Human Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet by Kate Marvel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I heard Kate Marvel talking on BBC radio recently, about her book and what she felt about climate change, and how globally, the general ‘powers-that-be’ seem to be ignoring the urgency required to do something about it. She did not sound gushy and overly high-minded but extremely well qualified as a climate scientist to speak with authority and feeling on the subject. Having now bought the book I am so pleased to say it was well worth it and anyone with a brain and similar concerns should also ‘get it’ - in both meanings of the phrase!
Her approach, from an emotional aspect, is somewhat unique in a way, notwithstanding other writers like Rachel Carson, David Attenborough et al., in that she was a cosmologist by profession, later turning to modelling the Earth’s climate under many different conditions. ‘Human Nature’ brings to its readers clearly and scientifically the problems behind the climate crisis. However, Marvel uses each of its nine chapters to illustrate the personal feelings, such as wonder, anger or guilt etc., that one may be subject to due to these problems. Certainly she bravely attests to all nine in her own case, understandingly and perhaps particularly as a mother of children herself. The narrative is wonderful, often personal, amusing and more often bitingly sharp. Here are a couple of quotes from the book to illustrate it:

Early on in it: "Climate is the long-term average of weather: the background conditions in which it happens...Weather is what humans experience over our short lives. Climate is a matter for the gods."

A little later: "The most frightening thing about climate change is what it will make us do to each other."

And towards the end of the book: "There is no such thing as 'human nature'. Anyone who says so knows very little about humans, and nothing at all about nature. We all contain, if not multitudes, at least a few squabbling contradictions."

Marvel argues convincingly that studies reveal that over millions of millennia the temperature of our planet has often risen and fallen; risen and fallen... But since humans arrived and changed things it has continued to rise and rise… and rise… The Earth was never meant to warm and warm, as it has now been shown to do for so many years.

This book is her chart for action that must be taken if we are to leave it a more suitable planet for its future residents, and is highly recommended by this reader.



View all my reviews

The Holey Land by Laura Koerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I found this story to be both very interesting but at the same time quite perplexing. It weaves supernatural animal characters, like Nate and Al, with the very human Molly and Horst. Perhaps because I am British and unaware of the culture and superstitions of the various Native American tribes, it took me quite a while to accept what was actually going on. Incidents and personalities, past and present, seem to mix and interact. Once I got used to that I began to allow my curiosity to wonder what was happening with the main protagonist’s life. This was Molly, of course, and so I started to attempt to understand her mid-life crisis.

She was seemingly ready for changes and new experiences and realises how tired of her suburban life she has become. The setting for this new experience is a small old mining town in the southwest of Mexico. The three magical animal characters are full of resentment about what happened there due to prospecting and mining in the distant past. The author’s skill at description of both landscape and people’s emotions and inner doubts is to be admired once more. There is subtle humour and incisive introspection almost on every page – so clever! That is what really kept my attention throughout the book, even though I was still totally bemused at the end. But a remaining question: why add a letter 'E' in the title but not anywhere else in the text? Even so - This was a recommended read from Laura Koerber once more.



View all my reviews

The Fortune of War by Patrick O'Brian
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Jack Aubrey is in charge of a fast frigate and on his way to the Dutch East Indies he becomes becalmed in the doldrums and has to defend his ship from the American fleet. The USA has declared war on Great Britain and he is suddenly involved. As well as this vital part of the story Maturin’s spying skills come to the fore once again, while trying to manage an injured Jack Aubrey. The characters are well drawn again, in particular the comparisons with American and British officers attitudes, while conversations amongst the crew are quite realistic. It was almost to be expected from this author of course. The whole book is set in 1812 when everyone has to contend with the chaos that came with the war with Napoleon Bonaparte; exciting and dangerously perplexing. Highly recommended once more.

View all my reviews

His Name is Junsaku by Tenkara Smart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an intriguing book about feudal Japan in the time of the samurai and the power of the Shogun rulers. It was very reminiscent for me of James Clavell’s book and the subsequent excellent TV series starring Richard Chamberlain. I also enjoyed seeing so many references to the terms used in martial arts having pursued and played Judo for many years in my youth. Junsaku is the main character and he comes across from his youth as a very determined but arrogant man, who will fulfil his destiny to become a leader in the Shogunate system.
The many uses of Japanese words and mannerisms add much to the authenticity of the story and captivate the interest of a reader throughout the book. However, I found much of the narrative too slow and often annoyingly repetitive. There was something, which looked like an editing error, within the first few chapters where a whole paragraph was repeated. If it was deliberate then it was not needed and that, together with the verbosity I mentioned above, meant that the book could probably be fifty to a hundred pages shorter.
Many of the other characters are well drawn, particularly including Cecelia and their daughter, Fukano, and the emotional side of things is well contrasted with Junsaku’s obsession with honour, duty and the bushido tradition. This gave a lot to cause this reader’s curiosity to deepen about how the story would end. And what a great but surprising ending there is to this almost epic novel; it more than made up for the earlier rather ponderous chapters. Overall, I would recommend ‘His Name is Junsaku’ to those young adult readers who like engaging historical fiction that includes plenty of action.


View all my reviews