Final Friday Top Five

Final Friday Top Five

Books Set At Sea

How is it the end of February already? When did that happen? Well, we could get lost down the spiral of discussing time and how quickly it passes or we could look at a top five. I'm going to vote for the top five! I've recently read a really good nautical book so I thought I'd have a look at it and a few others which I have read.

5. Pirates! by Celia Rees

Yes, with that level of enthusiasm. I believe this book was given to me for my birthday by my good friend Chloe. Or her sister. Or both. (Sorry Norman ladies!) In any case, I was about fifteen, so please forgive the foggy memory. It's a story of two girls, Nancy and Minerva, who - while coming from two very different standings in society - find common ground and common disgust with the way they are treated as property. Nancy is a daughter of a plantation owner whose brother is planning to marry her off and Minerva is slave from said plantation. Rather than lead restricted lives, they run away to become pirates and fight the patriarchy!

It was a fun easy read and with it being told from Nancy's perspective it was relatable. Sure, I was just a teenager from modern day Shropshire not an heiress growing up in Jamaica but she was still a stroppy teenage girl who wanted to rebel. Tell me what teenager doesn't feel any sense of rebelliousness. (Ok, so mine was that I wanted to play The Sims instead of drink with my peers, but damnit I was rebelling!) The story had a few twists and turns but its real heart lay with the relationship between the girls and the sisterly love they develop despite being from opposite ends of society.

GoodReads review here.

4. Shadow Over Innsmouth by HP Lovecraft 

I have this book as a collection of short stories inspired by the original and serve as a continuation of the world HP Lovecraft created. This is the man who invented Cthlulu (Carole, right amount of lululus?) so naturally I had to read some of his work! This is a novella which is part of the Cthlulu Mythos, sharing many elements with that story. It is about a civilisation of fish people who are sort of plaguing an American town, but not really? Now this might because of the style or just down to the fact that I read it a while ago, but nothing really happened? A few people went missing and there were some fish people.

It was interesting to read, immersing yourself in such a window to the past - with the language, the lifestyle and the picture painted of the world. I am excited to continue reading the rest of the stories inspired by Shadow Over Innsmouth - especially the one by Neil Gaiman. I may even one day brave some more of HP Lovecraft.

GoodReads review here.

3. English Passengers by Matthew Kneale

This book very much falls outside of the remit of something I would pick up and read. It was a book club read, suggested by our most well read member. It is an absolute doorstop of a book that weaves the tales of all these separate lives linked by Tasmania. There's the native, Peevay, smuggler Captain Kewley, religious man Reverend Wilson, and so many more. It's set in 1857 and the ensuing years, following the British invasion of Tasmania and how it affects all the characters. Each chapter is told from a different character's point of view and no two voice is the same (a feat in itself). So many of the stories come together, even in the smallest way, and the pay off in the final few chapters made the whole book worth it.

I'm not going to lie, it was hard work. I started reading this in the A&E waiting room after my partner's brother sliced his hand open. We were there for like nine hours and I still struggled to read more than a few pages at a time. But once it got going, once a few of the characters were introduced, and you got an ear for the way they spoke - it got a lot easier. It really was such a satisfying read. I think it was the only book club meet up where we spoke only of the book  and didn't derail from book discussion within the first hour! There was a lot to unpack.

GoodReads review here.

2. The Edge Chronicles: The Twig Saga by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell

You know how I always cheat with these lists? Well, here's a double whammy. Not only is it not set at sea but it's three books. You heard me, three! My justification? They are sky pirates who live on pirate ships that just so happen to sail the skies not the seas. There are also way more than three of them, but Twig's series is the best and is the most pirate-y. The Twig Saga follows the adventures of a young lad, called Twig, who has been raised alongside woodtrolls despite not being one himself. When he comes of age, he is told he needs to venture through the Deepwoods he calls home and find out who he really is. And he does something no woodtroll should ever do - stray from the path. He goes from disaster to disaster, until he finally stumbles upon his father - legendary sky pirate captain Quint Verginix.

The following two books carry on his adventures in the skies and across the land known as The Edge. They are beautiful books. And I don't just mean the story. Anyone familiar with Chris Riddell's work will know that these books are richly illustrated with his sketchy drawing style. Little fourteen year old me very much had a crush on Twig. Stewart has built an inviting world which Riddell brings to life. You'll fall in love with the banderbears, fear Screech Toe-Taker, and root for Twig with each challenge he faces. And if you finish the Twig saga and feel the need for more, there's a saga for Quint, one for Rook Barkwater, the Immortals saga, and one for Cade (which I don't think I have read), plus plenty of stand alone material. Honestly, spoiled for choice. Can you see why I bent the rules to include it?

Side note: I made my partner read the first Twig book. He loved the banderbear and I knew exactly where he was in the book when he put it down told me he'd never forgive me!

Titles: Beyond the Deepwoods, Stormchaser, Midnight Over Santaphrax

GoodReads review for all three books here.

Honourable Mentions:

Shark by Dean Crawford

Shark by Brian Skerry

Little Sticker Dolly Dressing Mermaid by Fiona Watt and Lizzie Mackay

1. The Death and Life of Schneider Wrack by Nate Crowley 

Anyone following my personal instagram might have guessed that this was my recent nautical read. And can I just say, this book is brilliant. It is a book I have had for a while and have been trying to read it the entire time. At first, I took it to work and would read it on my half hour breaks which just really did not work. Between eating and people stopping for a natter, I'd read a couple pages at best whereas this is a book you need to immerse yourself in. Like, really immerse yourself.

It's about Schneider Wrack. Who was dead. Except then he wasn't. He was brought back as a zombie to serve on the giant ship Tavuto, which was responsible for bringing food in from Ocean to the besieged city of Lipos-Tholos. He was supposed to serve until he rotted beyond movement but with sudden consciousness comes the desire to fight injustice! He, along with other zombies roused into wakefulness, causes an uprising on the ship and creates a revolution. One fight leads to another and they find themselves tracking the source of their afterlife.

It is an adventure. And very much a book that needs to be concentrated on. Crowley does not spoon feed you the world he's created - you get dropped in it as much as Wrack does, which is a great device for relating to the character but takes a lot of brain work! But as you get deeper into the story, the matter-of-fact telling adds to the world and you just accept it for what it is. You get insight from a few characters and even the zombies with limited dialogue have rich and well rounded characters. My particular favourite is Bruiser who can only say, "Fack off!" but so much is conveyed with each one - I can just imagine a semi-rotted Vinne Jones playing him in a film adaptation.

This does feel like the sort of book which will be easier to read the second time round as you're already in a place where you understand the world a little better. Having said that, it is still a great read the first time round. It does just sort of end, which sent me on a twenty minute dive onto the internet to see if Crowley is writing a second. No news yet, but fingers and toes are crossed!

GoodReads review here.

What books set at sea do you love? Have I missed any good ones? Can you recommend some to me? Lemme know below!

All book cover pictures found from GoodReads.com

Listening to: Cooking Music 2020