Some of you may have wondered where I’ve been, well, rather than wasting my time on a virtual playground, I’ve been reading books… some of you may recall paper print books. They are rather good.
That is all
I don’t think ■■■■■■■ counts as a book, even if you are reading it “just for the articles”. 
I read lots of books, I have a library at my home . It is a well known fact that reading books can help with keeping the brain active and avoiding dementia. Funny because I was in Whitby yesterday and found an old bookshop that resembled a scene from Harry Potter. Good for you, reading donkey, I could suggest any of Dickens books that are a really good read to get lost in but my favorite happens to be Poetry.
I’m working my way through 4 of John LeCarre’s superb books at the moment i had missed previously and picked up in the last couple of weeks.
Also, seeing as we have the original Tinker Taylor (the real one with Sir Alec Guinness) and Smiley’s People on DVD 
i re-watched the whole 7 episodes of the former yesterday evening lying on the bed with a Spaniel either side of me, no thats not a euphemism, two golden/red Spaniels who were thoroughly knackered following a mega rabbit chasing session through the spinneys earlier in the day when they ran miles.
We don’t watch live television at all, in fact i doubt i’ve watched anything broadcast by the main channels (apart from those TTSP and SP above which were as i recall BBC epics from the days when it was a decent broadcaster) for years now, quite why we still pay the licence fee is a mystery and i shall be exploring what we have to disconnect in order to cancel the propaganda payment and stay out of prison.
Usually have a book with me at work, nothing better on an extended 45 than stretching me legs out with a nice cuppa and having a good read.
the nodding donkey:
some of you may recall paper print books. They are rather good.
I do recall them indeed.
And they, like you, are an ancient relic of a by-gone age…
Amazon Kindle is where it’s at bro if you wanna stay hip without the hip replacement 
Last thing I tried to read was my employee safe systems of work manual, hardly a page turner.
Got as far as chapter one: ‘How to safely access and egress your vehicle.’ Deceided not to continue and just wait for the movie.
Need to read more books though, they are making a comeback and nothing I loved more than a good classic Jackie Collins or Jilly Cooper.
Used to write fantasy ■■■■ articles, some of which are still online in the more dodgy areas of the internet (Mumsnet etc).
Reading stuff on a screen just doesn’t get the imagination going like a proper book.
Yes I love books, the last book I bought took me back to my childhood. 
To my contacts in the book trade Amazon is a swear word.
I like to come back to a book again which I read some years before and enjoy the story once more. I am currently on John Prebble’s trilogy about the Scottish Highlanders of the 18th century: Glencoe, Culloden and The Highland Clearances, reading them in the order in which they were written - reverse historical order.
Why should Amazon be bad,i buy 2-3 times a year a box of books via Amazon.Living in the far North of Sweden it is quite useful to be able to buy via internet[and quite cheap].
I remember in the 70s\80s\and 90s most international drivers had a bag of books with them.For me and my wife it was always good when we had a weekend somewhere in a truckstop to go around to the English\Dutch and French drivers swapping books[also saved a lot of money by swapping].
I can live without a lot of the modern '‘conveniences’'but could not do without books.
cav551:
To my contacts in the book trade Amazon is a swear word.
[zb] me! Is there any subject on this forum that’s safe from elitism.
Reef:
the nodding donkey:
some of you may recall paper print books. They are rather good.I do recall them indeed.
And they, like you, are an ancient relic of a by-gone age…
Amazon Kindle is where it’s at bro if you wanna stay hip without the hip replacement
My own favorite is 1984 by George Orwell, must have read it about 5 times.
I believe it was meant as a warning from history about the dangers of a dystopian totaleterian regime taking control of the future by manipuilating the past.
Not as a road map for current european goverments.
AndieHyde:
My own favorite is 1984 by George Orwell, must have read it about 5 times.I believe it was meant as a warning from history about the dangers of a dystopian totaleterian regime taking control of the future by manipuilating the past.
Not as a road map for current european goverments.
Only set 30 years too early [emoji38][emoji38][emoji38][emoji38]
AndieHyde:
My own favorite is 1984 by George Orwell, must have read it about 5 times.I believe it was meant as a warning from history about the dangers of a dystopian totaleterian regime taking control of the future by manipuilating the past.
Not as a road map for current european goverments.
Only European govs?
Double speak and double think seems similar to fake news? Our enemies of today who turn into our allies of tomorrow at a President’s whim?
And what of this Brave New World? Orwell couldn’t see the masses would actually administer their own soma as soft drugs.
His “Down And Out in Paris and London” is a great read too.
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Indeed Franglais, Orwell didn’t realise how easily the electorate could be bribed with their own money by glorified snake oil sellers, nor how happily they would destroy their own bodies and minds with real drugs as they soaked up the right on messages from the state broadcasters.
Dipper_Dave:
Last thing I tried to read was my employee safe systems of work manual, hardly a page turner.
Got as far as chapter one: ‘How to safely access and egress your vehicle.’ Deceided not to continue and just wait for the movie.Need to read more books though, they are making a comeback and nothing I loved more than a good classic Jackie Collins or Jilly Cooper.
Used to write fantasy ■■■■ articles, some of which are still online in the more dodgy areas of the internet (Mumsnet etc).
Reading stuff on a screen just doesn’t get the imagination going like a proper book.
■■■■■■ fiction ? Jackie Collins ? Im impressed ! Talking of Orwell I’m a fan of the Road to Wigan Pier (cos its gim up north) lol
Juddian:
Indeed Franglais, Orwell didn’t realise how easily the electorate could be bribed with their own money by glorified snake oil sellers, nor how happily they would destroy their own bodies and minds with real drugs as they soaked up the right on messages from the state broadcasters.
There we have it. Agreement, about the optimistic views of the future held by the late George Orwell.
What’s the name of the late US mathematician, singer, satirist who gave up years ago. “Kissinger winning the Nobel Peace Prize beats anything I could imagine”. Tom ?
Edit Tom Lehrer
the nodding donkey:
, I’ve been reading books… some of you may recall paper print books. They are rather good.That is all
Did they have this on them? 
Nice trip down memory lane with the classic ladybird books.
AndieHyde:
My own favorite is 1984 by George Orwell, must have read it about 5 times.I believe it was meant as a warning from history about the dangers of a dystopian totaleterian regime taking control of the future by manipuilating the past.
Not as a road map for current european goverments.
One of my favorites too. My all time favorite book though is Mungo Park - Travels to the Interior of Africa. It’s mostly his diary and factual and is a really fascinating read. Must have read it about 6 or 7 times now and never get bored. His writing is so good that it does really take you there and you feel like you are standing in his shoes, often scared s***less