A NEW BOOK

I’m the sort of person who has several books on the go at once, so it was a joy and delight to receive the book that is the subject of my Blip today from someone I have never met.

I have been following a new Blipper, AMK81, and when she quoted something the other day that resonated with me, I asked where the quote came from so she told me about this book, “Notes on a Nervous Planet” by Matt Haig.  She said that she had finished reading it, so if I would like to have it, she would post it to me - an offer I couldn’t refuse, so thank you very much for your kindness.

I then asked her if she had read “The Light Between Oceans” by M L Stedman, and she hadn’t - so a great Blip swap was done via Royal Mail.  I have read it three times and seen the film, which was very faithful to the book, so I hope she enjoys reading it. 

I’m sure I shall enjoy reading this book, (and did sit down with a cup of coffee to have a browse this afternoon) although from what I can see, it is one that is more of a “dipping into” book, rather than a “reading from cover to cover at one sitting” type of book.  It is also one of those books that makes you think - so perhaps I shall do a lot more of that whilst reading.

I am also reading a book entitled “Midwinter Break” by Bernard MacLaverty - which I saw as a Book Review in a newspaper a couple of weeks ago - I checked our local library and it was on the shelf, so this has been my bedtime reading for a few days.  

I was only saying to another Blipper recently that whenever I see a new word, I always look it up and there have been several in this particular book.  Am I the only one who didn’t know that “bibulous” meant “excessively fond of drinking alcohol”?  Thinking about it, that’s probably where the word “imbibe” comes from - but I must say I am not particularly fond of alcohol, although have been known to drink the odd glass of wine with our evening meal;  however, I certainly cannot be described as "bibulous"! 

This book has also made references to other books and poems and one I really liked was a poem entitled “Late Fragment” by Raymond Carver, who apparently had a problem with drink, (as does the male character in the book - but I won’t say more in case anyone wants to read it).  Carver also wrote short stories, so I may have to take another trip to the library to look on the shelves again. 

“And did you get what
you wanted from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on the earth.”
Raymond Carver : 1938-1988

P.S.  If anyone would like the recipe for Auntie Molly's Apple Chutney, it is on a response I made yesterday to DeirdreB.  The taster pot was delicious - now we just need to leave the other jars to mature.