Books I've read

I don't recall ever having tried to write a review of a book I've read. Sure, doing A level English Lit meant dissecting books and writing essays on certain aspects, but I don't think it ever called for a review as such. The trouble with reviews, be they of books, films or anything, is that they are subjective: they can't help but be so, however hard the reviewer tries to be objective. Anyway, I thought that today I would try to write a short - very short - review of the book I have most recently read.

The Almond Blossom Appreciation Society is the third book by Chris Evans about his life as a hill-farmer in southern Spain. The one-time drummer with Genesis turned shepherd turned sheep-shearer established himself in Andalucia to scratch a living from the mountain soils. His books (Driving Over Lemons and A Parrot in the Pepper Tree were the forerunners) are basically a series of anecdotes about life on his farm and his dealings with neighbours both Spanish and of various other nationalities. He has an engaging, self-deprecating style of story telling, always more than happy to tell stories against himself, and the book is an amusing read. He has been compared favourably to Bill Bryson, but I don't think I could go that far.

If I were to rate books with between one and five stars, five indicating a book I will certainly read again and one a book I couldn't even finish, I think I would probably give The Almond Blossom Appreciation Society three stars.