A couple of months ago, my colleague Jane posted a book review for A Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches and described it as “a warm hug of a book.” I really needed a warm book hug at the time and I read it… three times. Ever since I have been on the hunt for that warm hug feeling. A book about people making connections, showing up for each other, and making the most out of their lives. It’s a big ask, and not something you find every day.
Well. I’ve found another hug! Iona Iverson’s Rules of Commuting is a book you can wrap yourself up in with a cozy blanket and cup of tea - or Gin and Tonic? Honestly Iona would approve of either. Iona takes the same commute into London every weekday with often the same people, but everyone knows an unspoken word of commuting is that you don’t speak to each other… until one day, a small group of strangers is brought together by a shared incident on the train with Iona at the center.
This is a story about the assumptions we make of each other through casual interactions, but the real depth and struggles that make us whole people. It is a story of people taking a chance, getting to know one another, and being supportive when everything seems to go off the trails (except the train - that keeps running with amazing efficiency).
I loved this book. I had the audiobook version and the quipped British reader was a joy to listen to. If you need a warm hug, or maybe a little advice, overshare, and nudge in the right direction to follow your heart from Iona - you’ll find it here.