Why Nature Rocks: March Reads

March has surprised me with some beautiful spring days. After so much rain, it’s wonderful to see some blossom. What with soaking up plenty of outdoor time, it’s been a perfect month to read Last Child in the Woods. Richard Louv presents a staggering amount of research all pointing to our human need to be part of nature, whilst considering the many factors that have drawn us indoors.

I loved the idea. Yes! We should all go outside more! We should roll in the dirt, get lost and be inspired! If anyone’s in doubt as to nature’s brilliance, or wants some new interesting facts, then this is well worth a read.

I also read the second in the Wool trilogy. My long train journey to Manchester warranted a hefty piece of pulp fiction, and this kept me occupied for the full return trip.

A note on quitting: If you read February’s post you’ll spot that I had planned to read The Tiger’s Wife this month. I read half of it. I also read half of a P.G. Wodehouse book. Both were lovely, but I just didn’t make it beyond the halfway point. There are too many great books out there to warrant soldiering on with one. If you aren’t revelling in your read, I say ditch it!

Also, a big thank you to Laura who has created such a friendly online group of readers for #theyearinbooks. It’s lovely to see the variety in what everyone is reading!

Travelling by Train

I set out early this morning for my seven hour journey to Manchester. The taxi driver asked why I had chosen to travel four hours by train, rather than forty minutes by plane. Quite honestly, the thought hadn’t occurred to me.

I relish a long train journey. Why would I swap a gallop through the countryside for an ear-aching descent through the sky? Give me a window seat to watch the countryside zip past, and I’ll happily drift off watching the clouds up above me. I like the slow move from familiar country to new terrain, its steady shift through rolling green farmland, old brick industries and silversharp complexes.

I had plans to knit, listen to podcasts and have a good long nap. But with a new book and renewed appreciation for my old ipod with it’s long battery life, I didn’t get round to any of it. Those new mittens and Radio 4 catchup will just have to wait for another day. Perhaps the journey back…

Pencil & Paper

A notebook is the perfect solution to so many situations: facing that blank white screen or starting out on a new project, finding yourself at a cafe without a book, or wrestling with a million to-dos. I rely on a computer as much as the next guy, and would be lost without Evernote. But nothing beats a blank piece of paper and a 2B pencil to get me thinking.

My love of stationery means I’m always noticing notebooks. The carpenter who fitted the new kitchen got my instant seal of approval for using Field Notes. The perfect notebook for everyday, they fit in a back pocket, with a soft cover, feint squared paper, and a ruler marked on the back (ok, I’ve never used the ruler, but I like the idea that I might.)

I type my to do lists and meeting notes, but both jobs are far better on the odd occasion when I get out paper and pencil. I was in a meeting yesterday where we had paper taped to the table. People kept adding to it as our plans developed, or pointed to previous points to recall them. We were, quite literally, all on the same page. I stumbled across this talk on graphic recording which puts it perfectly.

When working in pre-schools I often recommend visual schedules to help children with limited language or high anxiety know what to expect in their day. And I’ve realised I do this for myself. I’ve heard frequent mention of people with ‘too many open tabs’ in the brain: so many things rumbling in the background, so much to do, and all a bit of a jumble. Doodling helps me iron these out.

And my doodling is dodgy. I don’t have a great wealth of artistic skill to call upon; I lack perspective, scale, shape. But it doesn’t matter. I’ve got over being embarrassed about my bad drawing and I actually like to share this weakness with others. It makes our conversations feel more honest, less about putting up our ‘best front’.

I can’t give up the screen; it makes my life so much easier. Computers keep me organised and efficient. But paper brings me joy and inspiration.

Green Tomatoes and Steel Silos: February Reads

February was a month filled with a delicious number of books. It’s no accident that this coincided with the arrival of a lovely hand-me-down armchair in the house and a lack of good TV (no, I haven’t yet got with Breaking Bad; sorry!)

After a winter of stormy cold reads, I turned towards warmer climes with Fried Green Tomatoes. This book was filled with charming characters whose southern drawl just leapt off the page. The small-town-small-drama still touched on bigger issues: Alabama’s race relations, the desperate poverty sweeping the country, and the uplifting persistence of Railroad Bill. I enjoyed how people helped others in simple, unexpected ways. Everyone had something to give; even the very old, who can sometimes seem on the fringes of mainstream society. A sunny uplifting read for a rainy month.

I also read Wool: a much bleaker story; cold and steely with a dark centre. This post-apocalyptic vision is not my usual choice (and I’ll admit I first picked it up thinking it was about knitting). But the main character is a brilliantly strong woman who stands up to some intimidating shit. I was hooked and read it super-quick. A good holiday read!

I picked up Stoner purely because we had a brand new copy on the shelf and it always feels a terrible waste to not read a full price book (incidentally, another book I first picked up thinking it was about something else). Initially slow going but well worth the time. It got me thinking about a lot of things, and now I just want to find someone else who’s read it. A good book group read.

The Rosie Project has been getting a lot of press, and I’ve seen several copies in #theyearinbooks. I fell in love with Don Tillman. What a brilliantly quirky guy. Lots of fun to be had with someone who leads life so methodically and literally. This is a perfect rainy weekend read; sit in your armchair with a pot of tea and devour it in two big bites.

So, what lies in store for March? I’ve just started reading The Tiger’s Wife and also want to read some non-fiction. What’s on your March reading list?

A Week Close to Home

When a bit of holiday time comes around it’s always tempting to head for a new distant destination. But Tom and I found ourselves spending the last week much closer to home. With big plans to do very little, we’ve made the most of a gentler pace.

We filled our days with all those deliciously languorous things that can never be crammed in to a weekend: an enormous brunch with all the trimmings, a whole afternoon with a book, or an entire day spent soaking up the spring sunshine.

It’s back to the grind this Monday morning and I’ve got a busy month ahead. But, compared to how I was feeling when I wrote this post, I’m happy to have a job that I feel positive about, and don’t even dread the 6am alarm. I hope you all have a good ‘back-to-school’ week!