My Animals and Other Family by Clare Balding
January 28, 2016Growing up I was an avid reader, devouring books in days and embracing all the new worlds the authors created. In Yorkshire, where I lived from the ages of ten to twenty there was a fantastic library just round the corner where my mum and I would go to hunt down new reads. After leaving home and heading to uni I switched to reading on a Kindle and have pretty much read exclusively on that for the last four/five years!
Last week we took a trip to our new local library and of course wound up with ten new books each, we just couldn't help ourselves. There really is nothing like the feeling of reading a book and turning actual pages, the satisfaction of seeing how far you've got and the worry/excitement when you realise a book you're enjoying is almost over. If you have a local library I would highly recommend you go and check it out. We sometimes forget now that we have the internet at our fingertips how useful and inspiring libraries and their books can be, not only did I come home with fiction and a couple of autobiographies but also some home decor and calligraphy ones too. 
Autobiographies are something I struggle to read, normally the pace isn't right for me and the anecdotes while often funny don't draw me into someone's life and inevitably I give up half way through.
My Animals and Other Family by Clare Balding is the exception.
It's the first autobiography I've really gotten into and didn't want to put down. It's told in chapters which revolve around the animals Clare had throughout her childhood. For me she was the face of the 2012 Olympic's BBC Coverage, I knew little of her other than as a sports presenter and it was fascinating to read about her childhood in a world few will ever experience. Clare tells of her childhood growing up with her horse trainer father, dog loving mother, eccentric (and overbearing) grandmother and little brother not to mention all the animals. From these anecdotes she creates a vivid picture of the life she led, struggles she had and the exploits she and her brother had, many of which had me laughing out loud (the blue paint & puppies are particularly memorable).
Plus she throws in the life lessons learned along the way and how she found who she was, all of this told in relaxed tone that makes you feel like she's just chatting to you over a cup of tea about her early life. A truly lovely read that I finished in a few days, if you were a fan of Clare's during the Olympics or now do give it a read.
Plus she throws in the life lessons learned along the way and how she found who she was, all of this told in relaxed tone that makes you feel like she's just chatting to you over a cup of tea about her early life. A truly lovely read that I finished in a few days, if you were a fan of Clare's during the Olympics or now do give it a read.
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