📖 Featured Book of the Month ~ Clanlands by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish

I’m delighted to get the New Year off to a great start with my Featured Book of the Month 

Hodder&Stoughton
November 2020

From their faithful camper van to boats, kayaks, bicycles, and motorbikes, join stars of Outlander Sam and Graham on a road trip with a difference, as two Scotsmen explore a land of raw beauty, poetry, feuding, music, history, and warfare.

Unlikely friends Sam and Graham begin their journey in the heart of Scotland at Glencoe and travel from there all the way to Inverness and Culloden battlefield, where along the way they experience adventure and a cast of highland characters. In this story of friendship, finding themselves, and whisky, they discover the complexity, rich history and culture of their native country.

📖 My thoughts...

This book was a Christmas gift from my daughter and reading it has been just the antidote needed to survive this lockdown festive period. Beautifully written with all the jovial banter you would expect from two alpha males, both fellow Scots, each of them liking their share of the spotlight, and it must be said the odd glass, or two, of whisky and fine wine. 

Moving effortlessly between narrators both Sam and Graham take us around their beloved Scotland in an intrepid camper van journey which is not without incident, or the odd argument, as each of them recount details from their past as jobbing actors, and from their starring roles as part of the Outlander television series on Starz.

Fans of either the Outlander novels, or the television series, will no doubt love this book as it contains enticing snippets about the filming of the series which, so far, we have not been privy to. I won't recount them here for fear of spoiling anything but they made me laugh out loud and I could well imagine the mischief and mayhem on set when these two funny guys were working together. There's quite a bit of Scottish history included and it’s done with affectionate charm for their motherland and a fine eye for historical detail as both the actors are gifted storytellers and whilst they do admit to having help with the writing of the book, it is indeed their voices which can be heard loud and clear. 

Clanlands : Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other is an entertaining travelogue through the beauty and history of Scotland in the company of two charismatic and mischievous narrators. And even though primarily the book will appeal mostly to Outlander fans, and with a foreword written by Diana Gabaldon, why wouldn't it! The book also ties-in with the TV series Men In Kilts which is coming to Starz in 2021.

I have no hesitation in making Clanlands my Featured Book for January. I've heard a little whisper that the Audible edition, narrated by Sam and Graham, is rather special 😉

About the Authors

Sam Heughan is an award-winning actor and philanthropist, best known for his role as Jamie Fraser in the hit TV show Outlander. With his growing success and fame, Sam has also lent his voice and platform to raise funds and awareness for many notable charities.

Graham McTavish has been acting for over 35 years in theatre, film and television. On film and TV he is best known for his roles as Dougal McKenzie in Outlander, the fierce Dwarf Dwalin in The Hobbit trilogy, and AMC's cult show Preachers as the Saint of Killers.

Twitter @SamHeughan @grahammctavish

@HodderBooks

@MeninKiltsSTARZ

Review ~ A Hitch in Time by Andy Smart

AA Publishing
25 July 2019

My thanks to the publishers and to Midas PR for my copy of this book

Combining comedy memoir, travel writing, and a wealth of unbelievable hair-raising situations, this autobiographical extravaganza chronicles the amazing early life of 80s comedy legend and Edinburgh veteran Andy Smart. Whether it’s running with the bulls in Pamplona, juggling with pig’s kidneys in Covent Garden, sharing a sherry with Samuel Beckett or sleeping on the beach in Biarritz, Andy’s travels in the late 70s and early 80s comprised a series of jaw-dropping, bizarre and gut-wrenching scenarios from which, amazingly, he emerged unscathed.

What did I think about it..

A Hitch in Time captures the life of this funny man in so many ways and from the start of Andy's story I found myself laughing at loud at some of his antics and of his uncanny ability to hitch a lift with a host of quirky individuals who add so much comedy to the story. There's some serious stuff as well but throughout the whole of this memoir, the author's ability to make you laugh shines through it all.

From his student days in Liverpool, to running with the bulls in Pamplona and all stops in between there is never a dull moment or a minute when the author's natural exuberance doesn't shine through. And so easy is the narrative that it really feels as if you are sitting opposite the author in a pub somewhere and enjoying a pint or two as he recounts his latest escapade, and believe me this guy has had some really funny adventures.

There's a few that really stand out, especially the dare he took to travel by hitching a ride from Liverpool to Ben Nevis, climbing the mountain, and then hitching back to Liverpool and all within twenty four hours - now that really does take some skill, and whether he succeeds or not is for you to discover for yourself! Or of the times when he was hungry and strangers paid for his breakfast and those drivers who went out of their way to take him to places. It's not all about his travels though and there are lots of recollected moments from his childhood and of his family and friends which add a different dimension to the book.

A Hitch in Time is an enjoyable travel memoir which would make a great holiday read especially if you're travelling around Europe. It's published on the 25th July by AA Publishing

About the Author

Eighties comedy legend Andy Smart is one of Britain’s most versatile performers. A huge star of the 1980s, Andy is one of the revered veterans of The Comedy Store - London’s internationally renowned and only full-time comedy venue. 1985 saw the birth of the Comedy Store Players, an improvisation group which Andy joined from the start alongside the likes of Paul Merton and Mike Myers. Andy continues to this day to perform hilarious improvised stand-up at the club every Sunday and Wednesday.

Twitter @AndyCSP #AHitchInTime

@TheAA_Lifestyle

@Midaspr

🎄 Review ~ Around the World in 80 Words by Paul Anthony Jones

Elliot&Thompson
October 2018
My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

From Monte Carlo to Shanghai, Bikini to Samarra, Around the World in 80 Words is a whimsical voyage through the far-flung reaches of the English language.

My thoughts about it..

Reading is always an adventure and, in Around the World in 80 Words, the adventure starts in London with a journey through the English language. Taking us from the derivation of the term, "Kent Street Ejectment", which I have to admit I hadn't heard of, but maybe Londoners have 😊, through to being sent to Coventry, this absorbing etymological exploration, is a cornucopia of fascinating detail.

Like all readers, I have a curiosity with words, not just in speech and modern fiction, but also in the way our language has evolved, and of the diversity of the origins of words in our shared language.

This is one of those engrossing compilations which is easy to dip into and out of, picking a country or a word and then just letting the beauty of both, and the exemplary research, take you into the fascinating and complicated world of the English language.

Eighty stops, from London, to the Vire region of France, the source of the word Vaudeville, through to Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and all parts of Eastern Europe, from Colombo in Sri Lanka, home of Serendipity, to the Brazil nuts of Rio de Janeiro, there is such a wealth of information, not just about the words we have purloined from so many different cultures, but also in the way their use has changed and evolved over time.

I don't travel much, but that doesn't mean I'm not fascinated by different cultures and so the absolute appeal of Around the World in 80 Words, for me, is that I've travelled thousands of miles and learned so much fascinating detail without ever having to ditch my cup of tea, or leave my favourite armchair.

Around the World in 80 Words is a perfect Christmas present for any wordsmith, linguist or book worm.

About the Author

Since 2013 Paul has tweeted a new old word every day. After just six months, HaggardHawks had amassed more than 4,000 followers, been named as one of the best language-based accounts on Twitter, and had been profiled on The Huffington Post. It added its 5,000th follower in August 2014; its 10,000th in June 2015; its 40,000th in August 2017; and its 50,000th in June 2018. 

Supporters range from Stig Abel at the TLS to Susie dent on Countdown, and many famous names follow @HaggardHawks eg Jack Monroe, Rufus Sewell, Simon Blackwell, Robert Macfarlane, Sara Pascoe, Allegra Stratton and David Baddiel.

Website

Twitter @HaggardHawks


@eandtbooks