Member Reviews

Thank you NetGalley, Matt Gaw and Elliott and Thompson for this ARC. This is my subjective review.

I’m truly flabbergasted by how beautifully Matt Gaw describes weather. I don’t know if in years of reading hundreds of books I have ever heard someone describe rain, thunder, storms and the environment during them as uniquely and multifaceted as the author. I applaud him for his experience of rain.

I always felt like I’m the only person that loves rain and wind and storm and fog. I thought I’m the only one finding the change in weather enjoyable. Thanks to this book I feel understood. I appreciate the section on the positive impact of rain on the mental health, of being out in the rain and breathing in negative ions.

The author also explains so interestingly why weather is not just what it is in mainstream culture. The story of how fog came to be seen as something negative rather than as what it is made me so excited as I love explanations of sayings and idioms. It’s also really cool to learn about extreme weather events in the past. It’s like learning more about a country without too much historical knowledge that one cannot remember anyways. I like the section on the fen skaters and seeing mental images of the foggy countryside and the ice covered surroundings. Still, I think it’d help if I knew a bit more about the geography of England, town names, landscape features. I do feel a little lost on the narration at times.

Nevertheless, this is a great meditation on the appreciation of nature and all stages of weather and I think more people should internalize some elements of it.

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The concept of this book, all things about weather, and the author’s own experiences and commentary about weather are curious and compelling.
Had this been slightly shorter and more focused, I would have enjoyed it a bit more.

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Beautifully written a book in diary form draws us into the weather in all its aspects.Opening with rain we are shown how to really live not just endure the weather.A gem of a book.#netgalley #elliotthompson

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A few years ago, when I first started long distance hiking, I discovered that so-called bad weather is only bad from the perspective of the couch. When you are well prepared and surrounded by the elements, wind, rain, and snow can be exhilarating. And here I found a kindred spirit.

Beautifully written and intimate, this volume follows the author's adventures, large and small. He skillfully blends his personal recollections with interesting facts about the weather and landscapes he encounters.

Recommended for fans of contemporary British nature writing in the vein of Robert MacFarlane and Roger Deakin.

Thanks to the publisher, Elliott & Thompson, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

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This is a sweet read with a great cover. I'll recommend for our shop in the PNW, as this makes a great rainy holiday gift. I think American readers will enjoy the British seaside rain stories and the coziness. I absolutely love the topic: learning to enjoy and appreciate the rain, rather than only hiding from it. It's a mix of the most intriguing scientific tidbits about wet weather, plus reflective essays in classic memoirist style. I'd rate a 5 if it were more easy to simply pick up and read a selection. The chapters are quite long, with the science tidbits mixed fully with the prose. As such, I'd recommend this book to people who like nature writing, memoirs, and poetry. It is really not a pop science read or coffee table infographic style.

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A beautiful diary-like book that invites readers to truly experience the weather, not just endure it. Through a year immersed in everything from rain to frost, Gaw’s poetic reflections and snippets of science reveal the beauty and magic in every element. This book inspires a deeper connection with nature and reminds us to embrace life’s unpredictability.

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I've only just started reading this but I'm already loving it. I love how the author talks of his own experience as well as those around him. I love that the book opened with that. I also like how the book opened with rain as the first season. Rain in Australia typically comes around spring time when the air temperature changes from cold to warm. We do get some floods and some tropical cyclones but not many, and most are in Queensland. This book is lyrical and flowing nicely with the author's word choices. It is well edited and has an interesting plot. I love weather and learning about it.

"Frost forms the same way as dew, but when the air is cold enough, the water vapour freezes to ice crystals and forms hoar frost. Once you get your eye in, hoar frost is a map. A chart of temperature and light."

"Snow has something nostalgic to it. It generates flashes of memories. A red plastic sled. A woodland somewhere in Essex where the branches formed snowy archways across the rides, the sound of wheels turning endlessly on the hill where we once lived. But I don't think I can remember a single white Christmas."

"Memory is strange. It doesn't unfurl chronoligically. It arrives in bursts in often unexpected places. I'm surprised at how many of my memories feature weather."

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In All Weathers by Matt Gaw explores how different weather phenomena shape our experiences and the events in life.

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