Ten minutes with... is a special series presented by Coode Street that sees readers and booklovers from around the world talk about what they're reading right now and what's getting them through these difficult times.

Today Jonathan sits down to talk with World Fantasy Award-winning writer, poet, and playwright Robert Shearman about the joys and surprises of reading all one hundred and nineteen chapters of The Count of Monte Christo (including the bits with the opera and copious drug-taking); reading Peanuts and especially enjoying the bits before Snoopy becomes a total jerk; dealing with tragedy and grief through fiction; his incredible, quixotic and brilliant new book; and actually surviving in this Great and Terrible Pause.

Books mentioned include:

We All Hear Stories in the Dark by Robert Shearman

The Count of Monte Christo by Alexander Dumas

The Complete Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz

Tyll by Daniel Kehlmann

The Complete Saki