Welcome

As a writer and editor, I have enjoyed many years meeting and interviewing many fascinating people, and visiting wonderful locations worldwide.

These days I also indulge my passion for books, reading, and writing by interviewing authors, hosting events and sharing my reviews and recommendations.

Each month I host a book club on air for BBC Radio Suffolk with the afternoon presenter, Lesley Dolphin. You can listen again to our conversations by following the link below. Do join in with your own comments on the books we're reading!

I also have the pleasure of chairing and organising author talks for children and adults at events and festivals thoughout the year.

Past events include Alexander McCall Smith, Margaret Drabble, Victoria Hislop, Griff Rhys Jones, Kate Mosse, Deborah Moggach, Maggie O'Farrell, Michael Morpurgo, Robert Peston, Kate Humble, Alan Johnson MP, Max Hastings and many more.

I hope you will enjoy reading details of my events, my reviews and recommendations.

And if you'd like to sign up for my weekly newsletter please click here.

Thank you for reading

Catherine

Events

coming soon

Liz Calder in conversation
Thursday 30th January, 7.30pm
at Browsers Bookshop
Respected publisher and member of the 2019 Booker Prize judging panel, Liz Calder will be sharing something of her life in books.
read more
Liz Trenow in conversation
Wednesday 26th February, 7.30pm
at Woodbridge Library
Please note the change of date! The popular novelist talks to us about the inspiration for her latest book, set around the development of radar at Bawdsey, Suffolk during WWII.
read more

For early notification of my events why not sign up for my weekly newsletter? Just provide your name and email address and confirm that you want to receive these emails. Sign up here.

Talking with Lesley

on BBC Radio Suffolk, Wednesday 8 January.

For some years now I've been enjoying a monthly chat with Lesley Dolphin, the afternoon presenter on BBC Radio Suffolk, contributing to her regular feature 'Lesley's Readers'.

We talk together about the book we have just read, and the one we'll be discussing next month as well as all other things book related!

 

Browsers Book Group

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
by Olga Tokarczuk
A 'subversive, entertaining noir novel' by the Nobel Prize and Man Booker International Prize-winning Polish writer, Olga Tokarczuk. What will we think of it? Join in the friendly discussion over coffee and flapjack, or a glass of wine.
Monday, 27 January 2020 - 8:00pm

Browsers Book Group has been meeting monthly for over 12 years now. The books we have read are listed here.

recent events

Meet the author - Henry Blofeld
Saturday 2 November 2019
Despite terrible weather, dozens of people joined us in the bookshop to meet cricket raconteur Henry Blofeld as he signed copies of his new book 'My A-Z of Cricket'.
read my report
Lindsay McCrae My Penguin Year
Friday 1 November 2019
The award-winning cameraman talked about his extraordinary year following emperor penguins in Antarctica.
read my report
Nicola Upson in conversation
Thursday 26 September 2019
Novelist Nicola Upson gave a fascinating account of how she imagined the life of the artist Stanley Spencer through the eyes of his housekeeper, Elsie.
read my report

Archive

Visit my archive pages for details of all events in recent years.

Book reviews

Look out for

Nine Elms
by Robert Bryndza
Former police officer, and now a lecturer in criminology, Kate Marshall is drawn into investigating some horrific copycat murders. This is a graphic and disturbing book, but the characters, pace, and twists and turns of the investigation make it a compelling read.
read my review
Motherwell
by Deborah Orr
A moving, engrossing memoir where the author explores her conflicting responses to her upbringing in Scotland. Published 23 January 2020.
read my review
Miss Austen
by Gill Hornby
Why did Cassandra burn the letters written by her sister, Jane Austen? It has troubled academics for decades, but novelist Gill Hornby gives us her perspective in this beautiful and sensitive portrayal of Cassandra in old age and in flashback. Published 23 January 2020.
read my review

For audio reviews click here

My recent recommendations

Hello World
by Hannah Fry
A fascinating and thought-provoking account of how algorithms are affecting every part of our lives today.
read my review
Review date: 06.01.20
Airhead
by Emily Maitlis
A funny, warm and accessible insight into what's involved in interviewing people making the news, from the 'Newsnight' presenter.
read my review
Review date: 14.12.19
Conversations with Friends
by Sally Rooney
A compelling and intriguing account of the self-indulgent and complicated relationships between a group of friends.
read my review
Review date: 07.11.19
The Girl Before
by JP Delaney
A fascinating premise for a gripping thriller, which continued with twists and turns to the conclusion.
read my review
Review date: 07.11.19

For more reviews click here

For children

The Sharp Edge of a Snow Flake
by Sif Sigmarsdottir
Social media influencers, investigative journalism, manipulation of the truth and murder, in Iceland. A thriller with two young women at its heart,...
read my review
Review date: 07.11.19
Piglettes
by Clementine Beauvais
A funny, uplifting, quirky and inspiring story of three girls who take a road trip to Paris to prove themselves after bullying at school.
read my review
Review date: 07.11.19
Potkin and Stubbs - The Haunting of Peligan City
by Sophie Green
A return to Peligan City to meet our crusading investigators Lil Potkin and Nedly Stubbs, and it's darker and funnier than the first book!
read my review
A Girl Called Justice
by Elly Griffiths
The first in a series of children's books by the writer of the best-selling Ruth Galloway novels, published in May 2019.
read my review
Potkin and Stubbs
by Sophie Green
A fabulous, inventive, funny, detective-ghost story which is the first of a trilogy. And what a great cover!
read my review

For more books for children click here

On the radio

BBC Radio Suffolk

Catherine at BBC Radio SuffolkOn the first Tuesday (or Wednesday!) of each month, at 2.20pm, I join Lesley Dolphin on the afternoon programme at BBC Radio Suffolk to discuss the book of the month which I have chosen for her feature called Lesley's Readers. Listeners are invited to send in comments by text or email, or by phoning the programme on 0800 141 2121.

Lesley's Readers are reading...

Reasons to be cheerful
by Nina Stibbe
Listen to Catherine's recommendation

We have just read.....

Before the Coffee Gets Cold
by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
What would you change if you could go back in time? This Japanese novel invites us to follow four visitors to a Tokyo cafe as they revisit their past but must be sure to return to the present before the coffee gets cold.
read my review
Listen to Catherine's recommendation
Listen to Lesley and Catherine's discussion

My blog

Monday 6 January 2020

Happy new year?

The global situation and news of recent events make the usual new year greeting sound rather hollow. We live in troubling times.

It is all the more reason, perhaps, that we should turn to books as an opportunity for escape and enlightenment, entertainment and education.

I hope you'll join me in the coming months as we unpack what we're reading through book group discussions and on BBC Radio Suffolk book club.

I'll be bringing various authors and publishers to the area and we'll be able to ask them for their insight, understanding and perspective on numerous topics and themes.