Romance and fantasy are two genres I
have faithfully avoided since my twenties, convinced that they were not for me.
So it is with some surprise that I admit I was wrong! It just goes to show that
sometimes it is necessary to step outside my reading comfort zone to discover
some new and fun adventures.
DREAMER’S POOL by Julie Marillier
This was my friend’s choice in our
real life bookclub and she announced it with a cheeky sideways glance at my
eye-rolling self as I snorted: “Fantasy????? But I never read fantasy!” So it
was much to both our surprise that my reluctance soon turned into frantic
page-turning as the story took hold and swept me away in its wake. By Chapter 3
I was fully engrossed in the world Marillier had created here, and I just loved
the character of Blackthorn. As soon as she had uttered the line:
“Pity I didn’t enjoy the company of fools.”
we were instant bosom buddies. Here
was a character just as crabby as I felt after work, not wanting to speak to
another human being for at least the rest of the day! Jokes aside, I felt
myself transported into another time, seasoned with just a touch of magic but
realistic enough where it could almost pass as historical fiction set in the
middle ages. There was even a mystery that was central to the plot, and which
intrigued me so thoroughly that I flew through the pages. With a rich cast of
enigmatic characters, three of whom are offering us their POVs in their own
unique voices in alternating chapters, the story flowed seamlessly and kept my
interest throughout.
So yes, I was wrong. I may just
start reading more fantasy books for a welcome escape from reality from time to
time. In fact, I have already started to read the second in the series!
CHRISTMAS AT TIFFANY’S by Karen Swan
I admit that I picked up this book
on a dare, which was to read lots of Christmas themed books all through
December, even if they contained – shudder - romance. And found that my library
hold took until now to come through! Even though this gave me a good excuse to
abandon the project, my travel deprived self was too intrigued by the three
different armchair travel locations in this book not to give it a go.
If you are put off by the schmaltzy
cover or title, don’t worry, because a) the story takes part over a whole year
and Christmas is only part of one chapter or so; and b) the story is more about
self-discovery than a steamy romance. Phew! So despite my misgivings, this
turned out to be a fun, escapist read that swept me away in its wake as our
main character Cassie, heart-broken after her husband’s terrible betrayal,
embarks on an eat-pray-love like journey of self discovery. Having vowed to
divide a whole year between the homes of her three best friends, i.e. New York,
Paris and London, Cassie gets to reinvent herself in every new city she visits.
Until of course, she finally finds out what she wanted all along (so there came
the romancy part).
I love stories that centre around
characters who get to reinvent themselves and experiment with different lifestyles
and different selves. Don’t we all? It’s such a fun concept to be able to shrug
off your old self and your baggage and just embark on a completely new
adventure. And of course here we have the additional bonus of armchair travel,
to three exciting cities, which made it irresistible to me (oh how I miss
travel!!!!).
CHRISTMAS AT TIFFANY’S was a fun,
escapist read I found I really enjoyed, despite all my initial misgivings about
the romance. And if you are concerned that this is just a fluffy read, then be
assured that Swan doesn’t let her characters off scott free: on her journey to
self discovery, Cassie has some adversity to overcome. Brimming with intriguing
characters and exciting scenery, this was a romp of a read I fully recommend to
anyone who needs a nice escape from real life for a while.
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