Dear Reader,
Today's guest author, Krystle Zara Appiah is a British Ghanaian writer and screenwriter, born and raised in London. She has a degree in literature and creative writing from the University of Kent. She was one of forty writers selected for the London Library's Emerging Writers Programme. She also works as a children's book editor. Krystle’s debut novel, Rootless, is a love story about a marriage in crisis that ultimately asks: can you ever be rooted in a home that's on the brink of collapse?
You could win a copy of Rootless. To enter the drawing, send an email with your preferred shipping address to: ethomasch@penguinrandomhouse.com
New Beginnings and Choosing Colour
A few weeks ago I moved home. After several years of living at one address, suddenly packing up my belongings and picking up a new set of keys was filled with far more nerves and anticipation than I'd expected. For months, I'd dithered over my decision, not sure if I should move and worried something would go majorly wrong at the last moment and I wouldn't be able to.
But that very first day, surrounded by bursting Ikea bags and crumpled boxes that contained all of my possessions, I just knew I'd made the right choice.
And now I'm here, what comes next? The apartment I now find myself in has white walls and gray floors. The space is somehow homely and sterile, bland but welcoming. For someone whose last home was decorated in multicoloured prints and rainbow-coloured bunting, this new space seems bleak in comparison.
Admittedly, that thought is coming from someone who would happily live in a pink house, full to the brim with houseplants and flowers even if I can't seem to keep either alive.
Before moving, when the idea of decorating my new home was still a vague possibility, I envisioned a magenta sofa, giant murals on the wall, plush carpets and pastel-coloured silverware. But weeks have passed and I've done none of those things. The boxes are (mostly) unpacked, but the apartment is still as bland as it was the day I moved in. While I find myself regularly scrolling through Pinterest and filling my online basket with colourful items, I can't seem to press purchase. Something about a house filled with colour seems immature and overdone. I'm supposedly a grown-up now, shouldn't I be leaning towards beige, cream and other neutral colours?
But the truth is, that just isn't me. Despite knowing that's what some people would do, I'm slowly coming around to the idea that where I live should be a reflection of me and my personality. Home is where I should be most comfortable and happy as I'm surrounded by things I like, things I chose. And that is just what I intend to do. Small pieces of colour are beginning to creep in. The silverware is pastel-coloured. The rainbow bunting and fairy lights are out. The pink sofa arrives this week. And yes, there are flowers in every room.
You could win a copy of "Rootless," to enter the drawing, send an email with your preferred shipping address to: ethomasch@penguinrandomhouse.com
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
Start reading this month's Penguin Classic, "The Best of Everything” by Rona Jaffe and enter to win your own copy. Go to:
http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqB1AFE3F373F3&c=CLASSICS
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