Beth Brower's Desert Island Books

Not yet read Beth Brower’s brilliant The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion? Well, my friend, you’re in for an absolute treat. I first came across the series when my lovely friend Kate waxed lyrical about it on Instagram. She’s one of my go-tos for book recommendations (do give her a follow if you don’t already), and clearly something of a literary trendsetter because, in the weeks since she posted about it, these books have suddenly been everywhere.

Originally self-published under Beth Brower’s own Rhysdon Press imprint, the series has now been picked up by Bloomsbury and, suffice it to say, it’s going to be huge. Set in the fictional London neighbourhood of St Crispian’s, it’s the perfect blend of quaint and quirky, with a cast of unforgettable characters and a world you’ll never want to leave. There’s a hot vicar (very Fleabag vibes, I know), a ghost, and a library built one book at a time—I mean, what could possibly be better?

Utterly enchanting, hilarious, endlessly charming and brimming with heart, I absolutely adored the world of Emma M. Lion—and I can guarantee that you will too.

I try to write as much as I can without a paywall, but it does take time. If you’re enjoying this post, why not treat me to a nice glass of prosecco?

Buy me a cold one

And now, onto Beth’s Desert Island Books. From a childhood favourite to a series she adores with all her story-loving heart, read on to discover which eight books she’d take with her to the sandy shores of a desert island…

This is, as you must know, an impossible task. Selecting eighty books would feel more manageable, but as I fully plan to escape from the island and make the journey back to my library, I will select eight books that will see me through the months it takes me to build a raft and navigate my way home.

I was recently asked this question by another publication, and I selected The Complete Works of William Shakespeare and Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. Operating under the assumption that it is highly unlikely I am abandoned on two separate desert islands, I argue that the previously mentioned titles are already waiting for me under a palm tree, and so I will select a fresh eight. I present my Desert Island Reads.

The Oxford English Dictionary

I found my copy of the OED in a second-hand shop. The blue condensed two-volume set in a single box with a magnifying glass. This was before the days of shops always referencing the internet to price a book and so I snagged the set for a fiver. As a writer, I want as many words as I can have at my disposal. I will peruse the definitions while I’m eating fish and making sunhats out of palm fronds.

And There Was Light by Jacques Lusseyran

This is a jewel of a book and my nonfiction pick. Jacques Lusseyran was born in Paris between the two world wars. He went blind due to an accident at school and found himself realising that we see not only with the eyes but with our entire being. By the time he was seventeen, he was helping to lead one of the resistance groups during the Second World War.

It is a book I think of often—worth a read and reread. Fear, he says, is what causes blindness. When one carries faith, optimism, and hope, one can see the world for what it is. This is a remarkable book.

Chalice by Robin McKinley

Because she was Chalice she stood at the front door with the Grand Seneschal, the Overlord’s agent and the Prelate, all of whom were carefully ignoring her.

There are certain books one returns to with a sense of ritual. Chalice is one of those books for me. It is subtle and written in an almost circular pattern of thought. Marisol has been chosen to fill the office of Chalice after the former Master of the demesne and his Chalice died in a tragedy brought on by their own foolishness. Only, the Master’s young brother—who is to inherit—has long begun his transformation into a priest of fire. Will he become human enough to take up his role? Will Marisol, untrained and unprepared, hold the demesne together through her role as Chalice? This tale is quiet, patient, full of honey and the hum of bees.

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

While I could select this book due to great literary, philosophical, and human value—selecting it for The Grand Inquisitor alone—I came to The Brothers Karamazov by asking myself a question: What character do I want to keep me company on the island? And I realised I wanted Alyosha. His company. His observations. His soul. I wanted to ask him questions and see what he would be willing to answer. To explore both his independent thoughts and those garnered from Father Zosima. I am sure there will be days when Alyosha won’t say much of anything, but I can live with that. We will sit in silence and stare at the sea.

Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson

Yes, the comic books. When I was in college, I needed a gift for a friend in a treatment centre. But what? No book quite answered for the complexities of the situation. And then I thought, why not Calvin and Hobbes? It was, reportedly, a hit with my friend and her fellow patients. When another friend was going through cancer treatment in hospital, I repeated the offering. Same result. He said that he couldn’t focus on anything longer than a comic strip, and it was a relief to laugh. So, I am taking some clever hilarity with me in the form of a Calvin and Hobbes collection.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

I decided to take a book from my childhood, some beloved novel that I had reread over and over. There are many and it was difficult to choose, but my eye kept being drawn to Taylor’s Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. This book was a seminal read for me as a child, as it broke open a conversation of weight and import, allowing my young mind to journey into the sharecropping American South. I can’t count the times I read this book. The Logan family is filled with a dignity and strength I admire. I think it is time to once again take it down from the shelf.

A Compendium of English Romantic Poetry by Various

If there were ever a time to set to memory some of the most divinely wrought lines ever composed in the English language, this is it. I will walk the shoreline at dawn reading aloud Wordsworth, Coleridge, Keats, Byron, Shelley, and Blake. The rest of the day will be spent staying alive until I am rescued (or have finished the aforementioned raft) and reading the other books in my small collection. Then, come evening, I will return to the sublime.

The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

I adore The Queen’s Thief series with all of my story-loving heart, and Eugenides—the linchpin upon which everything spins—is a beloved, stubborn, maddening character. For the island, I choose the third book in the series, The King of Attolia, woven with twists of genius and divine capriciousness. These books are clever, beautifully written, and steeped in myth. I count the day a triumph that includes Eugenides railing against the gods, and the gods humouring Eugenides.

Now, if you’d like to lose yourself in the brilliant The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, paid subscribers can enjoy a sneak peek below.