As the year draws to a close, I’ve created a list of the best books I have read this year. Two won the Booker Prize (this year’s winner, Orbital, and 2011’s The Sense of An Ending). I enjoyed them both, but was left underwhelmed by another much lauded classic, Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis. The […]
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2023 book review
Another year has flown by. Before we tear open a new calendar, I thought I’d share some of my favourite books I read in 2023. Slow Horses by Mick Herron The first in the Slough House series is a superb page-turner that keeps you guessing until the end. Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall Tim […]
Four days in Mexico City
Fresh from the solitude of wilderness camping in California’s Kings Canyon National Park, it was perhaps to be expected we would take a little time to adjust to the busy, sprawling streets of Mexico City. We had unintentionally thrown ourselves in the deep end by arriving late on a Friday night to our hostel in […]
Shhh…let’s keep this place a secret
I was sceptical places like Loutro still existed. And even if they did, I was doubtful I would find them in time. Located on the south-west coast of Crete, Loutro is inaccessible by car. Its white, angular buildings are clustered around a small bay, which can only be reached by foot or by boat. In […]
A year in books
I’ve reluctantly come to terms with the fact that I’m not going to break any records with the number of books I read each year. I successfully reached double figures in 2021, but with only a little to spare. Below is a list of 10 of the books I enjoyed most over the past 12 […]
Book Review: Treasured Islands
Peter Naldrett has achieved something rare – a book that is both comprehensive, yet accessible. His new book, Treasured Islands, is a fascinating and fun guide to more than 200 of the islands around Britain. Leave it on your coffee table and you’ll be unable to walk by without perusing its pages. Several afternoons have […]