The spotlight is on our lovely publicist, Becci Sharpe.
I’m currently reading Shooting Victoria by Paul Thomas Murphy. I’m having so much fun working on this magnificent book; a fascinating, quirky read about a little known aspect of a momentous era. Who knew eight people attempted to assassinate Queen Vic? Or that they were all a bunch of crazy people who can’t shoot straight? Highly recommended reading.
If I were a character from fiction, I would be Becky Sharp from Vanity Fair. Obviously.
My top 10 books are:
- A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. I read this magnificent story when I was eighteen years old on an eleven-hour bus ride from London to Newcastle. It was the first time a really book challenged me, educated me and tore me to pieces as is evident from the phone call I made to my Mum when I finished it, somewhere north of Durham at 11pm, crying hysterically and gasping breaths as I tried to explain how amazing it was. Apologies to the poor chap sat next to me on that journey…
- Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. A truly outstanding story that again educated and moved me. This was also the first book event I ever worked on as an intern, and a fantastic author to work with.
- The Jolly Postman by Janet and Allan Ahlberg. Because it is AWESOME.
- One Day by David Nicholls. A lovely, funny, dreamy book. I devoured it in hardback the moment it came out and had the good fortune to work with the author who is incidentally also lovely, funny and dreamy….
- The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. My name is Becci Sharpe. I think that covers why I like this book.
- The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. The first book I really loved and got very argumentative about at University.
- The Diary of a Killer Cat by Anne Fine. As read to me by my Mum in a hilarious comic voice when I was young. Read it for the hilarious twist with the bunny rabbit.
- Doppler by Erlend Loe. Given to me in my first week at HoZ - I was told to read it immediately in a very serious tone. I adored it; it’s charming, clever and laugh out loud funny. It reminded me how super easy it is to publicize books that I think are awesome.
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. Because I was a teenage girl not so long ago
- The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams. The book I wanted to live inside when I was little. And maybe a little bit now…