Today's guest: Polly Williams
Why we love her: Her writing is smart and funny--the perfect combo for books, and all things really.
Her latest: Afterwife
The scoop on it: Sophie Brady is a force of nature—funny, beautiful, and devoted to all the people in her life—even in death. After a traffic accident cuts her life tragically short, Sophie finds herself attending her own funeral (on time, no less) and watching the reactions of those she holds most dear.
Sophie’s darling, gorgeous husband Ollie is heartbroken, trying to father their young son while working out how to use the washing machine. Furthermore, he’s absolutely clueless about his new status as most eligible bachelor in the neighborhood. Sophie is determined to help her husband find love again, with the right sort of woman, of course.
Luckily, she’s not the only one looking out for Ollie. Her best friend Jenny is ignoring her own pain by helping him navigate the murky waters of widower-hood. But as she grows closer to Sophie’s husband, Jenny unearths secrets that make her question how well she knew her friend, and where the line between loyalty and love ends…
Our thoughts: Hilarious. A page-turner. The best break from the mayhem of everyday life.
Giveaway: FIVE copies. Just leave a comment & be entered to win. We'll pick the winners after 3pm PST on Sunday, February 3rd.
Fun fact: Her debut bestseller was titled The Rise and Fall of the Yummy Mummy. Such a great title!
Where you can read more about Polly: Her website, Facebook and Twitter.
CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...POLLY WILLIAMS' 5 BEST EVERS
BEST SONG: Harvest Moon by Neil Young. A song that features in Afterwife - it is played at my heroine’s funeral! I’d like to go out to it too actually. Listening to Harvest Moon makes me think of a bonfire on a warm starry night, friends, wine and acoustic guitars. Heaven.
BEST MOVIE: I think it must be the soppy romantic in me but my favorite movie is A Room With a View, based on the wonderful EM Forster novel, starring Helena Bonham Carter. It’s really quite dated now but somehow it satisfies on a deep level. Everything comes right in the end. Love and passion triumph. The rightful order is restored.
BEST BOOK: The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen is one of my all time favourite reads – I loved every word - although I do adore poetry too and dip in and out of it quite regularly. I particularly love the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop. She had an artist’s eye, a scalpel-sharp pen.
BEST LIFE MOMENT: I think it has to be the birth of my first child. He came almost seven weeks early. It was all quite traumatic but I was so overwhelmed with relief that he was born healthy, and awe-struck that I’d created another human being, however tiny. He’s nine now and not much smaller than me but I remember his birth like it was yesterday.
BEST ADVICE: Collette’s ‘What a wonderful life I’ve had! I only wish I’d realized it sooner.’ It always reminds me to be grateful for the small things. That life itself is the gift. In other words, you’re a long time dead, honey!
Thanks, Polly!
xoxo, Liz & Lisa
Photo credit: Lucy Johnstone