I am varied reader, loving a combination of so-called literary fiction through to thrillers, detective novels and sci-fi. I am a great fan of good children’s literature too and here are a few of my favourite reads from this summer. One of the most satisfying and thought-provoking novels that I read was the prize-winning ‘How to do Both’ by Ali Smith which was absolutely beautiful. There are two different narrators and the novel is sold in two versions: one begins with the v

Woods are magical places where people fall in love with the wrong people (Midsummer’s Night Dream), Chaucer’s Wife of Bath finds a prince, little girls take photographs of fairies dancing at their fingertips (the Cottingley Fairies, see image below). In the Perigord, where I live, woods are everywhere, part of the ancient landscape. After it rains, those in the know rush out to gather the white mushroom called the cepe, traditionally served with duck and potatoes. Alex and I