Fifty Words for Snow

24th October 20214th September 2022 by Stephen | Leave a comment

Nancy Campbell. Elliott & Thompson. (224p) ISBN 9781783966035

Fifty Words for Snow

Picked this up at work a few weeks ago as one of the randoms that came through the door as I like non-fiction books that you can have by the bed with short chapters.

This book is specifically about these fifty words for snow and as such are easily digestible before falling asleep, or that was the plan.

I started this at 7:30am and had finished it by 12:30pm today, each chapter was so compelling and made you want more and more.

Each small chapter is preceded by a photograph of a snowflake by Wilson Bentley, the first known photographer of snowflakes setting us up perfectly for a snippet of information.

This information is from all around the world New Guinea, Patagonia, Ethiopia, Turkey, Latvia, and more, starting with a word in the highlighted language and then a small passage with information that could be culturally significant, explore the areas natural history, literary history, and its myth making.

Every passage opens up a language an culture in a compassionate manner and looks at what may be happening in that culture/land now with climate changes that are occurring now and what this may mean for the future.

A really interesting read that had me looking for more information on certain cultures and languages.

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Wayland Babes

22nd October 20214th September 2022 by Stephen | Leave a comment

Judi Daykin. Hobeck Books. (173p) ISBN 9781913793500

Wayland Babes

I was asked to join in with the book tour for Wayland Babes and was really glad I could accept.

Published by Hobeck Books, Judi Daykin’s ghost stories are set in Norfolk and hark back to the tale of Babes in the Wood, but these two babes never met any robins.

We are treated to ghostly five hauntings, each preceded by a part of the traditional verse of the myth which was published as a broadside ballad in 1595, and developed into the popular panto much later on.

These hauntings take place over a couple of hundred years and seem to take the period they are set into account in the style of ghost story telling, but for the most part had a feel of gothic ghost stories to it, full of upcoming doom but you never really know who to.

Judi does a great job of building up tension and expectation in each episode, keeping the flow all the way to the outcome. This made the read really easy and enjoyable, I was gripped enough to read this in just a day (didn’t do much else though).

Loved how the story built from the myth of the Babes and added to the depth of it, another layer of suspense and ghostly tension.

Overall a great read, well structured and executed, with enough suspense to have you on the edge of your seat.

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Treasury of Folklore: Woodlands and Forests

17th October 20214th September 2022 by Stephen | Leave a comment

Dee Dee Chainey, Willow Winsham. Batsford Books. (192p) ISBN 9781849946872

Treasury of Folklore: Woodlands & Forests

As a follower of #FolkloreThursday plus many of the other similar hashtags it was really pleasing to see that there were some books coming out that collected some of these into different themes.

This is the one I chose to get first, mainly because it was the one I saw first 😉

Dee Dee and Willow collect tales from around the world with the theme of trees and woodlands threading them together, what I’ve especially liked about this is that the tales are seen and presented as living breathing things that are vital and still serve to give life lessons.

I especially liked some of the more eastern European based folklore, skirting the lines of life and death, reward and punishment, often in the same being. Baba Yaga being one of my personal favourites even before this, was also good to read the possible origins of Bloody Mary and Paul Bunyan.

There are also forays out of the western world into folk tales that aren’t Eurocentric and these are making me want to explore the folk tales of these countries and societies event further.

The various tales are wonderfully supported by illustrations in the style of German woodcuts by Joe McLaren and this really helps them to come to life.

Overall a great collection of tales taking us on a tour around the woodlands and forests of the world, which makes me want to read the Seas and Rivers collection right now.

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The Haunting of Aveline Jones

13th October 20214th September 2022 by Stephen | Leave a comment

Phil Hickes. Usborne. (224p) ISBN 9781474972147

The Haunting of Aveline Jones

Talk about a gripping read, picked it up at noon, finished it by 4:30pm, just couldn’t tear myself away!

We follow the adventures of Aveline Jones (great name by the way) after she is left with her Aunt in Malmouth, a sea town on the south coast.

Aveline loves reading ghost stories…

The whole book was set at a pace that kept me hooked from start to finish with no spare fat on it at all, every word worked toward building up the characters and story in such a way that I hadn’t realised I’d almost got to the end in one afternoon.

All the main characters are great, but my favourite character is the bookshop, and of course Mr. Leiberman the owner.

Aveline discovers a ghost book in the shop which starts a chain of events that is scary but not too scary and is reminiscent of a good traditional folk ghost story.

Satisfying and full of bits that all add up in the end, really looking forward to reading book two tomorrow.

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