Read This: Books under the Radar is a weekly post written by a guest author – often a friend of mine, someone I’ve met on my writerly travels, or an author I admire – who recommends three books they think deserve more recognition. If you’re interested in buying any of the books, please click on the covers and give these hidden gems some love. You can see the full list of books which have been selected, as well as the author’s latest book on Bookshop.org, where you can have a browse and buy any that take your fancy. Happy reading!
Read This: Lucy Atkins
I can’t remember when I first met Lucy, but I can remember when I didn’t meet her. I was planning on going to her launch for her novel, Magpie Lane in March 2020, which of course got cancelled. I loved that book, and I loved her latest, Windmill Hill, and now I’m reading her back list and finding all sorts of gems. Since that cancellation, Lucy and I have met up many times to share the pain and pleasure of writing novels, to do joint events at book festivals, and regularly discussing writing process on her Instagram Lives – so make sure you follow her on Instagram. Here’s what she has to say about herself:
Lucy Atkins’ five novels include The Night Visitor, which has been optioned for television, Magpie Lane, which was a book of the year for BBC Radio 4’s Open Book, the Guardian, the Telegraph and Good Housekeeping magazine, and Windmill Hill, a summer book pick for both the Guardian and Observer. Lucy is a book critic for the Guardian and the Sunday Times and a tutor on the Creative Writing Master’s degree at Oxford University. Join Lucy on Instagram for Talking About Writing, a series of Live creative writing sessions with guest authors.
Find Lucy on Instagram
Here are the two books (yes two) Lucy has chosen: