Capsule book reviews in 255 characters or fewer. Ish. A reading diary (1st Jan 2019 onwards) by Eamonn Griffin.
Subtitled “a memoir of a childhood and the sea,” this is a kinda non-chronological autobiography, capturing moments of poet McMillan’s love affair with the British coastline and of working-class family holidays then and now. Light, whimsical in places, and charming and heartfelt. Cleethorpes features prominently, as it rightly should.
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My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
A possible diary in images and words of a year in the East of Lincolnshire. Can’t say more than that – and this isn’t a review, ‘cos family – but if you’re familiar with Maxim Griffin’s work then this is the motherlode to date. If you haven’t, then this is your departure point. Get on it now before the inevitable Werner Herzog/Ben Wheatley/Johnny Nice bidding war begins. Onwards, as Maxim is wont to say.
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My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
Philosophical musings on walking, drawing on both personal experiences (both poles and Everest included) and wider literature. Maybe a touch whimsical for some readers, but nevertheless a useful first-hand perspective about how and why walking is necessary for being both human and centred.
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My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
The restaurant critic and journalist ponders mortality through food. A kind of autobiography, structured around assembling a final meal, and with it a playlist. The Desert Island Discs-ish structure works well, making for an episodic but enjoyable set of culinary investigations, observations, and reminiscences.
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My own books here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
A journal of an attempt to complete the Pacific Crest Trail, a hiking route through from Mexico to Canada. And an excellent thing it is too, detailing Healy’s fascination with the US and the Trail, and the challenges faced and friendships made on the route. Plenty to appreciate, not least the blend of simple illustrations and occasional prose sections. Recommended.
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My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
A drifter is reunited with her partner and child. Low-key, affecting study of travel and loss, of wanderlust and the tensions between home and away. Plenty to appreciate; this is a short graphic novel that resonates.
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My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England
A writer revisits her younger life and self. Excellent autobiographical exploration of how class, gender, substance abuse, poor mental health, homelessness, poverty and related issues may intersect and inform each other. Neither sentimental nor sensationalist, but clear and compassionate throughout. Plus, a Proustian moment (involving banana-flavoured vitamin drops) for me. Recommended.
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My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
An anthropomorphized account of a Camino pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. A charming and melancholy graphic novel with some neat running gags and the imaginings of the protagonist’s movie-filled brain, this is a treat for anyone interested in walking, pilgrimages, and/or finding yourself a little bit. Lots to appreciate, rendered in simple black and white.
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My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
A personal account of the ill-fated 1996 Rob Hall-led Adventure Consultants expedition to climb Mount Everest. A classic of its type, if disputed in some of its assertions (discussed in this edition), Into Thin Air remains a detailed study of adventure tourism, obsession, survival, and hubris. Recommended.
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My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
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