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The Old Ways
The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot | Robert Macfarlane
From the acclaimed author of The Wild Places, an exploration of walking and thinking In this exquisitely written book, Robert Macfarlane sets off from his Cambridge, England, home to follow the ancient tracks, holloways, drove roads, and sea paths that crisscross both the British landscape and its waters and territories beyond. The result is an immersive, enthralling exploration of the ghosts and voices that haunt old paths, of the stories our tracks keep and tell, and of pilgrimage and ritual. Told in Macfarlanes distinctive voice, The Old Ways folds together natural history, cartography, geology, archaeology and literature. His walks take him from the chalk downs of England to the bird islands of the Scottish northwest, from Palestine to the sacred landscapes of Spain and the Himalayas. Along the way he crosses paths with walkers of many kindswanderers, pilgrims, guides, and artists. Above all this is a book about walking as a journey inward and the subtle ways we are shaped by the landscapes through which we move. Macfarlane discovers that paths offer not just a means of traversing space, but of feeling, knowing, and thinking.
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AllDebooks
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#Naturalitsy #Midwintersolace

My selection for week 8 #Fridaynightshare is the 1st Robert Macfarlane book I read, The Old Ways. He has such a poetic turn of phrase, that really lends itself to his descriptions of landscape, flora and fauna. Beautiful, poignant, and observant writing. Outstanding nature writing.

@Chrissyreadit @TheBookHippie @jenniferw88

DebinHawaii This sounds like a book I would love! 💚 3mo
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BC_Dittemore
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Pickpick

Another one that would‘ve been better to read than listen to. Robin Sachs may have been too perfect a choice to narrate Macfarlane‘s expressive prose. As his sultry voice described beautiful landscapes, and made accessible a world I knew nothing of, I would find myself wondering what had happened.

Consequently, as far as I can tell, The Old Ways is about ancient pathways and the people who still walk them. But what it‘s about? I can‘t quite say.

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Chrissyreadit
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Thank you Anne! this was perfect!! i love the tea garden seeds so much- and i needed a garden flag!!! and i also love tea towels!!! The Naturalist Journal is gorgeous 😍😍😍😍and i am so happy with the books you chose! Thank you Jenny and Debbie for hosting a LOVELY swap! #midsummerswap #naturalitsy

AllDebooks Oh wow, what beautiful gifts. So glad you've enjoyed it x 10mo
TheBookHippie Wow!!! I love it!! 10mo
MittenGirlPeach I‘m so glad you love everything! I found the tea garden seeds late but I had to include them. I haven‘t read Petal yet but the other books are two of my favorites. Here‘s to a wonderful summer! 10mo
steph_phanie What nice gifts! I loved A Long Petal of the Sea!! 10mo
71 likes4 comments
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Bookwormjillk
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Pickpick

I liked this book, but it was hard to read on a #LMPBC timeline. It was the type of book I would have liked to have read a bit at a time. I‘ll be mailing it on this week.

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AllDebooks
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#JoyousJanuary

I completely forgot to update on Monday. I finished Demon Copperhead and David Copperfield, a result in itself #chunksters
Bailed on An intro to English poetry 😴
Still dipping into Holly McNish's delicious anthology and the tagged.
I did get distracted by 2 excellent #Netgalley reads Weyward and The wheel of the year.

All on all, a success. Although the journal still awaits 🙈

@Andrew65

Andrew65 That‘s brilliant, well done 👏👏👏🙌🍾🥂🥳🥰 I think we all get distracted at times 🤷‍♂️ 1y
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AllDebooks
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#Naturalitsy

I'm really enjoying revisiting this amazing book, the last in Macfarlane's trilogy on landscape.

A free choice for #NaturaLitsyBingo2023
One of a non-fiction trilogy for #Serieslove2023 @Andrew65 @TheSpineView

https://www.themarginalian.org/2023/01/19/robert-macfarlane-paths/

bnp This is wonderful on audiobook. I re-listen to parts of it periodically. 1y
AllDebooks @bnp me too. He's one of my favourite narrators. Loved his narration of The dark is rising 1y
TheSpineView Awesome! 1y
Andrew65 Well done. Always love trilogies 👏👏👏 1y
jlhammar I look forward to finally reading this in November! I've had it on my shelves for ages. 1y
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RobinGustafson
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Perfect book to listen to on audio while out walking

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Kimzey
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Pickpick

McFarlane‘s book about walking ancient pathways really resonated. My photo is from a walk across the mud flats at low tide to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne a few years ago. The author does not include this path in the book, but devotes a chapter to another tidal route, The Broomway off the Essex coast.

Suet624 Love this! 2y
Kimzey @Suet624 Thanks! 2y
DivineDiana This must have been so exciting! 2y
Kimzey @DivineDiana It was! Quite memorable. 2y
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bnp
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Thanks for the reminder @wanderinglynn

wanderinglynn 🙌🏻🧡 2y
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Insightsintobooks
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Becker
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Pickpick

This book is slow and quiet. If you can bring your mind to a still place long enough to take it in, you will be rewarded with a beautiful reading experience.

Kimzey I‘m loving it so far! 2y
Becker @Kimzey so glad to hear this. It‘s not a book for everyone but it is special for those that appreciate it. 2y
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WanderingBookaneer
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Lindy Love this quote and this book. 👍 5y
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HillsAndHamletsBookshop
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Pickpick

I was introduced to MacFarlane‘s work through his beautiful concept art book The Lost Words and wanted to learn more about him and his writing. With the highly anticipated release of Underland coming out this June, I wanted to catch up on his back list titles. The Old Ways didn‘t disappoint. The way Rebecca Solnit blends myth and literature into politics, MacFarlane does for nature and travel. I‘m now obsessed & am going to read his entire ouvre.

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SharonGoforth
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Today‘s #litsyaudiowalk - 1.5 miles on the track at the YMCA. Not bad considering I‘ve hardly exercised in years and that I strained something in my hip yesterday (totally my fault). I‘m listening to this wonderful book by Robert Macfarlane about his experiences walking through England on old footpaths. It‘s almost like listening to a 21st century Thoreau! Of course, now I want the book in print!#audiowalking #lunchtimewalking

Soubhiville Ouch! Go easy on your hip! 5y
Lindy That‘s such a good book. I listened to the audio also. 5y
SharonGoforth @Soubhiville Thanks! I‘m having trouble remembering that I‘m much older now than I was the last time I did this🤦🏻‍♀️ 5y
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SharonGoforth @Lindy The book and the narrator are both fantastic! I‘m going to be hunting for all the books and authors mentioned. Have you read any Edward Thomas? 5y
Lindy @SharonGoforth No, but like you, I do like to follow up with titles mentioned. I recommend Macfarlane‘s 5y
SharonGoforth @lindy Thanks for the recommendation! 5y
Lindy @SharonGoforth 👍It‘s an all ages picture book for folks who love nature and language. 5y
SharonGoforth @lindy That‘s right up my alley! 5y
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inthegreensandblues
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1. Rural
2. Any! Though usually I'm on the plains and I'm not that into the desert. I like a lot of trees.
3. 🥾🚴‍♀️🛶
4. I really want to try some kind of glamping!
5. I want to read more of this author, this book is the only one I have. His Instagram is great too.

#hellothursday or Friday... 🤷
@wanderinglynn 🙋

wanderinglynn Thanks for playing! ⛺️ 5y
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Lizpixie
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#MusicalNewYear #day6 #OnMyOwn Before I got sick,nature was my drug. I loved bushwalking in the mountains,the more remote the better.I miss that so much, the smell of the bush, dripping leaves, mist & the pureness Of the air. This book is about McFarlanes own solo walking trip along the ancient roads & pathways all over Great Britain. There‘s something magical about being on your own in nature, it‘s the best feeling in the world. God I miss that😞

Cinfhen I went for a walk today, Liz and it‘s true. There is something magical about being outdoors. Hoping you‘ll find yourself back on your own two feet soon 💕💕💕 5y
Chrissyreadit @Lizpixie I feel exactly the same way! It‘s been almost 4 years since I was hit by this illness and my biggest depression is loss of hiking and walking outside. 5y
vivastory I'm sorry you're not able to get outside as much. Hopefully soon! 5y
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readinginthedark
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I picked this up from the library and was excited to read it but am having so much trouble focusing! I don't know if it's the book or just today...probably the latter. I'm trying to find a good baby boy name that my husband will also like (we don't know the gender yet, but it's one of the few things I can do right now). Any suggestions from you Littens?

Lindy I still remember the dreamy experience of listening to this a few years ago. If you aren‘t able to focus on it, however, switch to something else. 6y
Lindy A story about baby naming: I answered a library telephone request by a woman looking for postpartum depression material that her husband could pick up for her because she was still in hospital. She hadn‘t yet selected a name for her newborn. Before ending the call, she asked my name. “Lindy,” she said, “I REALLY like that name.” 6y
ravenlee I‘ve always liked one my mom considered for me before knowing she needed a girl‘s name - Thomas Alexander. When I was pregnant we kicked that name around. We kept our name choice secret until baby was born, and it made it very satisfying to announce her birth with the grand name reveal. Also kept the “suggestions” and commentary down. 6y
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Jess_Read_This How exciting! What names have you come up with so far?! Are you leaning towards classic names or more current names? Boy names I like: Booker, Jackson, Everett, Cooper, Garrett, Thaddeus, Oliver, Mason. Lol- have you turned to Shakespeare for inspiration?😂 (edited) 6y
readinginthedark @Lindy What a fun story! Also, good to know about the book. I think it's just not the right time for me to read it. 6y
readinginthedark @ravenlee Yeah, I only ask for suggestions when I'm stuck, then just tell people what we decided without drawing it out. We'll know in a couple of months. I can't do Alexander because of my husband's nephew. I thought about Thomas, but the nickname Tommy has negative associations for me, and I can't ban the kid from using it. 😅 6y
readinginthedark @Jess_Read_This Both! I like a variety, but the only ones my husband has said, "Hm, maybe..." to so far are Leo and Isaac. Great suggestions! I love Jackson, but it's my husband's cousin's name (who we see frequently). And I have looked at Shakespeare! ? The boy names are much more antiquated than the girl names, though. If it's something obviously literary, he automatically rejects it. These nonreaders. ? 6y
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RowReads1
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Rafferty is very interested in “The Old Ways”. It may have something to do with his name. 🇨🇮

rubyslippersreads 😻😻😻 6y
batsy Ooh, I have this on my TBR too 😻 6y
43 likes2 comments
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rockpools
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"Robert Macfarlane sets off from his Cambridge, England, home to follow the ancient tracks, holloways, drove roads, and sea paths that crisscross both the British landscape and its waters and territories beyond. The result is an immersive, enthralling exploration of the ghosts and voices that haunt old paths, of the stories our tracks keep and tell, and of pilgrimage and ritual."

And still on the tbr (of course!)
#tracks #nuyear @Cinfhen @TrishB

Cinfhen What else is new?!? 6y
batsy And ... added to my TBR 😂 6y
Magslhalliday Gave my mum a copy last year, as she read The Old Straight Track etc in the 70s and would take me ley line hunting. I want to steal this back. ;) (edited) 6y
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rockpools @batsy Gah. Sorry! 6y
rockpools @Magslhalliday Watkins! 😃Did you find any? Family lived in Totnes for a fair while - couldn't step outside the door without tripping over one! 6y
TrishB Looks great 👍🏻 6y
UrsulaMonarch Just heard about this book from my mom today & got the audiobook - can't wait! 😊 6y
rockpools @Lkelly Nice! Hope you enjoy it 🙂 6y
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SkeletonKey
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I have a pretty large mythology/folklore/fable collection. There are three shelves below this one. Now I need to start reading them more.

#uncannyoctober #fablesandfolklore @RealLifeReading

PirateJenny That bookcase is just perfect for them! I had to separate out my Celtic myth because it's so large on it's own. I have a separate bookcase just for Celtic themed books (archaeology, history, myth, etc) 7y
SkeletonKey @PirateJenny - Oh wow! I'd love to browse that collection, lol. 7y
jmofo I‘m reading this now, listening via Hoopla, and it‘s lovely. I see this is an old post. I hope you‘re well! 5y
SkeletonKey @jmofo - I didn‘t know it was on hoopla! Might have to listen as well. Hope you are too 🖤 5y
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Hamlet
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Pickpick

I really liked this book. He's a walker & hiker of the U.K., with an easy, natural erudition that had me reaching for my journal. The paths are fascinating, especially the world's most dangerous one that goes miles out to sea at low tide (near an ordinance proving island), a path always just under water. Nature & our relation to the land makes for great reading in his hands. It's not a fast read, but meandering trails & thoughts shouldn't be.

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charl08
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"As the pen rises from the page between words, so the walker's feet rise and fall between paces, and as the deer continues to run as it bounds from the earth and the dolphin continues to swim even as it leaps again and again from the sea, so writing and wayfaring are continuous activities, a running stitch, a persistence of the same seam or stream...

the_hibernator Beautiful 8y
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MargaretPinardAuthor
Pickpick

An amazing compendium of #stories from #travels, #research, #musings, and connection with both the #history of the #land and human history, twisted or poignant as it may be...loved it!

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