Aquarium Bookclub Relaunch!
Aquarium Bookclub was started a few years ago, and it is getting a well-deserved relaunch now!
Every month I am planning on picking a topic that centers around a theme connected to the ocean. I will pick a few books relating to this topic, ranging from non-fiction to biographies, fiction novels to children & young adult books. And everything in between. I also hope to get guest readers from the aquarium team to review some of the books they have read as I am not the only person on the team that enjoys a good book!
This month, we are starting with books about swimmers. With the summer weather trying to hang on and with the opportunity for the occasional beach day, it is the perfect time to follow in the footsteps of those people whose life revolves around swimming.
Water is powerful, relaxing and essential for life on earth. We have been swimming for centuries, but for some people, swimming is second nature and dictates their everyday life.
The books I have read this month are Limitless by Nuala Moore, Into the Planet by Jill Heinerth, Waterlog by Roger Deaking and Dark Blue Rising by Terri Terry.
Limitless
In Limitless, Nuala Moore tells us her story of growing up in a fishing family in Dingle and how the ocean has always been a huge part of her life. She was always in the water and was an exceptional swimmer. Her journey of competitive swimming starts when she gets hooked on triathlons, and from there she starts exploring more extreme environments. She is part of the team that circumnavigates Ireland, swims the Channel, and starts ice-swimming.
Not only does she describe all these amazing feats, but she also speaks about competition, success and failure in the context of swimming in extreme environments, and how this relates to her everyday life.
She is a very strong woman who shows that determination and enthusiasm is the biggest drive for success. She never loses the love for swimming, and her joy and passion shines throughout the book.
Into The Planet
Jill Heinerth is one of the leading female cave divers on the planet and has been to some of the most inhospitable places underwater. In her book Into the Planet she describes how her career in cave diving started with a passion for underwater photography. She continues to constantly push herself further and becomes the first person to dive ice caves in Antarctica. She is also part of the team that made the first ever 3D map of an underwater cave.
In her memoir, she details all these achievements and describes her journey and passion for the underwater world, and the dangers that come with cave diving. During her career, she constantly learns to reassess fear and stretch her abilities, constantly learning more about diving and the risks they bring, making her the pioneer that she is.
Waterlog
Roger Deakin was a documentary maker and environmentalist. He always had a draw to water, and in 1996, partly based on the short story The Swimmer by John Cheever, he traveled around the UK to swim its many waters, and to promote open water swimming in canals, lakes, ponds and the sea.
In Waterlog, the documentation of these travels, every chapter discusses a different locale in the UK and its waters. Deakin’s story starts at the swims in his own moat, and then goes on to places like the historic Roman baths in Bath, an (illegal!) swim of a harbour in Cornwall, and old, long-forgotten open air swimming pools all over the country. He describes in detail the landscape and the history of the place. He encounters locals who give him in-depth information on various waters, and they introduce him to their ‘water rituals’.
Through these descriptions, you can imagine yourself almost being there with him. His enthusiasm about water, and what he sees as the human right to swim local waters, is infectious.
Dark Blue Rising
Swimming also features in many fictional stories, and Dark Blue Rising by Teri Terry is novel for Young Adults. It tells the story of Tabby, who grew up with her mother Cate. They are outsiders, travelling from place to place. The only place she feels safe and at home is the ocean. When there is an accident, Tabby’s life changes and she begins to learn more about her life and the secrets it holds.
The book is well-written, and it is interesting to see the main protagonist concerned about climate change and the effects that our modern life has on the planet. The storyline is captivating, and upon finishing the book, you cannot help but wonder what other secrets Tabby will need to uncover.
I will definitely be reading the two following books in this trilogy!
In the coming months I am hoping to read books about octopuses, sharks, and whales, and learn more about the deep sea, climate change and conservation, and the role that the ocean and nature play in our lives.
Let me know if there are any books that you think would be perfect to feature on the booklist. And if you would like to read along with me, next month I will be reading books about cephalopods.
The books on my list are:
Many Things under a Rock by David Scheel
Squid Empire by Danna Staaf
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby van Pelt
Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler
I hope these reviews will inspire you to pick up a book to learn and be entertained by nature, and maybe even fuel a new passion!
Blog by Petra Kerkhove
Petra is part of the administration and front of house team at the Aquarium and also works as an Aquarist behind the scenes. She is passionate about tropical freshwater fish and life in the deep sea and loves to share her enthusiasm with the aquarium visitors. She runs the Aquarium bookclub and is organiser of the Aquarium sea-inspired art exhibitions.
She has over 20 years of experience in hospitality and retail and holds a diploma in zoology.