Richard Latham

Who doesn’t love a penguin? I’ve been waiting to read this latest book by the ace team of Julie Donaldson and Axel Scheffler to my grandchildren for quite a while now. But it has been all “Tiddler” following its debut on TV at Christmas and the usual suspects. Some may remember the worldwide travels of “The Snail and The Whale” but “Jonty Gentoo, The Adventures of a Penguin” is more impressive still, more Michael Palin when he travels from Pole to Pole. Living in a zoo Jonty hears tales from his aunts about where in world he is from, the South Pole. It is there that his penguin relatives live. One day he escapes and his epic journey begins. Julie Donaldson is in rhyming mood as see spins her tale. It flows and captures the effort and determination of the young penguin to get ‘home’. Axel’s drawings and illustrations are always child friendly and remain memorable for my young ones. When the flightless bird meets a whale in this travels my 3 year old immediately shouts the snail and the whale. I love reading these books to my grandchildren and this one is another sure winner. I particularly like the additional details here. Jonty makes it to Antarctica after first swimming north and his quest is only made possible with the help of friends he meets along the way. As an afterword the author provides more details and facts about the Arctic tern. “Amazing Birds”. Such extra information is a further delight for my 6 year old who soaks up facts and likes a book the compliments his world view seen through the lens of David Attenborough.

What a brilliant and innovative idea for a book. I’m sure it will appeal to all who love literature and share a desire to learn about the stories behind some best-loved authors. It combines two of my favourite interests, reading and travelling. Meticulously researched. Filled with maps and illustrations throughout, it is both a reference book and one to dip into when time is short. It will prompt you to find out more about some of the writers and their works. Fortunately, there is an extensive reading list to get you started on this venture. For me the most interesting aspect, beyond the simple accounts of long and at times arduous journeys, was the mood music at the time, the historical setting. How travel, the sights and sounds, the views and the people themselves influenced the creative process. How ideas germinated and developed in new locations. How talking to residents and listening to their own stories, personal accounts of myths and legends in their countries. A book, I felt would perhaps only be relevant for the authors I was already knew, ended up being read from cover to cover. I wanted more and value its place now in my library and subconsciousness. It will make reading books more fun in the future and promote more research into the process of ideas into print, especially of writer’s work from before my own lifetime. To reflect upon the author’s own experience, their travels and the social and contemporary references for them. It reminded me that earlier classics perhaps are too quickly dismissed as not being “modern ” and easy to read. This book has opened my eyes and reading pleasure, demonstrating through its subject matter that, there is more to a book than its cover!

Well, what a wonderful way to finish my reading year. Wintering by Katherine May was the 226th book I have finished in 2024 and perhaps the most significant. It was a quite enchanting read, an insight into the cycle of life, where Winter can be embraced and tackled with an enabling sense of mind and an intelligent approach. I loved the author’s honesty and openness with naked soul bearing. All coupled with various factors at play. The lows, the loss of daylight, the withdrawal and restrictions imposed by mood, climate and expectations. The book reads so well. The writing is totally engaging and you feel part of the author’s journey. For me the best part of the book was the logical approach. The framework and the chronological progression through the year into Winter and beyond. The need for preparation and the steps, dates along the way that provide structure but also clues on how to survive and overcome. Whether drawing on traditions, pagan rituals, modern customs to the nature and the wisdom across literature. This is a book that I will return to and would encourage others to read for themselves. It is one of the best times with a book; reading these pages and understanding so much more. This is not just a cerebral process of learning facts and life skills no it is the absorption of ideas, feelings, fears and hopes. Katherine May has a gift of writing, her choice of words and sentence construction that propels the eye across the page and warms the heart. Her ability to be an open vessel, emptying herself of anything that would distract, bring forward conflict or encourage judgement allows the reader to accept her words, experience and values with empathy. She has the ability to stop and stare. To share her glimpse of a group of birds in flight, or a robin cocking his head. To see and hear the power of the sea while feeling its threat with coldness and taste its saltiness. What a wonderful book to close this year.

I bought ‘In Too Deep’ by Lee Child last November, taking advantage of a special offer. Haven’t read it yet as the Reacher series covers many books over the years. My preference is to read a character series chronologically but with so many books it is a tall order. Reacher is such a great protagonist and Lee Child such an accomplished author across novels and short stories I cannot ignore him altogether. So I am reading a collection of his short stories and plan to read a new one, ‘Eleven Numbers very soon. But I wanted to dip my toe into Reacher again first. Small Wars doesn’t really break with the time line in any case as it transports us back to early Reacher in 1989 when he was in the army and has great interactions with his brother Joe. A short story envisaged to promote the next Reacher novel ‘Make Me’ also released in 2015. ‘Small Wars’ is an interesting case for our younger investigator and an intriguing mystery which you realise only Reacher, at any time, could get close to unravelling. It is an important read for these realisations and any fan will delight to see how he approaches the murder inquiry and understand perhaps why he wasn’t suited long term for a life in uniform. The craft of telling a good story is here in abundance and it is a testament to the skill and standards of the author that this narrative reads so well. It enhances character and is a well worked story about the real world in 1989. It is clever and full of fun. A cast of well drawn individuals, character driven, with great through away lines and compelling dialogue. Even if this book was initially a chore dreamed up by the publisher and intended to be promotional, it became more once Lee Child thought about it and ‘put pen to paper’. The result is a gift for his many fans and for any new readers picking it up an addictive glimpse into another story arc. Anyone reading this account of early Reacher will be rewarded and compelled, due to its quality, to chase down other Reacher novels. Indeed it may mean I next read book 29 clearly out of sequence.

Well written and an entertaining piece that is full of beautifully crafted ideas and concepts beyond driving a cab around Las Vegas on the ‘graveyard shift’. If one jumps into a taxi, you become aware of the meter running; it’s all now on the clock, how far you travel, how long it takes, unless like day the fixed rate to the airport, will determine the cost of the fare. The narrative here runs on the clock; each ride being given a time and the interactions of the driver and passengers detailed within their journey and reasons to be in town. I loved the feel of Vegas, the other side of the vacation and the ups and downs, mirrored in the night the cabbie is having. I also enjoyed the insider knowledge expressed and the working life of those providing this service. I found this quite informative and left me more appreciative of this type of transport and taxi drivers themselves. Although some dark arts of mentioned, our narrator is an old hand, a veteran of some 15 years and would have us believe he is one of a few honest ones on the rank. It is an expose of American life and culture. I would encourage everyone to read it if they get a chance. It is a short novella type account, from the first person, perspective. So it is really down to sharing a day in the life of this cabbie and how much we believe his own value and vision of Vegas nightlife. There is an element of repetitiveness but it is addressed by a varied clientele, with different stories and journeys to make. The openness of some, contrasts the reticence of others. Winners or losers in a gambling town; no real clue to how much of a tip, if any will be made. I loved the idea that his life could be a number of chance events, which each potentially could lead to another outcome in a parallel universe, resulting in an infinite number of possibilities. All depending on that first decision, which hotel to pull up at, where to start the shift and the randomness of the punter telling you where to go. It leads nicely into the potential ending to this 12 hour shift as a number of outcomes have been suggested throughout the night. Where a bad decision could undermine all the good fortune and hard work. We as the reader can almost imagine the ending we want for our taxi driver.

A superb collection of short stories from Lee Child. I guess anyone bringing together a collection of short stories would be delighted to have Lee Child on board, his name alone, would increase the interest in the published anthology. Despite, the many requests I am sure he would not have been able to contribute to them all but following the success of the first Reacher books he was always in demand. Between the years 2004 and 2020 he produced the twenty stories brought together for the first time in a single volume, “Safe Enough”. It is a measure of his efforts that a fresh entry was offered each time and it met the criteria for the themed collections. Anthologies were published each year with one of his offerings except 2008, 15 and 19 which to my mind shows his willingness to give encouragement to editors and support the fund raising books. Between 2010 and 2011 four works were published with one of these stories included. These are not Reacher add ons but original creations, fitting a specific brief. I am delighted that these stories have re-surfaced in this collection, “Safe Enough”. It is a wonderful record of this writer’s craft and imaginative storytelling skill. While all are a little dark in parts, they are so readable and refreshing interruptions to fill a few minutes leisure when you perhaps haven’t the time to plough into, an all consuming novel. Each is unique but all bear the quality of the author. Well constructed, covering a range of scenarios and brimming with memorable characters and the those hints of danger or threat. I cannot pick any that stand out above the rest; none are just average in any sense and the high quality is maintained throughout. If the Reacher books are not for you, I understand. [Tom Cruise has a lot to answer for in this regard]. But don’t dismiss Lee Child altogether, read his short stories and you’ll be a reader who wants to read him some more. Buy this collection of short stories. Is that a novel idea?