Saturday, March 28, 2020

30 Chic Days at Home - Day 9 - Read a Good Book

Vanesa Conunaese, Unsplash
One of my very favourite self-soothing activities is to get engrossed in a novel.  I love non-fiction, and of course the books I write are non-fiction, but there's nothing like a good story to carry you away.

I've just finished 'Grown Ups' by Marian Keyes and it was SO GOOD.  I do like a satisfying read.  And then I went back to Penny Vincenzi's 'A Question of Trust'.  I put it down for 'Grown Ups' and to be honest it's not the fastest moving book (but I know it'll be good so I will persevere.)  Penny is well known for writing really, really long books; this one is over 600 pages.  Thank goodness it's on my Kindle is all I can say, because imagine holding that paperback up in bed to read it.  My favourite from this author so far was 'A Perfect Heritage' which is set in the cosmetic world in 1950s London.  Delicious.

And before 'Grown Ups' was 'What Happens Now' by Sophia Money-Coutts.  Oh my, she is so funny.  This is her second book and I love both of them. She is obviously very posh (how can you not be with that surname?) and her books are quite posh too, but wickedly funny and quite rude in parts.

Isn't it fantastic that we have these make-believe worlds to disappear into when the news all gets too much?  I love that feeling you get when you are so happy with the book you are reading and you can't wait to get back to it.  I often find that I can enjoy a book more by reading it faster too.  When I think a book is a bit slow for me (like poor old Penny's), it's because I have been reading it too slow.  Ten minutes at bedtime is not going to get me through any book and keep my interest!

That happened with 'Grown Ups' actually.  For whatever reason I didn't give it a good start and so thought I wasn't that into it.  But I put my foot on the accelerator and became wrapped up, and I'm so glad I did.

Please share the latest books you've read if you enjoyed them.  I've already got too many to-reads on my list but you know I'll sneak in another.  I can't help myself :)

xx Fiona

5 comments:

  1. I had started Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope and really love it, but it's in an anthology by the author, which means the book is huge and heavy even though the type is microscopic. When my eyes are tired, I can't make out anything.
    I just started "My Brilliant Friend" by Elena Ferrante. Here's how good it is: I am totally sucked in after the first few pages despite the fact that I'm reading it in French (all I could get at the library, before the libraries were closed). The places are so real and vivid, I can almost smell them.

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  2. Fiona, I loved this! I am part way through Grown Ups and love it. Marian Keyes is one of my favourite authors and I'm so happy she has a new book out right now with all of this extra time for reading. I'm going to check out Sophia Money-Coutts as well (just the name inspires!) I've just read House of Trelawney by Hannah Rothschild and it's another fun world in which to disappear. Thank heavens for novels! Stay safe!

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  3. I think you'd love Paris by Megan Hess, if you don't already have it. It's like a trip to the best hotels, most fashionable shops and the most fabulous places to eat in the city of light without leaving your cozy sofa. I suggest anyone reading this check it out on amazon & click "look inside" just to enjoy the generous sampling of artwork.

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  4. I'm reading I'll Never Be French No Matter What I Do" by Mark Greenside. I just have the sample on my kindle but I'm planning to buy it as I've laughed my way through the first pages. I find reading something uplifting helps for me. I also have a few non-fiction (yours) and my favorites one being God on a Harley by Joan Brady about a nurse (as she is one like me). Stay safe everyone and happy reading. I go between books, television and internet.

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  5. I flew through the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy earlier this year and have been looking for something similar since. I read one of the books in a day, I just couldn't put them down!

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Merci for your comment. Wishing you a chic day!