10 good reasons to pick up a book: Local authors keeping busy through coronavirus spread
Diving into a good book is not only a great way to pass time but it can also help to lift our spirits.
From mystery novels and gripping thrillers to heart-warming romcoms and fascinating biographies, they provide a much-needed escape from reality that can do wonders for our mental health.
And the Midlands is home to a wealth of talented authors and writers who between them have penned a wide range of work.
So if you're looking for your next page-turner we've picked 10 of the best books that have been crafted in or inspired by our region:
Romance
The Day We Meet Again by Miranda Dickinson
This is a story of what-ifs and maybes – and how one decision can change your life forever.
Phoebe and Sam meet by chance at St Pancras station. Heading in opposite directions, both seeking their own adventures, meeting the love of their lives wasn’t part of the plan.
So they make a promise: to meet again in the same place in twelve months' time if they still want to be together.
Miranda, who lives in Dudley, with her husband Bob and daughter Flo, is an international bestseller in four countries and her books have been translated into fifteen languages.
Psychological thriller
Here To Stay by Mark Edwards
After Gemma and Elliot tie the knot, she asks him if her parents can come to stay for a couple of weeks. He is keen to oblige – but he doesn’t quite know what he’s signing up for.
The Robinsons arrive with Gemma’s sister, Chloe, a mysterious young woman who refuses to speak or leave her room. Elliot starts to suspect that the Robinsons are hiding a dark secret.
Mark who lives in Wolverhampton,has sold over three million copies of his books and his work has been published in 15 languages.
Historical fiction
The Daughters of Ironbridge by Mollie Walton
This is the first in a heart-warming series set against an ironworks in 1830s Shropshire.
Anny Woodvine's family has worked at the ironworks for as long as she can remember. The brightest child in her road, Anny has big dreams. So, when she is asked to run messages for the King family, she grabs the opportunity with both hands.
Margaret King is surrounded by privilege and wealth. But behind closed doors, nothing is what it seems. When Anny arrives, Margaret finds her first ally and friend. Together they plan to change their lives.
Mollie Walton is the saga pen-name for historical novelist Rebecca Mascull. She was inspired to write the series following a visit to Ironbridge.
Spy thriller
Black 13 by Adam Hamdy
Like your thrillers action packed? In this addictive and fast-paced page-turner ex-MI6 officer Pearce is about to show us that in a world where there is no loyalty to the nation state, it’s time to burn the espionage rule book.
Adam who lives in Shropshire is also the author of the Pendulum trilogy, an epic series of conspiracy thriller novels.
Prior to embarking on his writing career, Adam was a strategy consultant and advised global businesses in the medical systems, robotics, technology and financial services sectors.
Love story
The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver
This is a powerful and thrilling story about the what-ifs that arise at life’s crossroads, and what happens when one woman is given a miraculous chance to answer them.
Lydia and Freddie have been together for almost a decade, and are just about to get married. But then, on Lydia's 27th birthday, Freddie dies in a tragic accident.
Then something unbelievable happens. Lydia gets another chance at her old life with Freddie.
The Wolverhampton author's last book One Day in December has been translated into more than 25 languages.
Crime thriller
First Blood by Angela Marsons
This is the latest instalment of the bestselling Detective Kim Stone series. When the body of a young man is found beheaded and staked to the ground in a secluded area of the Clent Hills, Kim and her new squad rush to the crime scene.
Searching the victim’s home, Kim discovers a little girl’s bedroom and a hidden laptop. Why is his sister relieved to hear he’s dead – and where is the rest of his family?
As Kim begins to unearth the dark secrets at the heart of the case, D.C. Stacey Wood finds a disturbing resemblance to the recent murder of Lester Jackson. But that’s not all Stacey finds...
Angela, from Brierley Hill, had faced rejection in the industry for 25 years before debut Silent Scream topped the Amazon charts around the world.
Heart-warmer
The First Time I Saw You by Emma Cooper
Before Sophie met Samuel she saw the world in grey. Before Samuel met Sophie, he never believed in love at first sight.
When they first meet, something tells them they are meant to be - but fate has other ideas.
The First Time I Saw You is a story which spans Derry, Washington DC and Wales, as well as including references to Shropshire.
Emma is a former teaching assistant, who lives in the county and has previously published novel The Songs of Us.
Local history
Inns and Alehouses of Bridgnorth by Clive Gwilt
This is the latest book published by the historian and author and features 230 pubs dating back to the 1700s.
He has collated more than 45 years of research into a complete guide on the venues in the area.
Supernatural mystery
Bones – the Mystery of Plympton Cottage by Nic Outterside
This book which lifts the lid on the strange history and unexplained incidents within a small North Shropshire cottage will be officially launched at a haunted town pub.
Written by Wolverhampton-based investigative reporter Nic Outterside, it's a true account of ghostly riddles, the supernatural, unsolved mysteries, skeletal discoveries and unexplained incidents.
The book includes testimonies from more than half a dozen people who lived in the Whitchurch cottage over a period of more than 30 years.
It also includes the author’s own story of the paranormal activity he and his family encountered while resident in the same house.
Real life
I Felt No Sorrow This Was War - Burma 1942-45 by Gordon Heynes
Shropshire lad Gordon Heynes, a peacetime bank worker, signed up for service in the Second World War at the age of 37 and trained as a tank gunner before being drafted overseas to join the Allied campaign in South Asia.
He was pitched into battle against the Japanese in Burma, and was to be injured by a bomb.
Years later he wrote about his experiences in a book for family and friends, and that book has now been republished for a new generation of readers by two of his grandchildren.
