I am a huge fan of fantasy books, but they can be predictable. If you’ve read a few, you know what I mean. Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is a breath of fresh air. It’s set against a rich backdrop inspired by Chinese mythology. The lead characters, Lan and Zen, are multi-faceted and intriguing,Continue reading “Song of Silver, Flame Like Night”
Author Archives: hcpowell77
Different, Not Less
I was gifted a digital copy of Different Not Less by Netflix’s Heartbreak High star and disability advocate Chloe Hayden as part of a Random Things Blog Tour. Growing up, Chloé Hayden felt like she’d crash-landed on an alien planet where nothing made sense. Eye contact? Small talk? And why are you people so touch-oriented?Continue reading “Different, Not Less”
If you think you know trees, think again!
Thirteen Ways to Smell a Tree: A celebration of our connection with trees is a small, easy-to-read non-fiction book packed with facts and insights – both historical and modern-day. The author, David George Haskell, took me around the world to get up close and personal with some of the world’s most marvellous trees, including oneContinue reading “If you think you know trees, think again!”
An unreliable biography
It’s my stop on the blogger tour! The Call of the Cormorant is Donald Murray’s unreliable biography of Karl Einarsson, a child born in the Faroe Islands who became a serial scammer living in Nazi Berlin. It was more like a wholly fictional tale, so outrageous was Karl’s life. It’s a very unusual book, fullContinue reading “An unreliable biography”
A book celebrating the joy of front gardens
This book heroes 20 commonly found plants growing in the front gardens of one road in London. Ben’s observations in Grove Park – such as hollyhocks growing at number 92 being ‘serotonin for the summer soul’ – are insightful and full of joy. Ben takes us with him as he walks up and down theContinue reading “A book celebrating the joy of front gardens”
A no-holds-barred extreme health memoir
Life & Death Decisions by Dr Lachlan McIver packs a punch and gets a five-star rating from me. It gave me everything I want from a memoir, containing jaw-dropping stories, a reminder of human resilience and fragility and a warning about the very real consequences of climate change. The medical challenges Lachlan has faced asContinue reading “A no-holds-barred extreme health memoir”
On top of the world
Brown Clee is the highest hill in Shropshire, standing at 540 metres. On the first day of our holiday, we (my husband, daughter and I) set off to the top from our Air BNB because a previous guest mentioned it was a nice thing to do. There was an OS map on the wall, soContinue reading “On top of the world”
Going Deeper Underground
It’s my stop on the blog tour for The Accidental Detectorist: Uncovering an Underground Obsession by Nigel Richardson. I was intrigued when I read the blurb for this book. I love the English countryside, and nothing gives me more thrill than the turquoise flash of a kingfisher or the discovery of a spotted woodpecker feather.Continue reading “Going Deeper Underground”
I am a bit of a fainter
Warning: does include mention of dentists, injections & blood tests. A couple of weeks ago, I fainted in the dentist’s chair after watching a huge needle approach. I closed my eyes, felt it go into my gum, and started to feel weird. I signalled to the dentist to stop, and she put the chair up.Continue reading “I am a bit of a fainter”
Travelling with IBS
I’ve just had the best weekend in Amsterdam. I wanted to go to Floriade, a horticultural expo which only runs once every ten years. It was stunning, and I combined it with a family sightseeing weekend. It was my first trip back to Holland since a three-day school excursion to Belgium, Luxemburg and the Netherlands.Continue reading “Travelling with IBS”