Welcome back to Dust Jackets, where our booksellers review brilliant backlist books.

This time we have Liv’s special tribute to the great Jilly Cooper, who died earlier this month. You can also find out how Lottie is getting on with Jane Austen, and meet Kate, the newest addition to the Mr B’s team, who has been reading a French classic…

In Praise of Jilly

I did not have the kind of childhood where ‘age-appropriate media’ was a concern. Disney was eschewed for Leonardo Dicaprio. I went from Rainbow Magic to mum’s Marian Keyes. Notorious for nicking books off of her shelves (“Skip over the sexy bits, please!”), it’s somewhat incredible that I only truly found my way to Jilly Cooper in 2025.

Perhaps best known for writing the bonkbuster behind the hit TV series, Rivals, Cooper’s world is one of 80s decadence, where sexism, chauvinism, adultery, parties, politics, intrigue, and promiscuity abounds. Undeniably dated, my deep dive into Cooper’s ouevre certainly sparked a few eye rolls. But who can resist a voice as wickedly funny as hers? I spent the first half of the year smashing my way through her early romances (my favourite is, of course, Harriet), and, upon hearing the sad news of her passing, finally picked up a battered copy of Rivals. Like the sex and shopping novels of her contemporaries, Jackie Collins and Shirley Conran, in Rivals the champagne flows freely and the shoulder pads are staggeringly large. There’s something muddier and merrier here, though: wellies line the doorways, horses wicker incredulously, and labradors loll about in unmade beds. It’s a jolly little picture: deliciously English. But underneath all the angora jersey and dog hair, her characters remain vaguely aristocratic, privately-educated, and (for the most part) staunchly right-wing. Turns out, you can be as messy as you want when you’re well-bred and stinking rich. How stunningly prescient, hey?

Cooper’s novels are all about class. It undercuts everything. In this way, her world feels as far away from me as Jane Austen’s Regency era: both run on social codes I can’t even begin to decipher. I grew up in Warrington, and moved to Wiltshire aged thirteen. Looking back, it’s like I crash-landed in one of Jilly’s novels. For the first time in my life, I felt class very intensely. Once, our Barbour-bedecked new neighbour asked my mum if I’d be attending the local public school. Upon being answered in the negative, she incredulously cried: “Is the child not very bright?” Cost was never a question. Please note: I was present throughout the entire conversation.

But this peek behind the class-divide is certainly part of Cooper’s enduring appeal. Like Austen, Cooper lays bare the rules of her world, in all its idiosyncrasies and strange social codes. Like Austen, Cooper also balances sweet romance with acidic comedy. Her books are, as I said, wickedly funny: you’re meant to laugh at these characters. Do I wish her most infamous romantic hero, Rupert Campbell-Black, wasn’t a Tory MP? Absolutely. Did I still have a crush on him by the end of the novel? Yes, I think I kind of did. Yuck!

Perhaps it makes sense that Jilly’s books were absent from my mum’s shelves. But I’m still glad I found my way to them. It’s been so interesting to slip inside her specific world, to see how certain prejudices are still stunningly alive in the present. It’s been food for thought. It’s also been undeniably, sensationally good fun. Maybe one day I’ll lend mum my copies… as long as she promises to skip over the sexy bits. 

By Liv

Click here for a Jilly Cooper selection!

The latest addition to the Mr B’s bookselling team is Kate Padiachy, who had arrived at the shop after five years spent working in publishing. She has been reading the beautiful little French classic, The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono. First published in 1953, it has been an inspirational story for generations of readers. Kate says: “This is a beautiful – and beautifully short – account of a a peculiar friendship between two men in the landscape before and after World War II.” Buy here!

Laura GM has taken a break for her usual foray into translated literature to read Laini Taylor’s dark magic masterpiece Strange The Dreamer. Laura says: “I think this book is a really good adult fantasy disguised as a young adult novel. I love how meta it is and how fun it is – it’s a great book about stories and storytelling.” Don’t forget, we are very lucky to have Laini visiting us for an event next month to celebrate the release of her new book, The Guardians of Dreamdark. Buy Strange the Dreamer here!

Rohan has been tucking in to a bonafide Mr B’s classic – Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames. We have been hawking this epic, rock-infused fantasy novel to all and sundry for the best part of a decade now, and it continues to endure. Telling the story of a bunch of old, fat, drunk warriors brought back together for one last ride, it is one of Mr B’s bestselling fantasy novels ever. Rohan had this to say about it: “Kings of the Wyld is an action-packed love letter to 70s rock… with dragons! I loved it!” Buy here!

Mr B’s stalwart Ed had somehow got this far in his life without reading the genius that is Tom Drury. Long considered one of American fiction’s best kept secrets, Drury has amassed a cult of adoring fans for his dry humour and vibrant portraits of small town life. Ed has been reading the first of his Grouse County trilogy, The End of Vandalism, and says: “It’s like a Chris Offutt novel but without the murders, combining great writing, plenty of humour, and beautifully rendered characters.” If you haven’t read him before and you’re a fan of Kent Haruf, Jonathan Franzen, or Dave Eggers, do yourself a favour and get on it. Buy here!

When you think of Bath and books, you think of Jane Austen. Perhaps inspired by the recent Jane Austen festival – it’s also been the celebration of 250 years since her birth – Lottie has been enthralled by Northanger Abbey (Enthralled being the correct word – I can confirm I saw her walking down the street reading it yesterday). She says: ” It’s hilarious, self-referential, set in Bath, has a great heroine… it’s a cracking read!” Buy here!

Finally, I have been reading a couple of excellent backlist books. Ursula K Le Guin is an author that had been on my to-read list for many years. With no idea where to start really, I plumped for A Wizard of Earthsea, which I am reading with my children. Le Guin’s rich use of language and complex storytelling makes it, at 9 and 10 years old, a bit of a stretch, particularly for the younger one, but we are very much enjoying the ride. You can entirely see how influential it has been on the likes of JK Rowling, Kieran Larwood and Cressida Cowell. Buy A Wizard of Earthsea!

For myself, I have been tearing through Paul Murray’s 2010 novel Skippy Dies: it’s exactly the kind of massive, funny, big-hearted, immersive book I crave at this time of the year. A campus drama of sorts, it brings together a motley crew of teachers and students at two adjoining Dublin schools, where all sorts of shenanigans are going on. Perfect if you enjoy the tone of authors like Nathan Hill, Jonathan Franzen and John Irving. Buy Skippy Dies!

Thanks for reading

Tom