{"id":2667,"date":"2020-08-03T19:30:18","date_gmt":"2020-08-03T17:30:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.georgiahill.co.uk\/?p=2667"},"modified":"2022-04-06T16:18:17","modified_gmt":"2022-04-06T14:18:17","slug":"the-beginners-guide-to-loneliness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.georgiahill.co.uk\/?p=2667","title":{"rendered":"The Beginner\u2019s Guide to Loneliness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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I\u2019m sorry I haven\u2019t blogged for a while. It\u2019s been a strange and distressing year and I have to admit, at the beginning of Lockdown, my mind was not in a good place. The \u2018what if\u2019 worries were siren calling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I couldn\u2019t even read or write, which are my go-to things in times of crisis. I couldn\u2019t concentrate enough to read and writing seemed somehow trivial in the face of the Covid-19 storm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the first two or three weeks things settled down, to use that ominous phrase, into the \u2018new normal\u2019 and I began to work again. I also began to read. And boy, did I discover my reading mojo. After months of not wanting to read anything, I\u2019ve got through about twenty books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the lovely things about existing in a writerly world is knowing other writers whose books you want to read and recommend. I have to confess to downloading a lot of books onto the old Kindle where they sit unread for months. There\u2019s always the pressure to like them as much as you like your writing friend – and sometimes that isn\u2019t the case. Awkward!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One book which I\u2019ve absolutely loved is Laura Bambrey\u2019s The Beginner\u2019s Guide to Loneliness. I know Laura through the Devon writing group we both attend. We\u2019ve only met a few times but, despite being very different people, we got on instantly. She\u2019s one of the good guys. When her book was accepted by Simon and Schuster\u2019s #OneDay Twitter submission event, I was thrilled for her. As a good writing pal should, I downloaded. I\u2019ve been reading a lot of Rosanna Ley, Nicola Cornick, Lorna Cook and was about to start Jane Cable\u2019s Another You. All fabulous authors and firm favourites. It was Monday morning and I\u2019d let the dogs out, made a cup of tea and settled down to enjoy cuddles with the pooches and a quiet read. However, I\u2019d left the paperback upstairs and was too idle to go and get it. Plus, it was early and rescue dog Ralph gets whiny and noisy if left alone. As hubs was still asleep, I browsed my Kindle and began Laura\u2019s book. Eight hours later I finished it. In tears. I can\u2019t recommend it enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s about damaged soul Tori and her experiences at The Farm, a wellness retreat in Wales. Tori writes a blog about loneliness and her only friends are those online in a chat forum. One handle was HughTypesLikeAFlamingo which made me laugh every time it cropped up. I won\u2019t do spoilers except to say I\u2019m a sucker for any book which features a dog and a brooding man. I also loved Rowan, the world-weary teenager, running a savvy business on the side. And I really wanted to rescue those trees. Want to know what I\u2019m on about? Read the book!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Find out more about Laura and #OneDay by following these Twitter feeds:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

@LauraBambrey @BookMinxSJV<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hope you\u2019re all keeping well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Love,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Georgia x<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Linky things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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