Ultraprocessed People by Chris Van Tulleken
How much of our food is ultra processed? Well, most of it if we buy anything in a packet according to this book. When you find out what some of the ingredients on the pack are actually made of. By the end of this book, you’ll be thinking a lot more about what it is that you’re shovelling into your mouth. Actually, it made me realise that I have a pretty good diet but also that my ‘treats food aren’t great! Not for the squeamish.
The Joy of Walking (edited by Suzy Cripps)
A lovely little pocket-sized book about walking with the essays of many well-known writers and thinkers from Wordsworth to Jane Austin. Genuinely did shove this in a pocket when off out for a walk to give me something to read at my destination. Highly recommended.
David Gentleman’s London
A fabulous book of Gentleman’s superb urban sketches of the UKs capital city. The detail is insane. He captures little details and great architecture alike. Well worth seeking out.
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
I know. I know. In fairness I re read this once a year or so. I love this book. At the moment I’m listening to Jeremy Irons read it to me via Audible. If you don’t know he played Charles Ryder the book’s narrator in the BBC adaptation back in the day which has become the benchmark. Castle Howard plays Brideshead (it’s a place in Yorkshire). The book adrrsseslove and social mores in an interwar Britain lo
I feel that I should add that I’m reading lot of academic papers for my PhD. too, but I’m guessing that you won’t want to know about those. If there are some accessible books on my topic, I’ll add those here. The links in the titles lead to my Amazon Associate page so if you’re interested in buying any of these going through these would really help. Thank you.
Hamnet by Maggie O Farrrell
I know i’m a little late to this party but this winner of the 2020 Women’s Fiction Prize has been on my list forever and I’ve finally got around to it. Based loosely around a well known Midlands family whose main bread winner is a playwright (Shakespeare) and the fate of the only son of the family, the titular Hamnet. It doesn’t paint the prettiest picture of the bard or of life in Stratford back in the day but it’s an interesting take on where inspiration might come from…
The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley
It’s not every day I’ll take a book recommendation from my mum. (I love you, mum but bodice rippers?) I’d heard about these from a few places and it’d a fascinating idea. Seven sisters, like the Pleiades stars, it’s an idea on so many cultures. One man adopts female children six of them … then he dies. That’s where the book starts. It’s the first of seven books, well written and follows the eldest of these sisters on her journey of discovery. I think I’m gonna read the whole series.
Black Notice by Patricia Cornwell
It’s a Kay Scarpetta novel. Forensic fiction. Procedural with a personal twist. Next up Point of Origin actually the novel that comes before. Oops! Our local charity shops seem to have a glut of second hand Patricia Cornwell, I plan to indulge. … still on Scarpetta novels a month later.
The Book of Trespass by Nick Hayes
He’s a passionate man, Nick Hayes. Loves the countryside, loves people (generally), draws wildlife and landscapes. The book tracks the notion of prices and private land and what lies behind our laws and what trespass really means… It’s not what you think. There’s a lot of historical context and contemporary trespass! Since we have basically lost the ‘right to roam’ so celebrated in the Kinder Trespass from the first chapter. If you’re interested in law, walking and the ideas behind property ownership. Definitely recommend.
An edited collection of essays about walking in London. This includes sociological, historic and geographical references alongside observations about the current culture and use of a given area. And there are maps and photographs. It makes you stop and think about the things you forget to notice, makes you want to slow down and take another look.
The Half Life of Snails. By Phillipa Holloway
I have to confess Phillipa is a good friend of mine. Her book is about a Welsh mother’s dilemma in protesting a nuclear power station near her farm and in doing so heading off to Chernobyl leaving behind her son (who owns the snails in the title) to learn more about the effects of a nuclear disaster… I’d recommend it even if I didn’t know the author. Modern literary fiction at its most thought provoking.
Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake
Why would you not want to read a book by a guy called Merlin? It’s about mushrooms. Fungi. He adores them and, in truth, its a fascinating story. The book is illustrated with mushroom ink sketches too. I never knew how important fungi were to the environment. I picked it up because of the cover in truth bit I learned so much.
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
As with many of his books this is both long and complex but worth sticking with. Set in one place but three different historic moments it is a story of power, influence and information. Their lives and family histories intertwined in a story of war, land and cryptography.
I like Stephenson’s books. I’ve read a lot of them. Start with Snow Crash.
The Devil in Amber by Mark Gatiss
Lovely little spoof on ‘Agatha Christie’ style detective/secret agent novels from a certain era. Beautifully written and wonderfully camp. There’s a series of them collectively known as the Lucifer Box novels. A great holiday read.
A graphic novel about the discovery and first use of LSD. Yes it’s as trippy as you imagine. It also has a serious point to make about the treatment of PTSD and other mental illnesses.
Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronavich
Imagine a black police officer who can do magic and is dating the goddess of a London river… are you interested yet? Two children have disappeared in rural Herefordshire. Magic may be involved. Peter (for that is his name) is dispatched to see how he can help… there are unicorns… steam engines… and foxgloves.
The whole series starts with ‘Rivers of London‘. Ben used to write for Dr Who he’s slick and very followable on social media especially twitter where he posts his word count every day that he writes. Definitely recommended the series. Oh, there are graphic novels too.
The One Thing by Gary Keller
It’s a simple idea.what one thing could you do right now that would save you ten things for the rest of today. That’s it.thats the book. Of course there’s more detail and strategies as to how to make this work in various areas if your life. I’ve heard Keller interviewed a few times and found I’d heard most of the book one way or another. Some good hints. It’s another productivity book. Work smarter not harder and all that.
4000 Weeks by Oliver Burkman
That’s the average lifespan. Think about it. What would you do if you knew when.you were going to die? The sub title of the book is about time management because that’s where the author started out but in reality uts about so much more. He sells 4000 week calendars so you can mark your time passing. The text discusses all the ways humans have tried to tame this construct we call time…and all the ways we have failed.
Show your Work by Austin Kleon
If you are thinking about a blog or a podcast or an art project or the like the premise of this book is obvious, get on with it. Good enough is all there is perfect can wait. You’re doing it for the joy not for sales. Seriously, don’t plan on monetising everything, assume you’re an amateur and enjoy.
Steal Like An Artist by Austin Keon
Same dude different day. Its a sort of ‘standing on the shoulders of giants’ moment. Study someone whose work you like, try to get into their head, make your own version with your own twist. Be aware some of tne stuff you make will be shit but do it to improve yourself not to make money etc. I love his enthusiasm. It’s about taking time to learn and to experiment.
Atlas Of the Heart by Brene Brown
I’m sure people will have heard of Ms Brown. Social worker and much viewed TED speaker Brene delves deep into our emotions and the language we use to describe them arguing that we need to be able to name our feelings accurately in order to deal with them. Its a thing of beauty and clearly written too.
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
Its an unusual history of Homo Sapiens. Explicitly sapiens not any of the others. A fascinating romp touching on biology and storytelling, religion and technology. If nothing else Harari stirs the brain into deeper thinking about who we are and why we live as we do. I had the audiobook but on reflection the opportunity to make notes in the margin of this one is much needed.
An Idlers Manual by Tom Hodgkinson
A wonderful book extolling the virtues of doing nothing. Pottering. Sitting. Daydreaming. Tom is the publisher of https://www.idler.co.uk/ The Idler. Its a project based on an anti economy. Its not what you do Its what you don’t do. He offers a number of ways to do less and be happier in doing so. Fun
Breath by James Nestor
Fascinating insight into the science of that thing we do to stay alive. Nestor digs into the research around nasal breathing (as opposed to mouth breathing). The book also contains exercand practical steps to help you get into breathing correctly. Truth be told I found myself huffing and puffing as I read! Who knew that email apnea is a thing?
The Practice by Seth Godin
A very practical yet philosophical book on getting your ‘art’ out there. Essentially it cones down to decide what, why and who for then sit in the chair. Godin is a persuasive writer and deep thinker on many topics. His remarks for creators made me stop and think.
The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
Oft described as a TikTok sensation (BookTok). Its a kind of Harry Potter for grown ups but way more grown up. A world where some have magic. A kind of college/club (The Alexandrian Society) for talented magicians (medeans). Six are chosen only five will leave. Its an interesting book, good story but don’t be surprised if you feel like the whole thing is a set up for book two.
The Wim Hof Method by Wim Hof
Does what it says on the cover. In his own words the life and work of the Iceman. I was fascinated by the BBC show Freeze the Fear and decided to read up on the man. Checking other sources, including academic ones, there does seem to be something to this. He comes across as a nice enough guy who found a way to deal with his issues.
The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa
A boy lives with his grandfather above their secondhand bookshop until the grandfather dies. A talking cat wanders I to the shop as tne boy is deciding what to do with himself and the shop. Naturally this leafs him, and a friend from school he didn’t know he had, into a world of adventure. A beautiful tale about getting to know yourself….and books.
The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan
Written in 1996 this was Sagan’s vision of a future where rhetoric overtook science and no one believed in climate change. Wow! Talk about precognition. A very serious book for today. Sagan brought science to the masses with his TV showx and books. We need him now more than ever (along with David Attenborough and Jaques Cousteau). Please find and read this book. Digital versions are available.
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