Hello!

Happy September!

Book news . . .

August was a busy month, with glamping at the wonderful Green Gathering Festival (where I met not one but three of my eco-heroes!) and a family train-travel-adventure through France and Brussels. I read a lot of books, but freely admit I didn’t do much writing!

A quieter September has given me the chance to revisit two manuscripts – my YA novels Nourish and Enough. These were due to come out with Neem Tree Press (the publisher that went bust, as I reported last month), so I’ve been re-reading them to prepare for publication elsewhere. It’s funny reading books you wrote a while ago; some parts I’d even forgotten writing. The experience was a mixture of pleasant surprises and moments of cringe, so I'm glad to have time for edits!

Both books will be coming out next year – watch this space!

Reminder: if you pre-ordered Enough, please email to let me know, so that when it comes out in 2026 I can honour any pre-existing purchases.

Autumn reading

After recommending a couple of fantasy books recently, this month I’m offering a realistic contemporary novel: The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, a story of two teenagers with cancer who fall in love. Yes, I know, this is one of those books that absolutely everyone else has probably read already! Why hadn't I? Partly because my charity-shop copy had a cheesy-looking cover design! And partly because it’s a story about terminal illness and I never quite felt strong enough to tackle it. But once I started reading, the first thing that struck me about this doomed cancer love story is that it’s really funny! The characters are sharp and witty and honest, and the story is full of life and excitement and twists. So it confounded my expectations and, although I’ll admit to one or two cathartic tears, it wasn’t depressing at all. A great read.

(If you want full sobbing and missing your bus stop with blubbing, I point you in the direction of the utterly devastating and beautiful book, A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness).

Lazy green wins #15

Secondhand September is a campaign that’s been running for over five years, aiming to reduce the amount of garments that end up in landfill, conserve precious resources that go into producing new clothes, and shift consumer habits in a sustainable direction. Whether it involves browsing local charity shops or scrolling online apps (hello Vinted), I’m a huge fan all year round! Choosing secondhand, whatever you buy, is the easiest way to navigate the ethical conundrums of modern shopping.

I recently finished reading an exciting YA trilogy and would love to find another series to get immersed in – do you have any recommendations? Let me know if you do!

Until next time, Happy reading! Laura

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