IREX by Carl Rackman @CarlRackman

4.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE
On Goodreads HERE

How I discovered this book: I got talking to the author on Twitter, took a look to see what sort of stuff he wrote, decided it looked up my street.  Downloaded via Kindle Unlimited.

This is a debut novel, and a fine achievement it is.  Set in the late 19th Century, it centres around the maiden voyage of tall ship Irex, and good Christian captain Will Hutton.  Although a cargo vessel, the Irex has also taken on a few passengers: the mysterious aristocrat Edward Clarence, and Salavation Army missionaries George and Elizabeth Barstow.

Irex's voyage is ill-fated from the beginning, with a false start, and terrible storms.  Fascinated by his passengers, Hutton begins to become enamoured of Mrs Barstow, and suspicious of Clarence.

The novel alternates between the voyage, and the unravelling of the tragedy of the Irex, in the Isle of Wight, some weeks later.  The book is extremely well-written; Mr Rackman has a fine talent for atmosphere and characterisation, with the plot unfolding slowly ~ until I got to about 34%, when the truth about Clarence was revealed.  This was one of those mouth dropping open moments, and everything suddenly became a lot more interesting.  The plot is unusual, though I don't want to give any of it away because I'd spoil the surprise!  When Hutton looks for support amongst his men he finds himself cast as the villain, and county coroner Blake comes up against the highest authorities in the land.

The pace of the story ebbed and flowed; some parts, like Clarence and Elizabeth's revelations and the descriptions of life on board in a storm to end all storms, were stunningly good.

**Please note: since I wrote this, the author has re-published the book, cutting it by 15k words**
I did think that the book was a bit long-winded; I thought that the alternate investigative chapters could have been shorter and with less detail.  I found myself hurrying through them because I wanted to get back to the Irex.  I think I'd have preferred it if they'd been every third chapter, perhaps; it was a shame to keep being pulled away from the main story.  The quality of writing never faltered, but on occasion I felt that less would have been more, throughout.  That this is a spectacularly good first novel, there is no doubt, but I think Mr Rackman might do well to find an editor to do his writing justice.

It's the story of good versus evil, faith and delusion, as well as being a grand, seafaring adventure and thrilling murder mystery, and I give it a definite thumbs up.

 

THE NORTH WATER by Ian McGuire

4.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE
On Goodreads HERE

How I discovered this book: I read a review of it on Evie Gaughan's blog.  Arctic wastes, hardship on a sea voyage, history, murder ~ I had to have it!  Longlisted for the Booker prize.

The North Water starts out as shocking, stark and not-for-the-faint-of-heart as it continues, with the introduction of psychopath Henry Drax in mid 19th Century Hull, waiting to board a whaling boat bound for Greenland.  Once on board, we soon become aware that Captain Brownlee and first mate Cavendish have more in mind than the usual expedition; the whaling industry is in decline, and they are looking for other ways to make money.  Enter the main character: opium addicted ship surgeon Sumner, who has fallen on hard times.

There is no doubt that the author has researched every aspect of 19th century whaling, and this book was fascinating in its detail and disturbingly real in its atmosphere.  The characters become three dimensional as soon as they open their mouths, and the underlying suspense made this novel one I would have read all in one go if I'd been able to.  A cabin boy is abused, murders take place, ill fate befalls the mariners, and many are left stranded... the plot is terrific.

Although I adored most of this book, I was slightly let down by the last 10%, which, although a well written and a suitable ending, was not as suspense-filled as the rest, and I felt a couple of elements went unanswered.  My only other complaint is that, whereas I do like gritty, gory realism, I could have done with a few less depictions of bodily odours/excretions.  But I still loved it, and would still recommend it most fervently, as long as you're not put off by graphic descriptions as mentioned in the previous sentence.


  

A WHISPER ON THE MEDITERRANEAN by Tonia Parronchi

4 out of 5 stars

Travel memoir/sailing

On Amazon UK HERE 
On Amazon.com HERE 
On Goodreads HERE 

Tonia, her Italian husband, Guido and baby James spent a summer sailing around the Med on their boat ~ what bliss, eh?  As soon as I read about this book I had to get it!

I loved reading about how they coped with the storms (I'm a bit of an extreme weather enthusiast), about the islands they visited (and their history), and the mechanics of sailing itself - all the better for being described in laymen's rather than technical terms, fear not!  Capri and Lipari made me drool, in particular, but I think I would have agreed with Guido, when Tonia said his favourite part of sailing was when they were out at sea, with no land in sight.  

Tonia's love of Italian food is most evident throughout ~ I could be heard whimpering with longing at the descriptions of the bread, the oil, the fresh tuna, etc (especially as I was existing on a diet of hospital food at the time of reading!).  Between each chapter is a relevant recipe, which I thought was an excellent touch, much better than putting them all at the end.  

This fulfilled all my escapism fantasies, but is also very down to earth - it wasn't all easy for Tonia being a mother of such a young child on an adventure such as this.  Yeah, yeah, okay, I wouldn't have minded having her problems!  Very readable, interesting and often amusing, too.  Recommended, whether you're a sailing/Italian food enthusiast or not :) ~ includes pictures!

THE SKIPPER'S CHILD by Val Poore

4.5 out of 5 stars

Adventure for older children or adults

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE 
On Goodreads HERE

The Skipper's Child is a story for older children and adults of all ages ~ in other words, anyone from ten to eighty years old!  It takes place on the canals of Belgium in the winter of 1962 when twelve year old Arie and his family become involved with a young Russian fugitive, Dmitri.

I've read three of Val Poore's non-fiction books, about her time living in South Africa and her own life on board barge, but I'd never read any fiction by her before.  I'm glad I did; this is a delightful book, and I felt completely immersed in the life of the skipper and his family of fifty years ago (and maybe a little wistfully wishing I was there....).

The story is very well plotted, no complaints there at all, but the beauty of the book lies in the picture Val Poore paints of this strange and appealing parallel world, and the thoughts of Arie as he treads the shaky path between child and adulthood.  I thoroughly enjoyed it - one to snuggle up in bed with!   

Val's inspiration for this story comes from real life ~ she wrote a blog post that makes it all mean much more - includes pictures :)

It's HERE 

I know they're houseboats not barges, I just liked the picture!

 

HARBOUR WAYS by Valerie Poore

5 out of 5 stars

Non Fiction, Memoir, Barge Life

Originally posted on Amazon UK HERE on 21 March 2014
On Amazon.com HERE

I think Val Poore is what I call a 'natural writer', in the same way as people like Bill Bryson; she writes about everyday activities and makes them interesting and amusing. This is an innate talent, it's not something you can learn in a creative writing class. I followed the installation of the bathroom on her barge with great interest!




This book is a fascinating glimpse into the life of 'liggers', barge dwellers in Rotterdam. It's a lifestyle I envy, and I adored reading about every bit of it. I'm so glad there were photos in this book, they really added to it as I could see the progression Val was making with her barge (I'm not going to name it right now because it would mean looking up how to spell it!). I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes reading factual accounts of different ways of life, or to those with a particular interest in a watery life - but read her other book, Watery Ways, first, as it will make this one mean more. Loved it, absolutely loved it!

Watery Ways by Val Poore reviewed HERE

African Ways by Val Poore reviewed HERE

WATERY WAYS by Valerie Poore

5 out of 5 stars

Non Fiction, Memoir, Barge life

Originally posted on Amazon UK HERE on 1 January 2014
On Amazon.com HERE

I loved every word!

In 1998 my ex-husband and I rented a narrowboat for 2 weeks, and I was in total bliss for a fortnight. I was so aware of the fact that we'd slipped just a few yards sideways into this parallel world that was visible to those on the land, but hardly noticed. When the fortnight was over I was deeply fed up!

In Watery Ways, about Val Poore's new life on board barges in Rotterdam, she talks about this parallel world, too, and I envy her so much for living in it. It's a story of physical hardship and sacrifice, as well as friendship and fun, but at no time did I get the impression that she was anything worse than temporarily frustrated about things like having no running water, or light to dress by before going to work, or practical difficulties with the maintenance of the boats. As one who sees this sort of thing as a challenge, too, I loved reading about how she got over the problems, and also about how much they made her appreciate every small comfort, too. To me, this book is not only about the practical aspects of the watery life, but about making the most of every moment and not sweating over the stuff that doesn't matter.

If you have any interest at all in things boat, you should read this; it's a terrific book! Fascinating, funny - and it made me wish I could spend some time aboard the Vereeniging with the author and Koos, too!  

Harbour Ways by Val Poore reviewed HERE

African Ways by Val Poore reviewed HERE

LIFE'S A DITCH by Charles Dougherty

5 GOLD STARS

Non Fiction, Memoir, Travel, Sailing

Originally posted on Amazon HERE on 22 March 2013

This is the tale of Charles and Leslie Dougherty's new life on board their boat, Play Actor, after giving up the the affluent, acquisitive, middle class, work and stress orientated lifestyle. I've read and reviewed 'Dungda de lslan', about their travels around the Caribbean; this is what happened before, describing their trip down the Atlantic Intercoastal Waterway, and on to the Bahamas.

I loved it, even more than Dungda de Islan'. Having always had fantasies about doing this sort of thing (me and a gazillion others!), I loved reading how Charles and Leslie's attitude to life changed so quickly; about how their focus altered, how their life became harder physically, yet more simple. The portrayal of this change in attitude isn't in any way cheesy, though; it's described in a practical, matter of fact and often amusing way. One bit that really struck me was Charles' realisation that this boat was now 'home' - if they had a problem with the boat they could no longer just go back to their nice comfortable house, and deal with the boat issue later...

Some parts of this book brought a tear to my eye, especially the bit about Willie, the Bahamian fisherman; I so enjoyed reading the bit about the Bahamas, but I think my favourite section of the book was when they were in Georgia, featuring Charles's recollections of his childhood, comparisons with modern times, and passages of historical interest. I'm ashamed to say that before I read this all I knew about Georgia was the impression given of it by the film 'Deliverance' - at least now I am better informed! Loved all the observations about the people Charles and Leslie came across, loved the domestic details, the descriptions of the wildlife and the scenery - I just loved it all. It's beautifully written, and I know I shall read parts of it again and again.

If you have an interest in sailing, love boats, or have ever wanted to pack in the 9-5 and live life according to your own rules, you will enjoy this book as much as I did!

Charles also writes fiction, and has a blog about his travels, which is fascinating; he's @clrdougherty on Twitter - follow him!


DUNGDA DE ISLAN' by the same author is reviewed HERE

DUNGDA DE ISLAN' by Charles Dougherty

5 out of 5 stars

Non-fiction, Travel, Caribbean, Sailing

Originally posted on Amazon HERE on May 25 2012

Tales from Charles and Leslie Dougherty's journeys around the islands of the Caribbean. I loved this book! It's charming, funny, interesting, thought provoking, informative. It made me feel as if I was there with them, and made me want to be so even more. I don't know anything about sailing, but even the quite technical boat-type bits were interesting, too! I loved reading all about the islanders; Charles has a knack of making just ordinary day to day activity read so well - reminded me a bit of the way Bill Bryson does so. Highly recommended.

Life's a Ditch by the same author is reviewed HERE