Earlier in the year I decided to take a break from book blogging. The imminent deadlines were causing stress where there didn’t need to be any. I love reading and writing, but writing about why I love a book is sometimes quite difficult. It requires time and thought which I had in short supply.
So in the absence of any recent in depth blog reviews, here is a quick round up of some of my best books from 2023! I have only listed some of my five star reads. I hope it inspires you to try one of them.
Non-fiction:
Thank You For The Kiss by Beth Jordan
Memoir set in Cuba. I was lucky enough to read an early draft of Thank You For The Kiss and was blown away by this story, inspired as it is by real events. The book starts out with heady, hopeful days in the seductive streets of Cuba. I danced with Gina as I read the book and felt her excitement.
We then move towards something much darker and shocking, especially at the end. I was completely hooked. The book sat with me for days afterwards, and I found it very thought provoking.
Grasping The Nettle by Tamsin Westhorpe
Memoir for gardeners and country folk. I giggled and smiled my through this charming book. There were many stories I could personally relate to and they were all told in such a lovely way. Tamsin has had many interesting experiences, and each chapter is a standalone story in its own right, making it very easy to read. Putting it down when it was time for bed was much harder!
Rooted by Sarah Langford
Memoir of moving from Barrister to Farmer. This is a great read. Sarah skilfully combines the micro with the macro. She shares her own experiences as well as summarising the stories of a range of other farmers. This is interspersed with Sarah’s research into farming, helping us to understand faming as it has been, where we are now and how it could (or should!) be in order to tackle both climate change and rapidly declining biodiversity.
It is a non-judgemental view of farming, acknowledging the interplay between generations. Many of us in our drive towards a more sustainable life, would relate to this – “…sometimes they cannot alter it [the farm] either, for there are still old heads around the table who believe that experience trumps ideas.”
Sarah is understanding of why we are where we are, but also doesn’t accept the status quo. Knowing Suffolk quite well, I felt a connection to the land she describes and loved her overriding optimism. I loved this, “…change is also infectious. It is catching. All it takes is someone brave enough to start and soon the ideas will roll out to their neighbours, and their neighbours, outwards in waves until there is nobody left to say ‘that won’t work here’, because it already has.”
I hope this book helps turn the tide.
The Last Tree by Luke Adam Hawker
Sometimes I am sent a book to review, and upon opening it, I immediately know it will take a place on the shelves I reserve for books I will always keep. The Last Tree is definitely a keeper. It tells the tale of Olive, a young girl living in a world without trees. My heart sinks at the thought of such a place, and should encourage us all to double down on our mission to reverse the damage we have inflicted on our planet. Young Olive visits The Last Tree Museum and there embarks on a magical journey of discovery.
The book is full of valuable life lessons. The words are great, but the hand-drawn illustrations are incredible. They are scribbly in places and neat in others. The lines are repetitive, soothing and mesmerising. Engaging vignettes, well-observed close-ups, and epic wide shots draw me into the detail. In these, I see something different each time I flick through the pages. It makes me want to pick up a pencil or drawing pen. Luke’s background as an architectural designer before becoming a full-time artist in 2015 shines through. Some of you may also recognise his drawing style from his recent appearance on Sky Arts Landscape Artist of The Year.
I am often cautious of over-hyping a book, lest readers are subsequently disappointed. There is no such concern here. The Last Tree is set to become a classic. It’s a celebration of life, trees and our responsibility to keep Earth alive.
My ten-year-old daughter also read it. She says the story is sweet and heart-warming and that the illustrations are beautiful.
It’s certainly a book for the young and old and everyone in between.
Duck Out of Water by Helen Johns
Memoir sharing Helen’s story of caring for her Mum. This is such an important book. It will help anyone working in the care sector to improve their patient care. It will help anyone with relatives in a care home to know if their loved one is receiving the best care possible. I hope Helen realises the impact she will have by sharing her writing and through her wider consulting work, a continuation of the positive impact she clearly had on care during her Mum Rita’s time in her care home.
Helen was absolutely dedicated to her mum and her love for her shines through. Then there is Helen’s amazing ability to organise, influence others and seek solutions. This has resulted in an engaging book with heart-warming and honest writing, giving practical advice. Part 4 – A Better Way for All of Us is extremely clear and influential and the tips are all the more likely to be taken up because Helen’s personal experiences precede them.
Strong Female Character by Fern Brady
It’s my stop on the blog tour for Strong Female Character by comedian Fern Brady, known for her recent Taskmaster appearance and no-nonsense Scottish humour. She has written an open and honest memoir about growing up and not knowing she is autistic but knowing she is very different from others. She is kicked out of home, hates school and, whilst at university, finds freedom in strip clubs where she can be herself as she works. She doesn’t need to make small talk. She suffers abuse in a toxic relationship. She turns to alcohol and drugs.
“If you’ve ever been on a night out where you got blackout drunk and have laughed the next day as your friends tell you all the stupid stuff you said, that’s what being autistic feels like for me: one long blackout night of drinking, except there’s no socially sanctioned excuse for your gaffes and no one is laughing.”
Fern has had to write a book to tell her peers, the TV industry and her fans that she is autistic. She has had to write a book to explain her meltdowns and what causes them. She didn’t want to be the person in the public eye to explain meltdowns where she smashes up furniture, but no one else stepped up.
It’s the second such book I have read this year, having equally enjoyed Chloe Hayden’s Different Not Less. Chloe’s memoir is more like a self-help book, whereas Fern’s takes us through her chaotic life as a way to boost awareness of what it’s been like to be autistic. Her straight-talking is funny but eye-opening, intriguing but shocking.
We need more stories like this. This is just one person’s account, possibly throwing up more questions than answers. This has to be positive, and I salute Fern for being so frank in her writing. I’m sure many people will find this relatable, and be glad she has been brave enough to put her head above the parapet.
The Red of My Blood by Clover Stroud
Clover’s writing always pulls me in until I am entirely immersed. As I’m reading, I feel like I know her. I want to hug her and take her pain away. She is unflinchingly honest, and her unravelling thoughts are almost (but not quite) too much to bear. Death will come to us all, but it is still a taboo topic. I welcome the opportunity to learn more about how it can make you feel, and it helped me to understand how others may be feeling after the loss of someone they love and adore. I was fascinated by Clover’s heightened sense of colour.
Fiction:
A Terrible Kindness by Joe Browning Wroe
Contemporary. I adore books which teach me something about worlds I know nothing about. This novel is so descriptive. It taught me much about funeral directors’ work and a little about the Aberfan disaster. William is a flawed character due to his experience at Aberfan. He carries his trauma with him and makes mistakes because of it. It’s a coming-of-age novel exploring loss, redemption and healing. Keep the tissues handy.
The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell
Historical fiction. I can see why this has been such a popular read. I was transported to Renaissance Italy and fully invested from the first chapter. I couldn’t put it down. It was intense and in parts I was almost holding my breath and crossing my fingers. I did not predict where the story would end. Maggie’s writing is so rich and beautiful, this is surely her best work to date?
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
Contemporary. A reading list written on scraps of paper is found by many different people. In bringing them to the library, and sharing some wonderful books, the author of the list magically brings people together from afar – when they most need each other. It’s a heart-warming, uplifting read and it was the perfect holiday read. You will particularly enjoy it if, like me, you are an avid reader. You don’t need to have read all the books that are referenced though.
The Invisible Women’s Club by Helen Paris
Contemporary. This five star read celebrates the power of connection and demonstrates the strength women can muster to achieve the impossible.
The book’s main character, Janet Pimm, is used to being invisible. 70 something, with her beloved allotment for company, she simply doesn’t need anyone else.
But when the local council threaten to close the allotments, Janet will do anything she can to try to save them – even enlisting the help of her irritatingly upbeat and interfering neighbour, Bev.
As the two women set off on a journey together, Janet begins to realise that perhaps she isn’t so happy to blend into the background after all. And that maybe there’s more to Bev than she first thought. As the bulldozers roll in and they fight to save the place Janet loves most, both women find their voice again and no-one can silence them now…
I was drawn to the allotment plot (!) and enjoyed the descriptions of the plot holders, particularly FbK (Felicity bloody Kendall) “closely resembling a blousy mophead hydrangea in some flounce of a dress, an artisan willow-woven trug of perfectly arranged shop-bought flowers swinging from her forearm.”
Janet cuts a lonely figure, not really bonding with anyone and we see her pushing away some olive branches of friendship. Then Bev offers her a lift and we start to see a different Janet. Both women are fed up of being over-looked, invisible. By connecting and opening up to each other they blossom. It’s a lesson for us all, that us ladies are definitely better together. The likes of Davina McCall and Dr Louise Newson have done us a great service, encouraging us to talk about the menopause (or peri-menopause) and to speak up if things are not right. The way we openly talk to our friends and colleagues about menopause is changing for the better, so it’s great to see this reflected in contemporary fiction. And Helen Paris weaves it into her storyline in an empowering way.
It’s a heart-warming novel, particularly perfect for days where you have time to get lost in a whole book or for bedtime, when you need an upbeat read. I can see this being a big success. It’s perfect for today’s uncertain times. Read and rejoice!
Isaac and The Egg by Bobby Palmer
Contemporary. Today it’s my stop on the blog tour for a book which is like nothing else I have ever read. Isaac and the Egg is a tale of grief and recovery. Of love and friendship. Of life and loss. It’s hard to believe this is Bobby Palmer’s first novel. It’s easy to read, like The Rosie Project or The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. Every chapter left me wanting more. I couldn’t put it down.
The book starts with a description of Isaac, who is not in a good place, and his discovery of Egg. From the moment they met, I was completely hooked. I didn’t predict how the story would conclude because it’s so creative. If you like linear, predictable books, this one won’t be for you. If you don’t like vagueness and uncertainty, it’s probably not going to float your boat. However, if you are prepared to put real life to one side and soak up the imagery, ideas and emotion in Bobby’s writing, you will love it. It’s a book you should discover for yourself, so I am loathe to write too much here.
So what can I tell you? I loved Egg. He is fun, endearing and unique. I cared about what happened to Isaac, even when his character was hard to like. I enjoyed Bobby’s exploration of loss and grief. Isaac was way below rock bottom, and that comes through in spades. Because of this, it is not easy to read in parts but stick with it, and I promise you will be rewarded.
You can see all my ratings for the books I have read this year on Goodreads.
Hannah is the author of The Cactus Surgeon, a nature & health memoir. Living in London, Hannah suffered burnout and was diagnosed with a functional neurological disorder. With no information available to help her, she found her own way to get better.
Growing up in a garden centre, her childhood was full of nature and plants. This was in stark contrast to the concrete of the capital, where she became unwell. In searching for the answers to her illness, she wonders whether being torn from her pot and replanted in a more hostile environment was the reason her body started to malfunction. After seeking out alternative therapies, and moving to the countryside of North Essex, her ‘green recovery’ continued. It’s a book of mindful moments, savouring the small wonders of nature.