I finished The Master and Margarita a couple weeks ago, after @Chrysalis ‘ recommendation. It’s now one of my favorite books.
I finished The Master and Margarita a couple weeks ago, after @Chrysalis ‘ recommendation. It’s now one of my favorite books.
Last edited by FreelancePoliceman; 08-02-2019 at 03:05 PM.
Books I am currently reading:
- Hallucinations - Oliver Sacks: clever book discussing various case studies of people having hallucinations
- The Big Think Book - Peter Cave: clever book that delves into philosophy through various paradoxes
- No Bullsh*t Guide to Math & Physics - Ivan Savov: a refresher on introductory math and physics; covers the basics, cuts right to the chase about mechanics, calculus, etc.
- The Emperor's New Mind - Roger Penrose: a sometimes long-winded and perhaps difficult book that goes through the thickets of math, physics, and neuroscience to explain why hard AI is not feasible; while the trip might be difficult, it is nonetheless worthwhile.
- The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball - Tango, Lichtman, Dolphin: a book basically on baseball analytics, and how to strategize in baseball using various data, statistics, etc.
- The Feynman Lectures - Richard Feynman: what can I say? "Lectures on physics from its most brilliant teacher"...
Last edited by jason_m; 06-25-2019 at 11:39 PM.
I downloaded an illegal ebook of Mark Rothko's life as told by his son... only to realize I downloaded an ebook of his paintings, small scale and black and white. FML.
an inbetween "wish and read" mix:
- Shylock's Ewes and Rams: Economics and Morality by E. Michael Jones and John Beaumont
- Jewish Revolutionary Spirit by E.Michael Jones
- The Slaughter of Cities: Urban Renewal As Ethnic Cleansing by E. Michael Jones
- Tragedy and Hope: A History of the World in Our Time by Carroll Quigley
- Defending the Faith: An Anti-Modernist Anthology by W. H. Marshner
- The Art of Dying Well by st. Robert Bellarmine
ipsa scientia potestas est-adaequatio intellectus et rei
I finished the David Lynch autobiography but ended up skimming cuz it was about the details of his films and the producers and funding involved etc. It happened to mention stuff like his affair with Isabella rossellini and that would have been up my alley if more of a focus.
I just grabbed The Club Dumas off the shelf since it's a fictional murder mystery and looks like an easy read and that's what I'm feeling (even if it's described on the back cover as "an intellectual mystery." Guess it has something to do with the famous sei)
Just finished The Club Dumas and eh. Lots of book details. In order to keep track of the mystery it's like how does this book connect to that book and who wants a certain book and why, and I don't give a shit, but maybe I just lack patience. Also a bunch of stuff about centuries old novel plots and how to tell if an old book was faked and so on. If you're into that kind of thing. Some people are. Not me.
Just took a couple Khalil Gibran books off the shelf (self-portrait and the broken wings)
I read Graceling by Kristin Cashore because it kept popping up in my recommended books on GR and I freaking hated that book. I kept picturing the MC like Susan from adventure time. I found myself googling the author so I could get a sense of someone who would write this crap lol
Then I read Once Broken Faith which is book 10 in the October Daye series. Thinking about staring on book 11. They make me happy.
I have A Room of Ones Own by Virginia Woolf right now, but idk if I want to go there just yet. I like to sprinkle in something more serious from time to time
You all read such studious books and here I am with my urban fantasy lol
oh well
When I was like 13, I promised a friend of mine I'd read the Graceling series. I never did, and felt kind of guilty about it. It just seemed bad.Originally Posted by aster
Reading The Broken Wings, I realized my attitude towards Khalil Gibran has changed. I still like him, but I used to think he had some special connection to the universe that gave his text divine wisdom, and now I just think he's good at making things sound important and pretty.
I still plan on reading Self Portrait as well, but my bf stopped at the bookstore and after scrounging, I'm gonna take a quick detour to read this book he got for laughs: Broetry. Here's the front cover.
I learned in the forward to Self Portrait that Gibran was a student of Rodin for a few years and I wanna share cuz they're a couple of my faves and that's cool as hell.
Finished Self-Portrait, a book of Khalil Gibrans letters. Similar to that David Lynch book I would have preferred more personal stuff and less professional stuff, but it was Gibran doing all the writing to others and even in his professional correspondence he's personable and poetic. I liked it.
Next up is Barbara Kingsolvers The Poisonwood Bible.
I really like that one. I felt like it left a lasting impression on me. Have you read anything by her before? I read The Lacuna also and liked that one as well, but nothing else so far. I’d like to try more of her books.
Yeah, I read The Bean Trees and a I think a couple others and I really liked her as an author, which is why I bought this one even though the plot didn't really sing to me. I still expect to like it.
I finished the poisonwood bible and I liked it even though it didn't really strike me or anything.. some paragraphs were impactful and some lines were like poetry. Interesting reading from an American about how Africa is misunderstood while knowing that I must understand another American best.
Today I'm about to start "keeping the brain alive" written by neurologists about "neurobics" which from a quick glance look like tasks like brushing your teeth with the wrong hand and if it's written by neurologists it must be legit but I hope it's more than Facebook meme ideas. We'll see.
Jeez, I'm taking over this thread. Reading like a mofo, that's good, right? I ended up skimming through that brain book. It's all about using the 5 senses to take in info in novel ways and right now with my medical condition, typing on a keyboard or standing on one leg feel "novel" so I guess my brain is working out hardcore. Hopefully it comes in handy later. Especially since I'm gonna age early and be extra prone to alzheimers and dementia, isn't life great? So good to have, and apparently rolling down your car windows is good for your noggin, so hey. (:
This morning I started "the unbearable lightness of being." I haven't seen the movie, is it good? I like the prose and writing style so far. Or at least that of the translator lol.
spoilers
Gonna do a book review since this is a book thread and there’s a movie review thread but no book review thread (go figure). I recently read Habibi and this is by far the best graphic novel I’ve ever read. For starters the illustrations and book cover are absolutely beautiful; the drawings feel colorful and full of life despite the black and white ink - which I actually prefer as a stylistic choice. It’s nice to use your imagination to fill in the colors that aren’t immediately obvious. Secondly, the way Islam is portrayed is refreshing. I love the use of Arabic calligraphy and the Quran/Bible stories secondary to the plot and, as someone who isn’t religious, I never found it boring. The way it’s woven into the characters lives is also a nice touch. Speaking of, the two main characters journey and growth is captivating to watch.
Dodola is exposed to sex at a very young age, being 9 when she’s sold into marriage and being taken as a salve soon after. Her experiences with sex are nearly always uncomfortable, being raped numerous times, but she quickly learns to use her sexuality as an advantage - though she really has no choice but to. Zam is totally the opposite; right from the start when he discovers his sexuality he feels guilty for it. When he masturbates to the thought of Dodola he immediately shames himself and this also might have to do with seeing her raped in front of his eyes at a tender age. I’ll get more into that part of him later.
Another thing I really liked was how it showed the evils of pollution and capitalism and juxtaposed old with modern. The city of Wanatolia is a sleek metropolis compared to the harsh desert and the backwards slums located elsewhere. Wanatolia saps the resources from the people outside to keep itself running. When you first start the book it seems like it takes place in an ancient time but there’s hints of modernity with the motorcycle at the start and views of trashed cars throughout. But the book is not without problems - it’s full of orientalist stereotypes. The way Arab men are portrayed isn’t exactly positive. The author says it’s a portrayal of men in general but we never see the black men engage in this behavior and we don’t really see white men period. The only white man I recall was racist though so I guess that’s not positive either. The women are basically breathing sex dolls. But it is a good look at corruption in the world that you would find more in place with the ‘ancient’ world you’re first greeted with. Slavery is abundant outside the walls of Wanatolia and even inside in the harem - a traditional palace that seems out of place beside all the skyscrapers. Racism still exists in the modern society and, interestingly, it seems like most of the people in the city are white.
And besides the two main characters everyone else is one dimensional and mostly stereotypes. Back to Zam - his castration left me uneasy because I knew from the start it was a bad idea. He wasn’t born a woman in a man’s body, he just wanted to fit in with the group to get fed. But it did seem like he wanted to get rid of his penis because of the shame around his sexuality, too. It was also nice to see transgender representation especially when it happens when you still think you’re in an old time period. We see him paralyzed when he’s lying with the transgirl, again repressing his sexuality. Later on these feelings turn into pure despair and self hatred for what he chose to do, upset that he can’t provide Dodola with a child when they reunite and fall in love. I also liked how it showed every shade of love through them - from sibling/paternal to romantic.
I think when Dodola suggests having a kid it seems like a good idea to her, but I’m sure she still has some trauma from ignoring her first child in favor of opium and then him being murdered when she finally begins her motherly duties. As you can guess, it’s a dark book but there’s sprinkles of humor too. Dwarf farts are a highlight. Anyways, that’s all I can remember after thinking about this for hours.
Overall, I give it a 9/10.
Last edited by flames; 09-10-2019 at 08:31 AM.
･ﾟ*✧ 𝓘 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝒶𝒸𝒸𝑒𝓅𝓉 𝒶 𝓁𝒾𝒻𝑒 𝓘 𝒹𝑜 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝒹𝑒𝓈𝑒𝓇𝓋𝑒 ✧*:･ﾟ
I finished the unbearable lightness of being. The prose was so good he made marriage issues and old European politics interesting. Lots of over generalizing with a philosophical bent, and I'm all about that shit, especially mixed into fiction.
Next up, for those of you on the edge of your seats: the cider house rules. Another movie I haven't seen. I vaguely remember the orphans in bed in the commercials but nothing about the plot.
I checked out two Stephen King books. The Outsider and Pet Semetary. Trying to decide which one I want to read right now. I’m feeling indecisive.
@aster did you pick one? I like Stephen king.
I finished the cider house rules. I didn't find it personally striking or poignant but it was a solid read that I mostly enjoyed as a way to pass the time. 6.5 out of 10
I'm about to start the diving bell and the butterfly. Borrowed from boyfriend on his recommendation. He told me how the book was written by the guy blinking his eyes while paralyzed, which I found depressing, as well as motivational lol. I guess if you can't move, you'll put all your passion and effort to things in your head, so I'm guessing it'll be good.
Not yet. But I’m leaning towards Pet Semetary because it’s a paperback and more portable. I need to start soon. But I’ve been binge watching Game of Thrones instead lol. I like him, too. I’ve liked all the books I’ve read of his so far.
I used to read Stephen King a long time ago when I was learning English. Pet Semetary and some other book about some guy who traveled across America in another dimension.
I remember there's something really disturbing about his stories. He really gets under my skin. It is fascinating and unpleasant at the same time.
The decisive thing is not the reality of the object, but the reality of the subjective factor, i.e. the primordial images, which in their totality represent a psychic mirror-world. It is a mirror, however, with the peculiar capacity of representing the present contents of consciousness not in their known and customary form but in a certain sense sub specie aeternitatis, somewhat as a million-year old consciousness might see them.
(Jung on Si)
I really liked the diving bell and the butterfly. It felt like reading the diary of a friend (even though it didn't go into diary style topics lol. But he'd talk about rude and nice nurses and stuff and it's like, most people aren't uber familiar. Not that I can relate to him. Locked in syndrome is probably the worst fate I can think of.)
The next to grab on my shelf was the art of war. About to learn how to claim the south pole for the ashlesha household. Here we go.
The last month I've finished re-reading the entirety of Stephen King's magnum opus, The Dark tower series. Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange, then I started re-reading David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest, before I thought better of it and decided to re-read Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore. About 1/8th through it at the point of writing this.
The art of war so far is like ni advising se imo.
Study the subject to know where to pounce at the correct time, analyze things before jumping into them, stuff like that.
That said, I'm bored and putting it aside to write about it. I heard about it in the context of how it could be read as general philosophy and it can be interpreted that way, yeah, but eh, even so far as it can be taken as metaphor or generalized advice I'm like, "okay, this is common sense, but I'm not hearing how to like, actually apply it.."
In a way it's like, "have ni, k thanks"
Starting the awakening of intelligence by jiddu krishnamurti.
Excited about this one yay but not enough to read it now instead of putting it in the bag for the bus lol...
In part because it's in the format of individual interviews and stuff so hot shit for a short attention span.
I finished that krishnamurti bullshit and cuz I can't bring myself to ditch a book after investing too much, the last of it was half assed. I already complained to my bf about more detailed aspects (more comprehensively than he cared to hear, I'm sure) but in short, he was unnecessarily rude to his interlopers (to convey his superiority, I think) and arrogant about the unclear and contradictory (read: so complex!) nature of his message.
I just started the armchair mystic, which is a how-to for contemplative prayer, and I don't expect to get to the point reached for in the book but I wanna feel some communion or *something* when I pray, and not like im pointlessly talking to myself, so this is a start. So far, it's breezy and written for laymen, easy to grasp, and it's short, so.. cool.
I feel less interested in making posts here now cuz I don't need to kick myself to read right now yay. So I'll stop until further notice. Anyway, next.
Is anyone else pre-ordering Perhaps the Stars by Ada Palmer?
I don't know if you're still around, but I picked up Too Much Like Lightning and have been enjoying it. Thanks for the recommendation!
About to read this, so I clocked it into goodreads and saw this quote compilation in a review and I'm excited. (:
@ashlesha what's your goodreads? I just made one and have no friends on there
I read "The Dunwich Horror" , which I really liked due to the imagery it evoked. I should read more classics, the 'dry' style is pretty well suited for me. I also read "The Pisces" by Melissa Broder, which did not disgust me as it did some people, but I found it very tasteless and crude. Its message gets lost because it sounds exactly like my sleep deprived 4am crazed journaling. So I wouldn't recommend it.
I've just started reading "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt. It's intriguing and also 'dry' in that way I like. It's not really dry, because the words used are beautiful, but not exactly flowery. Succinct and to the point, and they serve their exact purpose. I dislike soft, mushy, excessively flowery language. It makes me feel icky, like we're wasting time, like you could be telling me more things in the time it took you to tell me that the apples were red or something.
@voider www.goodreads.com/acacia-lungs
I don't write reviews or do anything interesting with it, though. It's just recordkeeping, really.
Ive had it in mind to read Donna tartt for awhile!
This is blessing me
Jesus Calling.
My son got me this for Christmas. I wondered if I would have time to add a daily devotional to my busy life right now, but I gave it a try and was immediately surprised to see so much richness in it. I recognize the voice of my Shepherd. The entries are short and they speak to my heart. Then I remembered that when Infiltration came out it these two were in competition for Amazon Bestseller in Christian books, and I was curious what it was about since Infiltration is such an important book to explain the state of affairs in the Catholic Church. I read the reviews at the time and decided it was a worth competitor since there more people in general need Jesus or more of Jesus in these times than there are Catholics who need to understand what has been going on in our Church. It's important, but, it all starts with Jesus.
As to Infiltration, I think it is also happening in all Christian churches and society in general. To wipe out Christianity (but we know that will be a fail) and to take freedom away from the people, and pave the way for dictatorship and a thriving, more powerful elite.
@applejacks and @Abbie the Child, I think you will love this devotional.
Last edited by Eliza Thomason; 01-20-2020 at 09:47 PM.
"A man with a definite belief always appears bizarre, because he does not change with the world; he has climbed into a fixed star, and the earth whizzes below him like a zoetrope."
........ G. ........... K. ............... C ........ H ........ E ...... S ........ T ...... E ........ R ........ T ........ O ........ N ........
"Having a clear faith, based on the creed of the Church, is often labeled today as fundamentalism... Whereas relativism, which is letting oneself be tossed and swept along
by every wind of teaching, looks like the only
attitude acceptable to today's standards." - Pope Benedict the XVI, "The Dictatorship of Relativism"
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.
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Started Gone Girl on audiobook today. Saw it was really popular a while back and got some good reviews. Pretty sure there is a movie(?) that I’ve been avoiding watching because I thought I should read the book first. It didn’t sound like something I’d really like which is why I haven’t picked it up. An hour or so into I’m not liking it much. Guess I don’t feel any connection to the story or the characters? Since it’s a thriller, I’m hoping it picks up. I mean I am a bit intrigued by what happened to his wife...!!
@aster, I read Gone Girl last year for the reasons you cited. It came highly recommended, and I kept thinking, hoping, that it would get better.
The author is a fairly good writer in the sense that he? she? can carry you along on a narrative and make you want to find out what happens. The down side of the book is that the main characters are completely unpleasant people whom you wouldn't want to spend five minutes with in real life, much less an entire book. And the more you find out about them, the less likeable they become. Between the two of them, they are exemplars of thoroughly unpleasant human beings.
Furthermore, the book did not get better. It got worse. Much, much worse. Not only did it become just more boring and less satisfying, but it became implausible. The events became unbelievable, as if the author was trying to see how much pain and BS he? she? could inflict on the reader and still have them keep reading. Gone Girl is the book that I most regret giving any of my time to in the past ten years. If you don't like the book now, just realize that it only gets worse.
It is perfectly OK to walk away from this steaming pile of shit, before you start smelling like it, too, just from sheer exposure.
I completely believe that when you read a book, you are spending time inside the head of the author. After finishing the book, I regret not being able to leave behind a slow brain cancer. Tit for tat. I came away from reading the book with the feeling that the author hates and disrespects his readers, and making you read it is his revenge against you.
Last edited by Adam Strange; 03-31-2020 at 03:31 AM.
lol, Adam. I think I am going to stop reading it!! I’m sorry you read it, but I’m glad you are passing on how terrible it is. I can kind of see what you mean already. I’m not a big fan of the characters. Did you watch the movie? I’m guessing not, lol. Just curious.
once I started with a book, I used to carry on until the end no matter how terrible, but I just don’t have the time/energy now to read something awful
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