As my daily yoga-with-Adriene reminds us
Inhale: lots of love in. Exhale: lots of love out
Let's read, shall we?
Pride and Prejudice
This one should need no introduction, and yet it may receive the longest. It must be Jane Austen's best known novel, and is certainly the one that I always come back to. Even those who don't know Austen will have heard of it, and even if you've only seen the movies, you're welcome here too. With this story, as is seldom true elsewhere, I feel the spirit and emotion has been well transferred to screen, and it is to those that I return even more often than to these pages. The 2005 version is unparalleled for its aesthetic and soul, in my opinion. This can be a controversial subject, but in literature and entertainment I believe our individual experience plays such a part in what speaks to us, that to have differing opinions and preferences is not only to be expected, but should never be quelled. I return to that film with such regularity, for its beauty and artistry, its comfort and pathos. I have had many favorite movies in my time, but honestly, this might be my desert island one.
And no, I didn't plan to spend this whole time talking about the movie.
Every few years I pick up the book, and am brought along through this familiar story, the details sharper and though-provoking where they differ from the movie. And her writing style quick and evocative. I've read several other of Austen's, naturally; but none has captured me the one this has. I believe it to be her best for its timelessness. It can speak to us in any generation. There is a marvelous article on why her writing has such an inspiring, nourishing effect on us. I'll link it here. After World War One they used to prescribe her books to men with shell-shock, so great was their belief in her talent for grounding and uplifting. I hope you'll give it a try during these unprecedented times.
Winter Sea
I discovered Susanna Kearsley a few years ago, and her books quickly became favorites that I reread frequently. To me, she holds the title in her particular subgenre. Spinning two tales at once, a modern one, and one deep in history (often using speculative-fiction devices such as ancestral memory or time travel) her ability to evoke characters and their similarities through the eras, while including masses of accurate historical context is captivating. Most of what I know of Scotland's Jacobite rebellion originated with these books. Winter Sea, also published as Sophia's Secret, is set in and around Slain's Castle, Scotland and deals with spies and intrigue, love and loyalties, family, heartache and hope, bravery, and accepting the unknown. Her books remind me that there is a kind of solid good to be found: in people, in places, and amidst the chaos that all our different lives bring.
Beauty
This is a retelling of a fairytale we all know. But as Robin McKinley does very well, she turns the original story on its head a bit, and plays around until it is unexpected and completely relatable. This allows us to come at the story with fresh eyes, and get to know rich and unique characters we have not previously met. You'll find yourself turning pages quickly to discover how the story will unfold, even as you recognize the well-worn tale underneath. It is somehow both magical and down-to-earth. A book to read with a mug of tea and a biscuit, while sitting on the windowsill. And it is perhaps the only book I've read that made me desperately want a horse. An enormous, glorious horse. Buy yourself a rose this month, and cozy up with this read, as the last of the worst of winter howls around.
And if you want a bonus read, after enjoying this one, try Beauty and the Clockwork Beast, for another twist on the classic, this time in a vivid steampunk AU.