Surrey


<p>World Book Day (Thurs 5 March) seemed like the perfect excuse to peek into what Surrey women are actually reading at the moment. From page-turners to thoughtful potter-alongs, here’s what Surrey women are actually reading at the moment.</p>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/02/Book-Evie-Wood-The-Mysterious-Bakery-on-Rue-de-Paris.jpg" alt="The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris by Evie Woods" /></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title"></h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p><strong>Claire O&#8217;Flinn, top family solicitor and partner at Keystone Law</strong></p><p><em>The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris</em> by Evie Woods.</p><p>It is romantic, playful and reminds us of how history ripples through generations. She writes with tenderness and wit about chosen families and leaves you with a warm feeling when you eventually do put it down!</p></div></div></div></div>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/02/Book-Magpie-by-Elizabeth-Day.jpg" alt="Magpie by Elizabeth Day." /></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title"></h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p><strong>Becky Hildrey, Director at Bocketts Farm, Leatherhead</strong></p><p><em>Magpie</em> by Elizabeth day</p><p>I’m halfway through this and really enjoying it &#8211; there’s a great plot twist that’s made it hard to put down. Next up is <em>There Are Rivers in the Sky</em> by Elif Shafak, a friend’s recommendation, which I’m really looking forward to starting.</p></div></div></div></div>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/02/Book-Helping-your-Child-with-Sleep-Problems-Rachel-Hiller-and-Michael-Gradisar.jpg" alt="Helping your Child with Sleep Problems by Rachel Hiller and Michael Gradisar." /></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title"></h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p><strong>Nicola Henderson, CEO at Godstone Farm</strong></p><p><em>Helping your child with Sleep Problems</em> by Rachel Hiller and Michael Gradisar.</p><p>This is a fascinating read and I love the odd non-fiction book where I can learn something or solve a problem. This has proved easy to read, with loads of practical advice. Most of all of the strategies have worked and my 11 year old is now sleeping better! Happy Mum!</p></div></div></div></div>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/02/Book-Lessons-in-Chemistry-Bonnie-Garmus.jpg" alt="Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus" /></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title"></h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p><strong>Dr Lizzie Brown, Well Life Clinic, Surrey</strong></p><p><em>Lessons in Chemistry </em>by Bonnie Garmus</p><p>I&#8217;ve just finished this book,<em> </em>which I loved. I enjoyed how the author made the characters so lovable despite initial appearances, and I particularly liked the relationship between Calvin and Elizabeth. The underlying feminist and neurodiverse themes (particularly the expectation for women to “conform”) were cleverly and sensitively approached. I&#8217;ve now started the <em>Cormoran Strike series </em>(written by Robert Galbraith AKA J. K. Rowling) &#8211; a totally different pace of book and a lot of characters to remember!</p></div></div></div></div>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/02/Book-The-Night-Watch-by-Sarah-Waters.jpg" alt="The Night Watch by Sarah Waters." /></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title"></h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p><strong>Kirstie Smillie, Personal fashion stylist, Love your own Wardrobe</strong></p><p><em>The Night Watch</em> by Sarah Waters</p><p>Sadly just finished … it follows characters starting in 1947 and going back to 1941 so you only learn why events happened and how they link together at the very end. I had to read it again, straight afterwards, with a different understanding. I loved it… maybe there will be a third read soon!</p></div></div></div></div>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/02/Book-The-Island-of-Missing-Trees-Elif-Shafak.jpg" alt="The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak" /></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title"></h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p><strong>Ati Ismailmiya Balding, founder Surrey Hills Wellness</strong> </p><p><em>The Island of Missing Trees</em> by Elif Shafak</p><p>Shafak is a writer to be applauded for her ability to speak to the world as it is, weaving current realities with poetry, history, and quiet wisdom. </p><p>From the very first chapter, I was gently drawn into the layered history of Cyprus and Turkey. Through stories of families that stretch across time, she creates a narrative rooted in memory and belonging, with each chapter rich in feeling, depth, and a sense of enduring connection. It is a heart wrenching story with such honesty and compassion for each character.</p><p>Next on my list is <em>The Forty Rules of Love</em> also by Elif Shafak, a book I’m very much looking forward to returning to once again.</p><p></p></div></div></div></div>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/02/Book-Wild-by-Kirstin-Hannah.jpg" alt="Wild by Kristin Hannah" /></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title"></h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p><strong>Julia Jaconelli, founder of Courtyard Boutique in Guildford</strong> </p><p><em>Wild</em> by Kristin Hannah</p><p>This book is about a child who appears one day having been living in the wild and how one very special woman takes her in and helps her adapt to the civilised world. There’s a lot of heartache as well as many heartwarming moments that brings one to tears. It’s beautifully written and totally absorbing. I was captivated from beginning to end. One of my favourite authors. </p></div></div></div></div>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/02/Book-At-Home-A-Short-History-of-Private-Life-by-Bill-Bryson.jpg" alt="At Home: A Short History of Private Live by Bill Bryson." /></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title"></h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p><strong>Roz Morris, author <em>Turn Right At The Rainbow: A Diary of Househunting, Happenstance &amp; Home</em></strong></p><p><em>At Home: A Short History of Private Life</em> by Bill Bryson</p><p>I’m currently devouring this book. It’s a quirky book that begins with the ordinary – an old house in Norfolk – and becomes an epic adventure through everyday life through the ages. It’s odd, tangential, affectionate and hilarious. I’m hoovering it up.</p></div></div></div></div>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/02/Book-You-Are-Here-David-Nicholls.jpg" alt="You Are Here by David Nicholls" /></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title"></h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p><strong>Liz Trendle, owner and founder of The Gate Boutique in Guildford</strong></p><p><em>You Are Here by David Nicholls</em></p><p>I’m loving it &#8211; it’s funny, romantic, and filled with so much hope. It’s an easy, effortless read, perfect for dipping in and out of whenever my schedule gives me a few spare minutes.</p></div></div></div></div>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/02/Book-The-Loneliness-of-Sonia-and-Sonny-by-Kiran-Desai.jpg" alt="The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai" /></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title"></h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p><strong>Mandira Sarkar, founder of Mandira&#8217;s Kitchen, Albury</strong></p><p><em>The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny</em> by Kiran Desai</p><p>It takes me back to the kind of sweeping, immersive novels I loved when I was younger, like A Suitable Boy, but this feels like a modern, global version. It’s beautifully observed and emotionally precise. I’m reading it slowly, partly because life is busy, partly because it’s the sort of book you want to sit with rather than rush.</p></div></div></div></div>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/02/Book-Abraham-Verghese-The-Covenant-of-Water.jpg" alt="The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese" /></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title"></h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p><strong>Amber Evans, Editor, Muddy Stilettos Surre</strong>y</p><p><em>The Covenant of Water</em> by Abraham Verghese</p><p>I love it! It’s long… but beautifully written, and it meanders through multiple generations, which I really enjoy. I’m loving getting to know the characters (though I do have to concentrate a bit to keep track of who’s who!).</p></div></div></div></div>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/02/Book-Long-Island-Colm-Toibin.jpg" alt="Long Island by Colm Toibin" /></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title"></h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p><strong>Joanna Read, Director and Chief Executive, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford</strong></p><p><em>Long Island </em>by Colm Tóibín</p><p>I have just finished reading <em>Long Island</em> by Colm Tóibín which I loved. I hadn&#8217;t read <em>Brooklyn</em>, or any of his other books. I&#8217;d picked it up because I wanted to read an author I didn&#8217;t know and I was interested in the headline story of Long Island and Ireland. It&#8217;s a beautifully written book, I was pulled straight into the heads and hearts of all the characters, and was rooting for all of them. </p></div></div></div></div>



<div class="wp-block-muddy-blocks-giftguide gift"><div class="gift-img"><img decoding="async" class="card__image" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/02/Book-The-Lost-Bookshop-Evie-Woods.jpg" alt="The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods." /></div><div class="gift-text"><div class="gift-price"><h2 class="giftguide-title"></h2><div class="giftguide-body"><p><strong>Emily Watson, founder Jollily Fitness, Godstone</strong></p><p><em>The Lost Bookshop</em> by Evie Woods</p><p>I LOVED this book and have gone on to read another of Evie Woods’ books. She writes beautifully, with different timelines, intriguing characters and plots, and magic. A fantastic read that you won’t want to put down! </p><p>I&#8217;m also currently reading <em>The Bible Recap</em>, by creator and host Tara Leigh Cobble<em> </em>who walks readers through a one-year chronological Bible reading plan. I’m managing to keep it up and have read a section everyday since 1 January!   With the help of Tara Leigh Cobble commentating and giving explanations and synopses, I am really understanding and loving the Bible. Some of it is a hard read but there’s some great bits including murder, famine, incest and understanding God’s love. </p></div></div></div></div>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-want-more">WANT MORE?</h2>



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World Book Day: what Surrey women are reading right now

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