I’m sharing my thoughts today not just of Claudia Winkleman’s fabulous book Quite, but of the equally fabulous Libby App. What is the Libby App I hear you ask? Well, it’s a way to borrow ebooks and audiobooks from your local library for free. Yes, that’s right – free! I have the app on my phone but you can also use it on a laptop or tablet. And even better, you can link your devices so it synchronises if you want to listen or read on a different device. I have been using this quite a lot recently for my audiobooks and I raced through Claudia Winkleman’s audiobook in ten days, which is fast for me. If you don’t already use Libby, have a look at the website here to find out more.
In this, her first ever book, Claudia invites us all into her world. She shares her observations on topics such as the importance of melted cheese, why black coats are vital, how it’s never okay to have sex with someone who has an opinion on your date outfit, how nurses are our most precious national treasure, and why colourful clothing is only for the under 10s (if you’re reading this sporting a bright red jumper and you’re 9, great! If you’re older, sorry).
From the back of the book
I really loved listening to this book and recommend it to anyone who wants to be entertained and have a giggle. It’s relatable, witty and, well, quite good really.
Claudia graduated from Cambridge University with an MA Honours in History of Art. She lives in London with her husband and three children.
This is a love letter to life – the real, sometimes messy kind. Quite celebrates friendship, the power of art, the highs and lows of parenting, and of course, how a good eyeliner can really save your life.
Now onto the book. If you watch Strictly Come Dancing you will know Claudia as the slightly kooky orange one who mostly wears black, has arguably a too long fringe and clearly has a love of eyeliner. I’m not making personal comments there, those are her words, not mine. If you listen to her Radio 2 show you will know she comes across as warm, friendly and funny. Well that’s exactly what she is like in her book. Thankfully, she narrates it herself – I can’t imagine anyone else doing it – so her warm personality really shines through.In Quite, we get Claudia’s thoughts on parenthood, fringes (naturally!), Christmas, fashion, friendship, London, the Tube, cheese, tiny fridges, Strictly of course and so much more. There was so much that made me laugh out loud and nod in agreement. We are similar ages so a lot of what she was talking about resonated with me. I hope her kids never listen to it or read it though, they’d be mortified at what their mum discusses. There were also more moving sections such as the part about nurses and why they are so special. Although she never mentions the reason for this part, you know this is a very personal tribute to the nurses who cared for her daughter when she had an accident some years back.Claudia has previously presented four series of The Great British Sewing Bee and was the host of BBC Film. Claudia is also a trustee of Comic Relief and has fronted the live television shows for both Red Nose Day and Sport Relief, along with spin-off shows including Let’s Dance for Comic Relief/ Sport Relief and the Comic Relief Danceathon.Heartfelt, wry and unmistakably Claudia, this book gets to the heart of what really matters. Claudia Winkleman’s warmth, humour, no-holds-barred attitude and smoky eye have made her the favourite broadcaster of millions and a much-loved household name.
I loved Claudia’s attitude to life and just enjoying yourself. I know she won’t mind me calling her Claudia as if we were friends because listening to this book is like having a good old natter with a friend. She comes across as a very down-to-earth person despite her success. She says she’s still waiting for people to find out they made a mistake giving her all these great jobs and realise she can’t do them. Here’s the thing, they won’t, because she’s genuinely great at what she does in my opinion.
About the Author
Claudia Winkleman is one of the best known broadcasters in the UK, she won the RTS Award for Best Presenter in 2015, the WFTV award for Best Presenter in 2019 and has been BAFTA-nominated. Claudia currently co-hosts Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1) alongside Tess Daly and also has a Sunday night show on BBC Radio 2. Claudia also fronts the BBC1 cookery competition series Britain’s Best Home Cook alongside Mary Berry, which first aired in 2018 and will return to television screens again next year. She also regularly appears as a guest on panel shows including QI, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Big Fat Quiz of the Year and Would I Lie To You.
As part of the Strictly family, Claudia first presented Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two before joining Tess Daly on the main show in 2014. The following year she also hosted The People’s Strictly.
Funny, moving and truthful… Quite
