tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13772052457499485762024-03-27T16:54:32.853-07:00Splendiferous Stories & Heady IdeasThough occasionally amazing books get a name check @ www.walking-quite-fast.blogspot.co.uk, here I`m aiming to better describe what has made an amazing book -er- amazing.
There is no plan, no classifications, no reading targets, no lists of “must reads”. The book choice is as random as life itself.
The aim is to write about them while I`m still spinning from their fabulousness. As Monsieur Perdu says "Books keep stupidity at bay". (The Little Paris Bookshop)walksquitefasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926174831683872870noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377205245749948576.post-47296106482246274892023-11-04T03:48:00.001-07:002023-11-04T03:48:06.184-07:00 Impossibly Good<p> One of my favourite authors has done it again. With <i>Impossible Creatures </i>Katherine Rundell has upped the ante on fantasy stories. </p><p>Here the "real" world overlaps and crashes into one of myth, populated by the eponymous Creatures (each beautifully illustrated and given a brief description at the start of the book), and as many heroes and villains as needed to carry the story along at sometimes breakneck speed, leaving the reader (or this one anyway) breathless.</p><p>But there are layers, as in the best of stories. There is the adventure, cracking along full of suspense, and plenty of twists and turns. But there is also high emotion: loss and grief, hope and fulfilment, loyalty and betrayal.</p><p>In short order we are introduced to Christopher, sent to spend time with his grandfather in an isolated part of Scotland, to Mal (with her magical `flying` coat), her great-aunt Leonor and ...."the murderer." Who could possibly resist reading on?</p><p>Very quickly Christoper and Mal`s worlds collide and the two embark on a mission to, as it says on the fly-leaf of this beautifully produced book, "transform the destiny of the world".</p><p>We read about the children`s attempts to halt the potential extinction of species and counter the things that are going wrong in the imaginary world and there is no avoiding seeing the whole story as an allegory. However, the story-telling is so masterful there is no sense of being preached at and ultimately it is a story of hope and love. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD8ahBpzn5jp3tmHjpMgtnWmVEzGtxDr07DjxcbD0NU5fLr1q8UtJBUlD8v_1HcMNRfcC6hxiBONCzZKyU-_6NhLiUYwGixdJ5qOsHocyLoHYTU9g3rWrKAvkpBU2q0rZf-nDI6YuZesoPUzA6dHAEmKZF5dMxuosCKk3v4BOzlJm3GJdTs1JROLUihVsq/s4608/IMG_20231104_090307_608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD8ahBpzn5jp3tmHjpMgtnWmVEzGtxDr07DjxcbD0NU5fLr1q8UtJBUlD8v_1HcMNRfcC6hxiBONCzZKyU-_6NhLiUYwGixdJ5qOsHocyLoHYTU9g3rWrKAvkpBU2q0rZf-nDI6YuZesoPUzA6dHAEmKZF5dMxuosCKk3v4BOzlJm3GJdTs1JROLUihVsq/w150-h200/IMG_20231104_090307_608.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> </p>walksquitefasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926174831683872870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377205245749948576.post-48392337959450919602023-07-31T10:56:00.002-07:002024-02-28T00:00:05.006-08:00 Three for the price of one.........<p> So back to that thing about reading books that are marketed for young people ("even though you are so old and wise")* and here`s three authors who never let you down. And as an added bonus three spirited, joyous female characters who refuse to be pigeonholed. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaVDsPeR7JM1cfirEdP0__uwj2rN4MhWTqGZHERYFBmhGgIJxxKGYmS2-mtU8kb1ouXgSfcbCbWUF3yDnq33iwW7pb6-DvEYTlyuKwN-n12ljriuvI49Diesa4P_iWhMFLROxA4wAZBPXnJwfGDg0cGPJLH9rLViQolj7fFU0t1EcGHSvwpdveBvhKqauo/s4000/CIMG9889.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaVDsPeR7JM1cfirEdP0__uwj2rN4MhWTqGZHERYFBmhGgIJxxKGYmS2-mtU8kb1ouXgSfcbCbWUF3yDnq33iwW7pb6-DvEYTlyuKwN-n12ljriuvI49Diesa4P_iWhMFLROxA4wAZBPXnJwfGDg0cGPJLH9rLViQolj7fFU0t1EcGHSvwpdveBvhKqauo/w200-h150/CIMG9889.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I read <i>The Outlaws Scarlett & Browne </i> a while ago and I`m not sure why I didn`t write about it then as I loved it. It`s set in a futuristic world where our heroine is doing her best to survive in hostile and dangerous surroundings. From the opening paragraph it is clear that to date she is managing pretty well: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> "<i>That morning, with the dawn hanging wet and pale over the marshes, Scarlett McCain</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i> woke up beside four dead men. Four! She hadn`t realized it had been so many. No wonder she felt stiff". </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> It doesn`t take long for us to discover that she is alone, self-sufficient and fiercely focused on staying alive. Somewhat incongruously though she also carries a prayer mat and a "cuss-box" into which she drops a penny every time she swears, which she does regularly. What she probably doesn`t need is for her life to be complicated by one Albert Browne, in almost every regard completely different, given to staring dreamily into space, not paying attention and apparently pretty helpless. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thus begins the tale of <i>The Outlaws Scarlett & Browne. </i>It is<i> </i>full of derring-do naturally but also slowly begins to build up the stories of these two unlikely partners and how they got to where they are. Their developing relationship as well as their adventures makes for a page turning narrative, written with sparkle and energy and - a stand out feature - great wit. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">How lovely then to find the second in the series is just as good, if not better, simply because it digs even deeper into Scarlett`s and Albert`s backgrounds and develops their relationship. They are now <i> The Notorious Scarlett & Browne, </i>their reputation for "<i>magnificent hold-ups, confounding robberies and perfect getaways" </i>meaning there is a price on their heads and their exploits become more dangerous than ever. Jonathan Stroud`s writing is <i>so</i> good it carries you along effortlessly and makes you hope there`s a third story in the pipeline.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> *************************</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I think Scarlett and Maggie McGregor, the central character of <i>One Shot </i> by Tanya Landman, would have got on well, despite living different lives, in different places and altogether different times. It is, as the author herself says, "inspired by the real-life "rags to riches" story of famous sharp-shooter Annie Oakley.....an imagined tale of how it might have felt to have had a childhood like hers." And what how wonderful to find a story that packs such a punch into such a relatively short book. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Maggie is born into poverty. Her mother is "tired of raising babies" by the time Maggie is born and their relationship is non-existent whereas Maggie is very close to her father. When he dies everything changes and she is forced out into a world of drudgery, violence, exploitation, prejudice and abuse. Her one real skill is shooting, which she learnt with her father along with a deep love of the forests and wilderness around her: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <i>"When Pa used to take me out hunting, we`d walk along, my palm in his, joy radiating from his skin. It filled Pa`s soul - the wonder and beauty of the trees, the way the sun shone through the leaves and dappled the forest floor, the sound of birdsong."</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But shooting and hunting are considered inappropriate for a young lady and however hard Maggie tries to fit in - partly in the hope of some sign of approval from her mother - she finds it impossible. Eventually though, with persistence and bravery she wins her freedom and of course (plot spoiler!) the heart of a young man who sees her for the person she is. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Published by Barrington Stoke Teen in their "super readable" series, with dyslexia friendly font and off white paper, this is an accessible, beautifully written inspirational tale.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> ******************************</span><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And then there`s Mina, the sensitive, inquisitive, wonderfully imaginative eponymous heroine of David Almond`s novel. This has to be one of the most joyful books it is possible to read about nurturing a child`s curiosity and fascination with the world (not to mention with <i>words </i>themselves) as well as negotiating their place in it, especially hard if sometimes one is seen as different: as Mina herself says</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> "<i>She was</i> <i>just nine years old. She was very skinny and very small and she had jet black hair and a pale pale face and shining eyes. Some folks said she was weird. Her Mum said she was brave." (</i>And by the way - her Mum needs a shout out) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Though she is younger, Mina has the same persistence and courage as Scarlett and Maggie, the same determination to live life on their own terms. You could hardly wish for three better role models. In our local library (<a href="https://www.livelifeaberdeenshire.org.uk/libraries">https://www.livelifeaberdeenshire.org.uk/libraries</a> ) <i>Mina</i> is categorised as Junior Fiction, <i>The Outlaws Scarlett & Browne, </i><i>The Notorious Scarlett & Browne </i>and <i>One Shot</i> as Young Adult<i> </i>but frankly who cares? Forget categorizations (I think Mina would approve) and just read them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> ******************************</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcSSZFM43VZ8otUJndHRaj3_KOOsagEIqHp6-7J_hCBAVHDV0epT8RxY94fF7nVdowNf9x9pEwECnXcnll78Xu__sjnYTOw4vmLhS4es5SKIBcCsQRnXCTjn4XwmbdKEJOE35zxWDDbQmmXfXvrc8ps0cTfjCKvOl8v2sS1bgfY2rwmpJ0sW2WhzPSdIF/s4000/CIMG9890.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcSSZFM43VZ8otUJndHRaj3_KOOsagEIqHp6-7J_hCBAVHDV0epT8RxY94fF7nVdowNf9x9pEwECnXcnll78Xu__sjnYTOw4vmLhS4es5SKIBcCsQRnXCTjn4XwmbdKEJOE35zxWDDbQmmXfXvrc8ps0cTfjCKvOl8v2sS1bgfY2rwmpJ0sW2WhzPSdIF/w150-h200/CIMG9890.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">👍😉</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><p></p>walksquitefasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926174831683872870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377205245749948576.post-25998036320033704002023-07-27T09:43:00.002-07:002023-07-31T07:07:41.678-07:00 Banish...despair...all ye who enter here........<p> Can`t believe I nearly didn`t read this. I knew, vaguely, about Good Law Project. Knew, vaguely, who Jolyon Maugham was. Thought it might be a bit dry and probably a bit depressing. And thought that nevertheless I <i>should</i> read it. So I did. And soon found out it was neither dry nor, ultimately, depressing though there are some depressing stories in it.</p><p>The depressing part of it is how, in order to maintain their status, influence and wealth, the powerful and rich are able to bend and twist and not least <i>afford</i> what should be a tool equally accessible to all. Having explained broadly how the system should work, Maugham examines in some detail how again and again it fails to hold power to account.</p><p>So far so disheartening but this is where Good Law Project comes in. Established in 2017 it intially had what Maugham calls a "modest" infrastructure - a bank account, a website and email but also Maugham`s unwavering belief that the law could do better.</p><p>At first glance he might have seemed an unlikely campaigner: comfortably off as a tax lawyer, he was a member of the very establishment he started to challenge, whose members it should be noted became very irritated, not to say angry, at what they saw as his betrayal of that club. Maugham also made himself more and more unpopular with politicians and sections of the press and often came under fierce even hostile criticism..</p><p>Nonetheless, working with other like-minded campaigners, carefully addressing amongst other things the issue of how to fund their work to maintain independence, Good Law Project is now the biggest legal campaigning group in the country. </p><p>Maugham himself comes across as self-deprecating, under no illusion that he and his colleagues are going to change the world overnight nor even that they always get things right. But Bringing Down Goliath is a vital and motivational read and best of all can be put on the bookshelf labelled Hope.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-pYsU9MbkxrorIsDt-5yYETO8e_xbYbYjaiNXIpvfFFRAwKZNxgw3bwWXWYHV5_BLjYiN0oGq8lZbaDOPwAonLENC42t-XqynAkAKb7VA4OJ7xbPL-gZWtPNOozHfGD1wAQJHjB5XpGI0kKO2-5sGwGpHiYqGmiHGBCqE-i42MJoztzJobtmTFGWcobkr/s4000/CIMG9857.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-pYsU9MbkxrorIsDt-5yYETO8e_xbYbYjaiNXIpvfFFRAwKZNxgw3bwWXWYHV5_BLjYiN0oGq8lZbaDOPwAonLENC42t-XqynAkAKb7VA4OJ7xbPL-gZWtPNOozHfGD1wAQJHjB5XpGI0kKO2-5sGwGpHiYqGmiHGBCqE-i42MJoztzJobtmTFGWcobkr/w150-h200/CIMG9857.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>walksquitefasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926174831683872870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377205245749948576.post-73354275896973266622023-05-17T07:19:00.003-07:002023-05-17T23:05:38.195-07:00 "All texts must be open, to all people" (Katherine Rundell)<p>Katherine Rundell`s book <i>Why You Should Read Children`s Books, Even Though You Are So Old And Wise</i> has been mentioned before here and no doubt will be mentioned again....and again...and again but especially when I`ve read something as enthralling as Jospeh`s Elliott`s <i>Shadow Skye</i> trilogy.</p><p>It is both sad and misguided that children`s books are still so often seen as the poor relation of fiction, that borrowers in the library service where I work still feel the need to apologise shamefacedly for having enjoyed a brilliant Young Adult book, never mind one categorized as Junior Fiction. (The categorization of books is a subject for another time😉)</p><p>Saddest of all is that some well known figures in the literary world get so snooty about it (no names, no pack drill but I see you), in the process making the problem worse as well as displaying an astonishing ignorance about some of the factors involved in encouraging children to become confident and enthusiastic readers.</p><p>So back to the books that prompted that mini-rant:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg5IhwVgELkYV686ax6NMhFuuE_c2NfzIkczs8mioLAvWguFdSnIIvZ5u5zUH2A-PAn9mtLras1EyfT2M7QBDus48cGQZrD755-MKfZUIH6RILgGPk8nm2UeUogE_F8m5NSJwAKhV6gOXXWa1ZBtkMwX7JQUGZ8IuwtwRcDKLMfULERufoNAKoVPfUmQ/s267/Shadow%20Skye.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="189" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg5IhwVgELkYV686ax6NMhFuuE_c2NfzIkczs8mioLAvWguFdSnIIvZ5u5zUH2A-PAn9mtLras1EyfT2M7QBDus48cGQZrD755-MKfZUIH6RILgGPk8nm2UeUogE_F8m5NSJwAKhV6gOXXWa1ZBtkMwX7JQUGZ8IuwtwRcDKLMfULERufoNAKoVPfUmQ/s1600/Shadow%20Skye.jpeg" width="189" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Set on an alternative Isle of Skye, this magnificent saga takes its heroes and heroines to the plague devastated mainland of Scotland, across the water to Norway and eventually to the kingdom of England, ruled by a despotic king and his allies, all in an attempt to defend their clan`s homeland. There are terrifying shadow creatures known as <span face="Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"><i>sgàilean</i></span>, blood magic, treachery, deceit and even a huge, vaguely familiar Scottish beast. The reader is completely swept up in the pacy narrative but the books real power lies in the three central characters, Agatha, Jaime and Sigrid and the clever technique of giving each their own distinctive voice and alternating the chapters between them so the story is told from three different points of view.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It works brilliantly: not only is each voice unmistakable (the heading at the top of each chapter to signify who is speaking becomes almost redundant) but their language informs their characters without the need to make explicit observations. Especially delightful is what Elliott refers to in the notes as Sigrid`s "idiosyncratic slang", which absolutely nails her energy and resourcefulness not to mention her wry sense of humour.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Themes of loyalty, trust, love and tolerance run throughout the narrative, challenging our heroes at every turn to make hard choices about what is right and what is wrong. Which is why, when it is handled as well as this, anyone could be proud of saying they`d read it. Or, as Rundell says:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> "<i>...the writing we call children`s fiction is not a childish thing.....(rather it) has childhood at its heart, which is not the same thing.</i>"</div>walksquitefasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926174831683872870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377205245749948576.post-23639721715591677792023-05-01T09:43:00.002-07:002023-05-01T09:45:57.714-07:00 "Storytelling on a grand scale."<p>When you get towards the end of a 548 page hardback novel and realise that you have to resist the urge to check the last page to see what happens while at the same time not wanting it to end at all - <i>that</i> is the absolute essence of good storytelling. And <i>Demon Copperhead</i> by Barbara Kingsolver has it in spades.</p><p>Billed as a "reimagining" of David Copperfield but set in Kingsolver`s Appalachia it is by no means necessary to have read Dicken`s classic story before embarking on <i>Demon Copperhead.</i> Those who have will recognize some of the characters as playing much the same role as in the earlier novel. But what draws you in perhaps most powerfully in both cases is the relating of the story by the heroes themselves - if, indeed, as David Copperfield says, they turn out to be heroes.</p><p>The opening paragraph of <i>Demon Copperhead </i>immediately sets the tone, the language and not least the wry humour which runs through the whole sorry tale of a boy born into poverty of a drug addicted single mother:</p><p> "<i>First, I got myself born. A decent crowd was on hand to watch, and they`ve always given me that much: the worst of the job was up to me, my mother being let`s just say out of it."</i><br /></p><p>And with that we are launched into<i> </i>an autobiography which rattles along at a breathless pace, following the fortunes and misfortunes of Damon, whose red hair and feral nature soon earn him his eponymous nickname. There`s a large and varied cast of characters whose lives touch Demon`s in one way or another, for better or worse, often as they also are dealing with their own crises of poverty, alienation, and drug addiction. </p><p>As always with Kingsolver, politics and political structures are central to much of the plot but we are not being lectured at: much of Demon`s growing up demonstrates the abject failure of the very systems nominally there to support children in his position. Whether it is lack of resources, lack of political will, a commentary on the forgotten communities in some parts of America - or indeed a combination of all these - is left for the reader to decide.</p><p>In any event it is impossible not to will Demon on, to celebrate his successes and despair when life throws him another curve ball. The writing never falters and with Kingsolver herself having grown up in Kentucky it feels like the story has been written as much from the heart as the head. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjctdFmmv1r0P10QYhuaMokAa2jDf8n_sRERSRXHsTyJv0YcRMVW0INb9dDOA0OyMAD2RiAElvYA7vw6Lg52vImwrlZVokwvPgrC8DWi2EV351YnfgMsuX0NUGao_Ibwri7sTh6Q_ytpokAYzE7N2Oiz6XBjcPjiY8OSjrDZYRPmaayl4OOLNjiVBhCcQ/s499/Demon%20Copperhead.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="325" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjctdFmmv1r0P10QYhuaMokAa2jDf8n_sRERSRXHsTyJv0YcRMVW0INb9dDOA0OyMAD2RiAElvYA7vw6Lg52vImwrlZVokwvPgrC8DWi2EV351YnfgMsuX0NUGao_Ibwri7sTh6Q_ytpokAYzE7N2Oiz6XBjcPjiY8OSjrDZYRPmaayl4OOLNjiVBhCcQ/w130-h200/Demon%20Copperhead.jpg" width="130" /></a></div><br /><p></p>walksquitefasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926174831683872870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377205245749948576.post-49495223512585852022023-05-01T07:48:00.001-07:002023-05-01T07:50:56.791-07:00 Fact or Fiction?Dystopian stories, set in an imagined future that often rests on an actual past and present, can make for disconcerting reads. How much more so if this imagined future isn`t in fact <i>that</i> far ahead. Rosa Rankin-Gee`s novel <i>Dreamland </i>falls into that category which is perhaps why, in an author`s note at the end of the book, she goes to the trouble of pointing out that while the story may be fictional <i>"it builds on events and policies that are occurring today" </i>which she then proceeds to delineate, in order<i> </i>to<i> "be clear about which elements are based on fact".</i><div>And that`s a sobering thought once you`ve read the novel. It`s a powerful read made all the more so by the strong first person narration. Chance is one of those characters you remember long after you finish the book. Buffeted by political forces outwith her control, social deprivation, family upheaval and the imminent threat of the consequences of climate change, Chance tries to navigate a way to survive. It sounds grim, it <i>is</i> grim, but there are moments of humour, of love and sheer human resilience that keep you reading on and rooting for Chance to succeed despite the constant, often inevitable, setbacks she faces. </div><div>The backdrop is the town of Margate, a seaside resort whose fortunes have yo-yoed over the years but which, Rankin-Gee tells us in her author`s note, is currently enjoying another renaissance. Nevertheless part of its recent history mirrors the "relocation" theme which in many ways is central to <i>Dreamland </i>and where fact and fiction bump into each other. </div><div><i> </i>By the end <i>Dreamland </i>is hard to put down: you`re holding your breath as Chance aims to take control of her life and prioritise the things that really matter to her. And you`re left in no doubt that if she were to manage that Herculean task, she`d be one of the `lucky` ones.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDFuKr29EMo1WbjJbAgHgg8NBhG86acbx_08Xtrwo2bHYqFueCw-Jx-_fDWUVN-CrS7touWA1qp59s0Y9FBoYYAYKwNr4j9qgG-t0ID18zwIoV2Bg2OZ67dmPsMrBYYRpG1MBf7-31_AtYE4_ZeJy4_8zTinIii0TEOnH7en0CQgwIQt1cupFIoyDLw/s4000/CIMG9740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDFuKr29EMo1WbjJbAgHgg8NBhG86acbx_08Xtrwo2bHYqFueCw-Jx-_fDWUVN-CrS7touWA1qp59s0Y9FBoYYAYKwNr4j9qgG-t0ID18zwIoV2Bg2OZ67dmPsMrBYYRpG1MBf7-31_AtYE4_ZeJy4_8zTinIii0TEOnH7en0CQgwIQt1cupFIoyDLw/w150-h200/CIMG9740.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><br /></div>walksquitefasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926174831683872870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377205245749948576.post-54738488059245926922022-09-07T03:23:00.006-07:002023-03-13T08:51:26.734-07:00 Scarier than ...a really scary thing.<p> Not being a massive fan of really frightening thrillers I discovered you don`t need to read them in order to scare the pants off yourself: try The Revenge of Power by Moises Naim and see how well you sleep for a day or two after you`ve finished it. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJtt9_T0qbEaF89eBms2SZGKGOT1AwqTdhZa9mtGllGfcuqHnqYReEWipCLpXfH3cIsk9FPEXobCfLq5WezTs75JbYy76yXJjW7r6boYMdFU3NEKoCk2dsgXRH-xEA3n9-_rKHY6qAYvtHvhJ_mnVQSTgFLZ3jSiYQCn3uSbiyhNojrW5hnY-WB6G_ZA/s4000/CIMG9080.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJtt9_T0qbEaF89eBms2SZGKGOT1AwqTdhZa9mtGllGfcuqHnqYReEWipCLpXfH3cIsk9FPEXobCfLq5WezTs75JbYy76yXJjW7r6boYMdFU3NEKoCk2dsgXRH-xEA3n9-_rKHY6qAYvtHvhJ_mnVQSTgFLZ3jSiYQCn3uSbiyhNojrW5hnY-WB6G_ZA/w150-h200/CIMG9080.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A relatively hefty looking tome, it is not a difficult read despite being a detailed analysis of, as the subtitle says, "How Autocrats Are Reinventing Politics for the 21st Century". In fact it is an extraordinary description of the way in which "populism, polarization and `post-truth` politics" (Naim`s 3Ps) have resulted in a marked increase in authoritarian and autocratic regimes around the world. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For such dry sounding subject matter it is in fact a dramatic story of corruption, collusion, manipulation, criminality, dark social networks and carefully calculated disinformation which weaken, even destroys, the individual`s ability to distinguish between fact and fiction or perhaps more significantly their desire to do so.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And if anyone`s inclined to shrug and say they don`t "do" politics it might be worth reading just to understand how politics is "doing" them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?kn=The%20Murderer%60s%20Ape&sts=t&cm_sp=SearchF-_-topnav-_-Results&ds=20">https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?kn=The%20Murderer%60s%20Ape&sts=t&cm_sp=SearchF-_-topnav-_-Results&ds=20</a> or at your local library e.g. <a href="https://www.livelifeaberdeenshire.org.uk/libraries">https://www.livelifeaberdeenshire.org.uk/libraries</a><br /></div></div><p></p>walksquitefasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926174831683872870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377205245749948576.post-47821197247665170112022-07-31T03:15:00.011-07:002023-03-13T08:47:32.591-07:00 Books and their covers.<p> They say you shouldn`t judge one by the other but it was the cover of The Murderer`s Ape, displayed provocatively on the library shelf, that prompted me to borrow the book, despite the fact it is a weighty volume and I knew nothing about its author, Jakob Wegelius.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLLH9qMZsuAFFLSfMAl6Wwt3aBqSDE1zvlJ3VkC03f1VpSKMjBrOMOeeBsWmYZE_CMIRYWyYqVriOa410lIFC8_B5NZRnxFS7YlyELKM9W9O-Zln1J8p2nrb-5UCZhCXWInjHetAukxrgyJetQZZHj3wofvgUVxrWWOBRObtvSXdpNjrNjT3KkqRsJA/s4000/CIMG9051.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLLH9qMZsuAFFLSfMAl6Wwt3aBqSDE1zvlJ3VkC03f1VpSKMjBrOMOeeBsWmYZE_CMIRYWyYqVriOa410lIFC8_B5NZRnxFS7YlyELKM9W9O-Zln1J8p2nrb-5UCZhCXWInjHetAukxrgyJetQZZHj3wofvgUVxrWWOBRObtvSXdpNjrNjT3KkqRsJA/w150-h200/CIMG9051.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><br /><p>And what a treat it has turned out to be. A genuine cracking yarn, with a start, a middle and a very satisfactory happy ending (which is not a plot-spoiler as you know almost from the beginning that it can only end well). This is not to say there aren`t ups and downs in this tale of Captain Henry Koskela and his chief engineer, Sally Jones, a gorilla of many talents and much wisdom. </p><p>Wrongly accused of murder, Koskela, aka The Chief, is thrown into prison and thus Sally Jones embarks on a mission to right the wrong and free him. There are goodies and baddies, and baddies who turn out not to be so very bad, just misled. There are setbacks and triumphs and more setbacks. There are chases halfway around the world, betrayals and the kindness of strangers, not to mention cliffhangers which would make it a wonderful story to read out loud, closing the book at a crucial moment, leaving the audience wanting more.</p><p>And yes, the library has classified it as "Young Adult" but it should appeal to anyone who can still suspend disbelief and embrace the spirit of an excellent, heartwarming story.</p><p><a href="https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?kn=The%20Murderer%60s%20Ape&sts=t&cm_sp=SearchF-_-topnav-_-Results&ds=20">https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?kn=The%20Murderer%60s%20Ape&sts=t&cm_sp=SearchF-_-topnav-_-Results&ds=20</a> or at your local library e.g. <a href="https://www.livelifeaberdeenshire.org.uk/libraries">https://www.livelifeaberdeenshire.org.uk/libraries</a></p><p><br /></p>walksquitefasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926174831683872870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377205245749948576.post-68873762487358645682021-12-09T02:02:00.003-08:002021-12-09T02:05:08.475-08:00 A Thing of Beauty<p style="text-align: left;"> <i>Julia and the Shark</i> by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, illustrated by Tom de Freston, is truly a thing of beauty in more ways than one but not least because of the way it looks and feels.</p><p style="text-align: left;">The impact of a beautifully produced book can`t be overestimated, especially if it`s a book aimed at young readers. This hardback edition, as one reviewer says, "will redefine what a children`s book can look like".* </p><p style="text-align: left;">The cover, in greys and yellows, with the figure of a girl apparently walking into the centre of a whirlpool, surrounded by wheeling birds and the eponymous shark, magically captures a story which includes issues of fear and loss, seeking and separation and mental health.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Inside, the text is interspersed with similarly evocative images and clever overlays which hide and then reveal their subject, thereby creating a feeling of constant movement, of ebb and flow, of migration and return, all of which feed into Julia`s story.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Movement and change are a central theme of the story. Julia`s father has been commissioned to get a remote lighthouse up and running automatically. Her mother, a scientist who studies algae, "<i>a special kind that cleans the water of any bad chemicals and perhaps one day even breaks up some kinds of plastic,</i>" is also keen to make the trip in the hopes of being able to be able to study her first passion: "<i>the biggest things that that lived in the coldest seas" </i>and especially a very special kind of shark - a Greenland shark.</p><p style="text-align: left;">So begins a summer of unravelling secrets, new friendships and understandings, not to mention adventures in stormy waters and a shark "<i>older than trees</i>".</p><p style="text-align: left;">Kiran Millwood Hargrave never writes a bad book but this one is very very special and stays in the mind long after it is finished.</p><p style="text-align: left;">* Katherine Webber Tsang</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhh5zgP35ps6kVyJXQk5cCbtciqTzwOmyZ6CI3dM8tt_k0Fid3ENWQSH7PvcKqOIWRYCHNtEmD5wVZgxKXcjYfBeyMVTjQTCn9QpqJxue-k4Q1izHJNh9Xl0wJVAnrzwg1b06ChXHKgWeLVNnYWei4svD-OH3Fs78PCke7KmE136wY2ZRw7aKEd5to-Wg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhh5zgP35ps6kVyJXQk5cCbtciqTzwOmyZ6CI3dM8tt_k0Fid3ENWQSH7PvcKqOIWRYCHNtEmD5wVZgxKXcjYfBeyMVTjQTCn9QpqJxue-k4Q1izHJNh9Xl0wJVAnrzwg1b06ChXHKgWeLVNnYWei4svD-OH3Fs78PCke7KmE136wY2ZRw7aKEd5to-Wg=w150-h200" width="150" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">. </p>walksquitefasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926174831683872870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377205245749948576.post-32479115144490285902021-09-23T04:47:00.000-07:002021-09-23T04:47:26.974-07:00 A genius for story-telling.<p>Hilary McKay, author of <i>The Swallows` Flight, </i>has that rare gift of writing books for children which, while they often tackle dark and difficult subjects, do so through a lens of compassion, joy, laughter and warmth. She achieves this through the characters she creates and in particular the families that populate her books. In this case the families come from different sides of World War 2 but by the time they connect we are so completely immersed in their respective stories that it turns out there are no "sides" to be taken. </p><p>Instead we watch while essentially decent people, of all ages and personalities, try to negotiate their way through the tragedy and loss that war inevitable brings while embracing whatever happiness can also be found. </p><p>The result is a story, or rather multiple stories, of coping with adversity and opportunity (the latter sometimes even resulting from the former) against a background of family bonds and personal friendships that McKay portrays with such understanding and wit that the reader, or this one anyway, becomes completely invested in "what happens next", surely the hallmark of genius storytelling.</p><p>I closed the book with much regret at having to leave the characters behind but then (for the second time in as many months - see previous post) the realisation dawned that <i>The Swallows` Flight </i>is actually the sequel, or, as described on the flyleaf, the companion, to <i>The Skylarks War. </i>Thus I was able to discover the "backstory" to some of the central characters in <i>The Swallows` Flight</i> which only added to the experience.</p><p>Perhaps it is worth noting that both books are classified as Junior Fiction and are excellent examples of why (as Katherine Rundell says**) adults should read children`s books. Not only are they beautifully written, they also deal with the traumatic subject of war in a careful, understated but nevertheless honest way and provide a persepective on early 20th century life which must be as far removed from a young person`s life now as it is possible to be!</p><p>**<i>Why You Should Read Children`s Books, Even Though You Are So Old And Wise </i>(Never get tired of recommending this book!)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsqUE9_ssvqBjLDhxQvRu2_xVRtPiWt3ixzmqJoifTH_tk3pXHJxp8o7xaE03pgMoo0dcNnQEqORJXiKWu6RcP2B63VK5vtPcuHkcT9OOJLBNAFwh9jkDbg0Aav-ZCo38I0w8asywoCu4F/s120/Read+Children%2560s+Books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="120" data-original-width="86" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsqUE9_ssvqBjLDhxQvRu2_xVRtPiWt3ixzmqJoifTH_tk3pXHJxp8o7xaE03pgMoo0dcNnQEqORJXiKWu6RcP2B63VK5vtPcuHkcT9OOJLBNAFwh9jkDbg0Aav-ZCo38I0w8asywoCu4F/s0/Read+Children%2560s+Books.jpg" width="86" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2ViTqpodWuuR_fOGsiwBVo65LhYFrFaUDC9a_2b5EcnlGmCXD8HOpABoGC3eRpVTNvJPJe4oyvZg-5gaTJ57LLVHCHq3x3wziDWj0bmuYsKx4r_L8sOaj_p9i2nLJyRbb4CKI7-N1Rlh/s120/Swallows%2560+Flight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="120" data-original-width="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2ViTqpodWuuR_fOGsiwBVo65LhYFrFaUDC9a_2b5EcnlGmCXD8HOpABoGC3eRpVTNvJPJe4oyvZg-5gaTJ57LLVHCHq3x3wziDWj0bmuYsKx4r_L8sOaj_p9i2nLJyRbb4CKI7-N1Rlh/s16000/Swallows%2560+Flight.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaOmSHWjAdBw0c0Uf0rcjOquiOvNUuzLiBd4PhmPNU3KmuwtDX5IVwvIz7PQJEofCZmYhFYF1xl_2yPy28qiIDWxb5bXp8gX52Qz4oPfP33j8Xc3xa7lSVWaQWGjSfTKEbmntkesvXi7G8/s120/Skylark%2560s+War.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="120" data-original-width="75" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaOmSHWjAdBw0c0Uf0rcjOquiOvNUuzLiBd4PhmPNU3KmuwtDX5IVwvIz7PQJEofCZmYhFYF1xl_2yPy28qiIDWxb5bXp8gX52Qz4oPfP33j8Xc3xa7lSVWaQWGjSfTKEbmntkesvXi7G8/s0/Skylark%2560s+War.jpg" width="75" /></a></div></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>walksquitefasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926174831683872870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377205245749948576.post-91330644210812604432021-08-31T09:45:00.015-07:002021-08-31T09:53:33.939-07:00 A girl, a wolf, a boy..... and a time slip.<p style="text-align: left;"> <i>"Dara thought about the lines,thin as mist, between possible and impossible, between real and not real, between here and now and there and then."</i></p><p style="text-align: left;">Couldn`t happen of course: 21st century boy meets Stone Age girl. Or could it? Depends if you can believe in those thin lines and the feasibility of occasionally slipping across them, backwards and forwards from one to the other and back again.</p><p style="text-align: left;">The strength of <i>The Way To The Impossible Island </i>by Sophie Kirtley is that you absolutely come to believe in the plausibility of such a thing - disbelief not so much suspended as discarded altogether for the duration of the book.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Dara is frustrated by a chronic illness that has kept his life "on hold" until he`s had his Big Operation, Mothgirl by the idea that at twelve-summers-old she will soon be expected to exchange her "<i>wild, fast-hearted hunting days</i>" with her wolf, By-My-Side, for "<i>woman-days only, slow and dull as mud, filled only with making nutcakes and scraping deerskins and smoking meat upon the fire."</i></p><p style="text-align: left;">For both of them, the somewhat daunting and mysterious Lathrin Island, exerts a pull - Dara imagining rowing out to it when he`s had his operation and is fully fit, Mothgirl wondering if it`s where her long-lost brother is.</p><p style="text-align: left;">When Mothgirl runs from her home to escape being forced into domesticity and marriage to the son of the odious Vulture and Dara breaks away to escape the devastation and anger he feels at having his operation postponed again, their timelines collide and they end up making the perilous journey across to the island together in a leaky boat.</p><p style="text-align: left;">It is on the island that the adventure gathers pace. Having mourned together the apparent loss of Mothgirl`s wolf companion, they find signs which indicate her brother is, or has been, there and come to believe that Vulture is pursuing them. They learn to communicate with each other, to work together to survive, both finding skills and strengths they didn`t know they had. Perhaps most telling of all they come to understand that "normal" - or "<i>norm-ill" </i>as Mothgirl hears it - might not be for either of them, that there is always room for difference.</p><p style="text-align: left;">The interactions between Mothgirl and Dara are often humorous as they try to understand each other. The story gallops along apace with plenty of cliff-hangers at the end of chapters which mean you have to turn the page and find out what happens next. The conclusion is suitably uplifting as both our heroes have not only survived all sorts of challenges but learnt, as Dara muses, that "<i>maybe there was more to real life than he ever could plan for. Good stuff. Bad stuff. Strange, amazing, scary stuff. No -one ever knew. There was no map. there were no answers."</i></p><p style="text-align: left;">Not a bad "life-lesson" and the thing that stories can teach so well.</p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3GjRNQj3BF0VoVhLfmWjhLnW2LKETDxl0dGuBl1Z_I2txTOVibq26bpPdTUqMjD9PWzbSM8zizqNK-WolAMyUy6Lx90S97ZfdZLQQFUJKLYK0QbH63J7EeACnKhpn8W4vwqSyNqN144X/s499/The+Way+To+Impossible+Island.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="326" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3GjRNQj3BF0VoVhLfmWjhLnW2LKETDxl0dGuBl1Z_I2txTOVibq26bpPdTUqMjD9PWzbSM8zizqNK-WolAMyUy6Lx90S97ZfdZLQQFUJKLYK0QbH63J7EeACnKhpn8W4vwqSyNqN144X/w131-h200/The+Way+To+Impossible+Island.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">P.S. Missed that there was a book that came before this - <i>The Wild Way Home - </i>which would normally be a bother as this reader at least prefers reading stories chronologically but am reassured <i>The Way To The Impossible Island</i> stands alone quite comfortably. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">P.P.S. Like all the <i>very</i> best books this one has a map of the island at the front. Perfect.</div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></p>walksquitefasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926174831683872870noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377205245749948576.post-34103097217134767282021-08-10T03:57:00.002-07:002021-08-10T06:09:51.193-07:00 Splendiferous indeed<p> Sometimes there`s no need to do lengthy reviews. Sometimes the books simply speak for themselves and come into that magical category of "un-put-downable" and in the last couple of months there have been two that definitely fell into that category.</p><p>First, <i>The Dictionary of Lost Words </i> by Pip Williams. It`s based on real events, the compilation of the Oxford English Dictionary, and centres round the fictional character of Esme whose father is one of the people working in the Scriptorium, the "garden shed" in Oxford where the work took place. Some of the characters Esme interacts with are based on real people and what emerges is a fascinating analysis of the significance of language and its power to define class and identity. In particular, at a time when women were having to fight for equality, it asks who decides which words are "acceptable." </p><p>And if this makes it sound a bit dry, nothing could be further from the truth. It is also a novel about family and love, set against the turbulent times of the First world War and the battles of the suffragettes. A quite compulsive read.</p><p><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-09/history-of-the-oxford-english-dictionary/12010628">https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-09/history-of-the-oxford-english-dictionary/12010628</a><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vY9A-O3s1l0Ut-hAi7dAiORqjH6X-PRuO0w5DKnK_7iMBpw1uGVdouNrgUXlMvRiiMzFAWzne49lisK6_Ecr1vgdQXRHB5FYoqGmFJ18hSdlahRLgeqoc56Jne1PxB4ZWdAbfuy0zqEU/s500/The+Dictionary+of+Lost+Words.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="325" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vY9A-O3s1l0Ut-hAi7dAiORqjH6X-PRuO0w5DKnK_7iMBpw1uGVdouNrgUXlMvRiiMzFAWzne49lisK6_Ecr1vgdQXRHB5FYoqGmFJ18hSdlahRLgeqoc56Jne1PxB4ZWdAbfuy0zqEU/w130-h200/The+Dictionary+of+Lost+Words.jpg" width="130" /></a></div><br /><p>The second Splendiferous Story is just that - a cracking tale by Chris Brookmyre. <i>The Cut</i> has been described as "highly original" and that must be partly because one of the main protagonists is a 72 year old woman whose age actually is <i>not </i> the most remarkable thing about her. Her partner in crime, so to speak, is a young mixed race university student who is trying hard to extricate himself from an environment where he might end up making some foolish decisions. </p><p>Together they set out to right a wrong in this rollicking fast-paced thriller which frequently has the reader tempted to glance at the end of the chapter to see if they manage to extricate themselves from yet another apparently doomed situation.</p><p>Perfect escapist reading, sometimes quite dark, occasionally a little gory and with more twists and turns than a twisty-turny thing, to say anymore might give the game away. Enjoy!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzddw_8rvbF1LQF0x1VqGwsftucu-ZjLvtcIXAAnIcuGJrnxELpjfgyW34YaiVEKvcnmYbo3FfzsWQAW1xJBZxuGq9aKTg3x8qdDroAVt0UwEsBV6HFcAN8XiSD591ll-acTydiBaCtN80/s218/The+Cut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="142" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzddw_8rvbF1LQF0x1VqGwsftucu-ZjLvtcIXAAnIcuGJrnxELpjfgyW34YaiVEKvcnmYbo3FfzsWQAW1xJBZxuGq9aKTg3x8qdDroAVt0UwEsBV6HFcAN8XiSD591ll-acTydiBaCtN80/w130-h200/The+Cut.jpg" width="130" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>walksquitefasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926174831683872870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377205245749948576.post-35931074984104745212021-06-10T09:33:00.003-07:002021-06-10T09:40:18.810-07:00 Stirring Up a Hornet`s Nest<p> So there I was thinking I`d quickly rattle off a breathless review of Jeanine Cummins <i>American Dirt</i>...."couldn`t put it down", "fast-paced thriller", "intense", "heart-stopping" etc etc when I was stopped in my tracks, for this novel is not only all of those things but also,apparently, controversial.</p><p>I might never have picked it up in the first place if I hadn`t heard an interview with the author on Simon Mayo`s Books of the Year podcast (recommended if only to hear Matt Williams laugh.....) Suffice to say I was hooked the moment I started, despite the brutality of the opening sequence. All the above adjectives apply: I had to resist the temptation on several occasions to check the last page to see what happened but at the same time found I didn`t want it to finish (which had a lot to do with the quality of the writing). I also felt I`d learnt a lot...though it turns out I may not have........</p><p>Having finally finished it I went back to the podcast and realised that I`d only half heard it. For it turns out that some people, authors and reviewers mostly from what I can see, objected to <i>American Dirt</i> on the grounds that Cummins wrote a book about Mexican migrants although she is neither Mexican nor a migrant. The ensuing debate got heated, especially once Oprah Winfrey had picked the novel for her book club. </p><p>There is plenty online so anyone interested can find out more (starting here is probably as good a place as any: <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2020/1/22/21075629/american-dirt-controversy-explained-jeanine-cummins-oprah-flatiron">https://www.vox.com/culture/2020/1/22/21075629/american-dirt-controversy-explained-jeanine-cummins-oprah-flatiron</a>) and I recommend listening to the author on the podcast, discussing how she dealt with the storm that blew up around her and the book.</p><p>Some folk might take issue with the idea that it`s possible to learn anything from a book written by someone who hasn`t experienced what she`s describing, regardless of how much research was done, but I did find it, as one reviewer put it, "an eye-opener" as well as a page-turner.</p><p> So the recommendation stands but maybe read it <i>before </i>investigating the ensuing furore.<i> </i></p><p><i> </i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0WcgBElnZUHhU4zhXckkA01KHOnu4YCZphF4SIuWkG-4VQjoLnvMDlvyEF0SckVCuSZupFBGApIg-jdlCLBl_2a_MraKq9YzVMEFfWrS8NNCDSxjPeHO07ZHjHykcdpQEpIC5Nsw2iw6N/s4000/CIMG8644.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0WcgBElnZUHhU4zhXckkA01KHOnu4YCZphF4SIuWkG-4VQjoLnvMDlvyEF0SckVCuSZupFBGApIg-jdlCLBl_2a_MraKq9YzVMEFfWrS8NNCDSxjPeHO07ZHjHykcdpQEpIC5Nsw2iw6N/w150-h200/CIMG8644.JPG" width="150" /></a></i></div><i><br /></i><p></p>walksquitefasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926174831683872870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377205245749948576.post-47115542776155227822021-03-02T09:03:00.008-08:002021-03-02T09:06:38.416-08:00 "We`re not separate from nature but part of it."<p style="text-align: left;">The title of Dara McAnulty`s book <i>Diary of A Young Naturalist </i>does nothing to prepare the reader for the intensity of the experience of reading it. Once drawn into the world of Dara and his family it is nigh impossible to leave until the book is finished. Whatsmore, when you finally lift your head and look around you may fnd that, for a while at least, you are looking at the world through different lenses.</p><p style="text-align: left;">At one level <i>Diary</i> is just that, the description of a year in a young adolescent`s life as he observes the natural world around him and copes with the ups and downs of growing up. These are only heightened by the fact that not only is Dara autistic, so are his two siblings and his mother. As he says, it`s his Dad who is the "odd one out, and he`s also the one we rely on to deconstruct the mysteries of not just the natural world but the human one too."</p><p style="text-align: left;">Of the various strands that are woven throughout the book, the strength and warmth of, in Dara`s own words, this "eccentric and chaotic bunch" is what holds the whole thing together: "as close as otters, and huddled together, we make our way in the world."</p><p style="text-align: left;">The affinity they share supports Dara as he spends long hours taking in every detail of the natural environment that surrounds him, as he deals with often overwhelming emotions, from happiness to grief and pretty much everything in between; as he copes with school in a world that tells him he doesn`t "look autistic" and makes him "fair game" for bullying and, perhaps most importantly, as he tries to visualize how his future as a "would-be scientist" and passionate environmentalist can evolve from this maelstrom. </p><p style="text-align: left;">And if all that sounds a little too angst-ridden to make for a cheerful read, the energy and humour of the book will come as a surprise. This often noisy, rambunctious family, dashing off to immerse themselves in forests, climb mountains or explore rivers will take you along for the ride. There are stories, there is music, there are moments of exquisite stillness and silence but there is also activism and political debate. Most of all there is <i>kindness</i>, not only within the family but towards a human world that doesn`t always deserve it. expressed through the quite beautiful writing which flies in the face of the assessment of a teacher who once claimed that Dara would "never be able to.....string a paragraph together". </p><p style="text-align: left;">I do hope he/she reads this dazzling work and reconsiders. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkmgkutxQGgkw02jypQ92kZspYzTKYcjWKs5NL0OjCWQli3oWAzUpur39YNL2tmJt1mHUBHI5zEF8TBr5inLiA02VVtNxEhQiuEsD4BcbUrX-7tzMuny3EQe7cXhEblzJtepydhdC3upeo/s4000/CIMG8449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkmgkutxQGgkw02jypQ92kZspYzTKYcjWKs5NL0OjCWQli3oWAzUpur39YNL2tmJt1mHUBHI5zEF8TBr5inLiA02VVtNxEhQiuEsD4BcbUrX-7tzMuny3EQe7cXhEblzJtepydhdC3upeo/w150-h200/CIMG8449.JPG" width="150" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>walksquitefasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926174831683872870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377205245749948576.post-36441038363923863032021-01-12T07:15:00.010-08:002021-05-09T00:56:28.362-07:00 "You don`t have to understand life. You just have to live it."<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Whenever you approach a book you`ve been meaning to read for ages, a book which has been praised to the rafters and sold millions of copies, it`s a nerve-wracking thing........perhaps it`s been over-hyped, perhaps it`s not as good as everyone says.....what if you have to admit to not loving it ........</span><br /><br /><span style="text-align: justify;">Well, phew! Matt Haig`s The Midnight Library is a clever, warm, poignant reflection on the way we deal with what life throws at us, how we react, what we regret</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> and how we can find the hope and resilience to keep going.</span><br /><br /><span style="text-align: justify;">These are universal themes but addressed here with such kindness and humour it`s hard to put the book down as you follow the many lives of Nora Seed. </span><br /><br /><span style="text-align: justify;">As Mrs. Elm, the librarian, says;</span><br /><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><i style="text-align: justify;"> "Every life contains many millions of decisions. Some big, some small. But every time one decision is taken over another, the outcomes differ. An irreversible variation occurs, which in turn leads to further variations....."</i></span><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: justify;">A little suspension of disbelief is required as Nora tries out potential variations to the life she has decided to abandon because she is "</span><i style="text-align: justify;">just really crap at it. At life." </i><span style="text-align: justify;">She is in pain, aching with despair, not </span><i style="text-align: justify;">in</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> a black hole but the black hole itself , full of regrets, "</span><i style="text-align: justify;">drowning in herself</i><span style="text-align: justify;">".</span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span><span style="text-align: justify;">Thankfully the author doesn`t deal in </span><span style="text-align: justify;"><span>pat answers and happy ever-afters because, guess what, life ain`t like that! And yes, ultimately Nora returns to the life she intended to leave (not <i>really</i> a plot spoiler) but aware that the important thing is simply to <i>be</i> alive: without that there is no hope, there is no potential, with it there is ""a future of multifarious possibility".</span></span></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Could have been cheesy, could have been sentimental, could have coloured everything rosy but it doesn`t. Nora finds a way to embrace the simple fact of her existence, not seeking a nebulous `perfection` or giving up when it becomes clear there is no such thing. </span></span><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">One of those books that will stay with you: it`s definitely worth a try - the book that is - though the same might be said of life.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7MyQT0OkqWU9nT43gGaFkS1_iiVx9PO1kHupZcW6T9qtqt8kHHzN6M-jUBrqDkLoEij2x185l0oFTt5_qcKEN5eOssd7oFAHHQdpFg8rANOHTQ238AmsrLbr-WS1GcnU_DYmM_g_WbslH/s4000/The+Midnight+Library.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7MyQT0OkqWU9nT43gGaFkS1_iiVx9PO1kHupZcW6T9qtqt8kHHzN6M-jUBrqDkLoEij2x185l0oFTt5_qcKEN5eOssd7oFAHHQdpFg8rANOHTQ238AmsrLbr-WS1GcnU_DYmM_g_WbslH/w150-h200/The+Midnight+Library.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div>walksquitefasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926174831683872870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377205245749948576.post-25550334727396438312020-12-03T07:37:00.007-08:002020-12-03T09:08:27.423-08:00 Defending the Commons<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTxB-CXtAIQIlSyfFpcd3axRNqKLXz0bw0lkA13OJSdLCMsQl-ihA43a2bhI2Cz2LintjDLlIPOILQGXtZEqUjJ74HgpryQv8bNmXsKrmSYp_X8zA1DnNUFGfc73CPLdcye0RGsDul874/s4000/CIMG8134.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTxB-CXtAIQIlSyfFpcd3axRNqKLXz0bw0lkA13OJSdLCMsQl-ihA43a2bhI2Cz2LintjDLlIPOILQGXtZEqUjJ74HgpryQv8bNmXsKrmSYp_X8zA1DnNUFGfc73CPLdcye0RGsDul874/w240-h320/CIMG8134.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;">Recently</span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"> </i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;">I came across a small piece in the newspaper
highlighting the “50,000 miles of `lost` paths” in England and Wales:</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"> “<i>thousands
of volunteers compared Ordnance Survey maps with historical maps and found
49,138 miles of “missing” paths left off official maps drawn up in the 1950s.
They must be claimed for inclusion in OS maps by 2026 or they will vanish from
record.</i>”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"> Normally
I might have shrugged and thought `that`s a shame`, but it so happened that I
was reading Guy Standing`s <i>Plunder of the Commons</i> at the time so my
reaction was….well …. more robust. Professor Standing`s book demonstrates how it is possible for footpaths
to go “missing”, but it covers much much more than that.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"> In
essence it describes how our “Common Wealth”, has been chipped away at over
centuries and in this case Common Wealth refers to a lot more than footpaths.
It includes:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"> <i>“…all
our shared natural resources – including the land, the forests, the moors and
parks, the water, the minerals, the air – and all the social, civic and
cultural institutions that our ancestors have bequeathed to us…..(plus)… the
knowledge that we possess as society.</i>”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"> Standing
argues that commodification, privatization, centralization and standardization have
weakened and undermined all of these. Often this has been done so stealthily
that resisting and restoring these commons once they are lost is extremely
difficult if not nigh on impossible. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
chapter on the Knowledge Commons comes towards the end of the book, by which
time Standing has covered the Natural Commons, the Social Commons, the Civil
Commons and the Cultural Commons, analysing in each case what has been lost and
the implications for society.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">And he starts the book by
pointing to a document which was created to defend and protect the Common Wealth
but which has since fallen into obscurity, despite being on the British statute
books longer than any other piece of legislation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
Charter of the Forest was sealed at the same time as the Magna Carter and,
Standing says, “at the time of its sealing was regarded as equally fundamental”.
In fact so important was it considered to be that “<i>all churches in England
were required to read it out in its entirety on four public occasions each year”.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"> There
were seventeen articles in the original charter which spoke to the “rights of
commoners to use and manage common resources”. Professor Standing demonstrates in
some detail how these rights have been systematically abused by “monarchs, elites
and governments” and perhaps most importantly how any sense of collective
responsibility has simultaneously been eroded, for the Charter was as much
about taking responsibility for each other and future generations as it was
about rights. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"> He
proposes an updated Charter which would “revive the ethos” of the original, bring
it up to date and go some way towards helping “reduce inequality and strengthen
citizenship.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"> It is
the difference between having <i>permission </i>to use all our common resources
as opposed to the <i>right</i> to access them. And alongside the rights comes
the responsibility of “stewarding” those resources to ensure they are available
in perpetuity. In other words, it is
about the kind of society which nurtures and sustains rather than divides and
exploits.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">A vital read. If nothing else it might give pause for thought as you trudge along your favourite footpath.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>walksquitefasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926174831683872870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377205245749948576.post-78574459593641620412020-07-14T02:39:00.001-07:002020-07-25T01:15:56.527-07:00A new view of humankind Abandon all cynicism ye who enter here. Also, leave all preconceptions at the door, especially if you`re inclined to blame “human nature” for most of the world`s ills.<br />
<br />
Instead whisper this radical thought: “most people, deep down, are pretty decent.” <br />
<br />
Rutger Bregman`s latest book, <i>Humankind</i>, looks like a challenging, hefty tome but while it may indeed challenge many deeply held convictions it is an eminently readable, rigorously researched examination of why we`re so willing to believe that humans are basically selfish and self-interested.<br />
<br />
Lord of the Flies? Try reading what actually happened when that story was played out in real life. It turns out that it`s a “heart-warming story” of cooperation, initiative and generosity. <br />
<br />
Or did you read, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, reports of rapes and murders and looting? In other words, as an article in the Guardian put it, “Remove the elementary staples of organised, civilised life….and we go back within hours to…. a war of all against all”. <br />
Turns out that wasn`t quite true either.<br />
In fact, as subsequent research demonstrated, “the overwhelming majority of the emergent activity was prosocial in nature.” Rather than anarchy and self-interest, overwhelmingly, the city was “inundated with courage and charity”.<br />
<br />
But don`t run away with the idea that <i>Humankind </i>is some kind of hippy-dippy-let`s-all-hold-hands-and-sing-It`s-A-Wonderful-World treatise. As Bregman says:<br />
<i> “this book is not a sermon on the fundamental goodness of people. Obviously we`re not angels. We`re complex creatures,with a good <br />
side and a not-so-good side. The question is which side we turn to”.</i><br />
<br />
The book debunks numerous stories and studies which purport to demonstrate the essential “savagery” of the human race but then digs deeper to try and find out <i>why</i> so many are willing to believe in this view of humanity.<br />
<br />
And perhaps not surprisingly it turns out to have a lot to do with power and vested interests:<i><br />
“for the powerful, a hopeful view of human nature is downright threatening. It implies that we`re not selfish beasts that need to be reined in, restrained and regulated…… a democracy with engaged citizens has no need of career politicians.”</i><br />
<br />
Bregman`s thesis is a meticulous historical analysis of how we got to a place where our social structures are predicated on the understanding that humans are intrinsically brutal and self-centred. If, instead, we could base processes and organisations on an understanding that most people are decent and kind, the results could be genuinely revolutionary.<br />
<br />
Not convinced? At least read this book before you make up your mind.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYv3XoxJO5dR6Tx2yxH3OWwLHDltMZ33tBZqB5EpjoY5a-kZDAtC1PDfQz8Uy5sn8FusVIcOfiFWVQG_Rwfqkbftyx9phYLTdpqsbx_130GcHgTuPbJRVZZteU1tYzVy2uIgDNMhqwpb9J/s1600/CIMG7553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYv3XoxJO5dR6Tx2yxH3OWwLHDltMZ33tBZqB5EpjoY5a-kZDAtC1PDfQz8Uy5sn8FusVIcOfiFWVQG_Rwfqkbftyx9phYLTdpqsbx_130GcHgTuPbJRVZZteU1tYzVy2uIgDNMhqwpb9J/s200/CIMG7553.JPG" width="150" height="200" data-original-width="1200" data-original-height="1600" /></a></div>walksquitefasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926174831683872870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377205245749948576.post-67741509065645072882020-06-23T01:00:00.000-07:002020-06-23T01:02:48.602-07:00"It is not always sensible to be sensible".<br />
It would be unwise to start a Katherine Rundell story if you have some pressing business to attend to because once started her books are almost impossible to put down. <br />
Within the first few lines of The Good Thieves we are offered the thought that “it is not always sensible to be sensible” and if that doesn`t conjure up the prospect of deeds of derrin` do with a bit of mischief thrown in, nothing will. The intriguing title in any case suggests a slightly sideways look at the world and perhaps that is as good a way as any to describe Rundell`s writing. From The Girl Savage and Rooftoppers, through The Wolf Wilder, The Explorer and Into The Jungle (the latter also reviewed here), her stories swing along with verve, panache and an assemblage of vibrant characters, all of whom you would like to spend some time with, even if you feel you might not be able to keep up with them.<br />
In The Good Thieves we meet Vita, standing alone on the deck of a ship and nodding towards the approaching city of New York “as a boxer greets an opponent before a fight.” How could you not want to know what has brought her and her mother here? Soon you discover she has come to right a terrible wrong and though she may be “small, and still, and watchful”, with one leg bearing permanent testament to a bout of polio she caught when she was five, we soon learn she is nothing if not determined.<br />
Rundell is an author you can trust: despite any number of setbacks and apparently insurmountable difficulties you know Vita will triumph. It is in the telling of how she does so that the magic happens and the adventure takes off. In the company of three, at first unlikely looking, companions, all on the edge of respectable society in their own ways, a plan to thwart the (properly villainous) criminal who has wronged her family are drawn up. Loyalties are put to the test and prove steadfast, friendships are forged and always great courage is displayed, not simply physical courage, though there is that, but also the courage to go against convention when the situation demands. <br />
The descriptive writing is a joy, conjuring up never-to-be-forgotten images - coffee looking like “angry mud”. There is humour, the usual wit and, as we have come to expect from this author, the occasional acerbic though always understated observation which appears to signal the moral compass by which Rundell`s characters are guided. <br />
Clothes and costumes, disguises – especially disguises – colour, music, performance, tenacity, vagabonds and rapscallions all fizz throughout the story and in the end triumph over snobbery, selfishness and doubt. Heart-stopping and heart-lifting in equal measure this is also a book which for once doesn`t cast a “Susan” in a sensible role (see Swallows and Amazons). For that I send a personal thanks to Katherine Rundell.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNv1syrxQVFTZRNXhGM2wzSg7JSdlf5AVs9YEMcguAva6Rk_h-CaScpTeqaWLYPoNEvP6-X5r465swJX-h1B-gTXPna-GpfvBY6tacxMS1Z2jVASzqwI1s3XdKpRw7bFbpTrRjRd6BOsRz/s1600/e191d38e-e9b5-484c-8124-bef857f196a7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNv1syrxQVFTZRNXhGM2wzSg7JSdlf5AVs9YEMcguAva6Rk_h-CaScpTeqaWLYPoNEvP6-X5r465swJX-h1B-gTXPna-GpfvBY6tacxMS1Z2jVASzqwI1s3XdKpRw7bFbpTrRjRd6BOsRz/s200/e191d38e-e9b5-484c-8124-bef857f196a7.JPG" width="130" height="200" data-original-width="140" data-original-height="215" /></a></div>walksquitefasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926174831683872870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377205245749948576.post-72491234985803140252020-06-07T03:59:00.005-07:002020-06-07T04:15:11.406-07:00“The Power Of Some Needs The Folly Of Others.”<br />
Was ever a book more needed than this one? <br />
<i><br />
Reader, Come Home</i> comes in the wake of Maryanne Wolf`s previous book, <i>Proust and the Squid</i>, in which she charted mankind`s invention of reading and the way in which that invention changed our brains, which in turn “altered the intellectual evolution of our species”.<br />
<br />
In <i>Reader, Come Home</i> the author demonstrates that reading in the digital world re-wires our brains and suggests that, with some urgency, we should take a long hard look at the implications of that, especially for young people.<br />
<br />
Wolf is a neuroscientist and her explanation of what happens in the brain is properly based on a wide range of research. But this is not a dry, scientific thesis. She uses metaphor and anecdote to communicate complicated processes and addresses the reader in the form of letters, coaxing us to contemplate the somewhat unnerving ramifications of her findings.<br />
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Central to an understanding is the perhaps surprising notion that “in the evolution of our brain`s capacity to learn, the act of reading is not natural”. It is the `plasticity` of the brain which has enabled us to develop this wonderful skill: unfortunately it is that very plasticity, the active way in which the brain is reacting to digital media, which may mean we are in danger of losing our ability to read “deeply”.<br />
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And that does not mean reading lots of very worthwhile literature. In this context it means reading attentively, as an act of contemplation which helps develop qualities of empathy and skills of critical analysis. Wolf argues that because digital media – the medium is the message – can be demonstrated to significantly alter the brain`s wiring, we are in danger of losing those skills and qualities.<br />
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Importantly, though,<i> Reader, Come Home</i> is far from being a Luddite`s charter. The author describes our transition to a digital culture as “the greatest explosion of creativity, invention and discovery in our history.” Rather, her exciting and radical proposition is that we work towards an understanding of the “limits and possibilities of both the literacy based (reading) circuit and digital-based ones”, aiming for the “best possible integration” of both.<br />
<br />
And Wolf`s conclusions are perhaps the most arresting. She suggests that if we ignore these warnings it will be a massive abrogation of our responsibility to educate in a way that produces readers who are capable of analytical engagement rather than passive consumerism. <br />
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If we fail, she argues, it is a short step to populations who lack empathy, especially if they are denied the time and space to read a wealth of stories and who are unable to “process information vigilantly,” therefore being susceptible to propaganda and demagoguery.<br />
<br />
Hence the importance of this book. Everyone should read it: parents and librarians, anyone who thinks they`re less able to concentrate on reading a book than they used to be and most especially teachers. And more important than reading it, is to <i>act</i> on it. A big ask but vital and here is a manifesto and handbook rolled into one. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivnHQmehzHgkfCQCXIWQgeto-Ps7Y_cjV5RP2bh4mtRSJIwqUUWGN0yQZPQudF6Tuy3mNPfax4ZhTWezzUxP1S9Mw8Y-YkvJ6A5oN9KXFPAkdJyFww0NN13Hhk01U1usxjRtxGy7sVQR1S/s1600/CIMG7284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivnHQmehzHgkfCQCXIWQgeto-Ps7Y_cjV5RP2bh4mtRSJIwqUUWGN0yQZPQudF6Tuy3mNPfax4ZhTWezzUxP1S9Mw8Y-YkvJ6A5oN9KXFPAkdJyFww0NN13Hhk01U1usxjRtxGy7sVQR1S/s200/CIMG7284.JPG" width="150" height="200" data-original-width="1200" data-original-height="1600" /></a></div>walksquitefasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926174831683872870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377205245749948576.post-57936635188668025522020-04-02T08:16:00.000-07:002020-06-01T04:00:05.651-07:00Here Be DragonsThe world would be a lot duller without dragons so meet Vern, a world weary, reclusive dragon, possibly the last one left. <br />
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Vern, the eponymous hero of Eoin Colfer`s adult fantasy, High Fire, is prone to depression and acutely aware of the fragility of his existence.<br />
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He has seen more glorious days, when he was Wyvern, Lord High Fire,of the Highfire Eyrie, if, as he says “<i>you could believe that melodramatic s**t name”</i>. Now though he is simply focused on survival and survival is “<i>all about profile, or the total lack of one.” </i><br />
<br />
To that end he hides away in the Louisana swamp while his one friend keeps him supplied with the basic necessities of life: a reliable internet connection for reality shows and Netflix, which he watches from the comfort of his La-Z-Boy recliner; groceries including Cocoa Puffs, Cheerios and gallons of soya milk, not forgetting copious quantities of vodka, his Flash Dance t-shirts and a sort of edgy companionship - when Vern is in the right mood.<br />
<br />
But then life gets complicated. Enter Squib a “<i>swamp-wild, street smart, dark- eyed, Cajun-blood tearaway</i>” and Constable Regence Hooke, a crooked cop with designs on Squibs momma and the fun begins.<br />
<br />
And that`s the thing. The novel is huge fun, a joyous ride, full of twists and turns as the protagonists duck and dive around each other (quite literally occasionally) with boat chases, smuggling, explosions, and some of the snappiest dialogue you`ll ever hear.<br />
<br />
In fact it is the writing which is the most joyous thing of all. The narrative sweeps you into a completely believable, totally fantastic world where dragons get really upset at the mention of Game of Thrones, (“<i>Are you trying to push my buttons,kid? Game of f***ing Thrones! Those dragons are like servants…..Heap of s**t”</i>) crooked cops don`t know when to quit and a boy who started out with nothing much going for him discovers his place in the world.<br />
<br />
It is sweary and lewd but with an underlying moral compass guiding the story to a perfect resolution and best of all it is laugh-out-loud funny. Pure, unadulterated delight from start to finish…...unless you`re too old for dragons of course.<br />
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walksquitefasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926174831683872870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377205245749948576.post-54492932606903134652020-03-21T09:15:00.000-07:002020-03-28T07:37:00.439-07:00"History does not repeat but it does instruct”.Two things immediately spring to mind after reading On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder. The first is “Wow!” and the second is….why have I only recently discovered this erudite Professor who, even a little research suggests, has developed a large fan base as well as stirring up controversy in academic circles.**<br />
Perhaps the best response therefore is to do what the Professor himself exhorts us to do: read books, with the emphasis on books. <br />
In his words:<br />
<i><br />
“Avoid pronouncing the phrases everyone else does. Think up your own way of speaking, even if only to convey that thing you think everyone is saying. Make an effort to separate yourself from the internet.”</i><br />
<br />
So read this one certainly. It is short, easy to read and packs a powerful punch whether you find yourself agreeing or not. Set out in 20 snappy “lessons” it encourages the reader,in essence,to learn from experience, from history in fact. Not to take anything for granted.Not to sink into a weary “`twas ever thus” frame of mind nor to think that things were better “in the old days”. Rather we should stay alert: ask questions, be prepared to stand out (lesson 8), believe in truth (lesson 10), be courageous (lesson 20).<br />
<br />
Other lessons urge us to interact in the real world,<i>“Get outside. Put your body in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar people”</i> at the same time as cultivating a private life,<i> “We are free only insofar as we exercise control over what people know about us”.<i></i></i><br />
<br />
Sound a bit melodramatic? Perhaps. But taken in its entirety this book is only suggesting we take personal responsibility for what`s happening in the world. Not an unreasonable proposition.<br />
It is lesson 9 that emphasizes the importance of reading books (including, happily, fiction; "any good novel enlivens our ability to think about ambiguous situations and judge the intentions of others"). <br />
It`s a theme to which this reviewer will return.<br />
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**<a href="http://*https://www.chronicle.com/interactives/20190412snyder">https://www.chronicle.com/interactives/20190412snyder</a><br />
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walksquitefasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926174831683872870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377205245749948576.post-62137197747239200502020-02-11T04:00:00.000-08:002020-02-11T04:07:03.972-08:00Thinking holistically.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSoAjPiyOb2ThhKv7WelPrgeeJfMdg740x9kg9GHGbe0h2Zxwkm4vE4IvZaz4h9bcJ0Y46PEJZ0MtV0VT-yQAffbJJYbGaPuThSOzdzxXmqY8QqiTBHNutpjpzsnnzXm1mLyqSKbkjv7ek/s1600/Wilding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSoAjPiyOb2ThhKv7WelPrgeeJfMdg740x9kg9GHGbe0h2Zxwkm4vE4IvZaz4h9bcJ0Y46PEJZ0MtV0VT-yQAffbJJYbGaPuThSOzdzxXmqY8QqiTBHNutpjpzsnnzXm1mLyqSKbkjv7ek/s200/Wilding.jpg" width="132" height="200" data-original-width="79" data-original-height="120" /></a></div><br />
Rewilding; a word that has been floating around for a while but lately seems to have become firmly fixed in the zeitgeist. Look it up and definitions seems fairly obvious:<br />
" restore (an area of land) to its natural uncultivated state (used especially with reference to the reintroduction of species of wild animal that have been driven out or exterminated)."<br />
What`s more, there are hundreds if not thousands of “rewilding” projects, big and small, up and running all over the world. All seems pretty straightfoward.<br />
Until, that is, you read Wilding by the appropriately named Isabella Tree and suddenly it doesn`t seem quite so straightforward after all.<br />
The sub-title is "The return of nature to a British farm", in this case a large, conventionally farmed estate in West Sussex which, despite the family following all the best advice and their best efforts, was haemorrhaging money. It became clear that continuing in the same way was to keep digging a bigger and bigger hole.<br />
What happened next was essentially a "spectacular leap of faith". Isabella Tree and her husband Charlie Burrell decided to stand back and let nature take its course.<br />
Well, sort of. What they actually began to do was learn: from Ted Green, a distinguished tree expert; from Frans Vera and his project in the Netherlands; from dozens and dozens of research papers and conservation reports. But perhaps most compelling they learnt from their own observations and what they learnt turned much conventional conservation wisdom on its head.<br />
The book challenges understood notions of appropriate habitats which turn out to be more about how birds and animals have adapted to the available environment rather than how they might behave given truly "wild" territory.<br />
It also challenges the idea of establishing and trying to preserve an apparently suitable terrain for one species which seems to ignore the way, the often extraordinary way, that, given the chance, flora and fauna are interdependent.<br />
In this beautifully written and meticulously researched book we are encouraged to share the author`s delight and in some cases astonishment at what happens on the Knepp Estate as she and her family dare to let go and give nature "the space and opportunity to express itself".<br />
It hasn`t been easy: some conservation experts have been wary, not to mention neighbouring farmers and the local dog-walkers, but in the end the book is about possibilities, about<br />
"thinking holistically,....rebuilding systems with natural processes rather than setting endpoints, measuring function as much as outcome" (and thereby changing) "our whole relationship with the land".<br />
At the very least, it may make you look differently at your local park or nature reserve, or even your garden.<br />
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walksquitefasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926174831683872870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377205245749948576.post-83214160996528932002020-01-26T06:37:00.001-08:002020-01-26T06:38:40.760-08:00Untold Histories, Wild PossibilitiesA potentially life changing....or at least mind-changing.....little book, Hope in the Dark had me by Page 4: “an open heart and uncertainty is better than gloom and safety”.<br />
<br />
Rebecca Solnit doesn`t simply celebrate open-heartedness, she offers a joyful alternative to gloom, doom and despair at the state of the world, discarding, as she says, “the crippling assumptions that keep many from being a voice in the world.” What the book definitely <i>isn`t</i>, is hippy-dippy: all you need is love, it`ll all be fine, head in the sand, fingers in the ears la-la-la.<br />
<br />
Anyone who has ever doubted the point of direct action, of marching in the streets, of non-violent protest, who has thought or said or heard other people say “it won`t make any difference” will find in this book all the answers they might need to counteract the temptation to give up - to be in her words “beautiful losers or at least virtuous ones.” <br />
<br />
She redefines notions of revolution that replace “bad” with “good”, instead describing a process which rejects “the static utopia in favour of the improvisational journey”. By the same token “hope” then becomes more a way of approaching the world, not an inane, vapid optimism, but an acknowledgement of “wild possibilities”, a form of trust in the unknown. Which means the “dark” is not something to be feared but something to be embraced, a future we cannot know but which is ours to create - a darkness “as much of the womb as the grave”.<br />
<br />
It helps to remember that, as Solnit says in one of her other books*, new ideas which are initially dismissed as extreme or unrealistic, often end up as “what everyone ….. thought they had always thought, because it`s convenient to ignore that they……...had thought something completely different, something that now looks like discrimination or cluelessness.” <br />
<br />
Hope in the Dark is full of examples where the smallest act has helped new ideas take root, often in unexpected or unanticipated ways. It is a paeaon to the power of imagination, a joyful celebration of the possible and the conceivable. But be warned, it could inspire you to get involved in all sorts of mischief: "hope is not like a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky....Hope is an axe you break down doors with in an emergency." <br />
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*Call Them By Their True Names<br />
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src="data:image/jpeg;base64,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" alt="Image result for hope in the dark"/><br />
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walksquitefasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926174831683872870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377205245749948576.post-59429777638718782812020-01-21T05:14:00.000-08:002020-01-26T06:40:45.704-08:00"To live is to be wild and various."<br />
According to Mark Carnall, curator of the 500,000 specimens held in the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, “many entomologists are now genitalia obsessed, examining specimens under the microscope and assessing whether the arrangement of penile bumps and hairs is a distinctive characteristic of a new species or not.”<br />
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Categorizing, classifying, ranking, apparently we can`t help ourselves. Make no mistake though, categories and classifications are never objective. <br />
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It can be a fun way to pass a wet Sunday afternoon (Wikipedia lists 28 genres of heavy metal music, all but 8 with numerous sub-genres), or simply a vanity project to get ones name on a new discovery. However,when we do it with books, the law of unintended consequences comes into force.<br />
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Which brings us to Into The Jungle, the latest foray into storytelling by Katherine Rundell. Richly illustrated by Kristjana Williams, it looks like a picture book and will probably be found in the children`s section of your local library or bookshop. Yet that is to put it in a straitjacket of genre which would do it a disservice and mean it could be easily overlooked by folk who would not normally stray into the children`s department.<br />
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The book is to be savoured even before it is opened, a gloriously produced, properly bound tome with a ribbon bookmark, the dustjacket resplendent with William`s illustrations and the legend “Stories for Mowgli” inscribed in clear, slightly raised white lettering which instantly demand to be caressed. <br />
There are brief profiles of Rundell and Williams inside the cover but no big puff pieces, no extravagant reviews or prefaces or forewords. We are taken straight to the bold text, five origin stories for characters from the original Jungle Book written by Rudyard Kipling and published in 1894.<br />
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Nor, thankfully, are there pages of “comprehension” questions in the back. Increasingly, this has become an irritating feature of many children`s books as if without it readers can`t be trusted to have truly appreciated what they`ve read. Worse, it is creeping into stories intended for adults, often apparently aimed at book clubs, clearly unable to come up with their own discussion points.<br />
No such patronising intrusion would have made it into Kipling`s original volumes and anyone who grew up in the company of Bagheera and Baloo, Kaa and Mowgli need have no fear of reading Rundell`s interpretation of their back stories. No Disneyfication here, only tales that swing along with joy and wit at the same time probing issues of belonging and identity. They also remind us of the old adage of nature being red in tooth and claw: there are few concessions to modern sensibilities.<br />
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The common thread that draws the stories together is Mowgli, seen first as an innocent and mischievous little boy who picks his nose and has to be reminded of his manners but is also fiercely loyal and brave and believes, as Bagheera has taught him, that “To live is to be wild and various”.<br />
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This is a theme Rundell returns to time and again in her writing. From Sophie in Rooftoppers to the wonderful Feodora in the magical Wolf Wilder, her characters take risks, spurn the mundane and the conventional, negotiating life in as energetic and honest a way as possible. Leavened always with humour and irreverence Rundell`s writing brings a breath of fresh air to our worried and safety obsessed world.<br />
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Best of all Into The Jungle could have been created to read aloud, surely the hallmark of excellent writing. Who would not want to take on the characters of Raksha the wolf and Shere Khan as they stare at each other, “eye to eye, teeth bared”, or Kaa, “a snake of unusual strength and beauty..with a ferociously unruly temper.” Coupled with the quite exquisite full page colour illustrations this is a book to become immersed in and to return to time and time again. And if it encourages someone to discover, or rediscover, Kipling`s stories, that can only be to the good.<br />
In the end Into The Jungle is what a good book should be: entertaining and thrilling in equal measure, with a quiet insistence that the best happens when we behave in a brave, honourable and compassionate way. <br />
It is not a child`s book, or a teen book, or an adult book. Nor is it a book of short stories or a book of animal stories. It is all of the above and more, the kind of thing everyone should be reading, regardless of age, gender, race or any other classification we can come up with. <br />
Buy it for yourself. Buy it as a gift. It will stand the test of time. And when no-one is looking take it out of the children`s section and display it for all to see.<img 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" alt="Image result for Into The Jungle"/><br />
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walksquitefasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926174831683872870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1377205245749948576.post-48161092951255348422020-01-21T03:30:00.001-08:002020-02-29T06:44:47.643-08:00A beginning......After several false starts this is a new blog. <br />
Though occasionally I name check an amazing book @ <a href="http://www.walking-quite-fast.blogspot.co.uk">www.walking-quite-fast.blogspot.co.uk</a>, here I`m aiming to better describe what has made an amazing book -er- amazing. <br />
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There is no plan, no classifications, no reading targets, no lists of “must reads”. The book choice is as random as life itself. <br />
The aim is to write about them while I`m still spinning from their fabulousness. walksquitefasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12926174831683872870noreply@blogger.com0