Stuart Aken's Blog, page 23
February 9, 2023
Enduring Love by Ian McEwan: #BookReview
A thriller written by a master of the language. Not for the faint-hearted or those lacking in education, this story relates the series of events that lead up to the stalking of the main character by a seriously disturbed and potentially violent would-be lover. The stalker is obsessive and deluded and follows the pattern of …
February 4, 2023
#ScenicSaturday 04/Feb/2023
I share these pictures, from February (though not this year), to show #ourworldiswonderful. This shot is from 2020 and shows the brook that flows through the beaver enclosure. They were introduced to help reduce the flooding caused by the brook that flows through the village. So far, that seems to be working well. The area …
January 31, 2023
Mostly Harmful, by Michael Paulkovich: #BookReview.
Subtitled ‘1001 Things Everyone Should Know About RELIGION’, this is a piece of work, as the subtitle says, everyone should read.That it is a scholarly work is indicated by the comprehensive bibliography, index and accompanying notes, which take up around 28% of the publication. The author lightens a heavy subject by being occasionally a little …
Continue reading Mostly Harmful, by Michael Paulkovich: #BookReview.
January 28, 2023
#ScenicSaturday 28/Jan/2023
These pictures are from January, though not this year. I share them here to show #ourworldiswonderful.This shot is from the Forest of Dean, taken on an afternoon walk in 2020 as mist slowly cleared from the valley where a small brook flows. Frost remained from the previous evening, dusting the leaves of wild flowers still …
January 22, 2023
Boys, Belles, Bikes, and Bells.
I just posted this piece to Medium. In a forest criss-crossed by tracks and trails of many different sorts, three types of users enter for their exercise, entertainment, and escape from the troubles of the world. Pedestrians vary from the agile runner in search of challenges, through dog walkers exercising their pets, groups sharing the …
January 21, 2023
#ScenicSaturday 21/Jan/2023
These pictures are from January, though not this year. I share them here to show #ourworldiswonderful.This shot is from the Forest of Dean and was taken with my second-hand iPhone in 2022. I love the way beech saplings cling to their autumn leaves throughout winter and shed them only as new leaf buds burst in …
January 14, 2023
#ScenicSaturday 14/Jan/2023
These pictures are from January, though not this year. I share them here to show #ourworldiswonderful.From the Forest of Dean, this photo, taken in 2020, depicts afternoon mist lit by the sun’s rays. # Please comment, like, and share these to spread the joy of natural beauty to as many people as possible. It might …
January 7, 2023
Contagious Tales, Edited by Andrew Simms: #BookReview.
176 pages.22 modern folk tales. Alan Rusbridger, former editor of The Guardian and now editor of Prospect magazine remarks, ‘These stories matter because they help us grasp a world that is seemingly out of control, and imagine what steps we can take to make things better.’ This anthology is subtitled ‘22 modern folk tales in …
Continue reading Contagious Tales, Edited by Andrew Simms: #BookReview.
#ScenicSaturday 07/Jan/2023
These pictures are from January, though not this year. I share them here to show #ourworldiswonderful.From Wales, this one shows the sunset over Caerphilly Mountain. I shot it in January 2019 after a trip to Caerphilly Castle with our daughter and her then boyfriend (now husband) who were on a visit from their home in …
January 5, 2023
We Walked 1114 Miles in 2022.
For a few years, I’ve subscribed to Country Walking magazine, which features articles, photos, and detailed maps of real interest to those who walk in the UK. Each year they run a challenge ‘Walk 1,000 Miles’. We’ve participated for 2 years now. In 2022 we completed 1,114.8 miles. Valerie’s 70 and I’m 74 and have …
