I think I mentioned recently that I had an Anthro gift card burning a hole in my pocket. I should have saved it for spring or used it to re-purchase my favorite Sunday Riley moisturizer but instead I used it to buy something that's a definitely a non-essential luxury: fancy candles.
I am really picky about scented things, so candle shopping for me is a ridiculous process of sniffing and over-thinking and sniffing and walking away and sniffing and wincing and sniffing and ugh. It's just a damn candle, Adrien.
Mostly, I like Anthropologie candles because they're SO PRETTY. They're not just candles, they're nice objects as well. I ended up buy this one by Candlefish because it brought me joy. It smells really good but it's very subtle when lit and doesn't make your whole room smell like Anthro. I also bought this one for the kitchen because it smells just exactly like basil:
I do sometimes like a candle that will make your entire room smell nice and for that I have this one by Voluspa:
it's got three wicks so you can go full candle or just a little bit candle as needed. Mostly I just really like the hygge aspect of lighting a few candles when I settle down in the evening. If I don't feel like dealing with the real thing this LED pillar from Target is comfortingly candle-like without the risk of burning down the building. Yay.
You GUYS. So much excitement because the third season of Grace & Frankie comes out this Friday on Netflix! I am a huge fan of this show (which I'm pretty sure I've talked about before) and I've rewatched the first two seasons to prepare. I love the dynamic between Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda and Tomlin's wardrobe is amazing and deserves it's own credit. My favorite character, however, is Brianna because she's so unapologetically mean and it makes me laugh and laugh. (YES.)
Reading
This is probably really lame but I've finally gotten around to reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. So far I'm really enjoying it! I have a weakness for books set in WWII England and I like a story told via correspondence so this has been a fun read. It does have a lot of characters to keep track of but mostly that doesn’t matter because it's easy to follow and the main character is a likeable smartass.
If books set in WWII England/London is your thing too, I can also recommend: The Land Girls by Angela Huth, Life After Life and A God In Ruins by Kate Atkinson, and Shake Down the Stars by Frances Donnelly.
(I know someone is going to pipe up about Connie Willis and her two volume insanity Blackout/All Clear but I beg of you, please don't. I used to love Connie Willis but this book stressed me out so badly and I’m still mad about it. Can someone please get her an editor? Because she is a good writer but two full volumes of people running around trying to get back to modern day was unnecessary. I love time travel and I love WWII England but damn. EDIT.)
Listening
Another podcast recommendation for you guys! The Penguin Podcast is so great, you guys. They're interviews with writers and in the earlier ones the interviewer is Richard E. Grant who I adore. I highly recommend the Kate Atkinson episode and Neil Gaiman is always a good time. Oh! And definitely listen to the Emma Kennedy episode too. Hilarious.
That's it for this week! Please let me know if you have a recommendation to add. I love hearing from you guys.
I'm sorry to do this to you, (well, really your bank account) but Diptyque candles are A THING for a reason. Once you go D, you can never go back, haha. They do have the 3 oz size which is less of a commitment. They even scent your room when not lit. LOVE. I also love your podcast reccos. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteSHHHH. Dang it!
DeleteAnd glad you love the podcast recs!
Consider reading Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteYes, I was just coming here to recommend it! So good.
DeleteI would like to add Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave to the list of fantastic books set in WWII England/London!
ReplyDeleteIt only sort of fits into this category but The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford is one of my favorite books of all time. And I've read all the books you recommend and the other two that were recommended (and will add Elizabeth Wein's second book Rose Under Fire). So I'm a bit of a fanatic. Read the Connie Wills books and I still feel like an idiot some days because I was flummoxed by so much of it.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI used to adore Connie Willis! I have read To Say Nothing of the Dog umpteen times and sobbed my way through The Domesday Book. What happened to her? I've had All Clear sitting on my nightstand for two years, but I can't make myself read it. I just tried again with her most recent book, but it was the same old thing with people just missing each other or refusing to use their words like grown ups. And you're right, it stressed me out!
ReplyDeleteI love To Say Nothing of the Dog and Doomsday Book but Black Out/All Clear is just unreadable. Give it away.
DeleteYou should also check out The Nightengale by Kristen Hannah. It's set in WWII but in France, not England, and is seriously so good. Read with kleenex as a precaution.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteAn amazing book. If you liked Shake Down the Stars, you should also check out The Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard and Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I've read Coming Home a few times (Pilcher is a favorite) but I've never heard of the Cazalet Chronicles. It's on the list.
DeleteThe Night Watch by Sarah Waters takes place during WWII in London and is an excellent story. If you enjoyed Life After Life, I highly recommend it. Her other novel The Little Stranger takes place just after the war and is sort of a psychological thriller/ghost story that's also just terrific.
ReplyDelete