Tall Ship

So, my mother and I ordered this print by the lovely (Canadian) Banquet Atelier & Workshop  for our kitchen. Home has recently been redone in coastal, beachy blues and whites (it is, after all, by the sea), and we thought it would be perfect for the new theme. We love its mix of tradition and freshness!

Banquet do so many beautiful prints. I would love this whale for my flat in London!

E xxx

The Book Thief

Have you read The Book Thief? I first it read years ago when it was first published in England (I remember I loved it so much I emailed the author, Markus Zusak, who replied! I was excited.). Ever since then I've recommended it to anyone who asks (and indeed, to some who don't), but I realised that I could barely remember what happened in it, apart from the basics. I only remember the feeling after I'd read it. So, I reread it today, and was struck again - perhaps even more sov- by how beautifully written and staggeringly good it is. I also wept my face off.

So, here I am, recommending it to you. It was first published in Zusak's native Australia as an adult book, and it was subsequently published in America as a children's book. Some of the themes are pretty gruelling (it is, after all, concerning Nazi Germany), but written in such a human way that they are not frightening. Still, maybe under-12s shouldn't read it...

I implore you to give it a try.

Here's the cover (picture from amazon):

Enjoy.

E xxx