In my recent post on Irwin Shaw’s WW2 classic, The Young Lions, I talked about how the purpose of a title, generally speaking, is to “frame” a book for readers, with the (again general) purpose of serving as a “key” to understanding.

My point with regard to The Young Lions was that I don’t believe the title does frame the book in that way, which either means there is no rule after all, or that this book is one of the exceptions that highlights (if not ‘proves’) the general thesis. 😀

Nonetheless, I found myself thinking about titles  and their purpose again when reading Tade Thompson’s Rosewater. The title does speak to the book, but not quite so much as the series title, which is Wormwood. And, I decided, having reached the end of Rosewater (Wormwood #1) quite ‘perfect’ as the key turning in the lock of story.

You want to know why? Well, get away with ya, I say. 😉  Far better if you read Rosewater for yourself and make up your own mind! Having enjoyed the read myself, I don’t believe you’ll regret doing so.

And as I shared on Twitter at the time, I took a leaf out of NZ crime writer, Vanda Symon’s book and embarked on the read in company with a refreshing cup of tea. The cake, you’re probably not surprised to learn, was entirely my own initiative, driven by the wish to trial a new chocolate and hazelnut cake recipe—which was pretty good, but also Very Rich!

Definitely not for everyday eating. All perfect, though, for what was a very drear and rainy midwinter’s afternoon. 🙂

As also confessed on Twitter, I did “style” the photo for your benefit and to highlight the book, but as soon as the pic was taken it was all about the relaxation and the reading!