A Sting in the Tale - Dave Goulson

I rated this book 10/10

One of the United Kingdom’s most respected conservationists and the founder of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Goulson combines lighthearted tales of a child’s growing passion for nature with a deep insight into the crucial importance of the bumblebee. He details the minutiae of life in the nest, sharing fascinating research into the effects intensive farming has had on our bee population and the potential dangers if we are to continue down this path.

A charming insight into the world of the bee

A charming insight into the world of bees. This book is easy to follow, and filled with plenty of personal stories and interesting information. I enjoyed learning all about the ins and outs of the beehive, and how the demise of the bumblebee is really quite a worrying thought. Some myths were busted too - and the index in the back is also really handy if you need to revisit ideas at the end.

Anybody with even the slightest interest in bees or wildlife should pick up this book - it's a wonderful piece of work.

Available at Waterstones

Shop Girl - Mary Portas

I rated this book 8/10...

Young Mary Newton, born into a large Irish family in a small Watford semi, was always getting into trouble. When she wasn’t choking back fits of giggles at Holy Communion or eating Chappie dog food for a bet, she was accidentally setting fire to the local school. Mary was a trouble magnet. And, unlike her brothers, somehow she always got caught…

'Shop Girl' begins during Mary's early years; describing a life glued together by family and happy memories. As might be expected from the Queen of Shops, her memoir revolves around retail - the tastes, scents, sights and sounds of her father's warehouse as he sells tea door to door to other shop keepers.

Mary goes on to describe her brothers and sisters. They are very close and highly supportive of each other throughout childhood and during some really distressing events. Even when the family as she knows it unravels whilst she is struggling with her teen years, her brothers and sister remain a pillar of strength for Mary over the years.

Perhaps the most important person in Mary's life is her mother. She is the centre of the family's universe and is always there when the children need a helping hand or a positive word.

'Shop Girl' was particularly touching for me as it resembles my own childhood. If we brush aside the Catholic upbringing - I have 3 sisters and 1 brother, and my siblings remain supportive and close even now whilst in different parts of the country.

This is a wonderful memoir about an inspirational lady, with short chapters that are quick and easy to read. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the next chapter and hope that she decides to write one.

Born to Run - Christopher McDougall

I rated this book 10/10

Born to Run is an epic adventure that begins with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt? In search of an answer, Christopher McDougall sets out to find Mexico's Tarahumara Indians, the world's greatest distance runners, who can go for hundreds of miles without rest while enjoying every minute of it.

Interesting, inspiring and page turning; I loved this book and couldn't put it down. McDougall is a real writer and has a way with words that (despite the multiple flashes back and forth in time) have you hooked. His character description is second to none and you can really feel the passion for running seep through his sentences.

I wanted to go out running every time I put the book down for the evening, and even invested in a pair of 'minimal' trainers based on some of the ideas McDougall outlines.

Filled with physiological musings and mixed up in a whirlwind of biographic storytelling, this book is perfect for anybody that's into running, or for anybody interested in travel writing.

The Fry Chronicles - Stephen Fry

I rated this book 7/10

Spanning 1979-1987, The Fry Chronicles charts Stephen's arrival at Cambridge University up to his thirtieth birthday.

The first book I have finished reading in 2015!

I wasn't sure as to whether I liked Stephen Fry so much, and I must admit that I am still none the wiser. He certainly has a way with words, and his autobiography was interesting. I could almost hear him talking about some of the famous faces of comedy in that distinctive voice of his.

Having said that, I don't think we really got much emotion from him, nothing much of his personal life except his occasional bouts of self-depreciation, it's mostly a description of his and other people's successful careers. I understand that Fry suffers from cyclothymia and don't get much insight into this. Perhaps because I skipped his first memoir and have not read the next instalment yet, I am missing something?

It's definitely worth picking up, if for nothing else then for the winding and eloquent description, and the odd quote or idea that will be worth remembering. I enjoyed it overall.

We should all be Feminists - Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche

I rated this book 8/10

Argued in the same observant, witty and clever prose that has made Adichie a best-selling novelist, here is one remarkable author’s exploration of what it means to be a woman today – and an of-the-moment rallying cry for why we should all be feminists.

I am a feminist. I think that everybody who believes in equal rights and equal respect for women and people all over the world should not be ashamed to call themselves a feminist. Adiche certainly isn't ashamed to identify as feminist in this quick and easy short taken from a TED talk she presented. It was interesting to find out a little more about the inequalities present in her own country.

I am Malala - Malala Yousafzai

I rated this book 10/10

I Am Malala is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls' education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons.

I Am Malala will make you believe in the power of one person's voice to inspire change in the world. 

I have rated this book with top marks, as it has taught me so much about Pakistan and the conflict that the country has faced and continues to do battle with. It also taught me a lot about the Muslim community in Pakistan, and squashed some of the myths that fly back and forth between the people that do not know any better.

Malala herself comes across as young, arrogant, strong willed and opinionated. Her morals and values are completely justified and positive, as she consistently articulates the importance of education for BOTH boys and girls clearly. She not only fights for the rights of women in her own country, but for the equality of people all over the world. A really fascinating young lady who has been greatly influenced by her father of whom she thinks very highly of.

Some critics seem to think that Malala is all talk and no action. This is simply not true, and even if it was, I think it would be almost irrelevant. Somebody with this kind of passion needed to stand up and shout about what was happening, bring the issue onto the bookshelves of ordinary people all over the world - and Malala did it. Ironically, the fact that she was shot in the face by the Taliban only served to give her a higher platform to stand on and oppose them from.

Malala's charity funding helps small communities to build the foundations for schooling and education for uneducated children. She invests her own money into that as well as campaigning for others to do the same. Visit www.malala.org to learn more.

Malala deserved the Nobel peace prize. I know that everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but I truly believe that this book should be read by all.

Blood, Sweat and Tea - Tom Reynolds

I rated this 5/10

Tom is an Emergency Medical Technician who works for the London Ambulance Service in East London. He has kept a blog of his daily working life since 2003 and his award-winning writing is, by turn, moving, cynical, funny, heart-rending and compassionate. It is never less than compelling. From the tragic to the hilarious, from the heartwarming to the terrifying, the stories Tom tells give a fascinating - and at times alarming - picture of life in inner-city Britain, and the people who are paid to mop up after it. 

This is the second book that I have read in full on my iPhone, the first one being The War of the Worlds. I find it more difficult to concentrate when reading in this way, perhaps due to the small brightly lit screen. I think that I may just give in and purchase a Kindle.

'Blood Sweat & Tea' is a highly enjoyable and brutally honest quick read about one man's experiences on the front line of emergency healthcare. Though at times I'm not sure whether I actually like the guy or not, Tom Reynolds certainly taught me a thing or two, and I've already put ICE on my phone and checked that my house number is clear enough!!! 

If you're looking for something simple that isn't going to take too much brain power then this book will be a fabulous read and hugely entertaining.

Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer

I rated this 6/10

In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter...

A solid account of McCandless, an enigmatic young man, sometimes unbearably so, with a desire to separate himself from society by hiking to Alaska and disappearing into the wild. A lot of this story and the information we are given about the man and his travels seem to consist of educated guesses rather than solid fact, but it is intriguing nonetheless.

I read this very quickly and found it interesting, however, I actually preferred the film. The movie adaptation of this event filled in the gaps (which I understand are speculation, but it lends itself to greater entertainment) and is a lot more visual than the book - less about historic facts and subplots that go off on a bit of a tangent. Plus it stars Emile Hirsch!!!

Into The Wild is an inspiring account, but not quite as epic as I was expecting it to be.

Injustice - Clive Stafford Smith

I rated this 10/10

A man wrongly condemned to death for murder, a crusading lawyer determined to free him, an investigation that reveals corruption at every turn. This remarkable book reads like a page-turning detective story, with one crucial difference: can we be sure that justice will be served at the end?

Previous to reading this book, my opinions and thoughts on the death penalty were almost non-existent. I'll admit this; it had no relevance to my life so much as it does not occur in this country and I was ignorant to the process and so didn't feel the need to contemplate it much.

My thoughts simply went this far; I have always believed that it is not only criminals that make unforgivable mistakes - but that those prosecuting are also only human; there should be no life or death decision made where human error could always be an incriminating factor. This belief, however, would never move me to the point of action.

Injustice has strengthened my opposition of the death penalty, and particularly the belief that everybody deserves a free trial. The amount of corruption uncovered by Stafford Smith and his team is absolutely shocking. In addition, he has also highlighted points (such as the potential failures of forensic evidence, the positive effects of some victim mediation processes etc) that I previously had been ignorant of.

Prosecutors don't prosecute prosecutors for sending an innocent person to prison. - p105

And the relevance of this activity to our own justice systems in Britain is also worrying - reading about Kris' case has moved me to support reprieve.org.uk myself. I believe that everybody has the right to a fair trial, particularly where capital punishment is involved.

A deeply harrowing read, shocking and compelling; well worth a few hours of your time. Note also that Injustice has 4.5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads - which across 27 ratings (as of 09/10/13) is just brilliant!

Being A Boy - James Dawson

It's harder to be a girl because
they have to push enormous babies
out of a very small hole and also
because we live in a pretty sexist
world run almost exclusively
by rich men.

Rated 10/10

Being a boy is hard. How can you possibly act cool and even think about pulling potential partners when your face is sprouting spots and you're hairy in places you didn't even know could be hairy? Luckily, 'Being a Boy' provides an uncensored look at puberty, from the social food chain to sex, being a boyfriend and everything guys need to know to survive - brutal honesty included.

My thoughts: A really quick and easy read that speaks to teen boys on their own level. I was sent this as a proof and read it in a day, it's very difficult to put down!

James Dawson writes with wit and understanding - almost like having an older brother/friend on call to answer those questions that are difficult to ask. As a 26 year old woman, I still found it highly entertaining and would recommend that anyone could read and be amused and informed in some way.

I particularly loved Dawson's stance on sexuality - refraining completely from labels and recognising that sexual preference is never as black & white as people suggest. Similarly, the ideas put forward on sexism and gender are equally as valid, and I would trust in putting this book in any boy's hands without worrying that they might be baffled or overwhelmed by the differences between men and women. There is none of that here...

Which puts forth another major positive that I got from this book - it doesn't bombard the lads with all of the biological physical explanations that they will have heard in sex ed classes. Ie: it's nothing at all like sitting down in a Science Biology lesson and being bored senseless for an hour. None of that. Just the stuff that is relevant, and written in a way that is easily digested.

There was only one little sentence that I personally completely disagreed with.

Other than that, an absolute winner!

Kitchen Confidential - Anthony Bourdain

'My first indication that food was
something other than a substance
one stuffed in one's face when hungry
- like filling up at a gas station - came
after fourth-grade elementary school.

Rated 10/10

After twenty-five years of 'sex, drugs, bad behaviour and haute cuisine', chef and novelist Anthony Bourdain decides to tell all.

My thoughts: I found myself strangely inspired by Bourdain's full on account of his own culinary successes and (mostly) failures. I admire his attitude towards his business, the way that he prizes character and drive over skill, and the way that he admits to his own mistakes and makes no apologies over his completely obsessive behaviour.

This book was interesting throughout every word, and I found myself wanting to read more,  hungrily devouring the pages (pun intended) and wondering whether I could get myself a decent kitchen knife on my way home from work (I couldn't), and whether anyone would actually try my spur-of-the-moment masterchef creations (they won't).

The fact that Bourdain's journey drew me in and moved me in such a way is testament to the fact that Kitchen Confidential is a brilliant book and should be read by anybody who has an interest in food. I know that he has a bit of a reputation, but between these pages we see a more rounded view of this notorious tv chef.

An Idiot Abroad - Karl Pilkington

My Seven Wonders experience
started today with a trip to get
my injections.

Rated 5.5/10

What happens when a reluctant traveller is forced to visit the seven wonders of the world?

My Thoughts: I like Karl Pilkington. I've watched the tv series and I like to hear him moan and whinge about anything and everything. Some of the things he says, I would have been thinking myself but would not have had the guts to say. I like to see the grittier side of the majestic places often seen on travel programmes.

The book of An Idiot Abroad is okay. I liked it. It's quick and light and easy to read. There is absolutely no need to use your brain whatsoever and it doesn't really shed any light on anything not already included in the programmes. It's not particularly descriptive, not massively funny and definitely not enlightening. There is nothing much else to say about it!!!

There is certainly nothing special about this book, but if you like Karl (or his persona) then it's worth picking up. If you're not a fan or you don't know who he is then you should probably give it a miss.

The Psychopath Test - Jon Ronson

This is a story about madness.

Rated 9/10

This is a story about madness. It all starts when journalist Jon Ronson is contacted by a leading neurologist. She and several colleagues have recently received a cryptically puzzling book in the mail, and Jon is challenged to solve the mystery behind it. As he searches for the answer, Jon soon finds himself, unexpectedly, on an utterly compelling and often unbelievable adventure into the world of madness.

My Thoughts: Jon Ronson has quickly become one of my favourite writers. His style is witty, interesting and tongue in cheek. I love the observations that he makes and the quirks from people that he picks up on. I love that his reporting style is a little gung-ho - not a huge amount of planning seems to be in place (at least that's how it comes across). And he's not afraid to rub people up the wrong way sometimes. 

Another brilliant read that I would highly recommend. I'm looking for yet more from Ronson, and can see myself with the full set of his books on my shelves fairly soon.

That Near Death Thing - Rick Broadbent

The broken man pushes a leftover
calzone around a plate in Paparazzi
and falls off the Verandah.

Rated 10/10

The Isle of Man TT is a throwback to a maverick era that existed before PR platitudes and PC attitudes. William Hill shortlisted author Rick Broadbent gets inside the helmets of four leading motorcycle racers as they battle fear, fire and family tragedy for a gritty sort of glory.

My Thoughts: I was already a fan of Rick Broadbent when I picked up his in depth account of the TT, as I had read his work on the Moto GP a while ago and adored it.

I was not disappointed this time round either. That Near Death Thing scoops you up from your seat, carries you over to The Isle of Man, and gives you a glimpse behind the visors of some of the most fearless men (and Jenny) in the world. But these guys would never see it that way - they just love racing, finding the pencil line that marks out their limit and stepping over it. Sometimes they make mistakes. Sometimes they pay big time for these mistakes. Sometimes they get lucky and bring it home in one piece.

I could never say that I have a favourite rider as I respect every single one of them for their sheer gut and determination, and I believe Broadbent shares the same view. I love the way that he sheds light on the individual characters that he writes about - really opening my eyes to the differences between the riders, their passions, emotions, family feuds, what makes them tick. McGuinness and M.Dunlop are a mile apart when it comes to emotion and race ethic, and yet they scrape leathers on track and have the utmost respect for one another. Same goes for all of them.

I loved the way that Broadbent described the difference between road racers and circuit racers too. They are very much in different classes, but the passion for both is very much at the forefront of every single word.

I could read his observational descriptions all day - and I really hope that he is planning to write more on racing, though I get the feeling I would be happy enough to pick up any of his works, no matter the topic.

Lost At Sea - Jon Ronson

A young man called Bill
stands in the shadows behind
a curtain at a converted
paintworks factory in Bristol,
now a TV studio.

Rated 10/10

"The New York Times"-bestselling author of "The Psychopath Test," Jon Ronson writes about the dark, uncanny sides of humanity with clarity and humor. "Lost at Sea "reveals how deep our collective craziness lies, even in the most mundane circumstances. 

Reviewed on my iPhone. 

My thoughts: I had barely reached page 30 and had already been taken behind the scenes of Deal or No Deal and met the worlds most advanced humanoid robots!

This is a book of articles packed with so many interesting people, and Ronson's dry wit and sarcasm that had me thoroughly entertained. I love Ronson's writing style, and I am currently seeking out more of his books for my upcoming holiday.

There have been other less favourable reviews about Ronson not doing research and just showing up to interview people on a whim. I actually quite admire this approach - it makes each article a lot more personal and we can see his own viewpoints based on his observations. Whether we agree with them or not is a different matter; we could always do our own extensive research if the cold hard facts meant that much to us.

Readers should remember that a lot of Ronson's own feelings and emotions come through - it is of course going to be biased. I think that this gives the writing a touch of personal honesty and a bit of an insight into Ronson himself too. I find this connection important in anything I read, whether non fiction or otherwise.

This has actually inspired me to perhaps explore my own passion for writing and perhaps taking this love down a route that I haven't yet explored. Real people provide the most interesting of stories at times, and it takes the right kind of writer to get the best (or worst) out of them. 


An enjoyable and thought provoking collection!

Books V. Cigarettes - George Orwell

"A couple of years ago a friend
of mine, a newspaper editor,
was fire-watching with some
factory workers."

Rated 9/10

Beginning with a dilemma about whether he spends more money on reading or smoking, George Orwell's entertaining and uncompromising essays go on to explore everything from the perils of second-hand bookshops to the dubious profession of being a critic, from freedom of the press to what patriotism really means.

My Thoughts: I enjoy reading through other people's thoughts and feelings on subjects close to my heart, and with this book being beautiful and pocket sized, I had to pick it up.

Orwell and I have had similar experiences, it seems, in bookselling, however his experiences left him with a growing distaste for books and I still can't get enough of them. Despite all the lifting and shelving and dusting and scanning and so on, I find myself spending half of my wages on stacks and stacks that pile up quicker than I can read them.

I also enjoyed Orwell's last essay in this book - it made me reflect upon my own school days and whether I felt the same way he did. 

In all, Books v Cigarettes is a great read, a quick read; and highly quotable. I loved it.

The Black Death - John Hatcher

"The thousands of ordinary
parish priests who ministered
to their flocks in fourteenth-
century England have left
scarcely a trace of their lives in
any surviving records."

Rated 6.8/10  (a good read)

In this fresh approach to the history of the Black Death, John Hatcher, a world-renowned scholar of the Middle Ages, recreates everyday life in a mid-fourteenth century rural English village. By focusing on the experiences of ordinary villagers as they lived - and died - during the Black Death (1345 - 50 AD), Hatcher vividly places the reader directly into those tumultuous years and describes in fascinating detail the day-to-day existence of people struggling with the tragic effects of the plague. Dramatic scenes portray how contemporaries must have experienced and thought about the momentous events - and how they tried to make sense of it all.

My Thoughts: I was drawn to this book for the simple reason that I wanted  to broaden my knowledge a little. I mostly read fiction as an escape method, but this book looked like it would both let me escape and also teach me a bit along the way. It managed to succeed at both of these things. 

The Black Death did lose my interest a little in places and wasn't quite as gritty with the detail as I had expected. There was a lot of focus on religion, which I wasn't so keen on, and I would have enjoyed a peasant farmer as the main character of the book, rather than a parish priest. Obviously, religion was the main focus of society in the 1300s, and so the choice of character was fitting, but maybe a bit more narration from different people's daily lives could have been added.

There were times towards the end of the book, when Hatcher was going through lists of names and families by way of Blakey and other similar characters speaking out to a court to resolve heritage and land issues. I think that much of this could have been summarised to keep my mind from straying. There are only so many Williams and Agnes's that I can read about before I lose all care for how much land each one is inheriting, or not as the case may be.

Having said all of this, although I knew what was coming, I still found myself glued to the pages. This is a really clever way of making history a pleasure to read. I won't read it again, but I am glad that I picked it up.

Theme: 5/5
Historical metafiction (or 'historic faction' as my manager likes to call it), is definitely the best way to tumble back a couple of hundred years.

Plot: 5/5
You can't really argue with someone explaining away one of the biggest events in world history.

Characters: 1/5
I wanted the characters to be a lot more in depth. I wanted to know what they wore, what their houses were really like, and how actual day to day living changed due to the plague. And I know that a lot of forenames were repeated in the 1300s, but there were too many Williams and Agnes's and Johns to keep track of.

Setting: 3/5 
A busy little village - not much to say positively or negatively here.

Style: 3/5
Kept me reading and was very interesting, but could have been more in depth and a little less religiously focussed.

Overall: 6.8/10

Twitchhiker - Paul Smith

"It was quiet and still, the
very dead of night when the
dead themselves might consider
turning in, and I had no business
being awake."

Date Finished: 12th July 2012

There were five rules of Twitchhiker. I can only accept offers of travel and accommodation from people on Twitter. I can't make any travel plans further than three days in advance. I can only spend money on food, drink and anything that might fit in my suitcase. If there is more than one offer, I choose which I take. If there is only one, I have to take it within 48 hours. If I am unable to find a way to move on from a location within 48 hours, the challenge is over and I go home. 

My Thoughts: First impressions of this book were good - it seemed to have the dry wit and humour that the likes of 'Yes Man' entertained me with, and I was really looking forward to getting stuck in. It seems like a fascinating idea, to travel the world with nothing but the good-will of others to help you on your way.

And so you would expect really interesting cultural observations, crazy characters and heart-warming, funny tales. And you get very little of any of this. Paul Smith tells us mainly about him being drunk; waking up with hangover after hangover; complaining about being tired and far from home; crying a lot; and throwing up a lot.

I could forgive the drunkenness if there were some bizarre escapades and hilarious events that happened during these episodes. I could forgive the endless descriptions of hangovers if he didn't tell us that he sat around on his computer for the rest of the day. And of course he's tired and missing home - we don't need to be told this over and over. Too much vomit and too many tears.

The locations he visited during the course of his travelling must have been amazing, and they would have been brilliant to read about. But Paul doesn't really get chance to explore until the very end. This might not have been his fault, but as a reader I want to be captivated by the locations and entertained by amazing sights and the awesome things that happen. Even just a bit of down to Earth reflection on his deeper thoughts would have sufficed.

As for the other people in the book, Paul doesn't really do them much justice. A brief (and usually quite shallow) physical description and an outline of their personalities - and they are each just another sentence on another piece of paper. Don't get me wrong, he might be a lovely fellow when he isn't being moody and tired, but I really don't like Paul as a person in this book.

In short, although this Twitchhiking business might have been an amazing adventure for Paul and the others involved, and the journey did raise a lot of money for charity (good for him!), as an entertaining read it failed. I'm not quite sure whether the critics on the book cover were reading the same book as me to be honest.

Recommendation: I would be quite reluctant to recommend this to anyone really. Perhaps somebody who is an avid reader of travel literature might be good to give this a go. Or anybody fascinated with Twitter and its social implications. It's not a terrible read after all, just not a particularly good one. 

I RATED THIS 4/10

Click here to grab this at Waterstones.com

Ring of Fire - Rick Broadbent

"It is the unusual that makes
sport such and addictive drug"

Date Finished: 20th June 2012

Ring of Fire is an insider’s account of the acclaim, heroism and pressures of being a MotoGP racer. It is a high-octane revelation of the feuds, danger, politics and adrenaline inside MotoGP World Motorcycling Championship.

My Thoughts: I adored this book. It is really well written - Broadbent is a master of weaving the spectrum of events together with all of the drama and focus that the sport deserves. He captures every moment as if there were a camera set up right there. He gives me access to the side of the riders that I don't see on track and it makes me love them more.

Ring of Fire entertained me to no end and I'm so pleased that he has a new book out about the TT. It appeared instantly on my 'to-read' list and I'm really looking forward to it.

A magic little book that I would recommend to any casual or avid motorsport fan.

I RATED IT 10/10

Trafficked - Sophie Hayes

Date Finished: 9th March 2012

When Sophie Hayes met Bledi she knew he'd change her life – but she had no idea how much. At first, it was a typical whirlwind romance. But one day Bledi told her that love always comes at a price ...

My Thoughts: I very rarely pick up a 'Painful Lives' book, but there wasn't much choice in the train station and so I ended up running this one through the self-serve check out before jumping on the train.

I couldn't put it down.

The events that she speaks of are horrific, but Sophie glosses over the really gritty detail and as a result, it's a book that more readers can pick up and learn from. A really addictive read that is easy to blitz your way through. Sophie Hayes' story is a tragic one, but it hammers home an immensely important message, and it's one that we can all learn from.

I RATED IT 6/10