I am delighted to share my review today for How to Wild Swim – What to Know before taking the plunge by Ella Foote. Some of my regular readers will be aware that I started sea swimming last year and love it. When I saw this book available to review on Amazon Vine I knew it was one I wanted to read and review. Hopefully, some of you will take a look at the book and take the plunge yourselves 🙂
Practical advice and instruction to get the very best out of wild swimming.
The manual every amateur wild swimmer needs to read before diving in.
Whether you want to explore remote beaches and mountain lochs, improve your confidence in open water, refine your swimming technique, or have a race or long-distance swim challenge coming up, How to Wild Swim offers the perfect practical foundation to help you find your perfect adventure and achieve your goal.
This body conditioning sport is praised for not only making us stronger and healthier but also happier. Wetsuits are optional; in fact, no expensive gear is essential. Nailing the how-to, however, is key. Expert wild swimmer Ella Foote offers the ultimate guide to mastering the practicalities and techniques and answers your most frequently asked questions so that you can feel safe, have fun, and re-energize.
So no matter what your goal—short wild swims and weekend breaks, to full adventure swimming expeditions and off-grid vacations—dive right in and submerge yourself in the wild, watery pages of this fearless book.
160 pages, Hardcover
MY REVIEW
This is a fabulous book for anyone thinking about Wild Swimming. I am a wild swimmer and I swim in the sea. Living on the coast means I am aware of the dangers of sea swimming, tides, currents, rips and also how things can go wrong quickly. This book gives a good basic grounding in what to expect, and things you should have and consider before “taking the plunge”.
When I first started swimming it was in October so already the temps were starting to drop. I have just got back from a swim this morning, it’s now February and I have learnt a lot. This book contains many things that I did not think about before I started and it also advises about the best way to go about wild swimming.
This book is well laid out, it does give a lot of information, advice and facts but not in a way that puts you off, instead, it is pointing out what you should know rather than putting you off.
Chapters include items you should think about buying such as gloves, boots or socks, having a tow float, whistle and dry warm clothes to change into. I did myself a tow float which is a buoyancy aid that is in a nice bright colour, I also invested in a whistle so that if I did get into trouble I could alert others and they would find it easier to see me.
This book is great, and it includes things that I had not come across so is useful for beginners as well as those who have some experience. It is a book you can dip in and out of or read from cover to cover.
I like this book a lot and it is one I would definitely recommend.
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I am delighted to share my review today for a fabulous book, The Power of Ancient Wellness by Gill Thackray is full of tips, advice, suggestions and recipes to aid in calming our busy minds. This book is due for publication on 28th December 2023 and can be pre-ordered HERE
My huge thanks to Alison Menzies for arranging my copy of the book from the publisher Michael O’Mara.
Do you want to reduce stress, ease burnout, boost your energy and immunity but don’t know where to start? Look no further than the power of ancient wellness.
The ancient world moved to a different rhythm. It was slower, more mindful and closely attuned to nature. The result? A harmonious connection between mind, body and spirit. Together with Gill Thackray, mindfulness teacher, coach and performance psychologist, learn the art of ancient healing: the perfect remedy for modern living.
Featuring over 25 nature-based activities, discover how to improve your sleep, boost your energy and treat everything from anxiety to the common cold and much more. Explaining the science behind what our ancestors knew intuitively, this essential companion will help you to create your own holistic toolkit to optimize your health and wellbeing, as well as overhaul your beauty regime.
Clear your mind with age-old breathwork techniques, restore balance in your body with the life-changing principles of Ayurveda and re-energise your soul with Reiki and more. From traditional tinctures to ancient superfoods, your healing journey starts now. Reconnect with the hidden secrets of our natural world and take care of yourself, the ancient way.
MY REVIEW
whether you believe in the power of therapy or holistic approaches to taking care of yourself or not, well it does not matter. But I do believe that in our chaotic world, we all need time to stop. I have mentioned this before with other meditation books I have read. Our heads are too busy and we forget to stop and just silence the business.
This book is a great read and it is full of tips, advice, activities and also these are backed up with some studies so you can see why they work and what the benefits are to yourself.
This book is 128 pages and it is broken down into three sections Mind, Body and Spirit. There is also an introduction explaining why our ancestors had a different pace of life due to their lifestyles being much slower. This is obvious, but there are things we can do to help slow our lives during the day.
There are simple things that can be done to help you connect with nature, taking off your shoes and walking barefoot in the grass or on a beach. Looking and listening to the surrounding area is a way of focusing beyond ourselves and instead on what is around us. There are meditation techniques, and while I know some will scoff at this, but, it is actually really helpful. Closing your eyes taking a deep breath focusing on your breathing and relaxing your shoulders, back, muscles and body is something so simple but it can give a wonderful sense of calm.
The message in this book is that we are always connected to some electronic device, not just smartphones and computers but now we have smartwatches that can notify you of messages and take phone calls. I have one of these devices and I made a conscious decision that I was going to use it as a device for my health and not as another way of me being contacted. I put my phone on silent at night and have the screen face down so that notifications don’t light the screen up. Simple things that allow me to focus on my own time and not be at the beck and call of others.
This book is a good way to make you realise how we have lost the connection to nature and ourselves, gives us ways to make time for ourselves and gives positive advice, tips and help. There is quite a lot in this book and there are recipes for balms and tinctures. I do use essential oils to help me relax.
This is a fabulous book and whether you partake in all or some of the things within it, there will be something that appeals to you or makes sense. A fabulous book that is not at all preachy or tells you that you must do so and so, but suggests and gives some ideas and inspiration.
This is a book for those who want to slow down their heads, to be calmer and less connected to technology and the busy bustling world around them. It is a book that I have found to be extremely useful and it is one I would definitely recommend.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gill Thackray is an author and ghostwriter. As well as writing over 8 books including “The Mindfulness Coach” “How to Manifest. Bring Your Goals into Alignment with the Alchemy of the Universe” and “The Positivity Coach” her work has been featured in several international media outlets including The Guardian, Success Magazine, Woman and Home and Glamour Magazine. Her books have been translated into several languages and she has been interviewed by international broadcasters on her areas of expertise.
Her next books,“The Power of Ancient Wellness: Traditional Remedies and Activities for Modern Living” will be published by Michael O’Mara Books London in December 2023. ‘The Wellbeing Journal. Mind, Body, Spirit” will be published May 2024
Gill is a PhD researcher, member of the British Neuroscience Association, British Psychological Society and Association of Business Pychologists. She has taught and lectured at several academic institutions, retreats and cultural centres around the world.
(Information taken from Amazon Author Bio)
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I am delighted to be one of the Book Bloggers opening the Blog Tour today and share my review for Everyday Folklore by Liza Frank. This is a fabulous almanac that takes you through rituals, customs, traditions and much more from sources all around the world. I read this one on Kindle but have bought a copy as I enjoyed it so much.
My huge thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for arranging my copy of this book from the publisher Murdoch Books UK.
For the curious and the adventurous! Turn to any date and you’ll find something to learn or do suggested by folklore of the day, the month, or the season.
Some suggestions will take no more effort than sticking your head out the window to look at the clouds, while others might involve knee pads and scouring giant chalk horses cut into hillsides. Taking inspiration from folklore found around the world, each daily entry is a tiny snapshot of what goes on – be it animal or plant lore, love predictions, the zodiac, the supernatural, food, festivals, divination, anniversaries, the weather or luck. By following the customs and traditions of the ritual year, you’ll find yourself becoming more engaged with what’s happening about you and discover how every month and season creates its own identity.
Dip into this fascinating book at any time of the year and discover something new and intriguing about the world around you. Just beware of the hare…
MY REVIEW
I read the Kindle version of this book and it was a wealth of information. A mix of folklore from around the world, traditions, customs and some right oddities. The book has some wonderful illustrations and prints adding to the overall charm of this almanac.
It includes so many different things that seem bizarre and quirky but also things that will have been passed down by older generations, the things we refer to as “old wives tales”, but as we know some of these do have usefulness to them.
Working through this book day by day and month by month you can if you so wish, try some of the activities or follow some of the suggestions. I do think I will be more inclined to try some of the planting advice rather than maybe trying fire jumping though!
If you are interested in how many sneezes you have and what this means on whatever day you happen to sneeze. How about joining in a tomato food fight, (which sounds like great fun)? Would you like to know when Nettle Day is, or Dotterel Day is?
The book brings together lore from around the world and this means you get a plethora of information and it makes you realise that customs and traditions are still practised based on lunar phases, star signs, weather lore, plant lore and also magical, supernatural and mystical dates. If you think this is all about things from the past, then you would be mistaken as the author has brought her research up to date with mentions of Twitter and one of my favourite days, Star Wars Day!
this is a fabulous book and it is one that you could try to dip in and out of but you will soon find yourself engrossed in it.
I would definitely recommend this book for those who like almanacs that are well-researched, full of information and unusual things.
Check out the other stops on the Blog Tour…
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I am delighted to share my review today for Blue Machine by Helen Czerski, this book is a non-fiction one and looks at how the oceans shape our world. I initially got this book from NetGalley, but then decided to buy a hardback copy and I am so glad I did because it is an excellent book to read.
All of Earth’s ocean, from the equator to the poles, is a single engine powered by sunlight – a blue machine.
Human history has been dictated by the ocean; the location of cities, access to resources, and the gateway to new lands have all revolved around water. We live inside the weather the ocean generates and breathe in what it breathes out. Yet despite our dependence, our awareness of its totality is minimal.
In a book that will re-calibrate our view of this defining feature of our planet, physicist Helen Czerski dives deep to illuminate the murky depths of the ocean engine, examining the messengers, passengers and voyagers that live in it, travel over it, and survive because of it. From the Ancient Polynesians who navigated the Pacific by reading the waves, to permanent residents of the deep like the Greenland shark that can live for hundreds of years, she explains by way of vast currents, invisible ocean walls and underwater waterfalls how all have their place in the oceans’ complex interlinked system.
MY REVIEW
This is a fascinating book about the ocean and how it shapes our world, how it impacts our lives and how it helps us today. The author does include science in this book, but it is explained in a way that is completely understandable to a non-science-brained person.
The author includes huge amounts of information from the way the ocean moves, to the different depths and strata, she mentions how people have learnt to navigate and how humans have impacted it. We live in a world where climate change is often mentioned. I always think about climate change affecting the air quality, temperatures, rainfall and storms. The ocean is also affected by climate change and this is becoming more and more obvious as great swathes of ice are melting, we are experiencing more run-offs into the rivers and oceans and we are interfering with the delicate balance. The author brings all these elements and so much more to her book and it was a fabulous book to read and one that thoroughly enjoyed.
I live in Cornwall, UK. It is an area of land that sticks out at the S.W. point of the mainland, surrounded on 3 sides by the sea. Our weather is, in part, affected by what happens out at sea and we do experience seasonal high tides, and weather coming in of the sea and we do benefit from the Gulf Stream.
Reading this book has made me realise just how much the oceans do to keep our planet at the right temperature for life to exist and function. The author also uses historical facts to reinforce events and to back up what she has discovered through her own research, she is, after all a physicist and is seen on BBC in a science section. So yes, she does know her stuff, what I liked about this book was that she used her own knowledge and that of others from around the world, it gives a deeper understanding as you do get different perspectives. It brings other cultures and their history to the table and gives the reader the chance to see the differences between then and now.
The book is broken down into 3 parts, with 7 sub-sections. The first part is about “What is the Blue Machine”, the author tells the reader why she refers to the ocean as a machine, and to be honest when you think about it, it does make sense. This section deals with the nature of the sea, the shape of water and the anatomy of the ocean. Part 2 is “Travelling the Blue Machine” This looks at life in the oceans and on the oceans and has 3 sections covering, messengers, passengers and voyagers. This was my favourite section as it got into the details of life in the oceans. The final part, Part 3 is ” The Blue Machine and Us” This is the 1 section and it is about what we can do or should be doing.
Obviously, this book highlights the impact that humans have had on the oceans and how they are deteriorating. It is an eye-opening book and one that does give pause for thought. So it is no surprise that there is a final section in this book that also deals with what we can do.
This is a fascinating book and one that I read in chunks over several days. I thought this book was so well laid out and explained and I definitely closed the book at the end knowing I knew more now than I did before. The explanations made sense and this is what I really liked about it.
If you have an interest in the natural world, the climate and oceans then this is a book I would definitely recommend.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Helen Czerski is a physicist at University College London’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and a science presenter for BBC. She writes a monthly column for BBC Focus magazine called “Everyday Science” that was shortlisted for a Professional Publishers Association Award.
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I am delighted to share my review of The Power of Trees: How Ancient Forests Can Save Us If We Let Them by Peter Wohleben. This is a fabulous book and one that made so much sense to me. After reading this book I immediate went and bought he previous one.
My huge thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for arranging my paperback copy of this book from the publisher Greystone Books.
In the follow up to his Sunday Times bestseller, The Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlleben compares tree planting to battery farming.
‘In clear, vivid prose with impeccable reasoning, Peter Wohlleben makes a compelling case that almost everything we do in modern forestry management may be dead wrong. What should we do instead? Let the wisdom of the trees quell our human arrogance, heal the forest and restore our sweet, green world’
Sy Montgomery, author of How to be a Good Creature and The Soul of an Octopus TREES CAN SURVIVE without humans, but we can’t live without trees. Even if human-caused climate change devastates our planet, trees will return—as they do, always and everywhere, even after ice ages, catastrophic fires, destructive storms, and deforestation. It would just be nice if we were around to see them flourish.
The Power of Trees is forester Peter Wohlleben’s follow-up to The Hidden Life of Trees, a Sunday Times bestseller that sold millions of copies worldwide. In his latest book, he is dismissive of token gestures in terms of tree planting. Just as he compared forest trees to ‘families’ and urban trees to ‘street urchins’ in his first book, in The Power of Trees he uses equally powerful metaphors to compare tree planting to battery farming (‘Switching to fast-growing species and breeding trees for desired traits brought results like those achieved by factory farming: individuals ready for harvest at a young age, all with a relatively uniform carcass weight.’). However, he also joyfully describes trees determination to survive, describing seedlings breaking through the earth where you least expect them, as ‘stalwart tree children’.
This latest work is as fascinating and eye-opening as it is trenchant in its critique: on the one hand, Wohlleben describes astonishing discoveries about how trees pass knowledge down to succeeding generations and their ability to survive climate change; on the other, he is unsparing in his criticism of those who wield economic and political power—who plant trees exclusively for the sake of logging and virtue signaling—even as they ruthlessly exploit nature. The Power of Trees is a love letter to the forest and a passionate argument for protecting nature’s boundless diversity, not only for the sake of trees, but also for us.
MY REVIEW
I am someone who loves being outside in my garden. It is a mix of fruit, veg and flowers and over the past 5 years, I have been planting trees to make my little plot as diverse as possible for the wildlife in my piece of Cornwall, UK. I have always been someone who likes the outside and living where I do I am close to nature as I live at the edge of a village. Surrounded by farmland, small areas of trees and also the coast. Reading The Power of Trees has opened up more ideas for me and there are little steps I can make in my own garden to do my part in helping the trees.
This is such a fantastic book to read, it is so informative. Yes, it is a bit science-based in places but not too much so. The author takes us through the evolution of trees, a slow natural process, and how this compares to how people try to manage a similar thing. Trees have adapted and changed over millions of years. There is fossilised evidence of plants and trees, so it does beg the question… how do we know more about the evolution of a species so different to ourselves. The fact that trees are the lungs of the earth makes it obvious that without them we would not survive.
The author tells how exasperated he gets when he comes across managed forests, these are planted for profit and are a single species. This means if there is a problem the whole forest can and does suffer. Rather than the diverse trees that have gradually made their homes and know how to work with the environment, managers believe they are better at doing it. they are not.
By removing the stalwarts of the older forest we are interfering and making the same mistakes over and over again. Scientists have been shouting for many years about how human progress is hindering the natural process. When you look at various documentaries, read articles online or just have a look with your own eyes, you can see that things are changing.
So why then do those in politics, who are backed by the money men prefer not to listen to what is backed up by years of research and study? It’s obvious, it’s all about the money, the profits and the financial gain.
As a gardener, I am aware of how carefully choosing the right plants to put in my garden. But it is becoming more difficult to work out what will do well in a particular growing season as the climate is so changeable. So how on earth can anyone work out what the climate will be like in 20 or 100 years times?
The author discusses many other things in this book and rather than paint a bleak picture he does offer hope. That we can change and see how beneficial the trees that have grown for hundreds of years actually know what they are doing, after all, they have been doing it for far longer. Trees are able to adapt to their surrounding, as is all plant life if it is in the right place at the right time.
The author has laid out this book in such a good way. He shows arguments from different groups, shows research and studies from people around the world and laid it down in the pages of his book. It makes sense, a couple of times I was a little lost in the science, but there really isn’t that much. It is such an informative read and one that as soon as I picked it up completely had me hooked. As soon as I finished this one I bought his previous book, The Hidden Life of Trees.
If you have any interest in nature and the environment, if you are a gardener, a person that likes being outside, or someone who likes to sit under a tree on a sunny day to have a coffee, then this is a book you might enjoy. I adored it and I have taken so much from it that I can actually use and therefore it makes it a very important book. An amazing book that I would absolutely recommend.
About the Author
PETER WOHLLEBEN is one of the world’s most notable foresters and a passionate advocate for tree conservation. Wohlleben lives in Germany, where he manages an ecologically conscious forest and runs an academy for education and advocacy. His books are bestsellers around the world. He speaks fluent English and will be In the UK 22-24 April 2023 to launch the book at the Cambridge Literary Festival and at The Linnean Society in London and available for further Interviews.
Check out the other stops on the blog Tour…
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I am delighted to share my review today for The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2023 by Lia Leendertz. This is a fabulous little book that I adored picking through and if you are a fan of nature, the natural world and planning for gardening, then this is a gorgeous book to have.
My huge thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for my spot on the Blog Tour and for arranging my Hardback copy of this book from the publisher Octopus Books
Reconnect with the seasons in Britain and Ireland with this month-by-month guide to the world around us – including key dates, tide tables and garden tasks; constellations and moon phases; sunrises, folk songs, seasonal recipes plus a ‘bun of the month’; and – because 2023 will be a good year for planet spotting – the solar system and the zodiac.
The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2023 gives you the tools and inspiration you need to celebrate, mark and appreciate each month of the year in your own particular way. Divided into the 12 months, a set of tables each month gives it the feel and weight of a traditional almanac, providing practical information that gives access to the outdoors and the seasons, perfect for expeditions, meteor-spotting nights and beach holidays. There are also features on each month’s unique nature, with this instalment following the swirling micro world of the garden pond through the year.
You will find yourself referring to The Almanac all year long, revisiting it again and again, and looking forward to the next edition as the year draws to a close.
This year’s edition is illustrated by artist Whooli Chen.
MY REVIEW
This is a fabulous little pocket-sized Almanac. I love books like this and while a diary often gives you basic information, an Almanac goes into a lot more detail. This one is no exception.
After a basic introduction, this book then starts at the beginning of the year. January – there are important dates for this month followed by a wonderful page of what January represents, it is a time of reflection as the daylight hours are not as long as we would like. But the author does encourage you to look at what is happening outside, are there buds or bees starting to emerge.
Carrying on the author then takes a look at the sky, the moon phases, sunrise/set, tide times and then onto Lunar planting. Plants used to be set according to the moon phases and I really liked to see this included. There are also a couple of paragraphs about what shrubs, plants and trees are starting to flower as well as what you can harvest from your veg garden.
If you do have a veg garden or access to locally grown produce then what better than a couple of recipes? How about an orange glazed yeast bun or boiled suet and sausage pudding? Both of these sound amazing.
An Almanac also gives information about the Zodiac, here the author includes an introduction to the zodiac and gives information for Capricorn followed by a folk song. This then leads on nicely to what we can see in nature.
This is a wonderful book and has loads of detail and information. It is littered with black-lined illustrations and images that correspond perfectly to the item they accompany.
The book is easy to use as the pages have been sprayed on the corner and then gradually work down so it is easy to see at a glance roughly where you need to be. There is also a nice little ribbon that acts as a bookmark.
If you are a fan of the seasons and nature then this is a fabulous little book to have. It is great for leaving on a table for a reference book and takes no space up at all. It is a book that would make a wonderful gift for a family member or friend because I know I was delighted to receive my copy.
Educational and informative, wonderful to peruse through and one I would definitely recommend.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The Almanac 2023 by Lia Leendertz is out 1st September 2022.
Lia Leendertz’s reinvention of the traditional, rural almanac has become an annual must-have for readers keen to reconnect with the seasons, appreciate the outdoors, and discover ways to mark and celebrate each month, and the ideal stocking filler. The 2023 edition is the sixth in the series, and has a theme of the solar system and zodiac, with beautiful illustrations by artist Whooli Chen.
CHECK OUT THE OTHER STOPS ON THE BLOG TOUR…
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I am delighted to share my review today for The Secret Life of Fungi by Aliya Whiteley. Autumn is a wonderful season and it is ideal for those of us who like to go foraging for mushrooms. I only ever pick the ones that I know are safe, so tend to stick to puffball or field mushrooms.
My huge thanks to Alison Menzies for getting in touch about this book and sending me a wonder paperback copy from the publisher Elliott & Thompson.
Fungi are unlike any other living thing—they are almost magically unique. Welcome to this astonishing world. . .
Fungi can appear anywhere, from desert dunes to frozen tundra. They can invade our bodies and live between our toes or our floorboards. They are unwelcome intruders or vastly expensive treats, and symbols of both death and eternal life. But despite their familiar presence, there’s still much to learn about the eruption, growth, and decay of their secret, interconnected, world.
Aliya Whiteley has always been in love with fungi—from her childhood taking blurry photographs of strange fungal eruptions on Exmoor to a career as a writer inspired by their surreal and alien beauty. This love for fungi is a love for life, from single-cell spores to the largest living organism on the planet; a story stretching from Aliya’s lawn into orbit and back again via every continent.
From fields, feasts and fairy rings to death caps, puffballs and ambrosia beetles, this is an intoxicating journey into the life of an extraordinary organism, one that we have barely begun to understand.
MY REVIEW
This is a brilliant little book that delves into the murky world of Fungi. The author has a wonderful way of expressing her interest in this subject and it makes it very interesting reading. Last year I read a book by Suzanne Simard, Finding the Mother Tree, this book went into a lot of detail about the way fungi connect the trees. In The Secret Life of Fungi, the author, Aliya Whitely explains how fungi are part of our everything. It survives in the most surprising of conditions and environments. There is a lot more to fungi than the mushrooms we see in fields, on trees or on decomposing vegetation.
This book is set out in quick sub-chapters, with three main chapters entitled – Erupt, Spread and Decay. A simplified version of a lifecycle.
As the author makes her way through the chapters and subchapters she gives examples of research, observations and discoveries over the years. This introduces the reader to the basics of this far-reaching and unstoppable organism and follows it to the ends of the earth and beyond.
This would fall into the Science and Nature genre and to some extent, this is what it is. But rather than being all science, symbols, maths and other undecipherable, this book keeps to the basics. It makes sit a very easy-to-read book and the journey the author guides the reader on is like an adventure of discovery.
There are dangers to foraging and there is a section that describes some of the symptoms. Also going into details about how harmful spores can be spread and nature’s own way of dealing with them. Often the strands of fungi, or mycelia, have a symbiotic relationship with another plant and so it continues its lifecycle. It can be easily spread and there has been evidence of fungi in the International Space Station.
Not just confined to being eaten, this can be used for health and medicinal cures and treatments, just think of penicillin as an example. The other side of this can also be the strain that can cause pneumonia or Valley Fever and have devastating results.
Wherever you are in the world you will be near some type of fungi. You probably won’t even notice it, you may not see it, but it’s there.
This was a really interesting book and the author has a real passion for her field and this is evident in her writing. A cracking read that took me by surprise in a very good way. This is a relatively quick read at just over 200 pages, and if you like nature, the natural world and being outside then this is one that you would probably really enjoy. Very accessible and totally absorbing I soon discovered time had passed by as I was busy reading this one. I would definitely recommend it.
After finishing this book I decided to go out into the garden and explore. I knew there were some fungi and I hunted for more. This is what I found.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
(www.aliyawhiteley.wordpress.com / @aliyawhiteley) Aliya Whiteley is inspired by how fungi and humanity share the world. She grew up in North Devon where she developed an early passion for walking and observing nature. She writes novels, short stories and non-fiction and has been published in places such as The Guardian, Interzone, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, and in several anthologies. Previously a magazine editor, she has written about the natural world for Mental Floss and in her fiction. Her novella, The Beauty, was shortlisted for both Shirley Jackson and Sabotage Awards, and depicts a future world in which a fungus interacts with humanity to create a new form of life, leading readers all over the world to send her photographs and articles relating to mushrooms. She walks with her dog through the woods and fields around her home in West Sussex every day, taking inspiration from the hidden worlds around her.
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I am delighted to share my review today for The Plant Hunter by Thomas Mogford. This is a fabulous adventure style story that is a mix of historical fiction and a journey of discovery. I adored it so much.
My Huge thanks to Maddie at Welbeck Publishing Group for my gorgeous advanced copy of this book – I love it 🙂
1867. King’s Road, Chelsea, is a sea of plant nurseries, catering to the Victorian obsession with rare and exotic flora. But each of the glossy emporiums is fuelled by the dangerous world of the plant hunters – daring adventurers sent into uncharted lands in search of untold wonders to grace England’s finest gardens.
Harry Compton is as far from a plant hunter as one could imagine – a salesman plucked from the obscurity of the nursery growing fields to become ‘the face that sold a thousand plants’.
But one small act of kindness sees him inherit a precious gift – a specimen of a fabled tree last heard of in The Travels of Marco Polo, and a map.
Seizing his chance for fame and fortune, Harry sets out to make his mark. But where there is wealth there is corruption, and soon Harry is fleeing England, rounding the Cape of Good Hope and sailing up the Yangtze alongside a young widow – both in pursuit of the plant that could transform both their lives forever.
MY REVIEW
I am a huge fan of plants and books. Every room in our house has at least one of each in them, so when I saw this book I knew it was one that I needed to read. (The photo above is a few plants in my bedroom 🙂 )
This is what the title suggests it is, about a Plant Hunter. However, the particular plant hunter in this novel is one Mr Compton, a salesman in a nursery in London. He has worked for Piggott for a while, although being a salesman is not what he wants. He would rather be behind the scenes propagating, tending, and general growing the plants that will then go on for sale.
A chance encounter with a drunk leaves him with an option or two. He is in possession of a map showing the location of a rare and exquisite tree. It is 1867, plant collectors and hunters of exotic flora is a very lucrative business, ideal for those who have backers.
So, begins the travels of Mr Compton. From salesman in London to plant hunter embarking around the world on an adventure of a lifetime.
This is just a fabulous book and one that lived up to my hopes. It is a mix of several genres, there is some mystery, adventure, suspense, romance, crime, murder, history and nature so I do think it would appeal to a vast array of readers.
The author has a great balance in this story so that the plants don’t take over the story and are mixed in with Compton’s own experiences and expectations. He meets some fascinating people on his travels and becomes more worldly-wise at the same time.
I really like the way the author wove everything together as the journey embarks Britain and the sailing to China. It all helps to toughen up Compton, and believe me it is needed for what he has to meet. Not everyone is dangerous, but there are some individuals that you wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of.
This is a wonderful mix of historical content and also attitudes around China and opium in the mid to late 1800s. It allows the reader to see differing viewpoints as foreigners in the country are not always welcomed. What can be a well-meaning gesture can actually be seen as something else. I did like this as it showed various sides to social, political and economics at the time. Enough to give a general idea but not too much to distract.
This is a wonderful book and it is a fabulous read. I liked the style, the pace and the storyline. A must-read for fans of historical fiction with an exciting adventurous storyline. It is one I would absolutely recommend.
Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx
I am delighted to re-share my review today for a book that I read and loved last year. Into the Tangled Bank: In Which Our Author Ventures Outdoors to Consider the British in Nature by Lev Parikian.
I did read the hardback copy of this book supplied by Alison Menzies from Elliot & Thompson publishers and today see’s the publication of the paperback version.
Let me share more about this fabulous book…
Lev Parikian is on a journey to discover the quirks, habits and foibles of how the British experience nature. He sets out to explore the many, and particular, ways that he, and we, experience the natural world – beginning face down on the pavement outside his home then moving outwards to garden, local patch, wildlife reserve, craggy coastline and as far afield as the dark hills of Skye. He visits the haunts of famous nature lovers – reaching back to the likes of Charles Darwin, Etta Lemon, Gavin Maxwell, John Clare and Emma Turner – to examine their insatiable curiosity and follow in their footsteps.
And everywhere he meets not only nature, but nature lovers of all varieties. The author reveals how our collective relationship with nature has changed over the centuries, what our actions mean for nature and what being a nature lover in Britain might mean today.
My Review…
I really enjoyed reading this book as I followed Lev’s observations on how people and nature interact. Lev has such an easy style to his writing and as well as various facts there is also a nice level of humour. The book is littered with various interesting facts from history, nature and life.
Lev looks at various aspects of nature including our own gardens, parks and open green areas. He notices various things about human nature and how people with certain interest can chat about things for quite a while. As a gardener I found myself sniggering about they way gardeners can talk about “their patch” what they grow, the pests and bugs.
Lev’s observations of people in nature draw together different walks of life. From the dog-walkers, to the gardeners, the photographers to the birdwatchers. These observations make a really enjoyable read and many times I found myself nodding my head in agreement or as I read sections thought “this is me!”.
A book that is ideal for dipping in and out of, in fact I read most of this book sat in the garden have a break from the weeding, trimming and filling bird feeders and it was the perfect spot.
A refreshing read that I think various people would really enjoy, and I am sure any nature lover, or those who spend time outdoors and then reads this book will find themselves in it at some point. A good book about the observations of an author and one I would happily recommend, its a fabulous read.
I am delighted to share my review today for Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest by Suzanne Simard. This is a wonderful book that looks at the relationship of trees and also a mix of the author’s memories growing up.
From the world’s leading forest ecologist who forever changed how people view trees and their connections to one another and to other living things in the forest–a moving, deeply personal journey of discovery.
Suzanne Simard is a pioneer on the frontier of plant communication and intelligence; she’s been compared to Rachel Carson, hailed as a scientist who conveys complex, technical ideas in a way that is dazzling and profound. Her work has influenced filmmakers (the Tree of Souls of James Cameron’s Avatar) and her TED talks have been viewed by more than 10 million people worldwide.
Now, in her first book, Simard brings us into her world, the intimate world of the trees, in which she brilliantly illuminates the fascinating and vital truths–that trees are not simply the source of timber or pulp, but are a complex, interdependent circle of life; that forests are social, cooperative creatures connected through underground networks by which trees communicate their vitality and vulnerabilities with communal lives not that different from our own.
Simard writes–in inspiring, illuminating, and accessible ways–how trees, living side by side for hundreds of years, have evolved, how they perceive one another, learn and adapt their behaviors, recognize neighbors, and remember the past; how they have agency about the future; elicit warnings and mount defenses, compete and cooperate with one another with sophistication, characteristics ascribed to human intelligence, traits that are the essence of civil societies–and at the center of it all, the Mother Trees: the mysterious, powerful forces that connect and sustain the others that surround them.
Simard writes of her own life, born and raised into a logging world in the rainforests of British Columbia, of her days as a child spent cataloging the trees from the forest and how she came to love and respect them–embarking on a journey of discovery, and struggle. And as she writes of her scientific quest, she writes of her own journey–of love and loss, of observation and change, of risk and reward, making us understand how deeply human scientific inquiry exists beyond data and technology, that it is about understanding who we are and our place in the world, and, in writing of her own life, we come to see the true connectedness of the Mother Tree that nurtures the forest in the profound ways that families and human societies do, and how these inseparable bonds enable all our survival.
My Review…
I have been reading this book over the past week or so and it was such an interesting and eye-opening book.
Dr Suzanne Simard has learnt her trade over years of observations, discoveries and research. Born and raised in the rainforests of British Columbia, she has natural respect and a relationship with the trees. this comes across in this book as she recounts her childhood with memories, stories and also how she gradually worked to become the leader in the field she is today.
What started as a childhood curiosity bloomed into something more. Through experiments, research, and a certain amount of bloody-mindedness she brought her findings to all who would listen. The book documents how she found the symbiotic relationship between the soil, enzymes and naturally occurring biology and the trees. While there is a certain amount of science, it is been given in layman’s terms making this a very accessible and easy to understand the book.
I like how this book is laid out. Chapters are a mix of memories, experiences and also the findings of her research. This makes it more manageable and keeps the book flowing rather than getting hung up in great swathes of science.
This is such an interesting book and as I was reading I could feel the excitement as discoveries were made, and also the heartbreak and upset as things failed or that sometimes trees had to be destroyed to be able to see the impacts of pesticides.
A wonderful read and one that has led me onto further reading on the internet. Looking at interviews and talks about the relationship of trees to the world around us.
This is a book for anyone who has an interest in the natural world, in relationships between nature and it is one I would definitely recommend.
Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx
Metal Sculptor based in Long Bennington, Lincolnshire, using recycled materials to create sculptures for your garden or indoor decoration. Sculpture's can be viewed & safely collected, delivery may also be available. Contact for details.
Yvonne - Me and My Books 