Escape into a book this Festive Season! Here are some of my favourites...

When we need inspiration or to get away from troubled times, a book can be both a catalyst and a refuge, if need be... a way to open our hearts and minds to a different world.
Walt Disney was right when he said:
"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island"! 


I'm sure you will have dipped into the great classics by Shakespeare, Jane Austen, DH Lawrence... so I have chosen to recommend books written more recently. It's a diverse choice - and how to limit it to 8? - listed in no particular order. Some fiction, some non-fiction, some long, some short, and all, in my humble opinion, extraordinary. Perhaps you might like to try one or two, if you haven't come across them before?   

The Children Act by Ian McEwan, a taut, thought-provoking, legal - and human - story.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Devastating youthful determination in time of conflict. 
The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng. Far Eastern war story with an African connection 
Owls of the Eastern Ice by Jonathan C Slaght. The search for the world's largest owl amid daunting terrain and wild weather.
Peaches for Monsieur le Cure by Joanne Harris. Simply delicious.
The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith. Seen the film? Prepare to be terrified even more by the original book.
Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen. The Boss reveals a fluent prose style on the long road to success.
Death in Holy Orders by PD James. The master of literary crime fiction at her best. 

Happy reading! 
And a peaceful 2024...