RUNNING WITH THE KENYANS by ADHARANAND FINN

Continuing my journey to better fitness via inspirational books, I have just finished this smashing book, and cannot wait to read more from this talented writer (and ace runner). In 2011, with admirable courage and a great sense of adventure Mr. Finn, his gutsy wife and their 3 little children …

THE NANDA DEVI AFFAIR by BILL AITKEN

Quick aside, before I begin this review. Since the pandemic started, I find myself increasingly drawn to non-fiction and the more adventurous the book, the better. Doesn’t take much deduction to conclude that I am missing travelling and especially being in the mountains, and so am compensating, by reading tales …

MOUNTAINS OF THE MIND by ROBERT MACFARLANE

What an absolutely wonderful book this is, an engaging mix of history, of the advent of climbing, of Mr. Macfarlane’s own climbing adventures, all coming together in a delightfully informative, exhilarating read. The author weaves his own climbing trips into his exploration of how mountaineering evolved from the mid-1700s to …

BANGKOK DAYS by LAWRENCE OSBORNE

Reading “Bangkok Days” whilst on holiday in Bangkok was a wonderful, border-line surreal experience, since it made me simultaneously embarrassed at how little I know the city, whilst also inspiring me to try and follow in Mr. Osborne’s steps. Not with the drinking nor the dentistry (the original reason the …

FIFTY PLACES TO RUN BEFORE YOU DIE by CHRIS SANTELLA

Stretched out on my sofa, nursing a very painful torn meniscus that has seen me pull out of 2 marathons and one half marathon this winter season, guess what I’m reading? One of my Christmas presents from my sister. ”Fifty places to run before you die.” Talk about rubbing salt …

Love Jaipur by Fiona Caulfield

Whoever said that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover has obviously never read any of Fiona Caulfield’s travel guides. They are simply stunning. And that’s before you even start to read them. Just the look and the feel of Ms Caulfield’s gorgeously produced guide book are enough to …

Chasing the Monsoon by Alexander Frater

It has been a few years since I re-re-read Alexander Frater’s  “Chasing the Monsoon”, one of those books that so perfectly captures India that it the book is, well, perfect. (And yes, what a shockingly inadequate sentence that is.) I loved this book the first time I read it, when …

THE HIDDEN LAND by URSULA GRAHAM BOWER

I read this sadly out of print book a year ago, when I visited Nagaland and became fascinated with the tale of Ursula Graham Bower.  Ms Graham Bower’s “Naga Path” (that is a link to my review, obviously) covers her years in Nagaland, and “The Hidden Land” takes up the …