Anthea Turner

How I See It...

Hello,

Haven’t we been lucky with some crisp autumn days? I’m loving them, and after last week’s letter to you I’m going out to buy gourds and play around arranging them!

I’m delighted to hear we have a My Weekly book podcast coming out because I’m one of those people who immediately, and with great enthusiasm, want to prof fer my book finds – and in turn hear about others. As luck would have it I’ve just put down a book to throw into the ring which I think you’ll love…

TRAVELLING COMPANION

If you follow me on

Instagram you’ll know I popped over to Cyprus last week – par t work, par t pleasure, but if you can get pleasure out of your work it’s a lucky day. My travelling treat is to have my nose in a good book, since at home I’m too distracted… or, do I distract myself? That’s probably more likely!

Before getting on the plane I stood, like we’ve all done, in WH Smiths surrounded by titles and desperately wanting to pick the right one because reading time is precious – and there it was, jumping straight out at me: The Midnight Librar y by Matt Haig. I must be the only person in the world who’d not heard of it because it’s a multi-million copy best seller.

The stor y is based around a character called Nora who’s in a bad way regretting moves she’s made and hasn’t made in her life. On the day she has “decided” to die, Nora finds herself transpor ted to The Midnight Librar y, and there given a chance to undo her regrets by tr ying out each of the lives she could have lived. It’s a brilliant premise, fun, enlightening and most of all, life affirming. Trust me you’ll enjoy it and just might feel better about your list of “what if’s”.

NOT JUST FOR CHILDREN

My next reading idea might sound odd, but have you ever read a children’s classic as an adult and discovered a completely dif ferent layer you never cottoned on to as a child? My tip for this is CS Lewis’s The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

I picked up a copy recently in London’s Por tobello Market on a stall ver y near to the travel book shop made famous by Hugh Grant’s character William Thacker in the film Notting Hill. You honestly don’t have to have the excuse of a child to read it to. You are the child – and with hot chocolate and PJs you can tuck yourself up and enjoy one of Narnia’s most beautiful tales… and then clean out your wardrobe! Love, Anthea X