This month, in the ORION READING ROOM, you can devour a piece of BITTER CHOCOLATE and discover Lesley Lokko's thoughts about commercial and literary fiction. You can also view EXTRACTS and read exclusive AUTHOR INTERVIEWS.
In the steamy heat of Haiti, seventeen year old Laure St Lazâre imagines a life beyond the strict rules of her grandmother. Hers is a family of secrets – old and new.
Améline has heard the whispers about the family she serves, but doesn't care - it's her job to look after Laure, who is more of a sister than an employer.
On the other side of the world, Melanie is indulged or ignored by her famous father, her mother and her step-father, eventually provoking a crisis that will have her banished from her home.
Bitter Chocolate is a spellbinding novel of secrets and lies, journeys and homecomings. Lose yourself in a world of drama and passion – and the story of three unforgettable women.
It’s the start of the 1960s, and the world is changing. But for one woman, it seems things have changed too much already. From the bright-eyed girl growing up in a small Irish village, to the confident young woman running a fine English hotel, Tara’s life seems to have changed beyond recognition.
But some things remain, and despite her tumultuous life, Tara still carries with her the spark and determination that has brought her this far. With a spirit as fiery as her striking Titian curls, Tara knows she must face the future with a bold heart, wherever it may lead.
Tara's Destiny is the captivating final part in Tara’s story. Filled with the warmth and charm that have won her so many fans, Geraldine O’Neill delivers a stunning saga, full of passion and drama.
Novelist and former war correspondent Arturo Pérez-Reverte has produced a taut thriller that, in the words of the author, is “the nearest I’ve got to a personal memoir”.
Andres Faulques, an award-winning war photographer, is holed up in a stone tower on the Spanish coast, purging his wartime memories by painting a battle-scene mural. He is unsuccessfully trying to banish the memory of his lover, also a war photographer, who was killed as he looked on. One day a strange visitor - the subject of one of Faulques's most famous photos – arrives with an evil agenda: he plans to kill Faulques. But first he wants to tell him how the photo altered the course of his life....
The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce is the story of how a man who dislikes wine becomes not just a wine lover, but an alcoholic on the brink of destruction. This is a tragic socio-psychological thriller about someone failing to strike a balance between passion and livelihood and is an amazing read for anyone who enjoys probing into the depths of the human psyche.
More than just a murder mystery, Jennifer McMahon's extraordinary debut novel, Promise Not to Tell, is a story of friendship and family, devotion and betrayal. Tautly written, deeply insightful, beautifully evocative, and utterly unforgettable, you won't be able to put it down.
Toby and Salome are a young, modern couple living in New York, but their backgrounds are worlds apart. He is a middle-class all-American boy from a family of academics; she is a Croatian refugee raised in New Orleans.
When Salome unexpectedly becomes pregnant, they decide to spend their lives together and hastily marry. But finding a way to reconcile their families and pasts proves a difficult task...
Moving and heartfelt, fraught with desperation and rage, this is an intensely moving book, perfect for book groups. Take a look at the extract, reading guide and interviews below to find out more.
A small nomadic settlement is thrown into turmoil by the theft of a book....
Masha Hamilton’s captivating new novel follows Fiona Sweeney, a 36-year-old librarian, from New York to Kenya on her sincere but naïve quest to make a difference in the world by running a mobile library. On her travels through the bush she meets many people and learns much about herself.
Perfect for your book group, this novel sweeps you away from everyday life and makes you realize the power of books to change lives. Take a look at …
“I’m delighted Sepulchre is in the Reading Room for May, not least because it’s one of my favourite parts of the Orion website, the perfect place to find out about old favourites and new discoveries. As for Sepulchre, it is partly an old-fashioned ghost story, partly a 19th century tale of revenge and the occult, partly the adventures of a young and impressionable girl who disappears one Halloween more than a hundred years ago. Try the Reading Room Discussion Points, listen to the audio (CD, MP3 or download), then please get in touch to tell me what you think! After all, without readers, none of us would be in business!”
Do you have ambitions to write fiction? Who better to offer advice on how to proceed than bestselling novelist Maeve Binchy?
Most importantly WRITE! If you want to be a writer, you have to write. So you must find the time. Whether that entails getting up an hour earlier, going to bed an hour later or forgoing a couple of nights TV, set yourself a goal each week and stick to it. Whether its ten pages a week or 200 words a day, stick to it.
READ MAEVE'S TEN TOP TIPS FOR BUDDING WRITERS (this article originally appeared in newBooks Magazine Issue 45)
Take a walk on the noirish side of the City of Angels, with best-selling crime writer Robert Crais as your guide.
READ ARTICLE (this article originally appeared in the Scotsman Magazine: Travel and Outdoors section)
Former midwife Jennifer Worth recalls her days working in the East End of London.
Worth is indeed a natural storyteller... gripping, moving and convincing from beginning to end a powerful evocation of a long-gone world Literary Review
READ ARTICLE (this article originally appeared in newBooks Magazine Issue 44)
Anthony Keates, Marketing and Publicity Director at Orion Paperbacks, examines the steps taken to turn a bestselling hardback novel into a bestselling paperback. READ ARTICLE (this article originally appeared in newBooks Magazine Issue 42)
VIEW all Reading Guides
Register with the Reading Room and WIN copies of Bitter Chocloate for your reading group. REGISTER NOW
Books that generate discussion, debate and some arguments! All of these paperback editions are published with extensive reading group notes. FIND OUT MORE
The Tin Roof Blowdown is a gripping thriller and also a vivid evocation of the horror that engulfed New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina smashed into the Big Easy. "My emotions about what happened are irrelevant; simply stating what occurred leaves one numbed and disbelieving." James Lee Burke interview
"I am interested in strong women and putting women out there who are not just looking for a husband or are victims. I love crime writing, but I find it distressing how many women are victims in crime fiction, and even the strong women in crime are strong but at enormous personal cost." Kate Mosse interview
"I was talking with friends and found myself saying that I would love to read Mr Darcys diary and everybody laughed and thought nothing of it. But it stayed at the back of my mind and just bubbled away." Maya Slater interview
"I have been interested for a long time in that rift between one's ideals and one's actions." Orange Prize winner Valerie Martin talks with Danuta Kean about the links between the personal and the political. Valerie Martin interview
"Until you sort out your feelings about death, you can't get on with anything else. Fiction is a safe place to come across these things when you are young. When you are seven or eight you start to learn about death, but it is when you are eleven or twelve that you start to ponder it seriously." Marcus Sedgwick interview
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