Merry Christmas to you all, I hope you all have/had a wonderful, relaxing day spending it exactly as you wish.
We had a unique Christmas Day, with a picnic lunch on the TGV (fast train) to Paris – delicious savoury canapés, no cooking required and no dishes to wash up afterward either.
I am looking forward to reading time, although I may not get much done, since there is so much to see and do here in Paris.
But first, some Christmas Book news!
This season The Guardian ran a series on writers and readers’ favourite books to curl up with on biting winter nights.
As some of you might remember, as I mentioned and gave away a copy of this book last year, my seasonal comfort read is Paul Durcan’s book length poem Christmas Day.
Well, there might not have been any books under the tree this year, but having my review published by The Guardian on Christmas Day was the best gift of all!
Click here to read the review.
Joyeuses fêtes à tous!
Word by Word 
Christmas in Paris! What could be more perfect?? Joyeux Noel! And all the best for a fabulous 2014.
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Thanks Fransi, it is wonderful to set foot outside the door each day and discover a new area of Paris adorned in her festive best. 🙂
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Congratulations on the review, Claire, and Merry Christmas!
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Thank you Sarah, and a Happy New Year to you.
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Merry Christmas, Claire! With best wishes to you and all your loved ones! Rayna
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And to you also Rayna, all the best for 2014, I hope it brings you much joy!
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Congratulations, Claire! That’s a lovely Christmas “gift”. I will read your review now.
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Thanks Julia, I thought so too, we never know quite how the gift might manifest 🙂
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Fantastic, Claire! Congratulations!
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Thank you! I know you remember this book 🙂
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Merry Christmas, Claire!
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Thanks Nelle and the same to you and all the best for 2014, may it bring you all that you wish.
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Beautiful post, Claire! Congratulations! It is so wonderful that your essay on Paul Durcan’s book came out in the Guardian! I read it and loved it! I totally loved this passage from your essay – “While some read to forget, others read to remember – the former in search of escape, the latter seeking comfort in the familiar. It is a rare volume that can satisfy both. As someone who rarely indulges the fleeting inclination to reread, I find myself breaking my own rule for Paul Durcan, retrieving this entertaining, subversive conversation between two men from the shelf every year.” – so beautiful! I want to read that book length poem now. So wonderful to know that you are spending your Christmas holiday in Paris with your family. Christmas lunch on the TGV sounds so cool! Hope all of you are having a wonderful time! Joyeux Noël et Joyeuses fêtes 🙂
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Thank you Vishy, we can always rely on you to make us see our own words through different eyes, as if they existed separately, I love that ability to ‘see again’ a part of the work that stands out from the rest. Thank you for having such vision and always sharing it with those whose work you read. And all the best for 2014! Looking forward to it already.
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Congratulations Claire and the best of seasonal wishes from all of us in the TiF household.
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Thank you Alex and the same to you from festive Paris 🙂
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Claire, What a grand way to spend the holiday! Enjoy Paris and congratulations on having your review published in the Guardian!
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Thank you, I hope you are enjoying the festive season and I wish you all the best for 2014!
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Your reviews are a gift . . .So delighted for you re: this extra Christmas gift you yourself received. So well deserved, too. Wishing you a wonderful holiday and a New Year filled with light.
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Thank you Deborah, your visits are the real gift and the opportunity to continue the conversation after the words have been read. Thank you for your continued readership and all the best for a wonderful light-filled 2014 to you and your family!
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Fantastic news, great review….next year a subtle hint on wordpress in good time should remedy your booklessness Stethinks…Merry Christmas!
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Thank you! The books do seem to find their way to me all the same 🙂 It might not have come in Christmas wrap, but Sue Monk Kidd’s latest book sent to me from Penguin NY, sure felt like receiving a Christmas gift!
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What a lovely gift, Claire, for you and for the Guardian readers. Your review is a treat. The ice storm in our part of the world set us all back a few days as we were cast into the dark ages for a few days. Belated warmest wishes, bonne fête à Paris!
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Thank you Patricia, I hope you weren’t without power, like the poor flood victims in the UK! Very festive here in Paris and enjoying the ambiance. All the best for 2014! Bonne Continuation.
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Congratulations on your lovely review @ the Guardian, Claire….wish you a lovely peaceful year ahead!!!!
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Thank you Neelima. I wish a pleasant and peaceful year for you too with bountiful inspiration! 🙂
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I like the sound of your Christmas lunch, Claire! Hope you had a lovely time in Paris – we escaped to Amsterdam and only heard about the misery of many back home in the UK on Sunday evening. Awful for them. Many congratulations on the Guardian piece.
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