Today I’m pleased to welcome Caroline James to the blog to talk about the three books that have shaped her.
Caroline James has owned and run businesses encompassing all aspects of the hospitality industry, a subject that features in her novels. She is based in the UK but has a great fondness for travel and escapes whenever she can. A public speaker, consultant and food writer, Caroline is a member of the Romantic Novelist’s Association and writes articles and short stories and contributes to many publications. In her spare time, Caroline can be found trekking up a mountain or relaxing with her head in a book and hand in a box of chocolates.
The first book you remember reading?
Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
My dad read this to me when I was a little girl. He was a great fan of classics and loved poetry. I was in awe of a world full of adventure that leapt out of the beautifully illustrated pages. He bought the characters to life and instilled an interest in the written word which gave me a love of reading which I have to this day.
What book will stay with you and why?
The Old Wives’ Tale by Arnold Bennet
I’m a huge Arnold Bennet fan. The prose in his writing is exquisite and he makes every word count. Drawn to the book repeatedly, it feels like a hug from my mum. Bennett says, “No life is ever small to the person living it.” A phrase my mum might have said. The older I get the more this book speaks to me and reminds me to be respectful. Bennet was a male author who wrote from a female perspective with such knowledge and clarity and his words have stayed with me over the years.
One book you are looking forward to reading?
The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan
This book has been on my e-reader for some time and determined to get through a TBR list I have saved this little gem. With cracking reviews and promise of an uplifting read, I will read it on a forthcoming holiday when nothing but a feel-good book will do. I am sure it won’t disappoint.
You can find Caroline at her Website | Twitter | Book
The Best Boomerville Hotel
‘Britain’s answer to the Best Marigold Hotel’
Let the shenanigans begin at Boomerville …
Jo Docherty and Hattie Contaldo have a vision – a holiday retreat in the heart of the Lake District exclusively for guests of ‘a certain age’ wishing to stimulate both mind and body with new creative experiences. One hotel refurbishment later and the Best Boomerville Hotel is open for business! Perhaps not surprisingly Boomerville attracts more than it’s fair share of eccentric clientele: there’s fun loving Sir Henry Mulberry and his brother Hugo; Lucinda Brown, an impoverished artist with more ego than talent; Andy Mack, a charming Porsche-driving James Bond lookalike, as well as Kate Simmons, a woman who made her fortune from an internet dating agency but still hasn’t found ‘the One’ herself.
With such an array of colourful individuals there’s bound to be laughs aplenty, but could there be tears and heartbreak too and will the residents get more than they bargained for at Boomerville?
Rebecca, thanks so much for hosting me on your lovely blog. Happy reading and writing everyone, Caroline xx
I so enjoy learning about the books that have influenced others. Thanks, both, for sharing.