What does a book editor read?

GH's Jo Finney tells all about her ultimate reading list and how many books she's sent a month.

It’s a bookish friend for Friday - Joanne Finney, Books Director at Good Housekeeping is takes us on a wander through her favourite books. Bliss.

“Do you know Jo? Oh, you must meet her.” “You two would get on so well!” “You don’t know Jo? Why not? You have such similar taste in books!” Etcetera. Jo Finney, Books Director at Good Housekeeping (still standing after umpteen years: the UK edition was first published in 1922) and I were destined to meet. Everyone thought we should. And we finally did - at the Women’s Prize, appositely enough - the proverbial house was indeed on fire.

I do indeed love Jo’s taste in books - she counts Katherine Heiny and Anne Tyler amongst her favourite novelists, loves the Cazalets, and devoured Agatha Christie as a teen. Although we will have to agree to differ on A Little Life which I. Could. Not. Finish. I found it relentless: unremitting suffering piled upon misery upon trauma. (I am sorry to those who love that book - I know there are many of you. But it reminds me of the misery lit I had to read when I was books editor at You, when I read books with a view of extract and the paper’s editor-in-chief erred towards harrowing WW2 memoirs, heartbreaking stories, health and diet revelations, and what the he called “woo-woo”.)

But Jo I very much like. As GH Books Editor she is a tastemaker And I love the idea of GH Good Books, in which Jo and a panel of GH VIPs read and rate books, and pick their favourites. This is my idea of doing good in the world. She has dreams of being in the new Richard & Judy’s Bookclub. And why not?! The summer collection is pictured above - and keep your eyes peeled for the autumn collection: heading our way soon!

Firstly, we must know: how many books are you sent in the average month?

Hard to say exactly, but one month it was about 70!

And how many do you read every month?

It depends from month to month, but around 15 on average.

Are you a very speedy reader?

I am a speedy reader, I kind of have to be, but more than that I think I read so much because books are woven into the fabric of my life. I read every single day and it’s very much a habit for me; I can’t imagine going to sleep without reading, even if it’s just for 10 minutes. I’ll even read after a boozy night out!

What was your path to becoming Books Director of GH?

A very windy one! After studying English at uni, my first job was at a tiny publisher called The Women’s Press. I then worked at Book Club Associates on the book buying side. Then I veered away completely from books and went into food writing which I did for about 5 years before moving into feature writing on women’s magazines. The books job at GH happened in 2011 and was – and still is – my dream job.

What gave you the idea for GH Good Books? Did it come to you in a flash of inspiration, or was it a niggling idea which grew into a brilliant scheme?

It came out of conversations with the team at GH – a combination of my frustration that so many great books don’t get the recognition they deserve and the idea that we wanted to offer more diversified book content to our readers and work more closely with the publishing industry.

Tell me about your book journey. Were you one of those bookworm children like Matilda? (Presumably minus the magical powers.)

I was a complete bookworm as a child. My idea of an absolute brilliant day when I was 4 or 5 was catching the bus (even better if I got to sit up front on the top deck) to the local library with my mum and coming home with an armload of books. Every birthday I’d ask for book tokens. That love of reading continued right through my teens – I read everything from Sweet Valley High to Anne Tyler. The only time I stopped reading – briefly – was after I studied English at uni. I think I just needed a pause to allow books to become a pleasure again.

What were the seminal books of your childhood/teens?

I absolutely loved the Secret Seven and Famous Five. (I’d make my brother pretend to be them – I was George, he was Anne!). I was also a huge Nancy Drew fan. I still remember bawling my eyes out at Black Beauty. Loved the Ramona books by Beverely Cleary. My absolute favourite though was Harriet The Spy by Louise Fitzhugh. As a teen, I discovered Agatha Christie and wolfed the whole lot down. Judy Blume was a favourite too (Ralph!) and I went through a phase of spooking myself out with Lois Duncan.

Which book do you think everyone should read?

A book I read recently which opened my eyes and knocked me sideways was There Are Rivers In The Sky by Elif Shafak. She is such a compassionate writer and this book really made me think differently about a lot of things, including how little value we give to water.

If you had an All Time Favourites Good Books Collection, which novels would be in it? Your desert island books, if you will.

This is so tricky!

Ok, here goes…

A Little Life by Hanya Yanighara – I know this one is marmite, but this beautiful story of brotherhood and resilience really got under my skin.

Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiney – I love everything she writes but if I had to choose one, it would be this: funny, astute, moving.

The Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard – I read these wonderful books through the night while breastfeeding my son. They were the perfect companions and re-reading them now takes me back to that hazy, dreamy time.

Who Will Run The Frog Hospital by Lorrie Moore – Moore writes beautifully and authentically about teenage friendship.

Dinner At The Homesick Café by Anne Tyler – I have read every single of her novels and each is a gem. She is the warmest, most empathetic writer around. I would follow her anywhere.

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett – I loved her early books for their quirk but I think Commonwealth is when she really grew into herself as a chronicler of the intimacies of family life. She’s especially good on siblings.

Our Souls At Night by Kent Haruf – I can’t remember how I first came across Haruf but he quickly became an all-time favourite. His books tell the quiet stories of the inhabitants of a small town in Colorado and with a few short sentences, he can evoke a whole world.

The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O’Farrell – I can still remember the looks I got as I sat on a beach in Brittany absolutely sobbing as I read the last chapters of this book. So beautifully written and so emotionally true.

---

There will be more from me soon! Subscribe so you’re the first to read - it’s a really lovely community of bookish types around here.

You can also share the joy of Jo, should you so wish, and do leave a comment or heart.