Month: January 2017

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – C.S. Lewis

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the-lion-the-witch-and-the-wardbrobeI recently wrote about my favourite winter reads. If I had written this list with children’s books in mind, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe would be right at the top.

Stepping through the wardrobe with Lucy for the first time was one of the most memorable reading moments of my childhood. It’s the sort of magical memory that lasts a lifetime and can easily be summoned up when eating particularly heavenly Turkish delight or walking along a snowy forest path in the twilight.

As a child, I felt I knew Narnia inside out, but reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as an adult, I now realise a lot of that must have been my own imagination. The writing style is simple and not overly descriptive. Lewis gives the reader a scene to work with and they conjure up the rest themselves. Continue reading →

Ouky Douky Coffee – Prague

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Ouky Douky Coffee is one of my new favourite places in Prague. So far I have only managed a couple of visits, but can’t wait to hang out there more. It’s a shabby (in a good way), reasonably priced café with a relaxed atmosphere and, best of all, a bookshop area!

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You have to venture off the beaten track to find Ouky Douky, which is located in the district of Holešovice. It’s an escape from the hoards of tourists you’ll find near Old Town Square, but still a vibrant area – you are likely to bump into locals, students and expats here. Continue reading →

Hot Feminist – Polly Vernon

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hot-feministThe title of this book was specifically chosen to cause a stir and is, in fact, what first caught my attention. I’ll be honest, my immediate reaction was to roll my eyes, but then I saw Polly Vernon at the ArchWay with Words Festival. The talk covered a lot of interesting issues and Vernon came across as very genuine. So, intrigued, I ended up purchasing a copy.

I wanted to love Hot Feminist and did enjoy reading it, but I wouldn’t recommend it to everybody. Vernon makes some good points and adds some humorous anecdotes, but nothing I haven’t heard before. The writing is  conversational, but too heavy on the capital letters and internet speech for my liking. Continue reading →

Six Books to Curl Up with on a Winter’s Evening

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We’ve had a dusting of snow here in Prague, which makes everything look very pretty. But it’s a reminder that winter is here to stay, at least for a while. Christmas is over, it’s cold outside and there’s a general feeling of deflation. The long wait for springtime starts now and it can be the most miserable time of year. However, there are some advantages, such as grabbing a blanket and a hot drink and curling up with a good book for hours on end (preferably by a crackling fire). So put on your woolly socks and take a look at some of my favourite winter reads…

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All the Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr

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There is so much I loved about All the Light We Cannot See. I was captivated by the poetic writing, I cared about the characters and I really, really wanted to know what would happen. At times my eyes were glued to the page for hours, and it’s been a while since I’ve felt that way towards a book. However, there were a few negative points, which I will get to in a few moments. First of all, I will set the scene…

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