2024 Wrap-Up

Another year draws to a close, one of great highs and lows. The world has certainly felt like a scary place to live a lot of the time and for anyone personally impacted by any of the horrors inflicted this year, I hope 2025 brings more peace and healing. For those fortunate enough to benefit from it, art can be a reminder of the beauty that also exists in this world and of our shared  humanity. It can, of course, also be a welcome escape when life feels heavy. Here are some of my highlights from the past twelve months.

Books:

Non-fiction this year his proved thought-provoking. One that I think will stay with me for a long time is Unwell Women by Elinor Cleghorn, a fascinating yet horrifying look at the history of medical misogyny and the ways in which it unfortunately continues to impact the treatment women receive. What Everyone Knows About Britain by Michael Peel proved to be an interesting examination of Britain's past and present and how the former has influenced the latter. Wherever you sit on the political spectrum there's food for thought here, On a more whimsical note, I thoroughly enjoyed John Bevis' romp through the public library system in An English Library Journey. A reminder, if ever one were needed, of how precious our public libraries are.

On the fiction front, I have to mention This Motherless Land as it is by far the book I have recommended most this year. With villains you love to hate and a protagonist who is captivating and good without being unbelievably perfect, this book has so much to keep you hooked. The Little Paris Bookshop came to me at just the right time and its mix of whimsy and philosophy hit all the right buttons for me.

Live:

One of the highlights of live performance for me this year was English National Ballet's Swan Lake in the round, which I've been eager to see since it first graced the Albert Hall's stage. It did not disappoint - a spectacular, beautiful production. Another highlight was Spirited Away. Never having seen the anime, I was coming to it fresh but its sumptuous design, ingenious stagecraft, and sweet story made for an excellent evening of theatre.

Special mention too to the Paddington Experience, a new addition to London for 2024. An immersive experience that takes you through Paddington's cosy London home to the rainforests of Peru, it is a beautifully designed experience with actors who fully embrace the roles, working hard to ensure everyone feels welcome and part of the action. Highly recommended as a family day out, even is your children are now adults.

Travel:

Annecy

I've been very fortunate that a combination of work and personal trips have meant 2024 has been a good year for travel. Regular readers will know what a wonderful experience I had walking the West Highland Way in the summer. I was fortunate to spend a few days in the south of France in the medieval village of Tourrettes-sur-Loup which proved to be not just a beautiful, sunny time but also a hub of creativity and great food. 

A trip to Switzerland took me to the Matterhorn and lovely Lausanne, probably my favourite stop of the Swiss part of the trip. On the banks of Lake Geneva and climbing to a castle overlooking the water and surrounding mountains, it’s a city with a lot to offer. A day trip from Geneva to Annecy in France was also a highlight, despite the near constant rain. The beautiful old town is threaded through with canals leading off from Lake Annecy, adding extra charm to this already delightful spot. The water is turquoise, the history is fascinating, and cheese, wine, and crepes are plentiful.

I also made my first trip to Ireland with a long weekend in Dublin the weekend before Halloween, and my do the locals go all in for the season. A visit to the National Leprechaun Museum, a storytelling experience which was a highlight of the trip, gave us an opportunity to learn more about the season of Samhain. A trip to Bewley’s for cake was also well worth it.

A festive road trip has taken me to a few more places on my UK bucket list and as I type this snow is gently falling outside my hotel window. I feel so incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to see so many beautiful places this year, both in my local area and further afield, and can’t wait to see where 2025 will take me.

I wish you all the best for the year ahead, and hope that it is filled with all the things that bring you joy. I’d love to hear your top tips for hidden gems and reading highlights in the comments. 

Gifts, Laura Barnett

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In the lead-up to Christmas there’s still plenty of gifts to find, and through the stories of twelve characters we see them search for that meaningful something to get someone special. Whether it be a school friend, a carer, or a husband who is adamant they don’t want anything, each wants to get it right, to find something that will show how much the recipient means to them. The chapters each focus on a different character, one that was mentioned in the previous chapter, often the recipient of the previous chapter’s gift. Although focussed around Christmas the stories are each insights into their lives, giving rich backstory, often quite dark or troubling, which make these characters three dimensional and believable. Many are struggling with new starts, having lost a loved one, recently come out of a relationship, or, for one, adjusting to life after prison. There’s also a collective sense of fresh beginnings as they leave the pandemic behind and are able to celebrate Christmas without restrictions once again. The pandemic is never discussed in depth, and the early mentions of it may be confusing for readers in the years ahead, where those reading now, memories fresh in our minds, will easily pick up the references and understand the world these characters are emerging from. 

The first four characters’ tales are quite closely linked - Maddy, who runs a bookshop in their small town searches for a present for an old friend and possible love interest, who in turn searches for something for his daughter Chloe. She has chosen to come and live with him in his separation from her mother, the true reasoning for which neither or them are fully aware. She in turn looks for a gift for her grandmother, who knows her better than any other family member. The closeness of these four stories means that there is some continuation as we see Maddy and Peter’s relationship develop and find out what’s going on with Chloe. After their four stories it begins to stretch out more, and although all the characters are inter-connected, no other set goes into quite as much detail. It is an interesting technique for telling a story, and you care about all the characters, often wishing you could have more time with them. It does eventually loop back and bring them full circle, but once you move a couple of chapters away from a protagonist you won’t learn much more about them. 

There are common themes within. Primarily, the complexity of relationships. There are happy marriages where secrets are still occasionally kept, decidedly unhappy marriages, and abusive sibling relationships. New relationships bud, while others are cut off before they have a chance to bloom. Parents and friends are lost, while others decline in a care home, a financial strain on their offspring who love them but who have mixed feelings about their decline. As in life, nothing is straight forward, lives do not progress in a linear fashion, and there are dark secrets hidden behind smiles. We see the judgment of certain relationships from the outside, but also the flip side of what it feels like for those in the marriage. Certainly not perfect, but well intentioned and loving. It will make you think about your family, by blood and by choice, and how complicated these relationships can be, as well as the gap between perceptions and intentions.

The festive theme hangs fairly lightly throughout as we delve into the inner lives of our twelve protagonists. If you are looking for a feel good Christmas read, this might not be the one for you as it deals with some dark topics, but for those wanting a book for the season without the Hallmark ending, well it might just be worth picking up. It reminds us of what really makes any celebration and tradition special, and that we are all connected.

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You Are Here, David Nicholls

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Driven and successful Cleo is determined to help her divorced friends out of their shells and back into the world of fun with friends. Michael, a geography teacher at the school she leads, is struggling with his mental health, and very much prefers his own company. Repeatedly rejecting her offers of company on hikes, he eventually relents and agrees to a group joining him for the first few days of the 190 mile Coast to Coast walk he is about to embark upon. Marnie, living alone in London, and being a freelance copyeditor, has very little opportunity or inclination to spend time with others, always hoping for a cancellation to come through for any plans she’s reluctantly agreed to. She’s not a walker but agrees when Cleo invites her for the walk, thinking it might be just what she needs. Arriving in all new waterproofs and walking boots, she appears the inexperienced hiker Michael had suspected would be joining him (although he certainly doesn’t make the route any shorter or easier to allow for this). Cleo invites a London pharmacist along who she thinks would suit Marnie well, and triathlete Tessa for Michael. When Tessa doesn’t show and Conrad scurries back to London at the first signs of rain, their focus is forced on each other. What follows is a gentle opening up, companionship in long distance walking, and a few geographical tidbits thrown in for good measure.

The opening chapter introduces us to Marnie, and the descriptions of how her world has shrunk with age and the isolation which is inherent in remote working are painfully relatable. At thirty eight she feels left behind by her friends who are happily married and distracted with raising a family. Even when she is invited to events, on the rare occasions she goes, she is aware of the awkwardness of being the divorcee of the group, and the quiet matchmaking that her friends inflict on her. As the book progresses we get an insight into her own unhappy marriage, and although she often presents it with a hint of humour it’s clear it has left deep wounds. Despite feeling too old to start again she embraces the opportunity of the walking holiday, feigning interest in Conrad’s Formula One obsession, persevering when the weather makes the walk more than unpleasant, and generally flitting around lightening the mood.

Michael’s marriage feels like a very different beast. Him and Natasha tried for a long time to get pregnant but this took its toll, and when a brutal attack left him physically and mentally scarred it pushed them too far and they separated. It feels like there’s still a lot of love between them and a genuine desire for the other to be happy. He continues to live in their marital home, some of her possessions still there, living what feels like a half life. He spends as much time out walking as possible, in part to escape a home that no longer feels like one. He is full of anxiety and struggles to talk about what’s led him to this point. When he does make an effort it is sweet and you hope that things will work out. Will the walk show him that nature will only go so far in healing, sharing it with another might just be the key. But is he ready to let go of the hope of reconciliation with Natasha?

Conrad may be a decoy for Marnie to begin with, but it’s clear to the reader that the potential romance will be with Michael. At the outset he hopes to continue the walk as if he were on his own, walking ahead of the rest of the group, but as numbers dwindle this becomes increasingly difficult. Marnie spends most of some of the days swearing at the mud and at him for lying to her about the challenges ahead, but he gradually learns to enjoy the company, and as her departure date approaches they’re both reluctant to bring the walk to an end. She teases him gently about his love of geography and finding what others see as quite boring to be of great interest. He listens to her open up with genuine interest and care.

The walk and landscape itself is central to the novel. The peace and companionship of walking with another, whether or not you’re talking, is well drawn, and the misery of being stuck miles from anywhere in wind and rain will be familiar to any keen hikers. Each accommodation is well described, with an ongoing joke about the wifi passwords, and it really brings to life the cosy pubs, the stodgy food, and attempts to keep your clothes dry before putting them on again the next day. This is not an idealised version of the English countryside but does highlight the camaraderie of long-distance walking and the friends you make along the way. 

A lovely, easy read which will put a smile on your face. The characters are believable, and although slightly frustrating at times, their backstories are shared enough that you understand what’s made them the way they are. A gentle love story that isn’t without its upsets, you long for them to find comfort in each other. 

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Small Batch Bakes, Edd Kimber

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Being a keen baker while living in a small household can mean endlessly having too many baked goods to reasonably eat before they go off, or determinedly munching your way through seemingly endless cake long past its best. Sure, you can try and scale down the recipe, awkwardly attempting to use half an egg, forgetting half way through that you’re meant to be halving quantities (just me?) and ending up with a less than perfect bake. Edd Kimber, the original Bake Off champion, offers the perfect solution with his 2022 book Small Batch Bakes. Each recipe is designed for one to six people, meaning you’re more likely to be wanting more than throwing away stale bakes. This ingenious book covers pastry, cookies, cakes, desserts, and breads, meaning there’s bound to be something that takes your fancy every time the baking bug hits. 

Kimber is keen that making small batches doesn’t mean lots of wasted ingredients. Often it feels like you can only buy ingredients in large quantities that don’t keep well, but he offers suggestions on how to cut down on this. He also signposts recipes that help use up ingredients, for example, for egg whites if you’ve only needed the yolks, a favourite inclusion for me as I find it so frustrating wasting these things. This is an incredibly well-thought out book which makes baking delicious treats a joy. 

The recipes themselves are wonderful, whether its an Emergency Chocolate Chip Cookie for one (my first bake from the book), a cinnamon bun loaf cake, or sour cherry galettes, they are of the highest standard. I bought this book only a couple of months ago and have already used it far more than some other recipe books that have been sat on my bookshelf for much longer. The variety and originality of the recipes combined with all the hard work already having been done to scale them down makes this the perfect book for any keen baker, and because the portions are smaller you have a good excuse to bake even more. I’m completely obsessed, and can’t wait to get my hands on his latest offering - Small Batch Cookies. 

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Remarkably Bright Creatures, Shelby Van Pelt

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Tova Sullivan spends her nights cleaning the local aquarium, despite all her friends encouraging her to finally retire at the age of 70. She feels the need to keep busy however, her son’s death at the age of 18 leaving her with a lingering grief, the recent loss of her husband to cancer, and even more recent, the loss of her estranged brother, has left her feeling more alone than ever. She enjoys her work at the aquarium and talks to the creatures in their tanks as she makes her way around the building. One night, however, she gets a surprise when she discovers Marcellus, the Giant Pacific Octopus that resides there, out of his tank and tangled in cables. She helps him back to his tank and thus begins a friendship that will have major impacts for both of them. Marcellus is not merely a side character, he narrates parts of the novel, counting his days of captivity, aware that the end of his life is drawing near. He observes the humans who come to see him and marvels at the things they miss that seem so obvious to him. The third main focus of the novel is  30 year old Cameron Cassmore, recently fired, again, and newly single after his girlfriend unceremoniously kicks him out. He finds himself back on the couch of his two childhood best friends, now married and expecting their first child, there is a sense that he has been left behind. His aunt Jeanne gives him a box of items from his mother, who he hasn’t seen since he was nine. He plans to pawn anything of value, but an old class ring and photograph leads him to believe he might finally be able to track down his father. When Cameron and Tova’s paths cross they have the opportunity to find what’s missing for them both, but will they see it before it’s too late, and can Marcellus help reveal what remains hidden to them?

Sowell Bay is a small community and everyone knows everyone else’s business, in no small part thanks to Ethan, the owner of the local grocery store. He may like to gossip, but his heart is in the right place. When Cameron turns up in a falling apart camper he helps him fix it up, and lets him park on his drive, offering him a sense of home in a strange town. Tova is quite private and doesn’t appreciate her business being shared, especially when it encourages others to think she needs to take life slower. She’s very conscious of the town knowing about her personal tragedies and not really knowing how to be around her. At a large gathering we see first hand how awkward conversations quickly become with a thoughtless comment. She’ll always be the woman who lost her teenage son, and although it’s painful, she would actually like people to talk to her about their memories of Erik, something they’re generally reluctant to do.

Cameron is introduced to us in a way that makes him seem irresponsible and a bit of a liability, but as we get to know him we see that he really does want to do the best he can but struggles to get past a low sense of self worth. Life in Sowell Bay seems to agree with him however, he manages to hold down a job at the aquarium for longer than any other job he’s had, and he even meets someone. Finding his father proves difficult however, and when he finally does meet the man he’s looking for things don’t fall into place as easily as he’d hoped. He almost lets his anger and disappointment get the better of him, but the people he has met in the Bay have taught him about responsibility. Tova spends time at the aquarium while he is there, and although he finds her very particular way of doing things somewhat frustrating to begin with, they form a friendship, and share the secret of Marcellus’s night-time wanderings.

Marcellus himself is an interesting character, causing slight chaos on his wanders, eating the other exhibits, although he thinks he’s careful never to eat too many. His narrative is amusing and very interesting as an alternative viewpoint. When we finally learn of how he came into captivity it also makes you question whether being ‘rescued’ is really the best outcome. He was injured and no doubt benefited from the opportunity to recuperate in the safety of the aquarium, but in doing so he was condemned to spend the rest of his life in captivity. We see the arrival of a new octopus toward the end of the novel, also injured and afraid, the owner excited to have a replacement for Marcellus when his inevitable end arrives. Throughout, the owner is shown to be knowledgable about the lives under his care, and that he genuinely wants to do his best for them, but it is important to think about how the living exhibits really feel. 

This is a warm book, with characters that you fall for. Central characters such as Erik and Cameron’s mum never appear directly but we see much of them through the recollections of others. They are important characters despite, or perhaps because of, their absence. It will make you think about family and friends and how easy it is to lose important connections in life, encouraging you to make the effort. You see the full range of life, from absent parents to loss, and concerns about what the end of your life will look like. Despite this, it doesn’t feel like a heavy book at all, but is emotional at times. A warm hug of a book, with a wonderful, unusual narrator.

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Family Lore, Elizabeth Acevedo

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Flor has the ability to know when someone is going to die, and so when she plans her own living wake, her family naturally worries that there’s something she hasn’t shared with them. The book follows the preparations for the wake while Flor’s daughter Ona, an anthropologist, records her family’s history, exploring each sister’s past and present, the heartbreaks, the family struggles, and the way their sisterly bonds have been built and challenged. Ona’s cousin Yadi also features, allowing a comparison between the generations and an exploration of the ways family lore is passed on and impacts throughout the years.

Ona herself is struggling with conceiving a much longed for child. Having undergone surgery the year before, she has been desperately trying for a baby with her partner Jeremiah, but it takes its toll, leaving them feeling as though the affection and genuine desire has been stripped from their relationship. Her exploration of family is particularly pertinent as she tries to continue her own. Her interviews with her aunts and cousin wear them out somewhat but encourage them all to consider what makes a good life, and to face the possibly imminent loss of Flor. 

Romantic relationships are important throughout, although the book is female led, the male characters are supporting players in their story. For many, marriage has been a challenge, with alcoholism and addiction, infidelity, and separation appearing. There is also sadness in loss for those lucky enough to find a good man. The men in their lives are often selfish, and we see instances in their youth of the dangers of the opposite sex, and their vulnerability, not just to attack, but of the consequences of a society which values purity in women. Ona’s gift is that of an ‘alpha vagina’ which she can control at will, which in some ways makes her inability to control other aspects of her reproductive system all the more painful. Her cousin Yadi lost her childhood sweetheart to prison when he was condemned for a crime he didn’t commit. Their reunion causes a lot of heartache and confusion, and makes her question what took place in the years apart, of the silence between them when others in the community stayed in touch. Their story also raises questions about the criminal justice system. This is one of many examples of how Acevedo weaves multiple layers of meaning and questioning throughout.

The sisters grew up in the Dominican Republic and each came to New York at different times and for different reasons. The values and traditions they grew up with are different than Ona and Yadi, although their parents try to keep them connected to their roots. Indeed, in times of strife, it proves useful to go back and stay with family there, even if some things (having their toilet business inspected, for example) are difficult to adjust to. There is generational trauma however in the way some were treated in their youth, Mamá Silvia and her siblings having left an indelible mark. 

As the wake approaches Flor begins to question whether it was the right choice. She can see the strain it’s putting on her closest family, the worry in Ona’s voice as she asks probing questions, and it’s tiring for her always having to avoid giving too much away. She wanted it to be a happy event, coming together with her loved ones, celebrating a life lived well, she hopes. But she herself also feels the strain, constantly changing the menu, indecisive about her outfit. 

This is an absorbing book, fitting so much life into so few pages. It makes you think deeply about family and how complicated they can be. The narrative shifts, with each new focus being indicated at the beginning of the chapter. Some might find this a bit disorienting, and to be honest when I saw there was a cast list at the opening I was concerned, but each story is so captivating, and each life so entangled with the others, that it reads easily. Each member of the family will go out to bat for the others, yet it’s also clear there are certain aspects of their lives that will always remain a mystery to those around them. A wonderful book with realistically drawn characters who you root for at every turn. 

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The Little Paris Bookshop, Nina George (trans. by Simon Pare)

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Jean Perdu owns a bookshop barge on the River Seine in Paris which he runs as a literary apothecary, prescribing books for customers, and on occasion refusing to sell ones he thinks are wrong for them. His eccentricities seem to extend to his home life, an apartment devoid of life and a locked room which houses the ghosts of his past. He may be perceptive when it comes to the needs of others, but struggles to heal his own heartbreak. A new neighbour, Catherine, is experiencing her own relationship breakdown, arriving without any furniture, and in need of comfort. She is nonetheless headstrong and encourages Perdu to engage, and ultimately to face the past he has been hiding from for the past twenty years. A couple of months earlier, Max Jordan, author of a viral book, moved in to the building, relieved that his fans haven’t found him, he spends his days trying to avoid being recognised as he battles with the struggle of what to write next. Soon he is embarking on a voyage to Provence in the book barge with Perdu, one seeking to find something that has long been lost, the other trying to find their future.

We catch glimpses of Perdu in his younger, more care-free days through the insertion of journal papers written by Manon, his former love. We see how he became the man he is and how his life could have been different. We never meet Manon in-person in the novel and so this is our main source of understanding of her as a person, outside of Perdu’s deep affection for her. Whatever our views on how their relationship played out, it would be hard not to feel the devastation of its ending, and the half life Perdu lived for so long as a result. His burgeoning relationship with Catherine is thoughtfully written, with both vulnerability and independence being shown. Intimacy with someone new is not something either of them have had to deal with for a long time and George writes the scenario realistically, with all the frustrations and misunderstandings of human interaction. There is also a maturity to their relationship, an understanding that they’ve lived full lives and therefore have unresolved feelings and baggage, and are able to give each other variously the space and support they need to work through them. 

This is a book about love, grief, and finding yourself. It’s also a love letter to books. Perdu understands the power of reading, and although his journey is deeply personal, he also hopes to discover the author of a book that touched his life profoundly, whose author writes under a pseudonym and whose true identity is unknown. For those looking for some literary healing too, the book closes with a list of books (an ‘emergency pharmacy’) for those in need, as well as some recipes for anyone whose tastebuds were tingling from the rich descriptions of food and drink throughout.

This is a lovely read, with a host of eccentric yet well-rounded characters. It deals with serious and sad topics but manages to retain an overall sense of lightness. It had sat on my bookshelf waiting to be read for quite some time and I finally picked it up in need of something light hearted and cheerful. It wasn’t exactly that, but it was beautiful, whimsical yet philosophical. I loved it. 

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