Winter reading recommendations?

[ZeroDarkBivi]

Cycling home from syberia I thought was crap. He's al Humphreys mate and it shows in his writing style. I can't stand their style.

Try "ghost trails" and "be brave be strong " by Jill homer -

How ever in that note dividing the great by John Metcalfe is a good read.

Having dipped into a few Tour Divide books, seeking inspiration, I can't say any of them have been that rewarding, and the self-obsessed Jill Homer monologue was somewhat tedious; couldn't muster any empathy.

Mountaineering books, such as Joe Simpson's, and some of the others mentioned here, I find much more compelling, even though I rarely partake in that activity. I think it is the ever present risk to life that creates dramatic tension and there is always an interesting team dynamic that is lacking in most cycle touring stories.

Quite like Andrew Greig's stuff, for a bit of relief from dry tales of endlessly pushing the pedals.

[Bearbonesnorm]

I bought a mountain by Thomas Firbank is another classic well suited to those with an eye to the hills.

[Trail-rat]

tbh if you want inspiration for the tour divide you need to pick up the cordillera series. only short stories / poem /event encounters rather than folks accounts of the entire event because if you document relentless hills and gravel you get a story that reflects the monotony of it all..

several books I've read have decended into lists of we did this we did that.

Mike Cawthornes hell of a journey is a good example - in the synopsis has a great premise for a story - reality about 1/3rd of the way through you can see his writing change and you see his enthusiasm for the task has drained somewhat and the book then becomes monotonous to read as it decends into a list of stats , vagueness and lists. Which tbh is understandable given the task but didn't inspire me to continue reading.


as far as Jill Homers writing - I found the dipping in and out of the whys and the wheres quite good actually - very much a book written by a writer to keep the reader engaged rather than a book written by a cyclist trying to convey the trail - because as much of an enthusiast of the tour divide I am - the numbers and stats and the endless gravel roads don't interest me in a book - the book needs to first and foremost entertain. If you don't like that style of writing then don't bother with "this road I ride" its very similar in style.

Paul Howards two wheels on my wagon was a bit like faulty towers does bike packing to read - entertaining but for different reasons for the most part but did suffer a bit near the end from decending into the whole lets just get this finished style lists writing.

[ScotRoutes]

Mike Cawthornes hell of a journey is a good example - in the synopsis has a great premise for a story - reality about 1/3rd of the way through you can see his writing change and you see his enthusiasm for the task has drained somewhat and the book then becomes monotonous to read as it decends into a list of stats , vagueness and lists. Which tbh is understandable given the task but didn't inspire me to continue reading.

Snap!

[jameso]

Nick Crane's always worth a read - Journey to the centre of the earth is a favourite.

- a must-read for a bikepacker/tourer I'd say?

I've just revisited 'Gironimo' and enjoyed it 2nd time around as much as the first.

I have a copy here if anyone wants to swap for something, tbh I didn't get more than 1/3 of the way through it. Not a bad book as such, just didn't get into it.

Cairngorm John by John Allan

- excellent book.

I just read Annapurna by Maurice Herzog again, that's a classic adventure book. Not for the squeamish, in places!

I read rob lillwall book a while back and I found the kind of "I've got faith" religious mentions got up my nose

Don't read 'One wheel many spokes' then, that's a good read about an American pastor unicycling across the US : ) That's a shame, I thought Rob's book was a great read anyway, tbh I find different sources of strength / inspiration etc interesting in a book like that. It may not be something I identify with but how other people see the world is interesting. Same to be said for someHimalayan exploration books I've read that touch on or go deeply into Buddhism or other beliefs. Along the same lines, one of the most interesting ongoing conversations I've had on a bike trip was with a chap who was deeply religious, the way he said it tied in with the exploration and endurance stuff he did and the sleep dep side of it was fascinating, if also almost an alien world to me. He could/should write a book on the subject tbh.

[Bearbonesnorm]

I quite enjoyed, Cairngorms - a secret history by Patrick Baker.

tbh I find different sources of strength / inspiration etc interesting in a book like that. It may not be something I identify with but how other people see the world is interesting. Same to be said for someHimalayan exploration books I've read that touch on or go deeply into Buddhism or other beliefs. Along the same lines, one of the most interesting ongoing conversations I've had on a bike trip was with a chap who was deeply religious, the way he said it tied in with the exploration and endurance stuff he did and the sleep dep side of it was fascinating, if also almost an alien world to me. He could/should write a book on the subject tbh.

'Religion' in the broadest sense comes in many forms. Substitute 'religion' for 'belief' and it becomes a notion that probably makes more sense to most of us ... even if it's simply belief in ourselves.

[Mariner]

Something a bit racier try Travels of Jupiter by Ted Simon.
Bit of a Triumph.

IGMC

[jameso]

Bit of an OT suggestion but I read 'The Road' by Cormack McCarthy a while back. Seemed not too far away from long journey types of book.. Not generally into fiction but it was quite a read, very dark stuff yet totally engrossing and left me feeling something positive about it all. Put some of those type-2 rides into sharp perspective too. The film's good but I'm glad I made sure to read the book first.

[Trail-rat]

Interesting I've often looked at the road and I've always put it down in favour of some other guynon fiction .

Might have to make a point of getting it next time.

[Charliecres]

Robert Seethaler's A Whole Life Is fabulous - the life of a simple man in the Alps as the 20th century unfolds.

[Trail-rat]

Was looking at the book shelf earlier.

Another good read would be "the land of second chances" by Tim Lewis

About a disgraced American pro cyclist who basically was exciled. He was shipped out to Rwanda and set up the Rwandan cycling team - with its challenges and bumps along the way .

[techno]

Another good read would be "the land of second chances" by Tim Lewis

That sounds good, ta!

[RIP]

Just re-reading all the above and of course we've all suggested bike-specific topics. Strikes me that if I was under a tarp in the p1ssing rain in the darkness probably the last thing I'd want to be reading would be about someone else sitting under a tarp in the p1ssing rain .

I got 'Day Of The Jackal' off the shelf a few days ago for the umpteenth time and still enjoy it even though I know the President doesn't get assassinated in the end DAMN I've gone and spoiled it for you now . Ok, back to the cycling ones then...

[Bearbonesnorm]

Non-cycling you say Reg ... I don't really do fiction but do enjoy reading about lots of other things that aren't bikes. Recently, I've had a run on Iron age hill forts of all things

[Trail-rat]

non cycling just because its not mentioned here already although im sure many here have read it ..

"zen and the art of motorcycle maintainance" by Robert M Pirsig.

its a slow read - you wont just bash out a couple of chapters a night , it certainly provokes alot of thought about what your doing with your life and what sort of a person you are.

[restlessshawn]

non cycling just because its not mentioned here already although im sure many here have read it ..

"zen and the art of motorcycle maintainance" by Robert M Pirsig.

its a slow read - you wont just bash out a couple of chapters a night , it certainly provokes alot of thought about what your doing with your life and what sort of a person you are.

Yeah it's a pretty deep book, was a very slow read for me. I read most of it while I was road tripping round Wyoming and Montana which helped I think.

[restlessshawn]

Bit of an OT suggestion but I read 'The Road' by Cormack McCarthy a while back. Seemed not too far away from long journey types of book.. Not generally into fiction but it was quite a read, very dark stuff yet totally engrossing and left me feeling something positive about it all. Put some of those type-2 rides into sharp perspective too. The film's good but I'm glad I made sure to read the book first.

I saw the film and was genuinely really quite depressed for a couple of weeks if I thought about it, my wife was even worse. What made you feel positive ? I'm pretty careful about what I read / watch now as I am rather prone to letting it all get to me. Someone lent me 'The Passage' and said it was fine but I had to stop 1/4 way through

[RIP]

Iron Age Forts - yep sounds good to me! I knew you weren't really a fiction man Stu . An interesting "poll" on here would be to see who reads 1/ no fiction, all fact, 2/ mostly fact, 3/ both, 4/ mostly fiction, 5/ no fact, all fiction. We'll put you down for a "1" shall we? . I must admit I'm very particular when it comes to fiction. Much as I'd like to I can't go into a library (for younger members that's a big building with lots of shelves filled with individually-bound sets of leaves made from pulped-tree, coated with ink-printed words....) and just grab a fiction book that "looks interesting". Cos they often aren't . I wish I could. However non-fiction seem much easier to choose. We can divert this thread into a philosophical one (sorry) - I'll posit, possibly controversially, that bikers tend to be more "on the spectrum" than non-bikers and therefore prefer facts, and possibly BP bikers are more so than "normal" bikers. I'm pretty convinced about the former statement, but on reflection not the latter - all the BP-ers I know are lovely people obviously and not weird at all . Or, more likely, I'm just as weird as other BP-ers so I don't notice .

I'm at the bit in DotJ where Edward Fox is talking to Cyril Cusack the gun-maker. In the film the whole scene is brilliantly acted. I like the "understatement" of the whole thing. I'm perfectly happy with extremely slow films/books - a slow-burn satisfaction if you like. For our Scots friends, one of my favourite telly series of all time is "Tutti-Frutti" (1987) by John Byrne with the first outings for Robbie Coltrane, Emma Thompson, Richard Wilson et al. I doubt whether any kids today would watch it for longer than about 5 mins - the scene changes would be WAY too slow. They don't know what they're missing with their high-speed scene flips on modern stuff.

Right that's enough philosophy, it's elevenses time.

[whitestone]

Slightly off-topic (but when's that ever stopped anyone?), many years ago a group of us went to Harlech TV for some training on camera work (basically what the editing team wanted in how shots were done, so very little zooming, hold scene for ten seconds before slowly panning, that sort of thing). They were in the process of editing the film Top Gun for broadcast and they made the comment that there was no single shot in the whole movie longer than 3 seconds! Whether that's true or not I don't know and have no wish to watch the movie again to find out.

[jameso]

"zen and the art of motorcycle maintainance" by Robert M Pirsig.

its a slow read

But so worthwhile. I'd love a version that was made up of 5 sections as individual, smaller trip-sized books. I don't read much stuff like that so maybe over-egging it but it was a eureka kind of read once I got the basic gist of it.

I read most of it while I was road tripping round Wyoming and Montana which helped I think.

Nice. A bike tour life aim here. When I return to tour the GDMTBR it's with that book.

What made you feel positive ?

Perhaps the idea that in all that sub standard some people will always have integrity and courage, even so they need others around them to stay that way. We need each other. That your family or responsibility to those you love sees you through. But yeah, the surrounding situation is bleak in a way that makes the book so powerful. Depressing, I can see that too. I just found it hard-hitting. I could say more but in the interests of Cheery Friday I won't

[jameso]

'The Passage'

Just googled that, not heard of it. I expect The Road is so strong because it doesn't have anything fantastic or scfi in it, the cause isn't really there in the way it is in a blockbuster. The review of The Passage mentionedcomparisons to The Stand, a great Stephen King book. Read that as a teen, was fascinated by it. It's basically a 'second coming' kind of book from what I remember.

Anyway .. OT rambles. Love a good book thread.

Back on topic in a positive way, a truly amazing journey story - Danziger's Travels by Nick Danziger. I read that and thought every other touring or mountaineering book was like a holiday report with just varying levels of type-2 fun : ) proper commitment to adventure.

[restlessshawn]

I expect The Road is so strong because it doesn't have anything fantastic or scfi in it

Yeah I think that was the problem. I left the cinema thinking Charlize Theron had the right idea

For cycling books I enjoyed this, though my copy never got returned to me by the person I lent it to

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Canongat ... 086241542X

[ScotRoutes]

The Living Mountain has nothing to do with cycling.

Most of my other reading is historical - Haldanes Drove Roads of Scotland for example. I like to understand the history of the places I pass through. As a bonus, my riding companions are often treated with snippets of the information I've acquired.

[PaulB2]

I remember the Road as being relentlessly brutal and with very little extraneous content. It wasn't an easy read but it had an uplifting end if you chose to interpret it that way. The look that Guy Pierce gives at the end of the film made the ending a bit more ambiguous for me. The Passage while also being grim has much more exposition and a much greater scope - I still have to read the third one in the series.

On topic, my sister re-gifted me a copy of Around Africa On My Bicycle so I'll go with the tradition of recommending what you've got.

[restlessshawn]

The look that Guy Pierce gives at the end of the film .

err Vigo Mortenssen?