Love Letters of Great Men – Ursula Doyle

Hey loves!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Whether you’re a lover of Valentine’s day or not, I had to find something fitting to read in preparation for the day of love. I don’t think I’ve ever done that before so I thought, why not?

What sparked this idea off was on a recent trip to Scarborough, I saw this book of love letters from the war. I absolutely love a letter and find myself saddened that it’s dying out. However, it brought back a memory of the book, Love Letters of Great Men made famous by the Sex and the City film. It was time to give this a read and experience love through the ages.

What’s it all about?

Rather than tell you all of the letters, I’ve picked my favourite three all for very different reasons. The collection covers prolific men in history from the likes of King Henry VIII to Lord Nelson, Napoleon Bonaparte to Oscar Wilde, just to name a few. Devised in chronological order, it really is wonderful to see love and all that is associated with it through time. It made me wonder how much has actually changed over the course of history.

My first pick of the letters is by Ludwig van Beethoven. Written in July to his Immortal Beloved, the full extent of the letter is an impressive ten pages long. The reason why I love this so much is because it’s written on my birthday (many moons before) so it felt like fate. Most importantly though, you can see how it oozes romance and despair.

“Be calm – love me – to day – yesterday. What longing in tears for you – You – my Life – my All – farewell. Oh, go on loving me – never doubt the faithfullest heart

Of your beloved

L

Ever thine.

Ever mine.

Ever ours.”

My next favourite comes from Oscar Wilde. Oscar and I go way back. I discovered him when I was at university and became obsessed with everything about him: his wit, his style, his talent and his life. A soul born before his time, Wilde was a broken man following his imprisonment for homosexuality. I’ve read all of his letters but this one shows love at its most vulnerable.

“My sweet rose, my delicate flower, my lily of lilies, it is perhaps in prison that I am going to test the power of love. I am going to see if I cannot make the bitter wardens sweet by the intensity of the love I bear you.”

Finally, I’ve picked a letter by Robert Browning. Every year I teach Sonnet 43 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and I really enjoyed seeing some of his letters back. Their love is something that I think every aspires too: overwhelming, all encompassing, complete joy. My favourite letter is from their wedding day. It makes my heart soar.

“Words can never tell you… how perfectly dear you are to me – perfectly dear to my heart and soul. I look back and in every one point, every word and gesture, every letter, every silence – you have been entirely perfect to me.”

Final Thoughts

There’s so many other incredible letters in this collection. It’s a joy to see them published. I can only imagine what it was like to receive them. There is a real art to writing a letter – I still write them now. However, there really is something special about these. We’re stumbling into these historical relationships where distance and time were real issues and where communication was by letter alone. It almost feels like a much simpler time.

Whether single, taken or in between, these letters really were something special. Love is an emotion that really has stood the test of time. These great men, all great for different reasons, all evoked the same reaction, acknowledgement of what a beautiful thing to receive. That snapshot into a little moment into these varied lives really is special. It’s a collection that will remain treasured on my shelf.

Sending you all love on this Valentine’s Day.

The Art of Buying Books part 4

Hello loves!

Am I glad it’s the weekend! I’ve got myself in a bit of a black hole. Maybe that’s too deep… but there’s definitely a fog in my head. I’ve really struggled to read, write, focus. Some of it is exhaustion but some of it is that I feel like life is just a challenge. Work is hard, too hard. We don’t live to work surely? Anyway, with good people by my side, I’m trying to find my way through the fog. The weekend always acts as a natural breaker.

As you may know, I was trying to be really good with buying books but actually, today I went on a huge book buying spree and I loved every second of it. It gave me a sense of purpose, it made me want to read again (I’ve been reading the rest of the day) and made me come back to my ever faithful blog. Here I am!

I started my little spree at my local Salvation Army. They are a cause close to my heart so I was there to drop a donation off. Books were not on my mind. However, I saw a sign on the door saying they can’t take any books as they had ran out of room. Well, this really was my time to shine! I had to step up. It was for charity after all. I had the overwhelming need to save as many as I could.

11 books for £2.75. I would have happily paid more but what an incredible bargain. There’s some great looking books here and a good mix too. I also got a stunning copy of The Girl on the Train which is going to dazzle on my shelf.

Isn’t that gorgeous? It means I can also gift the copy I’ve got on. Win-win! I also toddled along into town where it got me thinking about what other books I like. I used to collect fashion books (many moons ago) because I loved the pictures. I really wanted to be a fashion journalist at one point but I found that the books were enough for me. It was a strange thought it coming back to me. I felt foolish for forgetting about it. It dawned on me because I found this beautiful book on Coco Chanel. It’s even got silver sprayed edges.

This then got me onto another train of thought: cookery books. I love everything about food. Another idea for a career I had was a food journalist but that didn’t last long because I’m allergic to fish. It kind of narrows down the market! I did consider just cakes but that’s a hobby, not a job.

Anyway, I do like to collect baking and cookery books. Back in 2019, Penguin published the first five of Jamie Oliver’s cookbooks in their classic cover colours for their 20th anniversary. At £26 each, I knew I’d have to save hard. But then they just ebbed from my mind, until today…

At £5.99 each, I couldn’t ignore them. There’s just two more to find but hopefully, one day I’ll get them. However, they’re visually stunning and I can’t wait to see them with my other cookery books in the kitchen. So much so, I’m considering getting a floating shelf to pop them on!

It’s the first time for a little while that the fog lifted. I came home and had all these beautiful books around me and I couldn’t wait to start reading. Then, I just wanted to write about it. I’m sure this isn’t the best post I’ve ever written but I hope you’ve found it to be full of truth, admiration and purpose. If you’re in a fog like me, I hope it helped.

I’ll see you very soon for my reading challenge book for January. I hope you’re all well.

Big Love xxx

Book Bingo Reading Challenge 2022! Takeaway – Angela Hui

Morning Loves!

I’m back in the UK after a glorious holiday. I had such a wonderful time and feel more refreshed and recovered which is lovely. I hope you’ve all had a lovely August and have managed to have some form of a break. It’s needed for all of us! Hello September as well! I cannot believe how that has crept up on us!

Today I want to share with you my book topic and choice for my Book Bingo Reading Challenge! For August I opted for Non-Fiction which I do love. I go through a cycle of reading it, loving it, going back to fiction, remembering I’ve not read any non-fiction so then pick one and then the cycle continues. I wish I could understand why that happens but that’s a discussion for another day. I decided to read Takeaway by Angela Hui. Oh my days, I love this book so much. Let’s crack on with it!

What’s it all about?

I picked this book because like many families, mine has a long tradition with popping to the Chinese take away. In fact, it’s something I still do today both with my family and friends – pop to the Chinese takeaway, usually on a Friday or Saturday night. But what about the people behind the food? This book is honest, humble and wonderfully written. It’s a fine piece of non-fiction.

This novel explores, through Angela Hui’s voice, the story of her parents and how they came to be in Wales and their day to day lives of running the takeaway during the 1990s. We see just how different the family were and how they naturally stood out amongst the habitants of the Welsh valleys. Lucky Star was their home and business for thirty years. The rhythm of that life was comforting and joyous. But, it wasn’t always easy.

“The telephone rang constantly and a stream of people would pop in to pick up orders in hot foil containers stacked in white plastic bags. It was a juxtaposition of us being treated like immigrants, but also being keepers of something instinctively British.”

Each chapter focuses around a specific aspect of life within the takeaway: the weekend service, language barriers, summer holiday and competitions, just to name a few. However, there are a couple of anecdotes that really stuck with me. Hui talks openly about the racism she and her family experienced and how isolating that is. It’s an uncomfortable but essential read because I bet it still happens today. The reactions of her parents are contrasting; calmness and defiance from her mother, rage and anger from her father.

“We’ve always held our tongues and erred on the side of caution when confronted by racism. In reality, we’re just cooking to survive. Trying to get through a night’s service smoothly is just basic survival.”

I found myself feeling like I knew both Hui’s mother and father. There’s obvious conflict with the father but that is explored openly. They’re so different yet they work together to provide food for the local area. Hui’s opportunity to do deliveries means that (finally) she can get out of the takeaway and see new places. We can take for granted the childhood experienced Hui wouldn’t have been like yours or mine. Life was the takeaway. Every revolved around that kitchen; serving the community and then having a meal together. The impact on Hui’s own romantic relationships meant that this was strained too throughout her young adult years.

“I’m ashamed that I never gave him a chance to understand my situation by explaining things to him. How the takeaway had a hold on me.”

Time goes by, Hui ages and the little girl is now off to university. Even that is still tied to the takeaway, working weekends to help. But, as things most often do, it’s time for the takeaway to close its doors. The changing climate, the local competition and the stress on the family resulting in her mother’s poor health meant that it was time to finish serving. Their story has come to an end.

“We had some good times, right?” I say to no one in particular. Mum is holding back tears. Dad looks to the ground and pats me on the back. “Well, since Tom’s here I’ll get started on my ribs…”

Final Thoughts

I love this book. There, I said it. I found it honest, upsetting, humbling, overwhelming, moving and utterly remarkable. It’s made me really think about my own local takeaway and their own stories. What brought them here? The food of my Friday nights, what does it mean to them? Etc. The truth in this book hurts. Times change, people change, poor attitudes towards others different from us are still being displayed. Yet, at the heart of it all is a family wanting a better life and wanting to be part of a community. To sum it up perfectly:

“In these fear-filled times, I hope this book will serve as a refuge of nourishment, a fortune cookie of joy and an education to what goes on behind closed doors in the nation’s favourite takeaway.”

I urge you all to go buy and read this book. If you’re interested in cooking, at the end of each chapter is a recipe so the reader is able to try out some of these signature dishes at home. I’ve got my eye on a beautiful belly pork dish! This added touch is something I’ve really enjoyed reading too. It’s another way of bringing Chinese cuisine into our own homes.

Speak soon loves! (I’ll be back at school by the time I post again! Wish me luck…)

Big Love xxx

Discussion: What do people read on holiday?

Hi loves!

So, I’ve been surrounded by this gorgeous view for a month now and I’m honestly so grateful for that. It’s beautiful, idyllic and a paradise. Yet, I have more pressing matters at the forefront of my mind… books. Whenever I see a book leave a beach bag, I’m looking to see a) what it is and b) if they are enjoying it. I have that genuine fear of missing out on a good read.

This has led me to think about why people read the type of books they do on holiday. How do they make their choices? What leads them to pick those specific titles?

Well, this has been going round in my head for a few days now and has now turned into a little sun lounger activity of mine… First of all, it’s really pleasing to see just how many people, on the loungers have been adorned with towels, start reading. There’s books everywhere! Always a paperback, never a hardback and only one Kindle. I can totally relate to this; I only packed paperbacks, had my Kindle in hand luggage but didn’t actually use it. In fact, it’s still in flight mode. Hmmm.

The hotel had a bookcase in reception which was very pleasing! I had a little look here and it followed the same pattern: paperbacks, no hardbacks at all. However, there were some larger paperbacks. These were all Grisham. I saw a lot of Grisham on the loungers along with James Patterson. These were the top two authors by a long way. (Embarrassingly, I didn’t read any of Grisham or Patterson!)

In terms of books that I saw multiple people read, this was terribly interesting! They were Tyson’s Fury’s Between the Mask and Ant Middleton’s First Man In. Non-fiction! I didn’t expect to see that… In fact, the Tyson Fury book was my mum’s and she felt chuffed that others had taken it from the hotel bookshelf.

Repeat ‘take outs’ gave me another train of thought. I read (and thoroughly adored) The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller. When I saw that someone else had picked this off the shelf, I felt exactly like my mum did, like I made a good choice. It made me feel validated and like my recommendations could be trusted. Isn’t that silly? I feel silly writing it…

Overwhelmingly, the main genre I saw was crime and thriller. I totally understand that! It’s my favourite after all. But for summer? Where were all the romance novels? The chic lit?

I read one, Lizzie & Dante by Mary Bly which was stunningly beautiful and had me sobbing on my lounger. But this was the only one I saw. Where are the other people sobbing at a good love story? I did spot that this book was moving further back on the hotel bookcase too. But why is that? I always thought summer was about the soppy love novels that were only bearable because of that very reason – the fact that it is summer. There’s something about the smell of suncream that makes me think this… When you know, you know…

Also, there was a distinct lack of female authors too. I helpfully added to that with my own pile. Writers like Liza Jewell, Jenny Han, Jane Corey and Michele Campbell vacationed with me and are all there waiting to be discovered by the next reader.

So, why do we read the things we do on holiday? What is a typical ‘beach read’ and are they changing? What have you spotted? For me, it was all my paperbacks that didn’t fit on the bookcase. How do you pick yours though?

Until next time, when I’m back in the UK!

Big Love xxx

Reading Round-Up: January

Hello Lovelies!

I hope you’re all well. Have we read any exciting books in January? January is a difficult month because there’s the post Christmas slump and the fact that it’s dark and cold all the time. Anyway, I’ve got a small window of opportunity so I thought I’d just write my round-up post while I’m sat with a Diet Coke waiting for my next gym class. But, you know when you’re so exhausted, you sit down and like melt into the chair? I’ve also got some drama with my tights – the elastic has gone! Anyway, that’s my current state. Hopefully you’re in a better position than I am!

Anyway, I can’t wait to round up my books from January! I did have a wobble in the middle of the month where I panicked because I have so many books to read and I couldn’t get into any but thankfully, I managed to get through that! It can be very overwhelming though, especially if others around you a reading loads!

Regardless, I read 12 books which is an increase on January 2021. I’m really, really chuffed with that! There’s been some absolutely gems in this list too so I can’t wait any longer. Let’s check out the shelves!

Picking a top three has been really hard… I’ve reviewed An Inspector Calls, Lockdown Secrets, Codename Villanelle and The Sky Above the Roof. That makes things a bit easier! (Is that cheating though? Hmm…) Anyway, my top three are:

1. The Assistant – S.K. Tremayne. Oh my gosh this book! It was absolutely terrifying. It impacted my sleep. I reached a point where I could only read this in daylight. It was a strange mix of desperately wanting to read it and being absolutely frightened to death by it. If you’re a thriller fan, absolutely read this book. BUT, I did warn you!
2. The Love Hypothesis – Ali Hazelwood. This book was utterly adorable. I love it so much. I was a touch worried about the sciencey stuff but to be fair, it didn’t impact it at all. It was cute, cosy and just left me wanting it for myself. Loved it.
3. Storm in a C Cup – Caroline Flack. Nearly two years ago, Caroline Flack committed suicide. It’s taken me that time to read this book because I found the whole story utterly heartbreaking. This book was funny, charming and devastating. I did enjoy reading it but it made me feel the loss even more. We have to do more to protect people from the media.

What a brilliant reading month. I am exhaustedly buzzing! Do let me know if you’ve read any of these and how you’ve found them. Also, let me know any books I need to add to my TBR pile too!

Until next time my sweets!

Big Love xxxx

Sleeping With A Psychopath – Carolyn Woods

Hello Loves!

Can you believe we are in June? I’m embracing the lighter days and the gloriously summery weather we have been having in the UK this week. It’s felt like a long time coming but gosh, isn’t it a breath of fresh air really? I hope you’re all okay and embracing the longer and brighter days. Would you believe me if I told you I had to put sun cream on his week?!

Anyway, we’ve celebrated my blogs birthday well. Thank you so much for all your lovely messages – I’ve loved reading them! I’ve got a couple of posts that are in the pipeline but I wanted to share with you today a book I’ve just finished. I love it when I finish something and want to write about it straight away! Anyway, prepare yourself for the thrilling real life story of Carolyn Woods. Her novel, Sleeping With a Psychopath reads like a work of fiction. However, I find it utterly terrifying that this is actually a true story. I hope you find it as compelling as I did!

What’s it all about?
The novel opens with a prologue where Woods reflects back over the past eighteen months of her life. Her journey is one of our own worst nightmares yet she has a story to tell, a cautionary tale of the modern day. Looking back, Woods sees herself as vibrant, positive, successful and happy. Following her divorce, she rented a beautiful cottage in a Cotswold town and got herself a little job in a shop which she thoroughly enjoyed. What could possibly go wrong? She was about to find out following a visit from a handsome stranger. Little does she know that this man is about to ruin her life, take away her independence and her reasons for living.

“He has isolated me and I have become frightened, depressed and introverted. I am very confused. It feels as though someone has opened the top of my head and put a blender into my brain.”

The novel then takes us back to the beginning, June 2012, when Woods was working in the little clothes shop. As the sun was setting on another day in the Cotswolds, the door announced a visitor: immaculately dressed, handsome in his features and incredibly attractive. His name was Mark and he certainly said all the right things. Woods admits she liked him instantly and felt that he liked her back. She guessed that he was a spy – there was something very James Bond about him after all. He did nothing to dissuade this, claiming he was a rich Swiss banker. She is captivated. After all, it’s not every day a handsome stranger walks into your life and likes you! Woods decides to do something she hasn’t done before. She gives him her phone number and the end of yet another working day has come. What follows next is text conversations where plans are made and the intimacy between the two increase. Upon reflection, Woods punctuates her narrative with comments showing how naive she has been and statements that were originally said showed no signs for concern, are obvious red flags now.

“Thinking back on those first early encounters, with the knowledge I have now, I can see exactly how Mark was operating. I believe him to be a psychopath.”

The pace of the narrative increases again. This time we see lavish gifts that Mark gave to Carolyn: the brand new Audi, the need to get away, the promise of luxury wherever they went. You can see how easy it was to be swept away by the magic and mystery of it all. They started to look for a house with a budget of 2-3 million pounds. Their whole future was planned out before them quite rapidly. However, Mark took control of her mobile phone, saying that all messages had to be deleted because of people watching. He also claimed to know a lot of wealthy, powerful people of status – Hilary Clinton and Vladimir Putin, to name two. He also asked her to marry him, something which she accepted and was excited to do. But, the lavish lifestyle, the new cars and the expensive budget for a house doesn’t match up to the day where Mark asks to borrow £26,000 due to a cash flow problem. She fell deeply and head first. She was in love with him so said yes.

“As I tell my story, I can understand how astonishing people find it that I should have been taken in so easily, and looking back, I cannot believe I behaved so recklessly. But Mark is a conjuror – I was spellbound…”

For a time, life continued. The wedding was being planned, the dress exquisite and Mark was here, there and everywhere: London, Bath, Spain, Italy and Syria. Woods became more and more isolated and was spending the vast amount of time alone. More time alone meant that frustrations and anxieties grew. Mark was around less and less. His narrative becomes more alarming the deeper we progress into the novel. He appears to get injured abroad, has a brain tumour and continues to blow hot and cold with Woods. More and more money was being transferred and Woods found herself in a desperate situation: alone, broke, fragile. Trips together turned into nightmares where Mark didn’t show. Hotels that were booked for her, weren’t paid for meaning she was stranded in a foreign country. Things finally came to an end when the truth about Mark was clear. He wasn’t Mark Conway. He was Mark Acklom, a known criminal from his childhood, forever taking money from different people for promises he could not keep. Eventually, his actions caught up with him and he was arrested and imprisoned.

“Before I met Acklom, I was a happy, sociable, positive person; by the time he was through with me, I could barely function and had become deeply suspicious of people.”

By the end of her story, Woods has lost £850,000 – her entire savings pot. Despite this, it is the love and strength of her daughters and the friends who stood by her that carried her through. Justice was eventually (and legally) served but that also wasn’t as simple or ‘black and white’ as it should have been. Woods now has the opportunity to tell her story, the set the world straight and to start and rebuild her life.

“Mum has lost everything: her money, her job, her home, her security… but the one thing he couldn’t take away from her was the love of her daughters.”

Final Thoughts
I was completely captivated by this book for so many reasons. Firstly, I think Woods really discusses and highlights the gender inequality in this book. As a divorced, middled aged female, her perception is that she was ‘stupid’ and she ‘should have seen it coming’. Yet, the male businessmen that were conned were ‘sensible’ and ‘right’. I also found it interest (and horrifying) that the police both here and abroad didn’t believe her. This story is years of fighting, years of a life taken away by one person. It is easy for us to sit here and judge today and see the warning signs for that they are. But, I can see how easy it would have been. This book shows us the art of manipulation. It didn’t read like it was a true story – it reads like a fictional thriller. Personally, I think it takes a lot of bravery from Woods to be as frank, honest and as reflective as she has been.

And that’s it! Definitely read this book, especially if you love thrillers as much as I do. I am off to read something lighter now so I don’t become completely paranoid.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Big love xx

The Book Lover’s Bucket List – Caroline Taggart

Good Evening Book Lovers!

How are you all? I do hope May is treating you well and is providing you with some much needed sunshine and lighter days. I have say, it’s glorious not arriving and leaving work in the dark. It definitely does something to your mindset – that’s for sure.

Well, on the eve of the UK opening up a little bit further, following our roadmap out of lockdown, I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you a stunning book I received this week: The Book Lover’s Bucket List by Caroline Taggart. Like the rest of the world, I’ve really missed visiting places, seeing new things and making memories. Don’t get me wrong, I love home and the comforts of home, but I’ve missed exploring too. It’s like we all pressed a pause button on the past year. Yet, we have made it and there are many more beautiful times to come. I, for one, am using this delightful book to make plans for the not too distant future and I literally cannot wait! Thank you so much to The British Library for this copy.

What’s it all about?
First and foremost, this book is stunning. It’s got a beautiful cover and gorgeous coloured and black and white photographs inside – some of which I will share with you. It takes some thought to piece together out literary heritage. There are the obvious places in the United Kingdom that are synonymous with the writers that come from there or wrote there. For example, my beloved hometown of Stratford upon Avon and the playwright William Shakespeare. What this book does beautifully is takes the four corners of the United Kingdom and gives bookworms an itinerary and ‘to visit list’.

The book starts with our capital, London, a hive of literary history. As we read this chapter, we travel from Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey to P.G. Wodehouses’s Mayfair, from the Dickens museum to Dr Johnson’s house. London is a home across decades of literary genius. It also is a home to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre (a place I am still yet to visit!) to Primrose Hill and Regent’s Park – prominent features of the works of Dodie Smith and A.A. Milne. Platform 9 3/4s aside, my second favourite place in London is Paddington Station. Who doesn’t love that little bear and his marmalade sandwiches?

‘…It’s the bronze statue in the station that brings Paddington (Bear not Station) to life…In fact, if you look a little closer, you’ll see that Paddington’s muzzle is a good bit shinier than the rest of him. Lots of passers-by have succumbed to the urge to stroke it.’

From here, we travel to the Southwestern points of England where we encroach upon Agatha Christie’s sublime Devon. The picturesque scenery is one that always makes me feel like I’ve probably rested and rejuvenated myself. One of the most popular and prominent places is of course, Hardy’s Dartmoor.

Central England boasts such names of literary heroes like Philip Pullman, C.S. Lewis and George Bernard Shaw. Years of my own existence have been spent in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford upon Avon, home of Shakespeare’s plays. Somewhere else I really want to visit is D.H. Lawrence’s Birthplace and Museum. I feel in love with Lawrence’s work whilst at university but I fear this is a love I have since neglected.

‘…If you want to make a day of it you can take a walk in Lawrence’s footsteps. Heading northwest out of the village you soon read Colliers Wood Nature Reserve, whose reservoir features as Nethermere in The White Peacock and as Willey Water in Women in Love.’

From here we head towards Eastern England which gives us the locations for George Elliot, Rupert Brooke and W.H Auden and Anna Sewell. Let’s continue to the North of our country where we see names like Elizabeth Gaskell, Ted Hughes, Winifred Holtby and Philip Larkin. I studied at the University of Hull. Larkin runs in the academic blood of the north. One of the most breathtaking places I’ve ever visited is Lyme Park which is a National Trust property. Lyme is infamous for it’s setting of Jane Austen’s BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Know the novel or not – you will absolutely know Colin Firth as the ridiculously handsome, Darcy. The North also gives us the indescribable Lake District, home of Beatrix Potter and the Peter Rabbit stories. Again, I am lucky enough to have visited here but I am desperate to get back.

Wales and Northern Ireland have produced some of the most influential poets we have ever experienced. Poets like William and Dorothy Wordsworth, Dylan Thomas and Seamus Heaney. The beauty of these two locations are seen in countless poems, for us all to enjoy and experience together. Lastly, Scotland too has gifted us with some talented writers over the years too. Who could forget Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and J.M. Barrie. Whether it be their childhood setting or where the most famous books and poems are set, we really are incredibly lucky to have all of these at our fingertips. Who could forget Dunsinane Hill and Birnam Wood, from Macbeth?

‘And here you are, in the very same wood, nearly a thousand years later. Gosh. Pause. Time for tea? There was a nice-looking place just over the bridge. What do you fancy? Eye of newt? Toe of frog? No? Well, I expect they have scones. And we don’t have to talk to each other. We can just sit and read a book.’

Final Thoughts
This book has given me a real boost. Just as the world is waking up again from what feels like a very long hibernation period, we can start to plan and explore and live again. Pick a writer and visit all the places associated with them. Pick a location and see what you learn. Either way, if you love books as much as I do, this book is a must for your shelf. It’s more than that. It needs to be with you at all times, just in case you get an opportunity to explore someone or some place new.

I hope my small glimpse into this book gives you a gentle push to get out there and explore again. Thank you so much to the British Library for sharing this with me. I’ve loved it and will continue to love it the more I experience it. If you see a girl with her head in this book and a range of post-it notes sticking out of the top, the likelihood is, it’s me on my next literary adventure.

Big love all xx

Hungry – Grace Dent

Hi Loves!

How are we all? Hanging on in there?  I do hope so. We are rapidly approaching Christmas and for teachers everywhere, who are still in schools across the country, it means we get a break at long last. I genuinely can’t wait to just stop and recover. I’ve never experienced a term like it. I think I’ve only survived because I’ve had plenty of hot chocolates and delicious food which brings me perfectly to the book I want to share with you today. I read Grace Dent’s Hungry in a day because I just couldn’t put it down. I genuinely adore Grace Dent. She’s an excellent writer: witty and engaging. She also has one of the best jobs in the world (in my opinion) as she is a food critic, writing for the Guardian currently and judging on Masterchef. This book was every foodies delight!

What’s it all about?
This novel is a journey through Dent’s life via the foods that were central at that specific time. We see a love of ‘Sketty’, Cadbury’s Fruit and Nut, butterscotch Angel Delight, just to name a few. Like every story, it begins at the beginning, in the north of the country in Carlisle. Dent’s relationship with her father is moving, emotional and poignant. We get a snapshot of her father in 2017, obviously unwell. In the space of one page we are cast back to younger years, 1980, we see a young girl making dinner with her father. Dent’s mother focuses on home improvements as well as working. We see a very normal domestic setting which is humble and true to itself.

“You’re as thick as bloody thieves, you two.”

Like many little girls, Dent is a Brownie. However, it is obvious that she feels like she isn’t good enough, or others are favourites in comparison to her. We see a charming anecdote about a matchbox competition where the winner of the most items inside a matchbox wins a box of Terry’s Harlequin. Dent and her father work together and manage to get twenty eight items inside. However, ‘Darlene’s’ box seems to be longer and with more items inside. Dent, like the rest of us, learns that life just sometimes is not fair. 

“Somehow I manage not to say some of the best swearwords in my nine-year-old cursing artillery. I do not say ‘piss’ or ‘arse’ or the bizarrely effective showstopper ‘twat’.”

1988 brings the start of the shopping revolution: big shops! Big Asda arrives locally. What this brings is opportunities, not just for a range of food but for literally everything from clothing, toys, key cutting and prescriptions. For anyone who experienced this first hand, I imagine the description runs true. It’s something, foolishly, I’d not considered. I’m just so used to having that level of convenience around. Evidently, this was a complete game changer for everyone at the time. We had access to most things, things we didn’t even realised that we needed. 

“This meant something remarkable – that every day could feel like your birthday at ASDA if you loitered by the Thomas the Tank Engine celebration cakes at closing time, waiting for the appearance of one of Cumbria’s most influential figures: the woman in charge of the reduced sticker gun.”

As Dent grows up, she knows for sure she wants to write and she makes the most out of every opportunity she gets. She dabbles with bits, submitting them along the way to the likes of Cosmopolitan and Chat. She has a difficult decision to make (one that I absolutely can relate to), leave the North for London where there is more of a chance to be successful or stay with her family. She makes the decision to move and lands her first writing job. From here, everything changed. In 1996, at the age of twenty six, we see Dent flying first class to Austria for a freebie trip. It literally changes her life and who can blame her? Who wouldn’t want to have opportunities like these?  

“So now here I was, one year into officially being Editorial Assistant, checking in at the exceedingly grand Hotel Imperial, Vienna, being escorted by the manager to one of their largest suits for a two-night stay. He turned the key in the lock and I squeaked with joy.”

One foodie experience I think many of us can relate to in the book is the Toby Carvery. There will be a Toby Carvery near you, wherever you are in the UK. It’s known for the four choices of meat, limited vegetables and gravy. Despite Dent’s palate developing, expanding and becoming more refined, her parents are the same as ever. A Toby Carvery costs a grand total of £4 each. This is a night out for the family, somewhere he father now only feels comfortable. Despite this being a whole other world to Dent, the family moments are so important to her but it does highlight the different between London and the rest of the country. 

“George, look at her face, look at it! It’s four quid for the carvery! Four! You can’t turn your nose up at that price. Oh, she’s too posh for this now! Too posh!”

The ending of the novel is arguably the most devastatingly beautiful. It is here we see the long time coming diagnoses of dementia for her father and the impact this has on them all. We have hints throughout the book about him forgetting a few things periodically, but it turns into a much bigger issue. There are moments of complete clarity and it is like her father is really back with them. Sometimes there are moments when he has completely gone to somewhere no one can reach him. It is also the part where we learn that Dent’s mother has cancer. Two blows in quick succession means the impact on Dent personally is astronomical. 

“Dementia is really awkward. Not just painful and frightening. Embarrassing. I don’t like to be left alone with Dad… sometimes I can see the terror in his eyes…”

What is clear though, Dent and her father will always have Cadbury’s Fruit and Nut to bring them back to the moment, back to their sense of reality. The ending of this novel is one of hope, despite all the adversity. Hope for the future, hope for food to continue shaping our lives and providing us with new experiences and ultimately bringing us all together again. 

“Sometimes I feel like – am – I am – ppphhh.”
“Shall we have a bit of chocolate?”
‘I take the bar of Dairy Milk Fruit and Nut we got him for Christmas. His eyes light up.’
“My chocolate.”

Final Thoughts
There’s so much about this book I genuinely love. If like me, you wanted to push yourself to read more non-fiction, then absolutely start here. If you love food, then this is definitely for you too! There are plenty of other anecdotes that we can all relate to in here. I hope this gives you just enough to get your taste buds going! Recently, I also attended a Zoom event where Grace discussed her book and left that feeling moved and inspired. This book is such an unsung hero. It’s painfully real. I feel so lucky to have a signed copy too! (See above!) 

Continue to stay safe and well all. 

Big love all xxx

The Language of Kindness – Christie Watson

Hello Lovelies!

Happy 2019! We’re already 12 days in so I hope it’s treating you kindly. I am reading my third book of 2019, so I’m feeling quite pleased. My reading challenge for this year is to pick one book from the Waterstones ‘Book of the Month’ list. This is one of their choices! And what a choice it is!

Today I want to share with you a review of one of the books I’ve read: The Language of Kindness by Christie Watson. This book moved me and left me feeling immense admiration of our NHS and the people who work for them. She gives nurse a voice.

What’s it all about?

Written through the eyes of Christie Watson, a nurse for 20 years, we see what life was really like during her career. The novel moves from her first days as a student days, to becoming a mentor for fresh and new nurses to being a senior nurse, leaving the profession. It all begins when Watson is seventeen years old. A touch I really liked what a quotation about nursing at the start of each chapter. This is her story.

‘Twenty years in nursing has taken so much from me, but has given me back even more.’

As a resuscitation nurse, the role is incredibly varied across the whole hospital. We see through her eyes the memory of Crash Calls, where time is crucial in saving lives. One of the first places we see is A&E. Like myself, you all have probably seen what A&E looks like in this country, particularly over the weekend. However, everyone has to pull together as a team, as shown by Watson’s narrative. Life is so fragile and delicate. A&E reminds us of this on a daily basis.

‘Every day is intensely felt and examined, and truly lived. But my hand always shakes when I push open the door – even now, after many years as a nurse.’

The decision for Watson to become a mental-health nurse was influenced by many things, especially her mother. On her first day, we as readers get to feel the same sense of trepidation as she does. Unable to sleep due to feelings of nervousness, Watson prepares herself for the first day of the rest of her nursing career. Following her mentor, Sue, Watson meets one of her first patients: Derek. Derek had stopped taking his medication and was convinced that people were trying to steal parts of his body. Over time Watson could see improvements in Derek. He seems calmer, less angry and more centred. Sadly, Derek tries to commit suicide.

‘Derek’s face is full of fear. I want to scoop him up somehow. To wrap him in a blanket and keep him safe.’

We are then taken to see the journey of new life: the labour and birth of a baby. Shadowing a midwife, Frances, we are allowed into the world of a new mum-to-be, Scarlett. The description of childbirth is all too familiar for many of us but this was Watson’s first birth. We feel her fears that scream out of the page. The description oozes accurate emotions. The retelling of these events make the strongest of us feel slightly squeamish. However, it’s the strength of women that shine through. Women are having babies all the time and midwives are the ones helping to bring them safely into this world.

‘The air is different. The world is different. My student nurse’s dress collar is wet with tears, but they continue to fall. I am in total amazement at women, at midwives, at humanity.’

Nurses know, only too well, the balance between life and death. After changing to be a children’s nurse, Watson shares an emotional day at work. The death of a child is always incomprehensible but it’s worse when you know the families. Stuart, a fellow nurse, has had a beautiful baby boy who is healthy. However, he becomes terribly sick with no signs. He’s admitted to the ward where Stuart works. The team of staff there are experts with years of clinical experience. However, this little baby doesn’t survive.

‘There is a terrifying pause, then a few seconds of silence, before she slowly shakes her head. Sometimes, even as a novice, I understand that there simply is no meaning.’

The majority of nurse show real compassion. Baby Emmanuel was born prematurely at twenty-four weeks. He’s tiny and the odds are stacked against him. However, since his birth the nurses are aware that his mother, Joy, has not yet had the chance to hold her baby son, to have the contact they need to strengthen their bond. Watson gives this mother the moment she needs. It’s high risk, he’s attached to many tools keeping him alive, but it is something that that mother needs. This scene moved me immensely. The compassion and consideration nurses have for their patients fills the room.

‘He looks at his mum for the longest time without blinking, and she looks back at him, and in a few short minutes they fall in love.’

Not every story has a happy ending, life teaches us that. Yet, nurses fill their days with care, trust and compassion. The most emotive part of the book was Watson sharing the illness (lung cancer) and subsequent death of her father. Watson isn’t the nurse this time, she is the patient’s daughter. Nurse Cheryl is there. She knows pain before her father feels it. She laughs with him, keeps the family together in their final moments. She knows to open his eyes so husband and wife can see each other. She knows to give a gentle nod of strength at the funeral. This nurse remains with the family until the very end. For Watson, her nurse instincts tell her to try and save his life, even though she knows it is futile.

‘Today I am not a resuscitation nurse. I am not even a nurse. I am a daughter. And it hurts. Everything hurts.

It is this part of the book that had me crying my eyes out. Nurses feel our pain. We are all human and the only thing we can ever be sure of is death. We see mini episodes where nurses will wait until relatives are there, know what the families need to hear. That resilience to keep going to give families their last moments together is very special. Nurses are the beating heart of the NHS.

‘Of course she was a professional. But she was more than that. To my family, she was our nurse. To my dad, she was his friend.’

The novel ends with the right now. Staff are facing burn out, exhaustion and anxiety. Watson is well aware and has seen for herself ‘bad’ nursing. There’s no excuse for patronising, dismissive and a lack of sympathy. As a patient you are vulnerable, embarrassed, feeling like you’re taking up too much time for the staff who have probably been at work for twelve hours. Yet, there is hope. For Watson’s final day as a nurse, it is just as eventful as the rest of her career: crash calls, a birth, A&E. Life goes on but the message is, we do it together.

‘Hold my hand tightly. Let us fling open the door and find whatever we find, face all the horror and beauty of life. Let us really live. Together, our hands will not shake.’

Final thoughts:

This novel reminds me so much of This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay. From a nurses perspective we hear their voice. Life is hard in hospitals. Helping the very sick and vulnerable has a massive impact on those administering care. I’m grateful for those wonderful nurses who spend their lives bringing comfort to their patients. This book moved me immensely and it is a book we all absolutely have to read.

Big love. X

2018 Summary

Hello Everyone!

As we approach the end of 2018, I wanted to take the opportunity to reflect upon the books I’ve read this year and share some of my favourites with you all. Some of these books I’ve discovered because of you lovely people.

This year I managed to read a total of 64 books. Whilst I’ve not met my 100 target, it’s much improved from the total read last year which was 36.

My list is as follows:

Anonymous The Secret Teacher
Anonymous William and Evelyn De Morgan
Arden, Katherine The Bear and the Nightingale
Arden, Katherine The Girl in the Tower
Banksy Wall and Piece
Barr, Emily The Truth and Lies of Ella Black
Baum, Lyman Frank The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus
Botton, Alain de The Course of Love
Bramley, Cathy Hetty’s Farmhouse Bakery
Briggs, Raymond The Snowman
Brookner, Anita Hotel du Lac
Bythell, Shaun The Diary of a Bookseller
Callow, Simon Dickens’ Christmas: A Victorian Celebration
Christie, Agatha Crooked House
Curtis, Richard Four Weddings and a Funeral
de Waal, Kit The Trick to Time
Dickens, Charles A Christmas Carol
Dinsdale, Robert The Toy Makers
Elphinstone, Abi Sky Song
Fletcher, Stephanie E-mail: A Love Story
Folbigg, Zoe The Note
Galbraith, Robert Lethal White
George, Nina The Little Breton Bistro
Griffin, Ella The Memory Shop
Hamid, Mohsin Exit West
Hamid, Mohsin The Reluctant Fundamentalist
Harris, Joanne The Lollipop Shoes
Hislop, Victoria Cartes Postales from Greece
Hosseini, Khaled Sea Prayer
Kay, Adam This is Going to Hurt
Kerr, Judith When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit
KET Planet Banksy
Lafaye, Vanessa Miss Marley
Laurain, Antoine The Red Notebook
Lewis, Christina & Fuller, Katy Land of Green Ginger
Maria Rilke, Rainer Letters to a Young Poet
McCaughrean, Geraldine Where the World Ends
Miller, Andy The Year of Reading Dangerously
Miller, Ben The Night I Met Father Christmas
Morpurgo, Michael The Snowman
Morris, Heather The Tattooist of Auschwitz
Obama, Michelle Becoming
Pavese, Cesare The Beautiful Summer
Perry, Annika The Storyteller Speaks
Priestley, J.B An Inspector Calls
Purcell, Laura The Silent Companions
Purcell, Laura The Corset
Quigley, Alex Closing the Vocabulary Gap
Rae, Simon The Faber Book of Christmas
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Rudnick, Elizabeth Christopher Robin
Schwartz, Kyle I Wish My Teacher Knew
Smith, Dodie I Capture the Castle
Sparks, Nicholas Safe Haven
Stempel, John Lewis The Wood
Trigiani, Adriana The Supreme Macaroni Company
Vickers, Salley The Librarian
Waller, Robert James The Bridges of Madison County
Winterson, Jeanette Christmas Days
Woodfine, Katherine The Midnight Peacock
Young, Louisa My Dear, I Wanted to Tell You
Youngson, Anne Meet Me At The Muesum
Yousafzai, Malala I Am Malala
Zafron, Carlos Ruiz The Shadow of the Wind

2018 has been an amazing year for books. There’s been some absolute knockouts that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading. Some I’ve reviewed to share with you all, others I’ve not quite had chance to review yet.

I personally believe that this year has been one of the best for books. Just look how beautiful The Faber Book of Christmas is with its fabric covering from Liberty’s. So lush!

This year I’ve decided to share with you my top 5 Fiction and Non Fiction books that I’ve read. Non Fiction is normally not my cup of tea. Nevertheless, I’m equally surprised to confess that this list was easier to compose than the Fiction list!

My top 5 Non Fiction books of 2018

1. Becoming – Michelle Obama. What a lady! She’s such an inspiration and I felt even more strongly about this after finishing this book. A honest and humble lady making this is lovely read.
2. I am Malala – Malala Yousafzai. Wow. What an absolutely incredible young lady. A trust inspiration who is still comparing for girls education today. Read my review here.
3. The Diary of a Bookseller – Shaun Bythell. This book really strengthened my love for independent booksellers. This book provided a brutally honest and often funny account. Read my review here.
4. This is Going to Hurt – Adam Kay. I laughed and I cried whilst reading this book. Refreshingly honest and all too real as it provides an insight into our National Health Service. Read my review here.
5. Wall and Piece – Banksy. I am ever so slightly obsessed with Banksy and this book is a beautiful collection of his work. I was especially excited when a Banksy appeared in Hull back in January. Hull has a Banksy!

My top 5 Fiction books of 2018:

1. The Toy Makers – Robert Dinsdale. This book has been my favourite book of 2018. I absolutely loved it, every chapter, every page. It took me on a journey where I just could not put it down. I would go as far as saying this is one of my favourite books ever. Read my review here.
2. The Silent Companions – Laura Purcell. This book was absolutely terrifyingly good. It’s easily a book that grips people. I loved loved loved it. I really need to review this to spread the word. However, at this stage: trust me!
3. The Bear and the Nightingale – Katherine Arden. This book was a complete surprise. I’d never even heard of it until The Orangutan Librarian posted about it. I’ve never looked back. I can’t wait for January when the third book is out. Read my review here.
4. Lethal White – Robert Galbraith. As we all know, I am a huge fan and this book was just as excellent as the first, second and third. I enjoy the thrill of solving out the puzzle and the ‘who done it?’ concept.
5. The Storyteller Speaks – Annika Perry. This is my dear friend Annika, her first book, which was amazing. Filled with numerous short stories about an eclectic mix of topics. Read my review here.

2018 was also the first year I took part in a reading challenge. Penguin’s Read The Year Challenge was awesome because I was able to read new and exciting book based on a variety of themes. As a reader, I tend to stick to what I know – classics and new fiction really. However, this really gave me new opportunities to branch out. You can recap all my RTY posts here. I’ll be doing the same next year so stay tuned. RTY with Penguin.

All that is left to say is Happy New Year!! I can’t wait to continue my WordPress journey with you lovely bloggers. I hope 2019 brings you peace, happiness and plenty of good books!

Big love all xx