Libby Page Interview, plus links to author biography, book summaries, excerpts and reviews

An interview with Libby Page

The author's letter to readers of her novel, This Book Made Me Think of You.

Dear Reader,

There's not much more I'd rather do than curl up with a good book. I might be an author, but I consider myself first and foremost a reader. Reading has brought me endless joy and inspiration. Books have also helped me through some of the toughest moments in my life.

In 2023 while grieving the loss of two people I loved dearly, I turned to books. Book from my childhood took me back to gentler times, and funny and romantic novels offered me an escape. I read voraciously, using books as a lifeline. More than anything else, it was books that helped me to heal.

If books have helped me through tough times, so has my local bookstore. It is more than just a place to buy books - it is a hub where book lovers come together. Where you feel immediately among friends.

This Book Made Me Think of You is a novel about book editor Matilda Nightingale, (destined for a bookish life ever since being named after Roald Dahl's Matilda) who starts the novel in a grief-induced reading slump following the death of her husband Joe. But one day she receives a call from Alfie Lane, manager of her local bookshop, who informs her of a very special gift that Joe arranged before he died. Every month for twelve months she will receive one book from Joe – each chosen to help her heal. With the assistance of kind-hearted Alfie, Tilly sets out on a series of reading-inspired adventures that show her how to hope, live and love again.

I wanted to write a love letter to books and reading, an unashamedly bookish book that pays homage to many of my favourite books and to the magic of reading. Within the pages you will find mentions of more that seventy books. When I said bookish, I meant it!

This is a book for anyone who has ever felt the urge to hug a book to their chest on finishing it and then to thrust it into the hands of a friend saying, 'this book made me think of you'. It is a book that is wholeheartedly for the bookworms, which is why I'm so delighted to be able to share it with you – because I'm guessing that you're here because you love books too.

Thank you for picking up this novel. I hope you enjoy it.

Yours bookishly,

Libby x

Unless otherwise stated, this interview was conducted at the time the book was first published, and is reproduced with permission of the publisher. This interview may not be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the copyright holder.