Books I’m reading this summer.

1. Cider with rosie – Laurie Lee
2. The epic of gilgamesh
3. Chronicler of the winds – Henning Mankell
4. 2012 – the crystal skull – Manda Scott
5. A thousand splendid suns – Khaled Hosseini

1) Lord of the rings trilogy – JRR Tolkien ….classic, my all time favourite book..a show of defiance and love by the most unlikeliest of heroes (frodo and particularly Sam)
2) Magicians of the gods – Graham Hancock(history is not what it seems…open mind required).
3) The woodlanders – Thomas Hardy (classic literature…poetic and profound)
4) The collected poems – Robert Frost
‘stars’
And yet with neither love nor hate
Those stars like some Snow White
Minerva’s Snow White marble eyes
Without the gift of sight…..
5) musical truth – Mark Devlin(revealing book about the dark and sinister forces in the music industry…must read)
6)A vision of fire:book one of the earth end saga – Gillian Anderson
7)poems of William Blake
‘The human Abstract’
The gods of the earth and sea
Sought through nature to find this tree
But their search was all in vain
There grows one in the human brain……
8) The Magician – Michael Scott (from a great series of books)
9) Spook Country – William Gibson
10) Syd Barrett :A very irregular head – Rob Chapman( well written book about ex pink floyd member and influential legacy).

Just finished reading, ‘Into the Wild’ by Jon Krakauer, a deeply moving book about a young man called Chris McCandless who walked alone into the alaskan wilderness, later made into a great film. It got me thinking about the reason why were here, I’ve never gone on a solo soul searching journey, but Ive spent many times walking alone next to the sea or in the welsh mountains. I have a deep empathy for nature and it’s magical mysteries. If you spend time with nature , it can teach us many lessons.

Apart from playing and writing new songs, I have been reading alot and just finished reading Stephen Baxters “Ark”, it tells the story of the earth flooding in the future. It got me thinking how the planet could be in the future and how much of a struggle lies ahead. With the endless conflicts in the world, it seems pointless when faced with such a problem as global warming.

Recently purchased the Chris robinson brotherhood album Big Moon Ritual if you like the grateful dead/allman brothers you’ll love this psychedelic jam, a really strong album. Also bought the counting crows cover album , Underwater Sunshine really interesting selection of songs, including fairport conventions, ‘meet on the ledge’ and other less well known songs. Reading Heartland by Anthony Cartwright and Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer about the story of Christopher McCandless who left everything behind to walk alone into the wilderness of alaska, later turned into a great film by Sean Penn.

1. Black elk speaks – John.G. Neihardt
2. Gone – Michael Grant
3. Ash – James Herbert
4. The return of the gods – Erich Von Daniken
5. Last and first contacts – Stephen Baxter

• 33 revs per minute(a history of protest songs) – Dorian Lynsky
• 48 – James Herbert
• Earth:an alien enterprise – Timothy Good
• The mountains rise(embers of illeniel) – Michael g Manning
• For the moon is hollow and aliens rule the sky – Rob Shelsky

I enjoy reading alot , as it gives me time out from my music and sometimes can inspire. Here’s my list:-

1. Cull – Michael.G.Preston
2. The Darkening – Stephen.M.Irwin
3. Tortilla flat – John Steinbeck
4. Times Eye – Arthur.C.Clark and Stephen Baxter
5. Mayor Of Casterbridge – Thomas Hardy
6. Hydden World – William Horwood
7. Surface Detail – Iain.M.Banks
8. Infernal Devices – K.W.Jeter
9. Terminal World – -Alastair Reynolds

1) Lord of the rings trilogy – J.R.R.Tolkien
2) Ark – Stephen Baxter
3) The foundation saga – Isaac Asimov
4) The songs of distant earth – Arthur.c .Clarke
5) Labyrinth – Kate Mosse
6) One flew over the cuckoos nest – Ken Kesey
7) The grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
8) Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury
9) Just after sunset – Stephen King
10) The kite runner – Khaled Hosseini