Category: Review (Page 14 of 132)

3.5 out of 5 stars

The publisher provided a copy of this free of charge in return for an honest review.

I am generally a fairly pessimistic character, never wanting to see the positive of a situation, always cautious with regards to the possibilities of what might happen. Sometime I think that it is depression, but having read this, I know now that I have never suffered from depression.

In this short book, Almudena Sánchez has chronicled her decent into the pit of depression. Until it arrived in her life she thought it was just a temporary phase that people could snap out of. It turns out that she couldn’t. It consumed her, utterly. So much so that there were points that she wasn’t even able to wash her hair in the shower. The shower head felt like it weight 100kg and she was unable to lift it.

The most poignant description she has of it, is that it is like having a relationship with the dead. How every much you reject them, they always return.

There are parts of this that are utterly grim to read as she frequently stares into the abyss that is her depression. But in amongst these dark clouds are crepuscular rays of light from those friends and medical professionals that were caring for her. It was that and her books that got her through and out of the other side. As you join her all the way through her depression she is lyrical and lucid even though some of it was written during treatment.

I can’t really say that I liked this, some of it is shockingly honest reading. But I hope that her words and description of the tsunami of emotions that she endured may yet help someone else who is living their own hell in their own mind.

Just before the end of each year, I set my intentions (here) on what I want to read and any other book-focused ideas that I want to do for the next coming year. We have just passed a quarter of the way through the year so I thought that I would do a little update. It was also prompted by Rebecca’s post here as she updated us on hers.

I am posting this today as it is my Blog Birthday! It has been running since 9th April 2016!

Blogging

Still blogging and trying to post three times a week at the moment. Minor hiccup the other day when the blog was down for the weekend, and given the response I had from the technical help I will probably migrate away next year

Books

Review Books

I have read 21 review books so far this year and still have four to write reviews for!

My Own Books

I have only read seven of my own books this year, most photo books that I have kept…

Library Books

I have read 26 library books this year and got my total down to 44. Still keep reserving them though…

Reading Plans

Female Authors

I have read 19 female authors so far this year and that equates to 35% of the total.

BAME Authors

I have already reached nine BAME authors! Should achieve my target of twelve by June at this rate.

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Have read six SF/F so far this year with a small pile from the library and a number of review copies this is well on target.

Fiction

Have read six fiction so far this year with a small pile from the library and a large number of books that I have bought, this is well on target.

Poetry

I have read seven poetry books this year, helped by the Rathbones prize as they had the whole lot in Poole library

Photobooks

Have read one per month so far. Have managed to pass two on too.

Literary Awards

I have read all of the poetry from the Rathbones prize and a few from the Stanfords, but still have three left to go for the 2023 shortlist, two of which I haven’t got yet.

Challenges

The World From My Armchair Challenge

I have only read one towards this challenge so far, and I still have some amendments to do to my list and I still haven’t written my blog post about it either… Not going well.

Nature Challenge

I have read five out of the twenty-four books in this challenge to date. Really need to read three this month to get on target though!

20 Books of Summer

As I am writing this it is pissing with rain. Not summer yet.

Other Bookish Stuff

Cataloguing Books

Nope. Not started. Have decided to do it on a spreadsheet though as that is my preferred way of managing it.

Spreadsheets

I actually wrote a blog post on how I organise my spreadsheets! It is here. Let me know if you’d like a copy of the template and an example of them, let me know. I am just thinking about the changes that I want to make and other ways to improve them.

Bookshelves

I have bought more books. On Tsunduko now covers the front of one bookshelf…

4 out of 5 stars

I have always been a reader reading mostly pulp fiction thrillers, what are now considered sci-fi classics such as Asimov and Clarke and various other things that have long since slipped my mind. I have no idea what made me pick it up, but the first travel book that I read was A Year In Provence by Peter Mayle and I loved it.

My next few visits to the library now involved visiting the travel and guidebook sections where I would pick up a book that looked interesting. I read Tom Vernon about him pedalling slowly around France on a bike, Nicholas Crane as he cycled up Kilimanjaro and to the centre of the earth with his brother and life in an Italian Village with Anne Hawes.

I had discovered a new genre and I wanted to explore a whole world from my armchair.

Tim Hannigan had a similar experience to me. He discovered travel writing and it opened a whole world for him too. He wanted to discover more about these books and authors and as I was reading all sorts of books he was exploring the back catalogues of the travel writing canon and discovering the greats, Murphy, Leigh Fermor, Thesiger, Theroux, Thubron and Raban to name but a few. But more than that he wanted to live these adventures, and write his own travel book to put alongside those other authors in his collection. It didn’t happen though, but he did end up writing guidebooks.

Travel writing has fallen out of favour to a certain extent. There are still wonderful places like Stanford’s that stock almost exclusively travel books in their shops and have the Stanford Dolman Award for the best writing and it is a prize I have helped judge twice. I think that he is correct about the way that nature writing is taking over some of the literary landscape that travel writing used to occupy as there is quite an overlap. The Wainwright prize used to be for UK travel and natural history, whereas it is now seen as primarily a nature prize, which I find a shame really.

So where is travel writing going from here? It is a question that Hannigan tries to answer in this book. To seek those answers he meets with a dozen or so different travel writers. Some are from when it was at its height and some of the newer writers and who are finding different paths to follow and write about in the modern world. He poses similar questions to each of these authors that he meets and debates about whether there is a future for travel writing, and if so what that future might be.

I thought this was a fascinating study of one of my favourite genres. I think the days are long gone of the colonial style writer, invariably white, male and public school and Oxbridge educated and it is moving to writers who are more sensitive to other cultures and have a different perspective. It does need to evolve too from that older style and you can see that with the new newer writers who are being published by the few publishers still releasing new travel books. It is an exciting time and I am still going to keep reading it to discover more about this world we live in.

4 out of 5 stars

A copy of this was provided free of charge from the publisher in return for an honest review.

If you go back a couple of thousand years, the people that inhabited this country are often called Celts. Very little is written about them, but what there is was written by the Romans and they took a dim view of their customs and habits. It is thought that they lived using a lunar calendar and no doubt use the four pivot points of solstice and equinox to frame their lives. But the truth is no one knows.

One man who has found that following a lunar cycle helps him deal with modern life and all the crap that it throws at him is Kevin Parr. He has slowly come to the conclusion that this less regimented way of marking time helps him become more in tune with the natural rhythms of nature and as a bonus, it has helped him no end with his mental health.

This is more than a gentle meander around the Dorset countryside though. Parr uses nature as a crutch to get him through the tough moments in his life. The book is split into twelve chapters each with a title of a moon, with wonderful names such as The Moon of Ice, The Moon of Dispute, The Bright Moon and it begins with the Quiet Moon.

In each chapter, we join Parr on his walks in his part of West Dorset. It is partly a history book and partly a natural history book and interwoven with these two main threads is a dusting of folklore, travel, memoir and musings on modern life. At times it feels like a confessional as he opens up about personal matters and other things that have been troubling his mind. As he immerses himself in research about the Celts way of life he realises that there is no clear definition of them and he fills in the gaps in a way that makes sense to him.

This in some ways is incredibly difficult to review. I can’t really put my finger on the exact reason why, but I really liked this book. But, I think it is because he is forging his own philosophy in his local landscape. There are things he writes about that I haven’t contemplated yet and need time to go away and think about them.
However, there are other subjects that he writes about that I felt like I was looking into a mirror ball, where I would sometimes glimpse my own ways of interacting with the landscapes around me. It might not be everyone’s thing, but if you want something different to read about landscapes and one man’s place in the world, then I can recommend this.

4 out of 5 stars

I haven’t been, but when I think of Morocco, I think of the bustling souks and the colourful architecture. But this country has another side away from the main tourist attractions. The book is over three stages she walks along the Draa river, then across the Sahara and finally through the Atlas mountains. Two of these journeys happen in what we would consider normal times. Then the final walk just about manages to take place after the pandemic. But it nearly didn’t happen.

She is joined on her walk by the men who know these landscapes intimately. They know where the best places to stop are and most importantly, where the oasis and where the rare and precious resources of water can be found. Three camels carry their burden;  Morrison isn’t sure about the camels at the beginning, but she grows to admire their resilience in these harsh landscapes.

I really liked this travel book. Morrison is a genuinely enthusiastic person and that comes through on every page as she walks across Morocco. She is sensitive to those that she meets and gets on really well with her companions. It never feels that she is imposing her view or perspective on what happens on the walk.

Being a female explorer she gets to see the mostly hidden life of the women who live in these places they pass through. This is something that no male travel writer ever would get to see. She has the ability to form strong bonds with the women that she meets. Their delight in meeting her is apparent too. If you want a travel book that will help you see under the skin of a country at a gentle walking pace, then I can strongly recommend this.

3.5 out of 5 stars

A copy of this was provided free of charge from the publisher in return for an honest review.

Our garden bird visitors are normally sparrows starlings and pigeons. We occasionally get goldfinches and magpies, have had the odd buzzard sweep through and even once after a lot of rain (and I mean a lot) have had mallards! I had never though of taking phot of them, we just put the food out and let them get on with it.

Sadly this winter we have not has as many visitors as usual. I think that bird flu may be a factor, but who knows. IF we had had more them I would definitely be digging out my camera to try out some of the ideas in this new book. It has been a while since I used my SLR, but it did take some great photos, I normally take landscapes and not wildlife though.

Sensible advice abounds through out this book. It is an accessible and practical guide for taking the best photos in your garden. I did like the way that he showed how to set up shots and the detailed information needed to get the very best photo from your kit and the birds that you have visiting. The most useful of which is to keep taking photos. A lot will be duff, with the odd success, but the more experienced that you get, the better they will be.

The prose is conversational and aimed very much at the non expert photographer. As I know a little bit about photography, I could tell that he knew what he was talking about. It is a good all round guide for the complete beginner and someone with a little experience.

5 out of 5 stars

A copy of this was provided free of charge from the publisher in return for an honest review.

We so far have six fruit trees in our garden, and according to a search on Google, it takes five trees to make an orchard. It doesn’t feel quite right though, if I ever have enough land then I am going to plant an proper orchard with rows and everything! There is a lot of folklore associated with orchards too, but Never partaken in a wasailing event, though I hear from Martin Maudsley they are well worth attending

I do love visiting the Bridport Community Orchard, located just off the town centre, it is a peaceful haven in a busy world. But they are becoming rarer than ever. Since 1960 we have lost two thirds of the small traditional orchards that could be found all over the West Country. This loss is catastrophic, not only have apple varieties that are unique to that particular local gone, but the long established ecosystems that depend on these trees have gone with it.

There are people working to find trees that have escaped the relentless grubbing up that took place a couple of decades ago. Two of them are pomologist Liz Copas and cidermaker Nick Poole who have been scouring Dorset looking for the hedgerows with apple trees as well as seeking out farms and small holdings that might have a tiny orchard still left.

This book is some of the results of their findings and their journeys back and forth across West Dorset finding the lost marvels. When they found the trees they scrumped the apples to make ciders and most importantly took samples for DNA and cutting to graft onto rootstocks. Some of the varieties they found were known by other names, and what wonderful names they have. However, some were unique and they had the opportunity to name them so we now have records for Matravers, Tom Legg, Golly Knapp and Cattistock Pink.

I thought that this was a wonderful book and if you have the faintest interest in orchards then you should read it too. I liked their theory that cider making began in Dorset too, it feels plausible given the information they have found out. It is good to see that the varieties that they have discovered are now being replanted in orchards across Dorset now. Long may it continue.

Other reading
Orchard: A Year in England’s Eden by Benedict Macdonald
Common Ground Book Of Orchards
The Apple Orchard by Pete Brown

3.5 out of 5 stars

A copy of this was provided free of charge from the publisher in return for an honest review.

Home is as much a metaphysical thing as it is a physical building. For those that choose to make their home in different places, and in particular different countries, where they call home is very much dependent on the moment. I was born in Surrey, but I have felt more at home in Dorset since we moved here 20 years ago.

Thea Lenarduzzi has a similar dilemma. Her family are originally from Italy and the various generations have shuttled backwards and forward between the UK and Italy over the course of four generations. In this book, she blows away the dust from these family memories and tries to understand how it has shaped them as a family and her, as a person.

She sits down with her grandmother, or Nonna as she calls her and starts the process of recording the stories of family members past and just still present. This cyclic motion between the Fruili in Italy and Sheffield and Manchester happened over two generations and has defined her as a person and a full European citizen.

I cling to Nonno for support. My mind moves around his land like a ghost haunting a house that it considers its own. Or a vampire hovering on the threshold, hoping to be invited in.

I did like this intimate and intricate family memoir. Lenarduzzi meanders through her family history whilst being centred around her grandmother, Dirce. I like the way we can see a vast swathe of European history and the wars that punctuated the twentieth century through the prism of this family. Her prose is beautiful sometimes, but occasionally it felt like we had peered in a little too far into her family life. I can recommend this if you want a story of a family that has spread far and wide like the seeds from a Dandelion clock.

5 out of 5 stars

When we had an allotment many many years ago we would spend ages pouring over the seed catalogues trying to find the tastiest fruit and vegetable to buy. Often the ones that came top of the plate taste test were the heritage ones. These are often ignored by supermarkets as they don’t meet their very stringent and specific requirements.

Seed companies also ignored them as the cost of registering them was prohibitive. So to get these seeds we had to sign up to an organisation whose members could see that losing them was a disaster in the making.

This disaster is now almost on us. But there are people all around the world fighting back now. In Eating to Extinction, Dan Saladino crisscrosses the planet to talk to the farmers, cooks and individuals who have a vested interest in making sure that these rare food and drink are being kept alive. We learn about the original varieties of corn in South America, Lambic beers in Belgium and indigenous communities who have gone back to the wild rice that is resistant to the diseases affecting modern varieties. It is a fascinating journey.

I thought that this was an excellent book about the looming disaster that the global food industry has the potential to become. I did notice that there are people at the top of these big businesses that dominate the global food system who are starting to make a noise. But vested interests still hold sway – at the moment. I have seen some reviews that complained that he goes into too much detail about the various food and drinks that he has investigated. But for me, this is exactly what we need, someone who is prepared to dig in and find the details of that particular grain or drink.

Reading it I felt like I was hearing his voice on the programmes that he presents on the Food Programme on BBC Radio 4. I liked the short essays on each subject too. It is a book that could be returned to again and again. Mostly though it is a call to arms to ensure that governments start to put in place the necessary regulations to ensure that we have more diversity in the food chain. Otherwise, we are all doomed…

Very highly recommended

4 out of 5 stars

Faye Bright is a bubbly 17-year-old who helps her dad in his pub in the sleepy village of Woodville deep in the Kent countryside. It is a time of many changes, as Britain is now at war with Germany, planes cross the sky and the whole community is on edge with war preparations. Her mother passed away when she was tiny and she only has fragments of memories of her. She is delighted when she finds a book that her mother left for her.

The book is a revelation to Faye. Not only is there a recipe for jam roly-poly but is it packed full of spells and runes and other magical incantations. She has always felt a little different to the other children in the village and finding this means that some of the questions might have been answered. But is also means that she has many other questions for her dad now.

She may never get to ask them though, something has woken a dark force in the village and the scarecrows that were dotted around the fields are now stalking the countryside. Faye is going to have to learn to use the abilities that she has inherited from her mother much sooner than she anticipated.

I really liked this it is kind of a Rivers of London meets A Month in the Country… Not only are we finding out about Faye and her friends in this village, but Stay has made it eerie and disquieting. I love the folk horror elements of this. They have a genuinely sinister edge and are not in your face but bubbling away in the ditches of the landscape, I am looking forward to the next two in the series and I am pleased to see there is a fourth coming soon.