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Notebook
Sure, sex is great, but have you ever cracked open a new notebook and written something on the first page with a really nice pen?
The story behind Notebook starts with a minor crime: the theft of Tom Cox's rucksack from a Bristol pub in 2018. In that rucksack was a journal containing ten months worth of notes, one of the many Tom has used to record his thoughts and observations over the past twelve years. It wasn't the best he had ever kept – his handwriting was messier than in his previous notebook, his entries more sporadic – but he still grieved for every one of the hundred or so lost pages.
This incident made Tom appreciate how much notebook-keeping means to him: the act of putting pen to paper has always led him to write with an unvarnished, spur-of-the-moment honesty that he wouldn’t achieve on-screen.
Here, Tom has assembled his favourite stories, fragments, moments and ideas from those notebooks, ranging from memories of his childhood to the revelation that 'There are two types of people in the world. People who fucking love maps, and people who don't.'
The result is a book redolent of the real stuff of life, shot through with Cox’s trademark warmth and wit.
The story behind Notebook starts with a minor crime: the theft of Tom Cox's rucksack from a Bristol pub in 2018. In that rucksack was a journal containing ten months worth of notes, one of the many Tom has used to record his thoughts and observations over the past twelve years. It wasn't the best he had ever kept – his handwriting was messier than in his previous notebook, his entries more sporadic – but he still grieved for every one of the hundred or so lost pages.
This incident made Tom appreciate how much notebook-keeping means to him: the act of putting pen to paper has always led him to write with an unvarnished, spur-of-the-moment honesty that he wouldn’t achieve on-screen.
Here, Tom has assembled his favourite stories, fragments, moments and ideas from those notebooks, ranging from memories of his childhood to the revelation that 'There are two types of people in the world. People who fucking love maps, and people who don't.'
The result is a book redolent of the real stuff of life, shot through with Cox’s trademark warmth and wit.
160 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2022
21 people are currently reading
256 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
March 25, 2021
Sometimes the most mundane of objects can be the most precious. Tom Cox found this out one day when his rucksack was stolen in a pub in Bristol. It was one of several that were left alongside the dancefloor and was probably the scruffiest and grubbiest of all of them there. Inside were £46 his debit card, a novel, car keys, phone and charger and a black Moleskine notebook. He had a fraught 24 hours sorting things out, getting back home for the spare car keys and having to rely on the generosity of friends.
The memory of the things that were taken have long since faded, but the thing that he misses the most, even now, was the notebook. In there were his most random and intimate thoughts about anything and everything that he considered worthy of committing to paper. Not only has he got a gap in all the notebooks that he has ever had, it felt like amnesia that he could never recover.
A solid cooking rule to follow is to remember that when recipes say ‘add two cloves of garlic’, it’s always a misprint and what they actually mean is six.
Whilst there wasn’t notes for a specific book in its pages, there were notes that might appear in some form or other in something that he was yet to write. He would often discover these musings as he flicked back and forwards through his notebooks and be able to expand on them for the book he was currently writing. A lot of the stuff he scribbles down though is not really for publication, but some of it is and this is what appears in these pages.
‘Weird’ very rarely means ‘weird’. A lot of the time it’s just a word that boring people use to describe people with an imagination.
Having a glimpse inside someone’s mind can be a thing of terror! Thankfully in the case of Tom Cox, the musings repeated in here are as random as they are wide-ranging. There is gentle humour and profound insight into that particular day’s observation. One moment you are reading about what he is going to do with the 3000 courgettes that he has bought back from his parents home, the next about haircuts. There are snippets on books, words, spiders, mugs, cats, February and maps. There is of course his dad in the note, as loud as ever, and his mum had created the art that prefaces the beginning of each chapter.
Drunk people rarely make good romantic choices. The problem is where the drinking takes place. Bookshops, that’s where people should drink.
Like Cox, I have a thing for notebooks too. I do have nine others that I have bought and not yet used. I am currently using a Star Wars Moleskine. Along with notebooks, I do have a thing for decent pens and pencils and I normally use a uni-ball eye micro and have a drawer full of Staedtler pencils. I must admit that I am a big fan of Tom Cox too, in particular his books on natural history and landscape that take a very different perspective on writing about the outdoors compared to other authors. This book is very different from those, but in lots of ways, it is the same. His unconventional way of looking at life is evident through those snippets they have selected for inclusion in here and it is a joy to read.
The memory of the things that were taken have long since faded, but the thing that he misses the most, even now, was the notebook. In there were his most random and intimate thoughts about anything and everything that he considered worthy of committing to paper. Not only has he got a gap in all the notebooks that he has ever had, it felt like amnesia that he could never recover.
A solid cooking rule to follow is to remember that when recipes say ‘add two cloves of garlic’, it’s always a misprint and what they actually mean is six.
Whilst there wasn’t notes for a specific book in its pages, there were notes that might appear in some form or other in something that he was yet to write. He would often discover these musings as he flicked back and forwards through his notebooks and be able to expand on them for the book he was currently writing. A lot of the stuff he scribbles down though is not really for publication, but some of it is and this is what appears in these pages.
‘Weird’ very rarely means ‘weird’. A lot of the time it’s just a word that boring people use to describe people with an imagination.
Having a glimpse inside someone’s mind can be a thing of terror! Thankfully in the case of Tom Cox, the musings repeated in here are as random as they are wide-ranging. There is gentle humour and profound insight into that particular day’s observation. One moment you are reading about what he is going to do with the 3000 courgettes that he has bought back from his parents home, the next about haircuts. There are snippets on books, words, spiders, mugs, cats, February and maps. There is of course his dad in the note, as loud as ever, and his mum had created the art that prefaces the beginning of each chapter.
Drunk people rarely make good romantic choices. The problem is where the drinking takes place. Bookshops, that’s where people should drink.
Like Cox, I have a thing for notebooks too. I do have nine others that I have bought and not yet used. I am currently using a Star Wars Moleskine. Along with notebooks, I do have a thing for decent pens and pencils and I normally use a uni-ball eye micro and have a drawer full of Staedtler pencils. I must admit that I am a big fan of Tom Cox too, in particular his books on natural history and landscape that take a very different perspective on writing about the outdoors compared to other authors. This book is very different from those, but in lots of ways, it is the same. His unconventional way of looking at life is evident through those snippets they have selected for inclusion in here and it is a joy to read.
March 14, 2021
Yet another charming piece of work by this criminally underappreciated author. Tom Cox is one of the most talented writers of the 2000s, and I stubbornly refuse to entertain any arguments to the contrary.
I’ll leave you with this brilliant excerpt:
“Short-term memory and long-term memory are so different in their motives. Short-term memory latches onto one negative in a sea of positive and torments you with it. Long-term memory is a snob, a perfectionist, turning so-so summers into an intoxicating psychedelic montage. Even when you properly learn this, and try to account for it, it’s still a snob.”
I’ll leave you with this brilliant excerpt:
“Short-term memory and long-term memory are so different in their motives. Short-term memory latches onto one negative in a sea of positive and torments you with it. Long-term memory is a snob, a perfectionist, turning so-so summers into an intoxicating psychedelic montage. Even when you properly learn this, and try to account for it, it’s still a snob.”
March 19, 2021
Always love reading Tom Cox books and Notebook was no exception. This is the fourth published book of Tom’s that I have supported via Unbound Publishing, and won’t be the last (another due out later this year). Notebook was funny, easy to read, and very obviously Cox. Stunning jacket too. A unique author, a shining star.
June 24, 2024
I tried. I really did.
First off, the writing was infinitesimally small, like a tiny money spider had written the thing with some crazy micro pen! My eyyyyyyyeeeeeessssssssss!
Having set the microscope aside, I soon realised that this book wasn't working for me at all! The "observations" and random thoughts from Cox's notebook felt contrived and gimmicky and I have the feeling they should have stayed as entries in a notebook rather than been published as an actual book.
A lot of the entries were plain boring, some tried too hard at humour, mostly I just felt like "why though?"
Not for me this one. Glad it was a library loan.
First off, the writing was infinitesimally small, like a tiny money spider had written the thing with some crazy micro pen! My eyyyyyyyeeeeeessssssssss!
Having set the microscope aside, I soon realised that this book wasn't working for me at all! The "observations" and random thoughts from Cox's notebook felt contrived and gimmicky and I have the feeling they should have stayed as entries in a notebook rather than been published as an actual book.
A lot of the entries were plain boring, some tried too hard at humour, mostly I just felt like "why though?"
Not for me this one. Glad it was a library loan.
July 13, 2021
Anyone else have a massive yearning to BE Tom Cox?
July 2, 2021
Tom Cox’s writing doesn’t sit easily in one category.
He writes about the mundane and the odd with thoughtful, amused interest. It is enjoyable to experience the thoughts of a writer who notices idiosyncrasies and writes eloquently about them.
If you like nature, observational human interest, ghosts and animals, to name a few themes, you will find plenty to like in ‘Notebook’. A lovely read.
He writes about the mundane and the odd with thoughtful, amused interest. It is enjoyable to experience the thoughts of a writer who notices idiosyncrasies and writes eloquently about them.
If you like nature, observational human interest, ghosts and animals, to name a few themes, you will find plenty to like in ‘Notebook’. A lovely read.
March 21, 2021
Notebook is a glimpse into the fractal mindset of author Tom Cox. It is a non linear collection of out of the box thoughts and observations. Always intriguing, frequently delightful, and completely self indulgent, Tom Cox's affinity for the natural world takes the reader for a creative excursion inside and outside the world around him. Some examples:
"A huge spider just crawled up my sleeve. I was amazed to find it
was Carl, my guest bedroom spider, who is usually very
emotionally distant."
"Modern cars get panicky about running out of petrol far too quickly.
I miss the old tough-love attitude to petrol from cars: ‘Oops. All
gone. So what are you planning to do now?’ "
"The best way to find a church in Norwich is generally to walk seven
or eight yards from the church you’re already standing next to."
"Dogs are often lovely but I don’t trust their opinions. If a cat
recommended me an album it had bought, I’d totally check it out.
If a dog did the same, I’d promise to listen to the album, out of
politeness, but with no intention of actually doing so."
And in the immortal words of the great Kurt Vonnegut, and so it goes.
Warning: If you're offended by profanity, if you think Harry Potter is the work of the devil, or if you think Donald trump is the savior of the world, this book is not for you.
I've been reading and following Tom Cox since his fabulous cat inspired book "Under the Paw" (2008) and I find it commendable that he writes for the sheer pleasure of it, and is supported by those of us who want to see him keep at it. Consider joining in!
"A huge spider just crawled up my sleeve. I was amazed to find it
was Carl, my guest bedroom spider, who is usually very
emotionally distant."
"Modern cars get panicky about running out of petrol far too quickly.
I miss the old tough-love attitude to petrol from cars: ‘Oops. All
gone. So what are you planning to do now?’ "
"The best way to find a church in Norwich is generally to walk seven
or eight yards from the church you’re already standing next to."
"Dogs are often lovely but I don’t trust their opinions. If a cat
recommended me an album it had bought, I’d totally check it out.
If a dog did the same, I’d promise to listen to the album, out of
politeness, but with no intention of actually doing so."
And in the immortal words of the great Kurt Vonnegut, and so it goes.
Warning: If you're offended by profanity, if you think Harry Potter is the work of the devil, or if you think Donald trump is the savior of the world, this book is not for you.
I've been reading and following Tom Cox since his fabulous cat inspired book "Under the Paw" (2008) and I find it commendable that he writes for the sheer pleasure of it, and is supported by those of us who want to see him keep at it. Consider joining in!
February 1, 2022
I have read this book and I feel that I will dip into it again in the future. It was great to be in Tom's company for the duration of the book and sad to have to part ways when it was finished. I feel different people will like different things in it, that is its charm: that it is full of variety. There are bits that made me laugh out loud, parts that made me sad, sections that were thought-provoking, as well as some things I couldn't relate to or agree with. That is what hanging out with someone is like. A pleasure. Great for escaping from the confinement of Covid times.
March 6, 2021
On top form here, Tom Cox is at the height of his whimsy, organising random thoughts by vague theme, rather than chronological or any other logical format.
It reads like a wonderful train of thought, leaping from idea to idea like a distracted cat.
In a good way.
Punctuated with art from his parents it feels like you're part of a club, a little bit of somebody else's life glimpsed in a fuzzy way.
It reads like a wonderful train of thought, leaping from idea to idea like a distracted cat.
In a good way.
Punctuated with art from his parents it feels like you're part of a club, a little bit of somebody else's life glimpsed in a fuzzy way.
May 12, 2021
A lovely peaceful read, with things to laugh at, things to remember from years ago, and beautiful gentle descriptions of people and places. Full of anecdotes, some barely two sentences long, but all worth reading.
May 25, 2025
Author Tom Cox had his rucksack nicked from a pub. In it was one of his many notebooks he has nurtured over the years, which contained thoughts, observations, ideas, and tangents. Lots of tangents. The theft inspired him to select snippets from his other notebooks, and if reading this doesn't have you wanting to a) buy some beautiful stationery b) get out into nature more c) bimble and d) jot down ideas for books, jokes, profundities and inanities, then you're reading it wrong. Or maybe the print is a bit too small for you (it is quite small). Persist, hold it closer to your nose. It contains many nuggets.
I bought this direct from the author, who was caught in the crossfire when his publisher (the online crowdfunded Unbound) went into administration. He bought back the rights to his books and is now selling them himself at more than fair prices (with some excellent bundle deals). Please head to his Bluesky account or website to buy something from him.
I bought this direct from the author, who was caught in the crossfire when his publisher (the online crowdfunded Unbound) went into administration. He bought back the rights to his books and is now selling them himself at more than fair prices (with some excellent bundle deals). Please head to his Bluesky account or website to buy something from him.
January 19, 2025
This is whimsical, funny, witty and often quite odd. I love Tom Cox's view of the world, he's an old hippy in lots of ways who loves nature and trying to live a kind and ethical life. But he is also sharp and insightful. Anyone who has read much Tom Cox will know that his dad is a legendary character and he appears here, often making me laugh out loud. It's a series of thoughts rather than a focused book as the title suggests. My copy was signed and posted to me personally by Tom which is the sort of thing he often does as he tries to avoid the corporate bookselling world as much as he can. a great writer and lovely person (I met him at a music festival once). Big fan.
March 9, 2022
Short and enjoyable. I've tried a number of times to start diaries and have always forgotten about them and/or cringed at re-reading them.
The excerpts in Notebook are sometimes serious and thoughtful and other times random, funny or full of the general day-to-day (or a blend of them all).
Some entries were similar to the kind of random thoughts my brain comes up with which made me smile, and it made me want to have another go at starting a diary again.
The excerpts in Notebook are sometimes serious and thoughtful and other times random, funny or full of the general day-to-day (or a blend of them all).
Some entries were similar to the kind of random thoughts my brain comes up with which made me smile, and it made me want to have another go at starting a diary again.
June 5, 2021
Just finished the excellent NOTEBOOK by Tom Cox — a collection of witty, fascinating, reflective, and poignant bits from various notebooks. Bon mots, one might say.
After reading this, I really feel that I should improve my notebook game. I only write handwritten notes on holiday, or if I go on a course. I often write in the Notes app on my phone.
After reading this, I really feel that I should improve my notebook game. I only write handwritten notes on holiday, or if I go on a course. I often write in the Notes app on my phone.
January 27, 2025
4.5 stars. A fab book full of quirky and interesting anecdotes and musings from the fabulous and unique Tom Cox. The illustrations from his parents are also brilliant. There are some great laugh out loud tales and some lovely observations from his country walks. Loved it. I also share his huge love of stationery btw!
March 13, 2022
Came across this book completely by chance and loved it. Such a laugh, I particularly loved the story about the scarecrow but they were all so silly and fun. This book also has the best illustrations throughout, all drawn by the author’s mum and dad.
June 26, 2025
five stars because it is a perfect bedtime book that both sooths and entertains without any plot to concentrate on (that being said, I cheated and finished it in daytime because I was enjoying so much)
June 14, 2021
The first Tom Cox book I have read. Picked it up by chance at the library but have since bought others. An absolute delight to read. Funny, whimsical and thoughtful.
July 28, 2024
5.5/5
I cannot wait to read more of this man's writing. It was precise, silly, witty, environmentally focused, full of friends and kindness, curiosity and self awareness. I had a wonderful time.
I cannot wait to read more of this man's writing. It was precise, silly, witty, environmentally focused, full of friends and kindness, curiosity and self awareness. I had a wonderful time.
November 24, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this funny little book. It was a charming and witty quick read, I really love Tom Cox's writing.
March 18, 2021
Tom Cox never disappoints. This is a perfectly formed little book.
June 2, 2021
From a minor crime (not committed by the author!) to autobiographical insights (“I want my autobiography to truly sum up my life so I’m going to call it The Reason You Can’t Find Your Wallet Is Because It’s In Your Hand”) this is a novel book of short thoughts, longer thoughts and notebook stuff from a very funny and idiosyncratic writer. Tom Cox is an author of several books on life in the country, humour and folklore, short stories and other fiction. This book is in memory of a notebook stolen in a rucksack in a Bristol pub in 2018. While perhaps not an enormous lost to world literature, it did contain the author’s thoughts and observations written down over a period of twelve months. As someone who writes in a notebook or else it didn’t happen, and lists of books, authors and fascinating ideas for further research, I felt sympathy for a loss of a work of personal nature. In a world where people save their thoughts, impressions and observations to social media, there is something to be said for the act of physically writing in a notebook which makes fleeting thoughts solid and captures them for later use. For Tom Cox, writing in a carefully chosen note book is forming a resource for later use, or at least a shopping list. This witty, book of tumbling thought and action is an unusual read, but a wonderfully entertaining little book which I was very pleased to have the opportunity to read and review.
This book forms a link to the real memories of a life which collects smudges of mud, the smell of a borrowed dog, the real stuff of life which is more like a printed photograph than an online image. Looking at memorable graves in Norwich cemetery with a an overly ambitious cat attempting to leap the distance between gravestones is one note, which follows an observation of cows who seem reluctant to allow him to walk across their field and sets the style for these pages of sometimes surreal conversations. Surreal messages and stories are the especial domain of the author’s father, who seems to delight in strange disconnected factoids, often transmitted in block capitals. “I saw a dragonfly in Nottingham city centre the other day” is one of the milder ones- a more brutal one involves an axe and a finger eating bird. His mother adopts a quieter and more wistful tone , such as “I’m waking up with an itchy nose and swollen eyes every morning. I think I have to stop the cat sleeping on my face.” Not that Tom himself is beyond the strange observation: in a piece about city noise as opposed to the quietness of country nights, he records that on a walk “I found the cul- de -sac where the ice cream vans sleep at night”. Those who follow Tom on Twitter will recognize some of his shorter comments such as “It’s really hard for countries not to be crap since all the people best qualified to run a country would never in a billion years want to run a country” .
This is an eminently quotable book, with one sided conversations by the author which deal with the small elements of life, the unreliable memories we have of perfect days and more challenging moments. Perfect for a quick read, especially for those who enjoy observing nature in all its variety and people in their sometimes odd moments, this is a lovely book for a friendly gift or an quiet treat.
This book forms a link to the real memories of a life which collects smudges of mud, the smell of a borrowed dog, the real stuff of life which is more like a printed photograph than an online image. Looking at memorable graves in Norwich cemetery with a an overly ambitious cat attempting to leap the distance between gravestones is one note, which follows an observation of cows who seem reluctant to allow him to walk across their field and sets the style for these pages of sometimes surreal conversations. Surreal messages and stories are the especial domain of the author’s father, who seems to delight in strange disconnected factoids, often transmitted in block capitals. “I saw a dragonfly in Nottingham city centre the other day” is one of the milder ones- a more brutal one involves an axe and a finger eating bird. His mother adopts a quieter and more wistful tone , such as “I’m waking up with an itchy nose and swollen eyes every morning. I think I have to stop the cat sleeping on my face.” Not that Tom himself is beyond the strange observation: in a piece about city noise as opposed to the quietness of country nights, he records that on a walk “I found the cul- de -sac where the ice cream vans sleep at night”. Those who follow Tom on Twitter will recognize some of his shorter comments such as “It’s really hard for countries not to be crap since all the people best qualified to run a country would never in a billion years want to run a country” .
This is an eminently quotable book, with one sided conversations by the author which deal with the small elements of life, the unreliable memories we have of perfect days and more challenging moments. Perfect for a quick read, especially for those who enjoy observing nature in all its variety and people in their sometimes odd moments, this is a lovely book for a friendly gift or an quiet treat.
June 20, 2021
Perfect bedtime lecture. I kinda wish Cox would publish nothing else but rural musings such as these, as I am a selfish reader.
June 27, 2021
Very enjoyable and funny, easily digestible
November 23, 2022
Brilliant! Full review to follow.
March 29, 2021
Not only has the plot been lost, but there never was one in the first place. Readers must accept this premise in order to fully appreciate Notebook by Tom Cox. If you find the following quotation as funny as I do, you are on Cox’s whimsical, rambling wavelength.
‘Overheard train chat between two hard-looking youths:
Youth One: ‘I got déjà vu, man. I saw this dog and felt like I’d seen it before.’
Youth Two: ‘That’s not déjà vu. You just saw a dog twice.’
The story behind Notebook starts with a minor crime: the theft of Tom Cox's rucksack from a Bristol pub in 2018. In that rucksack was a journal containing ten months worth of notes….This incident made Tom appreciate how much notebook-keeping means to him….Here, Tom has assembled his favourite stories, fragments, moments and ideas from those notebooks….The result is a book redolent of the real stuff of life, shot through with Cox’s trademark warmth and wit.
Notebook was created because Cox realised how much he values his jottings and wishes to share them. Longer pieces have titles like ‘The Trouble With Sheds’ and ‘Trout Without Emotion’, and shorter notes are loosely grouped under nominal headings. The author spends a lot of time wandering around rural areas of the UK, often accompanied by a girlfriend. I found the lack of continuity in this girlfriend’s name bewildering, until I remembered that Cox extracted the extracts from twelve years’ worth of notebooks, with a fine disregard for chronological order.
In his more philosophical moments, Cox writes perceptively about how challenging and confusing modern life can be. Also, in addition to its plethora of absurd humour, there are many gems of useful information in Notebook. For example, before reading Notebook I thought I knew Norwich well, but Cox writes about nooks and corners which I look forward to exploring.
It is endearing that some of the most entertaining sections of Notebook celebrate Cox’s correspondence with his parents. In particular, he gleefully records his father’s eccentricities, which are often relayed in text format and without any explanation. This is done with great affection. The two men seem to share the same sense of humour and take delight in teasing each other. I loved the description of Cox’s father’s reaction to seeing his own diving skills recorded on video.
I recommend Notebook for dipping into, when in search of distraction and a good laugh.
‘Overheard train chat between two hard-looking youths:
Youth One: ‘I got déjà vu, man. I saw this dog and felt like I’d seen it before.’
Youth Two: ‘That’s not déjà vu. You just saw a dog twice.’
The story behind Notebook starts with a minor crime: the theft of Tom Cox's rucksack from a Bristol pub in 2018. In that rucksack was a journal containing ten months worth of notes….This incident made Tom appreciate how much notebook-keeping means to him….Here, Tom has assembled his favourite stories, fragments, moments and ideas from those notebooks….The result is a book redolent of the real stuff of life, shot through with Cox’s trademark warmth and wit.
Notebook was created because Cox realised how much he values his jottings and wishes to share them. Longer pieces have titles like ‘The Trouble With Sheds’ and ‘Trout Without Emotion’, and shorter notes are loosely grouped under nominal headings. The author spends a lot of time wandering around rural areas of the UK, often accompanied by a girlfriend. I found the lack of continuity in this girlfriend’s name bewildering, until I remembered that Cox extracted the extracts from twelve years’ worth of notebooks, with a fine disregard for chronological order.
In his more philosophical moments, Cox writes perceptively about how challenging and confusing modern life can be. Also, in addition to its plethora of absurd humour, there are many gems of useful information in Notebook. For example, before reading Notebook I thought I knew Norwich well, but Cox writes about nooks and corners which I look forward to exploring.
It is endearing that some of the most entertaining sections of Notebook celebrate Cox’s correspondence with his parents. In particular, he gleefully records his father’s eccentricities, which are often relayed in text format and without any explanation. This is done with great affection. The two men seem to share the same sense of humour and take delight in teasing each other. I loved the description of Cox’s father’s reaction to seeing his own diving skills recorded on video.
I recommend Notebook for dipping into, when in search of distraction and a good laugh.
March 28, 2021
Do you have those authors that you go back to time and time again? The ones who you don’t have to think twice about buying their latest offering. Of course you do. I myself have a handful and Tom Cox is one of those. He is a writer who is true to his craft and rather good at it too. His writing is humorous and he has this wonderful knack of capturing the extraordinary within the ordinary. I’ve enjoyed his previous work greatly (although have to admit I haven’t yet read The Good, the Bad and the Furry) and so I didn’t hesitate to sign up to support this, his latest offering, Notebook.
They say that every cloud has a silver lining and this book came about from a petty thief stealing Tom’s rucksack from a pub back in 2018. The notebook inside was far more valuable than the car keys, cash and mobile phone also within. He felt it’s loss, but from that loss came this rather wonderful, enchanting and funny collection of anecdotes that he has taken from his surviving notebooks. It is an insight into the writer and shows us just how passionate he is of his writing, nature, the countryside, and well, life in general. It’s such a wonderful book to dip into when life is getting on your nerves. Perfect to pick up and read from cover to cover or simply let the book fall open at any page and see what delights he has to share with us there.
As ever he talks wonderfully and hilariously about animals (a run in with a cow named Geoff being one of my favourites), inserts short but punchy outbursts from his dad, along with some slightly calmer yet still surreal insights from his mum…and so much more. Tom has a rather unique way of looking at life and captures it on the page beautifully. I believe he is wonderfully eccentric, and I am so pleased that he follows his heart and publishes his work the way he wants to – the world is so much better for it. It’s a stunning little book, a pure delight to hold in the hand, beautifully designed with wonderful illustrations running through it. A lovely book to own. A lovely book to keep…and one I thoroughly recommend.
They say that every cloud has a silver lining and this book came about from a petty thief stealing Tom’s rucksack from a pub back in 2018. The notebook inside was far more valuable than the car keys, cash and mobile phone also within. He felt it’s loss, but from that loss came this rather wonderful, enchanting and funny collection of anecdotes that he has taken from his surviving notebooks. It is an insight into the writer and shows us just how passionate he is of his writing, nature, the countryside, and well, life in general. It’s such a wonderful book to dip into when life is getting on your nerves. Perfect to pick up and read from cover to cover or simply let the book fall open at any page and see what delights he has to share with us there.
As ever he talks wonderfully and hilariously about animals (a run in with a cow named Geoff being one of my favourites), inserts short but punchy outbursts from his dad, along with some slightly calmer yet still surreal insights from his mum…and so much more. Tom has a rather unique way of looking at life and captures it on the page beautifully. I believe he is wonderfully eccentric, and I am so pleased that he follows his heart and publishes his work the way he wants to – the world is so much better for it. It’s a stunning little book, a pure delight to hold in the hand, beautifully designed with wonderful illustrations running through it. A lovely book to own. A lovely book to keep…and one I thoroughly recommend.
March 25, 2021
This is my first Tom Cox book but I've been following him on various social media sites for a long time and I had a feeling I would enjoy Notebook because I enjoy his musings on so many things from nature to flared trousers and everything in between. I wasn't wrong. Notebook is an absolute pleasure from start to finish. It has a really calming feel to it and it flows perfectly despite it consisting of seemingly random snippets placed together (although they are curated into chapters of similar material).
It's a thin volume so it didn't take very long to read, but it's chock-full of delightful anecdotes, all taken from notebooks filled by Cox. You could read it slowly, taking it one or two notes at a time, or you could read it in a couple of greedy gulps as I did. I loved the author's writing style, with a fabulous and eclectic selection of intelligent thoughts and observations, and humorous vignettes. He writes beautifully and with care about his surroundings, the landscape and the animals in and around it, and then swiftly side-steps into an exchange with his father which, without fail, always made me laugh.
To further enthral the reader, the book contains striking illustrations from both of his parents for the first time which makes this into quite the family affair. Notebook is a gorgeous little read. If I could write as eloquently as Tom Cox then I'd be scribbling away all the time but alas the best I can manage is a shopping list. Thankfully, there are collections like this that provide thoughtful and poetic food for the mind. Notebook ought to be available on prescription.
It's a thin volume so it didn't take very long to read, but it's chock-full of delightful anecdotes, all taken from notebooks filled by Cox. You could read it slowly, taking it one or two notes at a time, or you could read it in a couple of greedy gulps as I did. I loved the author's writing style, with a fabulous and eclectic selection of intelligent thoughts and observations, and humorous vignettes. He writes beautifully and with care about his surroundings, the landscape and the animals in and around it, and then swiftly side-steps into an exchange with his father which, without fail, always made me laugh.
To further enthral the reader, the book contains striking illustrations from both of his parents for the first time which makes this into quite the family affair. Notebook is a gorgeous little read. If I could write as eloquently as Tom Cox then I'd be scribbling away all the time but alas the best I can manage is a shopping list. Thankfully, there are collections like this that provide thoughtful and poetic food for the mind. Notebook ought to be available on prescription.
March 25, 2021
The stationery addict in me knew this book would speak to me!! And it did! And often in a different way to what I imagined!
What is it about a notebook that gets us so excited?! A stationery shop or website always puts a smile on my face, and even if I have a drawer full of unused notebooks - like I do! - then I still need to add another one or two to the collection for future scribblings! The terror that strikes me though when I'm just about to start writing in a new notebook..... I'll mess it up!!
And in this book, Tom Cox looks back at his most random notes that he's jotted down in previous notebooks! And it's the total haphazard feel to it all that I loved the most! The way things pop in your mind and you have to note them down, and then you look back at them at a later date and wonder just why that thought had meant so much at the time! The observations are so witty and humorous - notes on the state of the world, day to day events, even Carl the spider gets a mention and add to the mix the hilarious comments from his parents - it just makes for a wonderful light hearted read that distracts you from the world!
One of the most memorable scribblings I remembered from this book was;
Can't. Stop. Buying. Books. I. Will. Almost. Certainly. Never. Get. Time. To. Read. Please. Send. Help.
I'm sure I have probably written the same in one of my old notebooks!!! And it's this relatability that made this book so special for me! Brilliantly put together!
What is it about a notebook that gets us so excited?! A stationery shop or website always puts a smile on my face, and even if I have a drawer full of unused notebooks - like I do! - then I still need to add another one or two to the collection for future scribblings! The terror that strikes me though when I'm just about to start writing in a new notebook..... I'll mess it up!!
And in this book, Tom Cox looks back at his most random notes that he's jotted down in previous notebooks! And it's the total haphazard feel to it all that I loved the most! The way things pop in your mind and you have to note them down, and then you look back at them at a later date and wonder just why that thought had meant so much at the time! The observations are so witty and humorous - notes on the state of the world, day to day events, even Carl the spider gets a mention and add to the mix the hilarious comments from his parents - it just makes for a wonderful light hearted read that distracts you from the world!
One of the most memorable scribblings I remembered from this book was;
Can't. Stop. Buying. Books. I. Will. Almost. Certainly. Never. Get. Time. To. Read. Please. Send. Help.
I'm sure I have probably written the same in one of my old notebooks!!! And it's this relatability that made this book so special for me! Brilliantly put together!
June 17, 2024
Tom Cox had me with these words:
"Sure, sex is great, but have you ever cracked open a new notebook and written something on the first page with a really nice pen?"
I too am a stationery fan. My husband laughs when I have to feel the pages of a notebook before deciding whether to purchase it or not.
This book was inspired by the theft of a notebook and other items inside a rucksack in 2018. The author extracted parts from his twelve years' of journaling.
Tom Cox can writes expressively, describing his environment so well, you'll feel you are there with him. His words can stir your heart, make you laugh out loud, sigh, think a great deal, and snort (although that might just be me). I loved the parts with his mum and dad and also their illustrations. My two favourite pieces are:
"I look back fondly on an era when 'utterly overwhelmed by everything all the time' wasn't the standard human mind state." Oh, yeah.
and
"Email from my dad. No subject heading. Just says 'WE ARE LIVING IN THE AGE OF THE GIT. Nothing else." He's so correct.
This is my first book by this author, and it certainly won't be my last. Very entertaining.
"Sure, sex is great, but have you ever cracked open a new notebook and written something on the first page with a really nice pen?"
I too am a stationery fan. My husband laughs when I have to feel the pages of a notebook before deciding whether to purchase it or not.
This book was inspired by the theft of a notebook and other items inside a rucksack in 2018. The author extracted parts from his twelve years' of journaling.
Tom Cox can writes expressively, describing his environment so well, you'll feel you are there with him. His words can stir your heart, make you laugh out loud, sigh, think a great deal, and snort (although that might just be me). I loved the parts with his mum and dad and also their illustrations. My two favourite pieces are:
"I look back fondly on an era when 'utterly overwhelmed by everything all the time' wasn't the standard human mind state." Oh, yeah.
and
"Email from my dad. No subject heading. Just says 'WE ARE LIVING IN THE AGE OF THE GIT. Nothing else." He's so correct.
This is my first book by this author, and it certainly won't be my last. Very entertaining.
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