I am back after a wonderful two weeks in Italy. I strolled through vineyards, forests, and countless hill-towns in Tuscany, admired palm trees, snow-capped mountains and German tourists on Lake Garda, and found unexpected quiet on Venice’s twisting, charming streets and canals.
To be frank, I am not particularly excited to be home. I would much rather be sitting somewhere in the Veneto with a glass of prosecco or visiting a spa in Merano or maybe discovering the ancient glories of Rome. Instead, I am back at home where it is cold and wet and I am expected to work for a living for another thirty or forty years. Most unsatisfactory.
My wanderlust is something I live with the whole year round, though my vacations are limited to three weeks a year. I am already plotting where to go next year. Italy again? My beloved Germany, perhaps? Croatia, finally? Dare I pluck up the courage for India? I thought I had it narrowed down but then yesterday I read Bill Bryson’s newest book, The Road to Little Dribbling, and now, of course, I am desperate to go back to the UK. One of the delights of the UK, as Bryson never tires of pointing out, is how crammed full it is of fascinating people, places and history. London alone has more cultural sights than many countries but there are thoughtful, original museums and galleries scattered across the rest of the nation with infuriating frequency. I am ready to go NOW and spend three or four weeks (months?) roaming about, visiting museums and galleries, walking the South Downs and the Yorkshire Dales.
What I shall actually do is stay here, work, study for a demanding upcoming professional exam, and, perhaps, occasionally remember to update this blog. I do miss regular blogging but have been so busy this year that I’ve barely had time to read, never mind reflect on my reading. It is something I miss and I hope in the coming months I’ll be able to make blogging part of my regular schedule again.
Though I didn’t read much, and certainly not deeply, I did come across some excellent books this summer. Girl at War by Sara Nović, about the impact of the Serbo-Croatian war on a young girl, was excellent; Uprooted, a light, undemanding fantasy novel from Naomi Novik, was a fun distraction from my other concerns; and Man Overboard by Monica Dickens was a nice, light romance about an unemployed naval officer that reminded me of how well Dickens writes from the male perspective and had unmistakable similarities to the writing of my dear Nevil Shute.
But the most delightful surprise of this summer was Sofia Khan is Not Obliged by Ayisha Malik (of which Kate has already written an excellent and far more detailed review). Sometimes, books appear that so perfectly match my dream book wish list that I can barely believe they are real. This was one of those books. Sofia Khan is a young British Muslim woman, working in the publishing industry in London (much like her creator). Like many young women, she is looking for love but not prepared to compromise too much. She wants someone who shares her faith, is close to his family (though not too close – living with the in-laws is a step too far for Sofia), and believes in her feminist values. If he happens to be gorgeous and brings the banter, so much the better.
Through Sofia and her friends, Malik looks with humour and sympathy at the way young, educated, devout, modern Muslim women approach romance. One friend is in love with married man and, as the novel begins, considering becoming a second wife. Another is in a relationship with a black man, something her family and community would certainly not approve of. Sofia isn’t quite sure who she wants but she knows she wants love and marriage and a family of her own.
As someone who has never been able to connect with alcohol- and regretful hook-up-driven Chick Lit novels (or television shows, like Sex and the City), Sofia Khan is Not Obliged was a welcome change. It offered a cheeky, intelligent, fallible heroine who, although I may not share her faith or culture, I could identify with more easily than most of the other protagonists in the genre. Once I started reading, I could not put the book down – it’s the only thing I’ve read this year that kept me up past midnight (on a weekday, no less). I read it thanks to NetGalley and can’t wait for the paperback to come out in January (it is available now as an e-book).
The Captive Reader 
Welcome home! I always enjoy reading about your travels, and I share your wanderlust and your frustration that I’m not currently in a season to just travel the world. 🙂 You made the Sofia Khan book sound very appealing – enough that I’m adding it to my list.
Thanks, Susan! I’ll be posting photos from my travels in the next few weeks to fuel your wanderlust a bit more. Sofia Khan is really excellent – I think it would be an interesting, enjoyable read for you and maybe your girls, too.
Boy, do I know how you feel! Just got back from 2.5 weeks in England, the most perfect vacation, books and friends and beautiful places – and now am back in Los Angeles, which seems more horrid than ever! I can’t even complain about still having to work, because I just retired. Which gives me more time to look around and wish I could spend more time in England, but I can’t, and I know I’m very lucky to be able to go there once a year. I wonder how many people suffer from this dissatisfied-with-their-setting wanderlust syndrome?
Sounds like a wonderful trip. Good luck readjusting to life at home!
I love the photo you posted…is that Alassio? It seems like a vintage travel poster. Makes me want to go there right now.
It’s actually a photo from Tuscany, near Bagno Vignoni. Absolutely beautiful place.
I would love to return to Italy for a visit, and the new Bill Bryson book looks a treat.
The Bryson is very fun – no surprise! When aren’t his books enjoyable?
Adding my welcome back, it’s lovely to see you posting again. I enjoyed your twitter tour! Next year will be a milestone birthday for me, and I’m starting to think about a trip to celebrate it.
I agree, the Sofia Khan book sounds very interesting – I’ll be keeping an eye out for it.
My sympathies on returning to work 🙂
Trips to celebrate are very important! I’ll look forward to hearing about your plans if you do decide to go.
Sounds like a wonderful trip…oh to be independently wealthy and live like that for as long as you choose. We have frost on the rooftops here in Ontario, Claire, so as you can imagine…I would like to be Europe-bound myself!
Try not to daydream about your travels too much while studying for that exam!
That’d be the life, wouldn’t it? I had friends whose finances make that kind of travel possible (lesson 1 in life: choose your parents wisely; lesson 2: work for them when you grow up so as to have both money and lots of vacation time) and its impossible not to envy them, really.
I am not ready to start thinking about winter – but, being a soft, spoiled Vancouverite, when am I ever ready for winter?
Yes, welcome home! And thank you for the book mentions. So glad you enjoyed the Monica Dickens (she is one of my favourite authors of her era), and I am most intrigued by ‘Sofia Khan’. I also did not know that Bill Bryson had another book out – this is how far out of the loop I am this year!!! – but that will solve several Christmas gift dilemmas very nicely. (And I look forward to reading this one as well.)
I have just returned (last night) from a trip to your part of the world, and I thought of you as I drove to the UBC Botanical Gardens for a too-qick walk-through. Managed to dodge the Apple Festival, though it was all set up on Friday and it looked very interesting. We were there for botanizing, though, best done without vast crowds! A day of glorious sun for the outdoor part of my visit, then it got a bit gloomier, which was all rightish because I was in meetings all day Saturday and Sunday morning, but the smog/fog/clouds were definitely oppressive by Sunday noontime, and I was very happy to get out of the crowded city and head back up through the valley and into the Interior.
Sympathies on that whole not-enough-vacation-time-in-your-life thing. But so glad to hear this year’s trip was so wonderful. It will supply you with memories to get you through the coming winter, and make the next trip’s planning something to really look forward to.
So lovely to see your post. 🙂
We really do need to coordinate a visit one time you’re down here. Happy to hear you enjoyed your visit. Sorry that we didn’t have better weather for you this weekend, but low cloud and fog is definitely classic Vancouver this time of year!
Welcome home! Your trip looked incredible. Now you have a whole year to dream about another perfect vacation! Although I hear you on the Prosecco…
Girl At War – did you not feel that it was kind of backwards? In terms of how the story was told – the main event happened quite early and I never felt like the rest of it really lived up to that. The ending was also so open without really any real resolution.
I really liked the structure of Girl at War and I do love an open-ended ending. I thought the ending and lack of resolution was really appropriate to the story. When she goes back, she is only just starting to come to terms with her childhood and what happened. By making a start, that’s hopeful, that’s a way towards a better future.
Welcome back! Thank you for posting so many beautiful photos on instagram… I enjoyed every one!
Thanks so much!
Welcome back! I had the opportunity to go to India earlier this year, and it was a fabulous experience. It’s reminded me that I can totally handle international travel and should be doing more of it any chance I get.
And Sofia Khan Is Not Obliged sounds marvelous. I’ll keep an eye out for it at the start of next year!
Yes! You should definitely be travelling any chance you get! My best friend is also interested in India so we’re thinking of a trip together. Just a matter of coordinating schedules. Not sure it will be 2016 but one day!
I know the feeling! I am in transit at Changi and though going back to hubby would love to go in another direction,preferably Tokyo or Myanmaar!
It’s so hard to get on the plane home. I kept looking at all the other flights leaving and longing to get on them instead. Zurich, Rome, Barcelona…so much temptation!
You’re back! It sounds like a wonderful trip, and the photo at the top of this post has inspired me to bring out the watercolors and paint!
Glad to serve as inspiration! As we arrived at this spot, a painter was actually just leaving it.
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