We made it! Not, perhaps, with any great surprise: with the only book I felt compelled to post about on the blog this year, and the only book I’ve now read twice, despite its 650 pages. That’s the level of quality control I’m prepared to give you guys. That’s the investment. Well, that and the literal investment that I spent on this book last year buying it in hardback only to repeatedly give it away.
I’m happy to confirm that the richness of this book more than stands up to re-reading; in fact, I might make it annual, so much do I love Murray’s characterisation, his wit, his mastery of storytelling. Click here for link to review
But I don’t want to leave this glorious countdown with only a book I’ve written about before! Instead I want to bring you another art that brought me joy last year. I invite you all to enjoy the eruption of creative energy in this live performance by the band Lawrence, led by siblings Gracie and Clyde. It doesn’t even really matter if you like the song, I just want you to witness it: a bunch of musicians coming together to make glorious, rich, messy sound. The skill of the production – the talent of the delivery – the raucous atmosphere: this is what I love in art. It’s a coming together, a channeling of life, a risk backed up by extraordinary talent. If I could embody what I feel when a great novel is galloping towards its close, craft flying, blood up, it would be something like this song. Or maybe I just want to write a book set in a world like this? Who knows. It’s all one glorious creative whirl.
This is 5 minutes long, and if you don’t watch it the whole way through, I’ll hunt you down.
Happy listening folks, and happy reading in 2024.
(If you like this song, check out 23 and Don’t Lose Sight, both of which have single and acoustic-ish versions, on youtube or wherever you listen to music.)
Room of Joy 