Reading has always been one of those hobbies that I have done since childhood. I love the idea of being able to escape into another world, or learn about something completely outside of my area of expertise. Reading has always been something that is so freeing to me.
I do realise, that reading in itself, is a political act. Not every person can read, government’s don’t allow all kinds of literature to be sold. Historically, reading has been used to subdue the masses by those who are in power. Those who would benefit from people not being able to understand what is going on. This is a way of subduing people and making sure that they only receive the information those in power want them to receive.
It is why I try to read a variety of stuff. I try to divide my reading time between reading fiction and non-fiction. I could be reading period non-fiction, then read a book on the history of Scottish football, and then a book about politics. I like reading about something that I don’t know a lot on, that, to me, is part of the point of reading. To increase my understanding of the world outside of my own experiences. And also understand stuff from different points of view
As a result, I always see something I want to read when I go out. It is why I rarely leave a bookshop without a book. I always buy something. I remember seeing that buying books and reading books are two entirely different hobbies. Unrelated with each other. I am trying to do better, and am renting more from my local library, rather than buy new.
When I think of Formula 1 commentators, I think of Murray Walker. Between 1976 and 2001, Walker, commentated live tv broadcasts of F1 races, and pioneered how motorsport was covered in the media. He started doing radio broadcasts of Isle of Man TT commentary with his father, progressing to other motorsports. Murray was known for his energetic style of commentary, which was informative, enthusiastic, but also contained some blunders. Which, is something that still happens when doing live commentary currently.
The book is a collection of anecdotes from people that Murray worked with throughout his career, sorted out chronologically. From life in the army, to working in advertising, to commentating with ex-McLaren driver, James Hunt, and then finding his stride with current commentator Martin Brundle. It shows insight to the kind of person Murray was, passionate about motorsport, and kind to those people around him. He made such in impact, that he commented live on BBC, and when the rights moved over to ITV in 1997, he was the sole commentator who moved over to continue broadcasting.
Contributions in this tribute to Murray Walker include: Martin Brundle, James Allen, Louise Goodman, Sir Jackie Stewart, Sir Lewis Hamilton, Damon Hill, Suzi Perry, Steve Ryder, Jim Rosenthal, and many more parts of the motorsport industry. Author, Maurice Hamilton, was a journalist for The Observer, Independent, and The Guardian, and covered Grand Prix races for radio station BBC Radio 5 Live. In fact, Maurice Hamilton covered over 500 Grand Prix races, and was a staple of the pit lane for over 30 years. He is extremely highly qualified to write about the impact that Murray Walker made on the Formula 1 world.
The book was a very insightful look at a Formula 1 legend. It takes the reader into the commentary box, to understand how Murray worked during a race. I like books that shed a different perspective of things, a different side of something that I feel so familiar with. I’ve loved Formula 1 for years, and as mentioned before, Murray Walker is still iconic in my mind, and I enjoyed reading what he was actually like.
And of course, this review wouldn’t be complete without some Murrayisms. Quotes from Murray Walker, which were fumbles during live commentary, but helped make things so entertaining. The sad thing is, that Martin Brundle mentions in the book that Murray had a thin skin. When newspapers like The Sun or Daily Mail mentioned Murray being ‘passed it’ for his fumbles, he took it too hard. In fact Martin mentioned that Murray would really struggle these days, with the increased social media comments. Which is sad. Murray’s Murrayisms are what made Formula 1 races interesting. There was no-one before or after Murray who came close to him, in my opinion.
Murrayisms:-
‘Either that car was stationary, or it’s on the move’.
‘The young Ralf Schumacher has been upstaged by the teenager Jenson Button, who is twenty’.
‘Prost can see Mansell in his headphones’.
‘Unless I am very much mistaken- yes. I am mistaken’.
Murray: ‘What’s that? There’s a body on the track’. James Hunt: ‘Um, I think that’s a piece of bodywork from someone’s car’.
What do you like to do in your spare time? What are your hobbies?
I like reading, writing, playing computer games, going for walks, drawing, and finding new music. Stuff that seems to help me get more joy out of my day to day life. Things that keep my hands, and my mind, busy. Which, a requirement at how ‘doomsday’ the world seems right now.
My brain struggles to focus on things. So I think I am going to paint something’, and I simply stare at the piece of paper, and nothing happens. My brain just stalls. So then, I try to write a to-do list, to try and motivate me, as to-do lists do help when I have housework and stuff to do. But it doesn’t work with things I normally enjoy. Things become a chore, and any pleasure is gone.
Sometimes, I think that I like to do too many things, for the time I seem to be able to give. I have to learn, that I don’t have to do all of the things, all of the time. Which will take time. My mind still tells me that I have failed for not doing everything. It’s like, because I have failed on things in life, I think that everything I do must lead to failure.
I have just finished working my way through ‘Sadie’ by Courtney Summers. I have mentioned that my attention has been difficult, due to my brain not stopping thanks to anxiety. So, I listened to the audiobook, which kept my attention, and allowed me to become engrossed in the story.
The book starts, with a podcast. The Girls, is a true crime podcast, presented by West McCray. It features West trying to track down a teenage girl, Sadie, who has been reported missing by her Aunt. Sadie, is 19. Her little sister, Mattie, has been found dead. Sadie is trying to track down the man she thinks is responsible for her little sister’s murder.
The narrative of the book alternates between West’s Podcast, and Sadie’s point of view. As Sadie moves her way through small town America, West follows, sometimes a few months later, and interviews the people Sadie meets. The story is unique in how it’s told. How the truth is fed to the reader in small tidbits, just enough to keep you hanging on. As said, I listened to the audiobook, which I believe helped me get engrossed into the book more. The podcast, however, does exist. Simply search ‘The Girls’ into your podcast site of choice, and listen as you read. Listening to the interviews actually brings a new dimension to the book, which makes everything feel so much more real.
You can always tell when you enjoy a good book, because you are thinking of it long after you finish. And that is what I feel right now. I have missed this feeling.
I have been complaining on here about my lack of focus. That I have been finding it really hard to focus on anything at all. Over the last few months it has felt like I have worked, and that’s it. I have to go to work, so in these testing times, that is the only ‘thing’ I do. I am grateful for the routine, and to be able to see different people every day. But, you need to be able do other things, stuff to help keep you sane.
For the last few months, I have been subscribed to Audible, and like most subscription services I seem to accidentally sign up for, I forgot about it. I have always preferred music to listen to, over spoken media, like podcasts or radio. I like a wee sing-a-long, especially when travelling to or from work. Spoken word, seemed to be something that I automatically tune out.
So, noone was more surprised in me, when I decided to listen to an audiobook, on a whim, during my breaks at work. I chose The Beekeeper of Aleppo, by Christy Lefteri. I found myself so absorbed in the tale of Nuri and wife Afra, as they flee their homeland in Syria. With words being spoken to me, I found that I was able to entirely focus on the story, which I found so gripping. It was the first bit of media, that I have been able to lose myself in, for a very long time. It felt like such a release.
Since finishing the audiobook, I have found myself adding several books to a ‘to listen’ virtual pile. I hope that I can continue to enjoy books, in this new way. I find that listening to a calm voice, reading a story to me, and takes me away from whatever is on my mind, at that moment. And it is nice.
I love the idea of getting lost in a world when the real world is becoming too much. Reading is something I do when I need to chill out. Something that is becoming increasingly necessary in this world, as it becomes more angry an confrontational.
That’s why books have come to mean so much to me, as there is no confrontation. Everything that could cause anguish is contained within the pages of the book. And if it stresses me out at all, I can close the book and do something else. Because if I am really invested in a book or character, I can find myself panicking if the storyline turns suddenly. And I am aware that seems really strange.
My issue these days, seems to be on focus. There are times where I can get right into a novel, but other times my mind can’t focus. And it is really hard. Something that I’ve used to help me relax, might not help me anymore. I have discussed this quite a bit on here, but it is so annoying.
I am currently reading Limmy’s (Scottish comedian) autobiography, listening to a book on the Korean War and reading a thriller on my Kindle. I have to be able to jump back and forth so that I can take in a book whatever my mood is. The problem is that I often end up reading the same stuff over and over again. It’s not really a problem, but I feel like it is. I love the feeling of getting into a new book for the first time, where you can’t put it down. But, due to the problem with focusing, it’s hard to get into something new.
The start of a new year, already? It’s pretty scary how time just seems to fly by, and there is nothing you can do to stop it. It’s important to make the best of whatever time you have, and that includes relaxing.
This year, I have a few things I want to sort out.
1) Finances- I pretty much live payday to payday, which is pretty sad. It’s no way to live life, as you can feel permanently broke. So I am planning on setting up my bill payment account, and I won’t be able to touch the money that goes into there. It’s going to need a bit of discipline, but I am aiming to spend a lot wiser next year, and hopefully save some money.
2) Be Healthier- I am very unhealthy. I do a lot of walking, but I eat so much crap. This year is about progress, so I want try and move a little forward with my health. It includes eating better, and doing more exercise, as well as looking after my mental health. My mental health was awful last year, and it was like a brick wall that stopped me from doing so much. I want my health to stop being such a burden on my own life. So more ‘body positive’ and self-care in the year ahead.
3) Read More- this sounds a pretty weak one, but it’s important. I have always read, but last year I really struggled. Reading is something I need to have focus for, and I haven’t had the focus. So I am going to try and put time aside to relax and read to unwind.
It’s not a lot. But they are things I would like to achieve. The start of a new year always feels like a fresh start, but it’s not really. It does feel like a good opportunity to push myself to be better, but every day should be like that. But, it psychologically feels to close off a year, especially if it feels like a bad one.
Life is full of ups and downs. And it is strange, because whether you decieve a particular moment as either ‘up’ or ‘down’ comes from what is going on inside your own head. If you are having a bad day, very little will overcome that feeling, and you will focus on the bad stuff. However, if you are in a good mood, you pick the more positive things, and can swipe the negative to the side.
I think it is very strange that our belief on what is going on in the world, is based on our own perception, which is based on our own emotions. I obviously am not in any way a psychologist, but I sometimes think about that stuff. It obviously is something that happens when I am feeling a little reflective and more positive. When I am down, I tend to feel like that everything is collapsing on top of me, so I don’t really tend to think about anything else.
Sometimes, thinking about anything is a bit hard, to be honest. Which is why it is so easy to lose yourself in a book, movie or TV series. It can feel better to live through a fictional life, than living your own. That is something that is really sad, but it is true. These fictional worlds become a way of coping, even escaping from your own life for a short time. And, that respite, may be all a person needs to get back on form.
I had a conversation at work the other day, with a guy who couldn’t understand why my work stowed so many books. He was wondering why people still buy books, as he hadn’t read a book since he was at school, over a decade ago. I feel like I was the polar opposite to this guy. I have read so many books since my school days, and over the last few years, I have been reading a lot more. I am currently reading through a similar number of books as when I was about 12/13, when reading was my favourite thing ever.
At any one point in time, I have 3 books which I will be working through. I have a book on Audible, a book on my kindle and physical book that sits in my bag. When I say this to people, the most common reaction is ‘how can you read more than one book at once’. As if by reading a chapter of Perks of being a Wallflower, I forget where I am in the audio book of Game of Thrones. That’s not really how things work. I find it strange that people seem to thing that the only piece of media that you can dip in and out of, are TV shows. Like, people think nothing about sitting in front of the ol’ tellybox and watching 3 different programs, one after another.
I do a lot of my reading whilst having a coffee whilst in town, or on the bus. Sometimes my anxiety flares up, as if I fear a bad situation will happen because I am on my own. So a coping mechanism I have is to enjoy a book for a chapter or too. On the bus (or gym), I like to listen to a book, as it is more practical. I read my book, in my bed or when I am having a cuppa, because I can. And usually, the aim is to relax, and I find reading relaxing. Sometimes I forget to bring my physical book with me, so I have a book on my Kindle, which has an app that I can access on my phone.
When I was really little, I would be so happy with a book. I went to Sunday School because they did painting every Sunday, and then gave out books as Christmas presents. I have so many happy memories of going to the library when I was little, and seeing all these books. I still get excited whenever I walk into a library or book shop. Reading is something that has been such a big part of my life, I can’t imagine how people function without a book.
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