Ella Ward's Desert Island Books
Featuring the book she's enjoyed more than any other, and a novel that's sumptuous, sweaty, and sprinkled with magical realism...
I read The Cicada House one hot summer’s day in February, when my skin was sandy, and salty from the sea. It was the perfect kind of novel for a languid afternoon in the sun—filled with heart and humour, and a touch of magic.
The protagonist, Caitlin, embarks on a journey of reinvention when, on her 40th birthday, she inherits a fortune—only to have her husband announce he's leaving her. In a haze of heartbreak and booze, she books a flight to Australia, seeking solace in the coastal landscapes of her mother’s past. What she finds instead is a house that isn’t the peaceful sanctuary she’d envisioned, a handyman who might not be real, and a journey of self-discovery that’s both deeply moving and completely unexpected.
I love a good sea-change story, and The Cicada House is exactly that. An engrossing, immersive read—an ode to new beginnings, to lost loves, and to the quiet transformation that happens when you finally listen to yourself.
If you’d like to get your hands on a copy of this gorgeous debut novel, consider becoming a paid subscriber to my Substack for your chance to win a copy. Each week, paid subscribers are automatically entered into a draw to win a book by that week’s featured author.
I believe in writing without a paywall—but it does take time. If you’re enjoying this post, I’d be so grateful if you considered buying me a coffee. It would absolutely make my day.
And now, without further ado, here are the eight books Ella would take with her to the sandy shores of a desert island…
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
I might go mad reading a book about a life that begins over, and over, and over again while stuck on an island looping through the same day, week, month. But cor blimey, this book walks the line brilliantly. Atkinson takes the best parts of imagination and ‘what if’ and roots them firmly in the most real of things: family, faith, death, and rebirth. A true metaphysical trip disguised as a British family saga.
Alive at the End of the World by Saeed Jones
People who buy books of poetry are fine, I guess. People who talk about buying books of poetry are the very worst. So, hi. This is a compilation of poetry, a series of love letters, and a collection of true horrors all at once. Okay, it’s a touch depressing. Because of its content, yes. But also because the writing is so extraordinary that anyone reading it will want to burn their paper, pens, and laptop too. Are you sold yet? But seriously—Jones’ poems are excruciatingly beautiful. Devour them!
True Tales of American Life by Paul Auster
I think this might be the one—the single book I’ve enjoyed more than any other. It is simply a bunch of stories. People’s real stories. But the genius is in how they’re brought together. A museum is just a rubbish tip without a curator, right? Probably not, but you get the point. In this case, Paul Auster is the curator, and he had 4,000 stories to choose from. They were submitted to his NPR radio show, and this book contains 180 of the best. Such a genuine treat.
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
A novel so deftly crafted, you don’t realise you’re hooked until it’s 2 a.m. and your bedside light is still on. What I relished most about this book was the balance: the sense of place, the world-weaving, the sex (it’s really something), and the delicate manoeuvring between timelines. This is one of the perfect novels—it entertains, delights and wallops you in the gut too.
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
This book made me laugh so hard on the tram that an old lady rang the bell and asked if I was having an episode. That’ll tell you how long ago I first read it. I’ve loved Bill Bryson since I was young—he was the first non-fiction writer I read—and I think this is the best first line ever written: ‘I come from Des Moines. Somebody had to.’ That isn’t from A Walk in the Woods, but on the whole, this book is pound-for-laughs one of the funniest ever.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
I don’t have TikTok because I’m already a fixated by Instagram, so why would I go the whole hog and turbo-charge my addiction? But I heard that A Little Life went viral on Booktok in 2023, which feels ridiculous to say about a novel as popular as this one. But that’s probably why I read it last year, almost a decade after it release. I spent most of the novel waiting to be disembowelled with grief (it’s what the socials promised), so maybe that’s why I managed to survive it relatively unscathed. Or maybe I’m just a heartless psychopath. Either way, I adored it. The writing was exquisite.
The Dictionary of Imaginary Places by Alberto Manguel and Gianni Guadalupi
A collection of mythical realms, enchanted islands, legendary cities, and other incredible places from literature—spanning from Shangri-La to Atlantis to the Land of Oz. This was the first ‘expensive book’ I ever bought, and at around $50, it was a big stretch for my $13.50-an-hour earnings. It was delivered—heavy and beautifully bound—to the Avenue Bookstore, and I’ve carted it around ever since. The book is a tome of fantasy and whimsy. 755 pages of amusement, guaranteed to provide desert island fun.
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
It’s sumptuous, it’s sweaty, it’s sprinkled with magical realism—which, if you weren’t clear by now, is really my thing. I’ve thought back to this novel almost daily since I finished it last year. It’s a romance, an epic, a fable, and a mystery all in one. It comes with the satisfying heft of a doorstop but also the gossamer-delicate touch of love, grief, and family. I listened to half of it, savouring the narration from Verghese himself—but I bought the book too, as I couldn’t cope without it at bedtime. Please read it!