The thrill of the hunt - discovering an author

My accidental find, Connie Willis – Doomsday Book has become one of the most enjoyable reads. I can’t put it down, but I don’t want it to end either - a most delectable combination of feelings.

I am a big fan of the time travel genre, but Willis does it so well with characters that are so human and believable they make you laugh. I love the twining of historical facts, myths with fairy tales riffs throughout the book.

But the star of the book is Agnes- the petulant, spoilt five year old daughter of the medieval family that the main character Kivrin finds herself back with during the period of the black plague. She’s is such an uber brat, but so funny and adorable.

There is nothing more thrilling than discovering an author, then also discovering their back catalogue. I didn’t realise Connie Willis was such an acclaimed sci fi writer, but these are the books now on my list:

• Remake (1994)
• Bellwether (1996)
• Promised Land (1997) (with Cynthia Felice)
• To Say Nothing of the Dog (1998) (Hugo Award)
• Passage (2001)

Nothing like the joy of making my way through a list!