An evening of chatting to my favourite ladies, indulging in a glass of wine, perusing a lovely selection of books and having a good excuse to cook up something delicious was just what was needed after this last week. The kid helped me get ready (I'm proud to say we have a very enthusiastic junior member in the making here). She picked the flowers, set the table and got to stay up a bit late, eating chocolate mousse and listening to the conversation.
Afterwards, in the quiet of guests gone home, sleeping little ones and the twinkling harbour lights watched from the couch on the veranda, I took a moment to consider this idea, put so well by E.B. White:
"A library is a good place to go when you feel unhappy, for there, in a book, you may find encouragement and comfort. A library is a good place to go when you feel bewildered or undecided, for there, in a book, you may have your question answered. Books are good company, in sad times and happy times, for books are people - people who have managed to stay alive by hiding between the covers of a book."
Some will look at your delicious photos and ask for your recipe. I am distracted from the colorful food and warm table setting by the books and feel compelled to ask: Which did you choose? Which are your favorites? It's a bit like asking for a recipe, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteYou're so right! Books can be swapped like recipes according to taste and mood. I guess that's why I enjoy our book club so much - it allows me to taste a variety of books I might not have gone for on my own.
DeleteI picked "My Salinger Year" by Joanna Rakoff. It's a coming-of-age story of a talented writer with glimpses behind the iconic Salinger. It's a real book about books and about writing. I've had my nose in it ever since - every minute I can get and am enjoying it immensely.
Other than that I'm a bit Donna Tartt fan, I have enjoyed the effortless entertainment offered by Robert Galbraith and South African Lauren Beukes ("The Shining Girls"), can't get enough of Ian McEwan... lets just say we have a book club box that is full to bursting point with books I really want to read!
Now, if only I could find the time!