In this February Literary Mood Board on The Ritual of Reading Podcast, I explore the art of good manners — not as a relic of the past, but as a foundation for modern freedom. Drawing on four books that shaped my thinking — The Downton Abbey Rules for Household Staff, Kazuo Ishiguro’s "The Remains of the Day", Baltasar Gracián’s "The Art of Worldly Wisdom" and Thackeray’s "Vanity Fair" — I reflect on how etiquette elevates character, cultivates dignity and shapes the way we inhabit the world together. From airport queues to quiet acts of consideration, this is a gentle manifesto for living with care, respect and humanity in our fractured age.READ ALONG WITH METhe Downton Abbey Rules for Household Staff : https://tidd.ly/49QcapoKazuo Ishiguro, "The Remains of the Day" : https://tidd.ly/45FyI9SBaltasar Gracián, "The Art of Worldly Wisdom" : https://tidd.ly/4aqHz1SWilliam Makepeace Thackeray, "Vanity Fair" : https://tidd.ly/3Mafu5wMy Policy on Affiliate Links : https://theritualofreading.com/affiliate-policy/CONNECT WITH MEWebsite: ⁠https://theritualofreading.com⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/ritual_of_reading/⁠ Substack: ⁠https://theritualofreading.substack.com⁠ Pinterest: ⁠https://fr.pinterest.com/ritual_of_reading/⁠ SUPPORT MY WORKIf you value this free content, you can support me on Ko-Fi. Every contribution makes it possible to continue sharing these literary reflections.https://ko-fi.com/theritualofreading

Welcome to Season 2 of The Ritual of Reading. In this episode, Alexandra explores the "Gentle January" philosophy. We discuss:

• The serendipity of Marguerite Yourcenar and Emmanuelle Favier.

• Travel memoirs and Russian mysteries with Lesley Blanch.

• Winter nourishment through Ayurvedic beetroot soup (get the recipe here)

• The ritual of the Gratitude Journal.

Featured Books:

'Petit éloge du feu de cheminée' by Emmanuelle Favier

'Journey into the Mind's Eye' by Lesley Blanch

• Buy your copy here : https://tidd.ly/45tcrvL

My Policy on Affiliate Links : https://theritualofreading.com/affiliate-policy/

Connect with me:

Website: ⁠https://theritualofreading.com⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/ritual_of_reading/⁠

Pinterest: ⁠https://fr.pinterest.com/ritual_of_reading/⁠

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Have you ever hesitated to go somewhere alone? This episode is about reclaiming solitude as something precious rather than something to apologize for. I take you through my favorite Paris destinations for being deliberately, deliciously alone—a hidden museum, an ice cream parlour, and a tennis stadium—while sharing what French writers have taught me about the courage it takes to disappoint expectations and embrace your own company. A love letter to solitude, Paris, and the freedom of being alone.

Connect with me:

Website: ⁠https://theritualofreading.com⁠

Substack: ⁠https://theritualofreading.substack.com⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/ritual_of_reading/⁠

Pinterest: ⁠https://fr.pinterest.com/ritual_of_reading/⁠

Support me on Ko-Fi : https://ko-fi.com/theritualofreading