Lewisham-based Susan Elkin reflects on a life of books in her own personal narrative.
Reflecting on seventy years of voracious reading, All Booked Up invites you to reflect on the transformative power of literature on a life through fifteen captivating chapters, each focusing on a different book.
Opening with Five Go Off In A Caravan, the very first full-length novel that the author read, and ending with Miss Benson’s Beetle, a recently admired book, you’ll encounter beloved classics such as Rebecca, which marked the author’s teenage years, as well as reflections on The Light and the Dark during her college days. Along the way, enjoy reflections on learning to read, teaching others to read, becoming a vegetarian, falling in love, motherhood, music making and much more.
Whatever the author did, wherever she went and whoever she met, books were always at the heart of it – this memoir will appeal to anyone who finds solace and joy in the world of reading.
A former English teacher, Susan Elkin has been a professional author, journalist and critic for over thirty years. Books and reading have always been central to her life and work. She has written over 5,000 articles for national newspapers, magazines and websites and her 50 books include The Alzheimer’s Diaries (The Book Guild 2022). Susan lives in London.
Susan explains: “I started writing a weekly books blog during Lockdown (at the suggestion of a family member) because I was bored, fed up and lonely like everyone else. When lockdown struck I’d been widowed only 6 months so it felt – suddenly unable to work or go out and meet people – like a horrid double whammy. That was when I started reading even more and writing about it helped. The blog, Susan’s Bookshelves, is now nearly three years old, still running on my website and includes anecdotes. That gave me the idea for All Booked Up. I want to share my boundless enthusiasm for reading – just as I did in the classroom when I was an English teacher.”
RELEASE DATE: 28/03/2024 ISBN: 9781916668416 Price: £9.99
