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Adam Colclough (3 KP) rated The January Man: A Year of Walking Britain in Books

Apr 19, 2018  
The January Man: A Year of Walking Britain
The January Man: A Year of Walking Britain
Christopher Somerville | 2017 | Natural World
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A charming and thoughtful book about life, family, nature and the joy of walking (0 more)
Nothing (0 more)
The Long and Winding Road
The relationship between fathers and sons is contested ground. An emotional boxing match with incomprehension at golden opportunities wasted in one corner, and frustration at being held to impossible standards in the other.

The sometimes awkward, but always close, relationship between journalist Christopher Somerville and his war hero father is at the heart of this hugely engaging mix of memoir and nature writing. Their shared love of walking was the bond that united two very different characters in a story that unfolds against a backdrop of profound social change.

The quiet stoicism that saw a generation of men through the war giving way to rebellion born of affluence, then morphing into the busy atomisation of twenty first century life. This could make for a maudlin exercise in chin stroking, but is saved from it by Somerville’s good humour and inherent optimism.

Added to this is a deep love of nature and the English countryside and the people who have painted, written about or made their living from it over the centuries. Somerville is able to translate this into nature writing that carries the message that we should value what we’ve got without being either sentimental or didactic.

As a memoirist, he has an eye for the eccentricities of family life and a welcome sense of empathy with the experience of his parent’s generation and how it shaped their outlook. Being reserved is not the same thing as being distant, love strong enough to last a lifetime doesn’t need to announce itself with flowers and candy hearts; it manifests in the little acts that make up a life.

This is also a resolutely practical book, something Somerville senior would have approved of, with several associated walks that can be downloaded. Even if the journey from the bookcase to your easy chair is the closest you get to hiking, it is still worth reading.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2615 KP) rated The Skeleton Stuffs a Stocking in Books

Sep 27, 2019  
The Skeleton Stuffs a Stocking
The Skeleton Stuffs a Stocking
Leigh Perry | 2019 | Mystery
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
That Bone Isn’t Sid’s
When Dr. Georgia Thackery’s dog, Byron, gets out one afternoon, and when she and her daughter Madison find him again, he is clutching a bone. Naturally, the two assume it is part of Sid, and they race home to apologize to their friend. However, all of Sid’s bones are present and accounted for, so they get the police involved. It turns out that Byron has found part of a normal skeleton (you know, not walking and talking), and the police are able to determine that the skeleton was murdered. The police have no leads on who the skeleton might have been in life, but Georgia’s friend and fellow adjunct, Charles, approaches her. He thinks he might know the victim, but the only way to give the police that information might lead the police directly to Charles. And so Georgia jumps into action again, with Sid doing his best to research the case on the internet. Was the victim Charles’s friend? If so, who killed her?

If you are new to the series, you might be a bit lost. You see, Sid is a walking, talking skeleton and Georgia’s best friend. That’s the only paranormal element to the series, and it is done is a realistic manner, which makes it feel very natural. The characters, including Sid, are very strong, which certainly helps make it all seem real. The plot, while not a traditional cozy mystery plot, is very strong with plenty of twists and surprises along the way to the climax. In fact, I liked the fact that it was something different plot wise, and it certainly kept me engaged the entire time. I did think that Christmas aspect could have been stronger, but that’s my only complaint and a very small one at that. As a lover of puns, I absolutely loved the puns and other humor in the book. If you are just now meeting Sid, you are in for a treat. If you are already a fan, you’ll love this newest visit with him.