Yearly Archives: 2020

Vesper Flights

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Helen Macdonald. Vintage. (272p) ISBN: 9780099575467
Vesper Flights

Vesper Flights

I’ve just returned to work after almost nine months of furlough and decided to use the walk to and from work as an opportunity to listen to audiobooks now that I’m enjoying them.

Vesper Flights by Helen Macdonald was the first of my walking books, and I’ve been saving it to be that as I thought a collection of non-fiction essays would be perfect to start this new routine.

Helen read the audiobook which made these personal essays all the more poignant, as though they were about nature there was an aspect of them which were about her personal life and this thread wove through them all so deeply.

Lots of warmth and humour enveloped me as I found out about different animals, habitats, and parts of Helen’s life.

I especially loved the essay about the swiftlets and the cricket match, the waiting, then the applause. But my favourite essay ended with some cattle stalking though I was entranced through every word.

Will have to search out H is for Hawk on audiobook if it exists.

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Children of Blood and Bone

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Tomi Adeyemi. Pan Macmillan. (544p) ISBN: 9781509871353
Children of Blood and Bones

Children of Blood and Bones

There has been so much hype about Children of Blood and Bones that I was a bit leery about starting it just in case it disappointed.

I needn’t have worried as from the start of the book Tomi develops a set of characters and world that is both fantastically exciting and believable. The world draws from east-African traditions and culture and is all the richer for it. The originality of the story in the fantasy genre really sets it apart.

Set in a world of prejudice, fear and hate where magic users are feared and hated, their families have been slaughtered and oppressed by the current King.

Zélie mother was one such magician, through the book Zélie has to come to terms with her history and magic. She is assisted by a cast of characters that are as fully-fledged as she is, some coming from the camp of the enemy. This often brings emotional tension to the fore and this tension is as well-explored as the magic and adventure.

A well-paced fantasy adventure that I just didn’t want to put down, and please believe the hype.

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Five Rivers Met on a Wooded Plain

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Barney Norris. Transworld. (288p) ISBN: 9781784161354
Five Rivers Met on a Wooded Plain

Five Rivers Met on a Wooded Plain

Before I started working as a bookseller for Waterstones I would never have contemplated reading a book such as Five Rivers Met on a Wooded Plain.

I would have looked at the blurb and thought ‘why would I want to read a story about real lives intertwining?’ I was far more interested in magic, dragons, spaceships and lasers, quite a limited reading pool really.

This was one of our books of the month and I’m trying to read beyond my normal genres, so I opted to read this.

I was captivated, the rambling nature of the books echoed that of rivers and their tributaries, the simplicity and paucity of language used cut the experiences down to their essentials.

Before I knew it I had finished the book, but was pleased that I had found more genres to read and thank Barney Norris for introducing me to them.

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Still Water: The Deep Life of the Pond

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John Lewis-Stempel. Transworld. (304p) ISBN: 9781784162429
Still Water The Deep Life of the Pond

Still Water The Deep Life of the Pond

I was given Still Water: The Deep Life of the Pond as it is well known that I love a well written book on nature and the idea of rewilding.

I had previously read Meadowland by the same author and really enjoyed the style of John Lewis-Stempel’s writing, so relaxed and almost poetic in his love of the countryside.

This book jumps between a personal biography of John’s relationships with ponds and a pond throughout the year, how ponds have influenced landscape, and how ponds have been used in their relationship with human development.

The descriptive prose really envelops you in John’s world and the world of the flora and fauna of the various ponds and seasons that are described. This really has come home to me this year as one of the touchstones that has helped keep me going this year is a large pond that I stop to say hello to the fish and fowl on my daily walk.

A book that really makes you think about our relationship and the importance of a piece of geography that we often pass by written with such love it makes you want to hug the book.

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Mudlarking

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Lara Maiklem. Bloomsbury. (336p) ISBN: 9781408889237
Mudlarking

Mudlarking

I’ve always been fascinated by finding things on the shoreline whether they be old things discarded by humans, natural objects shaped by the sea, or evidence of past life in the form of fossils.

When the opportunity came along to get a copy of Mudlarking I jumped at it.

I’ve heard the name a lot over the last ten or so years and knew in essence what it was but it was lovely to read someones development as a mudlarker, from the early discoveries to where she is now, juggling this passion with family.

The mix of current biography with historical research is absolutely compelling, linking these found objects to their past and personalising the stories of their production and loss made me want to learn more about them (and take a large pair of wellies with me whenever I go to London).

The book is set out in chapters of exploration corresponding to sections of the tidal Thames, with a few stories of discoveries and biography in each section. This is well-paced and the writing is warm and personal making you involved in Lara’s discoveries and growth.

The illustrations from Johnny Mudlark one the cover are absolutely fascinating and I would love to see more.

An excellent book, teasing and open at the same time, all about hidden treasure that fascinates us all.

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My Sister, the Serial Killer

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Oyinkan Braithwaite. Atlantic Books. (240p) ISBN: 9781786495983
My Sister, the Serial Killer

My Sister, the Serial Killer

I’m not usually a thriller/crime reader but I was persuaded to read this as I was told the audiobook was excellent and since I was walking a lot right now during furlough why not give it a try?

I used the library service to download it, RB Digital, and the system was really easy to use and the app has a reasonable interface, the best thing though? It was free!

I was immediately drawn into the story, the pace is fast and tense. This was really intensified by the brilliant narration by Adepero Oduye. It was so good that I extended a couple of walks to hear more…

The story is at heart a story of the relationship between Korede and her sister the serial killer, Ayoola. This is a complicated relationship which developed from their childhood and cultural expectations of older sisters. The two couldn’t be more different but I’ll leave that to you to find out how.

There is also the relationship with their deceased father whilst he was alive that is also central to the story, especially with the tool of dispatch.

A surprising end left me really pleased as a cliche ending would have let down such a well-written book.

My Sister, the Serial Killer has really got me enjoying audiobooks now as well, well worth a try if you’re finding it difficult to begin in this format.

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