Today Will Be Different: Maria Semple blog tour

Today Will Be Different is the new novel from Maria Semple, author of Where’d You Go, Bernadette and when I spotted early copies, it’s safe to say I was pretty unashamed about seeing if I could nab one as I was really keen to read it and share my thoughts with you.

I really enjoyed it, I think even more so than Maria’s previous novel, in part because of the ingenious way that the whole book plays out over the course of one day, albeit with the clever use of flashbacks, as the main character, Eleanor, encounters various objects or thinks about different people, especially her husband and sister.

I’m very pleased that Maria Semple has stopped by to answer my question about her choice to write in that way…


“When I wrote that first page and felt its electricity, that pretty much dictated the form of the novel. It told me I was writing about a woman who was waking up one morning determined to be her best self. And despite Eleanor setting the bar almost comically low for herself, her plans still go awry.”

As well as the fascinating way it’s written, I loved the wit and humour of Today Will Be Different, as well as the way that Semple creates the most extraordinary characters who are also completely human and relatable. I am desperate to watch the animated series the Elanor works on – it sounds like sassy My Little Ponies – and Timby, her son, is delightful. Her relationship with her sister is sometimes tender, sometimes tragic to the point of heartbreaking. There are also some wonderful slapstick moments – especially in a sculpture park – that have to be read to be believed…

Look out on my Twitter for a chance to RT and win a copy of the book, and have you been following the tour so far?

  • 18th August: Nina Stibbe
  • 25th August: Beth Book Blogger
  • 1st Sept: Notes From The Chair
  • 8th Sept: Amy Pirt
  • 15th Sept: Adventures With Words
  • 22nd Sept: Queens Park Books
  • 29th Sept: Alison Percival
  • 6th Oct: Marian Keyes

Description 

Eleanor Flood knows she’s a mess. But today will be different. Today she will shower and put on real clothes. She will attend her yoga class after dropping her son, Timby, off at school.

She’ll see an old friend for lunch. She won’t swear. She will initiate sex with her husband, Joe. But before she can put her modest plan into action – life happens. For today is the day Timby has decided to pretend to be ill to weasel his way into his mother’s company.

It’s also the day surgeon Joe has chosen to tell his receptionist – but not Eleanor – that he’s on vacation. And just when it seems that things can’t go more awry, a former colleague produces a relic from the past – a graphic memoir with pages telling of family secrets long buried and a sister to whom Eleanor never speaks.

True Face – Siobhan Curham on Empowering Books for Women and Girls

True Face coverWhen I received an email recently from Faber, offering me the chance to read True Face by Siobhan Curham, and to host a guest post, I jumped at the chance. The effect of the media on young women (and men), in the twenty-teens, is huge – not only is there a bombardment of images telling you what you should look like and how you should act in TV and magazines, but our total immersion in a world of social media means that your appearance is constantly up for discussion and distribution.

While I – thankfully – didn’t have to cope with the combined effects of Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and tumblr aged 12, I definitely felt that pressure myself as a teen, and one of the big things that helped me feel positive and empowered was reading about some fantastic female characters and the amazing things they were able to achieve. I asked Siobhan if she could share some of her recommendations of empowering reads for women and girls, and I’m glad to say she’s obliged. Read on, and discover them for yourself… Kate x

Continue reading “True Face – Siobhan Curham on Empowering Books for Women and Girls”

International Women’s Day – in books and pictures

If you’ve been anywhere near Twitter today, you’ll know it’s International Women’s Day. There is an International Men’s Day (November 19th) but oddly, people search for that more only on 8th March – curious! Many bookish people have been sharing their favourite female authors and characters today, so I thought I’d put together a stack of books by female writers I love. Continue reading “International Women’s Day – in books and pictures”