8 book recs for Hobbits to celebrate #hobbitday and the first day of Fall 🍃 My reasons for picking these books is available in the alt text

A happy find in Durham today. Been looking out for this ('First Light', by Geoffrey Wellum) #HistoryBookChat

Someone said on the radio earlier that Henry I initially defined a yard as the distance from his nose to the tip of his outstretched thumb. You'd think he'd get sick of it pretty quick. 'Your Majesty, you're needed to measure a field.' 'Whereabouts.' 'Northumberland.' 'FFS!'

Heading South for We Have Ways Fest 5. 3 days of war waffle from people much more clever than me, plus some military hardware and perhaps the odd beer.

I was giving Eric treats. Then I stopped. Getting the stink-eye now.

Another little giveaway to celebrate 33k followers, this is UK only Follow, like, and repost to be in with a chance to get this ends midnight BST 21st August The Modern Goth Tarot #WitchSky #TarotSky

Letter of the day (in the Times)

20-day TBR book challenge. Choose 20 books on your current TBR shelf (shelves), list, stack, e-list, library hold—wherever! One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no expectations, just covers! #BookSky #20TBRbookchallenge 4/20

20-day TBR book challenge. Choose 20 books on your current TBR shelf (shelves), list, stack, e-list, library hold—wherever! One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no expectations, just covers! #BookSky #20TBRbookchallenge 3/20

20-day TBR book challenge. Choose 20 books on your current TBR shelf (shelves), list, stack, e-list, library hold—wherever! One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no expectations, just covers! #BookSky #20TBRbookchallenge 2/20

20-day TBR book challenge. Choose 20 books on your current TBR shelf (shelves), list, stack, e-list, library hold—wherever! One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no expectations, just covers! #BookSky #20TBRbookchallenge 1/20

Sometimes you finish a book and feel quite bereft. WTF am I supposed to do now? #booksky

From the wonderful @brianbilston.bsky.social Yes please

Hell of a week (just, y'know, stuff). Still working for a couple of hours, but at home, and with a pot of tea, and Nick Drake. Calming down, deep breaths.

Essential train journey survival kit (plus phone & earbuds for tunes, natch)

Looks like I'm going to get a hip replacement due to arthritis. Anyone got experience of running with hip replacements please? I'm thinking I'll settle for parkruns, the odd 10k, and an occasional half. Does that sound realistic? Can't run currently, but very keen to get back to it. #Running

Springsteen Hammersmith Odeon '75 on the TV (BBC2) right now. Could just fancy a taco

500K Mexican-Americans served in the U.S. armed forces in WWII, as did millions of 1st and 2nd-gen immigrants, and 109K noncitizens. Mexican immigrant Macario Garcia won the Medal of Honor in Normandy. When he returned to the US, he was was arrested for trying to eat at a segregated restaurant.

Idly looking up an old Fall single that I forgot I had. Blimey!

Current reading. Disgraceful! 😉

Watch this. And share it widely. It is very, very important. Very. And *Please* R/T. #Holocaust What Happened at Auschwitz: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00276pg via @bbciplayer

Brass Monkey Half-Marathon, York. Thanks to York Knavesmire Harriers for another great event. Beginning of a return to form for me after a few months of injury and frustration, hopefully. #DaftOldBuggerRunning

A fascinating read so far, and nicely written. This has been on my tbr pile for far too long. #histbookchat

22 years, and I still miss this lad

@cerysmatthews.bsky.social great show, as always, and Mackenzie Crook's 'If Nick Drake Came To My House' really cheered me up after a difficult few weeks. Just listened to it for the third time today. Lovely!

Roses are redde Noble are the manatees Yf we wante a bettir future Teach artes & humanityes

The John Le Carré Advent Calendar - My cartoon for this week’s @theguardian.com Books. (with apologies to @realjohnlecarre.bsky.social and @harkaway.bsky.social)

This fine boy is Eric. He's 10 years old, and has lived with us for nearly 9 of them. He's had chronic kidney disease for about 4 years, and is a bit thinner than we'd like. We love him to bits. #cats

FIRST BOOK (you remember): a Ladybird book LAST BOOK: The Line of Beauty BEST BOOK: The World According to Garp MOST-READ AUTHOR: Ian Rankin MOST SURPRISING BOOK: Fierce Dancing: Adventures in the Underground, by C. J. Stone COMFORT BOOK: Lord of the Rings NEXT BOOK: Caledonian Road #BookSky

An early Halloween cartoon for Guardian Books.

Grainger Market, Newcastle, looking splendid.

'I never felt magic crazy as this' Nick Drake, 'Northern Sky', with a little help from Tynemouth

A return to racing after a month out injured, at the Quayside 5K 🥵 Great to see lots of clubmates from North Shields Poly. I'm off the pace at the minute, inevitably, but time, training, and laying off the booze and crap food will fix that.

Heading south to #WeHaveWaysFest Bye for now Newcastle