In this weekly blog episode: entertaining myself with audiobooks, dramatisations of the classics, television programmes, and YouTube videos.
“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” Eleanor Roosevelt
I wholeheartedly agree. Life is to be lived. Adventures are to be had. Experiences are to be, well, experienced.
But (and…) when you want or need a break from living life yourself for a bit – whether that’s 20 minutes, half a day, a weekend, week, or even longer – then why not do some of that living vicariously through others?
Maybe reading Splodz Blogz is a little bit of that for you. A touch of light entertainment between your own adventures. At least, I hope it is. I love reading blogs, listening to audiobooks, watching YouTube videos, and the rest – there is something both relaxing and motivating about engaging in other people’s stories.
So, I give you a weekly blog That’s Entertainment special… some of those ‘other people’s stories’ I’ve been consuming recently that I want to tell you about. Some fact, some fiction, but all a little bit of escapism.
That’s Entertainment
Audiobook: Mountains of the Mind, Robert MacFarlane
I rather enjoy non-fiction books which tell the story of something nature or adventure wise – as in, where the author goes into the history and tells interesting tales of the subject matter. I like to learn about a topic through stories, much more interesting (and accessible) than reading a textbook! Robert MacFarlane’s Mountains of the Mind is one such book, looking at the reasons humans head into the mountains.
I like the book’s precis… “Once we thought monsters lived there. In the Enlightenment we scaled them to commune with the sublime. Soon, we were racing to conquer their summits in the name of national pride.”
Of course, we all know that these days people climb mountains for the simple reason that they are there, but throughout history our reasons have been different – to find the monsters living there, to find peace, to race to reach the summit before anyone else, for the beauty. MacFarlane tells the stories of the pioneers at each stage of mountain climbing history, with a few of his own climbing stories thrown in the mix. I learnt a lot, especially about how the British fought an actual battle to reach Everest, which I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by.
I am someone who does like to be in the mountains, to soak up the grandeur and power of the gnarliest-looking nature the world has to offer (even if I have no intention of donning all the climbing gear and reaching the world’s highest peaks). And as such, I particularly agree with one of MacFarlane’s closing remarks: “Apply the wonder of mountains to your everyday life.”
Audible | Amazon | Waterstones
Audiobook: Adventure Revolution (Adventure Mind), Belinda Kirk
I think this is the third time I’ve read/listened to Belinda Kirk’s Adventure Revolution. I have had the pleasure of meeting Belinda a few times and respect her very deeply, and there is something about the stories and message in this book I keep wanting to return to. On this particular occasion, I felt I needed reminding what adventure can and should be all about. I put it on during my commute and lunchtime walks for a week or so, lapping up the motivation and encouragement.
Built on the premise that adventure is essential to our wellbeing, Belinda draws on lessons from years of experience leading expeditions in the wilderness. She speaks about how adventure helps with managing anxiety and overcoming fear, finding self-worth, building interpersonal connections, and being happier, healthier, and more playful. And she talks a lot of sense. This lady knows what she’s talking about!
Belinda ends the book by saying: “My one hope is that once you’ve finished reading this book, you will put it down and go on an adventure – no matter how big or small – something you otherwise might not have done.” This book never fails to make me want to ditch normal life in favour of adventure even more each time. And I’ll tell you about the (small) adventure that followed my re-listen of this one another time. It really should be on everyone’s to-read list.
Audible | Amazon | Waterstones
Audiobook: The Book of Beginnings, Sally Page
The Book of Beginnings by Sally Page was a really easy but lovely story to listen to, definitely worth one of my Audible credits. I downloaded it because I was looking for a simple story to act as a bit of escapism on a long journey. I thoroughly enjoyed Sally’s other novel, The Keeper of Stories, and decided that was the kind of story I was after this time.
As with The Keeper of Stories, this novel is all about the people – in this case, Jo, Ruth and Malcolm form a fantastic trio of unlikely friends who lean on each other to find meaning and joy in life. Each character is very different, with their own interesting yet believable quirks. And for those who like a happy ending, the epilogue is perfect – short and sweet.
This isn’t going to give you a lot to think about, or require any intelligence to follow, but it’s a rather lovely tale of real-sounding people finding friendship. It’s comforting and warm, to be filed very much in the ‘feel-good’ category of audiobooks.
Sally Page’s next novel, The Secrets of Flowers, is out in August – I will very likely end up spending a credit on this one, too.
Audible | Amazon | Waterstones
Audiobook (Dramatisation): David Copperfield
I listened to two ‘Plus Catalogue’ audiobooks on Audible in the last month, both dramatisation of classic novels. The first was an Audible Original adaptation of Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield, featuring Ncuti Gatwa (the current Dr Who) as David Copperfield and a bunch of other actors I’d heard of (not that the cast matters, as long as they are good voice actors). This is a real audio drama, with vivid storytelling and an original soundtrack.
I probably don’t need to tell you what David Copperfield is about… a Charles Dickens classic which explores the complexities and intimacies of relationships and related pains.
Just like watching a film adaptation, listening to this version of the novel made it much more accessible (the novel is a hard read!). But remember, just like a movie, this is a stylised and abridged version including the bits deemed important by the creators rather than the full tale as the author intended. I think they call it creative licence.
That aside, it’s a great listen. It wasn’t one for the car, or even the kitchen, though – too much background noise getting in the way of the sound effects and music. It worked best when I could relax with my headphones on and immerse myself in the story.
Audiobook (Dramatisation): Anne of Green Gables
I preferred the second dramatisation, this one of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables. All down to the story; this one perhaps much more up my street than David Copperfield. Or maybe it was because this is a story I read more than once when I was much younger, and so listening to it filled me with nostalgia.
A heartwarming story of self-discovery and the power of imagination, Anne of Green Gables follows the story of Anne Shirley, a spirited and somewhat eccentric orphan girl who finds a home with elderly siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. I like Anne, she is impulsive and sometimes mischievous, without perhaps realising either characteristic in herself.
It probably also helped that this dramatisation followed the original story a little closer than the one above. If you’ve got Audible membership, then definitely get this one from the Plus Catalogue and give yourself some real downtime to listen to it properly.
YouTube: Elina Osborne PCT and Tea Arora Series’
I only recently discovered Elina Osborne (here’s her YouTube channel), thanks to her attending an event a YouTuber I already watch went to and shared – and ended up binge watching both her PCT and Tea Arora film series’. And ‘films’ is the right word here, as Elina’s YouTube videos are each short documentaries of her time on trail.
Elina is a superb storyteller, and has a real eye for documenting her adventures. Add to that a natural likability with no apparent arrogance, and she’s an adventure YouTube I’d recommend. She doesn’t post often (none of this ‘must post every week or everything’s ruined), but when she does, I’m keen to watch straight away.
Pacific Crest Trail Series Playlist | Te Araroa Series Playlist
In a similar vein, I would also highly recommend watching Krysta Norwick, who hiked the PCT southbound last year and has just finished posting her vlog series. As with Elina, she waited until she was home to put her footage into sensible length episodes covering her hiking adventure, a series which is well worth a binge watch sometime.
YouTube: PCT Class of 2024
On the subject of PCT hikers, I’ve been following a handful of this summer’s cohort. I know the chances of me hiking one of the USA’s big thru-hikes are pretty slim, but I do enjoy following along on other people’s journeys. There is just something so adventurous about leaving everything behind to hike over 2,000 miles from Mexico to Canada (or vice versa).
While I Elina’s cinematic storytelling is incredibly immersive and insightful, I also appreciate the utter realness of those who share their experiences in short daily videos published whilst on trail.
Of the handful of hikers I find myself dipping in and out of this year, there are three that I keep returning to – Lil’Chap Hikes, HammerHikes (watch out for the potty mouth), and TravelWritePaint.
If you are following any long-distance hikers sharing daily (ish) videos this summer – whether they are on one of America’s big trails or elsewhere – do let me know. Especially if you’ve come across any inspiring ladies. Thanks.
Television: Clarkson’s Farm
Jeremy Clarkson is something of a buffoon. He’s made his fair share of mistakes, and expresses some views which grate more than a little. But, what he’s done with Clarkson’s Farm has undoubtedly helped bring the joy and toughness of farming front and centre. And he seems to be changing his old mind on matters of the environment.
If there was a theme for season three, it was the weather. It’s been a couple of very rough years weather-wise in the UK, and those growing and rearing our food are struggling (even more than they already were) as a result. Add to that stories of growing mushrooms, rearing pigs, and weighing goats, and Clarkson’s Farm is both entertaining and enlightening. As with the first two series’, this has been a nice easy Sunday evening watch in our house.
Watch Clarkson’s Farm on Amazon Prime
Television: Central Park
We’re back on Apple TV again for a month or two while my husband watches a couple of series’ he follows, so I’m catching up on Central Park while I have the opportunity. I’m working my way through season three.
If you’re not familiar, this animated musical comedy follows the Tillermans, a family who live in Central Park. Owen, the father, is the park manager, and Paige, his wife, is a struggling journalist. They raise their children, Molly and Cole, in the world’s most famous park, while fending off the baddie of the story, Bitsy Brandenham and her personal assistant Helen (who remains my favourite character in the core cast).
It’s such a sentimental and warm show, complete with big musical numbers which you could easily imagine being performed on stage. It makes me laugh and I find myself humming along, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for before-bed viewing.
Watch Central Park on Apple TV
Television: Sewing Bee
I’m a few episodes behind (so no spoilers in the comments!), but I did want to mention Sewing Bee in this bumper That’s Entertainment special. I’ve mentioned before in my weekly blogs how there is something about television shows which showcase the hobbies and talents of real people – like Bake Off, Pottery Throwdown (which of course I went and tried for myself), and Sewing Bee – that I find enjoyable. Nice easy watching with a cup of tea and a biscuit.
There is just something wonderful about watching other people excel at a thing they love. And about watching people be creative. Yes, it’s a silly reality television programme, terribly scripted, but it’s a nice way to top up my soul with stories of inspiring people. I might not be interested in making my own clothes (although I perhaps should give it a go sometime), but it is still motivating to watch other people who do.
But I have to admit I’m struggling with this series a bit. It seems the producers have made the allotted time for each tasks far too short – and that they’ve done this on purpose to make sure it’s impossible to finish. I want to see the sewers do their best work, not see everyone fail. I’m sure some kind of drama is needed to help keep the series interesting, and I certainly wouldn’t want to give them all day. I just feel making the tasks so short is doing anyone any favours, least of all the series itself.
Watch Sewing Bee on BBC iPlayer
See You Next Time…
I think that’s probably enough for today… This week especially I would love to hear from you about the books, television shows, films, and other things you are finding entertaining at the moment. Drop your recommendations in the comments below. Thanks!
See you next time.
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