I mentioned that I hoped to write a post about some of my Christmas gifts, all of which kept me well entertained over the past couple of weeks. I love anything that makes me think, or inspires, or transports me to another time, or soothes my soul and many of my gifts did that completely.
My daughter, who knows me so well, gave me the very interesting non-fiction book, The Power, a sequel to The Secret which I hadn't read. Although I'm generally positive and an optimist, this book is encouraging me to be even more full of gratitude and love - not always easy, of course. It promises much and I dare say you have to be open to its suggestions but I'm willing to try!
I recently discovered the books of C.J. Sansom which are set in Tudor times, thanks to a friend. After reading the first two, I am completely hooked on the main character, the hunchback lawyer Matthew Shardlake, and the fantastic period details in them. But these are more than historical novels, there is also a mystery in each which keeps us guessing until the end. You can imagine my delight to receive the third in the series from daughter - devoured while I was unwell!
One of the gifts from son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter was the lovely little book of poetry, The Seasons. Perfect to dip in and out of and I started with winter of course, my favourite descriptive season. One of my good friends bought me a CD of Tai' Chi music as she cleverly remembered I had tried it at the conference in September. Now I just have to remember the moves, although I love just listening to the soothing music and even have music on while I write.
Another friend gave me a most unusual journal which I think is meant for travel. It reminds me of the type of leather-bound journal Indiana Jones (or his father) would use, with sort of yellowing pages inside, and it has a lovely little anchor that wraps around it on a leather thong. I'm aiming to use it as an inspiration journal in tandem with a couple of writing inspiration books I have from previous years. I don't have to explain to other writers the joy of new stationery!
I do hope your own gifts were beautiful, or useful, or inspirational.
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Look out for my New Year newsletter in the next day or two with news of a box set and a little giveaway draw for Burns Night. If you don't already receive it, you can subscribe to the newsletter at the side of my blog, and you'll get the five stories in the Romantic Encounters collection free!
Happy New Year,
Rosemary
3 comments:
Those seem perfect gifts for a writer, and it's good you had them to enjoy while you were unwell and then recovering Rosemary. :-)
Thanks, Carol - it's onwards and upwards now!
One of my presents was 'Into the Woods' by John Yorke. It had been on my 'Ideas for books for Julia' list for so long I'd forgotten I wanted it! It's subtitled 'How stories work and why we tell them' and it's proving challenging and inspiring in equal measure.
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