71 is the number of an apartment we return to regularly in Whinfell Forest, Cumbria. We like it there.

‘We’ are Anna French and Dan Hartland. The Story and the Truth is a sort of inadequate catch-all term for what goes on here: we tend to talk about novels, history, food and fashion, politics and music, but there may also be photographs of soft toys and musicians. Stick around and see.

Christmas In The Heart, Bob Dylan

It's Christmas. It's Bob. It's for charity. Stop being such a cynic. Besides, have you seen this? Genius, surely.

Leviatan Or, The Whale by Philip Hoare

Leviathan is a gorgeous essay on the whale, but more importantly man's relationship with it. Naturally, this involves some wonderful stuff on Melville and Moby Dick, but particularly moving are Hoare's passages on the total carnage of modern hunting. He doesn't seek to pull the whale out of myth, however - indeed, he doesn't think it can be. For Hoare, the whale is what we need it to be - monster, natural resource, beauty to be protected. He charts our relationship with nature through our relationship with the whale, and it is a beautifully written guide. Highly recommended.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Long one of Dan's favourites, Anna sat down and watched this recently - and loved it, too. Hooray! One to go back to again and again.