Book Recommendations: Letters of Note

I've been extolling the joys of a book called Letters of Note recently, a two volume compilation of letters that makes for perfect reading if you're looking for a bit of refuge in these strange times we currently find ourselves living through. It's all been a bit confusing, dispiriting and unsettling, don't you think? But this book might help if you're looking for something to let a bit of light in. 

Both a lesson in history and a reminder that humans are capable of the most extraordinary acts of compassion, it's a really fascinating collection of letters written by people from all walks of life, from powerful heads of state to ordinary individuals. With motivations ranging from the globally important (you'll find a plea from Gandhi to Hitler to abandon his march on Eastern Europe "for the sake of humanity") to the more individualistic (there's a brilliant letter by a copywriter pitching for a job as a Hollywood screenwriter) the collection shows how powerful the written word can be. 

With the world currently in tumult, I found it reassuring to read letters written at times when humanity was going through similar upheavals and uncertainties. There are also examples of the incredible kindness of strangers in the book; a particularly poignant letter to the Ciulla family - whose son Frank was killed in the Lockerbie air crash - displays how the written word can extend a hand of friendship and connection that crosses physical boundaries and geographical borders, giving comfort and hope in times of personal tragedy. 

Amongst the poignant notes, you'll find truly uplifting pieces of correspondence - a lovely letter from Roald Dahl to a young reader, a tongue-in-cheek "personal letter" from actor Steve Martin and a hilarious response to a disgruntled reader from Spike Milligan. 

The letters in this first book are a wonderful, diverse and fascinating examination of what it means to be human. A love letter to letters, it's a useful reminder that the world is always in flux, that life is messy and things can seem pretty bleak at times - the writers of many of these letters were looking for answers to life's big questions or simply a ray of hope during difficult times. 

As a new, uncertain year dawns, I found this letter from writer EB White (author of Charlotte's Web) particularly pertinent - it was a response to a Mr Nadeau who sought his opinion on what he saw as a bleak future for the human race:

Dear Mr. Nadeau

As long as there is one upright man, as long as there is one compassionate woman, the contagion may spread and the scene is not desolate. Hope is the thing that is left to us, in a bad time. I shall get up Sunday morning and wind the clock, as a contribution to order and steadfastness.

Sailors have an expression about the weather: they say, the weather is a great bluffer. I guess the same is true of our human society — things can look dark, then a break shows in the clouds, and all is changed, sometimes rather suddenly. It is quite obvious that the human race has made a queer mess of life on this planet. But as a people we probably harbor seeds of goodness that have lain for a long time waiting to sprout when the conditions are right. Man’s curiosity, his relentlessness, his inventiveness, his ingenuity have led him into deep trouble. We can only hope that these same traits will enable him to claw his way out.

Hang on to your hat. Hang on to your hope. And wind the clock, for tomorrow is another day.

Sincerely,

E. B. White

Find out more about Letters of Note and buy your copy here.

E.B. White letter and page inserts reproduced with thanks to Letters of Note

A Weekend in Hay-on-Wye

There's a long list of places on my travel bucket list, mainly overseas and - unfortunately - not places I see myself getting to anytime soon. So I've decided to make 2016 the year I explore my UK bucket list - a cheaper and more convenient way to sate my wanderlust, plus there are a lot of places in our green and pleasant land I'd really like to acquaint myself with...Salcome, Whitstable, the trough of Bowland, to name just a few.

Hay-on-Wye was on my list too, until I had the pleasure of crossing it off on a recent trip over half term. If you have a passing interest in books, like exploring beautiful countryside and can think of worse ways to spend an evening than cosying up in a traditional pub, you'll probably love Hay as much as I did.

First, the bookshops. The place is heaving with them, but they're not like your local Waterstones. The bookshops in Hay are all independent, quirky places, filled with antiquarian delights for serious collectors as well as contemporary, first-hand books. These are places to browse for hours and pick up hidden gems, rare editions or specialist books covering every subject under the sun. If you've ever been to the delightful Daunt Books in London, that gives some flavour of what Hay's all about.

Don't miss a browse around Richard Booth's bookshop, one of the larger shops in the town, characterised by a gorgeous tile-clad facade. Inside the atmosphere is tranquil and genteel, with three floors of book-filled rooms, including a Folio Society reading area. Downstairs there's a lovely cafe - we popped in for coffee and cake but watched enviously as other diners enjoyed what looked like delicious brunch options.

Aside from bookshops, Hay's small but bustling centre is a great mix of cute cafes, gastro pubs and leftfield independents. I can't remember seeing one chain, aside from the odd building society or bank and one Spar. There is a good size Co-Op just off the main high street which is useful if you're self catering. 

If you're an urbane sort who likes to know where you're next macchiato is coming from, you'll love The Old Electric Shop, a cavernous shop and cafe filled with retro furniture, vintage clothing and the sort of curios that you'd probably pay a lot more for in Shoreditch. 

Another shop that caught my eye was was The End, a tiny, two-floor treasure trove filled with all sorts of interesting pieces for your home - I wasn't really after a massive cat head, but I was sorely temped to buy said item when I stumbled upon it, in amongst some lovely textiles, antique mirrors and edgy taxidermy.

The beauty of Hay doesn't lie solely in retail opportunities, though. It enjoys a wonderful location nestled on the Welsh borders, close to the river Wye, Offa's Dyke, the Brecon Beacons and the Black Mountains. We were lucky to have dry weather during our stay, but it was a bit too cold and grey for any major exploration. A wander along the Wye is a lovely way to stretch the legs, and on warmer days I'd imagine this makes a great spot for a picnic.

If you're into hill walking, don't miss a trip to the nearby Hay Bluff, a peaceful spot with impressive views across the surrounding hills. It was covered in snow when we visited so we were unable to climb to its summit, but it's a wonderful place to fill your lungs with air and enjoy some unbroken tranquility. 

Post-hike, you'll want warming up at a cosy pub - we found Hay's Blue Boar the best place for this, though there are plenty of other pubs to choose from in the vicinity. For food, we enjoyed fish and chips from Terris on the High Street as well as a delicious meal at the top-rated tapas restaurant Tomatitos. The atmosphere here is informal and friendly, and the food really authentic and good value. 

Our base for the weekend was a fantastic Airbnb find - 'Haybreaks' - which was perfect for our requirements - central location, budget-friendly and equipped with everything you might need on a short break. With two double bedrooms and two bathrooms, it's a perfect base for families and is situated on the main high street so everything is within easy distance. Our hosts were lovely, leaving us chocolate and prosecco to enjoy, and the apartment was absolutely spotless and filled with lovely furnishings, toiletries and essentials. I can't recommend this place highly enough.

Next up, Edinburgh and my very first trip to Scotland...

For more information on Hay-on-Wye, visit the tourist board website here.

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Four Perfect Winter Reads

My dial's firmly set to hibernation mode at the moment and I possibly won't be leaving the house of an evening this side of Christmas. Snuggling up on the sofa with a book is my current activity of choice, but I've been labouring away at a bit of a 'difficult' book for the past couple of weeks, a timely reminder that it doesn't make sense to keep going with a book that is a penance rather than a pleasure -  it anyone can suggest an alternative I can squeeze in before Christmas, I'd appreciate it. If you're stuck in a similarly frustrating book rut, perhaps you might like to consider the following four books I reckon are perfect for getting lost in on a cold winter's day...

Dark Matter by Michelle Paver

Subtitled 'A Ghost Story' this chilling tale transports readers to the remote wilds of the Arctic, where Jack and his fellow explorers set up base on a remote ice-cap to further their scientific pursuits. But from the very outset the group's expedition seems jinxed and Jack cannot shake off the sense that some ominous presence isn't pleased by their arrival. As the Arctic winter sets in and the group's isolation becomes ever more apparent, Jack's unease grows, but he persists in staying alone in the remote cabin when injury forces his travel companions to leave. The book conveys a hugely strong sense of place, from the infinite, unknown landscapes of the Arctic ice cap to the limited, claustrophobic confines of the cabin, a place where Jack must confront fears both imaginary and real. A gripping chiller of a book that you'll struggle not to devour in one sitting.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

The book describes the central characters of this mystery as 'untamed twins', which was enough to reel me in. Thankfully, the blurb didn't disappoint in this case; The Thirteenth Tale is a book in the classic Gothic mould, partly set in the faded environs of the once grand Angelfield House, a place rampant with secrets, where parental neglect has left two mysterious sisters, Emmeline and Adeline to grow feral. Switching between the past and present day, the twins' story is told through the eyes of enigmatic author Vida Winter, who - close to death - slowly reveals the dark secrets of Angelfield, and the dysfunctional March family, so that her 'Thirteenth Tale' can finally emerge. 

The Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

The misty ambiance of 16th-century Holland is the setting for this slim novel, a vivid imagining of the story behind Vermeer's enigmatic painting. The novel has the spare writing style that I like and realistic characterisation, bringing to life a cast that includes the shy, dutiful Griet, the unreadable, sometimes tempestuous painter, his distant, cold wife and the all-seeing, steely-eyed matriarch of the house, Vermeer's mother-in-law. As Vermeer's fascination with Griet becomes evident to the other members of the household, tensions rise and small but not insignificant power battles ensue. While the housemaids gossip and the mother-in-law curries favour with Vermeer's wealthy patron, the impenetrable artist gives his muse his wife's pearl earrings and sets to work on his masterpiece...

The Small Hand by Susan Hill

Susan Hill really knows how to give her readers a short, sharp burst of the shivers. If you've read or seen the film adaptation of The Woman In Black, you'll know her brand of horror is of the traditional sort, played out against a backdrop rich with Gothic motifs - remote landscapes, crumbling old houses and mysterious characters patently carrying some dreadful burden of past tragedies. When antiquarian bookseller Adam Snow takes a wrong turning on a routine visit to a client and stumbles upon an abandoned house, he feels compelled to explore. And then he feels a little hand take his but when he looks down, there's no child there. Adam's subsequent 'haunting' and attempt to unravel the story behind the 'White House' leads the reader on spine-tingling journey as he grapples with a presence that slowly becomes more and more sinister.

If you're heading off for some winter sun, you might like to take a look at my summer reading suggestions, perfect for sunny climes. On that note, I recently discovered TripFiction, a clever website that lets you search books set in different locations, so if you're going on holiday in, say, Italy, you can find a definitive list of books with an Italian setting, from literary classics to contemporary crime. Take a look here. 

Weekly Round-up

It’s been a mad-crazy couple of weeks and we have been away on our latest family adventure (look out for a blog post on our trip to Italy, coming very soon) so blogging has taken a bit of a back seat recently. And I haven't had much of interest to blog about. So, this week's post is a quick round-up of some of the small rays of sunshine in a period that's been a bit hectic, a bit stressful and not hugely interesting (bar our lovely break to Florence, of course. Talking of which...)

1.Half term in Florence

I lived in this lovely city for a year as a student and had been hankering to make a visit back to my old stomping ground for ages. The only question was, would Florence make for a successful family break or would all that art, history and culture make my kids’ heads explode? We decided to risk it, and thanks to relatively cheap EasyJet flights and very family and budget-friendly accommodation, it was a risk that didn’t prove too costly. And the kids’ heads didn’t, thankfully, explode. I think they enjoyed it, though I have a suspicion they liked buying rip-off Italian football shirts from the market more than staring at Giotto frescoes at Santa Croce church….

A full blog post on our trip is coming soon…

2. Cheap 'n' cheerful jewellery

I picked up this little beauty on a recent trip to London, at the Forever 21 store on Oxford Street. If you’ve never ventured into a Forever 21 store before, it’s a pretty manic experience, clearly pitched at the teen age group – I am not their target audience at all. That said, if you’re after cheap, fast fashion and have the time to trawl the rails, I noticed some nice little pieces and the prices are exceptionally wallet-friendly. But as I’m trying to buy less stuff and choose quality over quantity, and resist the false economy (and dubious ethics) of fast fashion, I ignored the racks of hippy-style dresses that looked quite nice and concentrated on the accessories, stumbling on this gem of a necklace that has a hint of the Anthropologie about it – but without the expensive price tag. This beauty cost me £7. Yes, just a little more than a magazine and a bar of choccy.

3. Reading 'Quiet' by Susan Cain

I rarely read non-fiction and have never in my life felt drawn to self-help books, and while this wonderful, fascinating book isn't strictly a self-help book, it does help you understand yourself better if you consider yourself an introvert and reveals the natural reflexes and responses that make some people quiet and anxious, and others confident and gregarious. It's a reminder to yourself that if you like your own company, work best on your own in quiet, familiar surroundings, or shy away from public speaking and 'putting yourself out there' in the workplace there actually isn't anything wrong with you and that your contribution is just as valid as anyone else's. In fact the book is subtitled 'The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking'. If, like me you are a 'quiet' person and fancy understanding yourself a little bit better, READ this book - find out more here.

4. Eating cheese  

My kids don’t ‘do’ shopping. So I knew there’d be no browsing the boutiques of Florence’s enchanting side streets, spending hours picking through vintage knick knacks in the flea markets or searching for the perfect leather sandals (for which Florence is famous)in San Lorenzo, the city’s bustling shopping area. However no trip to Florence is complete without a visit to the Mercato Centrale (an amazing food market) and I knew my kids would be okay with this, given that they love looking at weird cuts of meat and barely dead fish…and this place is full of that sort of stuff. It was while browsing the amazing food stalls at the market that we came across a cheese that sounded just a bit special – pecorino infused with truffle oil.

All I can say is the block we bought was nowhere near big enough. Sublime doesn’t go anywhere near describing just how good this stuff is. You can buy something a little similar here albeit it at quite a price!

5. Shoes, shoes and more shoes

Alongside the cheese I somehow managed to buy TWO pairs of sandals in Italy. Just need to fix the weather so I can actually wear them, now. Florence is renowned for its leather goods so if you’re in the market for a well-made pair of shoes or a new bag, it’s a good place to be. I was most definitely in the market for some new sandals as the Topshop numbers I’d packed decided to break on me midway through the holiday. So I simply HAD to buy some new ones. I opted for some simple, traditional-style leather sandals which I picked up in a teeny shoe store near San Lorenzo, selling proper ‘Made in Italy’ products. They are unbelievably comfortable and made from high quality leather. And at just £34, an absolute steal. And how cute are the raffia slides? A rash purchase from Pisa Airport and a great way to use up the last of our euros (29 of them, to be exact – bargain)

Oh, and then I remembered we have a friend's 40th birthday party coming up, requiring another shoe purchase, hence the lovely heels that found their way into my basket on a recent trip to M&S. I really rate M&S for shoes - their range is often quite 'fashion forward', they are much better made than other high street alternatives, and they come in half sizes and wider widths, perfect for my rather awkwardly-sized hoofs. Go take a look at what's in store now - I saw some really nice, sensibly priced shoes on my last trip. 

Easy, Low Cost World Book Day Outfits

As usual, we forgot about World Book Day. Held each year in March, if your child is at school, chances are they'll be expected to participate in this event. Unfortunately, this will require a costume of some sort. I'm not against the idea at all, but with everything else going on within the spheres of school, work and home life, it can be an additional stress to add to the ever-growing list of things to tick off the to do list. For some parents dressing up can mean an costly excursion to the local costume hire shop - we've seen some pretty impressive outfits rock up school over the years for the various other dressing-up occasions (ancient Egypt day, Roman day, Victorian day...you get the picture) that crop up with amazing frequency during the school year, but to me that kind of defeats the object. Not only does this set you back a few quid each time, but surely the idea is for the child to participate in some way, perhaps by making a head-dress or customising an old t-shirt? Isn't that part of the fun and learning experience? 

On the other end of the scale are those parents who manage to create the most fabulous home-crafted costumes - the kind of costumes that look as if they involved several trips to Hobbycraft and a weekend labouring over a sewing machine. I take my hat off to them for their dedication to the cause, but my excuse is I don't have a sewing machine...

So, with precisely two hours at our disposal to get something sorted for World Book Day, here's what we did this year:

Tin Tin

Our five-year-old is a big fan of this classic book character. Luckily his look is a really easy one to replicate and cost me precisely £2.50 to put together. If you have a son in Beavers, the Beaver jumper is the exact shade of blue of Tin Tin's jumper. If it's covered in badges, simply turn it inside out and pop one your child's white school polo necks underneath, with the collar showing. We used some tan coloured trousers we already had, turned up to expose a pair of white knee-length socks. School shoes will be fine to finish things off. Toy Snowy (which we already had) optional - we bought ours in John Lewis a couple of years back. You may also need to buy some hair gel to create Tin Tin's trademark quiff. 

Roderick from Diary of a Wimpy Kid

This is a good one for older children who are perhaps a little less willing to dress up because it's 'not cool'. Our son is in year 5 and becoming increasingly image conscious so choosing a cool character to emulate is becoming more of a requirement. I can't take full credit for this one, but a friend suggested choosing a character from Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Our kids love this fantastic series of books and we took our inspiration from the film, choosing Greg Heffley's older brother Roderick as our model. With his 'Emo'-style clothes and involvement in a rock band (the brilliantly named 'Loded Diper' (sic)) he ticks the boxes for irreverence and ease. 

We bought a pack of white t-shirts and some black permanent marker from Asda - total cost about £4. I then customised the t-shirt with the Loaded Diper logo, creating a t-shirt not dissimilar to the one worn by Roderick in the Wimpy Kid films. Worn with jeans and some skater-style high-tops (both of which we had already) we were almost there, save for a quick application of hair gel and some black eye liner (a Roderick trademark) from my make-up bag. 

Other ideas

Last year our youngest went to school as the Very Hungry Catperillar for World Book Day. This was pretty easy and cost-effective too, as we put him in a pair of green trousers and long-sleeved green t-shirt, and added a green puffa gilet to give his top half a suitably caterpillar-y look. All of these items were foraged from our son's wardrobe. He wouldn't let us daub his face in green face paint which would have added to the effect, but he was happy to wear some antennae which we made from cardboard and covered in green paint. We also cut out some big cardboard lollipops like the candy featured in the book.

Where's Wally is another super-easy idea which will set you back just a few quid. We bought a red stripy long-sleeved t-shirt in Primark, worn with blue jeans. We picked up some round pretend glasses in the local joke shop for a couple of pounds (which can be used another time for a Harry Potter costume) and picked up an old walking stick that had been gathering dust in my mum's garage. You might also be able to find a white or red bobble hat to finish the look off.

Simple Pleasures - Recommended Books for Boys

Mums of boys will know how difficult it can be to engage them in reading. A total bookworm myself I've been surprised by how late my eldest has come to reading. He's 9 now and having discovered the worlds of Alex Rider and Harry Potter has finally started to read for pleasure -  and it's a joy to behold. We all know how important it is to get kids into books from an educational point of view, but in today's frenetic, technology-fuelled world reading fulfils another vitally important function in the lives of our over-supervised, over-timetabled children. The simple joy of escaping into another world offers them a rare opportunity for quiet, solitary down-time, when they can let their imaginations go on a journey and escape from the pressures of school and home life. 

When we were struggling to get our eldest interested in reading we adopted a policy of letting him read whatever took his fancy (within reason of course!)Our experience was that both our boys very much veered towards non-fiction and that comic-book format was often a more attractive proposition than text-heavy books.

Below are some of my recommendations for books for boys - titles that have really fired the imaginations of our two, 'investment' books that have been passed from our eldest to our youngest, to be returned to again and again. They're suitable for both early readers or to share together.

• An atlas - our two love looking at maps. A good children's atlas seems to really engage them, but you've got to choose something with lots of illustrations and short, snappy text. We gave our eldest the DK Pop-up, Pull-Out Picture Atlas as a starting school present. When he wanted something a little more comprehensive, we moved onto the Kingfisher World Atlas. We also discovered the Lonely Planet series for kids ahead of a trip to Paris. Expressly designed 'not for parents' these irreverent guides are a great way to prepare for a trip abroad and are packed with little-known facts and fascinating stories.

• Tin Tin- yes, some of the language is a little outdated and some kids might not get on with the format, but if you fancy trying something a bit different, give these colourful, adventure-filled books a go. Staying with cartoon format the Wimpy Kid series has been another winner in our house.
• Traction Man series - a hugely imaginative, humorous take on the action-hero genre. Short snippets of text are ideal for young readers, plus the detailed illustrations are packed with weird and wonderful characters.
• A book of poems, particularly anything by Michael Rosen. Mr Rosen gets what makes boys giggle, and his poems are just the right length and a teensy bit rude - my son loves the poem entitled 'Properties of Matter' in his book Michael Rosen's Big Book of Bad Things, which talks about freezing farts...it'll make you laugh too.
• M. Sasek's 'This Is...' series, a wonderfully nostalgic journey around the world's most exciting cities, covering London, New York, Paris and Rome. This series was first published back in the late '50s so some of the text is a little quaint, and some factual info is no longer accurate (this is made clear in the books' appendices) but the vibrant, vintage-style illustrations are just lovely and the text has a lyrical, old-fashioned charm.
• In the same vein, another great book for non-fiction lovers is Piero Ventura's Book of Cities. Again, it has a retro vibe and pictures packed with minute detail. It looks at the workings of the city - its buildings, transport, houses and green spaces - a subject that has enduring fascination for our two boys.
• Anything by Shirley Hughes. From the wonderful Alfie series to her recent novel for older children, 'Hero on a Bicycle', set in Italy during WW2, Shirley Hughes' stories capture the essence of childhood. A couple of her lesser-known books that our boys loved include the Trotter Street series and the magical, melancholy story 'Enchantment in the Garden'.

As they get older...

Harry Potter is a given, but as I mentioned previously the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz has been a massive hit in our house. Some of the themes in these novels can be a little adult so I wouldn't recommend them for readers younger than 9/10 years of age. 

We have also had fun dipping into the classics I myself enjoyed as child - books such as Emil and the Detectives, The Silver Sword and Stig of the Dump, for example. You might think these fabulously old-fashioned books might not be appreciated by today's sophisticated children, brought up as they are on a diet of technology and on-demand entertainment, but my son has been surprisingly responsive to their quaint and gentle charm. 

Finding unusual books

The Tate gallery is a treasure trove of unusual reading material. Next time you're in London it's well worth a visit for its fantastic choice of slightly leftfield, artsy books that offer something that bit different from more mainstream book chains. You can buy online, too.

Nearer to home pop your head into the Arnolfini Gallery next time you're down by the Docks. It offers a compact, well-edited selection of children's books and we always find something unexpected on its shelves. We picked up a fantastic architecture for kids book here, which captivated our son with its detailed illustrations and child-friendly explanations of the world's famous landmarks and super structures.


Happy reading!