This year hasn’t been great for traveling, which means I still have most of my holidays left. To avoid loosing them, I’ll have to take three weeks off work over Christmas and New Year. Three weeks! I can’t remember when that last happened.
One of the things I look forward to is spending time writing reviews again. In my head, I have so many posts, I want to write, but it seems my time, focus and attention span are not up for it.
So for now you’ll have to do with a tag. Last November, I did the autumn tag: Are you ready for sweater weather, which I enjoyed. When I stumbled across The Cosy Autumn Book Tag created by The Book Belle I thought that would do nicely for this week’s blog post.
1. What book always reminds you of fall/autumn?
I have to mention The Remains of the Day again. Not only has the lead character reached his own personal autumn, but the book also evokes the feelings and state of mind I normally connect with autumn; poignancy, introspection, looking back, musing about the good and the bad times and making status on the year – or my life – so far.
2. What is your favourite autumnal book cover?
The colours of autumn is one of the things I love the most and the cover of The Brutal Telling captures them perfectly. Also, Louise Penny’s Gamache series takes place in Quebec, which I imagine is a beautiful place to visit during this season.
3. What is your favourite autumnal drink to read with?
Coffee. Always coffee. Strong, black, ideally in a rustic mug. #coffeeholic
4. Do you prefer to read late at night or early in the morning?
Being a night owl, I love late night reading! I only read early morning if a captivating story has kept me up all night. Yup, it does happen.
5. Halloween is coming! What is your favourite spooky read?
Halloween has been and gone! This year’s Halloween read was Rosemary’s Baby, which is an iconic, low key horror story with a perfect build-up of tension.
6. What is the ultimate comfort read for you?
Without competition, my most viewed blog post is 7 Books Perfect for Comfort Reading. Even before Covid, this post was quite popular, but the Covid crisis gave it a massive boost. I guess, we all need a bit of comfort reading. To me crime fiction is perfect for this purpose, but as mentioned in my recent Nonfiction November post, memoirs of people who strive and achieve have a strangely uplifting effect on my mood as well.
7. What is your favourite autumnal reading snack?
I don’t do much snacking, but I’ve always had a soft spot for chocolate muffins. One of my friends used to marvel about the amount I could consume without gaining weight. Not sure I can still do that today.
8. What is your favourite autumnal candle to burn whilst reading?
Normally, I prefer to breathe the clean London air *ahem* so I rarely light candles. I prefer tea light candles, though.
9. When you’re not reading, what is your favourite autumnal activity?
When the weather is nice, there is nothing better than going for a walk in an area, where the autumn colours can be admired. These days, I rarely make it further than the London parks, but they are actually not bad at all.
10. What is on your autumn/fall reading list?
Recently, I made a list of possible reads, but being a mood reader, lists and I just don’t gel. In connection with Nonfiction November, The Wild Silence has come up several times and I am thoroughly tempted to choose that as my next read.
Great post. I love all your choices. I’m not feeling autumnal this year and I don’t want to get ready for Christmas. I guess I got stuck at Easter and I’m still waiting to catch up.
Thanks! 😀 I know what you mean about Christmas, I am not at all ready to start thinking about that. In any case, I’m alway a bit last minute with my planning and presents.
That’s a lovely tag! I loved your choices, especially for the autumnal cover and the night owl one. I’m a night owl too!😂👏
Thanks so much! It’s good to meet another night owl! 🙂 And apropos your excellent post about thinking, the late hours are the perfect time to just sit and reflect as well, it’s quiet and nobody is going to disturb you.
Of course! Thank you too!
Absolutely!
😊
Fab post and I love your choices! Might join in sometime! 😀
Thanks Nicki, I guess we will soon hit winter, but there is always next year! 😊
We’ll have to find a winter one! 😂
👍 😂
Remains of the Day, The Wild Silence, andthing by Christie and Penny…. you’ve chosen all books and authors that I love! 😃 This type of meme is just the sort to tempt me back into blogging. I’m getting there!
Please do Sandra! Your public awaits! Bu the only book on this list I don’t like is Remains of the Day. It’s years since I read it, and I remember hating it.
I did love Remains of the Day, but I can easily see it’s a book which appeals to a certain type of reader. I’ve come across people who were bored senseless.
I don’t remember being bored, so much as quite upset. But maybe I should try again – it was easily 20 years ago that I first read it, and I am a different person now!
I never reread books I didn’t like the first time. I agree, as you grow older, you may have a different perception of the book, but nah, life is too short! 😉
Exactly. That TBR pile totters and totters.
I’m glad you approve of my selection, Sandra. Honestly, I only manage to blog regularly because I allow myself to do “easy” posts such as tags, lists or WWW Wednesday, when I can’t get my head around reviews. Having said that, I have quite a few draft reviews sitting on my computer, du Maurier’s The Birds being one of them. Maybe some day, I’ll finish them! 🙂 Like Margaret, I look forward to see you back in the blogging sphere, but of course, you should take your time and don’t feel any pressure to get back.
Strong, black coffee in a rustic mug! Yes ma’am! I like mugs that are hand made ceramic ones.
I am glad you approve! Ceramic mugs are certainly nice, and I like the ones without a handle even if I sometimes burn my fingers. 🙄😆
I really think you can put Christies’s books on any list and it always makes me happy to see them! I’m a coffee addict too (it runs in the family) but I need a splash of milk to soften the taste :-). Great post!
Haha, I am glad to hear that, since I pretty much put Christie books on all the lists I make. 😁 A fellow coffee addict! It has always puzzled me, how some people get through life without a single drop of coffee. Thanks Inge!
We have more of a coffee culture in Belgium than tea, I’m sure there are a lot of coffee addicts here ☺️
I entirely approve of that! Coffee is the best! 😀
Wonderful post! I also love coffee, strong and black, but never owned a rustic mug – I think I now want one! The Remains of the Day is a great choice, and Rosemary’s Baby is a perfect Halloween read too (and there is also this perfect Halloween film to go along with it!).
Thanks Diana, you never go wrong with black coffee. I have watched the adaptation of Rosemary’s Baby a while ago and meant to rewatch after having read the book, but never got around to it. Too little time!
Now I know you’re living in London 🙂 and yes to coffee!!! If I could just coffee all day long! Ahaha but I rarely drink it black. And how can one say no to chocolate muffins… yummmmm!! And I’m a night owl too! Well used to be until kids lol love this post, my friend! Learned more about you 🙂
Yup, I guess these book tags is one way of getting to know the blogger a bit better. Exactly! Triple chocolate muffins with black coffee – difficult to beat on a rainy day! 😋 Some people say being a night owl is a matter of habits. I guess it’s difficult to be a night owl with small kids. Thanks so much, Jee, I enjoyed writing it! 😀
I’ve been meaning to pick up Death on the Nile for a while now but I think the movie adaptation being delayed just made me push the book lower in my priorities too hahah Great answers! 😀
You really ought to read Death on the Nile; in my humble opinion it’s amongst the best Agatha Christie novels. Which is saying a lot, because she has quite a few good ones. I didn’t know there was a new movie adaptation coming, I will look out for it! Thanks!