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.

Dont Forget To Check Out The Rest Of The Tour