Drifting away - 10 books for summer days

Pile of books with blog title overlaid

Blogging with integrity: Just a quick note before we start. I received a free advanced reader copy of Ellen Jacobson's poisoned by the pier in return for a review (although the thoughts on it are my own opinion) and have flash fiction pieces in both Voyaging pets and Sensorially challenged. 


Are you sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin. Devon is a place full of  legends and extraordinary tales of adventure but this summer Plymouth is full of pachyderms to mark the anniversary of a different sort of story. The much loved Elmer books for children were written in the city by David McKee 50 years ago, as well as great stories they have important messages about tolerance, diversity and friendship. We loved them when the boys were little and had several of them that we would cuddle up and read together, especially enjoying making all the loud sound effects whenever Elmer surprised his friends.

Lots of multicoloured elephant statues

Sharing a tale through poetry, song or story is how we connect to others. For generations it is the way that people have passed on knowledge, shared tales of adventures and made sense of the world around us. Several of the elephants draw on the importance of story telling including the celestial stories (bottom left in the collage) and one covered in cave painting art.

Details from cave painting elephant

This summer as well as adding new chapters to our own family story, I am looking forward to spending some time curled up in a sunny spot with some interesting books. This is a pick of ten books that I have either read recently, am part way through or am looking forward to reading in the coming weeks:

1.     Nurses of Passchendale Passchendaele by Christine Hallett is a humbling, fascinating book that was a birthday present from my boys. It weaves the stories of many people into a coherent look at the ladies who volunteered to nurse in these atrocious and dangerous conditions. Looking at the personalities and their work it brings to life those who were willing to sacrifice everything to help strangers and their country in a bitter war many miles from home.


2.      Judy Astley is an old favourite of mine so when I saw Seven for a secret on the book swap shelf the other day I couldn't resist bringing it home with me to read again. Set around a very English village with all the undertones and complexity of human lives running through the story, these books are all about the characters and their everyday lives.

Image of book swap bookshelf

3.      Nelson Mandela's Long walk to freedom is not a light book but is certainly interesting. It flows well, draws beautiful images of his homeland and is a pleasure to read. I'm not very far in at the moment but as with all good biographies it opens a door into someone else's lived experience and shows a different way of looking at life.


4&5. Ellen Jacobson's cosy crime series are fun and draw wonderfully on a liveaboard lifestyle to guide the main characters through the story. They are a lovely, light-hearted series full of interesting characters and humour. Bodies in the boatyard is the second in the series and sees Mollie and Scooter on the hard and finding more murder victims whilst Poisoned by the pier sees intrigue and mystery at the cake show. Cats, chocolate and a mystery, what more could you want. They are part of a series but can also be read alone. A great read to curl up with and enjoy.

Poisoned by the pier front cover: title of book and sail boat

6.      Mad girl. A happy girl with a mixed up mind by Bryony Gordon is a look at how mental illness has affected her life. Honest and open it is a book from a very successful woman and adds to the conversation that needs to be held about mental health, dragging it out from the shadows and allowing people to be as open about their mental health as they are about physical illness.


7.      To show and to tell: The craft of literary non fiction. I'm looking forward to this one. The reviews I have read are good and I've been after it for a while. I've flicked through it and it looks like an interesting read with lots of practical advice, one to pack in the suitcase for some slow reading.


8.  I've been a fan of independent anthologies for a while now. They give you a chance to explore new and different writers and often raise money for charity.  Voyaging pets was released by Sistership publishing a few months ago. We were chuffed to bits that our old sea dog Susie was included. It's full of stories entered into a competition and includes dogs, cats and other more obscure creatures that inhabit sailing boats all over the globe. A delight for animal lovers and sailors alike.

Crop image of Voyaging pets: page of writing, page of dog pictures

9.  Sensorially challenged volume 2 is another anthology and is one of the latest books of the rule breaking flash fiction challenges by Christopher Fielden. Officially launched at Talking Tales in Bristol this month it is raising money for the National literacy trust. Some of the stories give you a glimpse into a wonderful quirk of imagination, lateral thinking or even a different life and are a little bit of fun writing anarchy.

Front covers Sensorially challenged red&orange, Voyaging pets blue

10.       The red and green life machine by the much admired Rick Jolly is the story of the medics of a field hospital during the Falklands war. This was a time when horrifying injuries and burns were treated and dealt with, human life was held by the fingertips and massive steps forward were made in field medicine. The importance of this work is still felt in emergency departments now. Rick Jolly himself was a complete legend to all who met him, worked alongside him or played rugby with him and his name will live on in stories for many years.



I hope that one or two of those books will appeal to you, let me know about any books that you think should be on my list to read in the future.

The end 

Midnight blue elephant statue; 'looking at the moon'