This book shows how British people are obsessed about weather. The pages are full of history and facts related to rainy weather - a joy to read.

100 Words for Rain is equally quirky and interesting and full of trivia about weather curated by Alex Johnson. Released 11th April 2024 in the UK and due out elsewhere 16th July from HarperCollins on their National Trust Books imprint, it's 176 pages and is/will be available in hardcover format.

Everyone talks about the weather but nobody seems to *do* anything about it. The great British obsession with meteorology is very well known and the subject of a lot of gentle humor. The author has gathered an impressive array of weather related observations, trivia, science, and wit together in one volume.

An introduction about weather discussions is followed by more specific chapters on: wind, forecasting, rain, folklore, fog & mist, regional weather, snow & ice, talking points, storm, weather & behaviour, thunder & lightning, war, and sun. Each of the chapters contains a collection of observations and quotes in short bite-sized bits. Definitely full of fun and interesting items perfect to be read in spare moments.

Four stars. It would be an excellent choice for public library acquisition, gift giving, waiting room bookshelves, etc.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

It is ironic (or perhaps I should say 'typical') that during the few days it took me to read this book, it rained persistently. But it made the reading experience that much more relevant.

This is a handbook about the British obsession: the weather. The book is laid out in an appealing way, with diagrams and colourful headers, and unusual weather features such as Rare Rainbows and Blood Rain. There are fourteen chapters that start with 'Discussing the Weather' - the way almost all conversations begin in Britain. Also included are Forecasting, Snow and Ice, Fog and Mist and other types of weather. Particularly interesting is the Folklore about weather, which goes back rather a long way, so there are the beliefs and superstitions that hark back to the Anglo-Saxon period.

This is a snappy kind of book, more of a guide really, that is easy to dip into during a rainy/windy/snowy day. There are some notable weather facts such as the wettest day ever, the earliest descriptions of British weather, London's floods of 1928 as well as some famous literary weather from the likes of Frankenstein, The House of the Baskervilles, The Chronicles of Narnia, King Lear, Tom's Midnight Garden and Dracula. Plus an academic analysis of the weather of Tolkien's Middle Earth.

This is an absolute joy of a book. All those stereotypes about the British and weather are actually true, and right now I'm trying to learn the whole lot of the 100 words for rain. Something to talk about next time I meet up with friends.

"100 Words for Rain" offers insights into the weather's impact on daily life and conversations in Britain. Having read this against the backdrop of what seems like relentless rainfall, the book skilfully blends language, history, and personal anecdotes to provide readers with a rich and engaging exploration of the weather. A fun read!

People talk about the weather all over the world, British made it an art. This is a great book to improve you knowledge of the weather and how to discuss it
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A little bit longer than some of the other National Trust books on offer through NetGalley at the moment, and with illustrations from stock antique images rather than newly created, this interesting and fun book takes us through British weather, with quotations from literature and memoirs, lists of old lost words and new ones (including those 100 words for rain), regional terms, history, facts and figures. Loosely divided by type of weather (rain, fog, snow) it also tells us about the history of weather prediction (sensible and otherwise) and folklore, myth and legend.

My blog review will be out 3 April https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2024/04/03/book-reviews-three-lovely-books-from-the-national-trust/

Oh how I loved this book. It is a truth universally acknowledged that we Brits are obsessed with the weather. This is quite a comprehensive book dealing with all aspects of the weather. Not only informative but also very entertaining. It must be so boring living somewhere where the weather rarely changes. We may have four seasons, but we have a never ending variety of weather. I can heartily recommend this book.

I feel like I learnt so much from this boom, and have since been dropping tidbits into conversations.

It's a great book to pick up, and really enjoy learning without realising you're doing it. It's insightful and interesting, and I keep going back to it to find quotes.

All things relating to the weather are discussed and explained in this fascinating, insightful and well researched book. I really enjoyed it and discovered many things I did not know. There is a wide array of references including, classic literature, Samuel Pepy's diary, folklore and health all linked to the weather. One of my favourite sections was 'Regional Weather' including many, sometimes strange, regional words. A real treat of a book. Thank you to Net Galley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book includes lots of bits and pieces, facts and folklore about the weather, mainly British weather. The best thing about it is that if you take on board some of the more fascinating facts, you can have a more in depth and stimulating conversation with those virtual strangers you meet on a train, or at a bus stop, or the school gate. However, just remember that not everyone might be so engaged and know when to stop....perhaps one fact a day will do!

A fascinating book and just perfect for the English conversationalist . As an island country that can experience four seasons in one day, this definately will enliven our chats about the Great British weather and all its vagaries.

If I ask you, “It’s naughty weather outside.”. What will you advise me to do? Will you say in a dull tone, ” Pray don’t talk to me about the weather, Mr. Worthing,” in Oscar Wilde’s style, or will you give me an offer to swim tonight on the line of Shakespeare’ King Lear, ” tis a naughty night to swim in.”
I neither know how to swim nor have any plans to talk about the weather. Let’s talk about the ‘beast from the east’ then. What? What did you say? You don’t like beasts! And you have chionophobia. Cryophobia too. Oh my god, how many phobias do you have? I pray you do not have iridophobia. Who on this planet can have iridophobia? Oh! I see that it is raining outside in your area. It is nice to know that, but what is happening exactly? Is it just a ‘fiss’? or ‘daggle’? or is it a ‘gosling blast’? Ok, tell me, what will happen if a ‘cat’s nose’ hits you on your head? How much harm will it incur? Nothing. It will just tickle. Are you saying this? No, you are wrong. Give me a penny as a punishment for the wrong answer.
What is all this nonsense? Ok. Give me some time. Just hold on. Stay mum for a while. Let me explain. ‘Beast from the East’ was when an anticyclone brought plenty of snow and stiff wind from the eastern landmass to Britain. ‘Chionophobia’ is fear of snow, ‘Cryophobia’ is fear of cold, ‘Iridophobia’ is fear of rainbows. ‘fiss’ is drizzle, ‘daggle’ is torrential rain, and ‘gossling blast’ is sudden rain. ‘Cat’s nose’ is a powerful cool, dry wind from the north west. It can take you to your doctor’s place if you expose your head to it too much. It will not just tickle.

I learned all this from this book. How was it? Am I not a bit smarter now ?

The book talks about the British weather—about the wind, rain, snow, hailstorms, and anything about the weather. The interesting thing about the book is that it not only provides the information and meaning of the words, like a lexicon, rather, it mentions so many literary pieces with colourful illustrations of novels and classic works where such weather related settings in the plot were present. In 14 chapters, it deals with everything around British weather.

A book for students, researchers, weather or science enthusiasts, and a logophile, the book is a small treasure. For a general reader, it was no less than a refreshing experience, as it evokes the memory of school days spent learning new things. I recommend this book, and I thank NetGalley and publishers for an advanced copy.

There is folklore in Ireland that the pig can see the wind, There is a mention of the poem Don Juan in the book, and here it is

“Medals, rank, ribands, lace, embroidery, scarlet,

Are things immortal to immortal man,

As purple to the Babylonian harlot:

An uniform to boys is like a fan

To women; there is scarce a crimson varlet

But deems himself the first in Glory’s van.

But Glory’s glory; and if you would find

What that is — ask the pig who sees the wind!”

Ok, a few more words from the book: Petrichor‘ is the smell of the rain, especially when it falls on dry ground. Once, a skelf fell on my shoulder when I was 10; next year, one day, I twirled my head in that feefle. ‘skelf’ is a large snowflake; ‘feefle’ is swirling snow. Thank you.

An interesting book, well described and explained. I enjoyed dipping into it. It was much as I expected and would make a good coffee table book.

Alex Johnson’s 100 Words for Rain (and everything else you wanted to know about the British weather) is one of those books that’s a collection of facts gleaned from quotations, books, old newspapers and folklore. Such undemanding books can be perfect for reading a few pages last thing at night or other times when snuggling down under a cosy blanket looks inviting. You learn stuff; you’re gently entertained; and you might even retain some of the information afterwards! It’s also published by National Trust Books, so you’re helping the Trust by buying it.

The book isn’t just about rain, of course! There are chapters on wind, fog and mist, snow and ice, sun, storm, thunder and lightning; as well as forecasting, regional weather and other topics. Several of them list lots of words – perhaps regional or obsolete – such as Fowan, a dry wind on the Isle of Man; and Dree, a Cheshire word for a dense misty drizzle. And there are well over the eponymous 100 words for rain – something like 115 or so, at a rough count.

I did like the author’s rapid appraisal of folklore ‘wisdom’ such as :
- Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight – often true because red sky means high pressure (and therefore fair weather) is on its way. In the morning, the red sky means the good weather has already passed and is likely to be followed by wetter or windier low pressure. (I need to think about that; is the sun being in the east or the west going to make a difference to the redder light..?.)
- It can be too cold to snow – not in Britain, it can’t!
- Cows lie down when it’s going to rain – total hogwash
- If it rains on St Swithin’s day, it will rain for the next 40 days – often true.

My only quibble with the book is that it ends abruptly. There’s no conclusion or summary; we simply go from the question “Does sunshine make us kinder?” to the index. My wife asked if part of the book was missing, but I’m assuming that the proof copy I had for review was the finished version. Nonetheless, I still recommend the book if you want a gentle, undemanding and informative read that you can pick up and put down whenever you want.
#100WordsforRain #NetGalley

In 100 Words for Rain, Alex Johnson reminds us that talking about the weather is a British habit, and aims to provide more to talk about with stories about the weather and what famous writers have said about it, as well as ‘fun facts’. He also answers questions like, why is it quiet when it snows, and what is the best weather for drying clothes? For me, a book to dip into when you have a few spare minutes, rather than read straight through. Thanks to the publisher for a review copy.

Brits and talking about the weather go hand in hand, so this is the perfect book for a rainy day - and as I look out of the window, the raindrops are falling (but not on my head!).

It's a running joke that the British love to talk about the weather so this book is a celebration - yes really! - of all things weather! From the many varied terms used to describe weather - many are new to me but I hope to use some of them now I've read about them! - as well as the impact that weather has played on our culture over the years, from art to theatre and everything in between!

Every aspect of weather is explored and I loved the depth of coverage each topic receives from the author - there's the terms and how they came to be, folklore, how it affects moods and even shopping habits, and also the impact that weather plays on events such as wars, elections and other aspects of history. And even Camberwick Green gets a mention so that's always a big plus in my book!!

I also enjoyed reading about Samuel Pepys's Diary contains many of his thoughts about the weather, showing that it's just not a modern phenomenon that weather is discussed!! It seems to be in the British DNA! A really fun and fascinating read!

This is a very informative book about rain and it contains plenty of words and expressions related to rain and similar weather types. I recommend it to anyone who's curious to learn more about the weather or just for the fun of the words.

Scheduled for 6 April:
100 Words for Rain – And everything else you need to know about British weather by Alex Johnson is a fun and informative book discussing rain, sunshine, storms and every other meteorological phenomenon you could think of, and probably more.
I’ve learnt that the average Brit supposedly spends the equivalent of about five months talking about the weather during their life (and I’m sure the same could be said for Belgians!).
100 Words for Rain takes a look at the importance of weather in this day and age, but also takes us back in time by means of many interesting and/or quirky historical facts involving the weather. It shows the impact of the weather on mental health and even in literature: from Shakespeare to Frances Hodgson Burnett, from Charles Dickens to Virginia Woolf, from James Joyce to Thomas Hardy, meteorological phenomena play an important part in their works.
Obviously, as the title predicts, I learnt so many new words for all sorts of rain and storms and snow. I’m doomed to forget most of them, but one I know will stick is that in Scotland, it rains auld wives and pike staves instead of cats and dogs, it’s more or less the same in Dutch (although in Dutch it’s one or the other) and I had no idea it was a Scottish saying as well.
Overall, I had a great time with 100 Words for Rain and if you’re looking for non-fiction that has a bit of everything, with the weather as a common denominator, this is the one for you.

100 Words for Rain, such a very British topic. This is such an interesting and informative book. Full of just the type of information that I love. As well as all the words for rain, snow, thunder and lightning there are lots of little anecdotes about how different types of weather influence the very framework of our lives, our shopping habits and our behaviour. I loved the section on creative rain and the one about all the proper names for weather phobias, who knew there could be so many.
This is a fun book to read for anyone interested in the weather and, let’s face it, it is a national pastime at least it is here in the UK.

Well lets be honest, I’m British, this book was made for me, I was born to read, talk, obsess about the weather, it is never far from my mind!
This wonderful little book is full of fascinating facts I didn’t know I needed to know. From all the divers regional names for different weather conditions to how the weather may have affected major historical events from the Romans onward, and even how it shapes our emotions.
Being a bibliophile I also loved the mentions of weather in literature and poetry.
It would be very easy to gobble this book up in one sitting but equally a pleasure to dip in and out of. I would be more than happy to recommend it.