Scribbles in the Margins - 50 Eternal Delights of Books

At the weekend I finished a good book. I picked up a few others and read a few chapters but I think I had what you call Reader's Block. I just couldn't get into the books I picked up.

So I picked up this book sure to eliminate Reader's Block - Scribbles in the Margin by Daniel Gray.

It's a small book but it is full of gems about why we love books, reading and anything bookish. I admit I haven't read the whole book. I don't think it's that kind of book to sit and read from cover to cover but I flicked through most of it.

The book contains 50 short chapters, each chapter featuring an essay on why we love books. I could so relate to the first chapter Handwritten dedications in Old Books. I have a Berenstain Bears book that my father who died when I was 11, gave me for my fourth birthday in 1975. In the front he wrote "To Abigail, from Dad". That short piece of handwriting means more to me than the book and I often look at it. 

Some of the other chapters in this bookish book include

• Visiting someone's home and inspecting the bookshelves
• Giving a book as a present
• Libraries
• Reading on public transport
• Smells of books, old and new
• Reading in bed
• Losing an afternoon organising bookshelves
• The calm a room of books brings
• Old Bookshops
• Large Bookshops

That is a just a few of the 50 chapters. This is a beautiful book. If you are book-mad like me, this is definitely worth adding to your collection.

Lost for Words

When I saw this book I knew I wanted to read it. I love books about books, bookshops and libraries.

After reading the praise for the author Stephanie Butland at the start of Lost for Words I wanted to read it even more.

The book tells the story of Loveday Cardew who works in a secondhand bookstore called Lost for Words in York. She prefers books to people. 

The chapters take us from the present day of 2016 and then to an incident in 2013 and to Loveday as a child in 1999. I thought it was going to be confusing. It wasn't. 

This book is very well written. It has strong and raw themes which can be hard to read about at times but I really wanted to read to the end to see how the mystery unfolded and was resolved.

What I liked most about this book is the author's creation of Loveday Cardew and some of the other characters including the bookshop owner Archie, the poet Nathan, the villain Rob and Loveday's parents and her relationship with them. I also liked the book themes woven through the story.

I am not a huge fan of poetry but there are a few wonderful poems which tell their own stories in the book.

• In the photo I've used this ornament of a bookstore, which I bought recently while visiting the Netherlands. I wanted to use the ornament in this photo in memory of my beautiful father-in-law Izak Hartevelt who passed away last week. Izak was born in the Netherlands and moved to New Zealand in the 1950s. I only knew him for 10 years but he was a very special person in my life. 

Must Reads for Dog or Cat Lovers

Nearly six years ago I would never have thought about reading a book about animals but then our  miniature Fox Terrier, we named Dollar, arrived on December 24, 2011. Well he actually arrived three months earlier but we found him at a pet shop on that Christmas Eve and we just knew we had to take him home with us. He has brought joy, fun times and happiness to us!

He has also encouraged me to read more books about animals and I have bought a number, often times when we are on holiday and I'm apart from him. So I thought I'd jot down a list here of a few of my faves.

1. Cleo by Helen Brown

This is the true story of a cat named Cleo and the joy, healing and love he brought to his owner Helen Brown and her family after tragedy struck while they were living in Wellington, New Zealand. Brown is a New Zealand journalist now living in Australia. They say journalists make good authors of books. I'm not sure if that's always true but in this case it definitely is. I remember reading this book on a plane back from Melbourne and just being engrossed in it. Brown went on to write After Cleo: Came Jonah - also a brilliant book. Several years later and she is about to release another cat-related book and I can't wait to read it.

2. Dewey - The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter

This is the true story of a kitten found by Vicki Myron in the night drop box of the library in the town of Spencer, Iowa where she worked. Dewey, who was named by the community, grew into a adorable library cat, and also became quite famous with people travelling long distances to meet him. If you love books about libraries and/or cats, you will definitely love this one. It has been a few years since I've read this but I remember I couldn't put it down. Maybe time to re-read it.

3. A Cat Called Norton - The True Story of an Extraordinary Cat and his Imperfect Human by Peter Gethers

This is taken from the back of this book - "Peter was a confirmed loner and cat hater, until he was given a small, grey (and impeccably handsome) kitten with folded ears by his then girlfriend. The girlfriend went but Norton stayed - in fact, he and Peter became inseparable". I loved this book so much I went on to buy the other two in the series -

• For The Love of Norton - The Cat Who Taught His Human How to Live 
• Forever Norton - The Perfect Cat, his Flawed Human and Life's Greatest Lessons

Stunning books but be aware you may need a box of tissues handy at times.

4. Peggy & Me by Miranda Hart

I love Miranda Hart as a comedian. I love her show on TV. I read her first book and I think I struggled to finish it. A few years later she went on to write Peggy & Me about the relationship between her and her Shih-Tzu Bichon Frise cross puppy named Peggy. The book is hilarious and switches narrators. Sometimes Miranda is narrating and other times the story is told through the eyes of Peggy. This book was "such fun" as Miranda's onscreen mother would say. I did read it while on holiday and ended up not finishing it but that wasn't because I didn't like it. It was more that I just had too big a TBR (To Be Read) pile to get through. I found this book such a comfort and remember trying not  to laugh out loud while reading it in a cafe at the British War Museum in London while waiting for my husband.

5. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

This is a fictional tale told through the eyes of a dog called Enzo. It's a great book and if you ever wondered what your pet is thinking, take a read of this book and you may just get a better idea.  You may never want to leave you dog at home alone for any length of time again.

Laugh Out Loud

ADORABLE!

Yes I did mean to write the word adorable in capital letters as well as underline it and bold it, because that is what this book is.

If you loved Charlie and The Chocolate Factory then you will love this book. It has all the imagination of the Roald Dahl favourite but the best bit is the book is about books - my favourite kind of book.

Laugh Out Loud tells the story of Jimmy. He's a kid who loves books dreams of starting up a book company for kids run by kids. The book takes us through all the obstacles he faces - the main one being adults initially laughing out loud at his dreams. 

One of the two authors James Patterson, whose books are the most borrowed from UK libraries, has certainly let his imagination run wild with this gem. 

While the 275-page book is for kids, any adult who wants some light reading or loves books about books will love reading Laugh Out Loud as well.

There are so many great characters in this book. My favourites are Jimmy's next door neighbour Maddie, who is the inspiration for his book company, the school librarian Ms Sprenkle, the Yingerlingers affectionately known as the Ys and Jimmy's mate Chris who insists that any book company set up must include a bowling alley. And then there's Jimmy's English teacher Mrs Delvecchio and the extemporaneous speeches based only on facts that she demands of her students without any notice.

The illustrations throughout the book by Jeff Ebbeler are brilliant.

Never giving up on your dreams is the overriding theme of this delightful book. This book has almost made me want to set up my own book company but I can't imagine it would ever be as cool as Jimmy's.

As far as children's books go, this one deserves five out of five stars! 

Sam's Best Shot - a father and son's life-changing journey through autism, adolescence and Africa

Dr James Best and his wife Benison want to do something to help their son Sam, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of three, come out of his shell.

So they sell their family home, take Sam, 14, out of school and James and Sam head to Africa for six months.

James and Sam travel through South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya and Sam is exposed to a life way out of his comfort zone.

They travel a lot by minibus and there is a hilarious list much later in the book about the unspoken set of rules James has learnt about that mode of transport including how long they have to wait as the minibus never leaves until it's full.

They stay in all types of accommodation including hotels, motels and tents. You soon learn that Sam hates tents and James has to find a way to make him stay in them, especially when there is no other option.

Sam is initially reluctant about the trip and continues to be so on occasions through their journey. However, James devises a daily scoring out of 10 for Sam which his son thrives on. James also teaches Sam how to box and play Chess and schoolwork is still a regular feature of their time together in Africa.

Sam goes fishing, rafting, learns to go into a store and buy his own lemonade, interacts with the  people they meet and sees all the wildlife and amazing sights you could expect to see in Africa.

The book also takes us through a lot of what James is feeling throughout the trip. Both Sam and James have their moments as any parent or child would on such a long trip. Part of the book I loved were the pieces Sam wrote about the trip and about the people who are important to him.

It is a long book but well worth reading to the end when you find out how and if the trip has changed  Sam. All is revealed in one sentence by the 14-year-old.

• To read more about the trip buy the book or check out James' blog at http://www.samandjames.life/autism-and-the-adolescent/
• James has also set up a parenting website called www.drjamesbest.com.