chesilbeach

Roasted tomato and garlic pasta bake.

A mixed bag of sunshine and showers today.

I've had a smashing week off, it's just gone way too quickly! I've been to the cinema three times and I've had loads of time to read books, so I've finished my Wainwright Prize challenge. However, I didn't get chance to do any crafty stuff, so next time I'm off, that might be my top priority. I had to go back into work this morning but managed to get everything I need to do finished by lunchtime, so now it's just back to normal hours tomorrow. Hope everyone else has had a good weekend.

Fingers in the Sparkle Jar by Chris Packham Synopsis: An introverted, unusual young boy, isolated by his obsessions and a loner at school, Chris Packham only felt at ease in the fields and woods around his suburban home. But when he stole a young Kestrel from its nest, he was about to embark on a friendship that would teach him what it meant to love, and that would change him forever. In his rich, lyrical and emotionally exposing memoir, Chris brings to life his childhood in the 70s, from his bedroom bursting with fox skulls, birds' eggs and sweaty jam jars, to his feral adventures. But pervading his story is the search for freedom, meaning and acceptance in a world that didn’t understand him.Beautifully wrought, this coming-of-age memoir will be unlike any you've ever read. Review: I was not expecting the style of writing in this book. Packham recalls his childhood as a series of essays, written mostly in the third person, and often putting himself in the mind of others he came in to contact with. There's no chronological order either, but we skip about between various incidents that are recalled, but each have some link to the creatures (be they live and in the natural world or dinosaurs that were also an obsession) that had an impact on this introverted young boy. There are heartbreaking stories to read, but there are also uplifted stories to, but at the end of each chapter there is also a conversation with the grown up Packham trying to explain and understand how his childhood affected the man he grew up to be. The writing is great, and the style makes it feel almost like a novel at times, but because of the constantly shifting timeframe, I did find it a bit difficult to follow and each time had to try and figure out how old he was during each section. What is never difficult to follow is the impact of nature on his childhood, and some of the descriptions of his interactions with the natural world are wonderful, although sometimes surprising compared to our modern day sensibilities around subjects such as egg collecting. What you won't find, however, are any stories after school age, so there's nothing about his journey from the young boy obsessed with animals to becoming a specialist nature broadcaster. This is purely about the childhood that was lonely and isolated from friendship with other children, but rich with a concentrated fascination with the natural world, and an insight into how this affected him. My rating: 8/10

Current reading status Kindle: The Go-Between by L. P. Hartley (16%) Kindle: Reader, I Married Him by Tracy Chevalier (19%) Paperback: The Persephone Book of Short Stories (page 175/477) Paperback: Mystery and Mayhem by Various (page 50/300) Hardback: Storm in a Teacup by Helen Czerski (page 154/291) Hardback: The Wild Other by Clover Stroud (finished) Audiobook: Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller (finished) I finished off the last of the Wainwright books, TWO last night, and it's been another great list of books I've read off it. Only a couple I really didn't enjoy much, and only one book that I thought should have made the short list but didn't. Can't wait to find out what wins on Thursday. I've also finished listening to SL which was an impulse read on the daily deal a few weeks ago, and probably not something I'd have chosen if I've had more time to consider it, but I actually really enjoyed it.

I finished reading The Wild Other yesterday night, so that's all the books on the Wainwright Prize long list finished, and with four days to spare! Also finished listening to Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller this afternoon. Next up, I'm going to read Simply the Quest by Maz Evans.

And at 26% in, I can confirm it only gets better!!! Glad to hear you're enjoying it

My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell is in the Kindle Daily Deal for 99p today. I know a few people here have already read it, but if you've been tempted by the discussion, it seems like a bargain to me!

Went to the cinema this afternoon to watch Millions Like Us which was a black and white comedy drama propaganda film from 1943. I really enjoyed watching it, and it was introduced by author Lissa Evans and producer Stephen Woolley - Lissa wrote the book that the recent film Their Finest was based on, and Stephen produced the film, and then after the screening, they came back and did a Q&A session about the impact of the propaganda films on the British film industry after the war. Really interesting.

Finished Fingers in the Sparkle Jar yesterday evening, and have read Dancing in the Wind by M. C. Beaton today, and have started The Wild Other by Clover Stroud this evening. Also bought My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell today as it was on the Kindle Daily Deal for 99p and I've wanted to read it for a while.

Current reading status Kindle: The Go-Between by L. P. Hartley (16%) Kindle: Reader, I Married Him by Tracy Chevalier (19%) Kindle: Dancing in the Wind by M. C. Beaton (finished) Paperback: The Persephone Book of Short Stories (page 175/477) Paperback: Mystery and Mayhem by Various (page 50/300) Paperback: The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan (page 35/293) Paperback: Fingers in the Sparkle Jar by Chris Packham (finished) Hardback: Storm in a Teacup by Helen Czerski (page 154/291) Hardback: The Wild Other by Clover Stroud (page 25/273) Audiobook: Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller (7 hours 12 minutes remaining) I finished FitSJ yesterday, and needed a quick easy read on my Kindle today, so I've read DitW and just finished that too. On to my last Wainwright Prize book for this year now, The Wild Other. I decided to buy the hardback in the end, because the library couldn't guarantee it would arrive in time and the Kindle edition was actually more expensive than I thought at £13.41, so I figured I might as well get the book itself. I've read the first chapter and I like her writing, so at least it doesn't look like it'll be one of the others I bought on the list, that I had to buy in hardback and then didn't really enjoy.

I quite enjoyed this one, but I don't have much to say. I liked the writing style, and I thought it had the period just right. I loved the whole world of the theatre she created, and the characters who formed part of the story, and it was nice to have a book set in Liverpool for a change, as I don't think I can remember reading a book set there before. It didn't blow me away, and it's far from my favourite of the challenge, but I enjoyed it much more than I'd been anticipating. I liked the whole matter of fact way she wrote about their lives, and the sense of melancholy that hangs over the whole story. I know I saw the film adaptation (with Alan Rickman and Hugh Grant) at the cinema when it came out in the 1990s, but I couldn't remember a single thing about it, so the story came as a surprise and I might go back and watch it again at some point.

I decided to read this book for Devon, as I'd already read the main choice of the Agatha Christie book. I'd quite enjoyed the Greater London choice of the short stories of Sherlock Holmes, but had felt that I'd wanted a more in depth, explanatory story, so was looking forward to this one to be able to compare. I've got the entire Sherlock Holmes collection on audiobook read by Stephen Fry, so I decided to listen to it. I have to be honest and say that I can actually remember very little of the actual story, despite only having listened a couple of months ago! Fry is normally a very engaging narrator, but i must say, I got a little bit bored while listening to this story. I'm not sure if it was the story itself or just the narration, but I do remember feeling a large wave of relief when I got to the end. I can't really say much more than that, other than it just wasn't my thing, in the end. Maybe I'd be better to read it myself, and I may well give that a go at some point in the future.

It's raining. It's ranged from fine drizzle to great big heavy drops, but there's water precipitating out of that there sky.

Current reading status Kindle: The Go-Between by L. P. Hartley (16%) Kindle: Reader, I Married Him by Tracy Chevalier (19%) Paperback: The Persephone Book of Short Stories (page 175/477) Paperback: Mystery and Mayhem by Various (page 50/300) Paperback: The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan (page 35/293) Paperback: Moonlocket by Peter Bunzl (finished) Paperback: Fingers in the Sparkle Jar by Chris Packham (starting) Hardback: Storm in a Teacup by Helen Czerski (page 154/291) Audiobook: Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller (7 hours 12 minutes remaining) Ending up reading late last night as I wanted to finish Moonlocket as it was such a good follow up to Cogheart. This morning I'm starting FitSJ, book eleven on the Wainwright Prize book list. Not the biggest fan of Chris Packham as a presenter, but hoping his writing will be as full of enthusiasm as he seems to be, and looking forward to his story of his relationship with nature.

Love of Country by Madeleine Bunting Synopsis: Few landscapes are as iconic as the islands off the north-western Scottish coast. On the outer edge of the British Isles and facing the Atlantic Ocean, the Hebrides form part of Europe's boundary. Because of their unique position in the Atlantic archipelago, they have been at the centre of a network of ancient shipping routes which has led to a remarkable history of cultures colliding and merging. Home to a long and rich Gaelic tradition, for centuries their astonishing geography has attracted saints and sinners, and stimulated artists and writers, inspiring awe and dread as well as deep attachment.Over six years, Madeleine Bunting travelled north-west, returning again and again to the Hebrides, exploring their landscapes, histories and magnetic pull. With great sensitivity and perceptiveness, she delves into the meanings of home and belonging, which in these islands have been fraught with tragedy as well as tenacious resistance.The Hebrides hold a remarkable place in the imaginations of Scotland and England. Bunting considers the extent of the islands' influence beyond their shores, finding that their history of dispossession and migration has been central to the British imperial past. Perhaps more significant still is how their landscapes have been repeatedly used to imagine the British nation. Love of Country shows how their history is a backdrop for contemporary debates about the relationship between our nations, how Britain was created, and what Britain has meant - for good and for ill. Review: This is probably the book most focused on the travel writing aspect of the prize, and with an eye on landscape more than the natural world. The stories of the Hebrides and their history through the ages from both the point of view of the people who live there, those who bought and sold them, and the connection to the British Isles and its history, were an engrossing read for me. There's a compelling argument that for those hardy souls who live in these pretty isolated communities that there is a strong link with their own land, and that brings a sense of belonging. It certainly made me think about whether I have that same connection with my home, and whether with my tenuous link to any land, as such, gives me the same sense of home and belonging. A mix of tales of wealth, poverty, art, literature and community, bring to life the history of these small islands and I found it hard to put down, in fact, I read it in a single day. I can imagine this being a strong contender for the prize and am not surprised to find it on the short list. My rating: 9/10

Stayed up late last night, finishing Moonlocket. Now starting Fingers in the Sparkle Jar by Chris Packham.

Does anyone have a NutriBullet? A chef I follow on Instagram has been recommending it recently, and I've started drinking a lot more fresh juices when I'm out and wouldn't mind being able to make some more fresh juices and smoothies when I'm at home and wondering if anyone has one and thinks they're worth the money? And if so, which model would you recommend, or are there other makes you'd recommend instead?

My turn to cook today, so I've defrosted some quorn bolognese sauce to go with spaghetti, as it's too hot to slave away in the kitchen today!

It was over 30ºC in the sun while I was out walking, so that's a scorcher for me

Current reading status Kindle: The Go-Between by L. P. Hartley (16%) Kindle: Reader, I Married Him by Tracy Chevalier (19%) Paperback: The Persephone Book of Short Stories (page 175/477) Paperback: Mystery and Mayhem by Various (page 50/300) Paperback: The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan (page 35/293) Paperback: Love of Country by Madeleine Bunting (finished) Paperback: Moonlocket by Peter Bunzl (185/376) Hardback: Storm in a Teacup by Helen Czerski (page 154/291) Audiobook: Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller (7 hours 12 minutes remaining) Read the whole of LoC yesterday, it was a great read. Another break from Wainwright books next, and I've started Moonlocket which is the follow up to Cogheart which was one of my favourite MG books of last year, and thankfully, it's just as good as its predecessor!

Read Love of Country yesterday, my tenth book off the Wainwright Prize list, so just two more to go. Taking a break from it today with Moonlocket by Peter Bunzl, which is more than living up to the first book, Cogheart.

Went to see Dunkirk this morning. Magnificent.

I've read one more since last time I posted here, so my next book will be the tenth book, The Ape Who Guards The Balance. I like to save books from my favourite series as treats for holiday or when I need to spoil myself, so perhaps if I get my TBR down to a certain number, I might use that as an excuse for the next one!

It's a scorcher today. Bright and sunny and very hot.