Little delights

At work we've been talking about the little things that delight us. These can be anything, from 'the last roast potato' to 'quietly malicious chairmanship' so here are some of mine.

A cat chirrup - anyone with a cat will know what this is, it's the little sound, half purr half meow, they make when they are truly happy. I love it when my cat trots into the room, sees me and chirrups.

Early morning coffee and book - I love getting up early on the weekend, before everyone else, and curling up on the sofa with a cup of coffee, a book and the cat. A good hour like this with the early morning sunshine brightening the room is the perfect start to the weekend.

A good glass of red - one of those really perfect dark, aromatic and heady red wines. Luxurious after a long day in the office.

Niffenegger vs. Jones

This October two of my favourite authors have new books and I'm finding it hard to choose between them. Audrey Niffenegger, author of the Time Traveler's Wife, hasn't written a novel for years, which means her new book is much awaited and some how this makes reading it all the more special. Sadie Jones is a relatively new author, The Outsider came out last year and got big sales because of the R&J book club.

I read Her Fearful Symmetry very quicky and enjoyed every page. Reading Niffenegger after such a long break feels like getting back in touch with an old friend, you immeditely remember her unique tone of voice and want to devour the whole thing in one sitting. Plus this book is bursting with twins, kittens and a Victorian grave yard - all perfectly intriguing.

Small Wars is completely different, nothing fantastical here, you're swept to 1950s Cyprus and follow the almost mundane life of Claire (prn. Clara - which annoyed me slightly because why didn't she spell it that way rather then rely on the reader to see the word Claire but think, oh she's actually Clara). It's beautifully written, army life is shown in miniscule detail and the island of Cyprus comes off the page hot and sticky. There are more twins (but not spooky mirror twins) these are little girls caught up in their parents army lifestyle.

I enjoyed both, but the more I think about it Niffenegger is my favourite. There's just something about waiting for a new book for a long time and being completely satisfied once you've finally read it.

Anna is my favourite

Anna Karenina is just wonderful. A bittersweet love story set in the cold, crisp backdrop of nineteenth century Russia. Anna's story is moving but its the secondary story of Kitty and Levin that keeps me coming back.