Things That Made Me Happy This Week #21

1// Quiet moments with coffee I'm at work this weekend so Wednesday was my day off and I made the most of a quiet, sunny day to myself by heading into London. I intended to go the Inventing Impressionism exhibition the National Gallery which I've been trying to get to for weeks (other things always seemed to take priority), but unfortunately I'd forgotten it was half-term and I do not have the patience to queue for ages just to go in an exhibition and not be able to look at anything. Instead I grabbed myself a cappuccino and sat outside reading the Persephone Books Biannually magazine. Lovely.

2// Flower deliveries This week has been pretty trying for a number of reasons, but an unexpected flower delivery at work on Thursday really made me smile. I guess he's a keeper.

3// Baking I bought myself the Deliciously Ella recipe book a few months ago now and have slowly been working my way through. This week I made blueberry muffins which are tasty, but I'm not sure I got it quite right. I also only had a cupcake tray so they're more like blueberry cupcakes!

4// Burrito bowls Mexican food is my absolute favourite type of cuisine and it's no secret that I would give up my shoes for a burrito sometimes. Much to my distress my tum has a problem with bread, so as an alternative I've been making burrito bowls with tons of fresh ingredients (tomatoes, avocado, black beans, peppers, roasted sweet potatoes). I can honestly say it's better than the real thing.

5// Friday night gym sessions I'm still struggling to get used to working shifts and exercise seems to be the first thing to be left behind. On Friday I left my gym kit ready on my bed for when I got home and made sure to go straight away. It felt so good to sweat the day off in preparation for the next two days.

Thank you to the lovely people who joined in last week - it was wonderful to hear what's been making you happy!

What has made you happy this week? Share your link below and use #sharethehappy on twitter and instagram!

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May in One Book

After I finished reading Alice Hoffman's The Museum of Extraordinary Things on the first of this month, I decided it was high time I tackled War and Peace. I started the monster-novel way back in February for Hanna's readalong, but ended up falling at the first hurdle. I made it through the first two hundred pages and was really enjoying it so I'm still not sure what lead me to hide it by the side of my bed for the next two months.

I think part of it was the size (any excuse). The book didn't fit in my handbag terribly well so I had it set aside as bedtime reading, but I was inevitably too tired to read more than a few pages before I dozed off with all 1000+ pages threatening to suffocate me in my sleep. Essentially it was becoming a health hazard.

This time around I bought the kindle version which, you'll be pleased to know, is posing much less of a threat.

Throughout May I've been carrying my kindle with me absolutely everywhere and reading whenever I have a chance. Unfortunately this has mostly been limited to my commute and the odd few pages before bed, though even with this I'm making significant progress.

I wrote earlier in the month about using books to lift your mood and talked about how tackling that book can really provide a huge sense of achievement. War and Peace is that book for me and the more progress I make with it, the better I feel and the more positive and motivated I feel. It's almost one of those 'if I can do this, I can do anything' tasks.

Even though reading War and Peace is a goal and something I want to achieve, it is also something I am really loving. Sure, some bits are a little dry, but the crux of it is wonderful. I love dipping in and out of the characters's lives and seeing how they grow and change as they face new and exciting challenges. I'm a little bit in love with Pierre, and Natasha, though she drives me crazy, is just the most compelling person.

I've had a couple of near misses on the tube (near sobbing misses, I mean), and more than once I've laughed out loud. The kindle highlight function is being used and abused, and generally I'm just trying to inhale it all.

I'm looking forward to getting to the end, not because I want it to be over, but because I want to see how it ends and how we could possibly leave these characters. Pierre, what will I do without you?

What books have you enjoyed this month? Do you have a book you'd love to tackle one day?

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Things That Made Me Happy This Week #20

1// Watching storms from the 8th floor I've been on late shifts this week and it has been tricky to say the least. One shift, though, was made half bearable by an amazing storm. My office is on the eighth floor so I had the perfect view of the lightening and of the post-storm double rainbow. Beautiful.

2// Journalling My new job is rather emotionally challenging. It's cancer, what did I expect? The other night I couldn't sleep because I had a conversation playing round and round in my head. Instead of staying up all night worrying, I sat up and wrote the conversation down. It made a huge difference and I know I'll be using that technique from now on.

3// Podcasts After work I sometimes feel too tired to read, but I don't want to waste the tube journey home. Instead of trying to focus on a book I downloaded a couple of podcasts, including Serial and a happiness one by Gretchen Rubin.

4// Cartel On Friday I went to see Cartel, one of my favourite bands, play the tenth anniversary tour of their first album. It was pretty much one of those dream come true moments and the highlight of my week.

5// Time in the country I'm currently at home in Somerset enjoying some much needed countryside time. It's very chilled and I'm feeling super relaxed. Sometimes a bit of time away is all you need.

What has made you happy this week? Share your link below!

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Reading Europe

In a few short weeks my sister and I will be getting on the Eurostar to Belgium to start our two-week tour of Europe. This trip has been a long time in the planning (and saving), but one thing I haven't thought about yet is the books. I know, how very unlike me.

We're going to seven cities across five countries in sixteen days. There will be plane journeys, train journeys and a couple of buses. In other words, there will be plenty of opportunities for reading.

Now, many of you will know that I'm not a fan of being tied down when it comes to reading. I like to go with the flow and read as my fancy takes me, but, to break the habit of a lifetime, for this trip I am going to be relatively structured. I want to read a novel either set in each country I'm visiting or written by an author from that country. Sounds easy enough, right?

Wrong. I'm really struggling to think of exciting, engaging, unputdownable novels for each stop on our journey. So, I'm reaching out in the hopes that some of you may be able to make a suggestion or two.

The Itinerary:

Belgium (Ypres)
Germany (Berlin)
Austria (Vienna)
Croatia (Zagreb then to Pula)
Italy (Venice then to Verona)

Can anyone help? For Croatia I've already decided to read Girl at War by Sara Novic which seems to be taking the world by storm, but that's about as far as I've come.

I have a couple of non-fiction picks waiting in the wings of my kindle and I'll share those closer to the time. So, if you have any fiction recommendations, please start chucking them my way!

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Happiness: An A-Z

Art whether in galleries, books or on the street, art always draws me in

Books need I say more?

Cooking my ultimate Sunday is spent experimenting with new recipes

Dancing like no-one is watching

Eating although my relationship with food is a rocky one, eating does still bring me joy

Family I can always get a hug when I need one

Greek Tragedy there's nothing like greek tragedy for making you thankful for what you have

Home is where the heart is. Right now my heart is in London and Somerset, simultaneously

Italy where some of my most treasured memories were made

Journeys the destination doesn't always matter

Kindness the best trait a person can have

Laughing a giggle, a chuckle or a deep belly laugh that shakes my whole body

Moleskine Notebooks those little black notebooks will always be my writing partners

Night Sky I can stare at the night sky for hours in awe at its beauty

Olivia my sister, my hero, and the other half of my heart

Photos I'm the one who stops on the side of the road to take a photo of the view

Questioning I'll never stop asking questions and searching out the answers

Running very few things make me feel as good as running does

Silence I never underestimate the power of silence

Theatre immersing myself in a play is just as satisfying as immersing myself in a book

Understanding learning and gaining understanding gives me purpose

Views I can lose myself completely just admiring a stunning view

Wilkie my main man and favourite author. His novels and stories always lift me up

eXploring I adore wandering around new places and finding surprising things

Yoga those quiet moments spent stretching and breathing has become an important part of my day

Zoey we've been best friends since we were about 13. She still never fails to brighten my day

Your turn!

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Things That Made Me Happy This Week #19

1// New music I adore finding or being introduced to new bands/artists to listen to. Last weekend I was introduced to the band Slaves and I don't think I've stopped listening to them since. I've actually been almost thankful for my commute this week.

2// Fresh air Every day I spend a solid eight hours on the eighth floor of a hospital and just under two hours on the tube getting there and back. Suffice to say I've been gulping down the air every chance I get. This craving has led me to sleep with my window open and go for a run in the rain, which was so utterly refreshing.

3// A long-awaited theatre trip On Wednesday evening my sister and I went to the National Theatre to see Man and Superman. I bought us the tickets when the season went on sale months and months ago so I was excited for it to finally come around. It was a long play (just under four hours), but it was well worth it and I'm not just saying that because Ralph Fiennes was in it, either.

4// War and Peace I cannot believe how much I'm enjoying this! All week I've been looking forward to my tube rides and lunch breaks just to get another few pages in. It felt so good to pass the half way mark on Thursday. Tolstoy, I love you.

5// Road trips Yesterday I accompanied M to Bedworth. He was working there for the day so he dropped me in the town and I spent a few chilled out hours in Costa with copious amounts of coffee and my laptop. I then faced my fear of going to the cinema alone and went to see Pitch Perfect 2. It was nerve-wracking, but I'm so proud of myself for doing it.

Last week the lovely Bex from An Armchair by the Sea tweeted me to say she'd been inspired by these posts to do her own. That got me thinking. As much as I love listing my five things and reminding myself of the best parts of my week just gone, I also love to read about what has been making you happy. Some of you may know that I'm hoping to make Lit Nerd all about the happy and I'd love to involve you guys in that. So, to get this peppy party started I'm thinking of making TTMMHTW (that's a mouthful) into a weekly link-up.

I'd love to hear what you guys think and whether you'd like to join in! If you do and are keen to get started, pop a link to your happy things in the comments and we can start spreading the joy.

What has made you happy this week?

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Review: Dead Wake by Erik Larson

Dead Wake

Erik Larson

Crown Publishing Group

2015

A 'dead wake', in maritime vernacular, is a trail of fading disturbance caused by a ship or torpedo. This fading trail was visible to passengers on board the Lusitania as the torpedo shot from the German submarine, U-20, made its way towards the hull of the famous Cunard liner on 7th May 1915.

Dead Wake is a fascinating study of the Lusitania's final voyage. The perspective shifts between predator and prey, providing us with a detailed and engaging look at the events which preceded the torpedo attack. These shifts in perspective demonstrate the fragile state of the world in 1915 and give us a clearer understanding of the strange confluence of events which resulted in the death of almost 2,000 people. Larson is careful not to lay blame, rather he sets out a balanced and objective examination of the ships's voyage and the politics and personalities that affected it.

One look at the bibliography demonstrates the depth and extent of Larson's research, but you do not need the bibliography as proof. The breadth of his knowledge is evident throughout, as is his interest in the individual people involved.

The passengers are more than just numbers of lost and found, survivors and deceased, they are real people and Larson ensures we do not forget that. As the book progresses the narrative shifts from the passengers to Schwieger, the commander of U-20, to President Wilson, to the intelligence offers in Room 40 and back again. As the boat nears its destination and U-20 draws steadily closer, we become to know these people individually and their stories are picked up time and again.

We meet Boston bookseller Charles Lauriat who was carrying a rare volume of Charles Dickens's 'A Christmas Carol' in his luggage. He survived and sent a telegram to his wife letting her know he had saved the pictures of his child as they had been his 'mascot' and that he regretted her 'hours of suspense'. Then there was the architect and spiritualist Theodate Pope who travelled with her maid, Emily Robinson, and a friend. They chose to make the jump to the sea and with a 'come, Robinson', the two women stepped off the railing. Pope survived, just, but her maid and friend were not found.

Perhaps the most emotive passenger story was that of Richard Preston Prichard who, by all accounts, was generous and friendly to all. His body was never recovered, but his mother sent out flyers and pleas for information. A number of passengers who had come into contact with Preston responded, as did a few who had only had glimpses of the young man on deck, with words of consolation and remembrances of her son.

For me, Larson's greatest skill is his ability to bring the captains, commanders and passengers to life beyond the page so that they are more than mere names in a history book. It is this, combined with the detailed and objective research, which makes Dead Wake a powerful addition to the study of the Lusitania's final voyage.

Do you think that remembering the people is just as important as assessing the facts?

This review first appeared on Centenary News.

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