A pretty print by What Katie Does {whose blog, by the way, is a must read}.

I’ve found myself reading more than writing over the last month or so. I’m not sure why. I usually take great comfort from letting words flow from my head on to page or screen, but recently I’ve been more than happy to lose myself in the words of others.

And there have been some beautiful words…

1. Life of Pi by Yann Martel ~ Having abandoned this book part-way through years ago, I decided to give it another chance ahead of the release of its big screen adaptation. I’m yet to see the movie, but the book made for an enjoyable read. It starts slowly, and I can’t say I fell for Martel’s literary style straight off, but completing the novel left me feeling satisfied.

2. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin ~ Not usually one for self-help books, I was prompted to pick this up after reading about it on one of my favourite blogs, A Rosie Outlook. Rubin’s account of her year long happiness project is incredibly readable, blending interesting facts and observations about the science of happiness with constructive suggestions for increasing your own levels of contentment. It’s funny, but the detail that has stayed with me from the array of information contained within the book’s pages is that a hug needs to last at least six seconds before the release of ‘happy hormone’ serotonin can occur. In other words, make those cuddles count, don’t let go!

3. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen ~ I love Austen. I really do. My plan is to re-read as much of her work as possible this year. Having not visited these texts since my teens, I’ve decided I need to find my way back to that world. It will do me good. I’ll admit this tale of two sisters and their parallel experience of love is not my favourite Austen novel, but I enjoyed lingering over her expertly constructed dialogue and savoured the wild romance of it all.

4. The Sliver Linings Playbook by Mathew Quick ~ I devoured this book, greedily chewing up the words with gusto and taking less than 24 hours to make it from start to finish. It is clever, moving, infused with humour and deeply thought-provoking. The story follows the recovery of Pat who is suffering from mental health problems after the breakdown of his marriage. Pat’s experience raises countless questions about the nature of love, relationships and morality, as well as what it means to be ‘sane’.Highly recommend.

5. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott ~ Re-reading one of my favourite books from childhood didn’t disappoint. My love for the March family endures. Again I wept when Beth fell ill and I still love Laurie. Once more I was overcome with a desire to disappear into the domestic world created by Alcott. I still want to step inside that cosy cottage and live Jo’s life, poverty and all. I was struck by the book’s celebration of the simple things, as well as the fact that Jo and her sisters are rich despite their lack of wealth or material possessions. I can’t wait for Izzy to discover the joy of reading of this novel.

The Internet has also offered up some great reading material of late. Here are a few of my favourite links..

• While we’re on the subject of Austen, I loved this post on Any Other Woman about Jane Austen and Feminism.
• I also enjoyed this piece about Saving Our Bookshops.
• Letters of Note remains one of my favourite corners of the Internet. Let’s all write more letters. Why not join #postcircle like me?
• Reading worshipblues.com is good for the soul. With beautiful words and inspiring images, stopping by this blog feels like loosing yourself in a daydream.

So, what have you been reading lately?

Love Audrey xxx