Curl up and read a good book

This is definitely the time of year to curl up and read a good book. The weather is still dark and dreary and the days can sometimes seem interminably long. Losing oneself in a good book can really help us to stay as calm and centered as possible.

I have added an outfit that I feel would be just perfect to lounge around in and really relax.

Details of above:

Organic cotton zipped track top Everlane |Queen Bees Amazon |Turquoise Wool throw JL&P |Slipper boots JL&P |Organic cotton wide-leg track pant Everlane |Teal/ink pattern cushion JL&P.

As promised I will be writing one post a month on the books I have read recently. I invite you all to join in via the comments section and share the books that you have been enjoying.

I am currently reading “Queen Bees” on my kindle. Queen Bees is about six brilliant and extraordinary society hostesses set between the first and second world wars. Gossipy, light and fun.

Curl up and read a good book

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. I have just finished this novel and really loved it. Very uplifting for our age group. We may have a few years under our belts but we can still engage with life and use our mental capacities to solve mysteries.

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins – Can’t remember how I came across this book, probably scrolling through best sellers. It does contain violence; however if you can get over that it is very compelling. I would describe it as a page-turner with cliff-hanging moments.

The Gift by Edith Eger – Edith is an amazing woman. I read her autobiography and listened to a recent interview she gave with Dr. Chattergee. You can listen to the podcast here. I love Dr. Chattergee’s podcasts and often listen to them when I am preparing the evening meal.

Feline Philosophy – by John Gray. Cats and the meaning of life. This book was a Christmas present from my husband. I am a great lover of cats. This book is fascinating as it explores how cats live their lives in relation to humans. It is not a novel so I dip in when I am in the mood. There are some valuable lessons to be learned especially in relation to the current situation.

Excellent review in The Guardian.

Slow Learning

A long time reader of my blog Maureen Casey contacted me recently about her families very adventurous new venture. So over to Maureen to tell you all about slow learning and how she took her production company on line.

Over the last year as a family we decided to see if we could turn our production company Riversmeet into an online entity so we could carry on with our creative endeavours.

One of our projects has been to develop Slow Learning courses. We started with some of the books our friends told us they had always wanted to read but had failed for a variety of reasons. My partner’s favourite book of all time is Ulysses and since September we’ve had a group working through it very slowly and to their amazement having a lot of fun! We provided them with a short video introduction to each chapter and then two weeks later we all had something between a discussion and a seminar about what we’d read. The point is to enjoy the process there are no prizes! 

What has reading Virginia Woolf and James Joyce got to do with an Italian protest against the opening of a MacDonalds in Rome’s Piazza di Spagna in 1984? Well that lone protester inspired the Slow Food movement. Over the next forty years we’ve seen the emergence of a range of ‘Slow’ movements from cities through to my favourite Slow Fashion with its emphasis on ethical production and sustainability. Essentially it’s about making  thoughtful purchases that will have a place in our wardrobes and give us pleasure for many years and respect the people involved in the supply chain. 

So back to Virginia Woolf and James Joyce. We started talking about how watching films or reading books can often be an equivalent of the fast food experience, tasty at the time but quickly forgettable and ultimately not very satisfying. That’s not to say that there’s anything wrong with a Netflix series binge over a weekend just as we enjoy the occasional Friday night take away curry or pizza but many of us are craving something more.

Some books, like some meals are complex and are best savoured and sometimes we benefit from someone alongside who can shine a light for us along the way. 

Our next endeavor is Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway. To our amazement we realised that it couldn’t be more appropriate, we had never noticed before that Clarissa Dalloway is recovering from the Spanish Flu pandemic. Starting March 22^nd 2021. 

For further details click here RiversmeetProductions/MrsDalloway

Do join in and leave your book recommendations in the comments below.

If you missed my film review post you can catch up here.