An interesting blog-post caught my eye the other day: “I can’t find anything to read!” wailed the writer. When I mentioned this at my writers’ group they collapsed with laughter and frank disbelief. Can’t find anything to read? The internet’s bursting with books.
Well, yes. What the blogger meant was that she had difficulty locating anything she wanted to read – swamped by the enormous amount of choice. She has a point. If you’re happy to stay with the writers you know and love it’s easy to find their latest books – but if you want something different, how on earth do you track down something you’ll enjoy with so much on offer? That’s what search engines are for, of course, but you can’t really search for ‘something different that I’ll like’.
I was thinking about this when one of my books was accepted for the Books for Older Readers website. This sort of site is one way to narrow down the vast choice. The books it showcases have all been chosen because they might appeal to the 50+ age group. Some of them have older protagonists, or deal with the issues we all face in later life. Some are written by older writers, so it’s the perspective that appeals, rather than the subject matter. I’ve read one or two of them myself, already, and I’m looking forward to reading more.
So if you fall within the age group – or even if you don’t – pop over to Books for Older Readers and have a browse. You can have a chat with the writers via the Books for Older Readers Facebook page, too, if you wish. You never know – your new favourite author might be waiting there for you to discover.
Whales and Strange Stars (now featuring on Books for Older Readers website!)
What’s it about? A sea captain passes through the forgotten port of Wych Ferry, and whiles away an hour relating his traveller’s tales to young Rosamund Euden. He tells her that the stars are different, if you sail far enough, that the horizon isn’t quite real, not when you get there; he speaks of sea serpents and whales, and mysterious islands. To an impressionable girl who has never left her home, the whales and strange stars of his stories come to symbolise the great outside world she longs to see. The sea captain moves on, unaware of the dramatic events he has set in action as Rosamund’s search for adventure leads her into a world of dangerous secrets in the marshlands of eighteenth century Kent. Torn between loyalty to her uncles, and her desire to discover what lies beyond the marshes, Rosamund seeks help from an unexpected source. But who can she really trust?
Reviews
‘I really enjoyed this very different read… It’s a fascinating story filled with interesting characters.’
‘The sense of place is perfectly captured, and the writing just dances off the page. Highly recommended.’
‘I loved the way in which the author made the period and the setting come so alive in this book.’
‘Combining history with fantasy the lyrical prose flows across the pages. The plot ripples and twists just as a river eddies.’
‘It’s quite a unique type of book that meanders along like the ebb and flow of the river tides in the book.’