Video montage of our recent trip to Portugal’s capital city. Enjoy!
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Lisboa (Lisbon) ’26
Book Review: “Flume” by ‘Bigfoot’
Rating: 3 stars
Headline: “Flume” struggles with its weak characterization and plot, making it a less engaging read for its intended audience
Review:
Flume is a middle grade novel, written by an author who goes by the name ‘Bigfoot’. This is the author’s second middle grade novel, following on from their previous publication, The Projectionist.
Told through the first person perspective of Shanks, Flume follows this young boy who receives a ticket to ride the infamous water slide Flume for his birthday. Set in central London, England, this hair-raising ride involves many twists and turns and maybe an abandoned boat or two, as Shanks and his friends navigate this perilous ride and the mysteries that surround its creator. One thing is for certain, this will be a twelfth birthday Shanks will never forget.
To say this story is fantastical would be an understatement. To truly get into the story readers have to put aside logic, such as why a water-based ride would be open to the public in the middle of a thunderstorm, given the slide is routinely hit by lightening. Then there’s the location aspects, such as the ride being high in the sky and skirting around The Shard, a notable London landmark on the edge of the River Thames. By the time we’re told that the ride’s inventor, Mr Poppity, was perceived to have done a “bodge job” on building the ride, only to go missing three summer ago in mysterious circumstances, then as a reader you just have to accept everything at face value and go along with it. Still, there’s being fantastical, and then there’s being downright bizarre. Sometimes detail is scarce, other times it feels like an info dump.
As a reader, there doesn’t feel like there is any strong plot or character motive driving the story. If Shanks is so terrified of this ride, why does he feel obliged to jump down it? There isn’t quite enough at stake to hook readers in from the offset, instead the storyline only sort of comes into focus about a quarter to a third in.
For its intended target age audience of middle grade, Flume misses the mark when taking into account the lack of a strong storyline that drives the plot forwards in a meaningful way.
AEB Reviews
Links:
Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “Flume” by ‘Bigfoot’
Purchase Link: “Flume” by ‘Bigfoot’ (author website)
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Book Review: “You’re Not Your Job: Going Above and Beyond for Yourself” by Daniel Voigt Godoy
Rating: 4 stars
Headline: An insightful book that helped me see the world beyond deadlines and the 9-5
Review:
You’re Not Your Job: Going Above and Beyond for Yourself is a self-help / personal development guide by debut author, Daniel Voigt Godoy. Godoy enters the creative profession with over 25 years in a variety of roles, from technology scientist to teacher.
In what could be seen as a 50-20-10 split between guidance, personal experience and thought-provoking exercises for the reader, this is a guide that can easily be consumed in one sitting. The reader exercises are also helpfully repeated in the two appendix sections towards the end of the book, which is great for those wanting to see them all laid out in one place.
As a book of 127 pages go, this is a tidy and manageable read, with a strong cover design and pages that are beautifully formatted with the inclusion of simple illustrative diagrams and note-style sections to encourage reader engagement. The tone of voice strikes the right balance of professional and informal, and gives the strong impression of an author who has been there, done that and got the t-shirt to prove it. The content treats readers as equals and supports them to see beyond the 9-5 day job, in a way which they are unlikely to receive from a traditional employer (for obvious reasons).
Personally, I was not always convinced by some of the recommendations made by the author. For example, the attitude of “living for the moment” when it comes to financial savings and some of the slightly probing questions placed on readers at the end of the opening chapters. It is a difficult tightrope to walk when trying to get people to see the bigger picture, but when author suggestion dips into something akin to formal guidance, that is when a reader should be seeking the guidance of someone who knows their onions (and is fully qualified for them too!)
You’re Not Your Job is a thoroughly engaging title and one that would suit the majority of those in any form of employment. Godoy’s entry into the publication market is a strong one, an author you could probably have a laugh or two with over a coffee. Entirely personal opinion, but just a hunch.
AEB Reviews
Links:
Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “You’re Not Your Job: Going Above and Beyond for Yourself” by Daniel Voigt Godoy
Purchase Link: “You’re Not Your Job: Going Above and Beyond for Yourself” by Daniel Voigt Godoy (Amazon)
Author Website: Daniel Voigt Godoy (dvgodoy.com)
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I don’t care what people say, this is a perfectly reasonable amount of food to take from a cold buffet
Exactly what it says in the title. I would add that this was at all-day event, one that was self-funded and related to my hobbyist interest in writing/publishing. (And there was also a massive queue behind me.)
In fairness, what fool only grabs savouries without planning for dessert? (According to the WhatsApp message Boyfriend Ben sent me at the time, apparently no one.)
My family, however, they were impressed.
For reference, the plate was the size of my hand. And I may have still been eating cake on the journey back home.
After all, if you can’t recoup the entry fee on the buffet lunch, when can you?
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Children’s Book Review: “Myrtle the Odd Circle” by Sara Wilson
Rating: 2 stars
Headline: “Myrtle the Odd Circle” suffers from its lack of positive messaging and missing character development
Review:
Myrtle the Odd Circle is a children’s picture book, written by Sara Wilson. The story follows Myrtle, an orange coloured shape that is not quite as round as her friends. The story takes readers on Myrtle’s journey of self-acceptance, during which Myrtle begins to see that there may be some perks to being different after all.
A children’s book of twenty four pages, Myrtle the Odd Circle comes in at the right length for its target demographic, aged up to three years old. Wilson describes herself as “a retired journalist and globe-trotter.” When it comes to writing for younger audiences, Wilson also comments that she aims to create stories that “not only entertain but also educate and inspire young readers to appreciate the world around them.” The book does not credit an illustrator, so the assumption has to be made that the author also provided the book’s artwork.
While there are charming elements to this story, Myrtle the Odd Circle seems to miss the mark a little in its execution. The storytelling itself has the potential to explore interesting themes around inclusivity and acceptance, but instead the story structure is reduced to a series of walk-in characters approaching a sad Myrtle and asking her why she is sad. Only in the final few pages does Myrtle discover one way in which she can flip her perceived disadvantage into her superpower. This is followed by a somewhat lack lustre statement from the main character that “being different is okay”. Even in children’s books, some character development is always needed, otherwise you are left with a bunch of 2D characters that are unrelatable and not particularly likeable, either.
In terms of the writing style, the use of bracketed words for nearly every other line reads as somewhat sarcastic in tone. An Example:
“Let’s find our friends,” says Betty.
(Betty always has a plan.)
They find Sunny.
“Why so sad, Myrtle?” asks Sunny.
(Sunny is always sunny.)
“I’m not round like you,”
says Myrtle.
(Here we go again.)
This type of disjointed narration yanks the reader out of an immersive storytelling experience to be replaced with a somewhat cynical viewpoint in a book which should be aiming to reinforce positivity where possible.
Sadly, Myrtle the Odd Circle seems to miss the mark, and while the bones of a good story are there, it would take a good deal of revision to get it to the place it could have been. In fiction writing character development is king, and tone of voice is queen.
AEB Reviews
Links:
Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “Myrtle the Odd Circle” by Sara Wilson
Purchase Link: “Myrtle the Odd Circle” by Sara Wilson (Amazon)
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“Health and Safe-Tea at Work”: A Very British Parody
I can take no credit for the production of this (or even finding it online, that credit goes to my wonderful Ben). But this health and safety informational parody from the company Yorkshire Tea got a proper laugh out of me so hopefully you guys will enjoy it to.
This one goes out to my fellow Brits.
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Children’s Book Review: “Calvin Loves Calculus” by Roy Blacksher
Rating: 3 stars
Headline: Packed with detailed explanation, the tone of voice in Calvin Loves Calculus is what holds this back from being a five star read
Review:
Authored by passionate STEM advocate Roy Blacksher, Calvin Loves Calculus puts fun and beauty into what is often seen by many as a scary topic: calculus. With a target audience of twelve to eighteen year olds, Calvin Loves Calculus sees its title character, Calvin, lead readers through various educational lessons to help make calculus more accessible, helping readers connect with the subject. The overall aim of the book is to encourage and inspire young adults in their pursuit of studies and careers in STEM fields.
Despite the shortness (coming in at just over forty pages),Calvin Loves Calculus packs in plenty of information using fun language and bright and colourful pictures. Energy and excitement bounce off every page, which is something of a rarity when it comes to non-fiction, let alone one that tackles mathematic studies head-on. Towards the end of the book, Blacksher includes a quick one-page quiz to put readers to the test when it comes to their knowledge. A fun way to round-off everything that has been covered in the pages proceeding.
First and foremost, it is worth celebrating the knowledge Blacksher has on the topic of calculus. Every page is filled, top to bottom, with insightful real-world examples and plenty of equations to get the mathematic juices following. Readers (and more importantly their parents) can come to this book confident that all the information provided here is true and correct.
Where this book does get a little lost however is in the very audience it is trying to target. The cover imagery implies a younger audience demographic, with its use of cartoon drawings and bold, vibrant colours. The book’s wording also leans into a younger, elementary (or primary) school readership, especially where it utilises the relationship between a maths teacher father and his son to explain complicated arithmetic. At times it can almost come across unintentionally babyish or as if the tone of voice is talking down to the reader. Take these two snippets as examples:
“Calvin, do you remember going to the park when you were younger?” Dad asked. “Yes, I remember. I took my bike
and had a lot of fun”, I gleefully replied. (p. 8)
“But my dad says you should think of calculus as a bridge to understanding even cooler areas of math.” (p. 21)
Sometimes it is not always obvious (and tone of voice can be really subtle), but authors penning material aimed at a particular demographic needs to be hyper aware of the language, imagery and, indeed, age bracket they are targeting.
While Calvin Loves Calculus is incredibly informative, and comes from a place of significant author knowledge, the tone of voice is what holds this back from being a five star read. A useful guide, pitched to the wrong audience.
AEB Reviews
Links:
Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “Calvin Loves Calculus” by Roy Blacksher
Purchase Link: “Calvin Loves Calculus” by Roy Blacksher (Amazon)
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The Bass on This Ice Cream Truck is Something Else
This is an old video I came across on my phone, dating back to the Swindon days. I was minding my own business when I suddenly heard a new ice cream van (truck) on the estate. Not the first ice cream van I’d heard driving around these residential streets but the bass line on the jaunty jingle, it was something else.
I’ll let you be the judge on this one, but for me the tune feels somewhat passive aggressive!
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Book Review: “Whalers” by Kyle Farnworth
Rating: 5 stars
Headline: A gripping literary thriller, “Whalers” will have you on the edge of your seat
Review:
Whalers by Kyle Farnworth follows the protagonist Ethan Callahan, a middle school teacher in the town of New Bedford, Massachusetts (North America). Nicknamed “Whaling City” after the town’s once booming trade in whale hunting, Ethan’s existence in a economically deprived area is turned upside down when he is implicated in the mysterious disappearance of schoolgirl Aaliyah Ridgeway. In the small town of Whaling City, every action has its ripples and for Ethan those ripples come with a price.
Within the thriller genre, Whalers is a fascinating book to read, a page turner from the first page to the very last. The book itself comes in at around 230 pages, but this includes a prologue which details the history of the whaling industry in New Bedford. (At five pages, the prologue is longer than most, but does give prior background into why the townsfolk of New Bedford within Whalers are formed the way the are, and why the nickname “Whaling City” still continues to exist centuries later.
As a lead character, Ethan has all the necessary attributes to put him squarely into the category of a lead suspect in Aaliyah’s disappearance. A fed-up alcoholic who begrudgingly plods through life as a sixth grade teacher, Ethan provides the perfect tinderbox for when fingers start pointing. As an author, Farnworth does a brilliant job at creating a character that can articulately vocalise their internal and external frustrations through a first person perspective, as well as providing bold descriptions that clearly articulate the monotonous boredom of teaching the same material over and over again. In this sense, Ethan is a character very similar to that of Nick Dunne in Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl.
Whalers is a well written novel, with a attention grabbing plot and plenty of jaw-dropping moments, all within a number of pages that makes it easily consumable and accessible to a multitude of readers. Coupled with a beautifully designed cover (showcasing the talents of designer Victoria Heath Silk), Whalers is the perfect book for fans of thrillers and contemporary fiction alike. Five stars, through and through.
AEB Reviews
Links:
Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “Whalers” by Kyle Farnworth
Author Website: https://kylefarnworth.com/
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The Robots are Coming for us
This one comes from when Ben and I were at Center Parcs, where several of the onsite restaurants were utilising robots to deliver food to tables.
Interesting to note that the robots were slower at delivering food, had to rely on humans to move food from the tray to the table and comically, couldn’t handle floor variations. They were good on flat, smooth surfaces, but the second stairs or crazy paving appeared (as was that case at Las Iguanas) they were more a bothersome object preventing staff from doing their job.
Still, fun to watch.
(Oh, and they adopted this strange “sleep face” while waiting to be loaded up with food. When I was a waitress I’d have been shot for dozing on the job!)
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My Housemate's a Mermaid 