Book Review: World of Lore: Dreadful Places by Aaron Mahnke

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The latest instalment in the ‘Lore’ series, this follows the stories that surround the dark and sinister places in our lore. As usual it’s easy to read, with a friendly and familiar writing style that lends itself well to these types of stories. It’s as though the writer is talking around a camping fire with old friends, relaying spooky stories - which is exactly how these tales should be told.

The stories and places covered range from New Orleans, Scottish castles, the American colonies and ghost ships and it’s very good at dipping the readers toe into this range of stories and folklore that can then be followed up in greater depth by the reader if they want to. It never lingers too long on one story or subject, offering an introduction and background to the tale and a brief outline before moving on. This meant that if one story didn’t intrigue me, I was quickly swept up into the next one, and the next. I was particularly taken with the sections on New Orleans and ghost ships. These areas were deeply atmospheric and creepy, with unexplained tales that were genuinely chilling.

The first section is very ‘America’ centric, and I was a little less interested in these stories because of their lack of richness and history. America itself is a relatively new country in my eyes, and somewhat lacks the magical and ethereal elements that more ancient cultures have in abundance. I also found it was quite flippant at times in its portrayal of slavery and the associated atrocities.

However, the later chapters do branch out into the wider world and this is where the book came into its own as it allowed for a broader scope in stories. Folklore is so fascinating, and so unique to each culture and local area that I felt it was necessary to do this. It’s an organic thing, that evolves and changes with the people, as well as helping to join a community together through socialisation and the author does well to get this across here. It’s evident he has a passion for the subject, and a need to spread these stories like our ancestors did. It’s a way of keeping the tales alive.

Another great addition to the ‘Lorek series. I really enjoy these books, and this is perfect to read at this time of year for a creepy little night in.

 - 4 stars

Book Review: A Tudor Christmas by Alison Weir

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Feeling Christmassy? This is a great book to get you into the spirit of the season, while taking you on a journey through the Tudor period and all the festivities involved. It’s well structured, divided into chapters based on the 12 days of Christmas, and the various activities the rich and poor participated in. There’s plenty of little facts scattered throughout which highlight many aspects of Tudor and Christmas life I never knew about, and also brings to life this concept that through the ages, will always knew how to throw a party.

In the chapters there are various carols, pictures, recipes and poems to bring to life the stories told of Christmas time. I thought this was a nice touch, as it lent itself an air of authenticity and really added to the Christmas feeling. I felt more immersed in the stories, and at times I could almost imagine myself in a great hall alongside Henry VIII eating my roasted goose. I did find a few of the poems a little long, which distracted from the text itself, however this was few and far between.

This was a lovely little read about one of my favourite times of year, and I love that I can now see the history behind a lot of the traditions which I originally thought were Victorian. In particular I enjoyed the chapter on Boxing (or St. Stephen’s) day and it’s links to the rich giving alms to the poor, as well an annual hunt for a Wren. It was these little touches that are only going to enhance my enjoyment of the season. Some chapters I wasn’t as interested in as others, which does tend to happen for me in this style of book, as I found I was less taken with the chapter on games etc. enjoyed during the festive period. However, the chapters I did enjoy balanced these lulls out well.

Recommend to the Tudor history buffs and lovers of Christmas. I just wish it had been longer.

 - 3 stars

Book Review: The Unmumsy Mum by The Unmumsy Mum

I liked this. There’s a certain amount of solidarity you share with someone who’s gone through a similar parenting experience to yourself. I’m a seasoned mother of two (soon to be three). I know it isn’t all baking (I hate baking) and doing ‘fun’ things with chubby cheeked angels - but it’s nice to know that I’m not the only one who knows this. Parenting is hard work. It’s boring at times (ten episodes of Hey Duggee in a row is enough to drive the sanest person over the edge), and lonely. A trip to B&Q is often the only light on the horizon of an otherwise groundhog style day.

But you know what? It’s ok not be be ok all of the time. Mum guilt is real, but it’s also ok to draw a line under today and start again. I think that’s what I gained most out of this book. There’s power in the perspective and reflection, and I enjoyed reading about the good times and the bad. It’s what life is all about.

It wasn’t a perfect read. A lot of this feels rather gratuitous, and more a personal memoir for the authors’s boys (nothing wrong with that, but I found the sections where she speaks directly to her children a little grating). It’s also a little outdated now as the author has since gone on to have another child, which changes the tone of some of her comments about the baby period being over. Again though, that’s life, circumstances change and families expand. I guess it means the author will just have to write another book as a mum of three.

I’d recommend this to all newbie parents. In fact, just all parents. We’ve all been there.

The Unmumsy Mum is available to purchase now from: Amazon

 - 3 stars

Book Review: In Search of Mary Shelley: The Woman Who Wrote Frankenstein by Fiona Sampson

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

To coincide with the 200th anniversary of the release of Frankenstein, Fiona Sampson examines the inner influences and background of writer Mary Shelley.

I admit I know very little about Mary Shelley other than the fact that she married the famous poet Percy Shelley as a teenager and was widowed at a young age. I have also never read Frankenstein, but nevertheless I was intrigued to see what could possess a woman of this time to write something that is now considered a classic, in an era where women simply weren't encouraged to write 'this kind' of novel.

I found this well researched and thorough. Sampson manages to open up a notoriously private woman's life and fascinating past, where she was surrounded by some great intellectual thinkers of the time. It was great to see who or what influenced Mary to write her story. She manages to bring life to a woman tormented by her many pregnancies and infant deaths, and how her outpouring of grief and redemption comes in th form of writing. At times, these reads almost like a novel, and that's what makes it so engaging. It also flows well. Most chapters set up a scene before dissecting the chapter with various facts and interesting discussions. It's structured in such a way that it doesn't divert from the facts or diverge into various distracting sidestories, which I appreciated.

I do think I would have benefitted from reading Frankenstein before reading this. I think that's the main intention here, and although I gained a lot of insight into Mary Shelley, I would have gained more having read her novel first. I think I would have perhaps been more 'into' this as well having done that, as although I found the overall premise interesting I've found I'm maybe just not as interested in this time period as I am other periods of history. This is purely a personal preference however.

That said, this is a great introduction to Mary Shelley, a character full of intrigue with a fascinating past.

In Search of Mary Shelley is available to purchase now from: Amazon

 - 3 stars

Book Review: The World Of Lore: Wicked Mortals by Aaron Mahnke

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the last instalment in this series, The World of Lore: Monstrous Creatures, so was really pleased when I received an ARC for the second chapter which explores the more ‘human’ aspects of folklore and myth. Here, we delve into the murky world of infamous mass murderers, changlings, witches, spontaneous human combustion and more. 

It’s a large, comprehensive list of various stories that essentially outline that humans are often more monster than the creatures we create. Often, it’s fear of the unknown that drives an individual to turn to stories to rationalise their behaviour. This idea is demonstrated best in the chapters relating to changelings, possessions and witches. Of course your wife isn’t suffering from a mental illness, she’s clearly been swapped for a fairy. A ‘changeling’. That lonely woman who seems a bit odd? Witch. This is told in a laid back conversational way, is very easy to read and told with an obvious passion for the subject matter. I would often find myself eager to get back to this book over others I was reading, and could easily dip in and out of the text. 

Sometimes I did find some of the stories slightly repetitive however. We read about H. H. Holmes several times, to the point where I can probably relate his whole life history, and I found the section on witches slightly less interesting compared to the more unusual or unexplainable tales. However, the other stories made up for this, and covered a broad enough area that I came away feeling like I knew a lot more about humans and the development of folklore tales and stories than I did before. I especially enjoyed the chapter on doppelgängers, as it felt the most ‘otherworldly’ and atmospheric. And, perhaps weirdly, also the most believable (other than the true serial killer stories obviously). 

Just like the previous novels, the book is scattered with wonderful illustrations throughout that reminded me of old Horrible History books. They compliment the stories well, and help to add that little bit extra to the overall presentation of the text. 

I look forward to the next book.

 - 4 stars

Book Review: Off The Deep End: A History of Madness at Sea by Nic Compton

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the premise for this; Off The Deep End scrutinises the effects of the sea on mental health- whether that be to seamen, navigators, or modern day sailors. Nic Compton manages to include a vast number of conditions that could negatively impact mental health, as well as covering a broad timescale from the dawn of ships, to the explorations of 'uncharted waters' and beyond.

The early chapters are easily the best. I loved the explanations on the optical illusions known as 'Fata Morgana' and how this may have led sailors to interpret the phenomenon as The Flying Dutchman - leading to superstitions and religious fervor. From this point we are then introduced to Darwin, and his doomed captain and navigator aboard the Beagle, with suicide and madness. Then we jump to shipwrecks, whales with grudges, and cannibalism. It was certainly interesting - and after reading I can certainly see why seamen have such a high proportion of mental illness rates. It would seem everything is set against them - including even the rations and living quarters!

Everything is well researched and goes into some detail about various voyages and navigational terms. I appreciated this to some respect, as it's clear the author has spent a great deal of time carefully getting all the facts to help construct his arguments, but it also made the text heavy going at some points. It wasn't a light read, and I found myself dipping in and out of it in between other books. The text, as you might imagine, is also quite dark at times. There don't seem to be many happy endings for sailors.

I didn't enjoy the more contemporary chapters as interesting. I'm a history nerd at heart, and these just didn't hold my attention as much. Because of this, I found myself wishing there were more chapters on British naval history, and the stigmas attached to sailors of this time rather than now. However, I do understand that it's an important subject to broach, as the struggle against mental illness continues. I'm all for raising awareness.

An interesting topic.

 - 3 stars

Book Review - The Pug Who Bit Napoleon: Animal Tales of the 18th and 19th Centuries by Mimi Matthews

The Pug Who Bit Napoleon takes a unique look into 18th and 19th century European history, by looking at the pets and other animals associated with the people of the time. From Fortune, the pug belonging to Napoleon's new bride, to Looty, the stolen Pekingese presented to Victoria on the sacking of China.

As I may have mentioned once (or twice), I'm the proud owner of a miniature dachshund named Monty. Because of this, I have a keen interest at the moment in anything dog related - and I really enjoyed the sections relating to dogs in this. Relatively short, I managed to read it in one afternoon, I particularly enjoyed reading about the different personalities of the dogs and the fondness often (although not always) shown by their owners. Dog really has been man's best friend for a long time.

The chapters on Fortune were my favorite. I'm a sucker for French history, and I'd never heard of Fortune's tale before and how he was used as a 'spy' during the revolution. The research was well thought thought in this regard, and I could tell that Mimi Matthews really enjoyed regaling Fortune's exploits with Napoleon. I also enjoyed the sections on the bloodhounds used in the Jack the Ripper case and the introduction to rabies that's mentioned near the end when discussing foxes as pets. It's actually got me interested in researching more on the rabies virus.

I was less enthralled by the later sections of the book, which featured birds, horses and smaller mammals (and rather randomly, sharks). I would have preferred more time with the various dogs and their owners as I felt the research done here was not as strong, and it just wasn't as interesting.

I also wasn't fond of the authors use of other writers texts that make up good chunks of the chapters. I felt it took away some of the author's credibility by using up half of the book with other people's work - especially as it was so short.

Started strong, but too short and not enough dog content for my liking. However, a rather unique look at an area of history I like to read about.

 - 3 stars