2,062 books
—
101 voters
Andy
https://www.goodreads.com/_btp
to-read
(738)
currently-reading (4)
read (1685)
did-not-finish (0)
lftk (24)
meditation (2)
fiction (1080)
library (1071)
5star (471)
non-fiction (323)
ebook (312)
science-fiction (266)
currently-reading (4)
read (1685)
did-not-finish (0)
lftk (24)
meditation (2)
fiction (1080)
library (1071)
5star (471)
non-fiction (323)
ebook (312)
science-fiction (266)
requested-received
(253)
historical-fiction (238)
fantasy (201)
1001_books (176)
biography (112)
memoir (111)
classics (104)
irish (90)
americana (83)
mystery (83)
humour (70)
faves (62)
historical-fiction (238)
fantasy (201)
1001_books (176)
biography (112)
memoir (111)
classics (104)
irish (90)
americana (83)
mystery (83)
humour (70)
faves (62)
“Sometimes I get lost in the rhythm of the paddling. I even count the strokes it takes to get me to a point of land, The play of the muscles in one's arms and shoulders, and the feel of palm against worn wood, are preferable to glancing at a speedometer”
― One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey
― One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey
“The brain is heavily influenced by genes. But from birth through young adulthood, the part of the human brain that most defines us (frontal cortex) is less a product of the genes with which you started life than of what life has thrown at you. Because it is the last to mature, by definition the frontal cortex is the brain region least constrained by genes and most sculpted by experience. This must be so, to be the supremely complex social species that we are. Ironically, it seems that the genetic program of human brain development has evolved to, as much as possible, free the frontal cortex from genes.”
― Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst
― Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst
“The family were arranged on the veranda under the grapevine, each occupied with his or her own affairs. Mother was knitting, counting the stitches audibly at intervals to herself and saying ‘damn’ periodically when she went wrong. Leslie was squatting on the flag-stones, carefully weighing gunpowder and little piles of silver shot as he filled shiny red cartridge cases. Larry was reading a massive tome and occasionally glancing irritably at Margo, who was clattering away at her machine, making some diaphanous garment, and singing, off key, the only line she knew of her favourite song of the moment.
‘She wore her little jacket of blue,’ she warbled. ‘She wore her little jacket of blue, She wore her little jacket of blue, She wore her little jacket of blue.’
‘The only remarkable thing about your singing is your tenacity,’ said Larry. ‘Anybody else, faced with the fact that they could not carry a tune and couldn’t remember the simplest lyric, would have given up, defeated, a long time ago.’
He threw his cigarette butt down on the flag-stones and this produced a roar of rage from Leslie.
‘Watch the gunpowder,’ he shouted.
‘Leslie dear,’ said Mother, ‘I do wish you wouldn’t shout like that, you’ve made me lose count.’
I produced my hedgehogs proudly and showed them to Mother”
―
‘She wore her little jacket of blue,’ she warbled. ‘She wore her little jacket of blue, She wore her little jacket of blue, She wore her little jacket of blue.’
‘The only remarkable thing about your singing is your tenacity,’ said Larry. ‘Anybody else, faced with the fact that they could not carry a tune and couldn’t remember the simplest lyric, would have given up, defeated, a long time ago.’
He threw his cigarette butt down on the flag-stones and this produced a roar of rage from Leslie.
‘Watch the gunpowder,’ he shouted.
‘Leslie dear,’ said Mother, ‘I do wish you wouldn’t shout like that, you’ve made me lose count.’
I produced my hedgehogs proudly and showed them to Mother”
―
“But there’s a kind of offering in the generosity of water holding you afloat. In the way water holds feeling, how the body is most alive submerged and enveloped, there is the fullness of grace given freely.”
― Turning: Lessons from Swimming Berlin's Lakes
― Turning: Lessons from Swimming Berlin's Lakes
“You keep asking why your work is not enough, and I don’t know how to answer that, because it is enough to exist in the world and marvel at it. You don’t need to justify that, or earn it. You are allowed to just live.”
― A Psalm for the Wild-Built
― A Psalm for the Wild-Built
Nothing But Reading Challenges
— 27036 members
— last activity 0 minutes ago
We NEVER email authors or publishers offering to promote books in exchange for payment. This is a large GR scam happening across many grou ...more
The Perks Of Being A Book Addict
— 37733 members
— last activity 2 hours, 26 min ago
This group is for anyone who loves books from different genres. Every month we have group Books of the Month which you can join, reading challenges, a ...more
Goodreads Ireland
— 2166 members
— last activity Jun 12, 2026 11:09AM
Welcome to Goodreads Ireland, a bookgroup for people from, or just interested in Ireland and Irish literature. Please introduce yourself in the Introd ...more
Game Night
— 1144 members
— last activity 28 minutes ago
We host team and individual reading games based on board games, game shows, dice games & all things fun! Choose one game or play them all... It's up ...more
Hooked on Books
— 5146 members
— last activity 0 minutes ago
📕HOB Announcement Hub 📒Challenge Hub 📗Welcome New Members 📘Buddy Reads: Sign ups / Find a Buddy *By joining the group, you agree to receive weekly ...more
Andy’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Andy’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Andy
Lists liked by Andy


























































