International book day

[benconnolli]

Walking to Listen by Andrew Forsthoefel. Really liking his angle on adventures but, as with any reading I do, spend most of my time with the book in front of me daydreaming about something triggered by the words. It takes an author who thinks fantastically like me for me to read at any pace.

[Ian]

Got three on the go, depending on mood;

The Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd
Bruce Dickinson’s autobiography
A book on dry stone walling

[Charliecres]

I’m on The Way Home by Mark Boyle. It’s about him building a life free of modern technology in rural Ireland. Thought-provoking stuff

[jameso]

Bruce Dickinson’s autobiography

Got that here, look fwd to starting it. Good?

[Dave Barter]

Bruce Dickinson’s autobiography

Got that here, look fwd to starting it. Good?

Sorry but I hated it.

[JimmyG]

How Did We Get Into This Mess? by George Monbiot. Shocking, thought provoking and depressing in equal measure. The Herald’s review says it far better than I could - ‘Controversial, clear but always rigorously argued, HDWGITM? assesses the state we are now in: the devastation of the natural world, the crisis of inequality, the corporate takeover of nature, our obsession with growth and profit and the decline of political discourse. Author, journalist and activist George M makes a persuasive case for change in politics, economics, our everyday lives, the way we treat each other and the natural world’.

[faustus]

I’m on The Way Home by Mark Boyle. It’s about him building a life free of modern technology in rural Ireland. Thought-provoking stuff

I might get this one soon, it reminded me that i'd read his periodic articles in the Guardian and found them interesting, mainly because of the questions asked about how to live. Ta for the mental reminder.

[Ian]

Bruce Dickinson’s autobiography

Got that here, look fwd to starting it. Good?

Sorry but I hated it.

It's not the best biography I've ever read, for sure. I've nearly finished it, and would say the first half is better than the second. I thought the account of his childhood was interesting, and funny, as was his trying (and succeeding) to get into the metal music scene. Once he's in Maiden, the story seems to plateau a bit. I enjoyed his account on the creation of the early albums, as that's when I got on board, but the music they've done more recently, by which I mean this century ( ), I'm less familiar with.

[Ian]

How Did We Get Into This Mess? by George Monbiot. Shocking, thought provoking and depressing in equal measure. The Herald’s review says it far better than I could - ‘Controversial, clear but always rigorously argued, HDWGITM? assesses the state we are now in: the devastation of the natural world, the crisis of inequality, the corporate takeover of nature, our obsession with growth and profit and the decline of political discourse. Author, journalist and activist George M makes a persuasive case for change in politics, economics, our everyday lives, the way we treat each other and the natural world’.

This sounds good, I'll get a copy of that. I read somewhere recently that the concept of GDP was becoming increasingly flawed. A "Gross Environmental Product" that measured the wider sustainability of a countries activities beyond underlying monetary value was perhaps more desireable. More reading required before I can begin to understand the concept further.

[redefined_cycles]

Almost halfway of past through The Cyclist that Went out in the Cold bt Tim Moore. Bout how he takes a shopper bike and tries to ride the long distance route of the Iron Curtain (or whatever its called) ling distance route through the ex USSR and surrounding areas. Interesting a nice but I obviously got bored halfway through as I've not opened it for almos thalf a year

Intensive Care Nursing by Phil Woodrow who's a genius and probably a few notches [edit: many many many notches up] up from my level of IQ

Then my most treasured book which I started reading in 2012 and am past halfway Mandy Odell (and others) Rapid Assessment of the Acutely Ill Patient. Am on page 104 of 200ish must crack on and read it...


Its been through alot and my books normally dont look this battered. In contrast I bought this Collins Concise dictionary pre1994


you can imagine what the kids go through in our house when they pick up a book and dont turn the pages carefully

Anyway... What I aspire to read and must do so is the story of the Iditarod Trail Invite thingy ... The Road to Nome writeup thingy thanks to whoever posted that up.

Books... Dont you just love em. Heard from one of the talks once (islamic talk though it was but citing somw research), that its been found that kids who have a book shelf from a younger age seem to do better in schooling later in life. Not sure if I've seen the yield of this so far but my daughter** who's 9 now - had her parents eve the other day and Mr Clayton told the missus she's too advanced in reading/writing hence they need to have her work perfect without* room for error as sloppiness isn't acceptable from her and her level ! - has a book shelf (bit scruffy though it is but its only small).

Books: lovely things aint they

*Not sure how we feel about that as too much pressure isn't a good thing right!

** Of course I spelt her name wrong at the registery office cos of not listening to the missus when she'd sent me and now I have difficulty remembering the spelling myself

[faustus]

How Did We Get Into This Mess? by George Monbiot. Shocking, thought provoking and depressing in equal measure. The Herald’s review says it far better than I could - ‘Controversial, clear but always rigorously argued, HDWGITM? assesses the state we are now in: the devastation of the natural world, the crisis of inequality, the corporate takeover of nature, our obsession with growth and profit and the decline of political discourse. Author, journalist and activist George M makes a persuasive case for change in politics, economics, our everyday lives, the way we treat each other and the natural world’.

This sounds good, I'll get a copy of that. I read somewhere recently that the concept of GDP was becoming increasingly flawed. A "Gross Environmental Product" that measured the wider sustainability of a countries activities beyond underlying monetary value was perhaps more desireable. More reading required before I can begin to understand the concept further.

I'd agree with the thought that GDP and economic growth are flawed measures, in that it is predicated on unsustainable growth. But then the idea of things like "Gross Environmental Product" opens up the can of worms about 'Natural Capital'. Which for me is mostly just a way for the current economic system to subsume environmental terms into the same destructive thinking. Hence it giving rise to that most hateful term 'ecosystem services' (it makes me shudder), and the fact nature and the environment is reduced to quantitative (economic) units.

Anyway, slight rant there, Monbiot is always worth a read!

[jameso]

Books: lovely things aint they

Yes.. Maybe the best things, or equal to a bike anyway

I'd agree with the thought that GDP and economic growth are flawed measures, in that it is predicated on unsustainable growth

"there's only two things that require unimpeded growth without concern for their environment - capitalism and cancer".

[Boab]

Books: lovely things aint they

They are that. One thing I miss, is now that the kids are older, nearly 15 and nearly 13, is that I don't get ot read them bedside stories any more. As far as the kids are concerned*, I was made to voice the Nac Mac Feegles in Terry Pratchett's books.



* don't tell them that I'm from the "wrong" side of the country...

[Ian]

Aye, reading to kids is good fun when you can do a variety of accents. David Walliams books are particularly well written in that respect, as I find myself able to drop into a different regional accent for each character quite easily.

[Scud]

Just finished a brilliant book, Samurai William, about the first englishman to make it to Japan in the early 1600's, it is the very descriptive, engrossing way it is written and the "truth being more strange than fiction" nature of the story, really liked it:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samurai-Willia ... 156&sr=1-1

[restlessshawn]

Almost halfway of past through The Cyclist that Went out in the Cold bt Tim Moore. Bout how he takes a shopper bike and tries to ride the long distance route of the Iron Curtain (or whatever its called) ling distance route through the ex USSR and surrounding areas. Interesting a nice but I obviously got bored halfway through as I've not opened it for almos thalf a year

I liked his other books but got bored with this half way through. It was exactly the same do something epic stupidly formula of the other books but just turned in to page after page of moaning about the cold....perhaps that was the point but I gave up.

Very rarely read any fiction apart from last year when I got obsessed with Hornblower for about six months

[Blackhound]

Not read the Bruce Dickenson bio, not really my cup of tea but my son in law was touring with the band last year and will be again this summer. He was saying they were nice guys and that a couple of the band joined the crew in a pub quiz in Chicago. Despite a number of punters having IM tees they were not recognised. He is currently on the Supergrass tour.

Two books on the go, one for home and one for carrying around. At times some interesting similarities on being the child of immigrants between the two.

I am really enjoying music critic Pete Paphides book ‘Broken Greek’ which is about growing up in a chip shop in Acocks Green from around 1970 (making him about a decade younger than me) his story up to the age of 13 and the influence music had on him. Lovely stories such as perhaps getting Brotherhood of Man or maybe Lynsey de Paul (but not Elkie Brooks) take him in if his parents left him. And what was the red light Sting did not want Roxanne to turn on all about?

The other book I am finding hard work despite the subject. It is ‘I Wouldn’t Start from Here’ and is a collection of essays about the trials and tribulations of growing up as second generation Irish in this country. Parents calling Ireland ‘home’ leading to mixed feelings about so many things. I have said to my partner about the sense of not belonging to anywhere and this has been an issue since my teenage years really. Perhaps had not understood I was not alone in this.

Many Irish people came here with the intention of going ‘home’ eventually but for many post war immigrants that dream did not materialise. My sister and I were born here, went back to Ireland but that did not work out and I was back here by the age of 8. Whenever we holidayed in Ireland my dad always said he was going home.

In that way I share similarities with Shane McGowan a year my senior. Both born in England of Irish parents, move back to Ireland and back again to England mark the end of our similarity. There is an interesting chapter on the impact 2G Irish have had on music over here. Lennon/McCartney, The Smiths, Oasis, Kevin Rowlands / Dexys, The Pogues, Dusty and even Kate Bush which was new to me. Dare I mention Ed Sheeran! My auntie Mary once saw one of the Gallagher brothers walking down the streets of Claremorris with his mum.

When I came to get a passport I got an Irish one, I do not recall having any great angst about it but my siblings opted for British ones. My sister had also lived in Ireland but my brothers have only lived here. They have suddenly decided Irish citizenship is for them and applied last summer for a burgundy passport.

[Fat tyre kicker]

The great divide by Stephen Pern, recommended reading by somebody
On here, not finished it yet but it's very good, next on the agenda is
Revolutionary ride by Lois Pryce.

[metalheart]

Books? I’ve already got one of them, why would I need another?

Recently finished:

Provenance by Ann Leckie (of Ancillary Justice fame). I enjoyed it.

Agency by Bill Gibson. Again, I enjoyed it. But I like most of his books.

A very stable genius by I forget who actually. Depressing AF. Seeing it all written down, condensed doesn’t make it any more palatable... we’re doomed, doomed ah tell thee....

Just picked up Our House is on Fire by the Thunbergs. I am a fan, I find Greta an inspiration and gives me hope. For a tiny autistic girl to have such an impact is truly amazing. Super powers indeed.

[Blackhound]

Fat Tyre Kicker - I enjoyed the book by Pern, read it few years ago now. Have you seen his Youtube film called 'Hooks' walking the UK bothies?

[BigdummySteve]

I’m currently re-reading ‘Freefall’ by Tom read, a great book written by an old skydiving friend of mine. Although there is a lot of skydiving stuff in it the main narrative concerns his mental health free fall. If you’ve ever read 7 squadron or any of Andy McNabs books n**s was one of the people whose faces were blanked out, sadly no longer required.
The SAS call it the ‘regiment disease’

[redefined_cycles]

I know its a day past but the thread gave me the idea to sort out the 4 (or 5) year olds book shelf. Were about to depart for Ikea yesterday but then realised it might cost a kidney-worth (slight exaggeration sorry)...

Then we got to work with the frame box that Allen had sent with the Ramin. 1 hot glue gun stick, plenty of card doubled up, some gorilla glue (when the hot glue ran out), some double sided tape and packaging tape and a few knife scores and cuts later... Little man now has a shelf all of his own and hopefully the missus might tidy it up a little with some wallpaper and paste.. Thanks Simon

[psling]

Then my most treasured book which I started reading in 2012 and am past halfway Mandy Odell (and others) Rapid Assessment of the Acutely Ill Patient. Am on page 104 of 200ish must crack on and read it...

There's a certain irony in that which made me smile... "Rapid Assessment" , 8 bloody years and only just halfway through it! Hope the patient's not too acutely ill

[redefined_cycles]

Then my most treasured book which I started reading in 2012 and am past halfway Mandy Odell (and others) Rapid Assessment of the Acutely Ill Patient. Am on page 104 of 200ish must crack on and read it...

There's a certain irony in that which made me smile... "Rapid Assessment" , 8 bloody years and only just halfway through it! Hope the patient's not too acutely ill

I have read others and done many decent courses* in between ...

Before anyone starts threatening (they know who they are ) the books not mandatory and bought with my hard earned cash and I've done my equivalent thats needed of myself and beyond namely: ALS ×1 (self funded not mandatory); BLS ×5; ILS ×6 all by the RCUK please don't report me

[Fat tyre kicker]

Blackhound....I haven't but I will certainly have a look later