Book Reviews

 

My second hand finds in Winchester. Still two to read

I've read quite a wide variety of books lately. They have included the excellent Home Stetch by Garaham Norton. I do enjoy his books. In this one a lad leaves home shortly after a tragic accident. He has been blamed by the village and his family and he cannot carry on. He also holds a secret - he is gay. He first travels to London but ends up in America and hooks up with an older man. All this time he has not told his lover about his past, but when someone turns up from Ireland everything begins to come to a head. It turns out things are not what they seem and eventually the whole story comes out. I really do enjoy Graham Norton's books as they are full of warmth, family realtionships and humour. I just fall into them. Can't wait for his next - hope he is writing one.

While I was on a day trip to Winchester, I picked up a couple of local history books in the wonderful second-hand book shop behind the cathedral. One was from the 1960's with artists ink drawings of various buildings in and around Winchester along with background to the history, the other was a history of the village of Alresford where I spent a day enjoying the river walk and admiring the colourful houses. Both made good reads, and I am mentally planning a revisit to that area. It is my favourite city and feels like coming home everytime I visit.

Grandmothers by Salley Vickers was wonderful read. Another warm story, but also contained humour. My favourite character was Nan who often looked after her grandson, Billy. At the start of the book the two spend time looking for a coffin for Nan and when she finds one she likes she takes Billy with her to view it. When it is delivered Nan spend time just lying in it! The story, though concerns grandmothers. Two of three main characters are grandmothers, but even the one who is not looks after a little girl. But it is also about their own grandmothers and the legacy they left.

WIlliam Morris with Grandmothers in the background

The book on William Morris: A Life for Our Time by Fiona MacCarthy is a mammoth of a book. At 681 pages in hardback it was quite a read. I know a fair but about Morris as I have read much about him. I have visited various places he lived or worked, such as Kelmscott House in Hammersmith, Merton Abbey Mills where he had a dyeing and weaving business (gone now, but there is plaque) and the Museum at Walthamstow where he also lived. The bits I wasn't so sure about was his boyhood and the extent to which his socialist views took over his life. Morris has been a hero of mine since I discovered the Pre-Raphaelites, and he has become even more so now. I hope to visit a couple more places where he lived in the next year.

Finally, A Field Guide to Larking by Lara Maiklem isjust what it says. Everything you want to know is here with lovely coloured hand drawn illustrations. She talks about where to look, what to look for, how to identify what you have (or places to research), how to clean, record and store your finds and details of websites to look at and books to read. She covers mudlarking (which you need a Licence for), fieldlarking (you need permission from the land owner), beachcombing and how to lark in your house - looking at old wallpaper, stuff that gets lost between the floornboards and what gets buried in the garden. I ordered this book in advance of Lara's book launch which I attended at Southweark Cathedral. The talk was excellent. I'm sure this book will be used many times