The Salt Path - A Celebration of Nature and Love

The Salt Path by Raynor Winn is a memoir based on the experiences of the author and her husband, Moth. Just days after they learn that Moth is terminally ill with CBD (Corticobasal Degeneration, a neurological disorder), they lose both their home and livelihood. Now homeless and virtually penniless after a failed legal battle to save their home, they make an impulsive decision to walk the South West Coast Path - all 630 miles of it (well, it is Somerset to Dorset via Devon and Cornwall) - with only the stuff they can carry on their backs. They soon discover that this is no easy stroll. The steep and scary ups and downs may be scenic, and the passing holidaymakers might enjoy the scorching weather, but it's not as much fun when you are carrying a heavy load and neglected to bring any suncream. Food, water and a place to rest their heads in their small tent are a constant worry, and they are permanently hungry and soon tire of noodles! However, as they walk, they experience the wonders of nature and the kindness of strangers and something unexpected happens - Moth starts to both move and feel better in himself. Slowly but surely, they come to terms with their situation and, if possible, become even closer than they were before. This book is both inspirational and irritating at times. It is, after all, an opinion piece and therefore, if you don't like the author's opinions, you may not like parts of this book. But, overall, the epic trek is one of resilience in the face of an unknown future, the continual slog with little money and not knowing where (or even if) you would sleep at the end of each day is gripping. I raced through it at speed (something Ray and Moth definitely did not do) and would definitely recommend this to anyone who is facing a major change in their life, or indeed anyone considering such a challenging walk! Being in nature can be incredibly healing, and sometimes, just putting one foot in front of the other is an achievement worth celebrating. 

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 288 print pages.

Price I paid: free, borrowed from a friend.

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.

Fifteen Dogs - What If Dogs Were More Human?

Fifteen Dogs, by Andre Alexis is a book that was gifted to me and I'm so pleased it was, because I might not have picked it up otherwise ... although I do love dogs, so perhaps it would have eventually found its way to me by another route. Anyhow, no matter how it reached me, I'm very happy! The gods Hermes and Apollo are in a bar, arguing about what would happen if animals had human intelligence. Apollo bets that this would result in the animals being even unhappier than humans - and Hermes takes on the bet that if only one of the animals dies happy, then he wins. And so, as they pass a local veterinary clinic, they give the 15 dogs inside human intelligence. Now capable of human thought, the dogs escape and become a pack in a local park. Some do not adapt and die very quickly, others embrace their new life and start spouting poetry, and others want to reimpose dogginess onto the pack and stage a violent coup. We then follow the survivors - one of whom is taken in by a couple and he becomes very close the the woman ... and even learns to converse with her. But when the dog meets one of his former pack, things do not end well. Often heartbreaking, but also sprinkled with humour, this is a really interesting and absorbing read and is definitely a "what if ..." type of book. The characters are distinct and are an intriguing mix of human and dog. The only reason I didn't give this five stars was that it was a little bitty - I think I would have liked there to be less dogs overall, and then to be able to spend more time with each of them. Some dogs appeared and were gone in the blink of an eye ... which, I suppose is a reflection of "fate" ... we never know what's around the corner! This had a beautiful cover and the edition I read felt lovely in the hand. Do any of the dogs die happy? Well, you'll just have to read to find out.

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 161 print pages.

Price I paid: Free, was a gift.

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.

Revelation - Pure Class!

Revelation, by C.J. Sansom is the fourth book in the historical murder mystery series set in Tudor times featuring lawyer, Matthew Shardlake. It's 1843, and Henry VIII is wooing Catherine Parr, who he wants for his sixth wife. Archbishop Cranmer is watching closely, as Henry is sliding back towards the old religion, whereas Catherine has reformist sympathies. Meanwhile, Shardlake has taken on the case of a teenager who has been confined in Bedlam, and who spends all his time praying - is he a religious zealot, is he possessed or is he just ill? Then, an old friend is horrifically murdered and this leads Shardlake to discover a similar murder that had been covered up due to its proximity to Catherine Parr. Shardlake is asked to keep the cases secret to protect the Crown, something he does reluctantly, not wanting to get sucked back into the royal politics all over again. However, as more bodies start turning up, it is apparent that there is a serial killer on the loose who seems obsessed with delivering the torments written in the Book of Revelation. Shardlake, together with his assistant, Jack Barak, and his old friend, Dr Malton, work together with the King's coroner to solve the case. Well, what can I say about this book ...  from the very first paragraph, you know you are in the hands of a brilliant author. This is classy story telling at its very best, with believable characters, a plot full of twists and turns and plenty of historical content. We have a few subplots with Shardlake showing his soft side with the widow of his friend (is love on the horizon in a future book?), Barak and his wife at odds, and Dr Malton developing a potentially dangerous relationship with his new assistant. We are kept guessing as to the villain of the piece and what his true motives are, and boy oh boy, he truly is a villain - the murders are horrific and not for the faint hearted. Despite the gruesomeness at times, this is a fantastic read and I can thoroughly recommend that if you haven't sallied into this series, you must do so as a matter of some urgency.  Truly excellent!

My STAR rating: FIVE.

Length: 672 print pages.

Price I paid: Free, borrowed from my husband.

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.

The Starless Sea - Beautiful But Confusing!

The Starless Sea, by Erin Morgenstern is primarily the story of Zachary Rawlins who stumbles across a strange book hidden in his university library that leads him into an amazing adventure. There are tales of lost cities, lovelorn prisoners and, remarkably, a memory from his own childhood. Following the clues contained both on and in the book, he ends up at a masquerade ball, then a secret club and finally into a subterranean labyrinth where there are many, many stories being held behind many doors. (Doors are a theme - how opening them can lead you to a different world, or shut you out from another.) We encounter various characters and their narratives appear and disappear from chapter to chapter. Zachary meets the love of his life in the process and it feels like his quest is to save... something ... the stories ... the labyrinth ... himself? The book is beautifully written and I loved certain passages, but then, just as I was relaxing into it and felt like I knew what was going on, we'd shift to other characters or other times and places. Very disconcerting. It interrupted the fluidity and mood and I found it really hard to get into the book for quite some time. I'm glad I persisted though, but maybe this is a book that would merit from a second reading as I expect I missed quite a lot of hints and clues on first read. And what is it with the owls? I don't feel like this was explained ... or if it was, it went over my head. I really wanted to love this book, but I didn't, and the ending left me a little on the discombobulated side. I have found it very hard to write this post because I am still not sure what was going on. So, a book to enjoy for the beautiful passages of writing, but be warned, it may leave you scratching your head. 

My STAR rating: THREE.

Length: 498 print pages.

Price I paid: free, borrowed from my husband.

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.

Under Milk Wood - A Treat for Word Lovers

Under Milk Wood, by Dylan Thomas is a play written for radio and was his last work. It follows a day in the life of a small Welsh seaside town, from the dreams of the residents early in the morning, to the drunks creeping home at the end of the day. The residents of the town are brought to life with the most amazingly lyrical language, full of alliteration and poetic rhythms. Designed to be read aloud, its mix of narration, character dialogue and also the odd song, it's a treat for the tongue and the ear. One of my favourite lines is: "Only you can hear the houses sleeping in the streets in the slow deep salt and silent black, bandaged night." Superb! The characters are shown to us in a sequence of vignettes, and are a mix of quirky, funny, eccentric, forthright and even, a little disturbing! Each have their own distinct voice and we hear them clearly each time we drop in on them throughout the day - we, the observer, zipping from one to the other as if we were a fly taking a break on their wall for a few minutes and then moving on. The beauty of the language transports you to a time and place where not much happens, but yet, we learn so much - how Mrs Pugh loves to nag her husband, and he, in return, is always plotting to murder her; or how the love affair between Mr Edwards and Miss Price is conducted solely through letters - they see each other all the time and yet never speak! It is a work of beauty, darkness, love and humanity. If you get a chance to listen to the version narrated by Richard Burton, accompanied by a plethora of actors voicing the characters, you will not be disappointed. The words of Dylan Thomas, heard in Burton's amazing, chocolate coloured Welsh tones is an absolute treat. The only reason I didn't give this full marks is that I could have done without some of the songs which went on a little too long for my taste. Overall, a must for anyone who loves words and what a poet can do with them.

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 102 print pages.

Price I paid: £7.99

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, unabridged audio CD, ebook. 

Mercy - Darkly gripping crime thriller

Mercy by Jussi Adler Olsen is a crime novel set in Denmark and features Carl Mørck, a homicide detective who, following an incident which left one of his colleagues dead, another paralysed and himself injured, has returned to work only to be moved to the newly created Department Q. Set up for political reasons (and to get the uncooperative and hard-to-work-with Carl out of the way) Department Q's purpose is to review unsolved crimes. The first case concerns Merete Lynggaard, a politician who disappeared five years ago during a ferry journey with her brother. The narrative follows two time streams - one starting five years ago following Merete, and the other is in the present, following Carl who, believing Merete to be dead, reluctantly starts to investigate her case. He is assisted by Assad, an incredibly capable and positive man employed as his cleaner but who, it turns out, has a real feel for police work. The relationship between Carl and Assad is entertaining, and helps to provide some much needed relief from the Merete part of the story, which is unremittingly grim, as we see her being held captive in a metal room for months, which turn into years. She is being slowly and systematically tortured, but does not know by whom or why. Both her internal dialogue and interactions with her captors show her strength and determination to keep going so that she can get back to the one person she really loves, her disabled brother. This is an incredibly gripping thriller, with the case unraveling in a most satisfying way. As the two time frames begin to converge, the pace picks up and the reader is almost left breathless by the denouement. Great characterisation with a tight plot full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing for a very long time. It wasn't until I'd finished the book that I found out that it's the first in the "Department Q" series ... I can't believe I have inadvertently started yet another series when I haven't finished the many that I am partway through. Hey ho! I'm not sorry I read this book, however, because even if I don't go back for more, it was well worth it. Maybe not for the faint hearted or squeamish, but if you like your thrillers dark, then this could be for you.

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 512 print pages.

Price I paid: £4.00.

Formats available: print, unabridged audio, ebook.

It's 2025 and Another Reading Year Begins

Welcome to 2025 and a fresh new year full of the promise of new books to read. 

Last year I read what I really, really wanted to read and, for the most part, it was a successful year with very few books picking up less than 4 stars. Yes, the piles of unread books has diminished (the charity shop received a good chunk that didn't make my heart scream ... READ ME NOW!), but it is far from being manageable (probably an impossible task, but one can dream!). This means that when people buy me a new book, it tends to go to the bottom of the still mountainous pile and, at the pace I'm currently reading (I think a sloth could do better!) it's going to be an absolute age before I get to them. This, inevitably leads to those awkward conversations when the giver asks me whether I liked the book or not ... and I have to admit that I've not got round to it as yet! 

So, this year, I'm going to prioritise those gifted books above anything else, and also try to block out time to actually read a little more rather than grab 5-10 minutes at the end of the day when all I really want to do is go to sleep! Oh, and I'm going to revisit the loiterers and lingerers ... if I don't feel that I'd regret donating them to a charity shop without reading them, then it's time to wave them goodbye!

So, here we go .... Happy New Reading Year to you all!

My Plans For the Day (Credit: Shoot Me Now GIFS)