hard to read it slowly just to make it last longer. I spotted a post on Instagram the other day about his new book, Elevation, and I just can’t wait! Roll on October!

This is a very exciting year because another one of my favourite authors, Kate Atkinson, has a new book called Transcription out too! Kate Atkinson’s books just keep getting better and better (and that seems impossible because they are absolutely genius!!). This might be a bit daft but I have a free space on my shelf all ready for her new book! As you can probably tell, I’m a huge fan! (;

Since I started book blogging, I’ve discovered so many wonderful authors –  favourites who have literally opened my eyes to new wonders of storytelling. The book blogging community is filled with the most welcoming, supportive bunch of people and everyday I get to chat books with them, which is just the absolute loveliest (and it must be a relief for my poor family who get their ears talked off! Haha). I’ve popped just a few of my favourite authors below, there are lots more but I didn’t want to get too carried away! And when it comes to books, I definitely can do!!

Thank you so much WWWB for inviting me to write a piece about my favourite authors! I’ve loved being involved – talking about books is one of best ways to spend a day!

Stephen King. Kate Atkinson, Daphne Du Maurier, Agatha Christie, Sarah Waters, Maggie O’Farrel,l Zadie Smith, Bill Bryson, Louise Beech, Arthur Conan Doyle, Jane Austen, Terry Pratchett, Fiona Cummins, Joanna Cannon, Joanne Harris, Matt Wesolowski, Kate Mosse,  Steph Broadribb, Hilary Mantel,  John le Carre,  J R R Tolkien,  Ali Smith,  Sarah Pinborough, Chris Whitaker, Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, Virginia Woolf ,Paula Hawkins, Lisa Jewell, Jess Kidd , Ruth Ware

And lots more…
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Ronnie Turner is an author, blogger, and lover of the written word.
Her debut psychological thriller LIES BETWEEN US publishes October 2018 with HQ Digital and is available to preorder now! She’s represented by David H. Headley at DHH Literary Agency.

Find out more about her on her website https://ronnieturner.wordpress.com/about/

About Lies Between Us

The past is always watching . . .
Three people, leading very different lives, are about to be brought together – with devastating consequences . . . John has a perfect life, until the day his daughter goes missing.

Maisie cares for her patients, but hides her own traumatic past.

Miller should be an innocent child, but is obsessed with something he can’t have.

They all have something in common, though none of them know it – and the truth won’t stay hidden for long ….

A gripping psychological thriller for fans of Clare Mackintosh, Shari Lapena and Lisa Jewell.

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: Contemporary Women Writers, On Writing