Mini Reviews autumnSometimes it’s hard to write reviews. So, rather than leave them languishing as drafts, I’ve decided to share them as mini reviews instead. Who knows maybe this will become a regular feature?

Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing by Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse – Courtesy of Bonnier Audio UK

51037698._SX318_SY475_“Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse have been friends for 30 years, but when life intervened, what was once a joyous and spontaneous friendship dwindled to the odd phone call or occasional catch up. Then, Glory Be! They were both diagnosed with heart disease and realised that time is short. They’d better spend it fishing…
So they dusted off their kits, chucked on their waders and ventured into the achingly beautiful British countryside to fish, rediscover the joys of their friendship and ruminate on some of life’s most profound questions, such as: How did we get so old? Where are all the fish? What are your favourite pocket meats? What should we do if we find a corpse?
Following the success of the BBC’s Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing series, this wonderful book by two lifelong friends is a love letter to the joys of angling, the thrill of the catch and the virtue of having a right daft laff with your mates. On the fish, the equipment, the food, and the locations, Gone Fishing is the perfect book for fans of Bob Mortimer, Paul Whitehouse and for anyone who wants to read a brilliantly written and endlessly funny joint memoir on life, friendship and joys of fishing.“

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed listening to this audiobook, as I’m not into fishing, and I haven’t watched any of the TV  series! It was a gentle and funny listen, that had me smiling and laughing out loud as Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse spoke about their lives and what brought about the ‘Gone Fishing’ series. As expected, when you get these two comedians together they messed around doing silly voices and joking around with each other, but they also shared serious moments whilst talking about their major health issues too. I definitely recommend this if you’re looking for something a bit different to listen to, or if enjoyed the TV series and want to know about more about Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse. Also if you’re an angler you’d probably enjoy hearing Paul Whitehouse talking about his favourite fish! 😀

Thanks so much to Bonnier Audio UK for my digital copy via the titleShare App

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Wintering: How I learned to Flourish When life became Frozen by Katherine May – Courtesy of Penguin Audio

52328756._SX318_“How do you survive the ‘wintering’ phase of your life?
Wintering, the dormant periods in our lives, the dark moments we endure, can be lonely and damaging, and can catch us off guard.
Wintering is caused by anything from grief, trauma, illness or loss. Whatever the source, wintering is involuntary and deeply painful. Katherine May, who came to terms with her own wintering experiences, argues that these fallow periods are part of the natural cycle of life. Part memoir, part exploration of a human condition, the author draws examples from the natural world, weaving the depths of literal winter – from trees shedding their leaves to the migration of birds, animals hibernating to polar night – with the metaphorical. She shows us how to winter well and argues that once we stop wishing it were summer, winter can be a glorious season when the world takes on a sparse beauty.”

I enjoyed this audiobook so much when I listened to it at the end of May, a month after we’d come out lockdown over here in Jersey. Even though it was the beginning of our gorgeous warm summer, it was really quite poignant as lockdown had been a kind of wintering. In fact 2020 has been like that with so many places and aspects of life shutting down. Also when I listened to this my mental health hadn’t been so good, and this book really helped me see that everything we go through is part of a natural cycle, it helped me to not be so scared of life at that particular time. It’s a book I could listen to again and I definitely recommend this if you enjoy non-fiction audiobooks.

Thanks so much to Chloe Rose of Penguin Audio for my digital copy via the titleShare App.

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