Culture Street

Justine Lewis spent her professional life writing legal advice – which some may say is similar to creative writing - but the lack of sexy heroes and happy endings led her to try writing romance.

Justine has placed in the finals of Romance Writers of Australia writing contests, winning the Emerald Short Award in 2014.

She loves Earl Grey tea, talking about which of Jane Austen's novels is her favourite, and searching for the perfect frock. She will read anything, but loves romance most of all. Her latest book, Acting the Part, is out now.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

My mother read this to my sisters and me one family holiday, much like the father read it to his son in the book (and the grandfather in the movie). It has been one of my favourite books ever since. I love that a book can have everything – romance, adventure, sword fights, murder, and also be so so funny. Every sentence is a gem. This book taught me that there is such a thing as a fairy-tale for grownups.

Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

This also is a book from my teenage years. Anne Shirley is just about my favorite heroine. I re-read this recently and I was shocked at how absolutely modern Anne is. She tackles the issues women still tackle today. She talks back. She fights. She shows us that it is good for a woman to be intelligent. Anne didn’t influence my writing as much as she influenced my life. She taught me about courage, being your own person and speaking out.

Persuasion by Jane Austen

I almost listed Pride and Prejudice. It was a tough call but I thought listing two Austen novels would be OTT. I have chosen Persuasion because it is my favorite Austen romance. This is the book that makes me want to cry. It makes my heart clench. I can feel Anne’s longing and her pain. I still vividly remember where I was, and what I was doing, when I first read this book. This is the book that made me want to write romance.

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

I adore David Sedaris. I had trouble listing just one of his books so I’ve simply chosen the first one that I read. And once I read one of his books I was hooked. Insightful, observant, and very very funny. Sedaris can make you laugh hysterically one minute and cry the next. I pick up his collections of memoirs/short stories after a hard day and they instantly make me feel better. Beware anyone who happens to be in the vicinity when I’m reading as I can’t help reading snippets out loud.

Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding

Once upon a time I was Bridget Jones. She was the every woman of the nineties. Though, who am I kidding? Even though now I’m ‘smug married’, there’s still so much of her in me. Bridget was so real that we didn’t care that Helen Fielding appropriated Pride and Prejudice. In fact, we loved it. This is classic ‘chick lit’. Astronomical sales aside, this is the one book I wish I had written.