Books from my shelf: The Silver Book (Olivia Laing)

Olivia Laing is one of my favourite writers. Their talent with the pen takes me away to whatever wistful place they want me at. Olivia has also defied genre, with non-fiction titles exploring aloneness and gardens, and fiction such as The Silver Book - a queer love story, of sorts.

Like so many queer relationships I've witnessed over the years, and as a queer thing myself, events have a tendency to rise and fall with alarming energy. The to-and-fro of potential is portrayed beautiful by Laing, set in the backdrop of Italy's film industry with all the glamour and aesthetic that suggests.

Rumbling in the background though, is the threat of fascism. It's never that far away, is it? Oh, and the age gap. They aren't that far away normally, either.

I bought this copy from Foyles, as the annoying sticker on the front cover will tell you. It's a signed copy, which seems to be a rather wide-spread marketing effort from the Waterstones outlets (which include Foyles and now Blackwells) these days. The day was another "get lost in the city" day, the type that clears my mind and helps me realise what's going on for me.

The main Foyles, on Charring Cross Road, is the perfect place to get lost. The older building, next door, was a bit easier to get lost in. But it's a good second.

I read it within a day or two immediately afterwards, it was a joy. A few weeks later, after a lovely meal with my Dad in which I let him know my... unpreference for gender, we were browsing his local bookshop and it was front and centre of the display. I almost bought a second copy to commemorate the moment.

I probably should have.

Anyway, if you like fiction and delicious writing, please consider The Silver Book. I can guarantee the atmosphere will lay in your mind for a long time after.