09/12/2012

Available for over a year

Mariella Frostrup talks to India Knight about her hilarious new novel "Mutton" featuring 46 year old heroine Clara Hutt and her encounters with the opposite sex. Clara Hutt has appeared in two previous novels by India Knight, "My Life On A Plate" and "Comfort and Joy." In this novel Clara is struggling with her appearance after meeting a long lost school friend who looks like a radiant 34 year old. She considers the botox route too, but comments that a consultation with Doctor Halliday, is like "horse inspections when people force their mouths open to pronounce on the quality of their teeth, and pick their hooves up to examine their feet." A book which explores the cattle market world of cosmetic surgery. M C Beaton proves that age is no bar to high achievement for women: now aged 76 this year sees the publication of the 23rd novel in the Agatha Raisin Murder Mystery series - "Hiss and Hers"- and she has become the second most borrowed adult crime author from libraries nationwide. She discusses the secret of her success and why she keeps on writing. James Patterson beat M C Beaton for the top spot as the most borrowed author from public libraries, but what else are library users reading and how does it vary across the country? Dorcas Taylor, Director of Workquake, from East Riding Library Service and Annie Bell, Readership Development Officer, from Edinburgh Library Service reveal what their readers are enjoying locally with some surprising run-away successes. What are the rest of us missing out on? Producer: Hilary Dunn.