Best Book Forward

This was such a fun episode with Alexandra Potter, it was one of the times I felt like I was just sat down having a cuppa and catching up with a friend. So, I Met This Guy, Alexandra’s book that we discuss in this episode is out today and it is such a brilliant read. If you’ve been experiencing any January Blues this is the one you need to be grabbing. And of course, no episode of Best Book Forwar...

A quick content note: this episode includes conversations about fertility, miscarriage, baby loss, and the death of a parent. I know these topics can be difficult, so please listen in whatever way feels right for you. I absolutely loved recording this episode with Nicola Gill — she is such a joy to chat to. We talked about her latest novel, Identity Crisis (which I adored), her writing life, and o...

⚠️ Bonus Episode Warning: Contains Spoilers ⚠️ When a book delivers an ending as brilliant and surprising as Room 706 by Ellie Levenson , it deserves its very own bonus episode, one where we can unpack everything without worrying about ruining the experience for anyone else. If you haven’t read the book yet, please stop here and come back once you have! Books discussed: Room 706 by Ellie Levenson...

Today’s episode is a publication day special with Ellie Levenson, author of Room 706 . I first read this book back in October and I haven’t stopped talking about it since. Room 706 . In this episode, Ellie and I dive into the world of Room 706 : her inspiration, her writing process, and how she crafted such a tightly paced and explosive story. And because that ending deserves its own space, we’ve...

What a way to kick off Season 4 of Best Book Forward with the international bestselling author Jane Fallon. Jane joins me on the show today to talk about her new novel, Welcome to the Neighbourhood. We chat about the inspiration behind the novel, Jane’s approach to writing and of course the five books that have shaped her life. As you would expect no episode of Best Book Forward would be...

Best Book Forward Season 4! Welcome back to Best Book Forward! Get ready because another new season of seven episodes, packed with incredible author is coming your way. I cannot wait to share these with you. New to Best Book Forward? Hi, I'm Helen ( @bestbookforward ), your friendly neighbourhood book pusher! Think of this podcast as your ultimate bookish version of Desert Island Discs, where I ge...

For this final episode of our special bonus season, I’m taking things right back to the beginning by welcoming my very first podcast guest, the wonderful Helen Paris, author of The Invisible Women’s Club . In this episode Helen chats about the incredible reader response to The Invisible Women’s Club , the importance of female friendship, navigating menopause, and even gives us a little glimpse int...

In this Christmas bonus episode of Best Book Forward , I’m delighted to welcome back Lucy Steeds, author of The Artist If you missed the previous episode with Claire you can catch up with it here... listen now We take a look back at The Artist and some of the special moments that Lucy has enjoyed. Of course, no episode of Best Book Forward would be complete without some irresistible book reco...

In this Christmas bonus episode of Best Book Forward , I’m delighted to welcome back Gillian McAllister. If you missed the previous episode you can catch up with it here… listen now   We take a look back at Famous Last Words and also at what is next for Gillian, I have to say it is all very exciting.  Of course, no episode of Best Book Forward would be complete without some irresist...

✨ Update: Since this episode was recorded, Virginia Evans has been longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction for The Correspondent . Congratulations to Virginia ✨ In this Christmas bonus episode of Best Book Forward , I’m delighted to welcome back Virginia Evans author of The Correspondent. Virginia reveals how the incredible success of The Correspondent has felt after so many years of reject...

Joining me on today’s Christmas Chapter is the wonderful Alice Winn. I was so excited to welcome Alice back to reflect on the success of In Memoriam, chat about her next projects and get some really interesting book recommendations. If you missed our previous chat you can catch up with it here listen now Of course, no episode of Best Book Forward would be complete without some irresistible bo...

In this Christmas bonus episode of Best Book Forward , I’m delighted to welcome back Frances Quinn.  If you missed our first chat you can catch up here listen now We take a look back at The Lost Passenger and Frances gives us a sneak peek into her new book The Troublemakers which sounds amazing. You can you preorder your copy here: The Troublemakers Of course, no episode of Best Book For...

In this Christmas bonus episode of Best Book Forward , I’m delighted to welcome back Clare Leslie Hall. If you missed the previous episode with Claire you can catch up with it here... listen now We take a look back at Broken Country at only the incredible awards and achievements but also the heartfelt response it has had from readers. Of course, no episode of Best Book Forward would be complete wi...

In this Christmas bonus episode of Best Book Forward , I’m delighted to welcome back Matt Cain MBE for a catch-up on everything he’s been up to since we last spoke. It’s been quite a year for Matt, from receiving his MBE at Windsor Castle to sharing the powerful story of coming out again as autistic. In this conversation, we talk about what those moments have meant to him, and how they’ve shaped b...

For the first episode of our special Christmas Chapter season I am delighted to be welcoming back the wonderful Catherine Newman.  We last spoke back in September 2024 (if you missed that episode you can catch up here listen now ) Today we talk about how Catherine has felt about the reaction to Sandwich as well as giving us glimpse into her next book Wreck. We chat about the books she ha...

A little early Christmas gift for our lovely listeners! Welcome to The Christmas Chapter: Catching Up with Best Book Forward Friends. A special bonus series where we celebrate the season by reconnecting with some of our lovely past guests. For this bonus season, I've invited back nine of our past guests back to the mic to share their year, their inspirations, and their favourite reads. In this spe...

Oh my goodness, I cannot begin to tell you just how special this episode was for me! Back in 2019, I actually missed an opportunity to ask Liane Moriarty a question because I was too nervous to put my hand up. Fast forward to today, and I can't quite believe I got to do a whole interview with Liane and I absolutely loved every single moment. It was a total dream come true! Liane joins me in this e...

✨ Update: Since this episode was recorded, Virginia Evans has been longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction for The Correspondent . Congratulations to Virginia ✨ This episode was such a joy to record! I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Virginia Evans about her stunning debut novel The Correspondent; a book I truly loved. One of my favourite moments during our chat was hearing Virgi...

Oh my goodness, I do feel like the luckiest bookworm sometimes! Getting to chat with all these incredible authors is such a privilege, and today, having the brilliant Clare Leslie Hall on the show has been an absolute joy from start to finish. If you haven't yet picked up her captivating novel, Broken Country, I'm going to have to politely beg you to grab a copy and dive in this summer! Serio...

Welcome back to another episode and today’s we’re lucky enough to get to chat to Claire Douglas about her latest thriller, The New Neighbours.  This was my first of read of Claire’s and I loved it so much I went straight back to the beginning and read her debut which was another winner for me. I can’t wait to read more. In this episode we chat about the inspiration behind The New Neighbo...

Inside The Lost Passenger: Frances Quinn on Titanic, a Mother’s Love, and Survival Hello book friends! In today’s episode, I am absolutely delighted to be chatting with the brilliant Frances Quinn about her fabulous new novel, The Lost Passenger. We had such a wonderful chat about the inspiration behind this compelling story, and Frances also speaks really openly about the challenges along the way...

Get ready for another absolute cracker of an episode this week, because I had the total pleasure of chatting with the incredible Lucy Steeds! Now, if you've been anywhere near me in the last six months, I will have no doubt absolutely insisted that you must read Lucy's stunning novel, The Artist. I’m so in love with this book, its one of my top reads of the year and I really want you to pick...

Oh my goodness, chatting with the wonderful Fran Littlewood in this episode of Best Book Forward was an absolute joy from start to finish! Fran joined me to natter all about her absolutely fabulous new novel, The Favourite – which is just a brilliant, rollercoaster family saga about the Fishers. Their seemingly normal family holiday gets completely turned upside down when Dad accidentally lets sli...

Hello my lovely book friends! Welcome back to a brand spanking new season of Best Book Forward, and we are kicking things off with a bang! In our Season 3 opener, I had the pleasure of chatting to the one and only Gillian McAllister about her gripping new novel, Famous Last Words. Now, is it just me, or does Gillian just keep knocking it out of the park with every single book? She's just gett...

Best Book Forward Season 3 is Here! Welcome back to Best Book Forward! Get ready because we are launching a brand new season of eight episodes, packed with authors so incredible I honestly had to pinch myself that it was all really happening! I absolutely cannot wait for you to tune in! New to Best Book Forward? Hi, I'm Helen ( @bestbookforward ), your friendly neighbourhood book pusher! Think of...