Search results for ""Author Graham Norton""

'FABULOUS' MARIAN KEYES'Top-notch... full of warmth, comedy and dark secrets.' DAILY MIRROR'Beautifully constructed with a twisty plot. A cracking read.' JO BRAND'Effortlessly readable, possessed of a super twist .' THE OBSERVER'A winning mix of family drama and comedy crime caper... you may well find yourself reading it in one sitting.' HEAT'Dark, funny, full of emotional intelligence and gripping from the start. ..beautifully written... Wonderful.' DAILY MAIL'Blends dark humour and emotional weight with ease.' RADIO TIMES'His best yet.' THE SUNDAY POST 'Full of Graham's trademark warmth and wit. It's also a complex mystery that ties its characters together in ways they'd least expect.' SUNDAY EXPRESSThe new dark comedy from the Sunday Times bestselling author Graham NortonCarol is a divorced teacher living in a small town in Ireland, happy enough with the life she has. But a second chance at love brings her unexpected connection and joy. The new relationship with sparks local gossip: what does a woman like her see in a man like that? What happened to his wife who abandoned him all those years ago? When Declan becomes ill, things start to fall apart. His children are untrusting and greedy, and Carol is made to leave their beloved home with its worn oak floors and elegant features and move back in with her parents.Carol's mother is determined to get to the bottom of things, she won't see her daughter treated this way. It seems there are secrets in Declan's past, strange rumours that were never confronted and suddenly the house they shared takes on a more sinister significance. In his gripping and darkly comic new novel Norton casts a light on the relationship between mothers and daughters, and truth and self-preservation with unnerving effect.'What a fabulous read... Forever Home is his best so far. It's a complex and compelling story - truly unputdownable - but most importantly for me, it has real heart.' MARY LAWSON'The latest comedy noir by Graham Norton features fractured families at their worst. I loved it!' LIZ NUGENT 'A tale of new beginnings and old secrets. Norton is the king of the Irish small town mystery.' ANNE GRIFFIN

Read more less

The Sunday Times bestseller from Graham Norton'A magnificent novelist.' STUART HERITAGE for THE GUARDIAN'Blend[s] dark humour and emotional weight with ease.' RADIO TIMES'His best yet.' THE SUNDAY POST 'Full of Graham's trademark warmth and wit. It's also a complex mystery that ties its characters together in ways they'd least expect.' SUNDAY EXPRESS'Dark, funny, full of emotional intelligence and gripping from the start. ..beautifully written... Wonderful.' DAILY MAIL'Beautifully constructed with a twisty plot ... the perfect mix of levity and melancholy. A cracking read.' JO BRAND'A winning mix of family drama and comedy crime caper ... you may well find yourself reading it in one sitting.' HEAT'Oh my GOD Forever Home is FABULOUS... His skill at gimlet-eyed observation and nuanced characterisation is *chef's kiss* but this book is SO FUNNY... It's a DELIGHT.' MARIAN KEYESCarol is a divorced teacher living in a small town in Ireland, her only son now grown. A second chance at love brings her unexpected connection and belonging. The new relationship sparks local speculation: what does a woman like her see in a man like that? What happened to his wife who abandoned them all those years ago? But the gossip only serves to bring the couple closer.When Declan becomes ill, things start to fall apart. His children are untrusting and cruel, and Carol is forced to leave their beloved home with its worn oak floors and elegant features and move back in with her parents.Carol's mother is determined to get to the bottom of things, she won't see her daughter suffer in this way. It seems there are secrets in Declan's past, strange rumours that were never confronted and suddenly the house they shared takes on a more sinister significance. In his tense and darkly comic new novel Norton casts a light on the relationship between mothers and daughters, and truth and self-preservation with unnerving effect.'Effortlessly readable, possessed of a super twist and full of rounded characters to keep close to your heart.' THE OBSERVER'What a fabulous read... Forever Home is his best so far. It's a complex and compelling story - truly unputdownable - but most importantly for me, it has real heart.' MARY LAWSON'The latest comedy noir by Graham Norton features fractured families at their worst. I loved it!' LIZ NUGENT 'A tale of new beginnings and old secrets. Norton is the king of the Irish small town mystery.' ANNE GRIFFIN

Read more less

Quick Reads 2022Helen is a retired teacher living on the Irish coast. She enjoys the peace and quiet - despite the burden of Margaret, her unpleasant sister. Margaret arrived three years ago for a short holiday, but somehow managed to stay and worm her way into Helen's life. One day, Helen sees a man struggling in the sea and decides to investigate. She doesn't quite know what it is, but something about it feels very strange...

Read more less

**NOW A MAJOR ITV DRAMA SERIES**'A gentle comic crime story' The Guardian'Poised and perceptive' Sunday Times'a beautiful piece of writing with a great story and fantastic, full bodied characters. All this with glorious West Cork as its setting...irresistible.' Kathy Burke'... a deftly plotted story as moving as it is compelling' Sunday Mirror'Deeply accomplished ... brilliantly observed' Good Housekeeping'... one of the more authentic debuts I've read in recent years ... in such an understated manner, eschewing linguistic eccentricity ... in favour of genuine characters and tender feeling ... this is a fine novel' John Boyne, Irish Times'It's funny and wonderfully perceptive' Wendy Holden'It is beautiful and yet devastatingly sad' Daily Express'Strenuously charming ... surprisingly tender' Metro 'Heartwarming and observant' StylistThe remote Irish village of Duneen has known little drama; and yet its inhabitants are troubled. Sergeant PJ Collins hasn't always been this overweight; mother of two Brid Riordan hasn't always been an alcoholic; and elegant Evelyn Ross hasn't always felt that her life was a total waste. So when human remains are discovered on an old farm, suspected to be that of Tommy Burke - a former love of both Brid and Evelyn - the village's dark past begins to unravel. As the frustrated PJ struggles to solve a genuine case for the first time in his life, he unearths a community's worth of anger and resentments, secrets and regret.Darkly comic, touching and at times profoundly sad. Graham Norton employs his acerbic wit to breathe life into a host of lovable characters, and explore - with searing honesty - the complexities and contradictions that make us human.

Read more less

Shame and longing can flow through generations, but the secrets of the heart will not be buried for ever.It is 1987 and a small Irish community is preparing for a wedding. The day before the ceremony a group of young friends, including bride and groom, drive out to the beach. There is an accident. Three survive, but three are killed. The live of the families are shattered and the rifts between them are felt throughout the small town. Connor is one of the survivors. But staying among the angry and the mourning is almost as hard as living with the shame of having been the driver. He leaves the only place he knows for another life, taking his secrets with him. Travelling first to Liverpool, then London, he makes a home - of sorts - for himself in New York. The city provides shelter and possibility for the displaced, somewhere Connor can forget his past and forge a new life. But the secrets, the unspoken longings and regrets that have come to haunt those left behind will not be silenced. And before long, Connor will have to confront his past.Graham Norton's powerful and timely novel of emigration and return demonstrates his keen understanding of the power of stigma and secrecy - with devastating results.

Read more less

'Graham is a lovely writer and this is by far his best. The passage of time is beautifully handled, and the emergence of Ireland into the modern world is a joy to read... There's a lovely kindness and a fundamental goodness at the heart of this book. A great read!' RUSSELL T. DAVIES'A real page-turner, the kind of warmth and magical storytelling that puts me in mind of the late, great Maeve Binchy... a writer of real strength and talent.' LORRAINE KELLY'[A] compelling, bighearted, emotionally precise page-turner.' THE SUNDAY TIMES'Beautiful and heartbreaking.' PANDORA SYKES'Graham Norton's bestselling novel gives a warm and perceptive account of tragedy, self-discovery and forgiveness in a tightly knit community.' THE DAILY MAIL'intelligent and tenderly observed' THE TIMES'Full of heart and humanity and I loved every single page. What a storyteller!' ELIZABETH DAY'a thoughtful examination of sexual identity, shame, and the impact of collective grief' OBSERVER'Graham Norton's new novel has me in floods... His gift for characterisation is positively Binchy-esque! Such nuance and warmth! It's GORGEOUS' MARIAN KEYES'I loved HOME STRETCH ... one of those books that stays with you so long after you've finished it' NIGELLA LAWSON'A subtle portrait of small-town Ireland; an unblinking study of shame & homophobia; a map of cultural shifts between 1980s & now; a kind, wise, perceptive novel by an author rich in these qualities.' DAVID MITCHELL'Beautifully written. Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy read. Utterly fantastic.' LIZ NUGENT'Graham Norton's examination of small-town Irish lives continues in his deeply moving third novel. He is a magnificent writer.' JOHN BOYNE'[Graham Norton is a] king of the page turners... A total triumph' ANNE GRIFFIN'What right has such a successful entertainer to write a novel as good as this?' SUNDAY EXPRESSShame and longing can flow through generations, but the secrets of the heart will not be buried for ever.It is 1987 and a small Irish community is preparing for a wedding. The day before the ceremony a group of young friends, including bride and groom, drive out to the beach. There is an accident. Three survive, but three are killed. The lives of the families are shattered and the rifts between them are felt throughout the small town. Connor is one of the survivors. But staying among the angry and the mourning is almost as hard as living with the shame of having been the driver. He leaves the only place he knows for another life, taking his secrets with him. Travelling first to Liverpool, then London, he makes a home - of sorts - for himself in New York. The city provides shelter and possibility for the displaced, somewhere Connor can forget his past and forge a new life. But the secrets, the unspoken longings and regrets that have come to haunt those left behind will not be silenced. And before long, Connor will have to confront his past.Graham Norton's powerful and timely novel of emigration and return demonstrates his keen understanding of the power of stigma and secrecy - with devastating results.

Read more less

The brand-new novel from million-copy bestseller and national treasure Graham Norton - a dazzling, decades-sweeping story about love, bravery and what it means to live a significant life. 'I loved Frankie so much. I couldn't stop reading it, but feel bereft now that I've finished'NIGELLA LAWSON'Fascinating, funny, sad... Every page is intriguing. Once again, Graham shows his class as a writer'JO BRAND'Warm and wise, Frankie is a woman worth getting to know'BONNIE GARMUS'I was enthralled by Frankie from page one. It's a beauty. A warm, deeply moving, life-enhancing novel'SARAH WINMANAlways on the periphery, looking on, young Frankie Howe was never quite sure enough of herself to take centre stage - after all, life had already judged her harshly. Now old, Frankie finds it easier to forget the life that came before.Then Damian, a young Irish carer, arrives at her

Read more less

**NOW A MAJOR TV DRAMA SERIES**'A gentle comic crime story' The Guardian'Poised and perceptive' Sunday Times'a beautiful piece of writing with a great story and fantastic, full bodied characters. All this with glorious West Cork as its setting...irresistible.' Kathy Burke'... a deftly plotted story as moving as it is compelling' Sunday Mirror'Deeply accomplished ... brilliantly observed' Good Housekeeping'... one of the more authentic debuts I've read in recent years ... in such an understated manner, eschewing linguistic eccentricity ... in favour of genuine characters and tender feeling ... this is a fine novel' John Boyne, Irish Times'It's funny and wonderfully perceptive' Wendy Holden'It is beautiful and yet devastatingly sad' Daily Express'Strenuously charming ... surprisingly tender' Metro 'Heartwarming and observant' StylistThe remote Irish village of Duneen has known little drama; and yet its inhabitants are troubled. Sergeant PJ Collins hasn't always been this overweight; mother of two Brid Riordan hasn't always been an alcoholic; and elegant Evelyn Ross hasn't always felt that her life was a total waste. So when human remains are discovered on an old farm, suspected to be that of Tommy Burke - a former love of both Brid and Evelyn - the village's dark past begins to unravel. As the frustrated PJ struggles to solve a genuine case for the first time in his life, he unearths a community's worth of anger and resentments, secrets and regret.Darkly comic, touching and at times profoundly sad. Graham Norton employs his acerbic wit to breathe life into a host of lovable characters, and explore - with searing honesty - the complexities and contradictions that make us human.

Read more less

'I defy anyone not to snort, howl and recoil' The Sunday Times'Full of wicked asides, tart observations and sharp remarks that could only have originated in Graham Norton's witty brain.' Terry WoganLooking around the room I saw what life really was. It was made up of my passions. I saw my life reflected back at me. People I liked, people I loved, people I had shared half a century with. All the stories of my life were together in that one room and it made me very happy. Who wouldn't want a friend like Graham Norton? A little bit naughty, full of frank advice, bursting with gossip about the world's biggest stars - but most of all with an emphatic love of life and all its joys, big and small. Join him - glass of wine in hand, faithful doggy friend by your side - and delve in as he shares the loves of his life.

Read more less

PRE-ORDER NOW! The brand-new novel from million-copy bestseller and national treasure Graham Norton - a dazzling, decades-sweeping story about love, bravery and what it means to live a significant life. ''Warm and wise, Frankie is a woman worth getting to know''BONNIE GARMUS''I couldn''t stop reading it, but feel bereft now that I''ve finished''NIGELLA LAWSON''I was enthralled by Frankie from page one. It''s a beauty. A warm, deeply moving, life-enhancing novel''SARAH WINMAN''Frankie is a perfect song of a book and everyone who likes human beings should read it''ANDREW O''HAGANAlways on the periphery, looking on, young Frankie Howe was never quite sure enough of herself to take centre stage - after all, life had already judged her harshly. Now old, Frankie finds it easier to forget the life that came before.Then Damian, a young Irish carer, arrives at her

Read more less

The Sunday Times bestseller from Graham Norton'A magnificent novelist.' STUART HERITAGE for THE GUARDIAN'Blend[s] dark humour and emotional weight with ease.' RADIO TIMES'His best yet.' THE SUNDAY POST 'Full of Graham's trademark warmth and wit. It's also a complex mystery that ties its characters together in ways they'd least expect.' SUNDAY EXPRESS'Dark, funny, full of emotional intelligence and gripping from the start. ..beautifully written... Wonderful.' DAILY MAIL'Beautifully constructed with a twisty plot ... the perfect mix of levity and melancholy. A cracking read.' JO BRAND'A winning mix of family drama and comedy crime caper ... you may well find yourself reading it in one sitting.' HEAT'Oh my GOD Forever Home is FABULOUS... His skill at gimlet-eyed observation and nuanced characterisation is *chef's kiss* but this book is SO FUNNY... It's a DELIGHT.' MARIAN KEYESCarol is a divorced teacher living in a small town in Ireland, her only son now grown. A second chance at love brings her unexpected connection and belonging. The new relationship sparks local speculation: what does a woman like her see in a man like that? What happened to his wife who abandoned them all those years ago? But the gossip only serves to bring the couple closer.When Declan becomes ill, things start to fall apart. His children are untrusting and cruel, and Carol is forced to leave their beloved home with its worn oak floors and elegant features and move back in with her parents.Carol's mother is determined to get to the bottom of things, she won't see her daughter suffer in this way. It seems there are secrets in Declan's past, strange rumours that were never confronted and suddenly the house they shared takes on a more sinister significance. In his tense and darkly comic new novel Norton casts a light on the relationship between mothers and daughters, and truth and self-preservation with unnerving effect.'Effortlessly readable, possessed of a super twist and full of rounded characters to keep close to your heart.' THE OBSERVER'What a fabulous read... Forever Home is his best so far. It's a complex and compelling story - truly unputdownable - but most importantly for me, it has real heart.' MARY LAWSON'The latest comedy noir by Graham Norton features fractured families at their worst. I loved it!' LIZ NUGENT 'A tale of new beginnings and old secrets. Norton is the king of the Irish small town mystery.' ANNE GRIFFIN

Read more less

Graham Norton, whose impish charm and quick wit has earned him a place in our hearts, looks back at his life so far. In his own words, SO ME is 'a real romp through a journey from living in a cockroach-infested council flat in Hackney to buying Claudia Schiffer's townhouse in Manhattan, from my mother dragging me to school to me dragging her to Sharon Stone's house for New Year's brunch'.From a not-so miserable Irish childhood to dropping out of Cork University and joining a commune of hippies in San Francisco, from his disastrous attempts at becoming a serious actor to the rise of his comedy career in London, this is a hilarious, insightful and moving account of a colourful life.

Read more less

'[A] compelling, bighearted, emotionally precise page-turner.' THE SUNDAY TIMES'Beautiful and heartbreaking.' PANDORA SYKES'A real page-turner, the kind of warmth and magical storytelling that puts me in mind of the late, great Maeve Binchy... a writer of real strength and talent.' LORRAINE KELLY, ITV'intelligent and tenderly observed' THE TIMES'This is a consuming story [...] delivering confident, considered truths' - IRISH SUNDAY TIMES'Full of heart and humanity and I loved every single page. What a storyteller!' ELIZABETH DAY'a thoughtful examination of sexual identity, shame, and the impact of collective grief' OBSERVER'Graham Norton's new novel has me in floods... His gift for characterisation is positively Binchy-esque! Such nuance and warmth! It's GORGEOUS' MARIAN KEYES'I loved HOME STRETCH ... one of those books that stays with you so long after you've finished it' NIGELLA LAWSON'A subtle portrait of small-town Ireland; an unblinking study of shame & homophobia; a map of cultural shifts between 1980s & now; a kind, wise, perceptive novel by an author rich in these qualities.' DAVID MITCHELL'Beautifully written. Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy read. Utterly fantastic.' LIZ NUGENT'Graham Norton's examination of small-town Irish lives continues in his deeply moving third novel. He is a magnificent writer.' JOHN BOYNE'[Graham Norton is a] king of the page turners... A total triumph' ANNE GRIFFIN'What right has such a successful entertainer to write a novel as good as this?' SUNDAY EXPRESS'Home Stretch is a wonderful display' - IRISH TIMES WEEKEND'This book goes down a treat [...] A welcome feat of the imagination. Highly recommended.' - BUSINESS POST'His most accomplished and thoughtful [novel] yet' - RTE GUIDEShame and longing can flow through generations, but the secrets of the heart will not be buried for ever.It is 1987 and a small Irish community is preparing for a wedding. The day before the ceremony a group of young friends, including bride and groom, drive out to the beach. There is an accident. Three survive, but three are killed. The lives of the families are shattered and the rifts between them are felt throughout the small town. Connor is one of the survivors. But staying among the angry and the mourning is almost as hard as living with the shame of having been the driver. He leaves the only place he knows for another life, taking his secrets with him. Travelling first to Liverpool, then London, he makes a home - of sorts - for himself in New York. The city provides shelter and possibility for the displaced, somewhere Connor can forget his past and forge a new life. But the secrets, the unspoken longings and regrets that have come to haunt those left behind will not be silenced. And before long, Connor will have to confront his past.Graham Norton's powerful and timely novel of emigration and return demonstrates his keen understanding of the power of stigma and secrecy - with devastating results.

Read more less

'Atmospheric, creepy and impossible to put down.' the TIMES'A compelling and moving story, expertly told, that will draw you in and keep you in its grip until the last page.' DAILY EXPRESS'Magnificent ... his writing is evocative and perfect. His grasp of human loneliness and longing is beautiful and comforting.' MARIAN KEYES'I raved about Holding two years ago ... A Keeper is even better. A powerful, very sad story, beautiful writing, two time frames that are perfectly balanced. Outstanding. Will easily be one of my books of 2018.' JOHN BOYNE'A gripping, thoughtful tale about the search for identity, belonging and self-possession.' OBSERVER'Moving and darkly funny.' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING'Smart, well-written and thoroughly entertaining.' IRISH INDEPENDENT'It's a sad and lovely book, brimful of tenderness and compassion, where the revelations of the past upturn the perceptions of the present.' SUNDAY EXPRESS'Charming and tender, a complete joy.' SUNDAY MIRROR'Perfectly crafted, a beautiful, gripping account of Irish memory and deceit. A terrific achievement.' ANDREW O'HAGANFrom the bestselling author of Holding comes a masterly tale of secrets and ill-fated loves set on the coast of Ireland.Dear Lonely Leinster Lady, I'm not really sure how to begin . . .The truth drifts out to sea, riding the waves out of sight. And then the tide turns.Elizabeth Keane returns to Ireland after her mother's death, intent only on wrapping up that dismal part of her life. There is nothing here for her; she wonders if there ever was. The house of her childhood is stuffed full of useless things, her mother's presence already fading. And perhaps, had she not found the small stash of letters, the truth would never have come to light. 40 years earlier, a young woman stumbles from a remote stone house, the night quiet but for the tireless wind that circles her as she hurries further into the darkness away from the cliffs and the sea. She has no sense of where she is going, only that she must keep on.This compelling new novel confirms Graham Norton's status as a fresh, literary voice, bringing his clear-eyed understanding of human nature and its darkest flaws.

Read more less

Includes contributions from Graham Norton, Sue Perkins, Jenny Eclair and Gyles Brandreth. As its nine hundredth episode approaches, Just a Minute has consistently entertained BBC Radio 4 listeners since its first broadcast in December 1967. Inspired by a punishment handed out at school, the show's creator Ian Messiter devised a deceptively simple and versatile set of rules that has allowed the game to adapt and thrive as each new era of comedy entertainers emerges. Over forty-seven consecutive years, fans have laughed along with Kenneth Williams' outrageously funny 'battles' with Sheila Hancock, Paul Merton's imaginative flights of fancy, Clement Freud's acerbic wit, Julian Clary's flagrant innuendos, Graham Norton's celebrity 'gossip', Jenny Eclair's brutal honesty, Gyles Brandreth's extravagant monologues and Sue Perkins' infectious enthusiasm to name only a handful of the more than two hundred star entertainers who have braved the Just a Minute panel. In this official celebration, chairman Nicholas Parsons, the only person to have appeared in every programme, recalls the very best, occasionally awkward and often hilarious, moments from the last six decades. Magical minutes, verbal dexterity, sharp one-liners and witty challenges can all be marvelled at once again as Nicholas tells the Just a Minute story from its inauspicious pilot episode, through television and stage versions, and on to the present day, without hesitation, repetition or deviation...

Read more less

Four of the funniest recent episodes from the much-loved BBC Radio 4 panel game chaired by Nicholas ParsonsAmong the talented and humorous players in this sparkling quartet are Paul Merton, Gyles Brandreth, Jo Caulfield, Julian Clary, Stephen Fry, Jan Ravens, Rebecca Front, Marcus Brigstocke, Sheila Hancock, Fern Britton and Graham Norton. Did Nicholas know Boudicca? What dish was to be served after the Royal Wedding? When did Gyles meet Fanny Cradock, and is he really getting married in the morning? What does Sheila know of George Orwell, and what are her views on ripped jeans? Should Paul be challenged for being out of tune? Answers to these and many more tantalising questions can be answered, without hesitation, deviation or repetition, after listening to this quartet of instalments! Duration: 2 hours approx.

Read more less