In these challenging and worrying times, we need to find enjoyment in the simple things. I'm grateful to have the woods and hills on my doorstep for my fresh air fix, but I'm also looking forward to reading more. I read a lot anyway, and constantly pick up new book bargains in the charity shops, so this is a chance to me to work my way through the book pile. For anyone who is looking for some new material to delve into, here are a few of my favourite recent reads.
Eat Pray Love - Elizabeth Gilbert
I read this a while ago, but my mind regularly wanders back to it. The author realises that her life in the city is no longer what she wants it to be, so she takes off to Italy to eat, India to pray, and finishes her adventure in Bali, where, surprise surprise, she finds love. It's spiritual, it's honest and it's entertaining.
Closer to the Ground - Dylan Tomine
When I started this book, I wasn't sure it would be for me. I was worried it would be too fishing obsessed. I absolutely loved it. Published by Patagonia books, it's a man's account though the seasons of how he and his young family try to live closer to nature in their home in the Pacific Northwest. They live a pretty normal life, but their time is spent outside fishing, cultivating crops and finding the next supply of firewood. It's really inspiring.
Human Croquet - Kate Atkinson
My Mum and I are big Kate Atkinson fans. I think she's one of the best novelists out there, partly because she creates wonderful stories but she also writes brilliantly and there are always some laugh-out-loud moments. This is an early one of hers, about Isobel and her crazy family in a land once dominated by trees, and the mystery of her mother who went missing when she was only little.
The Outpost - Dan Richards
I'd been hunting for this one for a while and finally picked it up in Tebay last month. Dan goes in search for the world's wild outposts, venturing to Norway, North America and Scotland amongst other places. Some chapters were more captivating than others (Scottish Bothies and caves in the Lofoten Islands being my highlights), and he's not quite up to the standard of Robert McFarlane, but it's an enjoyable and fairly easy-going read.
Swell - Captain Liz Clark
Another one I've had a while, but it's a fantastic publication from Patagonia Books and such a beautiful book that I won't let it go. Liz Clark is a Californian surfer and sailor who took off on her boat, Swell, which she largely sailed solo across the Pacific. It's an honest piece of writing, detailing the beauty of sailing the high seas and searching for perfect waves to surf, but also the many challenges she faced, from boat maintenance to assault and much more.
With our internet facing increased use from people staying at home, give the broadband a break, curl up with a cup of tea and immerse yourself in stories from a world before Covid-19.
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