I second Julia's recommendation of Dancing at Lughnasa - and it was a reminder of Colm Toibin, as a child, listening to the lively chatter of his mother and aunts in contrast to his taciturn male relatives. The Capital Ring is worth exploring if you haven't as it works its way through the everyday as well as past grander sights. Section 9 from Greenford via Harrow-on-the-Hill ends at South Kenton station where there is a great, but rather faded, Art Deco pub, The Windermere, if you fancy another version of the Irish experience.
Our next one, at the end of May will focus on all things ITALIAN in homage to our next month's pick: The Little Virtues by Natalia Ginzburg - look out for my introduction to it arriving in your inbox on monday.
I just finished reading a wonderful book: Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig. It chronicles his journey through deep depression and out the other side. Very impactful and useful without being preachy. Walking seems deeply encouraging of thought. The more I walk, the more I feel and think positively.
On our Zoom this month, we were joined by someone who worked at Walsingham, Norfolk, a pilgrimage site. In case anyone fancies making a pilgrimage there...
I used to love the Time Out Country Walks near London books, which gives you a load of approx 10 mile pretty walks between train stations not far from London. Such a treasure trove, but now sadly very much out of date. Luckily you can find slightly more updated versions of the walks at this website: https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/book_1/
I'm trying one out on the bank holiday monday. The challenge will be how on earth to get the children to walk 6 miles!
Here are a few of my favourite London fictional walks that feature in some of our previous book club picks:
Mrs Dalloway’s through Victoria across St James’s Park and to Piccadilly, distracted by Hatchard’s, off to Bond Street to buy the flowers herself.
Nenna’s in Penelope Fitzgerald’s Offshore – from Stoke Newington ending up in Kingsland Road in the middle of the night.
The Lonely Londoners by Sam Selvon – walking around Notting Hill Gate, Hyde Park and bringing the Windrush perspective to this part of town.
The world’s best pub crawl in Iris Murdoch’s Under the Net – ending up with a night swim in The Thames.
I loved discussing these fictional walks with you all!
Through Robert Macfarlane, I found and loved Nan Shepherd. Her book The Living Mountain would go in my top 10 books of all time. Again, we discussed this in the group many years ago... perhaps time to revisit it!
I would also really recommend Robert Macfarlane's work. We discussed his first book Mountains of the Mind together a long time ago. The Old Ways is especially brilliant.
And it was lovely to see a couple of you at the Ink84 Books event with Carlota Gurt and Viola di Grado a week or so ago. Two astonishing books about women on the edge - definitely check them out if you are after something translated and radical!
And I went to see possibly the best dance I've EVER seen at Sadler's Wells, recently: The Netherlands Dans Theater did a show, including a beautiful collaboration with Simon McBurney. Did anyone else catch it?
I recommend Dancing at Lughnasa at the National Theatre and Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny had me laughing out loud on the train. Also loved the Ginger Rogers season at the BFI but that's nearly over now (my favourite is Stage Door from 1937 and a surprise was Storm Warning from 1951, in which she takes down the KKK).
Some of you will remember the joyful occasion of walking book clubber Colleen Hubbard’s book launch, last summer. Her brilliant novel, Housebreaking, has just been released in paperback.
I second Julia's recommendation of Dancing at Lughnasa - and it was a reminder of Colm Toibin, as a child, listening to the lively chatter of his mother and aunts in contrast to his taciturn male relatives. The Capital Ring is worth exploring if you haven't as it works its way through the everyday as well as past grander sights. Section 9 from Greenford via Harrow-on-the-Hill ends at South Kenton station where there is a great, but rather faded, Art Deco pub, The Windermere, if you fancy another version of the Irish experience.
A book that I enjoyed this month, in addition to Harold, is Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld.
Our next one, at the end of May will focus on all things ITALIAN in homage to our next month's pick: The Little Virtues by Natalia Ginzburg - look out for my introduction to it arriving in your inbox on monday.
Thank you so much for joining me for our first On Our Reading Radar, Pat, Claire, Julia, Janet and Ellen!
I think as it is now 2pm we should officially wrap up ...
But please do feel free to add your own recommendations here anytime - think of it as a useful pinboard!
And also please do 'like' some comments if you do!
I just finished reading a wonderful book: Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig. It chronicles his journey through deep depression and out the other side. Very impactful and useful without being preachy. Walking seems deeply encouraging of thought. The more I walk, the more I feel and think positively.
And James recommended by email: The Walker by Matthew Beaumont
By email, Sam recommended:
Wanderlust by Rebecca Solnit
And also on zoom, someone recommended:
Walking – One Step at a Time by Erling Kagge/
You can read a review here:
https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/books/book-review-walking-one-step-time-erling-kagge-1418231
On our Zoom this month, we were joined by someone who worked at Walsingham, Norfolk, a pilgrimage site. In case anyone fancies making a pilgrimage there...
https://www.walsinghamabbey.com/
I used to love the Time Out Country Walks near London books, which gives you a load of approx 10 mile pretty walks between train stations not far from London. Such a treasure trove, but now sadly very much out of date. Luckily you can find slightly more updated versions of the walks at this website: https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/book_1/
I'm trying one out on the bank holiday monday. The challenge will be how on earth to get the children to walk 6 miles!
Does anyone have a favourite walk IRL they would like to share?
Here are a few of my favourite London fictional walks that feature in some of our previous book club picks:
Mrs Dalloway’s through Victoria across St James’s Park and to Piccadilly, distracted by Hatchard’s, off to Bond Street to buy the flowers herself.
Nenna’s in Penelope Fitzgerald’s Offshore – from Stoke Newington ending up in Kingsland Road in the middle of the night.
The Lonely Londoners by Sam Selvon – walking around Notting Hill Gate, Hyde Park and bringing the Windrush perspective to this part of town.
The world’s best pub crawl in Iris Murdoch’s Under the Net – ending up with a night swim in The Thames.
I loved discussing these fictional walks with you all!
And let's not forget Laurie Lee, As I walked out one Midsummer Morning! A classic. A joy! A totally different world.
https://dauntbooks.co.uk/shop/books/as-i-walked-out-one-midsummer-morning-laurie-lee/
And I love Olivia Laing's first book, To the River. She walks along the Ouse, in the footsteps of Woolf. Beautiful, fascinating book!
https://dauntbooks.co.uk/shop/books/to-the-river/
There are some interesting books about women walking. If Harold Fry had been a woman ?
Roger Deakin is another good non-fiction walker writer. Especially Wildwood.
https://dauntbooks.co.uk/shop/books/wildwood/
Through Robert Macfarlane, I found and loved Nan Shepherd. Her book The Living Mountain would go in my top 10 books of all time. Again, we discussed this in the group many years ago... perhaps time to revisit it!
https://dauntbooks.co.uk/shop/books/the-living-mountain/
I would also really recommend Robert Macfarlane's work. We discussed his first book Mountains of the Mind together a long time ago. The Old Ways is especially brilliant.
https://dauntbooks.co.uk/shop/books/the-old-ways-a-journey-on-foot/
There's a brilliant book about her by Frances Wilson
A great book about walking that springs to mind as a lovely companion to Rachel Joyce's novel is The Salt Path by Raynor Winn. Has anyone read it?
I m more interested in Dorothy really. Another walker
Very readable . Links his poetry very closely to his personal life.
Moving on to OUR WALKING RECOMMENDATIONS:
And it was lovely to see a couple of you at the Ink84 Books event with Carlota Gurt and Viola di Grado a week or so ago. Two astonishing books about women on the edge - definitely check them out if you are after something translated and radical!
https://www.europaeditions.co.uk/book/9781787704435/alone
https://scribepublications.co.uk/books-authors/books/blue-hunger-9781914484278
And I went to see possibly the best dance I've EVER seen at Sadler's Wells, recently: The Netherlands Dans Theater did a show, including a beautiful collaboration with Simon McBurney. Did anyone else catch it?
Details here:
https://www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/nederlands-dans-theater-ndt-1-gabriela-carrizo-jiri-kylian-crystal-pite-simon-mcburney/
I recommend Dancing at Lughnasa at the National Theatre and Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny had me laughing out loud on the train. Also loved the Ginger Rogers season at the BFI but that's nearly over now (my favourite is Stage Door from 1937 and a surprise was Storm Warning from 1951, in which she takes down the KKK).
I m also reading Radical Wordsworth by Joanathan Bate. And of course Wordsworth was a fanatical walker...
I have been re-reading The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim for my book club with Age UK Camden. A delight! (Although not everyone agreed...)
It's very good for this time of year...
Some of you will remember the joyful occasion of walking book clubber Colleen Hubbard’s book launch, last summer. Her brilliant novel, Housebreaking, has just been released in paperback.
You can buy it here: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/housebreaking-colleen-hubbard/6769348?ean=9781472157539
Short stories are very much on my reading radar at the moment...
I LOVED reading Books & Islands in Ojibwe Country by Louise Erdich.
You can read my review of it in the Spectator here: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-native-american-lore-of-minnesotas-lakes-and-islands/
I m enjoying Anne Tyler's French Braid. She is so good at family life