Eric Ries, The Lean Startup: How Constant Innovation Creates Radically Successful Businesses

 All these wonderful books that I read and don't write anything about or take time to pause and digest, but the one I pick is a corporate entrepreneurial self-help guide. Not something I would voluntarily read, as it serves a practical purpose and reading is an esoteric activity that should be enjoyed for itself, not because of any tangible gains or improvements as a result. Reading is to be enjoyed, not applied to the real world. There is part of me that wants to do a good job though, and if this helps then hey-ho. The reason I read it was because my company have introduced a 'Spirit Day' which each of us should use for development and well-being. I was sceptical of this, but I must admit I really enjoyed a day of very few emails and no meetings when I could concentrate. It also appears to have inspired me to start writing again, even if just a few sentences. I've broken 1000 miles for the year (running) and just had a PB in the GSR and the Surrey Half, so I'm feeling fit and healthy for a change. I've also stopped drinking, which undoubtedly contributed to that wellbeing too. Will be back on it by Christmas no doubt, and in the meantime am eating far too many sugary and fatty snacks.

Marc Morris, The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England, Colin Dexter, The Riddle of the Third Mile, John Steinbeck, A Russian Journal, Andrew Michael Hurley, Starve Acre, Paul Lay, Providence Lost: The Rise & Fall of Cromwell's Protectorate, Kingsley Amis, The Alteration, Heather Cox Richardson, Wounded Knee: Party Politics and the Road to an American Massacre, Colin Dexter, Last Seen Wearing, Norman Davies, Beneath Another Sky: A Global Journey Into History, John Le Carre, Call for the Dead, Matthew Strickland, Henry the Young King 1155-1183, James Meek, The People's Act of Love, Jonathan Mullard, Pembrokeshire: A Natural History, Dashiell Hammett, The Maltese Falcon, Ysenda Maxtone-Graham, British Summer Time Begins. Jasper Fforde, The Constant Rabbit, Charles Spencer, The White Ship: Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I's Dream, Helen Hanff, 84 Charing Cross Road and The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street, William Souder, Mad At The World: A Life of John Steinbeck, Richard Osman, The Thursday Murder Club, Raynor Winn, The Wild Silence, Ken Follett, The Evening and the Morning, Paul Preston, A People Betrayed: A History of Corruption, Political Incompetence and Social Division in Modern Spain, Mick Herron, Slough House, Joseph Roth, The Hotel Years, Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain, James Dugan, The Great Mutiny, Colin Dexter, The Last Bus To Woodstock, Lawrence Wright, God Save Texas: A Journey into the Soul of the Lone Star State, John Steinbeck, The Moon is Down, Cat Jarman, River Kings: The Vikings from Scandinavia to the Silk Roads, John Le Carre, A Small Town in Germany, Lauren Johnson, Shadow King, The Life and Death of Henry VI, George Sanders, Lincoln In The Bardo, Robert Burchfield, The English Language, John Steinbeck, In Dubious Battle

 'My love affair with Steinbeck continues, and 'In Dubious Battle' made me look into my soul and find a coward there, I think. It's the story of union organisers in California trying to agitate and raise a strike among the exploited apple-pickers of the valley and coming up against every type of violence, intimidation, double-cross and abuse of power possible from the Growers Association and their allies in local government, the police, the press. I can't imagine the pressure of how striking would  cause men to starve, risk their lives, their livelihood, their families' lives and everything they have for something incredibly unlikely to be successful. I think I would have caved and not had the courage. It was a riveting read though, and I was right there in the valley facing the dilemmas with the men. It's Steinbeck's most overtly political and 'red' book, but it's not at all ideological. Just about decency and the working-man deserving to profit from the fruits of their labours.  At home, Libby is the first in the family to test positive for COVID-19, she's at home now and bored out of her mind. Helen, Freddie and I are all vaccinated, but William is likely to get it too. we've had to cancel our trip away at half term and bastard Alton Towers won't refund me