One of the pitfalls of living in Australia – few though they may be – is being so unimaginably far away from Europe. Because, while Australia has many, many marvellous things going for it, a thriving literary and cultural scene is not one of them. And while having someone else write for The Literary Edit was not something I had previously considered, when I decided to start featuring literary themed travel – the bulk of which being in Europe – I knew I’d need an extra pair of hands. And so it was, when I was invited to visit Pavillon des Lettres – Paris’s original literary boutique hotel on The Literary Edit, I knew exactly who to ask to go in my place.
If you check out Laura from What’s Hot Blog on Instagram, you’ll see why I thought she’d be the perfect person for the task. Having lived in Paris for a year, and as both a wonderful photographer and a serious bookworm to boot, I was thrilled when she agreed to go in my place (albeit rather envious too). And with just a matter of days to go before she swaps London’s gloomy skies for a hopefully more spring-like Paris, I thought I’d invite her onto my book blog to reveal her eight Desert Island Books. From her very favourite classic to a children’s book with universal life lessons, read on to find out which books she’d pack were she to find herself stranded on the sandy shores of a remote island.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Erin Morgenstern writes some of the most beautiful prose I’ve ever read, and The Night Circus is usually my top recommendation when I’m asked for a recommended read.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J K Rowling
If I could take them all, I would, but if I have to be picky, I’d chose The Prisoner of Azkaban. I wrote a whole blog post about why this book is the best in the series. This is the book where the gang turn from children into teenagers and it’s right before things get really dark. It also happens to be the only book without Voldermort in it so that’s cause for celebration!
Wuthering Heights by Jane Eyre
Wuthering Heights is my favourite English classic and I still get chills when I think about Cathy, Heathcliff and those moors.
This one’s a tear jerker. My favourite tear jerker ever. I was honestly inconsolable for about three days after reading Me Before You for the first time, and every time I’m in the mood for a good cry, I’ll pull this book off the shelf again. I could read it 100 times and it would make me cry every single time.
Brave New World by Aldos Huxley
Brave New World was eerily ahead of its time and continues to be an important novel today. The story is timeless and a necessary warming about the world we live in.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
This is a new addition to the list, but I think it would be the perfect book to take to a remote island. It’s about the German occupation of Guernsey, which is also a small island, and how the people were resilient.
The Poetry Pharmacy by William Sieghart
The Poetry Pharmacy has a poem for every kind of ailment. From heartbreak to grief to depression; it’s the sort of book you need to keep close all the way through life because you never know when you’re going to need it.
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-
The Little Prince may be aimed at children, but the life lessons are universal, and it is an important lesson for adults. It reminds adults of a time where we saw things exactly how they were and not coloured with prejudices as we so often find today.
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