What I'm reading ...

I have started Watermelon by Marian Keyes. Time for fiction again and I have enjoyed this author before. Here’s the blurb:

Meet Claire Walsh.

On the day she gives birth to her first child, Claire's husband James tells her he's been having an affair.

Right for who exactly?

Exhausted, tearful furious, Claire decides to go back to basics . . . and runs home to Mum and Dad.

But it's not the sanctuary she'd been hoping for. Juggling her sisters' drama, her parents' pity and the demands of a baby, Claire desperately misses the way things were.

So when James gets back in touch, eager to put things right, Claire faces a choice.

Will she forgive and forget?

These Precious Days - by Ann Patchett

This was a very enjoyable read, despite my reservations about the format. The essays are quite varied, but many of them are very personal and some quite emotional [spoiler: keep tissues on hand for the Epilogue]. Her quality of writing is outstanding. If she wrote a manual for a microwave oven, it would be a page turner. 

What I'm reading ...

I have started These Precious Days by Ann Patchett. I am not such a great fan of short stories and essays, but, as this author is a firm favourite, I decided to make an exception. Here’s the blurb:

Ranging from the personal – her portrait of the three men she called her fathers; how a chance encounter with Tom Hanks led to one of the most important friendships of her life; how to answer when someone asks why you don't have children – to the sublime – the unexpected influence of Snoopy; the importance of knitting; the pleasure to be found in children's books – each essay transforms the particular into the universal, letting us all see our own worlds anew.

The Midnight Library - by Matt Haig

First off, this is not a fantasy book at all. It is left to the reader to decide exactly what it is, but no suspension of belief is really needed. Phew!

It was a very enjoyable read - amusing and entertaining in places, but always thought provoking. The quality of writing kept me engaged and the story made me keep turning the pages.

I look forward to reading more of this author’s work. 

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. Although this is ostensibly a fantasy novel - I am not a fan of the genre - I was advised that it worth the effort as it has greater depth. Here’s the blurb:

Nora's life has been going from bad to worse. Then at the stroke of midnight on her last day on earth she finds herself transported to a library. There she is given the chance to undo her regrets and try out each of the other lives she might have lived. Which raises the ultimate question: with infinite choices, what is the best way to live?

Nothing Gets Sold Until the Story Gets Told - by Steve Multer

I was initially attracted to this book because I know the author. Steve and I did some work together a few years back and we’ve kinda stayed in touch. Steve’s work impressed me back then and I was interested to see how he had developed and hear some of his ideas for success in public speaking.

I would say that I did not learn a great number of useful lessons from this book. Firstly, this is because I do very little public speaking in a professional context nowadays [as I am happily retired]. Second, having done many conferences and similar activities over the last 30+ years of my career, I learned a good many lessons the hard way. If only Steve could have written this book 30 years ago …

Anyone who is starting out on public speaking or has limited experience, would be well advised to read this book. You don’t have to agree and comply with everything - you’re not buying into a methodology. But you will definitely pick up tips and get guidance to becoming a better presenter [and one who probably enjoys the activity a whole lot more].