Synopsis from the book cover:

Ziya Bey has six months left to live. From his mansion on Farewell Fountain Street, the Ottoman aristocrat plans to tie up some questionable business affairs and say goodbye to the people he cherishes. He hires Artvin, a disillusione professor with a troubled past, to assist him. Intrigued by his employer’s mysterious household. Artvin spends the days uncovering Ziya Bey’s turbulent life story.

The two men become bound together as they reveal dark elements from their pasts. But when Ziya Bey releases Artvin from his duties sooner than expected, Artvin inherits a spiral of violence he cannot control.

In this gripping ride through the streets of Istanbul, two men learn one another’s secrets. But can either of them learn to live with themselves?

Thoughts on the book:

The book is promoted as a thriller but I would categorise it as mystery. The mystery which is teased throughout the book is revealed at the end was a surprise. I enjoyed the discriptions of Turkey and the interactions between Artvin and Ziya Bey.

The chapters are structured in a way that compelled me to read just a little bit more…

Synopsis (from book cover):

When Covid-19 hit the UK and lockdown was declared, Mike Matthews wondered how his historic four-star hotel would survive. Then Shrewsbury Council called. The British government had launched a programme called ‘Everyone In’ and 33 rough sleepers needed beds. The Prince Rupert would end up taking in more than 100 homeless people for over a year – many of whom had spent decades on the streets.

This is the astonishing account of how the hotel owner, manager and accountant and their unlikely new guests spent months locked in together and wound up transforming each other’s lives.

Review:

As we get to know the homeless people who were temporary guests at the Prince Rupert Hotel, I found the book is heartwarming, uplifting and sad in equal measures

Many of the homeless were traumatised, addicts or suffered with mental illness. We learn of their struggles and how some were able to lift themselves up to a better life whilst others were unable to break from their addictions.

The compassion, and sometimes frustration of the three hosts to the homeless shines through as does the generosity of the local people and businesses.

I thoroughly recommend this book, it gives an insight to how these ‘rough sleepers’ ended up sleeping on the streets and why some of them even when given opportunities are unable (or choose not to) to change their situation.

Photo courtesy of ShelterBox Book Club

Synopsis from the book cover:

In 2002, three young women with no business degrees, no formal training, and nothing to lose founded a fiercely independent bookstore. At the time, nothing like Diwan existed in Cairo. Culture was languishing under government mismanagement, and books were considered a luxury, not a necessity. Over the next decade, these three women would contend with censors, chauvinists, critics, one another and many people who said they would never succeed in establishing Diwan as Cairo’s leading bookstore.

Frank, fresh and very funny, Chronicles of a Cairo Bookseller is a portrait of a country hurtling toward a revolution, a feminist rallying cry, and an unapologetic crash course in running a business under the law of entropy. Above all, it is a celebration of the power of words to bring us home.

Thoughts on the book:

This was my first ShelterBox Book Group read and of three books on offer for the club vote this wasn’t my first choice.

I found the book engaging and like that it is structured in topics rather than chronological order. This reveals the problems with setting up the bookshop and expanding the business in context with other life experiences, allowing the story to unfold throughout the book.

I learned more about the culture of Egypt and the difficulties of three women starting and running a business in a patriarchal society. One of the passages in the book describes how a man wanted to do business with the company but refused to shake Nadia’s hand…

The author, Nadia portrayed herself as an unlikeable person and there is a lot of unnecessary swearing in the book which detracts from the narrative. The way Nadia treated her staff was inconsistent, she admonished and deducted pay for small misdemeanours of untidy book displays whilst letting those thieving from her to get off with paying back what they stole. Was that because the thief was male?

I Loved reading about the conversations between Nadia and her driver, although, sadly they eventually parted ways.

Would I recommend the book?

YES

Description from the Rough Guide website:

Inspirational and informative pocket guide, shining a spotlight on the best of holidaying at home in the UK through clearly laid-out walking and driving itineraries.

Explore the best of Brighton, Sussex & the South Downs with this unique Rough Guide Staycation to Brighton, Sussex & the South Downs, packed full of insider information and stunning images. From making sure you don’t miss out on must-see attractions like Brighton Pier, Chichester’s Novium Museum and grandiose Petworth House to discovering hidden gems, including spotting Sussex wildlife at Arundel Wetland Centre, walking the rambling South Downs Way and mooching down Brighton’s The Lanes, the easy-to-follow, ready-made walking and driving routes will save you time, help you plan, and enhance your staycation in Brighton, Sussex & the South Downs.

Review:

The walking routes within Brighton and the car tours in the wider area inspired me to purchase the book to help us enjoy the best of what Brighton has on offer.  Each tour gave us the information we needed to explore Brighton to the full; sharing information of interest that we would othewise have missed. We didn’t have enough time to explore the wider area more fully but the book has inspired us to go back and explore the area more including places we have visited before.

The bottom line is that this book helped us get the most out of our holiday in Brighton and Arundel so I would reccommend it to others who are interested in exploring the area.

The book includes a FREE eBook version for those who prefer guides in a digital format.

As mentioned in my previous post I have been reading a local guide book which inspired me to visit Shropshire Lavender. The author of the book, (Slow Travel – Shropshire) mentions many Shropshire Churches and points out that she doesn’t need to write about the churches in detail because John Leonard has already done this so well in his book ‘The Churches of Shropshire & their treasures’.

As a lover of churches this prompted me to search for the book online. This led to  me to find that the publisher of the book had closed down and that ‘Shropshire Historic Churches Trust’ had purchased a supply of the book and could offer it at a discount rate. When I enquired, I learned that their supply had been depleted prompting me to search for another source of supply, making sure it was a second edition book with colour photographs.

The book was delivered today and I spent some time enjoying browsing through it. The author has starred the best churches with * to *** in the style of the Michelin Green Guide ratings.

From my initial perusal of the book I know that it will be an enjoyable read, a good reference book and a good inspiration for churches to visit in my local area.

Synopsis (From inside the book cover):

Modern biblical scholars tend to dismiss the Christmas story of the “wise men from the East” as pious legend. Matthew’s gospel offers few details, but imaginative Christians filled out the story early on, giving us the three kings guided by a magical star who join the adoring shepherds in every Christmas crèche.

For many scholars, then, there is no reason to take the gospel story seriously.
But are they right? Are the wise men no more than a poetic fancy?

In an astonishing feat of detective work, Dwight Longenecker makes a powerful case that the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem really happened. Piecing together the evidence from biblical studies, history, archeology, and astronomy, he goes further, uncovering where they came from, why they came, and what might have happened to them after eluding the murderous King Herod.

In the process, he provides a new and fascinating view of the time and place in which Jesus Christ chose to enter the world.

The evidence is clear and compelling. The mysterious Magi from the East were in all likelihood astrologers and counselors from the court of the Nabatean king at Petra, where the Hebrew messianic prophecies were well known. The “star” that inspired their journey was a particular planetary alignment―confirmed by computer models―that in the astrological lore of the time portended the birth of a Jewish king.

The visitors whose arrival troubled Herod “and all Jerusalem with him” may not have been the turbaned oriental kings of the Christmas carol, but they were real, and by demonstrating that the wise men were no fairy tale, Mystery of the Magi demands a new level of respect for the historical claims of the gospel.

Review:

In his well researched book Dwight Longenecker presents us with a new theory of the origins of the wise men that visited Jesus shortly after his birth. He strips away the legends and myths that over time have added to and embellished the accounts as they are told in the Biblical Scriptures. He explores Matthew’s account of the birth and sets the birth in its historical context which provides clues as to where the wise men might have travelled from. In his book he presents his evidence in a way that is accessible to all. A recommended read for anyone who is interested in the subject.

In addition to the book index there is an extensive bibliography allowing for readers to explore the themes further.

Synopsis (from the book cover):

Apparent inconsistencies in the gospel accounts of Jesus’ final week have puzzled Bible scholars for centuries. Matthew, Mark and Luke clearly state that the last supper was a Passover meal, whereas John asserts that it occured before the festival. The gospel narratives also do not seem to allow enough time for all the events recorded between the last supper and the crucifixion, whilst indicating that Wednesday was a ‘missing day’ on which Jesus did nothing. Colin Humphreys presents a compelling, fresh account of how these inconsistencies can be explained, drawing on the evidence from the Dead Sea Scrolls and Egyption texts and using astronomy to reconstruct ancient calendars. In doing so, Humphreys proposes a new theory – that the last supper took place on a Wednesday, rather than a Thursday as traditionally believed – and successfully unifies the supposedly contradictory gospel stories.

Review:

Colin’s writing style is easy and compelling and his book is fascinating, providing credible evidence to pinpoint an exact dating of Christ’s Crucifixion. He presents astronomical information and different calendars that were in use at that time, proposing that the discrepancies in the gospel accounts and timings were due to the writers using different calendars in their accounts of the event. The evidence he provides reconciles the differences.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the subject.

…Priest-Hole Maker

Synopsis (from the back of the book):

During the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I it was high treason, and therefore meant death, to be a Catholic priest in England. It was consequently vital that there be somewhere to hide when the pursuivants came battering at the door. One name is prominent in the construction of priest-holes – that of Nicholas Owen. A very short and later crippled man, he built the majority of these shelters, so saving the lives of untold numbers of priests and fugitives. His early apprenticeship as joiner and his knowledge of construction served him will as he burrowed into walls and constructed near-invisible entrance holes. Although a well-know figure in Recusant studies, and almost invariably mentioned in histories of the Gunpowder Plot, this is his first detailed biography.

St Nicholas Owen was born in Oxford, the son of a carpenter. Two of his brothers were to train as Catholic priests on the continent. A third, Henry, the first apprentice at what was to become the Oxford University Press, went on to assist the Mission with the production of Catholic books and pamphlets. Nicholas was himself apprenticed to and Oxford joiner in 1577.

Acting as a servant to Fr Henry Garnet SJ for nearly twenty years, Owen had many adventures, narrowly evading capture, and assisted in the escape of the Jesuit Fr John Gerard from the Tower of London in 1597. St Nicholas was tortured at the Poultry Compter in 1594 but later released. He was finally taken in one of his own priest-holes during the rigorous pursuit of Catholics that followed the failure of the Gunpowder Plot, and died upon the rack in the Tower of London in 1606.

Evidence of St Nicholas Owen’s work is still visible in contury houses and mansions across England, and recent research has unveiled greater detail of his fascinating career assisting the English Mission aat the close of the 16th and beginning of the 17th centuries.

Review:

This fascinating account of both Nicholas Owen and his construction of priest-holes is well worth a read. The book also gives accounts of Jesuit priests and the Catholic families that helped and concealed them from pursuivants. The content is quite graphic at times, detailing hanging and torture procedures. We are told of Nicholas’ early life, his work in creating the hides right through to his torture, death and beyond to when he became one of the forty-martyr saints who received canonization in 1970. The book is fully illustrated with black and white photographs and diagrams of the hides, houses and some of the key players of this period in history.

Synopsis: (from  book preface by The Duke of Northumberland 1983)

It is approximately 4000 years ago that our remote ancestors, who are sometimes known as the ‘Beaker People’ because of the distinctively decorated cinerary urns they fashioned to contain ashes of the dead, incised markings on the sandstone rocks of Northumberland, which are generally but not always associated with burial sites.

It is these markings so similar yet varied in form, and the identification of the places where they may be found with which this interesting book details.

The book brings together not only the results of a long tradition of research in which my predecessors took great interest but also in the personal observations of the author who has devoted many years to the discovery of new examples and the careful assessment of sites and individual stones already recorded.

It is therefore a definitive work and has a great deal to contribute to the international study of rock carvings.

The title refers to ‘a mystery explained’, The mystery is certainly well explained but as the author states it is not solved and there in part lies the fascination of the subject. Clearly the form of the markings is symbolic rather than decorative but the question remains – symbolic of what?

Review:

The book is a comprehensive study of the rock art in Northumberland. The types of carvings on the rock and types of locations are explained followed by detailed descriptions of the rocks and where they can be found. The text is accompanied by black and white photographs of the stones and diagrams of the carvings. I found the book a fascinating read especially as, despite trying, I failed miserably to locate any of the stones on my most recent visit to Northumberland.

I picked up a copy of this book whilst I was on my recent holiday to Colwall. It was like welcoming back an old friend. I used to buy a copy of this every year, it was always an inspiration for new places to visit both at home and whilst on holiday. I used to buy it every year, but hadn’t bought it for a number of years due to a decline in the number of properties it included following the recession. I have to confess that I had forgotten to look for it in recent years so I was pleased to spot it on the bookshelf when I was visiting the town of Broadway.

This years edition is full of inspiration for places to visit and contains nearly 1000 listings of historic places. I have already started adding places to my to do list. Not everything is included in the guide and I noticed that a few of my own special places to visit are missing. That being said I thoroughly recommend the guide.

This year is the 30th anniversary of the Hudson’s guide and anyone who can provide a photograph of 20 or more editions of Hudson’s on their bookshelf will receive a free copy of the 2018 guide. I have bought many editions over the years, although probably not quite 20. There is only ever one on my bookshelf as I always pass on my previous editions to a friend when I buy a later edition so that they can enjoy the guidebook as much as I do.