I love books. I love buying books, and fairly often I actually read the books I’ve bought. I don’t feel guilty about buying books for some reason, however, I am trying to be good and buy them from Wob, rather than Amazon.
I said to some friends recently, if you can’t find me, most likely I’ll be lost in thought in the Wandsworth Waterstones. The baby comes with me often, dozing in his pram, whilst I peruse. I love that the ‘Nature’ section is now so large, and that the ‘Gardening’ section is no longer so stuffy. Books, books, and more books on wildness and green, and the sea and the countryside.
I am also an avid browser of the ‘Self-Help’ section, I love it, as my sisters will attest, I’ve read them all and most likely remember nothing, but I always hope that a little piece of wisdom has entered my psyche and is helping me towards wherever it is I am going.
And novels. For me these are felt out, usually a fairly slow narrative, more often about feelings rather than happenings. But not always, I do like a good murder mystery, sometimes a love story, and definitely a world that is slightly different to our own.
Someone told me the other day that their friend only reads books that will make other people think they are intelligent, clever, cultured etc.
It blew my mind. To primarily read a book, in order to be able to tell someone (or hope they notice) that you’ve read it, with the hope (presumably) that you go up in their estimation. This seems too sad.
For me, it’s personal. I don’t care whether you respect the book, whether you want to read it, whether you are interested that I am reading it. I read to enjoy, to cope, to laugh, to cry, to escape, to learn.
Reading hasn’t been top of my agenda recently, sleepless nights with a tiny sleep stealer. However, I have been getting snippets in here and there, keeping me sane most likely.
So below, in no particular order, are some books I’ve enjoyed, and thought about, and felt were important at the time, and perhaps I’ll come back to them again.
Alice x
Nature - I’m not sure why I haven’t read this before, beautiful thoughts and words, trees, Suffolk and a life.
Wildwood, A Journey Through Trees, Roger Deakin
Gardens - About all the important people, quirky passions and livelihoods and places.
Head Gardeners, Ambra Edwards
Growing - you might actually be able to grow flowers from seed in your own garden after reading this - and they didn’t always know how to grow stuff.
How to Grow the Flowers, Marianne Mogendorff & Camila Romain
Time - this is so much more than time management - should be a philosophy on how to live well, now.
Four Thousand Weeks, Oliver Burkeman
Life - I think this is important, she lives it, and is asking the questions we all need to be asking.
This One Wild and Precious Life, Sarah Wilson
Food - food you actually want to eat, with ingredients you can actually buy.
The Farm Table, Julius Roberts
Not So Much Food - good solid no nonsense lifestyle advice, champagne included.
French Women Don’t Get Fat, Mireille Guiliano
Movement - a wonderful peaceful breathing place, making space to allow for Motherhood, and really good how to do yoga illustrations.
Naomi Annand, Yoga for Motherhood
Stories - A story rooted in trees - may make you want to be a tree hugger, or perhaps you’ll chuck it straight on the bonfire.
The Over Story, Richard Powers
The Love Story - it was so good, and it took me by surprise, and I know absolutely nothing about computer games.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin
Books - a book about books that makes you want to read even more books (or at least add them to your reading pile).
What Writers Read, Pandora Sykes
