Before one can write, one must read - a lot!
A quick update on what I'm reading and where I've been
If you’ve been following my newsletters you will know that I am on a journey. A journey to write my first full-length novel, which is no mean feat considering I don’t usually read stories. But, as I have quickly learned, if one is to stand any chance of writing a half-decent novel, one has to read. And read a lot. Every now and then I will share with you what I’ve been up to and what I’ve been reading. Some of it will perhaps become an inspiration for the book, or maybe educate me on how a book can be put together. Of course, it may also just be time out to relax.
What I’ve been reading
The Seventh Scroll by Wilbur Smith. My wife recommended this one and I must admit it is brilliant and tough to put down. It’s a long read at nearly 500 pages but it is, in my opinion, very well written. The story follows Royan, the half-Egyptian wife of Duraid Al Simmu, who together discover the tomb of Queen Lostris, along with several scrolls that give clues to the location of treasure buried with the Pharoah Mamose. When Royan’s husband is murdered and their research notes are stolen, Royan is forced to return to England, narrowly escaping with her own life. There, she begins to work with an aristocratic archaeologist to begin her journey back to Ethiopia and to follow the clues laid down in the scrolls. The journey is far from easy and there are many twists and turns throughout the story. In essence, this story is about a treasure hunt but it is so much more. I honestly couldn’t put it down once I started reading.
The Chrismas Train by David Baldacci. This book is only 250 pages and is a very easy read, although it did take some time to get going and really draw me in. However, the reviews were good so I kept with it. It does eventually pick up the pace. The story follows a disillusioned journalist who needs to travel from Washington DC to Los Angeles in time for Christmas. For reasons that become clear, he has no choice but to take the train. During his journey across America aboard two different trains he meets a variety of characters and becomes embroiled in his own drama when he unexpectedly meets an old flame and gets caught up in an on-board crime thriller - a petty thief appears to be ‘working’ the trains. I’m not sure if this book was written to be comedic but it does have some very funny moments. It also has some very poignant moments and overall one comes away with a feel-good feeling at the end as it explores and shows people’s inherent good nature.
Where have I been?
This week we’ve been in Switzerland for a few days, staying with friends in a charming alpine village in the mountains above Lake Geneva and overlooking Mont Blanc. In the short time we were there we managed to pack quite a lot in. We headed about an hour away to the beautiful village of Gruyere, famous of course for its mild cheese, of which I consumed far too much. Gruyere is also home to the Hans Giger Museum. Hans Giger created the aliens in the film series Alien. Giger’s artwork was, to say the least, provocative, if not a little disturbing. He had an apparent fixation with women’s genitalia (well, men’s too to be honest) and a deeply disturbing interest beyond those. The alien theme was intricately interwoven in much of his art (paintings and sculptures) and many of the images were far too explicit to photograph and post on social media (I figured I’d quickly get banned!).
Whilst in Gruyere, we also had lunch in the Hans Giger Bar, which as one might expect was decorated in the style of a scene of the film Alien. It is well worth a visit but be warned, you have to buy food or drink before you can walk in and start photographing inside.
There is also the chateau, or Gruyere castle, which was built between 1270 and 1282 and is in remarkably good condition. Giger wasn’t the only one to have an interesting take on art as this painting above a fireplace shows. There was no explanation for why one character appears to have a single distended breast or protruding belly or why the one on the left is wearing a rather flamboyant headdress.
The greatest highlight of our trip was a full day spent at Glacier 3000. As the name suggests, this is a glacier experience at 3000 metres (just under 10,000 ft). It is not far from Montreux and is at the opposite end of Lake Geneva (Lac Leman) to Geneva itself. It takes two very steep cable cars (gondolas) to get to the top and a further chair lift to reach the glacier walk. The chair lift was nerve-wracking if, like me, you’re not keen on heights, but it is certainly worth it. The glacier walk takes about an hour and you are rewarded with a lovely cafe at the end that even serves gluten-free food (soup and sausages) along with beer and wine. However, at 10,000 ft I wasn’t so sure of the virtues of wine at altitude so opted for a hot chocolate!
Now, finally home and rested I am full of new ideas and inspiration to continue working on my novel. There is still a lot to do and a great deal more research I need to complete and I will talk more about that in the next letter.
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