Ellie Rees's Blog
December 30, 2020
My Favourite Five of 2020
As much as I love reading, in non-pandemic years, I don’t do nearly enough of it as I’d like. However, one of the few positives to come out of 2020 is that I’ve been able to devour more books than I usually would. Here, in no particular order, are five of my favourite fiction boos that I’ve read this year.
N.B These books didn’t come out this year, I just read them this year!
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid
If you have frequented my social media pages this year you will know how much I adore this book. My friend lent it to me with a ‘This book is so you, you HAVE to read it’ and I replied with a ‘Sure, thank you’ and got to reading. Within a few chapters I was hooked and finished it within two days.
The book follows the story of famous actress Evelyn Hugo as she recounts her life story and her many husbands, starting in the heyday of glamourous 1950s Hollywood. The characters are well developed, the storyline is filled with dramatic twists and the central love story had me smiling and weeping on every page. I wasn’t expecting to love this book as much as I do but I now consider myself a superfan and will happily talk about it for days on end!
Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
I had been reticent to read this book for years as I don’t tend to get on very well with older texts. I understand the value they have in the literary canon, but I usually find myself frustrated by the plot, the characters or both, and after years of feeling guilty about it I finally decided that I don’t have to be and they’re simply not to my taste. However, I finally gave in after it was forced into my hand by a friend (the same friend who recommended Evelyn Hugo; she keeps me on the straight and narrow when it comes to books.)
This was a slow burn for me but I found myself turning the pages and trying to work out where things were going so before I knew it I was completely invested and eager to read as much as possible.
Rebecca focuses on the central character who is only ever referred to as Mrs de Winter and the second wife of the older Maximilian de Winter. When she moves into his familial home, once run by Max’s now deceased first wife, Rebecca, she finds it impossible to feel at home and make her mark on the place. As the plot progresses, we learn more about how this aristocratic world behaves and the relationships that the new Mrs. de Winter has found herself tied up in.
I’m so glad that I finally got over myself and read this because not only is the story fantastic, but the writing is also top level and genuinely inspiring. I read the whole book thinking ‘I wish I could write like this!’
The Flatshare, Beth O’Leary
This is a romcom with bite. I am partial to a romcom, especially those by Mhairi McFarlane (more on her later), and this one has been doing the rounds a lot on Instagram this year so I thought it would be a good lockdown read.
The Flatshare follows the lives of Tiffy and Leon as they become flatmates except, not really. Rather than sharing a flat in the traditional sense, Tiffy rents the flat for the evening and morning and Leon rents it for the day time, including the only double bed in the flat. As a result, the characters don’t meet for a while and their relationship grows primarily through sticky notes.
The book also touches on some hard-hitting issues including emotional abuse and the false imprisonment of Leon’s brother; both of which I feel were handled really well considering it’s a genre that is usually more fluffy. However, I appreciate that I’m lucky enough to not have experienced those things so understand that I could be wrong.
O’Leary writes with a warmth and humour that really does bring these characters to life in such a way that I found myself routing from them from the start. I’d also quite like to grab a few drinks with Tiffy because she sounds like the kind of bonkers woman I’d get along with.
The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller
You may already know that I’m a Greek mythology nut and this year in particular I have been striving to learn more about these ancient stories. I had wanted to read The Song of Achilles for years but, similar to Rebecca, I was always a bit intimated. I think I worried that the language would be too intelligent for me and there’s always a concern that a book with so much hype then turns out not to be enjoyable. Of course, none of this was true and I fell in love with the story within about five pages.
Miller retells the story of Achilles from his childhood to his time in the Trojan war from the perspective of his beloved Patroclus. I thought this was genius as you’d expect a story this epic to be told by the protagonist but Patroclus understandably gives a new perspective on this legendary hero. This perspective also gives the story an air of mystery to Achilles which I liked. After all, there are so many versions of Achilles’ life that it seems fitting for there to still be a few questions about what he was up to when Patroclus couldn’t see or be with him.
If I Never Met You, Mhairi McFarlane
As mentioned, I am a big fan of Mhairi McFarlane’s books. She writes romcoms with characters that perfectly encapsulate modern living and all the trials and tribulations that come with it. Her dialogue is also hilarious.
If I Never Met You plays into the trope of a fake relationship and although it’s a predictable storyline, as I appreciate most romcoms are, it’s McFarlane’s characters that always win me over. The central character, Laurie, is dumped by her boyfriend of eighteen years and embarks on a fake relationship with her co-worker to make said boyfriend jealous and win him back. However, there’s more to it than that and Laurie is one of the most realistic female characters I’ve ever read. She has her struggles at home and at work, yet her humour doesn’t really fade and her grit always shines through.
N.B These books didn’t come out this year, I just read them this year!
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid
If you have frequented my social media pages this year you will know how much I adore this book. My friend lent it to me with a ‘This book is so you, you HAVE to read it’ and I replied with a ‘Sure, thank you’ and got to reading. Within a few chapters I was hooked and finished it within two days.
The book follows the story of famous actress Evelyn Hugo as she recounts her life story and her many husbands, starting in the heyday of glamourous 1950s Hollywood. The characters are well developed, the storyline is filled with dramatic twists and the central love story had me smiling and weeping on every page. I wasn’t expecting to love this book as much as I do but I now consider myself a superfan and will happily talk about it for days on end!
Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
I had been reticent to read this book for years as I don’t tend to get on very well with older texts. I understand the value they have in the literary canon, but I usually find myself frustrated by the plot, the characters or both, and after years of feeling guilty about it I finally decided that I don’t have to be and they’re simply not to my taste. However, I finally gave in after it was forced into my hand by a friend (the same friend who recommended Evelyn Hugo; she keeps me on the straight and narrow when it comes to books.)
This was a slow burn for me but I found myself turning the pages and trying to work out where things were going so before I knew it I was completely invested and eager to read as much as possible.
Rebecca focuses on the central character who is only ever referred to as Mrs de Winter and the second wife of the older Maximilian de Winter. When she moves into his familial home, once run by Max’s now deceased first wife, Rebecca, she finds it impossible to feel at home and make her mark on the place. As the plot progresses, we learn more about how this aristocratic world behaves and the relationships that the new Mrs. de Winter has found herself tied up in.
I’m so glad that I finally got over myself and read this because not only is the story fantastic, but the writing is also top level and genuinely inspiring. I read the whole book thinking ‘I wish I could write like this!’
The Flatshare, Beth O’Leary
This is a romcom with bite. I am partial to a romcom, especially those by Mhairi McFarlane (more on her later), and this one has been doing the rounds a lot on Instagram this year so I thought it would be a good lockdown read.
The Flatshare follows the lives of Tiffy and Leon as they become flatmates except, not really. Rather than sharing a flat in the traditional sense, Tiffy rents the flat for the evening and morning and Leon rents it for the day time, including the only double bed in the flat. As a result, the characters don’t meet for a while and their relationship grows primarily through sticky notes.
The book also touches on some hard-hitting issues including emotional abuse and the false imprisonment of Leon’s brother; both of which I feel were handled really well considering it’s a genre that is usually more fluffy. However, I appreciate that I’m lucky enough to not have experienced those things so understand that I could be wrong.
O’Leary writes with a warmth and humour that really does bring these characters to life in such a way that I found myself routing from them from the start. I’d also quite like to grab a few drinks with Tiffy because she sounds like the kind of bonkers woman I’d get along with.
The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller
You may already know that I’m a Greek mythology nut and this year in particular I have been striving to learn more about these ancient stories. I had wanted to read The Song of Achilles for years but, similar to Rebecca, I was always a bit intimated. I think I worried that the language would be too intelligent for me and there’s always a concern that a book with so much hype then turns out not to be enjoyable. Of course, none of this was true and I fell in love with the story within about five pages.
Miller retells the story of Achilles from his childhood to his time in the Trojan war from the perspective of his beloved Patroclus. I thought this was genius as you’d expect a story this epic to be told by the protagonist but Patroclus understandably gives a new perspective on this legendary hero. This perspective also gives the story an air of mystery to Achilles which I liked. After all, there are so many versions of Achilles’ life that it seems fitting for there to still be a few questions about what he was up to when Patroclus couldn’t see or be with him.
If I Never Met You, Mhairi McFarlane
As mentioned, I am a big fan of Mhairi McFarlane’s books. She writes romcoms with characters that perfectly encapsulate modern living and all the trials and tribulations that come with it. Her dialogue is also hilarious.
If I Never Met You plays into the trope of a fake relationship and although it’s a predictable storyline, as I appreciate most romcoms are, it’s McFarlane’s characters that always win me over. The central character, Laurie, is dumped by her boyfriend of eighteen years and embarks on a fake relationship with her co-worker to make said boyfriend jealous and win him back. However, there’s more to it than that and Laurie is one of the most realistic female characters I’ve ever read. She has her struggles at home and at work, yet her humour doesn’t really fade and her grit always shines through.
December 7, 2020
Interview with Becky Sandy Art & Illustration
Last month the wonderful Becky Sandy agreed to let me interview her for this blog (via Skype in case you’re thinking of dobbing us in) so not only can I show you all how fabulous she is but I will also have some nice content to post on here. So, yes, it’s all pretty self-serving but I’ve got books to sell.
Joking aside, Becky is possibly the loveliest person you will ever meet, is crazy talented and one of my closest friends. We lived together for about eighteen months and it was during this time that I asked her if she wouldn’t mind creating my book cover for me. Thankfully, she agreed and designed such a beautiful cover that sometimes I just find myself staring at it longer than is deemed appropriate.
Becky launched Becky Sandy Art and Illustration five years ago and specialises in bespoke pet portraits, so creating a book cover was a little different to her usual work! Below we talk about the design process, fancy sword hilts and loveable rogues.
Hello! Thank you for agreeing to this, you are most wonderful. So, I’ve tried to come up with questions but I’m worried they’re a bit lame. We’ll have to see what happens.
Well, I can’t promise that I won’t have lame answers, to be honest.
Great. Are you ready for your big interview?
Go on, then.
Excellent! First question, as someone who isn’t remotely artistic; what does the beginning of the design process look like? Especially for this project as I know it’s different to your usual stuff.
Yeah, it was definitely different, because for most of the stuff I do it’s pet portraits so I don’t really have a process so much because I get a picture and just make that a painting! I think with this the first thing I obviously wanted to do was read the book so I could know the story and what was needed in the cover. I guess that was kind of an ideation thing in itself because as I was reading through it I was working out what was important and there’s a bit where Tarley is describing her favourite gate and the image was so clear in my head, especially with the coloured crystals. I thought that could be quite a striking cover so once I got that idea I started doing some Googling to see what fancy gates look like in real life!
A common Google search, I’m sure.
Yeah. GATES.
To be fair, the stuff I’ve Googled for the book is pretty weird. How to make a sword, why do people want to kill each other etc. Anyway, carry on.
Ha, so I read through the story to see what stuck out to me, what would work well as a cover and then searched the internet for some inspiration on top of the idea that I had in my head. And then I had to make sure that that matched what you were thinking as well.
I remember with the sword you were sending me ideas of what you had pictured and I said ‘Oh I actually have a picture of that!’ because I’d seen the exact one I’d imagined when I went to Copenhagen.
That was super handy by the way when you were like ‘this is actually the sword!’
It was mad because Ryan [also a close friend] and I went to a castle in Copenhagen and we were just looking around and I saw that sword and went ‘What?! That’s it! That’s the one I’ve written!’ So obviously I had to take a picture of it.
That’s so cool.
It stuck out because of the way the handle curves. I did a lot of Pinteresting while I was writing because I don’t know anything about swords, but I always liked the style of the ones in Pirates of the Caribbean and the fancy hilts. I thought I had better get some reference images so I can describe it properly!
It was really helpful because in my head I think I overshot what you wrote in the book because I imagined a King Arthur style sword with a big hilt so when you sent me that picture I was like ‘Ohh…’
Isn’t it mad that two people can read the same thing and have a completely different interpretation of it? Anyway, digressing! This is an arty question because I don’t know much about art; what materials did you use?
This was done in ink and watercolour and, to be honest, I can’t give you too much detail because I’m quite new to it but I used watercolour because that’s what I paint in most. I like that it’s light and freer than other paints.
That’s interesting. In my head when I asked you to do this, I know nothing about art and obviously I knew that you did the pet portraits, but I expected something quite graphics led and then you came back with this beautiful painted image. It was just so much better than what I had imagined.
That is something I thought about because I used to do a lot of digital painting but when I thought about the book I thought it would suit a traditionally painted cover, which I think always look really nice and some of my favourite books have those types of covers.
Such as?
Well, I’ve got a really nice copy of Watership Down with an illustrated cover…
I’ll take that! I’ve been lucky enough to have a few people review the book on social media. How do you feel about reviewers calling the cover ‘Instagrammable’? Is that a word you ever though you’d hear to describe your work?
That’s a fun question! Umm, no? Whenever any of them say that I’m so happy because I think when you do a painting or piece of art you get to a point where you’re like ‘Ok, this is finished now,’ because I know that if I stare at it for too long I’ll find little bits to do. But there’s always that bit where you’re not sure if you should add to it or will it be overkill, so I’m never completely satisfied.
But obviously I wouldn’t send you anything unless I thought you would like it and I was really happy with it, so it’s so nice to hear it described like that. I would never have thought that anyone would ever call something that I had painted Instagrammable; that’s really nice.
Well, in case you didn’t already know, I love it. But it does beg the question…why on Earth did you agree to do this?
Umm, because you asked me to? But then also because I really liked you story.
Phew! I’m glad it didn’t feel like too hard work.
I really want to do more art for it but I just haven’t got round to it yet!
Well I’m not going to stop you, I love your art. This may be a really obvious question but what are the key differences between doing the pet portraits and this? Did it feel like a big challenge?
I think the challenging aspect of it was trying to get something that I felt represented what you had in your head or what was a good representation of what was in the book. I wanted something that would look nice on the cover but also sell the story so I think the context was the most challenging thing but doing it was really fun. With pet portraits, because you’re trying to accurately reflect a pet, you don’t have a lot of freedom. I do try to keep them quite loose but you can’t go too wild on them, so this was a nice chance to have more freedom and get creative.
OK, I’m now going to ask you some questions to inflate my ego even further. Who is your favourite character in the book?
My favourite character is West but I’m not really sure why! I just felt from the moment he was introduced that I warmed to him and then as the book went on I really liked his story.
With West, he’s a bit of a loveable rogue and those are some of my favourite characters in literature.
That’s exactly my type of book character to be fair.
Yeah, for example I love Haymitch from The Hunger Games; he’s one of my all-time favourite characters. I think that’s why I liked writing Lenna too because she is a loveable rogue and that’s traditionally more of a male trope. Anyway, do you have a favourite moment? No spoilers!
Ooh but my favourite moment is the biggest spoiler! I’ll just say that I really liked the big twist because I didn’t see it coming at all.
Oh, that’s such a relief! Also, thank you. I’ll never forget when I did a creative writing course in uni I was told that when you write a twist it has to be shocking but also believable so I wanted something that had that kind of impact.
It definitely did, the red herrings really worked on me.
This is where I do an evil laugh. OK, last character question; which character do you think you’re most like?
Oh God, I don’t know!
May I make a suggestion? I’m going to say Carida because you’re very warm and lovely just like her. And she’s a seamstress so she’s creative like you, too!
Aww, I’ll take it!
What’s coming up next for Becky Sandy Art and Illustration?
At the moment, it’s mainly Christmas commissions, which is really cool but also a bit annoying because I can’t post anything as they’re all secret! I’m also releasing gift vouchers, too, as I’m a bit swamped with commissions at the moment but people can still gift them. My future plan is to also start working on things like cards and maybe pieces that aren’t custom pet portraits but just prints. I’m also thinking of working on an Etsy shop!
Well I know that I will be first in line for everything you have on sale! Becky Sandy, thank you very much.
If you'd like to read more of my blogs and some of my writing you can do so at www.elliereeslikestowrite.com
Joking aside, Becky is possibly the loveliest person you will ever meet, is crazy talented and one of my closest friends. We lived together for about eighteen months and it was during this time that I asked her if she wouldn’t mind creating my book cover for me. Thankfully, she agreed and designed such a beautiful cover that sometimes I just find myself staring at it longer than is deemed appropriate.
Becky launched Becky Sandy Art and Illustration five years ago and specialises in bespoke pet portraits, so creating a book cover was a little different to her usual work! Below we talk about the design process, fancy sword hilts and loveable rogues.
Hello! Thank you for agreeing to this, you are most wonderful. So, I’ve tried to come up with questions but I’m worried they’re a bit lame. We’ll have to see what happens.
Well, I can’t promise that I won’t have lame answers, to be honest.
Great. Are you ready for your big interview?
Go on, then.
Excellent! First question, as someone who isn’t remotely artistic; what does the beginning of the design process look like? Especially for this project as I know it’s different to your usual stuff.
Yeah, it was definitely different, because for most of the stuff I do it’s pet portraits so I don’t really have a process so much because I get a picture and just make that a painting! I think with this the first thing I obviously wanted to do was read the book so I could know the story and what was needed in the cover. I guess that was kind of an ideation thing in itself because as I was reading through it I was working out what was important and there’s a bit where Tarley is describing her favourite gate and the image was so clear in my head, especially with the coloured crystals. I thought that could be quite a striking cover so once I got that idea I started doing some Googling to see what fancy gates look like in real life!
A common Google search, I’m sure.
Yeah. GATES.
To be fair, the stuff I’ve Googled for the book is pretty weird. How to make a sword, why do people want to kill each other etc. Anyway, carry on.
Ha, so I read through the story to see what stuck out to me, what would work well as a cover and then searched the internet for some inspiration on top of the idea that I had in my head. And then I had to make sure that that matched what you were thinking as well.
I remember with the sword you were sending me ideas of what you had pictured and I said ‘Oh I actually have a picture of that!’ because I’d seen the exact one I’d imagined when I went to Copenhagen.
That was super handy by the way when you were like ‘this is actually the sword!’
It was mad because Ryan [also a close friend] and I went to a castle in Copenhagen and we were just looking around and I saw that sword and went ‘What?! That’s it! That’s the one I’ve written!’ So obviously I had to take a picture of it.
That’s so cool.
It stuck out because of the way the handle curves. I did a lot of Pinteresting while I was writing because I don’t know anything about swords, but I always liked the style of the ones in Pirates of the Caribbean and the fancy hilts. I thought I had better get some reference images so I can describe it properly!
It was really helpful because in my head I think I overshot what you wrote in the book because I imagined a King Arthur style sword with a big hilt so when you sent me that picture I was like ‘Ohh…’
Isn’t it mad that two people can read the same thing and have a completely different interpretation of it? Anyway, digressing! This is an arty question because I don’t know much about art; what materials did you use?
This was done in ink and watercolour and, to be honest, I can’t give you too much detail because I’m quite new to it but I used watercolour because that’s what I paint in most. I like that it’s light and freer than other paints.
That’s interesting. In my head when I asked you to do this, I know nothing about art and obviously I knew that you did the pet portraits, but I expected something quite graphics led and then you came back with this beautiful painted image. It was just so much better than what I had imagined.
That is something I thought about because I used to do a lot of digital painting but when I thought about the book I thought it would suit a traditionally painted cover, which I think always look really nice and some of my favourite books have those types of covers.
Such as?
Well, I’ve got a really nice copy of Watership Down with an illustrated cover…
I’ll take that! I’ve been lucky enough to have a few people review the book on social media. How do you feel about reviewers calling the cover ‘Instagrammable’? Is that a word you ever though you’d hear to describe your work?
That’s a fun question! Umm, no? Whenever any of them say that I’m so happy because I think when you do a painting or piece of art you get to a point where you’re like ‘Ok, this is finished now,’ because I know that if I stare at it for too long I’ll find little bits to do. But there’s always that bit where you’re not sure if you should add to it or will it be overkill, so I’m never completely satisfied.
But obviously I wouldn’t send you anything unless I thought you would like it and I was really happy with it, so it’s so nice to hear it described like that. I would never have thought that anyone would ever call something that I had painted Instagrammable; that’s really nice.
Well, in case you didn’t already know, I love it. But it does beg the question…why on Earth did you agree to do this?
Umm, because you asked me to? But then also because I really liked you story.
Phew! I’m glad it didn’t feel like too hard work.
I really want to do more art for it but I just haven’t got round to it yet!
Well I’m not going to stop you, I love your art. This may be a really obvious question but what are the key differences between doing the pet portraits and this? Did it feel like a big challenge?
I think the challenging aspect of it was trying to get something that I felt represented what you had in your head or what was a good representation of what was in the book. I wanted something that would look nice on the cover but also sell the story so I think the context was the most challenging thing but doing it was really fun. With pet portraits, because you’re trying to accurately reflect a pet, you don’t have a lot of freedom. I do try to keep them quite loose but you can’t go too wild on them, so this was a nice chance to have more freedom and get creative.
OK, I’m now going to ask you some questions to inflate my ego even further. Who is your favourite character in the book?
My favourite character is West but I’m not really sure why! I just felt from the moment he was introduced that I warmed to him and then as the book went on I really liked his story.
With West, he’s a bit of a loveable rogue and those are some of my favourite characters in literature.
That’s exactly my type of book character to be fair.
Yeah, for example I love Haymitch from The Hunger Games; he’s one of my all-time favourite characters. I think that’s why I liked writing Lenna too because she is a loveable rogue and that’s traditionally more of a male trope. Anyway, do you have a favourite moment? No spoilers!
Ooh but my favourite moment is the biggest spoiler! I’ll just say that I really liked the big twist because I didn’t see it coming at all.
Oh, that’s such a relief! Also, thank you. I’ll never forget when I did a creative writing course in uni I was told that when you write a twist it has to be shocking but also believable so I wanted something that had that kind of impact.
It definitely did, the red herrings really worked on me.
This is where I do an evil laugh. OK, last character question; which character do you think you’re most like?
Oh God, I don’t know!
May I make a suggestion? I’m going to say Carida because you’re very warm and lovely just like her. And she’s a seamstress so she’s creative like you, too!
Aww, I’ll take it!
What’s coming up next for Becky Sandy Art and Illustration?
At the moment, it’s mainly Christmas commissions, which is really cool but also a bit annoying because I can’t post anything as they’re all secret! I’m also releasing gift vouchers, too, as I’m a bit swamped with commissions at the moment but people can still gift them. My future plan is to also start working on things like cards and maybe pieces that aren’t custom pet portraits but just prints. I’m also thinking of working on an Etsy shop!
Well I know that I will be first in line for everything you have on sale! Becky Sandy, thank you very much.
If you'd like to read more of my blogs and some of my writing you can do so at www.elliereeslikestowrite.com
August 5, 2020
An Ode to Myths
04/08/2020
An Ode to Myths
I have a confession to make. I’m a big old myth nerd. I just love them. From Ancient Greece to the Welsh myths I grew up with; I am gripped by them all.
I can’t pinpoint when this love affair began but I’m pretty sure it’s been for at least 90% of my life. As a child, like most who grew up in Wales, I learnt about the stories that have been interwoven into our collective history (especially in the lead up to St. David’s Day where, no doubt, you would have to draw your own version of a myth or recite the story as part of the school’s Eisteddfod. And for those not from Wales, google Eisteddfod.) The myth that always sticks out for me, and I’m still not sure why even after all these years, is that of Gelert. He was a brave dog who fought off and killed a wolf that was attempting to attack his master’s son but when the prince returned he saw blood dripping from Gelert’s mouth, assumed the dog had killed his and son and promptly plunged his sword into the poor thing. It wasn’t until he heard the baby crying and saw a dead wolf next to him that the prince realised what a prick he’d been.
Wales is built on these types of stories and I relish them being a part of my heritage. For those of you that have read The Arben Bridge you’ll hopefully notice a few nods to these myths in there as I felt they encapsulated the otherworldly universe I was trying to create.
I also love the myths of Ancient Greece and Rome and I’ve spent years trying to learn more about them. I was lucky enough to visit Rome when I was fifteen and as the tour guide explained the Romulus and Remus myth I was standing there eyes wide open absorbing everything he was saying and determined to learn more (meanwhile my brother was standing there wondering when we were going to eat pasta again.)
During lockdown I have discovered the wonderful podcast ‘Let’s Talk About Myths Baby,’ which I would encourage anyone with an interest in ancient myths to listen to because Liv the host is hilarious, and my love for this world has only grown. They are completely ridiculous and the women are always, always, always wronged which incites a huge rage within me and yet I am addicted! I think it’s because so many of our words and basis for our stories come from this time that I find myself utterly fascinated. Plus, as mentioned, the stories are so over the top you just have to embrace it and love them.
I don’t think it’s hard to make the link between my love of myths and why I like to write stories. No matter the setting there’s always a sense of right or wrong (in the context of the time period, I’d like to add), a great conflict and a character we’re either rooting for hoping get’s his or her comeuppance. Stories are an integral part of how we interact with one another; it’s how we learn and attempt to understand the mad world that we live in. I recently attended an online event hosted by the networking organisation Warrior Women on this very subject and the emphasis that the speakers placed on telling your story not only highlighted how it connects us to other people but, in a business context, also enables you to stand out and grow your brand.
Myths have been my gateway into storytelling and I am proud to continue to get my nerd on and learn as many as I can. The history and grandiosity of them all is simply delicious and, in all honesty, I feel like I owe them a huge debt because without them I wouldn’t have this drive to create outrageous stories for people to, hopefully, enjoy.
To read this blog and more visit my website at www.elliereeslikestowrite.com
An Ode to Myths
I have a confession to make. I’m a big old myth nerd. I just love them. From Ancient Greece to the Welsh myths I grew up with; I am gripped by them all.
I can’t pinpoint when this love affair began but I’m pretty sure it’s been for at least 90% of my life. As a child, like most who grew up in Wales, I learnt about the stories that have been interwoven into our collective history (especially in the lead up to St. David’s Day where, no doubt, you would have to draw your own version of a myth or recite the story as part of the school’s Eisteddfod. And for those not from Wales, google Eisteddfod.) The myth that always sticks out for me, and I’m still not sure why even after all these years, is that of Gelert. He was a brave dog who fought off and killed a wolf that was attempting to attack his master’s son but when the prince returned he saw blood dripping from Gelert’s mouth, assumed the dog had killed his and son and promptly plunged his sword into the poor thing. It wasn’t until he heard the baby crying and saw a dead wolf next to him that the prince realised what a prick he’d been.
Wales is built on these types of stories and I relish them being a part of my heritage. For those of you that have read The Arben Bridge you’ll hopefully notice a few nods to these myths in there as I felt they encapsulated the otherworldly universe I was trying to create.
I also love the myths of Ancient Greece and Rome and I’ve spent years trying to learn more about them. I was lucky enough to visit Rome when I was fifteen and as the tour guide explained the Romulus and Remus myth I was standing there eyes wide open absorbing everything he was saying and determined to learn more (meanwhile my brother was standing there wondering when we were going to eat pasta again.)
During lockdown I have discovered the wonderful podcast ‘Let’s Talk About Myths Baby,’ which I would encourage anyone with an interest in ancient myths to listen to because Liv the host is hilarious, and my love for this world has only grown. They are completely ridiculous and the women are always, always, always wronged which incites a huge rage within me and yet I am addicted! I think it’s because so many of our words and basis for our stories come from this time that I find myself utterly fascinated. Plus, as mentioned, the stories are so over the top you just have to embrace it and love them.
I don’t think it’s hard to make the link between my love of myths and why I like to write stories. No matter the setting there’s always a sense of right or wrong (in the context of the time period, I’d like to add), a great conflict and a character we’re either rooting for hoping get’s his or her comeuppance. Stories are an integral part of how we interact with one another; it’s how we learn and attempt to understand the mad world that we live in. I recently attended an online event hosted by the networking organisation Warrior Women on this very subject and the emphasis that the speakers placed on telling your story not only highlighted how it connects us to other people but, in a business context, also enables you to stand out and grow your brand.
Myths have been my gateway into storytelling and I am proud to continue to get my nerd on and learn as many as I can. The history and grandiosity of them all is simply delicious and, in all honesty, I feel like I owe them a huge debt because without them I wouldn’t have this drive to create outrageous stories for people to, hopefully, enjoy.
To read this blog and more visit my website at www.elliereeslikestowrite.com
July 5, 2020
What Does It Mean?
Whether you’ve read my book or not you can probably deduce from the blurb that there’s a fair few made up words in The Arben Bridge. Some of these are completely made up through an extremely intelligent and complex process of taking parts of words that I like the sound of and combining it with other words that I also like the sound of. Or simply changing one letter in a word. I know, it’s groundbreaking stuff.
However, a few of my made-up words have a lot of meaning and reasons behind them. I haven’t included all of them because I think it spoils the fun but here’s a few that may be of interest. Who knows, maybe one day they’ll be a question on a real-life pub quiz!
Liliath – This is the name of the country in which the story is set and is named after my late fabulous nan. Her name was Lilian and I thought the ‘iath’ at the end made the country sound like somewhere you might find in Wales (Welsh speakers please don’t come for me, this is fiction.) I decided to name the country after her because she was a complete powerhouse of a woman and this seemed like a suitably epic tribute.
Jobern – The name of Liliath’s capital city is named after my grandfather (or as I called him; Bampy.) His name was Bernard but everyone called him Joe, as you do. The story goes that when he was a child he and his friends decided to call each other by their father’s names for the day but somehow his stuck for eighty-three years! Jobern is simply an amalgamation of his two monikers and as someone who adored words I like to think he’d approve.
Andice – This is a flyaway reference in the book that you may miss! It’s another city and an amalgamation of my parents’ names. My dad is called Andy and my mum is called Janice so you can see how I arrived at this one!
Yanto – Again, another small detail that won’t have any meaning to anyone other than myself. My Bampy gave my brother the nickname ‘Ianto Full Pelt’ when he was a kid, which I think is a common Welsh nickname but in all honesty I never asked about it so if someone can enlighten me that would be great! My brother’s name is actually Ieuan but I thought this would be too difficult for non-Welsh readers to understand due to all the vowels, as is Ianto, so I just swapped out the ‘I’ for a ‘Y’ to make it more readable.
Carida – This is the name of Tarley’s mum and a very slight anagram for the Welsh word for ‘love’ which is ‘cariad.’ This character is full to the brim of love and it’s her driving force in life so I felt this was the perfect name for her.
Hyd/Haf – If you’ve read the book you may have noticed that my characters are never called ‘Mr,’ ‘Miss,’ ‘Mrs’ etc. and that is a very contrived decision on my part because I truly hate the idea that women’s titles are dependent on their relationship to a man and if you’re making up your own world why not change a few things? Therefore, ‘Hyd’ is taken from the Welsh word for autumn which is ‘hydref’ and ‘Haf’ is the Welsh word for summer. In The Arben Bridge all men have the title of Hyd and all women have the title of Haf. If you’re wondering why I chose those seasons it’s because summer is my favourite (so I had to give this to the ladies) and autumn is the season I was born in.
You can read this blog and others on my website here: http://bit.ly/ERLTWBlog1
However, a few of my made-up words have a lot of meaning and reasons behind them. I haven’t included all of them because I think it spoils the fun but here’s a few that may be of interest. Who knows, maybe one day they’ll be a question on a real-life pub quiz!
Liliath – This is the name of the country in which the story is set and is named after my late fabulous nan. Her name was Lilian and I thought the ‘iath’ at the end made the country sound like somewhere you might find in Wales (Welsh speakers please don’t come for me, this is fiction.) I decided to name the country after her because she was a complete powerhouse of a woman and this seemed like a suitably epic tribute.
Jobern – The name of Liliath’s capital city is named after my grandfather (or as I called him; Bampy.) His name was Bernard but everyone called him Joe, as you do. The story goes that when he was a child he and his friends decided to call each other by their father’s names for the day but somehow his stuck for eighty-three years! Jobern is simply an amalgamation of his two monikers and as someone who adored words I like to think he’d approve.
Andice – This is a flyaway reference in the book that you may miss! It’s another city and an amalgamation of my parents’ names. My dad is called Andy and my mum is called Janice so you can see how I arrived at this one!
Yanto – Again, another small detail that won’t have any meaning to anyone other than myself. My Bampy gave my brother the nickname ‘Ianto Full Pelt’ when he was a kid, which I think is a common Welsh nickname but in all honesty I never asked about it so if someone can enlighten me that would be great! My brother’s name is actually Ieuan but I thought this would be too difficult for non-Welsh readers to understand due to all the vowels, as is Ianto, so I just swapped out the ‘I’ for a ‘Y’ to make it more readable.
Carida – This is the name of Tarley’s mum and a very slight anagram for the Welsh word for ‘love’ which is ‘cariad.’ This character is full to the brim of love and it’s her driving force in life so I felt this was the perfect name for her.
Hyd/Haf – If you’ve read the book you may have noticed that my characters are never called ‘Mr,’ ‘Miss,’ ‘Mrs’ etc. and that is a very contrived decision on my part because I truly hate the idea that women’s titles are dependent on their relationship to a man and if you’re making up your own world why not change a few things? Therefore, ‘Hyd’ is taken from the Welsh word for autumn which is ‘hydref’ and ‘Haf’ is the Welsh word for summer. In The Arben Bridge all men have the title of Hyd and all women have the title of Haf. If you’re wondering why I chose those seasons it’s because summer is my favourite (so I had to give this to the ladies) and autumn is the season I was born in.
You can read this blog and others on my website here: http://bit.ly/ERLTWBlog1
May 30, 2020
The Pressure of Reading
I adore books. I know; that’s a really shocking statement from an author. I love starting a new story, getting to know the characters and then slowly becoming so obsessed with it that you’d happily ignore family members for a few days so that you can finish it. However, what I don’t love is the pressure that sometimes surrounds reading.
I’ve spoken many blog posts ago about the pressure I have felt in regard to reading classic literature even though they are not stories that I’m usually drawn to and I think that intensity can also be applied more generally. How many times have you seen someone you follow on Instagram tell you that you HAVE to read X, Y or Z? Or when the ‘Top Books of 2020’ type lists are released and you immediately start ticking off the ones you think you should buy?
I am not knocking recommendations by any stretch of the imagination; I treasure a friend who tells me of a book they think I’ll enjoy and I really think it’s a gift you can give to someone. Pressure to read is an entirely different beast.
During lockdown I have to a certain extent placed this pressure on myself as much as anything or anyone else has. I think a lot of us have thought that this is the perfect time to make our way through our ‘To Read’ lists as, in theory, we have less distractions. I have tried and I’ve managed to tick off two but for some reason that feels like a failure (never mind that I’ve been busy with work and trying to format my own paperback!) However, I think it’s quite clear that time we choose to take off for ourselves is very different from time we are forced to take off.
I think the worst part of this ‘reading pressure’ is that it actually comes from ourselves. As much as we want to say that we’ve read a book on the Times bestsellers list does it actually matter if it’s not something we want to read?
When I was a child like most of the globe’s ankle biters I was in love with the Harry Potter books. As soon as a new book came out I would beg my mum to make sure she bought it for me ASAP and then it would almost be a race between my school friends and I as to who could read it first. I vividly remember my mum telling me that I should be reading because I enjoy it, not because I need to run into school and tell my friends that I’ve finished the book. This is something I regularly try to remind myself of.
On a personal note I have tried my best to ensure that none of my friends have felt like they have had to read my book. I am so grateful that they want to be supportive and it means so much that so many have proofread or bought the book (and it’s even lovelier when they say they like it) but I understand that it won’t be for everyone. When someone says it’s on their list and they’ll eventually get around to it, I really don’t mind! I would much rather people choose to read it on their own terms, at their own pace and only if they want to.
So if like me you are feeling the weight of many an unread book gathering dust on your shelf just relax! The books will still be there when you’re ready to give them your full attention and right now I honestly feel like our priorities should just be to get through the day however feels right for us. Stories are meant to absorbed, explored and, hopefully, enjoyed. The whole experience will be tainted if its motivated by pressure; it’s far better to hunker down with a cuppa and a book when your mind is ready for it.
You can read this blog and others on my website here: http://bit.ly/ERLTWBlog1
I’ve spoken many blog posts ago about the pressure I have felt in regard to reading classic literature even though they are not stories that I’m usually drawn to and I think that intensity can also be applied more generally. How many times have you seen someone you follow on Instagram tell you that you HAVE to read X, Y or Z? Or when the ‘Top Books of 2020’ type lists are released and you immediately start ticking off the ones you think you should buy?
I am not knocking recommendations by any stretch of the imagination; I treasure a friend who tells me of a book they think I’ll enjoy and I really think it’s a gift you can give to someone. Pressure to read is an entirely different beast.
During lockdown I have to a certain extent placed this pressure on myself as much as anything or anyone else has. I think a lot of us have thought that this is the perfect time to make our way through our ‘To Read’ lists as, in theory, we have less distractions. I have tried and I’ve managed to tick off two but for some reason that feels like a failure (never mind that I’ve been busy with work and trying to format my own paperback!) However, I think it’s quite clear that time we choose to take off for ourselves is very different from time we are forced to take off.
I think the worst part of this ‘reading pressure’ is that it actually comes from ourselves. As much as we want to say that we’ve read a book on the Times bestsellers list does it actually matter if it’s not something we want to read?
When I was a child like most of the globe’s ankle biters I was in love with the Harry Potter books. As soon as a new book came out I would beg my mum to make sure she bought it for me ASAP and then it would almost be a race between my school friends and I as to who could read it first. I vividly remember my mum telling me that I should be reading because I enjoy it, not because I need to run into school and tell my friends that I’ve finished the book. This is something I regularly try to remind myself of.
On a personal note I have tried my best to ensure that none of my friends have felt like they have had to read my book. I am so grateful that they want to be supportive and it means so much that so many have proofread or bought the book (and it’s even lovelier when they say they like it) but I understand that it won’t be for everyone. When someone says it’s on their list and they’ll eventually get around to it, I really don’t mind! I would much rather people choose to read it on their own terms, at their own pace and only if they want to.
So if like me you are feeling the weight of many an unread book gathering dust on your shelf just relax! The books will still be there when you’re ready to give them your full attention and right now I honestly feel like our priorities should just be to get through the day however feels right for us. Stories are meant to absorbed, explored and, hopefully, enjoyed. The whole experience will be tainted if its motivated by pressure; it’s far better to hunker down with a cuppa and a book when your mind is ready for it.
You can read this blog and others on my website here: http://bit.ly/ERLTWBlog1
May 10, 2020
It's the Little Lockdown Things
We’re all struggling at the moment and for some people it is a lot harder than others to just survive during lockdown. I may not fully acknowledge it every day (as much as I try but I’m a selfish, flawed human) but I am fully aware of how lucky I am right now. I live in a safe home surrounded by my family with plenty of food and we’re all healthy.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that my head doesn’t regularly want to implode with the overwhelming relentlessness that lockdown brings. I miss dates with my boyfriend, I miss seeing my friends in the flesh, I miss going to dance socials and classes and most of all I miss a good old hug! I honestly think I would hug anyone right now because it has been so long. I want to see all of my nearest and dearest and just embrace them for dear life. One of my best friends had a baby at the beginning of the year and every time I see her on Skype I just want to jump through the screen and give her the world’s biggest cuddle. Basically one this is over everyone is getting jumped.
Nevertheless, I am trying to stay as positive as I can because it doesn’t look like life will be normal for a very long time. I practice gratitude everyday without fail, even though sometimes I don’t feel very grateful and I actually feel better just embracing the sadness I’m feeling, but I have been surprised by some of the things that have given me a moment of happiness. For the purposes of length I am not including Skyping with friends because that’s a whole blog post in itself and they OBVIOUSLY bring me so much happiness!
1. Having my meals cooked for me
Just before lockdown was announced I moved back in with my parents and my brother as I’m a type 1 diabetic and knew that I’d feel more comfortable relying on them if shit got real. I’d also really miss not being able to see them and they have a desk so I can work from home without injuring myself!
I have tried my best not to regress to my more youthful years but my brother has become quite the chef recently and quite often cooks for us. Despite his passion for putting butter and cream in EVERYTHING it is just really lovely having someone cook for me; it feels so homely and is definitely something I look forward to at the end of the day.
2. Putting on freshly washed leggings
We’re all in joggers and leggings now, it’s a fact of life. And when they’ve just been washed and you slip them on the level of comfort is just heaven. See also freshly washed bedding for a similar thrill.
3. A mini lie in
I’m fortunate enough to be working from home at the moment which means no commuting for the time being and an extra hour in bed! Follow that up with a cuppa made by my dad on his working from home days and it’s not a bad way to start the day.
4. I have a chance to focus on my diabetes
For anyone familiar with diabetes it’s a complete mindfuck of a condition that rarely sticks to the rules it sets itself. I have been trying for years to get better control and it’s a daily struggle but lockdown has actually given me a chance to monitor my sugar levels a lot more closely. I’m really hoping that when this over things will be more stable!
5. I’m exercising more
Well, I think I am. I’m not someone who hates exercise but I’m quite picky about what I do. I lean more towards dance based workouts rather than burpees, lunges, weights etc. and so I’ve found a really good YouTube channel (The Fitness Marshall) to keep me busy throughout lockdown. I started doing it because I felt I had to do something and then it went from that to ‘well it fills a gap in my day’ to now being something that I look forward to doing as much as possible. This isn’t just for my physical health but as someone who loves dancing it gives me an hour of just doing something fun which can be hard to find right now.
I’ve also been trying to keep up with swing dancing/solo jazz which is a big passion of mine so shout out to Cardiff based The Swing Project for the incredible online classes (go check them out!)
6. I've been able to format my paperback
Like everyone else I have had a lot more time on my hands which means I’ve finally been able to sit down and format my paperback. Turns out it isn’t as scary as I thought and should be finished very soon!
7. So much more cake
My mother is a strong advocate for nearly always eating a piece of cake when you have a cup of tea. It’s very rare these days that the kettle goes on without a ‘Do you want anything with this, love?’ and the cupboards are well stocked with a variety of baked goods. I love that woman.
N.B Yes, diabetics can eat cake. Never ask a diabetic if they can eat something or they will eat you.
You can read this blog and more on my website: elliereeslikestowrite.com
Of course, that doesn’t mean that my head doesn’t regularly want to implode with the overwhelming relentlessness that lockdown brings. I miss dates with my boyfriend, I miss seeing my friends in the flesh, I miss going to dance socials and classes and most of all I miss a good old hug! I honestly think I would hug anyone right now because it has been so long. I want to see all of my nearest and dearest and just embrace them for dear life. One of my best friends had a baby at the beginning of the year and every time I see her on Skype I just want to jump through the screen and give her the world’s biggest cuddle. Basically one this is over everyone is getting jumped.
Nevertheless, I am trying to stay as positive as I can because it doesn’t look like life will be normal for a very long time. I practice gratitude everyday without fail, even though sometimes I don’t feel very grateful and I actually feel better just embracing the sadness I’m feeling, but I have been surprised by some of the things that have given me a moment of happiness. For the purposes of length I am not including Skyping with friends because that’s a whole blog post in itself and they OBVIOUSLY bring me so much happiness!
1. Having my meals cooked for me
Just before lockdown was announced I moved back in with my parents and my brother as I’m a type 1 diabetic and knew that I’d feel more comfortable relying on them if shit got real. I’d also really miss not being able to see them and they have a desk so I can work from home without injuring myself!
I have tried my best not to regress to my more youthful years but my brother has become quite the chef recently and quite often cooks for us. Despite his passion for putting butter and cream in EVERYTHING it is just really lovely having someone cook for me; it feels so homely and is definitely something I look forward to at the end of the day.
2. Putting on freshly washed leggings
We’re all in joggers and leggings now, it’s a fact of life. And when they’ve just been washed and you slip them on the level of comfort is just heaven. See also freshly washed bedding for a similar thrill.
3. A mini lie in
I’m fortunate enough to be working from home at the moment which means no commuting for the time being and an extra hour in bed! Follow that up with a cuppa made by my dad on his working from home days and it’s not a bad way to start the day.
4. I have a chance to focus on my diabetes
For anyone familiar with diabetes it’s a complete mindfuck of a condition that rarely sticks to the rules it sets itself. I have been trying for years to get better control and it’s a daily struggle but lockdown has actually given me a chance to monitor my sugar levels a lot more closely. I’m really hoping that when this over things will be more stable!
5. I’m exercising more
Well, I think I am. I’m not someone who hates exercise but I’m quite picky about what I do. I lean more towards dance based workouts rather than burpees, lunges, weights etc. and so I’ve found a really good YouTube channel (The Fitness Marshall) to keep me busy throughout lockdown. I started doing it because I felt I had to do something and then it went from that to ‘well it fills a gap in my day’ to now being something that I look forward to doing as much as possible. This isn’t just for my physical health but as someone who loves dancing it gives me an hour of just doing something fun which can be hard to find right now.
I’ve also been trying to keep up with swing dancing/solo jazz which is a big passion of mine so shout out to Cardiff based The Swing Project for the incredible online classes (go check them out!)
6. I've been able to format my paperback
Like everyone else I have had a lot more time on my hands which means I’ve finally been able to sit down and format my paperback. Turns out it isn’t as scary as I thought and should be finished very soon!
7. So much more cake
My mother is a strong advocate for nearly always eating a piece of cake when you have a cup of tea. It’s very rare these days that the kettle goes on without a ‘Do you want anything with this, love?’ and the cupboards are well stocked with a variety of baked goods. I love that woman.
N.B Yes, diabetics can eat cake. Never ask a diabetic if they can eat something or they will eat you.
You can read this blog and more on my website: elliereeslikestowrite.com
April 29, 2020
My Book to Big Screen Wish List
I was recently sat down with my family enjoying a curry while we watched something nondescript on the television. An advert for the recently adapted ‘Noughts and Crosses’ television series appeared (it’s incredible, by the way, please go watch it) and it just so happened that I was reading a book that I thought would make an excellent television show which made me think this would make a most excellent blog post.
I’d just like to clarify that television and film are not superior to books and vice versa; I truly believe that all these forms provide different types of audience experience that help them engage with a text in a special way that is unique to them. In fact, there was one particular book I wanted to place on this list but I just think it’s too perfect as it is (of course I’m not a television and/or film producer so what do I know?!)
Below are a few books that I love and think would make great television programmes or films, please feel free to add your own. As you will see once you start reading, my literature interests are somewhat varied…
The Time Rep Series by Peter Ward
I absolutely love this series and have followed it since the first book, ‘Time Rep,’ came out in 2013. The story focuses on Geoffrey Stamp, a 21st century dwelling male, who is recruited by a company called Time Tours from the 31st century to act as a travel guide to tourists from the future.
The series consists of three books and each one is silly, suspenseful and sci-fi goodness in equal measure. His writing is very reminiscent of Douglas Adams, which I particularly enjoyed in the most recent book ‘Time Rep: Pandemonium’ as his digs at popular television shows and Brexit genuinely made me chuckle.
I can definitely see this working as a television series as there’s so many elements to it than can be explored and amplified. I’d love to see how the various time periods would come to life and the scrapes the characters would find themselves in. I’m just a sucker for a time traveller story.
Who’s That Girl? by Mhairi McFarlane
I could have picked any of McFarlane’s books to put on this list; her characters are so relatable and they have some of the most believable dialogue I’ve ever read, even though they always seem to be in pretty unbelievable situations.
I chose ‘Who’s That Girl?’ because the central character, Edie, is sarcastic, intelligent, hilarious and basically everything I love about a female lead. She also goes through some shit and handles it like a boss (and by that I mean she still expresses and acknowledges emotion without the bastards fully getting her down, so to speak. Women don’t have to be an emotionally void robot to be empowering, see previous blog posts.)
The main premise of the book is that Edie attends a colleague’s wedding and ends up kissing the groom; chaos ensues and she ends up moving back to her hometown of Nottingham in a bid to hide away from the bullies. It’s such an accurate portrayal of how women are treated in society while still being really bloody funny. And it’s one of the sweetest romance stories you’ll ever read.
I know the rom-com seems to be dead or a dirty word these days but I think that this book has the potential to bring the genre firmly up to date. Edie is a wonderful romantic heroine and, yes, she does conform to some tropes because it is a romance novel but I never feel like she’s a victim of the genre and is the kind of character I’d like to see more of on screen.
Boy: Tales of Childhood and Going Solo by Roald Dahl
Why hasn’t anyone made a biography about this incredible human’s life?! Just why? The man had one of the most adventurous and interesting lives to have ever existed from the moment he was born and I know that I would be running to buy a ticket if his story ever made it to the big screen.
For anyone who has read the books the ‘Great Mouse Plot of 1924’ is a particular standout moment that would just be brilliant on the big screen as well as his time as a fighter pilot in WWII. And can you imagine all of that with some Quentin Blake illustrations thrown in, too? Magical.
Just someone go make this, please.
This blog and more can be found on my website https://elliereeslikestowrite.com/ell...
I’d just like to clarify that television and film are not superior to books and vice versa; I truly believe that all these forms provide different types of audience experience that help them engage with a text in a special way that is unique to them. In fact, there was one particular book I wanted to place on this list but I just think it’s too perfect as it is (of course I’m not a television and/or film producer so what do I know?!)
Below are a few books that I love and think would make great television programmes or films, please feel free to add your own. As you will see once you start reading, my literature interests are somewhat varied…
The Time Rep Series by Peter Ward
I absolutely love this series and have followed it since the first book, ‘Time Rep,’ came out in 2013. The story focuses on Geoffrey Stamp, a 21st century dwelling male, who is recruited by a company called Time Tours from the 31st century to act as a travel guide to tourists from the future.
The series consists of three books and each one is silly, suspenseful and sci-fi goodness in equal measure. His writing is very reminiscent of Douglas Adams, which I particularly enjoyed in the most recent book ‘Time Rep: Pandemonium’ as his digs at popular television shows and Brexit genuinely made me chuckle.
I can definitely see this working as a television series as there’s so many elements to it than can be explored and amplified. I’d love to see how the various time periods would come to life and the scrapes the characters would find themselves in. I’m just a sucker for a time traveller story.
Who’s That Girl? by Mhairi McFarlane
I could have picked any of McFarlane’s books to put on this list; her characters are so relatable and they have some of the most believable dialogue I’ve ever read, even though they always seem to be in pretty unbelievable situations.
I chose ‘Who’s That Girl?’ because the central character, Edie, is sarcastic, intelligent, hilarious and basically everything I love about a female lead. She also goes through some shit and handles it like a boss (and by that I mean she still expresses and acknowledges emotion without the bastards fully getting her down, so to speak. Women don’t have to be an emotionally void robot to be empowering, see previous blog posts.)
The main premise of the book is that Edie attends a colleague’s wedding and ends up kissing the groom; chaos ensues and she ends up moving back to her hometown of Nottingham in a bid to hide away from the bullies. It’s such an accurate portrayal of how women are treated in society while still being really bloody funny. And it’s one of the sweetest romance stories you’ll ever read.
I know the rom-com seems to be dead or a dirty word these days but I think that this book has the potential to bring the genre firmly up to date. Edie is a wonderful romantic heroine and, yes, she does conform to some tropes because it is a romance novel but I never feel like she’s a victim of the genre and is the kind of character I’d like to see more of on screen.
Boy: Tales of Childhood and Going Solo by Roald Dahl
Why hasn’t anyone made a biography about this incredible human’s life?! Just why? The man had one of the most adventurous and interesting lives to have ever existed from the moment he was born and I know that I would be running to buy a ticket if his story ever made it to the big screen.
For anyone who has read the books the ‘Great Mouse Plot of 1924’ is a particular standout moment that would just be brilliant on the big screen as well as his time as a fighter pilot in WWII. And can you imagine all of that with some Quentin Blake illustrations thrown in, too? Magical.
Just someone go make this, please.
This blog and more can be found on my website https://elliereeslikestowrite.com/ell...
