Category: Review (Page 17 of 133)

3.5 out of 5 stars

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

In the news recently was the announcement that the British government has given approval for the first coal mine to be opened in the country for decades. Provided you ignore the fact that burning coal is one of the worst ways of pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the powers that be said that this was going to be a carbon-neutral site. I was under the misbelief that the Tories didn’t like coal miners and this lot wouldn’t get irony if it ran them over in an MPV.

Coal mining is dirty and dangerous work and the men who used to do it in this country were a special breed. The places around the county that had pits used to be proud of what they did and the contribution that they made to the country and economy. It brings back memories for David Banning too, of his childhood and the family members that used to head below the surface to earn a living.

Reliving these memories with him feels like he is mining his past. He has uncovered various documents and photos to add historical context to his family story. His relative Sam Snaith was very elusive about his work in the pit, and Banning has pieced together a narrative from other contemporary accounts and tiny details that he did reveal.

But this isn’t a look back at the past through soot-flecked spectacles, Banning has something to say about the new coal mine at the stage of writing that was being approved. Even though it was claimed to be a British company creating British jobs, tracing the money showed that it was, as expected, located offshore. Things are never as they seem.

I liked this mix of memoir and personal family history set in the context of the mines of West Cumbria. It has a nice balance to each element of the book. Setting the future in the context of the past works really well too and whilst Banning doesn’t come across as angry when talking about the new mine, you can tell that he sees the project as futile and we are shredding what little is left of our reputation on the global stage.

Of all the 190 books that I have read in 2022, these are the ones that had covers that I liked the most. They are in no particular order and my favourite is at the bottom.

And here is my favourite

4 out of 5 stars

In the kind of sequel to Eagle Country, Seán Lysaght undertakes many trips into the region around the mountain of Nephin in Mayo. It feels untouched with its wide open areas of rivers and peat bog, but if you know where and how to look, you can see the faint presence of man in the area.

Rather than being there with a particular purpose in mind, he is there to understand the way that the natural world works in this part of Ireland. He is often alone but sometimes is accompanied by friends and his partner as he travels to his favourite parts of the region and discovers new places. He goes looking for his beloved eagles too, on the highlands of the region.

Even though there is a national park there, the whole region is remote. It has a huge variety of habitats, from mires to alpine heath and is populated by otters, badgers and mountain hares. There is an abundance of birds in permanent residence as well as a plethora of summer visitors. It faces the Atlantic Ocean and can be battered by the fierce storms as they roll in over the winter.

I really liked this book for a number of reasons. Lysaght has a gentle way of looking at this part of the world, he is precise in what he spots and writes about, but also takes the time to absorb being there and you feel like you are alongside him on the paths across the landscape. He is curious about almost everything that he comes across and this makes the book much better for it. If you want to read a nature book that is just about the wildness of the place then this is a good place to start.

4 out of 5 stars

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

There is nowhere else on this planet that is like Madagascar. Separated from the continent of Africa and the sub-continent of India millions of years ago, the flora and fauna that evolved there, is unique. They have had enormous tortoises, and giant flightless birds in the past and the current animals that live there are equally strange. We are frequent visitors to Jersey and I always love seeing the lemurs that they have at the zoo there, especially the aye-aye.

But how did it get to the point? This is the subject of this book and Alison Richard will take us back aeons in time to describe the geology behind the creation of this place and then onto how the creatures and plants that ended up there evolved in their own unique way to solve the problems of being on that part of the planet at that particular time.

Humans were relatively late arrivals on this island, the first footprints dating back to a mere 10,00 years ago. There are very few sites of these ancient humans, but it is through more will be discovered now the experts know what they are looking for. People arrived from Africa and from across the Indian ocean. They had a small impact, to begin with, but that has changed as the island has reached the modern age.

I thought that this was an interesting book. To call this well-researched would be an understatement, Richard has been going there since the early 1970s and knows it inside out. The place is an anomaly in so many ways and Richard does a great job of conveying just how unusual almost everything is there. It is not written in dry academic tones, rather the prose is very readable and accessible to the general reader. If you want to know about the long history of the fascinating place, this is a good place to start.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Iceland is a place of ice and fire, it has a brief summer before the long winter draws in again and the winter storms bring the snow back. It sits above two of the tectonic plates and this means there are continuous earthquakes and volcanos. The landscape is devoid of trees and it can look alien in appearance, I have seen amazing photos of the black sand beaches there.

She was only supposed to be in Iceland for a week or so, but when the anthropologist and filmmaker, Sarah Thomas went there in 2008, little did she know that she would be for another five years. She was seduced by its bleak and beautiful landscapes and whilst that was hooking her in, she fell in love.

She makes a home there, learning the language and the culture and understanding that the Icelandic people have a unique perspective on the world and life. They made her welcome, but being an outsider meant that it was a struggle at times especially when Bjarni was working on a trawler.

A significant part of the book is her relationship with Bjarni, he is like the island she has chosen to live on, slightly strange and enigmatic and their relationship builds with intensity until the point where it unravels. She writes with both passion and awe about the elemental place that she has chosen to live. There was something touching about this beautifully written travel memoir that really got to me, I felt that I saw the people and the place through different eyes with her insight. Well worth reading.

4 out of 5 stars

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

I have travelled a little but not a huge amount for a variety of reasons, so have always enjoyed the view of another traveller from the comfort of my own armchair with a glass of something cold to hand. Of course. The stories that I have read over the years have varied from the fairly tame, where someone moves to another country with the grand aim of building a new life to those who live life right on the edge…

Tourists don’t know where they’ve been
Travellers don’t know where they are going – Paul Theroux

Each of those writers have put pen to paper to share those experiences and hopefully some of the things they have learnt they can impart to us. Eland have been scouring the out of print travel books for the past forty years and bringing them back to life in their wonderful editions. In the process of resurrecting these books, they have collected quotes from the very best travel writers and compiled them in this slender volume.

There are no foreign lands
It is only the traveller who is foreign – Robert Louis Stevenson

A wonderful selection of quotes and pearls of travel wisdom from many of the authors that I have read and many that I haven’t quite got to. They have been loosely grouped them into themes such as The Pleasures of the Road and Monotony and Excitement. I really liked them, there are some brilliant quotes in this book, some serious ones as well as others that made me chuckle a lot. If you know someone who loves travel writing, this is an essential book for their collection.

The worst trips make the best reading – Paul Theroux

3 out of 5 stars

Qian Julie Wang arrived in America in 1994 at the age of seven and has gone from being a privileged and relatively wealthy family in China to a family below the poverty line. They moved because of persecution by the state and t life that she knew there, she would never know again.

She couldn’t speak a word of English when she arrived and her parents were forced to work in the sweatshops of the city just to be able to survive. They lived hand to mouth, avoiding all people in authority with the hope of beginning a new life there. She is a bright girl and she is quick to learn the language, but most of the children in her class shun her, so she loses herself in between the pages of books.

Staying out of the gaze of the authorities isn’t easy though, and the family have some close calls, none more so when her mother is taken really ill. The family reached a point where not doing anything will cost her life and if they do seek help, it could fracture the family completely.

This is an interesting account of a girl growing up in America as an illegal immigrant. She somehow manages to find a path through childhood and has to grow up really quickly to be able to help her parents. It is quite a sad read in lots of ways, they were taken advantage of by all sorts of people and made to work for a pittance. Somehow they found a path through and this book is the result of her tenacity and desire to work for a top law firm in New York.

Welcome to Halfman, Halfbook for my stop on the Blog Tour for Tree Glee by Cheryl Rickman and published by Welbeck.

About the Book

Written by Positive Psychology practitioner and long-time tree-lover Cheryl Rickman, Tree Glee explores how trees can become an essential tool in our wellbeing toolkit, helping us to feel better in a variety of different and fascinating ways.

Looking at the psychology behind our fascination with trees, and the science behind how they comfort, restore and revitalise us, Tree Glee examines what we can learn from the wisdom of woodlands to improve our own wellness. Alongside this, Cheryl explores the importance of trees in our leafy suburbs and urban landscapes, sharing magical stories of remarkable ancient trees across the globe and invites readers to reflect on their own personal ‘treestory’.

Featuring captivating photos and chapters on forest bathing and nature therapy, woodland wellbeing and tree mythology, creative activities and conservation initiatives, Tree Glee is part ode and love letter to trees, part practical wellbeing guide and nature-connection manual and part call to action. The book explores how by deepening our appreciation and connection to trees and by celebrating and protecting them, we can flourish together.

About the Author

Cheryl Rickman is a proud tree-hugger and advocate for the power of nature as a healer and energy-giver. She is also a Sunday Times best-selling author and a qualified positive psychology practitioner. Cheryl specializes in writing empowering, practical books to help people fret less and flourish more and is a well-being ambassador for the Network of Wellbeing. She owns a small parcel of ancient woodland in the Hampshire countryside with her partner.

My Review

There are two places that I know I will always find relaxing, being alongside water and in the middle of a woodland. I don’t know exactly why that is, it may be that the sound of water and the susurration of the wind as it passes through the leaves or something else entirely. I love the way that the light is dappled by the leaves in the summer. Even when I am in a woodland in winter, I love the structure of the trees with their starker shapes against a crisp blue sky.

Another tree and woodland enthusiast is Cheryl Rickman. In this book, she takes us on a journey through a tree-lined path. Beginning with why we need trees, especially in the digital age and why we have such a strong association with them. Even having pictures of them in a room or on a screen can have a beneficial effect on a person’s well-being. They are not just for looking at though, touching and smelling trees and leaves can have similar effects. It is thought that this is because of deep-rooted neural wiring that reminds us how they have fed, sheltered and kept us warm for thousands of years.

The second section is about how we connect again with the natural world and trees in particular. This part is more about practical things that you can do to increase this, including making time to notice the tiny details as well as games and fun things to do with small children and families. The final part of the book is talking about what we can do to help maintain and improve the environment for them, after all, we are all interlinked and our longevity depends on them.

I liked this a lot. It has got the balance right between inspirational writing, solid scientific basis and practical well-being suggestions. I know that not everyone is for me, but I have made a note of a few things to do in 2023. Her enthusiasm for her woody subjects is evident throughout the book, and I am slightly jealous of her as she even owns a little piece of ancient woodland. If, like me, you don’t own your own copse, then grab a copy of this book and head to your nearest woodland to luxuriate in the natural cathedral of trees.

Don’t forget to visit the other blogs on the blog tour

Buy this at your local independent bookshop. If you’re not sure where your nearest is then you can find

4 out of 5 stars

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

I have only been to Croatia once. We had a lovely holiday, the only sour moment being when my wallet was nicked in Spit when were there for the day. We visited various spots including a beautiful national park where we had one of the largest thunderstorms that I personally have ever known. The family that owned the place where we stayed were all lovely and there was no hint of the atrocities that took place there when the region descended into war in the early 1990s.

Mary Novakovich has a very different experience of the country though, her parent were born there but ended up in the UK leaving behind many relatives. She first visited in 1976 to stay with family when the country was still ruled by Tito, Even though she had been brought up in a Serbian-speaking household, she realised that she was going to struggle to understand these relatives that she had never seen before. They were equally bemused by this girl who had a funny accent, It was quite a culture shock for both sides of the family, but they all made memories that they still recalled many years on.

It would be another 28 years before she returned.

Her mother, Jelka would accompany her on this trip in 2004. She has a list of places that she wants to go to with the hope of unravelling some of her family histories a bit more. Being older and wiser she could appreciate the beauty of the place and especially the food much more. She is revelling in the chance to discover more about the country and has a list of things to do. Her mother has other ideas though and it leads to quite a strained trip at times.

She heads out there again in 2009 with her mother, but in 2011 she arrives in the country with her husband. He had heard so much about the place and this was his first time there. They arrived to find there was a wine festival taking place. Somehow they managed to be free of hangovers in the morning and set off on their travels around Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia and into Hungary. She manages to get to meet and see people that she didn’t have the opportunity to do on earlier trips. Her final visit was in 2019 just before travel became almost impossible because of the pandemic.

I did like the layering of her travels in the region. Some of the visits may have been short, but it added depth to the work she was doing as she pieced together her own family history. I felt that I became part of her journey of discovery of her family and the place where they still lived. I liked her writing style too, she is open and honest about the many tragedies that have befallen the country and the horrid events that the people, including her family, have suffered. She is a sensitive traveller too, noting the strides that have been made since the wars whilst acknowledging the raw feelings and hurt that still lie just under the surface. I really liked this, it is an insight into a country by an author who brings it to life.

4 out of 5 stars

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

We went to Greece for the first time this year, not on the mainland, but rather on the beautiful island of Corfu. We loved it and want to explore another part of this country at some point in the future. Jennifer Barclay has lived there for a number of years and this is her fourth book about the place.

A chance meeting with a Greek-American hotel owner whilst walking on the island of Karpathos gives her an opportunity to work on the island for a summer. She offers to help him with running his beach taverna. She heads back to Tilos to collect her dog, Lisa and a tent and returns to the remote bay to begin working.

Getting down to the beach involves driving down, what sounds a heart-stopping trackway. But the beach is beautiful and well worth the effort to get down there. She helps in the kitchen and waitresses for the customers that are coming for food and drinks. A rival taverna opens up next door and the people that run that establishment are not particularly pleasant, taking some of their customers and occasionally threatening them.

It is hard work, especially having to clean and sort the guests in the rooms that Minas has in the village. But she enjoys it, learning how to cook some of the dishes and fitting in her regular paying job as an editor whenever she can. Before it gets really busy in August she has time to go swimming each day and to absorb the atmosphere of the island and make friends with some of the locals.

I really liked this latest book from Jennifer Barclay. It is different from her earlier books as this is about her time spent over the summer working for Minas in his taverna alongside what sounds like a heavenly beach. These types of travel books are more about the people rather than the place and the host of characters that she comes across working in the kitchen do not let us down in this book. I like her writing style too, it is a nice blend of conversation coupled with moments of beauty as she describes what she sees on her time off. If you want to spend a few hours on a Greek beach, without leaving your armchair, then I can recommend this.