Quote from: buckworks date=1588881678
major audiobook binge
Any favorites?
I have been reading a fair bit. Favorites so far:
- Solitary, the story of Albert Woodfox's 40+ years in solitary confinement. Sounds like a grim Covid read, but I thought it was a worthwhile read and opened my mind.
- Prince of Tides, by Pat Conroy. Not a happy book either, but beautifully written and a powerful story. I really loved this book.
Without giving too much away, here's an excerpt from PoT
QuoteWe, the people of Colleton, left like sheep, docile and banished to unspeakable newly created towns without the
dark resonance of memory to sustain us. We walked the Carolina earth without the wisdom and accumulated
suffering of our forebears to instruct us in times of danger or folly. Set adrift, we floated into the driftless
suburbs at the edge of cities. We left not like a defeated tribe, but like one brushed with the black veils and
garments of extinction. Singly and in pairs, we left that archipelago of green islands that had been spared the
worst disfigurements and indemnities of our times. As a town, we had made the error of staying small—and
there is no more unforgivable crime in America.
If you like a bit of Fantasy, then I can recommend Robin Hobbs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Hobb
She has written a number of very imaginative trilogy's, that all have cross overs, but stand on their own feet as well. Sue has just finished her last one, and is none to happy not having that world to go to. I am a slower reader, and so I am half way through. It helps to read them in the Barnes and Noble recommmended order I believe, (see below) but is not essential. I started with the Liveships just by chance.
So, here's our recommended Robin Hobb reading order:
The Farseer Trilogy.
The Tawny Man Trilogy.
The Fitz and the Fool Trilogy (when complete)
Liveship Traders Trilogy.
The Rain Wild Chronicles.
Soldier Son Trilogy.
Philosophy : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Awakening-Intelligence-J-Krishnamurti/dp/0060648341
I just this minute finished listening to "Upheaval" by Jared Diamond and would highly recommend it.
I'll say more later.
Quote from: buckworks on May 09, 2020, 02:17:53 PM
I just this minute finished listening to "Upheaval" by Jared Diamond and would highly recommend it.
I'll say more later.
Please do.
Have you read Yuval Harrari's "Sapiens," I would strongly recommend it. I think Rupert read it too if I recall.
Quote from: Rupert on May 09, 2020, 05:30:29 AM
If you like a bit of Fantasy
Not usually, but I am actually looking for something light. I've been reading a lot of dense, heavy stuff lately. Which is great, but I'm sort of in the mood for a page turner. I'll check it out. If not me, sounds like a good choice for my wife.
>> I am a slower reader
Me too. Quite slow. That is why I initially gravitated toward philosophy and paleography. Everyone has to read slowly in those cases. A long book is a big investment for me, so I often do not finish books. Many people have recommended David Allen's Getting Things Done. I just could not get it done. It was very effective at putting me to sleep though.
>>Krishnamaurti
I tried to read Krishnamaurti during a period of intensive reading of "eastern" philosophy and could never quite get into his writing. It always felt very in the "intellectual" register. But in perhaps a similar vein, I just heard a long interview with Jack Kornfield and it made me want to read "After the Ecstasy, the Laundry."
What did you get out of it? Why do you like it?
When I looked up the Krishnamaurti book, by the way, it had some suggestions in the "you might like" which reminded me... If you have any interest in poetry, I would recommend Marie Howe,
- What the Living Do
- Magdalena
She is literally my favorite poet since Homer. A few years ago when I decided to memorize a poem each month, I started with the title poem of What The Living Do.
- https://poets.org/poem/what-living-do
That has been bumped as my favorite now, though, but the publication of The Affliction.
- https://poets.org/poem/affliction
I think she is an utter genius.
Two books that are great as audio
1. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie, read by Sherman Alexie. His reading with his "Indian" narrator voice (not the voice the author usually has in interviews) adds a lot to the nuance of the language. It's a beautiful mostly autobiographical story of trying to escape the reservation and what he gives up to do it. Funny and heartbreaking.
2. Billy Lynn's Long Half-Time Walk. Also very funny. Not heartbreaking. A great peek into the US. The whole novel takes place during the span of a Dallas Cowboys football game where Billy Lynn's unit is being honored because of a video of them that went viral. This was recommended to me by a West Point grad who was a US Army Ranger with combat experience and I suggested it to a friend who was a Marine enlisted man who served in Iraq. To me it felt true to life, but I have no way to judge, but it got their imprimatur. Again, the audio version is really well read.
Sapiens, yes a good read.
Not come across Krishnamaurti since I was in India, over 30 years ago! If it was the same chap.
Juicy thread, too many things to learn already!
Regarding just mine and quoting ergo :
">>Krishnamaurti
I tried to read Krishnamaurti during a period of intensive reading of "eastern" philosophy and could never quite get into his writing. It always felt very in the "intellectual" register. But in perhaps a similar vein, I just heard a long interview with Jack Kornfield and it made me want to read "After the Ecstasy, the Laundry."
What did you get out of it? Why do you like it?"
It was the first thing i read that made me step right outside of myself and give an honest appraisal, i liked it for it's honesty - just look at yourself, watch quietly and see all your biased mechanisms at work, as well as your harmonious ones! I was just floating along until i read it, as we mostly are at that age, and it was good to find something simple and demonstrably useful.
QuoteIf not me, sounds like a good choice for my wife.
forgot to say Theresa will love it then :) I promise you.
I've been enjoying Blinkist, which gives you a short version of popular books in text or audio. 10-20 minute versions. I love the ability to highlight text and save it in a "highlights" catalog forever.
Quote from: Rupert on May 10, 2020, 05:11:07 AM
QuoteIf not me, sounds like a good choice for my wife.
forgot to say Theresa will love it then :) I promise you.
$4.99 Kindle version. I'm already a handful of pages into it.
QuoteIt was the first thing i read that made me step right outside of myself and give an honest appraisal, i liked it for it's honesty - just look at yourself, watch quietly and see all your biased mechanisms at work, as well as your harmonious ones! I was just floating along until i read it, as we mostly are at that age, and it was good to find something simple and demonstrably useful.
Ah, okay. That sounds like what drove my period of intense reading in mystical literature of many traditions. For better or worse, I actually quit my computer science curriculum in my junior year of university and ended up taking a degree in comparative religion.
This may be wrong, but to me, Krishnamaurti seemed more on the intellectual side than the mystical side and, to be frank, I felt like my intellectual side was already too strong (one friend accused me of "living inside my own head too much" and she was certainly correct. He's heavily on the Theosophist side of things (though he broke from them), and I couldn't get into Steiner or any of the Theosophist stuff either.
Again, that may be a misperception. I know he described his transformative experience as "mystical union." I may give it another try. I am reading some philosophy too right now - a book on Foucault, who I met and became sort of friends with (gave me his address and phone number and told me to call him if I was ever in Paris). But I don't know his philosophy well. Obviously, very, very different from Krishnamaurti. I only mention them together since they both take some attention to read.
I've found that the calm of Covid life has me more willing to tackle challenging books than I have been in recent years.
Nothing high brow or challenging here. I bought a 20 pack of "traditional British" mysteries by Carola Dunn on Kobo. Set in the early 1920's and mostly manor house mysteries.
It's an interesting time period and you can tell the books are traditional British because when a character has had a shock, like finding a dead body in the library, they fetch one a brandy.
Quote from: Brad on May 11, 2020, 11:15:07 AM
Nothing high brow or challenging here.
It wasn't intentional. I have found it happening organically as I have more mental space. That said, I generally don't distinguish. Some of my favorite books are comic books (Raymond Calbuth series in French and the Sandman series in English). I just like an engaging read, but what that means has changed a lot over my life.
Quote from: ergophobe on May 11, 2020, 03:54:33 AM
Quote from: Rupert on May 10, 2020, 05:11:07 AM
QuoteIf not me, sounds like a good choice for my wife.
forgot to say Theresa will love it then :) I promise you.
$4.99 Kindle version. I'm already a handful of pages into it.
QuoteIt was the first thing i read that made me step right outside of myself and give an honest appraisal, i liked it for it's honesty - just look at yourself, watch quietly and see all your biased mechanisms at work, as well as your harmonious ones! I was just floating along until i read it, as we mostly are at that age, and it was good to find something simple and demonstrably useful.
Ah, okay. That sounds like what drove my period of intense reading in mystical literature of many traditions. For better or worse, I actually quit my computer science curriculum in my junior year of university and ended up taking a degree in comparative religion.
This may be wrong, but to me, Krishnamaurti seemed more on the intellectual side than the mystical side and, to be frank, I felt like my intellectual side was already too strong (one friend accused me of "living inside my own head too much" and she was certainly correct. He's heavily on the Theosophist side of things (though he broke from them), and I couldn't get into Steiner or any of the Theosophist stuff either.
Again, that may be a misperception. I know he described his transformative experience as "mystical union." I may give it another try. I am reading some philosophy too right now - a book on Foucault, who I met and became sort of friends with (gave me his address and phone number and told me to call him if I was ever in Paris). But I don't know his philosophy well. Obviously, very, very different from Krishnamaurti. I only mention them together since they both take some attention to read.
I've found that the calm of Covid life has me more willing to tackle challenging books than I have been in recent years.
Krishnamurti was less mystic yes, tht's why i liked him, but not overly intellectual, he spoke pretty plainly for the most part.
A friend of Foucault, check you out!
". the calm of Covid life .." i like that :)
Quote from: Brad on May 11, 2020, 11:15:07 AM
... they fetch one a brandy.
Yup, definitely British, when even slightly stressed turn to booze!
Quote from: gm66 on May 11, 2020, 02:53:17 PM
A friend of Foucault, check you out!
That's an exaggeration. Even my "sort of friends" is an exaggeration. I had the chance to have several conversations over the course of a month and he was very kind. It's possible he was looking for sex. I don't know. I was clueless.
But we were certainly not friends as one would normally mean that. But meeting him was pivotal. I was getting top grades, but was really disillusioned with my studies and talking to him was inspiring. I'm not sure I would have stayed in college if not for that. At the time, was majoring in computer science but had an interest in philosophy so I went up and started talking to him in the library one day and he was so gracious and kind. I then had a half dozen occasions to talk to him. One evening just me and a friend for about six hours, drinking wine and eating ice cream with him until 2:30am. I was 19 years old.
Quote from: ergophobe on May 11, 2020, 05:02:08 PM
Quote from: gm66 on May 11, 2020, 02:53:17 PM
A friend of Foucault, check you out!
That's an exaggeration. Even my "sort of friends" is an exaggeration. I had the chance to have several conversations over the course of a month and he was very kind. It's possible he was looking for sex. I don't know. I was clueless.
But we were certainly not friends as one would normally mean that. But meeting him was pivotal. I was getting top grades, but was really disillusioned with my studies and talking to him was inspiring. I'm not sure I would have stayed in college if not for that. At the time, was majoring in computer science but had an interest in philosophy so I went up and started talking to him in the library one day and he was so gracious and kind. I then had a half dozen occasions to talk to him. One evening just me and a friend for about six hours, drinking wine and eating ice cream with him until 2:30am. I was 19 years old.
I have some nice memories like that, cool, older people who wanted to talk about the same issues we did at the time, stuff that most other adults seemingly weren['t interested in.
Rupert - I just finished the three Farseer books. I quite enjoyed them. Nice, escapist literature. Theresa started the first book today and I suspect will finish it before sundown. That alone was worth it. I've been thinking for a while she needed a quiet day and this provided it. Didn't even start up her computer today.
Since you like those, some others you might like:
- Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear. The third book in the series is not out, but supposedly the author says he's "working on it, but not fast."
- Lois McMaster Bujold, the Vorkosigan books. It's sci-fi, not fantasy, but if you like Farseer, I think you'll like Bujold. Her books are a lot more standalone than the Robb or Rothfuss books, but start with Shard's of Honor and Barryar (also sold as a single-volume Cordelia's Honor).
I haven't been online much since this thread started, as we've been working on the property where we're planning to build a house. I've still been listening lots, though. The iPad and a good set of headphones are fine companions when watering newly planted trees!
During the lockdown I only read one physical book: a memoir by my aunt who published it when she was eighty. Lots of family tidbits ... among other things I learned that my maternal grandfather nearly died in the 1918 flu pandemic.
All the others were audio books, usually played while doing other things. The list covers some quirky ground, intellectually. The lengths varied from fifteen minutes to over forty hours.
Just finished:
The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Volume I: Visions of Glory 1874-1932
By: William Manchester - over forty hours, fascinating to tackle this one just after Churchill himself.
My Early Life
By: Winston Churchill - an engaging yarn - I was struck by his dismal descriptions of life in boarding school - sheds some light on why Canada's Indian residential schools were such a mess.
The Life and Times of Prince Albert
By: Patrick Allitt , The Great Courses - a nugget for British history buffs
Others, not completely in order:
Upheaval: Turning Points for Nations in Crisis - Jared Diamond - highly recommended
Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Underrated Organ
By: Giulia Enders - so-so
----------------------------------
The Story of Human Language
By: John McWhorter , The Great Courses
Language Families of the World
By: John McWhorter , The Great Courses
How Language Began: The Story of Humanity's Greatest Invention
By: Daniel L. Everett
Those three practically add up to a course in intro linguistics.
----------------------------------
Andrea Vernon and the Corporation for UltraHuman Protection
By: Alexander C. Kane - from Audible's monthly freebie list, not one I'd have chosen if I were paying for it, but a fun listen
Exit Interview with My Grandmother
By: Lily Meyersohn - ditto
The Flying Flamingo Sisters
By: Carrie Seim - ditto
Cold Turkey: How to Quit Drinking by Not Drinking
By: Mishka Shubaly - ditto
Inside Jobs: Tales from a Time of Quarantine
By: Ben H. Winters - ditto
The Getaway
By: Greer Hendricks , Sarah Pekkanen - ditto
Sea Wall / A Life
By: Simon Stephens , Nick Payne - ditto
A Murder of Manatees: The Further Adventures of Tom Stranger, Interdimensional Insurance Agent
By: Larry Correia - ditto
Finding Tess: A Mother's Search for Answers in a Dopesick America
By: Beth Macy - ditto, except I wouldn't call it fun
Certain Woman of an Age
By: Margaret Trudeau - a speech by Justin Trudeau's mom
The Radical King
By: Martin Luther King , Cornel West - editor - highly recommended
Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts
By: Annie Duke - advice from a poker player
The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World
By: Robert Garland , The Great Courses
Malcolm and Me
By: Ishmael Reed
Caffeine: How Caffeine Created the Modern World
By: Michael Pollan - if you enjoy coffee you'll enjoy this
Food: A Cultural Culinary History
By: Ken Albala , The Great Courses
The Way We Eat Now: How the Food Revolution Has Transformed Our Lives, Our Bodies, and Our World
By: Bee Wilson
Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat
By: Bee Wilson - my second time listening to this one. Highly recommended.
Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff
By: Dana K. White
Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder
By: Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets: Incerto, Book 1
By: Nassim Nicholas Taleb
The Black Swan, Second Edition: The Impact of the Highly Improbable: With a new section: "On Robustness and Fragility": Incerto, Book 2
By: Nassim Nicholas Taleb
The Home Front: Life in America During World War II
By: Dan Gediman , Martha C. Little
Narrated by: Martin Sheen
The 10X Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure
By: Grant Cardone
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It
By: Chris Voss
Freedom of Simplicity: Finding Harmony in a Complex World
By: Richard J. Foster
The Art of Invisibility: The World's Most Famous Hacker Teaches You How to Be Safe in the Age of Big Brother and Big Data
By: Kevin Mitnick
How Music Works
By: David Byrne - of Talking Heads - I'm a classically trained musician but I learned some things from his perspectives
David Copperfield
By: Charles Dickens
Narrated by: Richard Armitage - top-notch narrator and a good yarn
Macbeth: A Novel
By: A. J. Hartley , David Hewson - ditto
The Refugees
By: Viet Thanh Nguyen - short stories enhanced by the fact that I've visited Viet Nam
Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness
By: Edward Abbey - You'll look at the world around you with new eyes.
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory
By: Caitlin Doughty - a morbid topic, surprisingly well written
TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking
By: Chris Anderson
Sense and Sensibility
By: Jane Austen - a glimpse into a different world.
Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life: A Former CIA Officer Reveals Safety and Survival Techniques to Keep You and Your Family Protected
By: Jason Hanson - I wouldn't call this one a great listen but it delivered some new ideas
Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln: 21 Powerful Secrets of History's Greatest Speakers
By: James C. Humes - ditto
High Performance Habits
How Extraordinary People Become That Way
By: Brendon Burchard - ditto
Classic Love Poems
By: William Shakespeare , Edgar Allan Poe , Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Narrated by: Richard Armitage
QuoteTheresa started the first book today and I suspect will finish it before sundown. That alone was worth it. I've been thinking for a while she needed a quiet day and this provided it. Didn't even start up her computer today.
always good to hear :)
I have passed that list to Sue, as she reads way to fast as well, and has a couple of Robin Hobbs left to read, but is reluctant to start them, as she does not want to finish them. She will be delighted! She has just started re reading a Robert Jordan (Dont bother, way to much description, he struggles to get on with the story.)
After 20 years of not reading any Fantasy or Scifi, its fun to get back to it.
added... blimey that is a good list Buckworks!!!!
Buckworks, I'm humbled by your list. Well done.
For immersive reading:
Jim Butcher's "Dresden Files" series is a great romp in urban fantasy.
For mystery/police Martin Walker's "Bruno Chief of Police" series is good. Set in France so there is lots of wine and food in them.
I finished all of Carola Dunn's "Daisy Dalrymple" 1920's series (with the medicinal brandy) which provides some insights into the aftereffects that World War I had on Britain.
The list looks long but it's less than a book per day.
I should mention that, depending on the narrator, I often listen at accelerated speed. Many titles can be enjoyed at 1.2, 1.3, even 1.5x speed. That's about my limit for relaxed comprehension. I've heard that some blind folks can get good at listening up to 3x speed!
Bucky - thank you for the list!
There are a few on there that have been in the back of my mind for a long time and many I have never heard of.
Are there a couple that you found just terrific, either because they broadened your mind and showed new vistas or simply because it was a tale well told?
>>I often listen at accelerated speed. Many titles can be enjoyed at 1.2, 1.3, even 1.5x speed.
I just can't do it. I am a slow reader and a slow listener. Even at 1.1 I find myself agitated listening and struggling to pay attention. I think my mind just turns slowly.
This is why I tend to start many more books than I finish. A book is a big investment for me. I can't just knock them off like Teddy Roosevelt or Bill Gates. I think Roosevelt could write a book in about the time it takes me to read one! In fact, at one point in my career, I joked that I had published three books since the last time I had read a book cover to cover (researching can become a process of ransacking books for the parts you want, devouring thousands of pages without ever enjoying an entire book as a whole, one word at a time from start to finish).
>>Robert Jordan (Dont bother ... After 20 years of not reading any Fantasy or Scifi, its fun to get back to it.
I basically read no sci-fi or fantasy from about 1976 until about 2000. Someone gave me a volume of Robert Jordan and I read it and got sucked in, but more and more the awful writing wore on me and I thought, "Wow, were my tastes that bad when I was young that I would read stuff like this?" To test that, after 25 years or so, I reread Lord of the Rings (which completely captivated me when I first read it when I was nine and was much in my mind for the next 4-5 years). And immediately, I fell completely in love with it again. I have now read it about 5 times as an adult. A friend who did his doctorate on Shakespeare and taught literature once told me he read it once per year.
So then I went to the sci-fi bookstore in Berkeley and told them that I found Robert Jordan unreadable, but the Lord of the Rings held all the wonder for me it did when I was nine and then some. Did they have any ideas.
The recommended the following, which I have recommended many times as being among the best books of any genre I have ever read in terms of being well-written and mind expanding
Vernor Vinge, Deepness in the Sky and Fire Upon the Deep, completely separate stories, but set in the same universe
Peter Hamilton, Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained. This is one story, very long and very, very good.
I would say no non-fiction I have read has come anywhere close to glimpsing what it means to be networked individuals than Deepness and Pandora's. Plus they are just super well-written.
Also, if you have not read Snowcrash or Cryptonomicon, give them a try. I prefer Snowcrash. Cryptonomicon took me several tries to get started, but pulled me in and was a lot of fun, but ultimately just not up to the level of Snowcrash.
QuoteVernor Vinge, Deepness in the Sky and Fire Upon the Deep,
now that I read on you recommendation a while back and loved them both. Sue was ahead of me on both, dropping little spoilers in as I read :)
I am glad I am not the only one who struggled with Jordan.
I now have a further 4 books on my reading list, thanks. But first I have a summer house to build. The old pallets were delivered yesterday, so i am preparing the base at present. I will be doing that as long as the weather holds!
Buckworks, I am waiting too :)
>> showed new vistas or simply because it was a tale well told
Top pick: Desert Solitaire - I'd be surprised if you haven't already read this one but if you haven't, you MUST.
My Early Life - some of Churchill's perspectives are self-serving, and some even troubling when seen through today's lenses, but he is a witty and observant writer with unsurpassed command of English prose.
The Radical King - a glimpse into a period of US history which I should learn more about. Its self-contained chapters might be easier going than a long narrative.
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes - new vistas for me, <and> well told
Consider the Fork - ditto
Antifragile
Fooled by Randomness
The Black Swan
- I think you'd enjoy Taleb considering some of the other titles I've seen you recommend about stats, risks and numeracy.
Quote from: buckworks on June 01, 2020, 08:23:28 PM
Top pick: Desert Solitaire - I'd be surprised if you haven't already read this one but if you haven't, you MUST.
I have, but I've been thinking about reading it again. I recently read "All The Wild That Remains: Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner, and the American West," by David Gessner. It's certainly not on my "best of all time" list, but I enjoyed it. If you loved Desert Solitaire, you might enjoy All the Wild That Remains.
As for Desert Solitaire itself, and especially the bit on "industrial tourism," it is rattling around somewhere in my brain almost every day, either explicitly or implicitly. The world would literally appear differently to me without that book even though I don't think I fully appreciated it at the time. I read it long before I moved to a national park, but I didn't really fully see how bits of it were lying latent in my mind until I moved here and couldn't see the world but through Abbey's eyes, at least a little bit.
>>Taleb
That's one of the ones on my vague mental list. I just saw someone reading Black Swan in the last couple of weeks.... now if only I could track him or her down and steal that book....
>>The Radical King
I've been hearing a lot of whispers about this general topic (about how MLK had something like a 70% disapproval rating on the eve of his death, for example). I bet I would enjoy this one.
My "too read" list is getting longer, I can no longer hold it in my head!
Great thread, thanks for starting.
>>I read on you recommendation a while back and loved them both.
Should have remembered that. I think the Peter Hamilton books are even better. They do require some attention though. It's a great read, but not necessarily an easy read.
Another book that is a favorite sci-fi read and is quite funny, one of my favorite books, but which gets savaged in some reviews for being meandering, is...
-- Gone Away World by Nick Harkaway.
I've still been reading away.
I did read Black Swan. I've heard so many people call it one of the great books of all time. I would say it's a long book with a couple of good ideas. I kept thinking his idea of what history is and what historians do was incredibly superficial and then I got to his afterword to the second edition and the first thing he mentions is that he came to realize much the same.
I reread 1984 for the first time since 1984. I have to say that in 1984 I thought of it as a morality tale about Stalin's USSR. Now it feels like a morality tale about the USA today. 2+2=5. Sounds about right.
I'm almost done with Foucault's Archaeology of Knowledge. It is a repetitive book and I either don't really understand it or it simply isn't as profound as the blurbs would lead you to belive.. But he signed my copy in 1982 and I've held onto it every since. I decided I had to read it someday. Almost done.
Bitter Lemons of Cyprus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitter_Lemons
Got the audiobook, would highly recommend.
Quote from: nffc on September 14, 2020, 11:21:12 AM
Bitter Lemons of Cyprus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitter_Lemons
Got the audiobook, would highly recommend.
Ah, been watching the earlier Corfu story on Netflix :) Gentle comedy. Love it. Unless it is a different take.
COVID Quarantine reading, interesting how many of the suggestions are works of fiction.
Quote from: buckworks on June 01, 2020, 08:23:28 PM
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes - new vistas for me, <and> well told
This one?
https://www.amazon.com/Smoke-Gets-Your-Eyes-Crematory/dp/0393351904
Sounds like it touches some of my bases
QuoteArmed with a degree in medieval history and a flair for the macabre, Caitlin Doughty took a job at a crematory and turned morbid curiosity into her life's work.
I'm not sure I can read about smoke right now though!
BTW, one that I did not mention, is
Essays After Eighty by Donald Hall, formerly the poet laureate of the US.
The book was not a page turner for me, but the kind of book where I would read a few pages and it would trigger some memory and I would be off in a reverie and then minutes later find myself staring out the window with the book in my lap. The more time elapses, I think it is the book that just keeps rattling around in my head.
For a sense of Hall's essays, try reading The Third Thing. It's a reflection on what made his marriage work.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/articles/60484/the-third-thing
QuoteThe best moment of our lives was one quiet repeated day of work in our house. Not everyone understood. Visitors, especially from New York, would spend a weekend with us and say as they left: "It's really pretty here" ("in Vermont," many added) "with your house, the pond, the hills, but . . . but . . . but . . . what do you do?"
What we did: love. We did not spend our days gazing into each other's eyes. We did that gazing when we made love or when one of us was in trouble, but most of the time our gazes met and entwined as they looked at a third thing. Third things are essential to marriages, objects or practices or habits or arts or institutions or games or human beings that provide a site of joint rapture or contentment. Each member of a couple is separate; the two come together in double attention. Lovemaking is not a third thing but two-in-one. John Keats can be a third thing, or the Boston Symphony Orchestra, or Dutch interiors, or Monopoly. For many couples, children are a third thing.
>> Caitlin Doughty
That's the one. It taught me some new things and her writing style is way above average.
I've just listened to another book where the writing is way above average. A true gem, outside my usual range of interests:
Drunkard - A Hard-Drinking Life
By: Neil Steinberg
It's a glimpse into the mind of an alcoholic struggling (or not struggling, sometimes) with addiction. A masterpiece of sardonic humour!
-----
Re smoke: we're getting some haze here now, in the centre of the continent.
Just listening t Shantaram on audible. It came highly recommended by my Brother in law, who has tried to persuade his 3 daughters to read it as one of lifes "Must reads"
I come to it late, and am thoroughly enjoying it. Reading the wiki:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shantaram_(novel)
It perhaps is more vivid for me as I was in India for a couple of months in the 1980,s so some of what he talks of is very reminiscent.
Its quite a tough book, quite introspective, and so not the sort that I would usually pick up. But I can say I am enjoying it.
>>Shantaram
I enjoyed it. Some great parts. Not a "must read" for me, but worth sticking through to the end.
>> in India for a couple of months in the 1980,s
I went in 1984. I went with two friends, one of whom had been Indian, but got his US citizenship literally one month before we went (lived his first 13 years in India and we were 21 at the time). He straddled the two worlds to a degree he didn't know. He said he thought of himself as an Indian living in a America, but in India felt an American visiting India.
We had planned on 12 weeks, with a fair bit of it with his family. We never did see his family. After about 8 weeks, without telling me, he went to the Air Kuwait office and changed my flight. The person said, "You can't change someone else's flight." My friend said, "I think he's dying," and they let him do it. He came back and said, "Here are your tickets. You go home tomorrow."
I went do India a lean, fit 142 pounds. I came home at 117 pounds. Dysentery did some of it. Malaria did the rest. When my mother saw me, she said, "You left your butt in India." So, I can't say India took my heart. But it did take my butt.
I did wonder where that was going, but
QuoteBut it did take my butt.
made me smile.
I found it quite hard, and was in the North. But one I passed into Nepal, the world was nicer, less aggressive. I loved it there.
Quote from: Rupert on November 18, 2020, 09:59:20 PM
But one I passed into Nepal, the world was nicer, less aggressive. I loved it there.
Yes. Much easier. The thing about India was everyone wanted something from me. Once I got malaria though, people in India were very kind to me.
Nepal was actually fun though. We slept in someone's hayloft. We had people take us in and let us sleep on the floor and we fixed their roof in exchange and then the let us sit around with the men and drink rakshi. We had some really nice interactions, facilitated by the fact that Hindi and Nepali are close enough that most Nepalis can communicate in Hindi and my friend spoke Hindi.
QuoteWe had people take us in
Same, near Pokhara. The Brit connection helped. Nepal is full of Gurkas. :)
Glad I never got Malaria. Having a Hindi friend would have been nice, I set out on my own an joined others for bits of the journey as I met them. 1985 I think it was.
QuoteJim Butcher's "Dresden Files" series is a great romp in urban fantasy.
Brad, I blame you, Sue has read 9 of them this year.
This our version of Mouse and Mister apparently. (Mac and Bambi yeah, I know. )
> blame
Guilty as charged. The Dresden series, for the most part, just keeps getting better. They are kinda perfect for semi-quarantine because you can immerse yourself in that world and shut out our own chaos. I'm glad Sue is liking them.
Well, great thread idea too. I am revisiting it to see if there are any books that family should get this year for Christmas, as it seems it might be a good time to get immersed!
>>Brad, I blame you, Sue has read 9 of them this year.
Theresa has read a bunch of those.
Rupert, I blame you... I am reading the Kindle sample of my sixth book in the Farseer series. I'm sure I'll buy the book. I've been really busy and a bit run down lately, and it's just the thing to escape into.
seems what goes around comes around :)
Ironically, I tried to read Jenny Odell's "How to do Nothing," which seemed right up my alley, but it just seemed to wander off into areas that I was less interested in or areas I had already thought about a lot, so there just wasn't a lot to keep me going.
> How to do Nothing
I don't need a book for this. I could write the book but that would interrupt my Stillness.
Well, the full title is "How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy," and it was the latter part that I was interested in. I'm pretty good at doing nothing and, compared to most, resisting the attention economy. But I think it's an important topic.
"People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing all day long."
-- Pooh Bear
I got a statement from Audible that I listened for 880 hours in 2020 ... roughly twice the previous year.
I'm not sure if that allowed for the fact that I often listen at increased speed.
Most of it was non-fiction.
Quote from: buckworks on January 22, 2021, 07:21:52 PM
I often listen at increased speed.
You mentioned that before. My brain doesn't work fast enough for that. I like the cadence of the normal human voice and I generally read about as fast as a good reader reads aloud. The only book I listened to sped up was the multi-volume biography of Theodore Roosevelt.
Quote from: buckworks on September 15, 2020, 01:44:15 PM
>> Caitlin Doughty
That's the one. It taught me some new things and her writing style is way above average.
https://freakonomics.com/podcast/book-club-caitlin-doughty
Ok Long shot as I have littlel time. I have a godson who is suddenly 21 years old. He is a bright lad, studied Business and Philosophy at Uni in London, and I need to get him a keepsake.
I usually get a flask with an inspirational thought on it, Like:
But Charlie is not a Whisky or Brandy drinker, so it does not work.
I talked to his Mum, and we agreed on an inspirational book. Great idea but now I am lost :)
I am thinking:
The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino
As a recommended idea, and will be listening to it over the next couple of days. I also thought of Shantaram, as a 21-year-old will see a side of life and people he won't of come across yet.
Ideas?
Hmm.... inspirational is not one of my genres :-)
The Og Mandigo, Paul Coelho books just leave me a bit cold.
And my reading list at 21 was mostly Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, mystical literature (east and west), etc. But then, I majored in religion, not business. So I was more moved by Be Here Now.
How about
- Tales of the Otori by Lian Hearn
- Unbreakable or Seabisquit by Laura Hillenbrand
- Next of Kin, by Roger Fouts
- The War of Art by Steven Pressfield (and his others like Do the Work).
- With the Old Breed (if he would find a soldier's story inspiring)
- Boys in the Boat, about the 1936 rowing team that won the gold in Munich
- Ultramarathon Man, if he's a runner
- I Heard the Owl Call My Name if he has a spritual bent
Without knowing him, I would say...
If he has aspirations of being a creator of some sort, Pressfield.
If you want a fictional story of a young person who overcomes the odds, Tales of the Otori
If you want a non-fictional story of a young person who overcomes the odds, Boys in the Boat or Unbreakable
If you want a book that's funny and inspiring, Ultramarathon Man
Maybe if I rest on it, others will come to mind.
Ah, wonderful thx. I should say a bit more about him, as you have pointed out some holes in my request.
He is pretty happy go luck.. grounded. At 17 he decided to pedal around Iceland... alone (Big brother did 2000 miles down the west coast of the USA from Seattle down when he was 17.)
Dads an old mate of mine, who has done VERY well in the RAF (MBE) Air Commodore or something. So Charlie went to private school, as Dad was travelling about in those days. So well read.
I was thinking about a climbing book.
In that case, from my list, I would pick Ultramarathon Man or Boys in the Boat.
I'm not going to be able to help much with climbing literature. I honestly find most of it boring. The only one that I really enjoyed was Bonatti's Great Days, now out of print. That's
https://www.amazon.com/Great-Days-Walter-Bonatti/dp/0575018151
I guess I was carried along by Joe Simpson's first book, which I read in French as La Mort Suspendue, a much worse title than Touching the Void and perhaps the book as a whole suffered for reading it in French. I read an interview with him where he said that the real challenge of that book was figuring out how to make it interesting to describe what was mostly five days of crawling where the reader already knows he survives, since it's autobiographical. That, I think, is the challenge of any mountaineering literature.
I liked Hans Florine's book, but that one is very close to home so I am a biased judge in that case.
Yes he has read "Touching the Void", and "Left for Dead " Nick Ward, his Dad is a sailor. Both great Yarns.
Bonatti can go on my shelf if not his I think. So Ultramarathon Man or Boys in the Boat.... Thanks, I don't think I will read them in time, but see what I can do :)
I love Ultramarathon Man and it is funny. It's a quick read.
Boys in the Boat is a longer read, but my brother, father, wife, sisters and I all enjoyed it and, despite being from the same family, that spans a lot of ages, viewpoints, physical abilities and so forth.
A bit like Touching the Void, it's sort of ridiculous. The title gives away the ending, and yet during the race scenes it's just gripping and my wife and I couldn't stop. But I mentioned it because it's also about young men from rural America during the Depression, centered on one in particular who was abandoned by his family at something like age 10 and left to fend for himself, facing great hardship and, with just a fraction of the resources of the top teams and no standout star rower, who through finding the magic of a team that works well together, end up defeating every other team in the world, including the well-funded blue blood teams of Harvard and Oxford and so forth, not to mention the German national team at the Nazis' showcase Olympics.
BTW, it makes a nice set with Unbroken, since Zamparini (sp) competes at the same Olympics. Though Unbroken was the runaway bestseller, I found Boys in the Boat more gripping. Unbroken is staggering though.
Again thank you.
I have decided to give him a leather-bound journal, with a foreword by me, and 2 of your recommendations in the forward. I decided, in the end, I had to give him a book I have read, and as I cannot possibly read them in time, they could be recommendations on his reading list, but not gifts.
The journal I hope will inspire him, as he hopefully fills it with quotes (Started him off with a few) poetry, life thoughts and travels.
I have also given him the Greatest Salesman in the World, as I enjoyed it, and after all, whether we like it or not we sell ourselves every day! Hope he likes them :)
>>I had to give him a book I have read
I guess that's true. If it's to be a meaningful gift it should be a book that is meaningful to you first and foremost, because it is impossible to predict what will be meaningful to someone else.
I started listening to Prince Harry's book Spare as soon as I was able to download it yesterday.
I've enjoyed it so far (first third). The writing is good (helped by a ghostwriter) and Harry is an exceptionally fine reader.
One thing is clear to me ... what some of the media gossips are saying about (projecting onto!) the book is wildly different from what it actually says.
... which kinda reinforces one of his major themes ...
I would not have taken you for a "royals" reader... but on further reflection, I think I should have guessed you might.
After a bit of a dry spell where I've been reading books that I mostly can't recommend, I've been on a John Green kick. T's book club read The Anthropocene Reviewed, which I really liked.
Then on a recent drive we listened to The Fault in Our Stars, which we both really liked - very serious book narrated by a girl dying of cancer, with some absurdist elements thrown in that make me think of Daniel Pinkwater. It's classed as a YA novel, but it feels like that is mostly because of the age of the protagonists.
That got me to read Turtles All the Way Down. Not quite as good IMO, but I nevertheless enjoyed it.
BTW, The Anthropocene Reviewed is a series of essays that started out as podcasts. He has essays on things like Malaria, Wintry Mix, Indianapolis and each essay finishes with "I give Thing X stars." One of the essays is on how the movie Harvey fit in to an episode of depressive breakdown that nearly killed him. That prompted us to watch Harvey, and especially seeing it after Green's essay, I have to give Harvey 4.5 stars.
I've just finished the 17th book of the Harry Dresden "Dresden Files" series. A lot of fun about Chicago's only Wizard Private Investigator.
I'm not usually into fantasy, but this series is funny and not so "out there" you can't keep up.
https://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresden
Quote from: grnidone on January 11, 2023, 09:33:18 PM
I've just finished the 17th book of the Harry Dresden "Dresden Files" series. A lot of fun about Chicago's only Wizard Private Investigator.
I'm not usually into fantasy, but this series is funny and not so "out there" you can't keep up.
https://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresden
Ah Brad put me onto those :) Good eh?
>> would not have taken you for a "royals" reader
I'm not, usually, but my curiosity was piqued.
In recent weeks I've listened to several "Great Courses" about British history and Spare is relevant to that theme.
Harry is such a good reader that I'd highly recommend the Audible.com version for anyone who might be interested.
Quote from: buckworks on January 11, 2023, 02:58:37 PM
I started listening to Prince Harry's book Spare as soon as I was able to download it yesterday.
I've enjoyed it so far (first third). The writing is good (helped by a ghostwriter) and Harry is an exceptionally fine reader.
One thing is clear to me ... what some of the media gossips are saying about (projecting onto!) the book is wildly different from what it actually says.
... which kinda reinforces one of his major themes ...
Which bits? Because over this side of the pond they are seen as self obsessed and whiny, and M does not understand duty, or how to treat a family .
It does all seem a bit "all about me". How he hopes to get back with his brother and Dad I really don't know. If he does, it shows true understanding from them.
I am guess thats from the media then :)
>> Which bits
I'm not finished yet, but so far the biggest disconnect that has struck me is some writers howling how horrible it was that he bragged about how many Taliban he killed. He absolutely was not bragging when he talked about it, it was a profoundly sad reflection.
>> that's from the media then
Indeed.
You might find this interesting ... comparing some of Kate's and Meghan's media coverage for similar things. IMHO the double standards are wildly unfair and absolutely toxic.
https://www.boredpanda.com/uk-media-double-standarts-royal-meghan-markle-kate-middleton/
Added:
>> does all seem a bit "all about me"
Well, yeah! Considering how many millions of words other people have written about Harry that he did not ask for, I don't think anyone should begrudge Harry for wanting to tell his own story from his own perspective.
>Dresden Files
I spend a lot of time lurking here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/dresdenfiles/
Warning: Lots of spoilers. Best discussion of #17 back in the archives after the #17 "Battle Ground" came out. Since it's been so long since the last book the discussion is filled with some outlandish theories because the main stuff has been covered repeatedly.
Brad - have you read any John Green? All the stories take place in Indiana. His "review" of Indianapolis is worth a read.
Quote from: ergophobe on January 12, 2023, 04:37:58 PM
Brad - have you read any John Green? All the stories take place in Indiana. His "review" of Indianapolis is worth a read.
I have not. I'll look him up. Thanks!
>>double standards are wildly unfair and absolutely toxic.
Buckworks, don't jump to conclusions. I mean, who you gonna believe, the British tabloids or your own lyin' eyes.
Seriously, that is an amazing article. If I were a high school teacher, I would assign that to my class (even if I were teaching math or physics).
QuoteYou might find this interesting ... comparing some of Kate's and Meghan's media coverage for similar things. IMHO the double standards are wildly unfair and absolutely toxic.
https://www.boredpanda.com/uk-media-double-standarts-royal-meghan-markle-kate-middleton/
That list has been standard fair for some time. The answer is see how Kate got hounded before Megan came along. The Press are horrible. No one is denying that. Its how they are dealt with that important.
I have started listening to the Spare. Much against Sues principles. :) The Firms line is not to answer back... on the basis it pointless.
The general view over here (Big general, not absolute) is that Harry would be welcome back, but Megan is still being toxic. Trouble is He loves her. "What Megan wants Megan Gets" (Its a good mantra for a good husband)
Not knowing them, and knowing how toxic (if I can use the word again) the press are it difficult to know what to believe.
Buckworks... YOU are to blame for me bothering to listen to it ;) :) :o
I think I've mentioned this, but when I was 22 my uncle was taken hostage in Beirut and held for five years. It was quite an education in the ways of the media. Many, perhaps most, reporters seem to start with the story they want to tell and then write from there. My uncle had severe mental illness before he was taken hostage, but the media wanted a hero, so they made one. Some things did come out. The NYT referred to him as "frail and disoriented" when he was released, but video was highly edited, quotes were taken out of context to make him look better, and so on. What showed up in the media was far far far from reality.
I cannot imagine the level of distortion that takes place when you move from an obscure guy nobody knows who becomes a hostage to the stratospheric level of celebrity of the royal family or famous actors or... in this case, someone who is both.
>> started listening to the Spare
I'm glad you're listening vs reading. :-)
I just finished it. "Enjoyed" isn't quite the right word for my reaction to the work as a whole, but it was a good listen.
I learned a new word: getting "papped" = being swarmed by paparazzi.
One thing I'd agree with Harry 110% is his opinion that Rupert Murdoch is evil.
Listening is when I drive... 6 hours yesterday.
I think we all know the Press lie, as we know it. Interesting about RM in particular. Maxwell did not shower himself with glory either (or some of his family)
Perhaps a good will come from the book. Maybe the more who read it and learn about the press the better. I feel there is too much acceptance of what is read. Perhaps Friendface is a better place to get news . (Only half kidding)
What I've learned the most from Harry's book is that so many of the headlines don't have a shred of truth in them. It's not like some of it has a little bit of truth to it and was taken out of context. It's flat made up.
>but Megan is still being toxic.
Toxic? Really?
If it were the other way around, and a man moved his princess wife to California to get away from the abusive press in the UK, he would be lauded for having boundaries for her and the family. When a woman does it, she's a bitch who took the prince away.
What I think most people miss is that the press has always villainized women. What sells papers is to find all the flaws of any particular woman -- is she fat, pregnant, sleeping around -- or better still: pit one woman against another. Meghan vs Kate. Diana vs Fergie.
Diana, Fergie, Camella, and before her, Margaret. They were all headlines. How many were actually true?
On this side of the pond: Fox News learned that making Hillary the villain in the 1990s was the best thing for selling ads. When she lost the presidency, AOC became the villain. (And better still, she was brown.)
And the worst thing about it: women will tear down other women. The crab in the pot syndrome.
>> not usually into fantasy
Strangely, I've been on a fantasy kick the last few years. Lord of the Rings was the first book I truly, truly loved. As an adult, I tried Wheel of Time, Game of Thrones (before the TV series) and just never got into them. WoT I found to have particularly bad writing - it was like once he got a bestseller with volume I, editors didn't dare to edit him for fear of slowing down the timeline or something.
I have mentioned the Robin Hobbs books, which Rupert knows. The Assassin's Apprentice and the rest of that storyline are good. But my big favorites have been the first three Mistborn books and Elantris by Brandon Sanderson.
The Mistborn series, by the way, is currently six volumes with a projected three more coming 2025-2027, but the first three are fully standalone. The next three take place in a essentially different universe with no overlapping characters.
Also, for some innovative sci-fi that often doesn't fit with the genre, I recommend Ted Chiang's collection of short stories. It ranges from things like a story about a work crew on the Tower of Babylon (so not really sci-fi at all) to a story of an AI companion product that tops out at sort of a child-level of intelligence that eventually launches a fight for their rights, a very interesting take on a problem that may be upon us. The book also has author notes at the end of each story that are fun insights into why or how he wrote each story, which if you care about the writing process is really interesting.
>> Indianapolis
For the record, he gives Indianapolis four stars.
Quote from: grnidone on January 13, 2023, 06:51:53 PM
What I've learned the most from Harry's book is that so many of the headlines don't have a shred of truth in them. It's not like some of it has a little bit of truth to it and was taken out of context. It's flat made up.
>but Megan is still being toxic.
Toxic? Really?
Grnidone, not going to get into this an further, as I did not intend to upset you, except to defend my use of the word toxic... yes, to the Royal Family. Unfortunately.
I also understand that his book is being fact checked. His memory is also flawed, as all our memories are. I am quite sure they are inadvertent, but do prove the fallibility of any memory. Those picking them out are likely just trying to discredit him, which is sad.
He was once a Favourite Royal. He still could be.
I will repeat. We all know the press lie? Why on earth do we read it! NOTW died in 2011. It was an appalling rag. No better than the internet today. I do believe that some new sources are starting to be held more accountable. But still not all.
Thx for the Sanderson tip.
>>Sanderson
I listened to both as audiobooks. The reader was excellent and I would say that for me, I put these books right behind Lord of the Rings.
>> toxic... yes, to the Royal Family.
I do not believe she was toxic in any way, only that the press started painting her to be.
By far the most toxic element in this mix is the British press.
>as I did not intend to upset you,
You didn't upset me. :) It's just fascinating to me that people on this side of the ocean mostly like Meghan and people on the other side dislike her. It's a fascinating study, actually.
Latest read that I enjoyed was Erik Larson's The Splendid and the Vile, about Churchill's first year as PM.
I realized I had a lot of misconceptions about that year of the Blitz.
My version would have gone like this: a vastly outmanned and outgunned RAF bravely fought of the German aircraft, aided by anti-aircraft gunners in the cities, causing significant losses to the Luftwaffe and forcing the Germans to eventually table the idea of an invasion of England.
That is wrong in essentially every detail except that, yes, the RAF flyers were brave and yes the Germans did table the invasion. The rest of it is wrong.
Meanwhile, there are some precious moments. I hesitate to mention them, but I'll give just one. The first time Churchill met Roosevelt, Churchill traveled to the US right after the US declaration of war. Churchill and his bodyguard, Inspector Thompson, heard a knock at the door. Thompson answered to find the president there, by himself, in his wheelchair. As he invited him in, he noticed a funny look on Roosevelt's face and turned to find Churchill standing there naked with a glass of brandy in one hand a cigar in the other. The president asked if he should come back another time and Churchill said no, "I've got nothing to hide."
Churchill would have gotten along splendidly with Theodore Roosevelt, who would have been disturbed, however, that Churchill was not in condition to box with him.