Just read 'English Pastoral' by James Rebanks - a partial autobiography of a farmer seeing the changes to modern agriculture over the '70's and '80s and rebelling against them. Interesting stuff although he does go on a bit at times. Also fairly depressing as it's yet another indictment of modern society and how it will flush us all down the lavvie unless we radically change our outlook.... It does offer some hope though.

Anyway, worth a read if you are into rural affairs. PS farm is in Martindale in the lakes, just over the bump from Ullswater. Trust me to work that out from very few cues!

I took Rebank jnr (or one of them) for Bikeability last year. I think Mrs R has taken to writing too.

I'm reading The Flow by Amy-Jane Beer

https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/flow-9781472977397/

Easy to read, dip in and out of, and of interest to anyone who stops on bridges to watch rivers/becks/burns.

Entangled Life - Merlin Sheldrake
Fascinating if beyond my meagre understanding of shizz... virus' having virus... A pick upper and put downer.
Still plodding through George Borrow's - Wild Wales ... he's annoying but following his journey on an OS map is interesting ... another one to dip in & out of.
The World Before - Karen Traviss.... book three of the Wess'har series ....

godivatrailrider wrote: ↑Tue Oct 24, 2023 7:55 am Entangled Life - Merlin Sheldrake
Fascinating if beyond my meagre understanding of shizz... virus' having virus... A pick upper and put downer.

I ploughed through that last year - fascinating (but hard work at times)

https://youtu.be/YCf7YywIBZ8?si=hv3oNk_cgvhgxDVF

There's a Merlin Sheldrake film coming too! <Happy dance>

Bearlegged wrote: ↑Tue Oct 24, 2023 8:08 pm https://youtu.be/YCf7YywIBZ8?si=hv3oNk_cgvhgxDVF

There's a Merlin Sheldrake film coming too! <Happy dance>

That looks good!! Any idea when and where?

Early next year I think, IMAX cinemas only from what I've seen.

Bearlegged wrote: ↑Wed Oct 25, 2023 7:37 am Early next year I think, IMAX cinemas only from what I've seen.

Bearlegged wrote: ↑Wed Oct 25, 2023 7:37 am Early next year I think, IMAX cinemas only from what I've seen.

Seems an odd choice for such a star spangled film. The thought of fungi growing on an imax screen makes me quite queasy

Megaliths of Wales, by Chris Barber.

Not really on purpose, but it appeared on the dining table recently, as Mr Z has recently rediscovered his interest in archaeology.

Well I picked it up out of boredom more than anything, and before I knew, various oooh and ahhh and wow that's interesting, oh look there's loads near hear sounds came out of my mouth...

Now as a few of you know, Mr Z has a disability so is not really able to share in the bikepacking adventures as such, but I've often thought that, in terms of temperament certainly, he'd made quite a good boner....

Anyway, as we were sitting there with me getting mildly and unexpectedly excited, and just before anything like an actual thought could form in my brain, he says:

" That could make quite a good bearbones trip, couldn't it? Searching out the various standing stones, stone circles etc., round here?"

Yes, I said, brilliant idea! It would certainly involve some bog trotting and tussock stomping... and there's of course a whole lot of legends associated with them, such as at certain times of the year, or on moonlit nights, or at sunset, they start walking about, take a drink from a nearby stream. Or if you touch them at midnight, you die, or turn into a poet...

Then he went one better and said " You could call it "The Rolling Stones trip - bring your own brown sugar"

Who's in?

Tempted . Summer 2024?

Carefully scheduled to align with full moons and other celestial phenomena?

Bearlegged wrote: ↑Sun Nov 19, 2023 10:31 pm Carefully scheduled to align with full moons and other celestial phenomena?

Absolutely!

Will read on and pick my favourite legend....

Just finished Ten Myths About Israel by Ilan Pappe which was highly informative. Am now reading The Punishment of Gaza by Gideon Levy, which is a collection of newspaper articles from the late naughties, which are horrific to read. Both are currently free as ebooks, along with a few others from Verso.

I am now coxing a crew of ladies supervets rowers aiming to win the world championship in May next year. (Long story)

I've just finished "Will it make the boat go faster" written by Ben Hunt-Davis who won an Olympic Gold. An amazing coaching manual that I highly recommend to anyone trying to get a result out of a team of people. So well written and without the usual superlatives and management bingo.

Boab wrote: ↑Mon Dec 11, 2023 2:31 pm Just finished Ten Myths About Israel by Ilan Pappe which was highly informative. Am now reading The Punishment of Gaza by Gideon Levy, which is a collection of newspaper articles from the late naughties, which are horrific to read. Both are currently free as ebooks, along with a few others from Verso.

Boab...If you're into the history of the region ('70s to '90s), you could try 'Pity The Nation' by Robert Fisk. It's quite an old book now but still pretty relevant. The focus of the book is Lebanon. It's a great read but as with what goes with the region, can be harrowing.

Enjoying "A Gentleman in Moscow" - Amor Towles
Thought it was going to heavy but it's not, quite Wodehouse in places.

godivatrailrider wrote: ↑Tue Dec 12, 2023 9:12 am Enjoying "A Gentleman in Moscow" - Amor Towles
Thought it was going to heavy but it's not, quite Wodehouse in places.

One of very few books I didn't manage to get to the end of, regrettably. I did enjoy the amount that I read - finely detailed observation and nuances of everyday occurences centred on the hotel. A bit like One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovitch perhaps. Maybe I need to try again. Maybe one chapter a day or something.

Hope you persevere!

Re-reading One Man And His Bike by Mike Carter, round the coast of Britain. Good-natured grumpiness.

https://books.google.com/books/about/On ... &q&f=false

Just finished The Man in the Tent by Toni Beardsall, He was struggling mentally and in middle age decided to take up camping and that led walking and then moved into a tent full time and much of it wild camping. Quite light hearted and an interesting read.

What I have read so far this year:

• How to Make the Best Coffee at Home by James Hoffmann
• Mindplayers by Pat Cadigan
• Spares by Michael Marshall Smith
• Austral by Paul McAuley

Now onto:

• Dark Rye and Honey Cake: Festival Baking from the Heart of the Low Countries by Regula Ysewijn
• World Atlas of Coffee: From Beans to Brewing - Coffees Explored, Explained and Enjoyed by James Hoffmann
• Agency by William Gibson

Just started The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah, his autobiography.
Childhood years at the moment. Its interesting that he seems to relate those in a childlike way rather than as an adult recalling their childhood. So far so good

Right now, The Works of Robert Burns, because. But I'm currently re-reading Rory Stewart's The Places In Between , having first read it probably 15 years ago, with no idea who he was or would become. Quite shocking how little I remember of it, but made it more enjoyable to re-read! Recommended.

Finished Chris Townsend's Out There recently. I recognised the name, but didn't really know who he was. It was a hesitant purchase, but it was only a quid or something in a charity shop, so I have it a go. My fear was it would just be a series of tales of derring-do in the outdoors... Which it kind of is, but his genuine love of wild places, and walking through them, and camping in them, and generally being out there was actually quite inspiring, and played a part in forcing me out for a bivvy the other night.

Isn't Chris Townsend a long time tester/writer in TGO magazine?

Been pleased to be getting a decent amount of reading done recently. Recently finished and enjoyed:
Ridgeline by Micheal Punke. Historical fiction/western about the frontier Fort Phil Kearney in what would become Wyoming. Very good and based on real events and characters.
The End We Start From by Megan Hunter. Just released as a Jodie Comer film, and an interesting, very swift read.

Currently on two good non-fiction reads:
How to do Nothing by Jenny Odell. A really interesting and thoughtful one so far, from someone who's put a good deal of thought into the concepts and writing.
Orwell's Roses by Rebecca Solnit. Been on my list for a while and finally found it in my local shop. I love Solnit's clarity and wisdom.

'The Sea Kingdoms - The history of Celtic Britain and Ireland' by Alistair Moffat.
I always felt something linked Cumbrians, Wales, Gallovidians and the Cornish. Some enlightening stuff about Wales and Hen Ogledd (not the band). Feeding my 'I don't really feel English' sentiments quite nicely.