A beautifully written book that wondrously captures the tranquility and magic of the sea-side. Ian McMillan recounts with nostalgia and bemusement some of his most powerful memories - this is both entertaining and deeply poetic.

Ian has a fantastic way with words and combines the most wonderful phrases into his memories of all the coastal towns he has visited.

Read in stages - this copy, a print advance and the real thing. As with poetry I found this best to take time over, to read a few stories at a time.

The book is a collection of stories, with the occasional detour into poetry. An Ian notes, the book changed from the intention of a tour of UK coast for fresh stories, through a Covid required detour to primarily memoir stories of sea, sand, coastal locales from all ages and parts of life. Stories of youth and sunrises, frisbees, pies, chips and seagulls, family times of the past and more recent - the book revisits his family connections to the coast during periods of unlockdown.

The stories are 3-4 page snapshots of life and memory, crisply written in plain yet evocative language. They also prompt our own memories and connections, in my case of Scottish coastlines as well as further afield, on the black sands of the Azores. Enjoyable in itself and in the links, feelings and memories it inspires.

This book brought back fond memories of my own childhood growing up by the sea and was the perfect book to read during the summer. McMillan's writing is beautiful and lyrical, and really immersive.

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for sending me this arc.

Often stuck in nostalgia this book sends you back to a story of childhood vivacity that everyone misses, and is therefore such a enjoyable read

I really like the front cover , the colours and the beach , the title really drawn me to the book before I read the blurb. My sand life , my pebble is poetry , prose and is told by memoir. Ian McMillan reflects on his childhood experience through the seaside and his and his family love of cleethorpes. I really like some of Ian words for instance “ somehow the tear rolls out of the room snd trickles down the road or across the ship and drips into the water, where it becomes part of the sea. I think that’s so lovely and is my favourite quote. Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book.

It was a fascinating, nostalgic, poignant and often funny book that made me smile and think about my holidays when i was a child.
Different places but something in common and the author did an excellent job is telling about time pasts, emotions, and experiences.
As he's an excellent storytelling this read was a treat.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Ian McMillan’s “My Sand Life, My Pebble Life” is a charming and enriching collection of prose and poetry in the form of a memoir, as the author shares his reminiscences of holidays past (and present). The book evoked my own vivid memories of childhood family holidays at the beach, way back in the day.
By turns both poignant and funny, this is a memoir full of magic, nostalgia and the impermanence of time.

There’s no question that Yorkshireman Ian McMillan is a great story teller and poet, giving live performances throughout the UK to appreciative audiences.

In his memoir, he regales us with a nostalgic collection of holiday reminiscences (with the odd poem thrown in). Journey with Ian as he walks barefoot along many of the UK’s beaches, one of which is at Beadnell Bay in Northumberland, still one of his favourites today. Coincidentally, whilst reading this memoir, I had a stunning view of that very beach whilst on holiday, gazing at those very sand dunes of which he was waxing lyrical!

He also reminisces about childhood holidays - endless sunny days on the beach, done to a turn fish and chips, legendary games of cricket, tea and cakes, and the family crammed into a tiny caravan, holiday cottages that live forever, buckets of shells, a busted fishing net and enough sand to make a beach, with the tide out, way out.

Some great recollections of seaside holidays, some amusing, others deeply emotional, and as I leave my own footprints in the sand at Beadnell Bay, long after the sea has stolen Ian’s, I reflect that although these footprints may be temporary, the memories can’t be washed away with the tide, no one can steal them from us eh Ian?

It was only while reading Ian MacMillan's brilliant memoir that it suddenly struck me. Whenever we went on holiday, my Mum and Dad always chose to take us to the coast - Tenby, Blackpool, Hayling Island and Hayle in Cornwall were just some of those places - and yet, we grew up in Aberystwyth.

The pull of the sea, the sand, the pebbles was obviously too great. Earlier, we had lived in Llanrhystud, where in the long summer holidays nearly the whole village walked in single file down the narrow mile long road to the beach, the shouts of "Car!" the only thing to halt our progress.

I was captivated by Ian's book - I felt as though the sand was between my own toes. I could hear his voice throughout, but just about resisted lapsing into a poor impression while reading the stories aloud to my wife. We laughed a lot.

I also loved the poems, which were the extra flake on top.

From Blackpool to Cleethorpes to Cornwall to Llandudno and Scarborough, the 'Bard of Barnsley', Ian McMillan reminisces on holidays of childhood and of more recent times. Into the bargain there are a few poems especially on the seasons which are really good and I especially like the one that rounds the book off. Ian's poetry is always a pleasure and is very accessible.

I knew I'd enjoy this as I've had the pleasure of listening to Ian's thoughts and his poetry on several occasions and he has never failed to entertain and makes his audience laugh. So much resonates as his non linear memories takes the reader to places that are familiar and loved which he describes so aptly as 'earworms of the soul' such is the sentimental attachment. It's witty, funny and vivid and so colourfully written that you can picture the scenes, feel the wind and the heat of the sun and the sand between your toes. Ian and his family are such pleasant companions on this memory trip, I especially like the portrayal of his father and his mother in law who at the ripe old age of 92 is still gamely and enthusiastically going to her much loved Cleethorpes caravan. You can hear Ian's dulcet Barnsley tones echoing through the writing as he uses fantastically creative turns of phrase that are so perfectly apt.

This is highly entertaining as you travel on this wonderful journey of memories written in his own inimitable style. The magic of family holidays, the magic and lure of the sea and our equally magical coast. It's laugh out loud on occasions and a bit emotional at others. I can't wait until my next sand/pebble life experience!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Bloomsbury Publishing PLC for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.