Notebook by Tom Cox - Blog Tour Review

 

Today on Life Of A Nerdish Mum, I can barely contain my excitement as I am sharing my review of Tom Cox's newest book, Notebook. I am a big fan of his work and am always honoured to be part of blog tours celebrating his publications. A big thank you to the author and Anne Cater of Random Things Tours. 

Notebook

Sure, sex is great, but have you ever cracked open a new notebook and written

something on the first page with a really nice pen?

The story behind Notebook starts with a minor crime: the theft of Tom Cox's

rucksack from a Bristol pub in 2018. In that rucksack was a journal containing

ten months worth of notes, one of the many Tom has used to record his

thoughts and observations over the past twelve years. It wasn't the best he had

ever kept – his handwriting was messier than in his previous notebook, his

entries more sporadic – but he still grieved for every one of the hundred or so

lost pages.

This incident made Tom appreciate how much notebook-keeping means to

him: the act of putting pen to paper has always led him to write with an

unvarnished, spur-of-the-moment honesty that he wouldn’t achieve on-screen.

Here, Tom has assembled his favourite stories, fragments, moments and ideas

from those notebooks, ranging from memories of his childhood to the

revelation that 'There are two types of people in the world. People who fucking

love maps, and people who don't.'

The result is a book redolent of the real stuff of life, shot through with Cox’s

trademark warmth and wit.

My Review

What a well needed breath of fresh air Notebook is. Tom Cox absolutely astounds me every single time I read one of his books as I can't believe the amount of whimsy he captures in his work. I definitely feel he has been blessed by the fairies with his talent. 

Notebooks theselves are a magical force, which anyone who is a fan of stationery can attest. You can leave your thoughts in them, come back at a completely differet time in your life and add more. This magic is what Tom Cox seems to have channelled with his collected thoughts gathered not neccessarily in order, but in a way that shows what caught his attention at the time. Sometimes it jumps from thought to thought and it made me chuckle at points as my husband says that's what it's like having a conversation with me. 

The art included by Cox's parents add to both the overall beauty of Notebook (Tom Cox's books are always absolutely stunning both inside and out) and I felt priviledged that not only had he shared his musings and thoughts, but he had shared a bit of his parents too. 

Reading Notebook, is a very hard experience to explain, but I felt so light and happy while reading and I felt I was left with an almost afterglow as I processed what I had read and thought on my own notebooks and journals.

I think this is my favourite book to date and as always I will wait patiently and excitedly for whatever Tom Cox brings out next. 

I gave this book 5 stars and would have given it more!

About The Author

Tom Cox lives in Norfolk. He is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling The

Good, The Bad and The Furry and the William Hill Sports Book longlisted Bring Me

the Head of Sergio Garcia. 21st-Century Yokel was longlisted for the Wainwright

Prize, and the titular story of Help the Witch won a Shirley Jackson Award.

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Understanding Kids by Tanith Carey - Blog Tour Review

 

Today on Life Of A Nerdish Mum I'm sharing my review of What's My Child Thinking and What's My Teenager Thinking by Tanith Carey. A big thank you to the author and Anne Cater of Random Things Tours. 

What's My Child Thinking

Find out what your child really means when he says "Look what I did", "But I'm not tired," or "You're embarrassing me," and discover what's really going on when he can't express himself at all.

Using more than 100 everyday scenarios, the book leads you through each one step by step, explaining not only your child's behavior and the psychology behind it but also your own feelings as a parent. It then gives instant recommendations for what you could say and do in response to best resolve the situation.

Covering all your child's developmental milestones from ages 2 to 7 years, What's My Child Thinking? covers important issues, such as temper tantrums, friendships (real and imaginary), sibling rivalry, aggressive behavior, and peer pressure. There's also a bank of practical "survival guides" for critical times, such as traveling in the car, eating out, and going online safely.

Rooted in evidence-based clinical psychology and championing positive parenting, What's My Child Thinking? will help you tune in to your child's innermost thoughts and be the parent you want to be.

My Review

As parent to a two year old, 7 year old and 12 year old, I was extremely interested in both What's My Child Thinking and What's My Teenager Thinking as they cover the whole range of ages. 

The format, style and illustrations are incredibly well organised and very easy to navigate in both books. The illustrations are also beautiful and easy to look at, I really enjoyed them. 

The way the sections are broken down into different age groups was really helpful and easy to pick out just the age you were interested in if you choose not to read through all ages at the same time. 

There is a lot of very valuable and obviously well researched information throughout. Though some suggestions may not work for all parenting types, it's still nice to be given ideas on what may possibly work or help in different situations. I personally also found it helpful that there were possibilities for what a parent could be thinking or feeling in certain situations rather than just the child. I felt it gave a much more informed and wider information. 

I found that the What's My Teenager Thinking was a lot more useful in my life as though I once was a teenager, it was a long time ago! Toddlers and slightly older children have quite simple needs overall, but when hormones hit things become more complicated. I really felt that I learnt some coping skills for both me and my pre teen going forward and hopefully that'll mean that we can get through this next period of her life together and with less stress. 

I really enjoyed both books and will be referencing back to them now that they're on my shelves. I'll also be lending out What's My Child Thinking to some friends who are going to be parents soon as I think it'll be a valuable read for them. 

I gave these books 5 stars 

About The Author

Tanith Carey is a parenting author who writes on the most pressing challenges facing today’s parents. Her 11 books include ‘Taming the Tiger Parent’, 'Girls, Uninterrupted, and ‘The Friendship Maze’. Tanith also writes on parenting, psychology and social trends for publications all over the world, and has appeared on TV and radio programmes, such as NBC Today in the US, Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and You and Yours, ITV’s This Morning, the Lorraine show, and Good Morning Britain. Tanith has two teenage daughters.

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Watery Through The Gaps by Emma Blas - Blog Tour Review by

I'm excited today to be taking part in the blog tour for Watery Through The Gaps by Emma Blas. I'm sharing my review of this lovely collection of poems. A big thank you to the author and Anne Cater of Random Things Tours. 

Watery Through The Gaps

A compelling collection that slips between the crevices of the skin and buries itself into your bones."

 

'Watery Through the Gaps' is a book for those waking to the realisation that there is more outside than just us. It is for those of us who long to bridge the chasm between the human and earth experience. These poems are stepping stones leading us through the water. Following the river will lead us home and we will never be alone again.

 

In Emma Blas' second collection of poems, she invites you into dialogue with the sea, taking you into the depths and leaving you wondering whether you can trust the current. Despite the terrifying tug of the undertow, we are exactly where we are meant to be.

 

If you like poetry that ripples through the depths of the self, against the mirror of the natural world, this book is for you.

My Review

I had such an emotional journey while reading Watery Through The Gaps. Having lost two very close family members not long before reading this, I wasn't sure if it'd be too soon, but it turned out to be just what I needed. 

The theme of water felt very personal and has so many different meanings and interpretations. I'm always drawn to water and so it felt like the poems were speaking to me directly. What added to this was the lack of capital letters, it made it feel to me like it was my voice. I feel this made me more involved and almost like the stories were coming from me. 

The mix of nature with emotions work so beautifully. It's such a natural and powerful way to view grief, loss and other emotions.

Normally I plan to read poem anthologies by dipping in and out, but always end up reading them through all in one go. With the emotions evoked in Watery Through The Gaps though, I did find myself putting my book down for a while just to give myself time to think and digest what I had read. 

An absolutely stunning read and one I will be recommending and passing on. 

I gave this book 5 stars. 

About The Author

Emma Blas lives near gijón in spain. her poetry explores transitions, shifts of phase and form in the natural world. you will find her at the beach, walking through the dramatic landscape of asturias, or with her hands in the soil, trying to learn from the earth. it is these crossing points between the physical, psychological and imagined states of life that are painted in her poetry.

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The Last Witch by Sabina Gabrielli Carrara - Blog Tour Review

 

Today on Life Of A Nerdish Mum, I am happy to be sharing my thoughts about The Last Witch by Sabina Gabrielli Carrara. A big thank you to the author and Emma Welton of Damppebbles Blog Tours. 

The Last Witch

Back in 1974, the dormant Irish village of Seacross is shocked by the gruesome circumstances of young Margaret Morehouse’s death. Forty-five years later history seems to repeat itself and the quiet life of the coastal Irish village is suddenly shaken by a series of ritualistic murders. Someone had broken the pact of secrecy to obtain justice, but if the truth comes out nobody will be spared, from the future Taoiseach to the local men of power.

My Review 

I absolutely and thoroughly enjoyed The Last Witch. After an extremely shocking opening, the story starts on a slow burn before picking up pace towards the end. I found this really worked for me as it caught me with the murder in the first chapter and then I kept thinking "just one more chapter" because I wanted to know what happened. 

The mystery is masterfully done and I was kept guessing, I really should keep records of my theories in future to compare them to the actual outcome. 

Billy McCabe is more of your traditional old fashioned officers, but he's likeable and I like the fact he has a wife (and dog). His character development throughout is believable and I enjoyed seeing how he dealt with things. 

I felt like Seacross was a character in itself, I love tiny rural villages where everyone knows everything and everyone. It always gives the feel that there's something going on. I could also picture it perfectly from the beautiful description. 

Overall a incredible book and I will be finding other books by Sabina Gabrielli Carrara to go back and read. A definite recommendation from me. 

I gave this book 5 stars. 

About The Author 

Italian Ireland-based author of murder mysteries with a psychological twist, after a degree in History and Philosophy and some experience in Human resources, Sabina decided to go back to her old passion: writing.

She is a published author in Denmark and currently living in the little village of Balrothery in North Co. Dublin with her husband, their two daughters and three dogs.

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