December's Book Recommendation

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

December has arrived, and with it a conga-line of fairy lights, mince pies, and overpriced hot chocolates. This is a month of seeking out the warmth and comfort to help us survive the winter cold whilst fending off the end-of-year existentialism.

This month, I'm inviting you to be curious with a puzzle box of a book. Something that I know will either add to the magic of the season, or to help you escape from the festive obligations.

Winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction 2021, Clarke's Piranesi is unlike anything I have read. It is not an overly large book, or a complicated one, but instead a welcome dose of mystery and intrigue in a time of suffocating social calendars.

Piranesi will take you on a journey beyond our own realm of existence, and offer adventure you'll want to stay behind in. It explores the contrast between reality as we know it and the alternative world we let our imaginations dwell in; drawing you in to an embrace that only the sound of crushing waves or leaves rustling in the wind can offer. The both basic and elaborate setting of The House echoes the complicated desires of the modern being, calling for calm within the chaos. It will be hard not to hold Piranesi's innocence and strength in your heart long after the final page.

This month's recommendation is one I hope so many can get a chance to read, as it is truly original and transportive. You will struggle to put it down.

Happy reading, and please do share your thoughts on Piranesi in the comments.