Book Review - 'Notebook' by Tom Cox
I have a lot to say about this great book!
Notebook by
Hi!
I have quite a bit to say about this great little book by
so I’m giving it its own personal review with no other books competing for attention.😉If you’re already aware (or a fan) of Tom’s writing here on Substack, you will no doubt agree with all of what I’m about to say and if you haven’t read ‘Notebook’ yet, why not?! DO IT NOW!! Sorry, you don’t have to do anything I say… as you were.😆
Notebook is a simple, yet brilliant, concept of just letting us grab glimpses of Tom’s thoughts, day-to-day happenings, hilarious mishaps and deeper contemplations about the environment, human behaviour, relationships and the meaning of life. Often finding myself laughing out loud, I greatly enjoyed Tom’s random anecdotes throughout the book. Bar one or two, with references to music I know nothing about – Sorry Tom! 😬
I particularly enjoyed (and always have done) the stories of his dad’s comments, thoughts and adventures around town. Made even more hilarious by the fact that Tom writes ALL OF HIS DAD’S COMMENTS IN CAPITALS TO EMPHASISE THAT HE IS QUITE DEAF AND HIS DEFAULT VOLUME IS ‘SHOUTING’! I don’t know why but this really tickles me every time. Perhaps because I have heard Tom’s voice on his audio recordings on Substack and I hear HIS voice when I’m reading his book, which makes it even funnier. 🤣
Another great thing about the book is that every new paragraph is a new anecdote, meaning that if you’re not enjoying one of them (like me with the music references), you can just jump to the next one. Knowing you haven’t missed any vital information, that would perhaps lead to misunderstanding in a different type of book.
One of my favourite anecdotes from the book is a lovely little story from 2013, involving Tom’s nephews and some socks. I won’t ruin it by quoting it all here, you’ll have to read the book. 😉 Lastly, I can’t go without quoting what is (in my opinion) one of the best of Tom’s random thoughts… with a perfect blend of insight and humour, I leave you with this:
“Isn’t it amazing the way life can seem too short and intrinsically magical, yet at the same time feel like a long, uphill road, potholed with fuckwits.”
P.s. If my fabulous review has made you want to take a hop skip and jump to order this book - support local bookshops (and me 😉) and use THIS link. 🙏