sea – mylittlebookblog

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Helllllo readers – today may be a first. But a good first I think. I’m reviewing two books from an author back to back which I normally try to avoid. However after read the first book from John Perrier I thought I needed to see if the other books I had been sent has the same straight-forward style or whether this had more of a writerly feel. After reading the second I couldn’t help myself but write up a review; ENJOY!

When an Oxford Professor stumbles upon an old naval Captain’s log, he unwittingly discovers what many scholars now agree is one of the greatest maritime adventures in history.

In 1821, Captain Fintan McAdam set sail from London, solo, in search of adventure. During his journey, he discovered incredible new worlds and interacted with their amazing inhabitants. They forced him to confront his enemies within, learning much about himself.

Captain Rum, as told in McAdam’s own words through his journal, is a tale of discovery, despair and delight. It will keep you enthralled through many a stormy night.

As the blurb suggests the book follows the discovery of Captain McAdam’s journal that pens his sea adventures in the year of 1821. Leaving in search of both an adventure and to leave his life and miseries in London behind we see Captain Rum discover himself at sea – new places, terrrors, worries, natives, a few near misses with death, we see our protagonist begin to discover himself, sometimes positively and sometimes not so much. With Bubo the parrot beside him what could go wrong?

My review then – did I enjoy this? Yes I really did if I’m honest with you. The language style and the feel of the writing is very vivid and applicable to the time that the book is set. It flows wonderfully and really has a lot of character and depth. The writing is still in a diary style format meaning that it is still a little straight-forward in terms of the writing style but because of the characterisation it has a much more engaging feel – for me anyway. Here we see one of Captain Rum’s dreams.

The ocean was deep – deep and black – and was spitting white foam over the gunwales. The storm’s ferocity grew with every passing moment, and the wind tore at her sails until they were just flailing canvas rags. Just as it seemed she could take no more, two giant waves careened into either side of her. But instead of crushing her, the waves transformed into a pair of giant wings. The wings pulled themselves free of the sea and then flapped in steady beats, like that of a dragon. Slowly, my little sloop lifted herself above the waves and flew away to safety.

Parts of the book are incredibly interesting and even though Captain Rum is pretty much our sole character the author manages to engage the reader and keep us reading through the tale. During the adventure Captain Rum ends up stranded on an island and needs to grow certain seeds and plants to help him get the boat fit for sailing. I thought this part of the book was exceptionally well written and it really made me feel as though all of this could be true. I could imagine the Captain carefully trying to grow the seedlings whilst trying to mantain his strength and his mentality – it really is an intriguing tale.

Captain Rum as a character is a bit of an odd one. I felt for him with the loss of Beth and the struggle with alcohol to mantain his sanity but then he has such a strong compass to succeed and discover and be one with the sea. He is honestly a fantastic character and one I did really enjoy reading about. Bubo is a lovely and quirky character and he is given such character that he really becomes a member of the story in his own right.

Would I recommend this overall? Yes, yes, yes. If you like historical fiction and you like the idea of adventure this book is really brilliant. I guess the only complaint I could see is that the diary style does mean it reads very much as like a self-discovery tale but I thought it was well-written with a strong character and a darling idea. Really really brilliant.

PS: Don’t be naughty and skip the very beginning, the author has very cleverly put together a note about the writing of the book which is such a special touch.

Linnnnnks

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A different review today! I absolutely love travelling, and in the past years, I have travelled extensively over Europe; Paris, Orleans, Rome, Pompei, Florence, Venice, Koln, Belgium, Switzerland, and many others and further a field to places like Borneo in Malaysia. However one place that has so far eluded me is the bright lights of the beautiful Thailand. So, when the lovely Hayley of ‘bitterballenbruid.wordpress.com,’ (PLEASE go check it out, it’s an absolutely beautiful blog!) sent me an email to review this travel guide by Marco Polo, I was very happy to give it an honest review. Now I must admit I have never done one of these before, however I’m going to give it a very good go! So with no further a due, on to the review! Let’s go travelling to the delightfully beautiful and magical Thailand!

Travel guides are the travellers, go-to. We hold them like sacred books that tell us the dos and don’ts of where we are going; where is the best place to eat a real Spanish paella? When is the best time to visit the London Eye? When is the best time of day to go shopping in Venice to avoid the siestas of the locals? How to get away from the tourist track in Berlin or where to buy the best peaches in Brussels? They are extremely important to travellers far and wide, whether travelling far or not-so-far, whether it is a short or long trip, with family, friends or even alone. Travel books are hallowed and we all know the dangers of using a bad one. But this one is a real gem and I’m going to tell you why! If you want to experience Thailand take this lovely little guide, packed with up-to-date attractions and go to places. No matter what you want to experience, food, attractions, sports, activities or just a little shopping this is a ‘go-to’ book. Marco Polo describes it’s book most impressively with the line; ‘most holiday makers want to have fun and feel relaxed from the moment they arrive at their holiday destination- that’s what Marco Polo Guides are all about.’ It’s a big claim but as I continued to look through the book I did feel very much in safe hands. Not only will you find out where the best place to stay is, in the exact location you would like to stay, but additionally the best night-life hotspots, tips on where to shop and what you will find most often on each of the different floors, but also tips for the budget. Whether you are a penniless student, or a high-flying tourist looking to spend all of their pennies you will find exactly what you need to plan your perfect voyage. Whether this is meditation or a search for exotic cuisines similar to the eating challenges on ‘I’m a Celebrity,’ or trekking and diving; Marco Polo reduces this to a size in which it is perfectly pocket-ready. This coupled with beautifully taken photographs and colour-coded locations help to make this book even easier to read and this makes the book even quicker to get to grips with!

One of the things I liked most about this book was its extremely simple but helpful layout. Colour co-ordinated for different locations including North, South and Central locations, whether you were looking for folklore dancing in Chiang Mai, or Pattaya’s floating market it is easy to search and read. Overall this is a simply laid-out book with many tips and secrets. We all know that Thailand is a world of alluring surprises distant and exotic, but this book condenses it perfectly into a hand guide that would fit into the pocket of any rucksack of any traveller. With the additional road atlas and pullout map you cannot help but think that the publishers of this book have not missed a single detail. The aspect I thought was the most special was the addition of a ‘blogs, and apps, section.’ Sometimes the most important part of a holiday guide are the real comments made by real travellers and by having a selection that relate especially to the location you are travelling to, is extremely helpful when planning a trip. Additionally I couldn’t get over how extensive this book is as it really covers everything a traveller would want from a trip! I could not believe the detail and the depth that this book goes into. This is further seen in the ‘insider tip’ notes on some of the descriptions, these are extra special details that allow you to get the most out of your trip; these include secret, less known spots, and more extraordinary or unusual activities; so look out for them!

Overall this is a simply lovely book that really gets to the heart of what travellers want; tips and tricks fused with perfectly co-ordinated and organised travel destinations. If you want something that covers an extensive guide of a certain holiday destination I would not miss a beat in taking this trusty book with me, right away!