More Books I’ve Recently Enjoyed!
As I said last month, so far it’s been a bumper year for great reads, so I think there are going to be a LOT of My Favorite Things columns offering book recommendations. But that’s OK. We’re all here because we’re readers, after all!
The first one is a really touching memoir from Richard E. Grant, one my favorite actors. Some years ago, I was lucky enough to see him as Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady. What a treat!).
I have a feeling REG might be better known in England and in the Commonwealth than he is in America, although he has featured in some of the more recent Star Wars movies so perhaps his talents are becoming more widely appreciated in the US!
A Pocketful of Happiness (2023) tells the story of his eventful and surprising life from his childhood in Swaziland through his rise to stardom. He often plays rather oddball characters, but he’s such a warm and charming presence on screen, you’re always willing to go on the journey with him, however bizarre. Have you seen Can You Ever Forgive Me? His performance in that is extraordinary and he ended up with an Oscar nomination as a result.
One of the most disarming things about REG is his lifelong obsession with Barbra Streisand, well documented in this book. It’s lovely to see someone who isn’t remotely interested in appearing like Mr. Cool when it comes to expressing his admiration for a fellow artist. As you can probably gather, REG isn’t afraid to make fun of himself and there are a lot of very funny moments in this book.
Anyway, back to A Pocketful of Happiness. The title has a touch of irony about it because the core of the book details the death of REG’s beloved wife, the famed vocal coach Joan Washington. I have to say I cried buckets in this one. The love and devotion expressed in the pages are just so moving. This book is full of heart and wisdom and it’s definitely worth a look.
My next choice is a lovely story of a young man coming of age and finding his life path in post-World War II Britain. The Offing by Benjamin Myers (2019) is, again, full of heart and very charming. And at least I didn’t cry in this one!
Robert Appleyard is a clever 16-year-old boy from a working class family in Durham. When the war ends, he puts off having to make a decision about his future career – going into the coal mine where his father works or an administrative position – by going on a long walk across to Robin Hood’s Bay in Yorkshire. There Robert meets an eccentric and solitary older woman called Dulcie who comes from a different world: an upper-crust, wealthy, artistic world far beyond anything Robert has imagined.
The first golden summer of peace progresses, and Robert and Dulcie become unlikely friends and their relationship will change them both forever. As Robert becomes increasingly aware of possibilities that he’s never before considered, he also realizes that there is a tragic mystery at the heart of Dulcie’s exile in a ramshackle cottage on the edge of England.
I love stories about people who discover the world is bigger than they ever imagined it was. If you’re a regular reader of this column, you’ll already know this through some of my selections like Still Life by Sarah Winman or Miss Garnet’s Angel by Salley Vickers. There’s a gentle, nostalgic wistfulness about both those books, too, that reminds me very much of The Offing.
A lovely read with a really positive, touching denouement.
My last recommendation today is a genuine call to action! Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth (2016) is one of the most inspiring books I’ve ever read.
I think one of the reasons I love this book so much is that it confirms my personal observations. I’ve worked with a lot of aspiring writers over the years and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s not talent that makes you a success, it’s staying power. Talent doesn’t hurt – as long as people don’t expect that it means a free ride to the top – but the ability to pick yourself up and keep going against adversity and be humble enough to learn from your mistakes is much more likely to lead to your dreams coming true than any amount of flair.
Grit also helps to explain why some people seem to be defined by their circumstances, and yet other people rise above difficulties that you would swear would crush any spirit, even the bravest, and thrive. There are such wonderful stories in this book that confirm that guts and focus and hard work can make all the difference, wherever you start out in life.
I could hardly put this one down! And when I finished it, I felt ready to take over the world! I think you’ll find it a similarly compelling read.