In lieu of the traditional Christmas message, here’s a New Year’s post instead. We’re standing on the brink of a new decade, heaven help us, and though it’s tempting to look at the world around us and despair, I’ve decided one has to be optimistic. I’ve made the usual New Year’s resolutions, which naively assume that I will have woken up this morning as a more motivated, more dynamic and less susceptible version of myself (we’ll see!). But the unusual thing this year is that there’s real change in the air: I’ve lived alone for eleven years, but my other half is about to move in with me. I’m excited but also very nervous. For example, how many books is it acceptable to have piled on the floor at any given time?! Of course I’ll keep reading and writing, but there will be a period of adjustment as I figure out how to adapt my bachelor-girl lifestyle.
The plan for January is to read books that jump-start my mind out of its post-Christmas slump, but first there are a few volumes left over from the end of 2019 that I’ll be posting about in the new few days. And the first book of 2020 is Zola’s Au Bonheur des Dames, my first encounter with his work, which is proving remarkably apt in the wake of some accidentally extravagant sales shopping.
Sending all of you warmest wishes for the New Year. I hope it’s full of happiness and success for all of you, a year of absorbing reads and magical adventures.
With love,
x
The Idle Woman 
And a Happy New Year to you, and best wishes for the changes you are facing.
But: what is that image at the top of the post? It’s gorgeous.
Happy New Year; I’m sure the changes are not as callenging as they seem. And if not, remember that bookish meme saying “he said I had to choose between books or him, and sometimes I remember him when I come into a bookshop…” lol, it’s just a joke!
Best wishes for the new year. Hugs.
Thank you so much for your marvellous reviews, which have brought me so many discoveries and much reading pleasure!
Wishing you a happy new year and wonderful new paths.
PS : to Tom Burke : this “idle” woman was painted by Vittorio Matteo Corcos (“Dreams”, 1896).
Thank you very much, and a happy 2020 to you as well – it can only be an improvement over the last one (or so one hopes). I am very excited to hear about the changes in your private life as well, and wish you all the best for it. 🙂 (And hopefully domestic bliss won’ti nterfere too much with your blogging. 😉 )
At the occasion of the sale of another painting by Vittorio Corcos (1859-1933), Christie’s publishes an interesting post about this painter.
Wishing you all best in this period that your blog seems on a momentary on-hold,
Hanno
https://www.christies.com/features/Alla-fontana-Le-due-colombe-by-Vittorio-Corcos-10997-1.aspx?sc_lang=en&cid=EM_EMLcontent04144B37Section_A_Story_3_1&cid=DM416821&bid=234189684