Goodreads: March Recently Read (So far!)

Goodreads: March Recently Read (So far!)

Friday, 24 March 2017

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I’ve had a very hectic few weeks – starting a new job, having even more job interviews and working out where I’ll be in the coming months- but luckily, in spite of this chaos, I’ve been able to keep on top of my reading and get through some absolutely fantastic books this month. I’ve actually been quite adventurous and have read a couple of non fiction texts alongside my usual novels… who would have thought it?

One of the first books I managed to get my teeth sunk into this month was When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi. This one was one that I have had on my radar for a little while, having seen it all over the place – reviews on blogs and in newspapers, recommended reads in bookstores – so buying a copy was always on my agenda. I picked it up and finished it within a day or two, which really does illuminate just how good of a book it was. It was absolutely devastating- a young man in his thirties who had dedicated over ten years of his life to surgery and medicine discovers that he is absolutely riddled with lung cancer. He is no longer doctor and takes on the role of patient, writing down his experience and the feelings that he has throughout this incredibly difficult time period. I won’t spoil the ending but I will say that I absolutely sobbed my heart out at multiple points-  the story is a true one, after all.

Having been emotionally destroyed by When Breath Becomes Air, I wanted something a little bit more cheery to read next. Another book that I’d had in my Amazon basket for quite a while was The Penguin Lessons by Tom Michell, so this was the book I picked up next. I am very, very pleased to say that The Penguin Lessons was everything I needed to pick me right back up again- and more. Another non-fiction text, the story follows Tom on his gap year in Argentina, where, on a weekend break in Uruguay, he discovers a single, living penguin on a beach covered in dead ones. He takes the penguin (who he later names Juan Salvador) back to the apartment he is staying in to clean it up, before attempting to return it to the beach: I say attempting, quite frankly, because little Juan Salvador refuses to leave Tom and instead he finds himself smuggling the penguin across the Uruguayan/Argentine border and installing it in the International school where he teachers English. The book is beautifully written, joyful and just a downright lovely book to read. I’d read it over and over again.

I absolutely love watching Sanne’s (booksandquills) videos on youtube and she recommended reading Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler in one of her videos. I bought it on a whim whilst browsing in Waterstones (mostly because it’s a retelling of the Taming of the Shrew- my favourite Shakespeare play) and I am very glad I did as it is absolutely fantastic. Kate, the protagonist, is asked by her dad, a mad scientist, to consider marrying his lab assistant. Why, you may ask? Why, to get him a Green Card of course. The novel plays on so many different themes and has the most delightful prose throughout it – it’s definitely one you have to read to truly believe how good it is.

My final book of the last few weeks is, of course, a psychological thriller- I wouldn’t be me otherwise, would I? My colleague Denise has been telling me to read Behind Closed Doors by B. A.Paris for pretty much the entire time I’ve been working with her (around a year) and I’ve FINALLY done as I was told and got myself through it. It really didn’t take much – I powered through the entire thing in a matter of an evening and I didn’t look back once. It was PHENONEMAL. There’s been a LOT of hype surrounding this book and I’m slightly ashamed to say that this did actually put me off a little bit – I fully expected to be disappointed and underwhelmed but that most certainly was not the case here at all. It was tense, it was intriguing and I felt myself instantly sucked into the tale. I’m really excited to read more of B. A. Paris’s books after reading this one!

What have you been reading so far this month? Let me know!

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Travel: Un tour de la France en Cinq Jours - Part 2 - (A few hours in) MONTPELLIER

Travel: Un tour de la France en Cinq Jours - Part 2 - (A few hours in) MONTPELLIER

Monday, 20 March 2017

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Continuing on from my TOUR DE LA FRANCE EN CINQ JOURS, PART ONE:

After a relatively early night the night before, I woke up bright and early (aka, at 6am- horrendous) ready to get the high-speed train from Bordeaux to Montpellier, for a very brief stay there before my train to Avignon to see Joe. My train was at 7.30, which was a crime upon itself and the journey was scheduled to take around 5 hours: not bad, considering I was essentially going from one side of France to the other. I arrived at Gare St Jean in the centre of Bordeaux in plenty of time, treated myself to a café avec lait soja and a pain au chocolat, a couple of French magazines and made my way to the platform.

I’m not a morning person, at all, in spite of my daily early mornings at school. Couple that with France obviously operating entirely in the French language, and I was a very grumpy Hol. I sat down in my reserved seat (top tip: intercité trains in front have COMPULSARY reservations on them. You can’t just get on and hope for the best…) Sat across from me was a middle-aged French woman, who took it upon herself to make best friends with me and insist on conversation for the vast majority of the trip. If not for the fact that I knocked my kindle over onto her hand about an hour into the journey, she probably would have nattered to me for the entire five hours’ train ride. Excellent way to practice my French, but I wanted nothing more than to watch my film (The Theory of Everything) and have a nap.

Montpellier and Bordeaux couldn’t be more different, as far as cities are concerned. Whilst Bordeaux was vast and gothic, leaving me feeling very overwhelmed and awe-filled, Montpellier was the exact opposite: small and incredibly reflective of its Mediterranean coastal position, Montpellier is lined with palm trees and has a beautifully dazzling square. I got off the train at the train station with a spring in my step, ready to explore another beautiful new French city. I grabbed a sandwich and an Orangina from a little store near the station and settled myself in the cutest little park to eat an early lunch. I planned on exploring the city centre quite quickly, as I only had a few hours before I was due to get the train to Avignon to meet my friend Joe, and this definitely wasn’t an issue as the city is a lot smaller than I thought it’d be. I visited the Place de la Comédie, first of all, a recommendation from someone who’d lived in Montpellier in the past and checked out the gorgeous architecture and a beautiful fountain, sculptured by Etienne Dantoine, called La Fontaine des Trois Grâces. I spent the rest of my afternoon wandering through the windy streets of Montpellier, taking in all of the beautiful buildings and having a glance into some of the wonderful shops that Montpellier has to offer.

I must admit, the weather in Montpellier definitely added to its attractiveness and it was nice to be able to sit in the sun for a little while and just relax. Whilst wandering, I came across the most incredible artwork on the side of a building. At this point, it was getting to the point where I needed to be heading on my way and so I made my way back to the centre of Montpellier and the train station. Typically, my train to Avignon was delayed (the French do like their delays and grèves) so I had the pleasure of an hour sat out in the sun, reading my book and taking full advantage of the beautiful rays of the South of France.

I’ll definitely be heading back to France at some point to explore Montpellier more. It was a beautiful city with the most fantastic weather: it’d be great to go back there in the summer and see some of the sights that I didn’t have time to this time!

Have you ever been to Montpellier? What were your thoughts? Let me know!

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