Book Review: Tales from the Hilltop: a summer in the other South of France by Tony Lewis

Everyone says that the hardest thing for folks to achieve when they move to a foreign country is fitting in with the local community, and this must be even harder for those, like Tony and Ludmilla in Tales from the Hilltop, who are only going as transient seasonal workers, in their case running cycling and walking holidays.  And yet they seem to have slotted straight into life in Cordes-sur-Ciel admirably; in particular the relationship with their elderly landlords is thoughtfully portrayed.

This excellent holiday read is a good blend of laughing at and with the locals, laughing at and with their clients, and laughing at themselves.  The writing style is light and easy, while descriptions of the stunning landscapes and beautiful villages, not to mention the gut-busting meals, remind me of many a childhood holiday in South West France and confirm why I eventually moved to the Midi-Pyrénées, too.

Looking forward to another instalment.

Book Review: The Third Rule by Andrew Barrett

 

This is quite the  most powerful and enthralling thriller that I have read for sometime.

I first read Part One: Atrocities six months ago, and have almost been putting off reading the final two parts of the trilogy.  Part one introduced a terrifying picture of a newly structured legal system combined with age old corruption, and wasn’t a place I wanted to re-visit anytime soon.  However, like all great five star books, the plot and people kept niggling away at me, unresolved business that needed concluding.

My other fear was that the quality of writing must eventually fall way at some point, but I needn’t have worried as it just kept getting better and better.  The author easily moves between dramatic and bloody action sequences, and more thoughtful character developments and quiet moments of introspection.  I struggled to empathise with Eddie Collins at the start, but lost hours of sleep rooting for him towards the conclusion.  

The only question now is whether or not to re-read The Third Rule before starting another Andrew Barrett thriller.

Book Review: One Life to Ride - A Motorcycle Journey to the High Himalayas by Ajit Harisinghani

This book is a wonderful mixture of motorcycle travel writing, descriptions of people, places and landscape plus a healthy dollop of philosophical ponderings. 

As a westerner who has yet to visit India or the Himalayas, I found it particularly fascinating to read something written from the standpoint of an Indian man, rather than that of an outsider looking in.  The thoughts on Kashmir and the lives of the young Indian soldiers stationed there is a poignant episode.

The ability to ride such a small bike to such extreme places also puts into perspective the obsessive need for big-engined motorcycles seen so much in biking culture; perhaps I should be downgrading my ‘little’ 600cc to an Enfield?

One Life to Ride 

Book Review: The Lost Mountain: 44 Days Across the Pyrenees by David Bryan

One man tackles the GR11, the coast to coast walk along the Spanish Pyrenees, mostly travelling alone.  Although largely a book about hiking in the mountains, as the journey heads to its conclusion on the Med coast it becomes as much the tale of one man finding his place in the World, and is none the worse for that. 

The book does read much like a blog and the language can be quite simplistic at times, but I enjoyed it.  An easy read.

I downloaded The Lost Mountain because I live within spitting distance of the GR10 and, if nothing else, this tale has give me the kick I need to stop looking at the view of the Pyrenees and start walking in them a bit more.