Best Book Forward

Helen Gambarota

Have you ever wondered which books shaped your favourite authors? Best Book Forward is the bookish podcast for avid readers where we delve into the lives of your favourite authors and discover the books that have shaped their lives. Prepare for surprising picks, heartwarming stories, and the ultimate literary dilemma: "If you could only read one again, which would it be?" Warning: This podcast may lead to an uncontrollable urge to expand your TBR pile. Ready to discover your next literary obsession? Tune in and join Helen's vibrant book community! Find Helen online: Instagram: @bestbookforward YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BestBookForward Website: https://bestbookforward.org/

  1. Joanna Cannon: "Everything worth having starts with a pinch of anxiety"

    Jun 4

    Joanna Cannon: "Everything worth having starts with a pinch of anxiety"

    I am absolutely thrilled to kick off the new season with the brilliant Sunday Times bestselling author, Dr. Joanna Cannon, to talk all about her beautiful new novel, An Unlikely Visitor. In this episode, Jo talks about her journey from becoming a doctor in her 40s to a bestselling author, how everything in life worth having starts with a pinch of anxiety and how meeting one reader in a signing line led to Jo dedicating this novel to her. Of course, no episode of Best Book Forward is complete without lots of book chat and Jo’s love of books shines through this chat. We could have talked books all day long. Joanna’s Book Choices: Little Women by Louisa May AlcottTalking Heads by Alan BennettWuthering Heights by Emily BrontëRebecca by Daphne Du MaurierWhen God Was A Rabbit by Sarah Winman Books by Dr. Joanna Cannon: An Unlikely VisitorThe Trouble with Goats and SheepA Tidy Ending Three Things About Elsie Other Books Mentioned: The Midnight Train by Matt HaigRoman Mornings by Matson TaylorEverything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben ReevesTin Man by Sarah WinmanMy Cousin Rachel by Daphne Du MaurierThe Lido by Libby PageStill Life by Sarah Winman 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 Thursday for another wonderful guest, and happy listening! 🎧 Listen & Subscribe Now: : Best Book Forward Podcast 📲 Connect with Us: Follow Helen on Instagram: @bestbookforwardDiscover more book recommendations on our Website: https://bestbookforward.org/

    1h 9m
  2. Tuesday Teaser: Dr. Joanna Cannon Preview + Exclusive Audiobook Clip

    Jun 2

    Tuesday Teaser: Dr. Joanna Cannon Preview + Exclusive Audiobook Clip

    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: @bestbookforwardFollow Joanna Cannon on Instagram: @joannacannonauthor

    14 min
  3. Best Book Forward - Season Six

    Season 6, Episode 41 Trailer

    Best Book Forward - Season Six

    🎙️ 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: @bestbookforwardWebsite: https://bestbookforward.org/

    2 min
  4. "I love uncovering bits of forgotten history": Kate Lord Brown on The Silver Thread

    May 21

    "I love uncovering bits of forgotten history": Kate Lord Brown on The Silver Thread

    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/

    51 min
  5. “Do You Stick by Your Kids No Matter What?”: Inside Such a Nice Girl (with Andrea Mara)

    May 7

    “Do You Stick by Your Kids No Matter What?”: Inside Such a Nice Girl (with Andrea Mara)

    Andrea Mara on Such a Nice Girl: When Friendship and Motherhood Collide In this episode bestselling author Andrea Mara joins me to talk about her gripping new thriller Such a Nice Girl, released today. We get into the story behind the book, which begins the morning after a glamorous wedding when two mothers wake to find their daughters missing. What follows is a tense and emotional unravelling of friendship, trust, and the quiet fears that sit beneath family life. Andrea shares what inspired the novel and how she builds that sense of unease that keeps readers turning pages. We also talk about her writing process, the balance between character and plot and how much she loves to come up with great red herrings. Of course, no episode of Best Book Forward is complete without book recommendations. Here are the books that have shaped Andrea. You’ll find links to buy below: Books by Andrea: Such A Nice Girl All Her Fault It Should Have Been You Andrea’s Book Choices: It by Stephen King The Jackson Brodie Series by Kate Atkinson The Chimney Sweeper Boy by Barbara Vine Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver Margot's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe Other Books Mentioned On Writing by Stephen King Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson Small Mercies by Denis Lehane Long Bright River by Liz Moore Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara I’ll be back next week with another author conversation, and I’d love for you to join me for that too. 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 tomorrow, 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/ Andrea Mara on Such a Nice Girl: When Friendship and Motherhood Collide In this episode bestselling author Andrea Mara joins me to talk about her gripping new thriller Such a Nice Girl, released today. We get into the story behind the book, which begins the morning after a glamorous wedding when two mothers wake to find their daughters missing. What follows is a tense and emotional unravelling of friendship, trust, and the quiet fears that sit beneath family life. Andrea shares what inspired the novel and how she builds that sense of unease that keeps readers turning pages. We also talk about her writing process, the balance between character and plot, and the journey to becoming a bestselling thriller author. It is a really fascinating look at how a story comes together and what drives her to keep writing darker, more complex narratives. What we talk about: The inspiration behind Such a Nice GirlWhy stories about motherhood and friendship resonate so deeplyBuilding suspense through character and everyday fearsAndrea’s writing process and how her ideas developHer journey to becoming a bestselling author Books that shaped Andrea Of course, no episode of Best Book Forward is complete without book recommendations. Here are the books that have shaped Andrea. You’ll find links to buy below: I’ll be back next week with another author conversation, and I’d love for you to join me for that too. 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 tomorrow, 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/

    55 min

Trailers

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Have you ever wondered which books shaped your favourite authors? Best Book Forward is the bookish podcast for avid readers where we delve into the lives of your favourite authors and discover the books that have shaped their lives. Prepare for surprising picks, heartwarming stories, and the ultimate literary dilemma: "If you could only read one again, which would it be?" Warning: This podcast may lead to an uncontrollable urge to expand your TBR pile. Ready to discover your next literary obsession? Tune in and join Helen's vibrant book community! Find Helen online: Instagram: @bestbookforward YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BestBookForward Website: https://bestbookforward.org/

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