When my mum dropped off our Christmas presents last week, having brought them all back on the ferry from my sister’s in Ireland for us, I realised something very quickly – the vast majority of my Christmas presents were books. (Fortunate then that I didn’t have to take them on the plane.)
I love books. I love seeing them around the house, but as I’ve got older I’ve definitely noticed that I’ve become less about the look of them and more about the actual reading. I don’t have shelves and shelves of books any more just because I like how they look – the books I have are either books I’ve read, and loved, and so want to keep so I can reread them, or lend them to people, or they are books I’m planning to read at some point.
I also have one small bookshelf on my landing that holds some of my favourite collections, which I will never get rid of. This includes my Nancy Drew books, (all woman needs a sassy girl detective role model), my John Wyndham books, and my James Bonds.
I’ve also been a big James Bond fan. Obviously he is a violent, soulless, womaniser, but apart from that, he’s pretty cool isn’t he? I mean seriously, he’s a bit ace. Casino Royale is my favourite James Bond book. I love the darkness of it, but I also love the gambling. James Bond has some very specific gambling strategies, and it was by following Bond’s approach to roulette that I doubled my money in my recent casino visit.
When The Folio Society asked if they could send me an extra Christmas present then, Casino Royale was a natural choice.
I was not disappointed.
It’s just beautiful. I love that it comes in a colourful slip case, concealing a dark, sophisticated, grey hardback book underneath. It has gorgeous illustrations from Fay Dalton, which perfectly sum up Bond for me – sultry, exotic and dark.
If you’re ever looking for a gift for a book lover, I’d definitely recommend having a look at The Folio Society. At the time of writing they have 15% off everything with the code G155A and there is free UK delivery on your first order.