That's right! GOOGLE it!
So that was the way I stumbled into the magical world that is bookstagram, and the great bookish community there. Half of my TBR list comes from the people who so generously share their book recommendation with the world - yes, I blame YOU for the Alpine mountain range that is my TBR pile!
This milestone made me reflect on my love for reading, and how books have always been a big part of my life. Some of these faithful companions have been with me through many moves and life changes and hold special memories. They have helped me through my tumultuous teens and then seen my babies being born and growing up. They have been stowaways in my suitcase on overseas holidays and have been lent to good friends with the words: "you have to read this!" I still turn to them like an old friend in times of a crisis or when I need a shoulder to lean on.
5 comfort reads that hold special memories for me:
The Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley: I first read this brilliantly written retelling of the King Arthur legend whilst staying with my grandparents one hot sultry summer in my teens. I remember the magical world it transported me into, and how I rambled among some old Celtic burial sites in the countryside, dreamily imagining Morgaine's world. I have read it many times since, and passed it on to my daughter to read, who loved it just as much as I did.
Blackberry Wine, by Joanne Harris: I first read this bitter-sweet coming-of-age story when travelling around Australia in a caravan with two small children, and Jay's friendship with Jackapple Joe brought back a lot of childhood memories of spending time in my grand-aunt's magical garden and her cellar, where she brewed wine from various fruit growing in her orchard. Cheers to you, Auntie Mitzi, and the magical memories you left me with! The book has one of the most unusual narrators I have ever encountered - a bottle of wine!
The Bronze Horseman, by Paullina Simons: we had only just moved into our house when I first red this classic story of love and war, which is one of the most touching and harrowing stories of WW2 I have ever read. Based on the life story of the author's grandparents, it tells of the great love between young and pretty Tatiana Metanov to Alexander Belov, a soldier in the Red Army, during the siege of Leningrad. My grandfather, who had been a prisoner of war during WW2 in Russia, told some frightening tales of the Russian winter and the slaughter he miraculously survived, so this book touched a special nerve for me.
Shadow of the Moon, by M. M. Kaye: I remember travelling around Europe one hot summer and lying in the bunk of a caravan trying to get my baby to sleep with the sound of crickets and roosters crowing in the fields outside. This tumultuous tale set in India during a time of revolt against the British Raj, including the bloody massacre at Meerut,provided some vivid armchair and time travel!
The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck: I first came across this book on my Dad's bookshelf when I was about ten years old. At the time, my mother was in hospital and couldn't take us to the library, and being a fast reader even then I had long run out of books. I desperately needed something to read, so I smuggled it into my bedroom and sat up long into the night, secretly reading under the covers with my torch. Steinbeck's vivid descriptions of hardship and hunger in 1930's America gave me nightmares for weeks!To celebrate the anniversary of my Bookstagram account and my life-long love story with book, I want to make wishes come true. I am giving away a book of your choice (up to the value of A$30).
This competition is open internationally, as long as Book Depository or Amazon deliver to your country and the book is available at the time. Just head over to my IG account (link) and tell me which book you would choose, and tell me of a book that holds special memories for you.
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