What are you reading? [Archive] - Page 7

Kätzchen

08-22-2012, 10:44 PM

Just wanted to leave another note here tonight:

I came across Gilbert King (author of: Devil in the Grove) a few months ago when headline news broke across America about Trayvon Martin - who was robbed of his life in a gated community in Florida.

I highly recommend this book and it is a book I am keeping in my growing archive on literature pertaining to Race, Power & Privilege.

For those of you who are interested:

Gilbert King maintains a blog (found here (http://www.gilbertking.com/Home/Gilbert.html)), supplies updates on his FB page and travels to university and college campuses to speak about racism in America and promote his book.

I bought his book this past spring when it became available for purchase out here on the west coast. His book has been reviewed by The Seattle Times, The Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune - as well as authors such as Kevin Boyle, Wil Haygood and Ira Katznelson.

Here's an excerpt about the book, provided by Amazon.com:

Arguably the most important American lawyer of the twentieth century, Thurgood Marshall was on the verge of bringing the landmark suit Brown v. Board of Education before the U.S. Supreme Court when he became embroiled in an explosive and deadly case that threatened to change the course of the civil rights movement and cost him his life.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51bXbtCp05L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg

Glenn

08-22-2012, 10:54 PM

The Castle -Franz Kafka
I don't recommend reading Kafka.... yet I do:|

cheekyali

08-22-2012, 11:03 PM

Vanish - Tess Gerristen

Its part of the Rizzoli and Isles series (although started reading it before seeing the series). They usually follow the same formula but, it works and keeps me reading.

Martina

08-22-2012, 11:24 PM

Vanish - Tess Gerristen

Its part of the Rizzoli and Isles series (although started reading it before seeing the series). They usually follow the same formula but, it works and keeps me reading.

Oooooo. I didn't know there were books. I got into the tv show this summer. Cool.

Martina

08-22-2012, 11:38 PM

School is back in session, and all pretense of reading anything even slightly demanding is gone.

Back to comfort food literature.

Currently, The Hounds of the Morrigan by Pat O'Shea.

It may be a bad sign that I am already reading children's literature.

Kätzchen

08-27-2012, 10:54 AM

I am very grateful for this forum thread and for all the people who share their reading materials here.

*Thank You*

I'm still working with all the recent materials I have listed and as well, I have been participating more in our community here. Thank You to members here who share about things in their life and your mindset too.

I learn so much from all of you and feel less lonely in life because of your efforts in our community.

-XXXX-

*treats for our book club readers *

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qZmWVY2mBJ0/T7HNqlT-NdI/AAAAAAAABOM/RTvAmrmhNBU/s1600/continental%2Bbreakfast4.jpg

Kelt

08-27-2012, 02:40 PM

Somebody in here, and I can't for the life of me find that post again, recommended a book by Pema Chondron (a buddhist teacher). It must have been the right time for me to see that, I am now reading a second book by her; "Taking the Leap" and enjoying it.

I am also having a re-read of Dr Joel Fuhrmans two book set, "Eat for Health". It stresses a high micronutrient approach to eating.

Getting back on track would seem to be a theme this month. :thinking:

Estella

08-27-2012, 02:48 PM

Confederacy of Dunces. Again.

vixenagogo

08-27-2012, 03:35 PM

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6pd9hPOO81qfugqmo1_500.jpg

100 EXTRAORDINARY STORIES ABOUT ORDINARY THINGS SIGNIFICANT OBJECTS: A Literary and Economic Experiment
Can a great story transform a worthless trinket into a significant object? The Significant Objects project set out to answer that question once and for all, by recruiting a highly impressive crew of creative writers to invent stories about an unimpressive menagerie of items rescued from thrift stores and yard sales.
That secondhand flotsam definitely becomes more valuable: sold on eBay, objects originally picked up for a buck or so sold for thousands of dollars in total — making the project a sensation in the literary blogosphere along the way.
But something else happened, too: The stories created were astonishing, a cavalcade of surprising responses to the challenge of manufacturing significance. Who would have believed that random junk could inspire so much imagination?

aishah

08-27-2012, 04:46 PM

finished living in liberation by cristien storm and the road to assisi by paul sabatier. both were amazing. now reading the reluctant saint, another book about st. francis - it's iffy so far. the author tries to remove all the legendary hagiography stuff which i appreciate to some degree, but the writing makes me cringe.

afixer

08-28-2012, 08:39 PM

I am currently revisiting one of my favorites, A Confederacy of Dunces by Johh Kennedy Toole. It is perfection.

you should read this... i enjoyed it.

Butterfly in the Typewriter: The Tragic Life of John Kennedy Toole and the Remarkable Story of A Confederacy of Dunces (http://www.amazon.com/Butterfly-Typewriter-Kennedy-Remarkable-Confederacy/dp/0306820404)

.

afixer

08-28-2012, 08:50 PM

There Are Things I Want You to Know About Stieg Larsson and Me
- Eva Gabrielsson (http://www.amazon.com/There-Things-About-Stieg-Larsson/dp/1609804104/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1346208336&sr=1-1&keywords=there+are+things+i+want+you+to+know+about +stieg+larsson+and+me)

nycfem

08-28-2012, 09:23 PM

Wow. What an incredible story (never knew this):

from Amazon:

"The saga of John Kennedy Toole is one of the greatest stories of American literary history. After writing A Confederacy of Dunces, Toole corresponded with Robert Gottlieb of Simon & Schuster for two years. Exhausted from Gottlieb’s suggested revisions, Toole declared the publication of the manuscript hopeless and stored it in a box. Years later he suffered a mental breakdown, took a two-month journey across the United States, and finally committed suicide on an inconspicuous road outside of Biloxi. Following the funeral, Toole’s mother discovered the manuscript. After many rejections, she cornered Walker Percy, who found it a brilliant novel and spearheaded its publication. In 1981, twelve years after the author’s death, A Confederacy of Dunces won the Pulitzer Prize."

you should read this... i enjoyed it.

Butterfly in the Typewriter: The Tragic Life of John Kennedy Toole and the Remarkable Story of A Confederacy of Dunces (http://www.amazon.com/Butterfly-Typewriter-Kennedy-Remarkable-Confederacy/dp/0306820404)

.

AnnRkey

08-28-2012, 09:54 PM

I am currently enjoying The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson, the first book in the Walt Longmire series! The tv show is great, but per usual, the books are better!!!

StillettoDoll

08-29-2012, 05:43 PM

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iVnhJGAEpHI/UAWYUwDf_aI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/4GA8NkI3ahg/s1600/kathy-griffin-book-cover-front.jpg

aishah

08-31-2012, 12:33 AM

the new jim crow: mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness by michelle alexander. i might have posted about it in here before...i started and stopped it in july and i'm picking it back up :) i agree with a lot of the criticism that exists about the book that she ignores much of black history and the larger context of colonialism, capitalism, eurocentrism and white supremacy. but i do think the book is really good and needed because there are so few really accessible analyses in existence about these issues. i hope her book, along with the growing body of work on transformative justice by other writers, will pave the way for more.

i'm also beginning beyond inclusion, beyond empowerment: a developmental strategy to liberate everyone by leticia nieto. i've heard really good things about it and i have a feeling it's going to be one of those you have to read several times :)

Talon

08-31-2012, 01:06 PM

Tactics Of Modern Warfare by Mark Lloyd.

Kätzchen

09-01-2012, 05:57 PM

I have set aside all of the other books I've been reading from lately and pulled a book out from back in the day when I took this college class: Greek Tragedy Studies.

I'm turning pages in this book:

Euben, J. P. (1990). The Tragedy of Political Theory: The Road Not Taken. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Mrs Arcstriker

09-01-2012, 06:14 PM

The third book in the 50 shades of Grey trilogy...Not too proud about this, but it is mindless and I really love not having to think too much...

Liam

09-01-2012, 08:09 PM

One of the books I am currently reading, is a brilliant piece of fiction, titled The Brief History of the Dead, by Kevin Brockmeier.

Fancy

09-07-2012, 06:20 AM

Preserving Food Without Freezing or Canning

By the gardeners and farmers of Terre Vivante

cinnamongrrl

09-07-2012, 06:25 AM

I had misplaced my reading glasses....soooo Im STILL reading A Country Year: Living the questions by Sue Hubbell... but...

Once UPS gets here.... I will be reading Nutrition 101....and probably little else :|

Scottish MacDaddy

09-07-2012, 06:35 AM

Top o' the morning all....Let's see what I'm reading...Well I have a crap load of text books...A History of Russia....Astronomy....Literature 102...Foundations of Education...But for enjoyment, I am reading 11/22/63 by Stephen King (turning out to be one of his best ever) and Rachel Maddow's Drift...Both are amazingly good books and so very different that I feel like I'm Bi-Polar when I switch between them...

Daktari

09-07-2012, 06:36 AM

Just finished the Hunger Games trilogy. Wish I'd never bothered!

Just started 600 Hours of Edward by Craig Lancaster
and The Tudor Housewife (non fiction) by Alison Sim

Oh and the first in the Inspector Rebus series by Ian Rankin.

ONLY

09-07-2012, 06:23 PM

Wicked appetite by Janet Evanovich

*waiting for SS (f) to get home so we can continue our book together.....Skin Trade by Laurell K. Hamilton......*

Corkey

09-07-2012, 06:58 PM

"The World of Dowton Abbey"
Julian and Jessica Fellows.

grenade

09-07-2012, 08:24 PM

Just read the 50 Shades trilogy. I enjoyed them.

socialjustice_fsu

09-07-2012, 09:09 PM

The St. Francis Prayer Book: A Guide to Deepen Your Spiritual Life. Author: Jon M. Sweeney. This has been a guide of helping me look inward and reaching way down inside to find some comfort as I witness death and dying almost every single day at hospice.

Would It Kill You to Stop Doing That: A Modern Guide to Manners. Author: Henry Alford. Alford is a regular on NPR. He has an uncanny way of exploring some of our 'lack' of manners and sprinkles it with superb satire.

The Heartmath Solution. Author: Doc Childre and Howard Martin. This has taken me on a journey of how and why the heart functions as it does. It serves as a testament of how to put fragmented parts back together again following most cardiac events.

Kobi

09-08-2012, 09:20 AM

Viktor Frankl's - Mans Search For Meaning

Is my go to book when struggling with existential angst. Even tho I enjoy it, I have to struggle to get passed the "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade" scenarios it evokes in me.

Kätzchen

09-10-2012, 12:46 AM

I've been restless lately with the books I've been reading. I found myself turning from text to text in search of a particular 'manna' (if you will), hoping I would come across ideas to counter-challenge beliefs and values that, seriously, I try to rid myself of - but not because I seek a culture of perfection. It's quite the opposite for me, really.

I wanted to leave this post earlier and because I spent the day communing with nature, naturally I didn't remember. But I think the book I am reading might be of interest to a few of you here. It's very interesting to me and when I am deeply involved with the authors logic, the argument he presents, I find myself wanting to read more or shall I say it this way, I'd like to hear this man present a lecture or seminar or workshop, based upon the materials presented in his book (I miss participating in arguments - classroom discussions). In short: I'm keeping this book.

Here's the title, author and date of publication:

De Botton, Alain. (March, 2012). Religion for Atheists: A Non-believer's Guide to the Uses of Religion. New York: Pantheon Books.

Two Links (WorldCat + New York Times Sunday Review):

http://www.worldcat.org/title/religion-for-atheists-a-non-believers-guide-to-the-uses-of-religion/oclc/727610621

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/books/review/alain-de-bottons-religion-for-atheists.html?pagewanted=all

Talon

09-10-2012, 11:52 AM

Strategic Relocation by Joe Skousen

G Snap!

09-10-2012, 08:49 PM

The hunger game trilogies. It would be neat if they made a movie about books two & three.

I tried getting into Charles Dicken's "A Tale of Two Cities" but can't get through the beginning enough to stay interested. It doesn't help this is my "night" reading - I have to have something on the kindle incase I am restless.

afixer

09-12-2012, 10:23 AM

The Passage of Power (The Years of Lyndon Johnson) - Robert A. Caro

The Emperor of All Maladies - Siddhartha Mukherjee

.

Kobi

09-13-2012, 03:50 PM

The time keeper / Mitch Albom.

After being punished for trying to measure God's greatest gift, Father Time returns to Earth along with a magical hourglass and a mission: a chance to redeem himself by teaching two earthly people the true meaning of time.

Was a quick read and as usual with his books, I always feel like I missed something.

Sassy

09-13-2012, 03:57 PM

Just finished the first book in the MacKayla Lane series, Dark Fever. Wasn't impressed with the first half. And the character's Barbie-esque attitude was irritating at first. But by the end of the book she was growing on me. And the story actually started to get (a little) deeper than just "avenge the dead sister"... So, I think I'll read book 2 and hope that the characters get a little more 3-dimensional and that the plot becomes a little less predictable. (It could happen.) ;) ...

Kätzchen

09-14-2012, 10:00 AM

The other day when I was out and about,
I brought home a bunch of free papers to read.

I brought home a current quarterly edition for Breitenbush Hotsprings (they have a bunch of new workshops on their retreat menu for fall). Also, Willamette Weekly (love reading the editorial and the horoscope section). And.... Oregon Beer Grower, a Sunset magazine, and a Water Utility Report for the northwest region (Ore/Wa area, I believe).

Here's what Free Will Astrology said for my sign (Gemini):
"Dear Doctor of Love: My heart is itchy. I'm totally serious. I'm not talking about some phantom tingle on the skin of my chest. What I mean is that the prickling sensation originates in the throbbing organ inside of me. Is this even possible? Have you heard of such a thing? Could it be some astrological phenomenon? What should I do?"
-- Itchy Hearted Gemini.

"Dear Gemini: I suspect that it's not just you, but many Gemini's, who are experiencing symptoms like yours. From what I can tell, you have a lot of trapped feelings in your heart that need to be identified, liberated and dealt with."
I also brought the Willamette Weekly paper home because I saw an article in it that looks interesting to read on Art Culture. The title of the article is:

A Ballerina
A Best-Seller
and
A Violinist
Take High Culture
Slumming:
ARTBREAKER.

Excerpt from article:
There's only a thin and jagged line separating find and popular art, though, and context is important. The Washington Post demonstrated this in 2007. In Gene Weingarten's Pulitzer Prize-winning feature story "Pearls Before Breakfast," he took world-class violinist Joshua Bell busking at a subway station. Bureaucratic drones buzzed right past Bell -- as he played a $3.5 million Stradivarius. Only one woman recognized she was watching one of the world's best classical musicians (WW, p. 15).

****************
Happy Thursday! :)

Fancy

09-17-2012, 07:04 AM

The Tiger's Wife
Téa Obreht

Only 1/3 in, but I'm mesmerized by her writing style. A true artist with words.

Greyson

09-17-2012, 08:29 AM

An Officer and a Lady: The WW II letters of Lt. Col. Betty Bandel, Womens Army Corps

Her letters give detail about the WAC's war effort, and insight into the lives of the first large non-nurse contingent of American women.

aishah

09-17-2012, 10:15 AM

just finished the 19th wife (http://www.19thwife.com/) by david ebershoff, and it was amazing. i think it doesn't present a full picture of mormon polygamy (it's historical fiction and it's very negative on the subject) but it is really beautifully crafted and i couldn't put it down.

currently reading:
open mind, open heart by thomas keating
francis of assisi: a revolutionary life by adrian house

just picked up a bunch of books on poetry from the library so they'll be next. i'm especially excited to finally read june jordan's poetry for the people.

Bleu

09-17-2012, 11:16 AM

Although I have seven books lined up, I can say the only thing I am reading right now are posts from threads and entire threads right here on our very own Planet. Thanks!
:glasses:

Kätzchen

09-18-2012, 01:07 PM

*Well...*,

I have had a change of heart about keeping the de Botton's book, Religion for Atheists. I decided to create some highly developed field notes by citing several examples of passages for future reference material as a way to illustrate why it's a good thing to read particular books like this.

Instead, what I am going to do today is take a stack of books I am not keeping and go down to Powell's bookstore before work and wander the stacks in search of something to read. I may end up with a fictional account. It's been awhile since I've given fiction a chance to occupy my mind.

Which reminds me, Tawse? what have you been reading lately? You said once that you like all your 'trauma' to happen in the world of fiction. I've never forgotten what you said; you said that so perfectly. :)

Kobi

09-21-2012, 12:06 PM

How We Love Now - sex and the new intimacy in second adulthood.

Suzanne Braun Levine

The authors reflections based on discussions and observations of women from the "fuck you fifties" (her concept, not mine) to the mid seventies.

Kind of interesting tho it focuses a lot on married women who are rethinking their lives and choices as they age.

Glenn

09-22-2012, 03:55 PM

http://www.tfcbooks.com/tesla/1926-01-30.htm

Stud_puppy1991

09-22-2012, 04:04 PM

Well, let's see. I did read the 50 Shades of Grey series and I freaking loved the entire trilogy. It is amazing. I am now reading the Mortal Instruments series. I just finished the first one, City of Bones, and..wow. Currently reading the second book, City Of Ashes. I am loving the Mortal Instruments so far.

afixer

09-23-2012, 06:45 PM

The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice: Christopher Hitchens,Thomas Mallon: Amazon.com: Kindle Store

and still reading this.

The Emperor of All Maladies: Siddhartha Mukherjee: Amazon.com: Kindle Store

.

tazz

09-23-2012, 07:19 PM

"Lovely Bones," "Red Dragon," and "The Perfect Storm"
and my general magazines; Newsweek, RollingStone, et al.

femmennoir

09-23-2012, 08:10 PM

I am starting Winter Journal, from Paul Auster, preparing to thoroughly enjoy it.

Elle*

pinkgeek

09-23-2012, 09:30 PM

New book by Sheri Reynolds! I love her stuff!!

SoulShineFemme

09-24-2012, 10:28 AM

I started reading 50 Shades Of Grey on the airplane Saturday. Parts of it are quite delicious. :)

lillith

09-24-2012, 10:30 PM

Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy

LoyalWolfsBlade

09-27-2012, 06:26 AM

The Curious Human Phenomenon by Peter Masters in book form
and
Scent of Triumph Jan Moran on Kindle app for my laptop

Kobi

09-27-2012, 06:50 AM

Soldier Dogs - the untold story of America's canine hereos

Maria Goodavage

Kätzchen

10-01-2012, 02:46 AM

Late at night and into the wee hours of the morning,
I've been reading from new books I bought recently.

I bought 3 books: Two, authored by Rachel Carson (Under the Sea-wind & The Edge of the Sea); and one other book, authored by Susan Steingraber (Living Downstream: An Ecologist's Personal Investigation of Cancer and the Environment).

I'm saving, what I think are the best books to be read last: Rachel Carson's books about the sea, the shoreline, and the environmental impact she observed during her lifetime as a marine biologist. I was given two of her books (Silent Spring & The Sense of Wonder) by my grandmother, when I was a young girl. I will be reading them later this week.

Sunday morning, I opened up Steingraber's book, then laid it down to read later after I accomplished all the items on my Sunday chore list. I am only half way through her book, but she presents a strong case for why synthetic food sources and genetically altered seed for meeting food needs are strongly linked to cancerous conditions found in the human body.

If you are attracted to sciences (scientific studies), I highly recommend both authors. Particularly Rachel Carson. Her writings have strongly influenced me and have stayed with me throughout my lifetime.

http://www.rachelcarson.org/BooksBy.aspx

Living Downstream: An Ecologist's Personal Investigation of Cancer and the Environment: Sandra Steingraber: 9780306818691: Amazon.com: Books

http://www.livingdownstream.com/images/uploads/Living%20Downstream_2_bookcover_72.jpg

lusciouskiwi

10-01-2012, 03:42 AM

I've finally finished reading this after putting it down several times. No particular reason for putting it down and now that I've finished reading I feel bereft. What a powerful first novel. I feel like I should say something profound about it but can't think of what I could possibly write. It's beautiful, sad, funny, wet-your-pants funny (I especially enjoyed the English as a foreign language parts), and powerfully sad.

Read it.

afixer

10-01-2012, 09:12 AM

The Fight for Home: How (Parts of) New Orleans Came Back
- Daniel Wolff (http://http://www.amazon.com/The-Fight-Home-Orleans-ebook/dp/B007N6JF14/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1349104167&sr=1-1&keywords=how+parts+of+new+orleans+came+back)

.

dark_crystal

10-01-2012, 09:35 AM

Just finished, was awesome

http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/165490000/165496475.JPG

The JD

10-01-2012, 10:21 AM

Now reading:
I Found This Funny: My Favorite Pieces of Humor and Some that May Not Be Funny at ALL, edited by Judd Apatow. It's a fantastic collection of short stories and essays by people known for their humor (David Sedaris, Nora Ephron, Steve Martin, Lorrie Moore) and people who....usually aren't (F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Carson McCullers, Flannery O'Connor). As a collected work, it's easy to see why Apatow is the king of "cringe humor." :)

Recently read:
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. I saw the movie on HBO about a month ago, then read the book. I wasn't going to do either, because the topic (a boy who loses his dad in the tower collapse on 9/11) sounded depressing and uninspiring. But it actually *is* inspiring- a powerful story of grief and healing filled with memorable characters. The book's narrative is always told from first person, but it's not always the same narrator so the style changes quite a bit. It also includes photographs and drawings that sometime seem completely random while somehow enhancing the story. The narrative style is perhaps on the more experimental side, but it works. Oh, and I finished the book at the BFP Reunion, so if anyone there saw me sitting in the hotel bar with my face in an iPad looking a bit teary-eyed, that's why. I swear.

Stud_puppy1991

10-01-2012, 10:57 AM

The Mortal Instruments series. I'm currently on the book City Of Glass. It's really amazing so far.

Talon

10-01-2012, 11:29 AM

The Dangerous Summer by Ernest Hemingway..his last book.

nycfem

10-06-2012, 08:20 AM

"Agorafabulous! Dispatches from my bedroom" by Sara Benincasa

Agorafabulous!: Dispatches from My Bedroom: Sara Benincasa: 9780062024411: Amazon.com: Books

I loved this memoir! It was laugh out loud funny and also quite interesting and relatable for any of us who struggle with varying degrees of anxiety, depression, or quirkiness! I wouldn't read it 10,000 times (Yes, some books I do read 10,000 times.), but it was definitely agorafabulous, and I strongly recommend it :)

"If I Am Missing or Dead" by Janine Latus

If I Am Missing or Dead: A Sister's Story of Love,Murder,and Liberation: Janine Latus: Amazon.com: Books

This is an incredibly powerful memoir about coming from a dysfunctional family and how that carried over to this woman's relationship's as well as her sister's relationships. The writing is exquisite (The author is a writer.), and the story is so powerful. I related to it deeply. Here's a quote that I loved:

"When I was at home as a teenager, I could tell that something was always roiling under the surface. It was like walking on smoked glass over something awful, like rushing water or lava or snakes. You're on it and it's fine, but it's glass and it could crack, and you'd drop into that something awful and be sucked down. And even if it doesn't crack, you can feel those snakes, that danger, vibrating under the surface of things."

I highly recommend this book.

Reader

10-06-2012, 08:23 AM

The road to grace: the third journal of the walk series / by Richard Paul Evans.

I sometimes take books off the shelf without knowing what it is when I'm at the library. This was one of those.

It's actually pretty good.

cinnamongrrl

10-06-2012, 10:55 PM

Im reading Walt Whitman's biography....one of many I'm sure..interesting fellow...to say the least

Duchess

10-06-2012, 11:13 PM

http://www.google.com/url?source=imglanding&ct=img&q=http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_laxfwrqe7t1qdlkfdo1_400.gif&sa=X&ei=ZQxxULbtJ4Kg9QSGk4DgDA&ved=0CAsQ8wc&usg=AFQjCNENeNayGoUUf1GFhB7YDj2J4E_jMg

girl_dee

10-07-2012, 05:40 PM

Just finished *Secret Daughter* by shilpi somoya gowda... it was a good quick read.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-td2QiTYJZ9U/TcnLjGdZrAI/AAAAAAAABI4/s_UdZ2Igme4/s1600/secret+daughter.jpg

always2late

10-07-2012, 05:52 PM

Re-reading "Friday" by Robert Heinlein

easygoingfemme

10-07-2012, 07:09 PM

New book by Sheri Reynolds! I love her stuff!!

Oooh, I didn't know she had a new book out! Love her too. First met her with Rapture of Canaan.

Exciting...

Dance-with-me

10-07-2012, 09:59 PM

I'm binge-reading several things by Karen X. Tulchinsky. I'd read several of her short stories in anthologies of erotica, but wanted to check out her books. I read Love Ruins Everything on my weekend trip, and had so much fun reading it that I jumped right into its sequel, Love and Other Ruins, when I got home tonight (a butch and her new femme love are central to the stories). I am also about 1/3 of the way through the much more serious and very well written The Five Books of Moses Lapinsky, which won a couple of book awards in Canada. And In Her Nature also arrived, which I may keep on my bedside just for the cover photo.

Dance-with-me

10-07-2012, 10:07 PM

Martina

10-07-2012, 11:39 PM

Last week I finished a book called Re-enchantment: Tibetan Buddhism Comes to the West by Jeffrey Paine.

He can write entertaining journalistic prose, which I appreciate. But he leaves a lot of stuff out (How can he not mention Pema Chodron?) and gets some things wrong (A google search will reveal that Zina Rachevsky is not a member of the Russian nobility). He has no bibliography, and I can see why. It would have revealed his failure to do enough research.

Still, it is totally worth reading. It is a series of profiles of people who were significant in bringing Tibetan Buddhism to the west. There's not much about the organizations they founded or the obstacles faced or anything other than personality.

I hated reading the sections on the lamas who tried but screwed up badly (IMO) -- Chogyam Trungpa (slept with a lot of followers) and Jetsunma (completely crazy -- sorry, if you are a follower). I was surprised at how difficult those chapters were for me to read even though I knew about these people. I also cringed through the entire chapter on Hollywood Buddhists.

On to the good stuff. I had already read a book about Tenzin Palmo's life. She is a British woman who spent 12 years in a Himalayan cave meditating. But I still enjoyed his chapter on her, probably just because it was better written than the book I read -- Cave in the Snow. It's an amazing story.

I also loved reading about Lama Yeshe, who died in 1984. It made him come alive. And Jan Willis, one of the first western followers of Tibetan Buddhism, now a Professor of Religion at Wesleyan. Here's a picture of them.

http://www.existentialbuddhist.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/250x231xgenuine_guru.jpeg.pagespeed.ic.xnHTaHMeNn. jpg

The section on Harold Talbott, a person from a privileged background, who very early on went to India and studied with now storied Lamas, was wonderful. He is the person who introduced Thomas Merton to the Dalai Lama. What is cool about him is that, while he has accomplished some things -- edited books, translated, run Buddhist centers -- basically he has spent his life practicing. He always felt like a failure in some ways. He's from a very accomplished family, and by our standards, he kind of wandered through life. But his equanimity is so well described. It makes you see the difference between one of us and someone -- a relatively ordinary someone (no great lama or teacher) -- who has spent his entire life in practice. And there are real differences.

The chapter on the Dalai Lama is full of the magical stories you read elsewhere, but it is still lovely. In fact the book is written by a believer in the magical side of Tibetan Buddhism, so it can be alienating if you are put off by that. I am listening to a book on Audible right now called The Naked Buddhist by Adrienne Howley, an Australian nun. I do not enjoy how she teaches Buddhism (too simple and preachy), but I appreciate that she teaches from the position of an absolute atheist. She does not believe in any of the magic or superstition. I believe in some of it. But I think that an emphasis on the magic -- and certainly on lama worship -- obfuscates the dharma.

Anyway, the book was a pleasure to read and filled in a lot of the gaps I have re lamas and others who are often mentioned in this tradition (Western Tibetan Buddhism).

I am now reading one of the Jason Bourne books written by Eric Van Lustbader. Cliched but good. I hate it when someone comes and interrupts a conversation JUST when our hero is about to learn a key piece of information. Grrr.

Gráinne

10-08-2012, 12:28 PM

Related question: Does anyone else like to do what I call "binge-read"? I enjoy reading a number of different books by an author in a row, or reading a bunch of books in a series, or several books on particular topic or theme, or even several books in a certain format (graphic novels or books written as if they were a personal journal, for example). I enjoy the chance to compare and contrast things within the book I've read, while they're all fresh in my memory.

I do that :) mostly because when I'm in the library, I grab all the books from an author (all the Tolstoy, for example.) I also enjoy reading books set in the same time period, but by vastly different authors, for a new point of view.

As for what I'm reading:

Cousin Bette, Honore' de Balzac.

Remember the movie Indecent Proposal, in which a man offers to pay off a couple's debts in return for one night with the wife? This is the same story-except the dude wants ten years with the wife, and in return will put up a dowry for her daughter's wedding. Meanwhile, Cousin Bette (cousin of the aforementioned wife) would today be a prime candidate for serious therapy, and I suspect is going to get even in spectacular fashion. Everyone except Bette (so far) is so supremely annoying that I find myself rooting for her.

Ethics, Aristotle

Essentially (so far), what we think is newfangled pop psychology stemmed from 350 years BC with Aristotle. To be happy, change your thoughts, root out negativity, and change your actions. Practice moderation in all things. I wish I'd read this before tons of self-help books and certainly before watching Dr. Phil.

The Way Of All Flesh, Samuel Butler

This is maybe the hardest book to get into, so far. It seems to be several generations of one family, as recounted by the narrator, and their attempts to stick to the "right" values and the "right" appearances. It's not bad, just waiting for the plot to pick up steam.

ScandalAndy

10-09-2012, 07:02 AM

There's a film adaptation of Cousin Bette as well. It's flipping CRAZY!

I do that :) mostly because when I'm in the library, I grab all the books from an author (all the Tolstoy, for example.) I also enjoy reading books set in the same time period, but by vastly different authors, for a new point of view.

As for what I'm reading:

Cousin Bette, Honore' de Balzac.

Remember the movie Indecent Proposal, in which a man offers to pay off a couple's debts in return for one night with the wife? This is the same story-except the dude wants ten years with the wife, and in return will put up a dowry for her daughter's wedding. Meanwhile, Cousin Bette (cousin of the aforementioned wife) would today be a prime candidate for serious therapy, and I suspect is going to get even in spectacular fashion. Everyone except Bette (so far) is so supremely annoying that I find myself rooting for her.

Ethics, Aristotle

Essentially (so far), what we think is newfangled pop psychology stemmed from 350 years BC with Aristotle. To be happy, change your thoughts, root out negativity, and change your actions. Practice moderation in all things. I wish I'd read this before tons of self-help books and certainly before watching Dr. Phil.

The Way Of All Flesh, Samuel Butler

This is maybe the hardest book to get into, so far. It seems to be several generations of one family, as recounted by the narrator, and their attempts to stick to the "right" values and the "right" appearances. It's not bad, just waiting for the plot to pick up steam.

easygoingfemme

10-09-2012, 06:17 PM

easygoingfemme

10-09-2012, 06:21 PM

Now reading: The Elements, A visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe. It is an awesome book going through the periodic table with beautiful photographs and stories of the use of individual elements through time in technology, farming, health, etc.
Favorite quote so far, in relation to Arsenic. " Generally speaking, when an idea sounds as stupid as intentionally feeding arsenic to chickens, it probably is"

Nerd alert: Just spent an hour on the couch with my daughter reading out loud from this and had a blast.

(but maybe this is why I'm single)

afixer

10-10-2012, 06:39 PM

Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen: A Novel: Susan Gregg Gilmore: Amazon.com: Kindle Store

I Remember Nothing (Vintage): Nora Ephron: Amazon.com: Kindle Store

afixer

10-10-2012, 06:43 PM

Julien

10-10-2012, 07:09 PM

I am reading the second book in a trilogy by Felix Palma. The first book is The Map of Time and now I am reading The Map of the Sky. So far I love the books. They take place in the world of H. G. Wells, Jack the Ripper, the Elephant Man, The Time Machine and Victorian England.

SoulShineFemme

10-10-2012, 07:31 PM

Some French vocabulary. I'm determined to learn.....

Hollylane

10-10-2012, 08:09 PM

Wizard's First Rule
by Terry Goodkind

Sassy

10-10-2012, 08:39 PM

Two-thirds of the way through Naamah's Curse by Jacqueline Carey and I'm of two minds about it. I love the writing and the characters, as usual. But this book's story is starting to piss me off. If we make one more u-turn.... RAWR!!! ... Other than that, still love Moirin and her simple free-love, hippy chick ways (I *so* relate to this character and her interaction with the world around her.) ... Also, a part of me definitely wishes she'd just dump the little stick fighter boy and go back to Ch'in to hook up with the princess... but I suppose if she did that the story would be over. LOL.

Kobi

10-11-2012, 12:10 PM

The Womans Bible by Elizabeth Cady Stanton

This is interesting albeit a slow read. Much to absorb, savor, digest.

Daktari

10-11-2012, 03:04 PM

Charlie Brooker, Dawn of the Dumb.

Greco

10-16-2012, 06:34 AM

"Ceremony"

by Leslie Marmon Silko

Greco

Semantics

10-16-2012, 06:48 AM

I just started The Twelve by Justin Cronin, which is the sequel to his bestselling book The Passage.

homoe

10-16-2012, 04:37 PM

Sarah's Key~Tatiana de Rosnay

The Best Exocit Marigold Hotel~Deborah Moggach

I've seen both movies based on these books as well, and I have to say that the movie of the The Best Exocit Marigold Hotel was a bit more uplifting and enjoyable than the book!

MissItalianDiva

10-16-2012, 05:00 PM

A sweet note left on the bathroom mirror ...

Kätzchen

10-18-2012, 02:21 PM

I traded some books in at my favorite bookstore (Powell's) and have yet to find a book that I want to read, so I'm saving my gift card to use another day. But I have been reading from the Breitenbush Fall Quarterly (a list of events and free times) and have been thinking about planning for a winter getaway or a springtime getaway. I found that Breitenbush has open availability times in December and there's a Women Only Quiet Midweek that occurs in early March. I love going up there: it's so beautiful, no matter the time of year. :stillheart:

homoe

10-18-2012, 04:55 PM

Re-reading The Help...

Is she ever going to write a second book I wonder?

QueenofSmirks

10-18-2012, 05:22 PM

"Forensic Psychology" and a bunch of articles on the Jared Loughner case.

aishah

10-20-2012, 09:11 PM

labyrinth by kate mosse and karma cola by gita mehta. i'm pretty sure i read labyrinth a few years ago but i can't remember the details - it's a historical thriller. part of the fun of having fibromyalgia is getting to reread/rewatch things like it's the first time, LOL.

afixer

10-22-2012, 02:51 PM

this week it's...

Mama Makes Up Her Mind: And Other Dangers of Southern Living: Bailey White: Amazon.com: Kindle Store

and

Opium Fiend: A 21st Century Slave to a 19th Century Addiction: Steven Martin: Amazon.com: Kindle Store

.

Tommi

10-22-2012, 02:56 PM

http://busycooks.about.com/cs/appliances/a/indoorgrills2.htm

My dear friend sent me a link for More Indoor Grill Recipes

she knows me well. I go through spurts of healthy eating. :|

Massive

10-23-2012, 08:39 AM

Re-reading all the Game of Thrones series.
Reading a small selection of so-called Best of Lesbian Erotica.
Reading a collection of anthologies from a gamer related series of books.
Reading a book about female killers.
Re-reading the Scarecrow series by Matthew Reilly
About to read another pile of books from the library somewhere along the way too

Sorry, can't remember book names, I need at least another pot of tea before my brain kicks in :dozey:

Talon

10-23-2012, 10:45 AM

This Is My Beloved by Walter Benton

foxyshaman

10-23-2012, 10:58 PM

Shamans and Analysts: New visions on the wounded healer. John Merchant. Fascinating, confirming and thought provoking.

Between Heaven and Earth - A Guide to Chinese Medicine: Harriet Beinfield L. Ac. and Efrem Korngold, L.Ac., O.M.D.

Martina

10-24-2012, 02:20 AM

Catfish and Mandala by Andrew Pham. Published in 2000.

I would not have started it if I had known how dark it is, but I am glad I have.

Corkey

10-26-2012, 03:38 PM

Drift, Rachel Maddow.

Ebook form. Yes she's the narrator.

Massive

10-26-2012, 03:47 PM

The Best of Tomes of the Dead - Matthew Smith, AL Ewing & Rebecca Levine
if you love zombies, these are for you!

cinnamongrrl

10-26-2012, 04:01 PM

if i hadn't forgotten my glasses i would be reading my hobby farm home....i dont have the patience for books lately it seems....soooo not like me....

Medusa

10-28-2012, 06:36 PM

Right now I'm about halfway through "The Twelve" by Jonathan Cronin and I also have "Dear Dawn: Aileen Wuornos in her Own Words"

Nomad

10-28-2012, 08:08 PM

The Dancing Wu Li Masters by Gary Zukav

hurts my brain, to be honest. i plan to keep plugging away though

easygoingfemme

10-28-2012, 08:11 PM

Carry the One by Carol Anshaw.
I'm not loving it. Assignment for book club...:nerd:

kittygrrl

10-28-2012, 08:37 PM

The Signal and the Noise
by~Nate Silvers

n~looking forward to..

Thinking, Fast & Slow
by~ Daniel Kahneman

RockOn

10-28-2012, 09:29 PM

Product Index: Dewalt Tools
Specifically: 20 Volt Max Premium Hammerdrill Kit

Damn, swore off ... but back in lust again.

Bleu

10-28-2012, 09:33 PM

The scat thread!

:giggle:

nycfem

10-29-2012, 08:32 AM

If you get a chance, I'd love to hear your review of this when you are done with it.

I also have "Dear Dawn: Aileen Wuornos in her Own Words"

Greyson

10-29-2012, 08:48 AM

Okay, I did not go out and buy this book but when it came to me via "the universe" I did decide I had to take a look.

Last night a took a look at "Fifty Shades of Grey." I had to laugh because I found myself imagining "Fifty Shades of Grey...son."

Kätzchen

10-29-2012, 12:58 PM

It would appear that I do not have a lot of time for reading, but I find I have a skosh of time to read on my commute by train or when I finally fall into bed, each night.

On a recent visit to a library, I went kind of crazy and checked out a bunch of books by author, Erik Larson: Isaac's Storm (which I am reading right now), Lethal Passage: The Story of a Gun, In the Garden of Beasts (which will keep me busy for a few weeks).

In addition, I checked out S/he by Minnie Bruce Pratt.

I also stopped by Powells Book store and used my gift card:
I bought Mary Oliver's newest book of poetry... A Thousand Mornings.

http://media.npr.org/assets/bakertaylor/covers/a/a-thousand-mornings/9781594204777_custom-2b183a963a6e0e5a2c86f7c3779ae85a339d112a-s15.jpg

easygoingfemme

10-29-2012, 07:19 PM

In addition, I checked out S/he by Minnie Bruce Pratt.

I was just thinking about that book yesterday! Been years since I've read it.

I'm re-reading Small Changes by Marge Piercy.

StillettoDoll

11-01-2012, 05:07 PM

http://media.npr.org/assets/bakertaylor/covers/t/the-boy-kings-of-texas/9780762779192_custom-acf2f06dbd80958d2b99c099a194d81f8534a3ea-s15.jpg (http://www.npr.org/books/titles/162705489/the-boy-kings-of-texas)

Started this book a few days ago, Just found out it is nominated for the national book award this year.

puddin'

11-01-2012, 05:20 PM

some short stories by natalie nessus

lyric

11-01-2012, 05:28 PM

Just finished this book. At 3.99 for the kindle edition, it was a good buy for me, and Molly Ringwald, as an author, was a pleasant surprise.

http://www.literallyjen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/When-It-Happens-to-You.jpg

I wasn't sure what to expect from a former brat packer who long ago taught me the notion of applying lipstick from my cleavage, but this was a neat little piece that I read in just two nights and was altogether poignant, heartbreaking, and familiar. Ringwald presents the reader with a series of short stories, all linked together with a 'seven degrees of separation' type of flavor, centered around the theme of betrayal and heartache and how we push through to persevere in both. When It Happens To You made me feel something in the pit of my stomach, and I love nothing more than a book that not only makes me feel but lingers for days after.

nycfem

11-01-2012, 05:39 PM

Would love to hear a review after :)

http://media.npr.org/assets/bakertaylor/covers/t/the-boy-kings-of-texas/9780762779192_custom-acf2f06dbd80958d2b99c099a194d81f8534a3ea-s15.jpg (http://www.npr.org/books/titles/162705489/the-boy-kings-of-texas)

Started this book a few days ago, Just found out it is nominated for the national book award this year.

Kätzchen

11-01-2012, 09:37 PM

I thought I would leave a brief book report tonight about two of the books I am reading by Erik Larson. For those of you who eschew reading non-fiction accounts because sometimes NF accounts are often thought of as dry reading material, I want to assure you that the books I have read by Erik Larson are anything but dry or boring.

I just finished "Isaac's Storm" - I have never lived through a hurricane, but I have experienced other storms (snow storms and once upon a time ago, a tornado). I thought the exculpatory account of the 'storm of the century' that hit Galveston, TX back in 1900 was exceptionally well written. The account read like a novel but what intrigued me the most was, just like in "The Devil of White City" (the account of tragedy that transpired during the first World's Fair in Chicago - late 1880s era), Larson tells the story about Isaac Cline - a weather man working for the US Weather Bureau - and chronicles the beginning of how storms of this magnitude were forecast and also includes a wealth of personal narrative as culled from telegrams, letters and accounts from survivors so that one can begin to understand how far science has come, since the days of early technological advances of the late 19th century.

After finishing "Isaac's Storm", I am now breaking into another Larson book called, "Lethal Passage" - which was first published back in 1994.

Even though this account is nearly 2 decades old, I am reading it because I witnessed the accidental death of my cousin, Donnie: who inadvertantly pulled the trigger on a hunting rifle, as he was looking curiously down the barrel of the gun, and died instantly. That's a day in my life that I will never forget, either. My dad and his brothers like to hunt for wild game - mostly on special occassion for meals at Thanksgiving or Christmas. My dad didn't have a handgun in the house but a rather expensive collection of Weatherby's (same for all his brothers, my uncles).

SoOoOoo, the reason I am reading an account like this now is to take down some of my own baggage about guns and re-examine it under the scope of how Larson depicts gun issues with the way he uses a scholarly application of data, interviews, field notes, etc and see if there is any more work to do, personally, as I re-examine my own issues with guns.

nycfem

11-01-2012, 09:48 PM

Thanks for the descriptions, Katzchen. Could you talk more about what Lethal Passage is about?

I thought I would leave a brief book report tonight about two of the books I am reading by Erik Larson. For those of you who eschew reading non-fiction accounts because sometimes NF accounts are often thought of as dry reading material, I want to assure you that the books I have read by Erik Larson are anything but dry or boring.

I just finished "Isaac's Storm" - I have never lived through a hurricane, but I have experienced other storms (snow storms and once upon a time ago, a tornado). I thought the exculpatory account of the 'storm of the century' that hit Galveston, TX back in 1900 was exceptionally well written. The account read like a novel but what intrigued me the most was, just like in "The Devil of White City" (the account of tragedy that transpired during the first World's Fair in Chicago - late 1880s era), Larson tells the story about Isaac Cline - a weather man working for the US Weather Bureau - and chronicles the beginning of how storms of this magnitude were forecast and also includes a wealth of personal narrative as culled from telegrams, letters and accounts from survivors so that one can begin to understand how far science has come, since the days of early technological advances of the late 19th century.

After finishing "Isaac's Storm", I am now breaking into another Larson book called, "Lethal Passage" - which was first published back in 1994.

Even though this account is nearly 2 decades old, I am reading it because I witnessed the accidental death of my cousin, Donnie: who inadvertantly pulled the trigger on a hunting rifle, as he was looking curiously down the barrel of the gun, and died instantly. That's a day in my life that I will never forget, either. My dad and his brothers like to hunt for wild game - mostly on special occassion for meals at Thanksgiving or Christmas. My dad didn't have a handgun in the house but a rather expensive collection of Weatherby's (same for all his brothers, my uncles).

SoOoOoo, the reason I am reading an account like this now is to take down some of my own baggage about guns and re-examine it under the scope of how Larson depicts gun issues with the way he uses a scholarly application of data, interviews, field notes, etc and see if there is any more work to do, personally, as I re-examine my own issues with guns.

Kätzchen

11-01-2012, 10:01 PM

Thanks for the descriptions, Katzchen. Could you talk more about what Lethal Passage is about?

I just began this book tonight but will excerpt the passage on the back of the book:
This devastating book begins with an account of a crime that is by now almost commonplace: On December 16th, 1988, sixteen year old Nicholas Elliot walked into his Virginia high school with a Cobray M-11/9 and several hundred rounds of ammunition tucked into his backpack. By day's end, he has killed one teacher and severely wounded another.

In Lethal Passage Erik Larson shows us how a disturbed teenager was able to buy a weapon advertised as "the gun that made the 80s roar." In so doing, he not only illustrates America's gun culture - its manufacturers, dealers, buffs, and propagandists - but also offers concrete solutions to our national epidemic of death by firearm. The result of the book that can - and should - save lives, and that has already become an essential text in the gun-control debate.
I'm only on page 42, but Larson gives the audience a vivid description of Elliot in that he is a young black teenager who was acutely bullied at school (of religious affiliation) and my heart went out to Elliot and his mother - the caretaker and head of household of their own little family. Larson has also laid the groundwork, thus far, for how invasive and pervasive gun culture is within the fabric of American life. It's a short read (240 pages long) but it also comes with an extensive list of references at the back of the book, too.

Greco

11-02-2012, 07:48 AM

"The Holographic Universe"
by Michael Talbot

mind-blowing

Greco

SelfMadeMan

11-02-2012, 07:55 AM

'Stripped: Inside the Lives of Exotic Dancers' by Bernadette Barton, for an Independent Studies class I'm doing for my Women & Gender Studies minor. VERY interesting read!

Talon

11-02-2012, 10:17 AM

Decisive Warfare: A Study In Military Theory
By Bretnor Reginald

Massive

11-02-2012, 12:46 PM

A History Of British Serial Killing - David Wilson
For once, it's not about the serial killers, this book is written about the victims of serial killers and how we can go about identifying and preventing more killings from occurring!
Fascinating so far.

homoe

11-02-2012, 04:23 PM

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

Enjoying it so far even tho it's sorta told in emails format.

girl_dee

11-04-2012, 08:25 PM

Amelia's Story

a story about a girl growing up in Institutional Child Care

Sad but enlightening story.

i've been reading lots and SO thankful i have the time to read again!

Duchess

11-04-2012, 09:34 PM

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR-UcKDyLNSTzsJGJ5jwLg5P4XhAydYrHglozGAEneW4_hoVG5R

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSgELFiv1e6htaHksthF3g2SIxWjK4Yn oizaxXdQzyw8a53n-LNGA

Greco

11-05-2012, 09:17 AM

"A Thousand Mornings"

by Mary Oliver

Exquisite.

Greco

afixer

11-05-2012, 07:22 PM

Fire and Rain: The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor, CSNY, and the Lost Story of 1970: David Browne: Amazon.com: Kindle Store

Crawling from the Wreckage: Gwynne Dyer: Amazon.com: Kindle Store

.

tonaderspeisung

11-05-2012, 07:40 PM

Fire and Rain: The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor, CSNY, and the Lost Story of 1970: David Browne: Amazon.com: Kindle Store (http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Rain-Beatles-Garfunkel-ebook/dp/B004ZGRPTY/ref=dp_kinlend_rdm_t?ie=UTF8&m=A38SEFUGZMJU8S)

i've walked past this book a few times and admit i've judged it by it's cover
is it a good read?

Talon

11-09-2012, 12:03 PM

The Moral Compass by William J. Bennett

Massive

11-09-2012, 12:27 PM

Hereward by James Wild
info about the real man
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hereward_the_Wake
and the book itself
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11102997-hereward

homoe

11-09-2012, 04:39 PM

Racketeer ~ John Grisham

kissinfemme

11-10-2012, 12:23 AM

Stephen King - 11/22/63

SelfMadeMan

11-10-2012, 06:24 AM

I want to do some reading - BESIDES for school... but during the semester I don't have the luxury of reading for pleasure.

Semantics

11-10-2012, 06:46 AM

I want to do some reading - BESIDES for school... but during the semester I don't have the luxury of reading for pleasure.

I'm with you.
Every night I stare longingly at my growing pile of books and then turn away and stick my nose in my text books.

I was assigned a neat little book for one of my classes called Weetzie Bat. It's a novel for teen girls about a young woman who lives in LA with her two gay roommates. It's quirky, for sure, but I like that it explores alternative family situations.

Daktari

11-10-2012, 07:16 AM

Fiction:
Music for torching - A.M. Homes
The Last Precinct - Pat. Cornwell

Non-fiction
It won't hurt a bit: nursing tales from the swinging sixties...It reminds me of my ma who trained to be a nurse in the early 60s, before I was born.
Dawn of the Dumb - Charlie Brooker; still dipping in and out of this one.
The Tudor Housewife - Alison Sim; still dipping
A Race for Madmen: A history of the Tour de France; still dipping

JustLovelyJenn

11-10-2012, 12:51 PM

If the post would hurry up... I have just one book left in the 50 Shades series...

The JD

11-10-2012, 02:40 PM

i'm reading The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger's Syndrome, and One Man's Quest to be a Better Husband by David Finch.

Five years into his crumbling marriage, David Finch learns that he's got Asperger's syndrome... and along with it comes a great big "AHA!" moment. He drops the guilt and anger that comes with the fear of "not being a good enough husband," and instead concentrates on learning specific behaviors to fill in some of the gaps in his blind spots.

In true Asperger's fashion, he throws himself into identifying and categorizing these "normal" behaviors with the zeal of a Trekie at a sci-fi convention, and comes up with a list of social protocols that should, as the "Best Practices" part of the title suggests, be a part of any relationship's quality management system.

But don't let the QC reference throw you off. This book is anything but dry. It's funny and engaging, and, okay, I admit it...it's enlightening. More than a few friends and exes have described me as "Asperger's lite," and this book pretty much confirms it. As Finch spells out the Dos and Don'ts of social interaction, I keep bursting out laughing with self-recognition ("It's not okay to walk away from a conversation just because you're bored", "It's better to fold and put away than to take only what you need from the dryer").

Even for more intricate social situations, his advice goes straight to the core: "Just listen", "When necessary, redefine perfection", "Get inside her girl world and look around." Seems to me that it's not just the Aspies that might benefit from this book. :)

torchiegirl

11-10-2012, 03:00 PM

I seem to be stuck on The Unexpected George Washington ~ Harlow Giles Unger
Hard to pick back up as of late
...
...
...

Babyangeleyez

11-10-2012, 04:41 PM

Fifty Shades Darker.

nycfem

11-10-2012, 06:47 PM

I loved your review. I'd read some about this book and was curious. I can also id with certain traits of Asperger's: e.g. walking away when I'm bored in a conversation :D. Perhaps that's my adhd and introversion at play too. When BB and I go out anywhere, I always remind BB to "bring reading" - luckily BB likes reading enough to be ok with my quirky ways. I know it's socially off, though, like I was at a big dance party after a bar mitzvah, and I was engrossed in a book. Someone said disdainfully, "Why are you reading now?" Story of my life! :D

Year's back I tried reading Augusten Burrough's brother's memoir about living with Asperger's:

Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's: John Elder Robison: 9780307396181: Amazon.com: Books

"Look Me in the Eye" by John Elder Robison

It was enjoyable but I guess it didn't completely hold my attention because I only read half of it.

Not a book but on the topic of Asperger's I really enjoyed the movie:

OC87: The Obsessive Compulsive, Major Depression, Bipolar, Asperger's Movie

It's a doc a man made about his own experience living with Asperger's (ETC) and has a wry humor to it. I knew I'd like it the first time I heard the title, and I was right :D

i'm reading The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger's Syndrome, and One Man's Quest to be a Better Husband by David Finch.

Five years into his crumbling marriage, David Finch learns that he's got Asperger's syndrome... and along with it comes a great big "AHA!" moment. He drops the guilt and anger that comes with the fear of "not being a good enough husband," and instead concentrates on learning specific behaviors to fill in some of the gaps in his blind spots.

In true Asperger's fashion, he throws himself into identifying and categorizing these "normal" behaviors with the zeal of a Trekie at a sci-fi convention, and comes up with a list of social protocols that should, as the "Best Practices" part of the title suggests, be a part of any relationship's quality management system.

But don't let the QC reference throw you off. This book is anything but dry. It's funny and engaging, and, okay, I admit it...it's enlightening. More than a few friends and exes have described me as "Asperger's lite," and this book pretty much confirms it. As Finch spells out the Dos and Don'ts of social interaction, I keep bursting out laughing with self-recognition ("It's not okay to walk away from a conversation just because you're bored", "It's better to fold and put away than to take only what you need from the dryer").

Even for more intricate social situations, his advice goes straight to the core: "Just listen", "When necessary, redefine perfection", "Get inside her girl world and look around." Seems to me that it's not just the Aspies that might benefit from this book. :)

Julien

11-10-2012, 06:53 PM

Nothing.....oh no I'm going through a funk, must get to the library or Amazon.com. :jester:

cinnamongrrl

11-10-2012, 07:32 PM

I'm greatly looking forward to starting The Woods in Winter by Bernd Heinrich. he is an amazing naturalist who learned at his father's knee...then went on to get advanced degrees in botany and zoology. He teaches at the University of Vermont. He has the ability to put scientific things into layman's terms without dumbing it down....
The first book I read of his was A Year in the Maine Woods...he does a Thoreau basically....and writes about it...

lusciouskiwi

11-10-2012, 07:47 PM

isn't this picture gorgeous? :) from: https://www.facebook.com/TitleWaveforBooks

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/31009_321956311251983_1498888786_n.jpg

Gentle Tiger

11-10-2012, 07:58 PM

Wizard's First Rule - Terry Goodkind

SomethingBeautiful

11-10-2012, 11:16 PM

Currently the weekly flyers, because I haven't found a new book to focus on.

femmeandstrong

11-11-2012, 12:42 AM

I am reading ..always..more than one book at a time...
and life will end before I get to read all I would have liked...

currently...
1. the Hobbit...love it...and soon the movie will be out

2. Burn Unit... about nursing care for burn victims... not for everyone..but I am a nurse and it is very interesting to me.

3. Emotional Sobriety... about not following old patterns I grew up with... how to outgrow them...

4. Mammarazzi... (lol ) ... a book on tips for photographing children...

plenty of reading for a while...

femmeandstrong

11-11-2012, 12:43 PM

Currently the weekly flyers, because I haven't found a new book to focus on.
LOL ..sb...

reg the flyers...

ur a riot...

Gráinne

11-14-2012, 02:11 PM

A Dangerous Inheritance, by Alison Weir. This is pure historical trash, although I enjoy her biographies.

It's parallel stories of Katherine Plantagenet, illegitimate daughter of Richard, Duke of Gloucester (and soon to be King), and Katherine Grey, sister of Lady Jane Grey. Both were real people, though I'm sure much license has been taken as to their personalities and characters.

Katherine Plantagenet is more a convenient character narrating the unfolding story of Richard, his sister-in-law the Queen, and his nephews. He of course has gone down as the wickedest uncle in history, killing his nephews and allegedly several other kin to snatch the throne for himself. Or was he??

The image of the hunchbacked homicidal power-mad Richard came out of the Tudors and Shakespeare. Henry Tudor, with only a flimsy claim to the throne, won the Battle of Bosworth and became Henry VII. That tenuosity would have ramifications throughout all the Tudor reigns and afterwards. Richard's much more sympathetic in the book. Others, including Henry, also had motive to brush aside the boy-king and his brother like mosquitos.

Katherine Grey was caught up in a plot by a powerful duke to prevent the Roman Catholic Mary Tudor (Henry VIII's daughter) from becoming Queen, after the Protestant Edward VI died. Part of this was marrying her to the son of one of his cronies, and there are teasing scenes of almost-consummation, but in reality the marriage was never consummated and ultimately annulled. Later, she brought down the rage of her cousin Elizabeth when she clandestinely married without the Queen's consent and had two sons, to boot. She died under house arrest. Her role in the book is to discover her distant relative Katherine Plantagenet and what happened to the nephews.

Books like this usually just make me mad, as they are almost like fanfiction instead of reality. But, once in a while, a little trash is a good thing.

MegBluEyz

11-14-2012, 11:04 PM

VintageFemme

11-14-2012, 11:11 PM

Reading is one of my favorite past times. I have been disappointed lately that schools are not using paper books anymore. There is so much value in turning the page of a book and the smell of it. Like in old bookstores.
I continuously read The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz and keep it in my nightstand. It is a book for ones life.

I feel exactly the same. I'm very sad to see books disappearing slowly. And like you, I've been reading The Wisdom of Thich Nhat Hanh continuously for many, many years. It is a book for ones life as well.

Medusa

11-14-2012, 11:13 PM

I had to put "The Twelve" by Justin Cronin down for a couple of weeks due to school but I picked it back up tonight.

I also have "Survivor" by Chuck Palahniuk and an old Thanatochemistry book (the science of embalming human bodies) going.

Greyson

11-14-2012, 11:49 PM

Letters For My Brothers: Transitional Wisdom in Retrospect

Edited by Megan M. Rohrer and Zander Keig

MegBluEyz

11-15-2012, 12:04 AM

I feel exactly the same. I'm very sad to see books disappearing slowly. And like you, I've been reading The Wisdom of Thich Nhat Hanh continuously for many, many years. It is a book for ones life as well.

It is good to know that I am not the only one who feels a loss of paper books. I do somehow believe that the classics will remain timeless. I have not read, The Wisdom of Thich Nhat Hanh and will peruse it. I was recommended, The Untethered Soul, By Michael Singer, a book of the journey beyond yourself and think it might be quite good.

Talon

11-15-2012, 09:24 AM

WILD by Cheryl Strayed

"On an icy trek across the frozen Northwest, a brave new writer finds her voice."

afixer

11-21-2012, 07:48 PM

i've walked past this book a few times and admit i've judged it by it's cover
is it a good read?

it was a quick easy read, chock full of tidbits that I didn't know.

example: in the James Taylor song
James Taylor - "Carolina in My Mind " - YouTube
the lyrics "It's been a holy host of others standing round me"
is a nod to The Beatles who had his recording contract at Apple Corps Ltd.

I'm a huge James Taylor and CSNY and the author weaves in and out of each of the artist history (mostly) in chronological order.

.

Kelt

11-21-2012, 09:19 PM

This was recommended to me by a wonderful friend, and I have to say it is amazing. Not just about civil conduct, but the "ethical underpinnings of manners". Puts a whole new spin on human interaction. I can't say enough good about it and I haven't even finished it yet. Light easy read. :glasses:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51saqjCh07L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA278_PIkin4,BottomRight,-60,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg

Book Description from Amazon

Publication Date: April 1, 2010
Most people would agree that thoughtful behavior and common decency are in short supply, or simply forgotten in hurried lives of emails, cellphones, and multi-tasking. In Choosing Civility, P. M. Forni identifies the twenty-five rules that are most essential in connecting effectively and happily with others. In clear, witty, and, well...civilized language, Forni covers topics that include:

* Think Twice Before Asking Favors
* Give Constructive Criticism
* Refrain from Idle Complaints
* Respect Others' Opinions
* Don't Shift Responsibility and Blame
* Care for Your Guests
* Accept and Give Praise

Finally, Forni provides examples of how to put each rule into practice and so make life-and the lives of others-more enjoyable, companionable, and rewarding.

Choosing Civility is a simple, practical, perfectly measured, and quietly magical handbook on the lost art of civility and compassion.

Glenn

11-21-2012, 09:25 PM

Written and signed by my own Dr. Adolphus Anekwe- "The Stamped Image" (Fiction)
The daunting discovery of a new chromosomal marking, HLA B66, otherwise known as the 666 gene, that is present in those who have committed heinous crimes, and the search for those everyday citizens who test positive.

SoulShineFemme

11-23-2012, 10:48 AM

I'm reading a book called "Your Call Is Important To Us. The Truth About BULLSHIT"
By Laura Penny.

Talon

11-26-2012, 02:12 PM

LIARS, LOVERS, and HEROES (What the new brain science reveals about how we become who we are) By Steven R. Quartz & H.D & Terrence J. Sejnowski PH.D.

...Very interesting..

Daktari

11-26-2012, 04:31 PM

Kurt Vonnegut, Mother Night. Awesome book, wonderfully tight writing style. It's my first Vonnegut and I'm hooked. I have Breakfast of Champions next.

Still reading the odd article in the one book and a chapter here and there in a couple of others. I should stop being a flea brain and settle down to savour them individually.

WolfyOne

11-26-2012, 05:54 PM

I'm out of books I want to read and was going through what I had here that I didn't read, so I've picked this book up 4 times over the last year to read and always put it away when I get a book I really want to read...with that said, I'm reading Wicked Lies by Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush. I think I'm finally getting past what I consider boring parts.

I really need to go to Amazon and find some whodunits I haven't read yet, used and cheaply priced, so I can grab a few of them.

txdoc

11-26-2012, 07:28 PM

American Gods by Neil Gaiman
-recommended by my eldest

Kätzchen

11-29-2012, 05:04 PM

I came across an article from my reading list of materials this morning by Dr. E. Alexander, III (who is a highly skilled neurosurgeon) called:

Proof of Heaven

http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/191550000/191553843.JPG

Companion link to article (HERE (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/26/books/dr-eben-alexanders-tells-of-near-death-in-proof-of-heaven.html?pagewanted=2&smid=pl-share))

And in light of reading the article above, I think I have found a compelling reason to work on End-of-Life as a core focus during my doctoral studies because of several observations found within his own narrative experience. Quoting a phrase from the article:
"But these invitations, he acknowledged, do not mean that his theory is gaining ground among doctors. In private conversations, he said, very few of his colleagues offered counterarguments. Some agreed with his conclusion that science could not explain what he saw, but none of them were willing to be named in his book," -- Dr. E. Alexander, III (Leslie Kaufman, The New York Times, Nov. 25th, 2012).
I understand exactly where Dr. Alexander (III) is coming from because I have experienced facets of my own death events to a particular degree. My feeling is that unless a person survives a near death experience, it would seem especially difficult for the person who has not experienced death (in order to be able to wrap their mind around items of interest mentioned in the interview), so there's a proviso of useful counter-arguments for further exploration.

Dr. Alexander is a featured guest on Oprah Winfrey's program which airs this coming Sunday night (Super Soul Sunday). I think Dr. Alexander was onto something when his first initial idea was to name his book, An N of One. I'm going to read his book the first chance I have next week; so I can craft my doctoral statement and future study proposal based on findings I read in his book, as well as including an extensive reference list I already have on-hand pertaining to events of death and End-of-Life care.

homoe

11-30-2012, 06:10 PM

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore~ Robin Sloan

falloutmk

11-30-2012, 06:52 PM

American Gods by Neil Gaiman
-recommended by my eldest

My girlfriend read that book and highly recommends it. Tell me what you think of it!

falloutmk

11-30-2012, 06:56 PM

I am reading Sirens Song: My Marriage to a Borderline. It's a memoir from a medical students perspective of how luring a relationship to someone with Borderline Personality Disorder can be. As weird as it sounds I have been researching BPD since I discovered the ex who I had the longest relationship with had it... This is my 5th book on Borderline Personaility Disorder in 3 months.

UofMfan

12-04-2012, 02:51 PM

Not reading anything at the moment. I just saw this on my FB feed and thought it apropos.

I hate the original song but this parody mad me smile.

sl6a7GD3dm4

Duchess

12-04-2012, 03:41 PM

Caroline is the story of an extraordinary woman--beautiful, strong and mischievous. Putting her looks and wit to good use, the young Caroline seduces her friend Harry and his sister Adelaide. Once married to Harry, and living comfortably with him and Adelaide, Caroline enlarges and enlivens their menage by creating an "academy" for young -- and not so young -- women requiring in initiation into the rites of love.
(f)

homoe

12-04-2012, 06:51 PM

Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington

Fiction ~Set in Seattle, it's a story about some of the women working at Boeing durning the war.

homoe

12-08-2012, 04:23 PM

Slices of Life~ Georgia Beers

I loved loved loved this book:thumbsup:

puddin'

12-08-2012, 04:32 PM

jus' started "quail fried rice". not sho' if it's gon' be all dat jus' yet...

TimilDeeps

12-16-2012, 10:22 AM

National Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders

stonebutchinpa

12-16-2012, 03:21 PM

I am currently reading "Butch is a Noun". Very interesting read so far

Medusa

12-16-2012, 03:40 PM

I just finished all 3 of the books I had going and am going to start on the first Game of Thrones book.

Will probably start on a biography of Albert Einstein as well.

Talon

12-17-2012, 09:48 AM

Vlad The Impaler: The Man Who Was Dracula
By Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon

Daktari

12-17-2012, 10:06 AM

Still reading Kurt Vonnegut
Still dipping in and out of a whole slew of books.
Just started reading the new fellowship book 'Living Clean'.
Just started reading Recovery is a Bitch...not as relevant to my own situation as I hoped but interesting and hilarious.

Kätzchen

12-20-2012, 09:15 AM

I read a voluminous amount of materials each day... but when I read a book, I try to pick something that is new to me, most every time I go to the library or have money on hand to buy a book.

The latest books I have on hand now are authored by Chaim Potok (The Chosen and My Name Is Asher Lev), two of which I have read before. But I happened to come across a book while browsing in the non-fiction section, authored by Caroline Moorehead: A Train In Winter (2011). I have yet break into the larger part of the story, except I have read the introduction and other snippets on the book's cover. But what I have learned so far is that Moorehead authored Russell Bertrand's biography (who I believe to be a very smart man, I have enjoyed all works written by Bertrand) and that the contents of the book is "drawn upon interviews of women and their families; from German, French and Polish archives; and documents held by WW2 resistance organizations" so that the voice of the women, who were sent off to Auschwitz in 1943 (some were rescued, most of them didn't make it out alive), could have a place, a voice, among many who share memories of that era in time (pp. iiii - 11).

I'm really looking forward to reading A Train in Winter because it seems to naturally follow the story of Erik Larson's non-fiction account, during the same time period, within his book called In The Garden of the Beasts.

easygoingfemme

12-20-2012, 09:27 AM

Always a few things going.

The Awakening, for book club.
Stone Butch Blues, which I have read several times in the past but now am reading alongside with my main squeeze.
A textbook on the history and development of the Constitution, for a mini-course I'm doing with my daughter.
A biography on Mary Todd Lincoln.

Talon

12-20-2012, 10:15 AM

Daktari

12-20-2012, 10:37 AM

Is Russell Bertrand the same dude as the Brit, Bertrand Russell. The philosopher and Nobel lit. winner?

Semantics

12-20-2012, 11:58 AM

I just finished Medusa's Gaze and Vampire's Bite: The Science of Monsters by Matt Kaplan. I listened to an interview with this author on NPR in October and ordered the book. I finally got to it in the pile last weekend and I loved it. Kaplan takes a look at the history of monsters and what social or scientific themes may have led to their creation. It's interesting, well researched, and wittily written.

Talon

12-20-2012, 12:05 PM

Is Russell Bertrand the same dude as the Brit, Bertrand Russell. The philosopher and Nobel lit. winner?

Yes. That's pretty much the basics of what I know of him. That's why I'd like to read his biography. I believe that he was also a mathematician.

falloutmk

12-20-2012, 12:21 PM

I am
* listening to The girl With The Dragon Tattoo audiobook.
* finishing up some of the stories from Femmethology Volume II
* reading intelligent GenderQueer smut in Take Me There by Tristan Tarantino :D

Daktari

12-20-2012, 03:46 PM

Yes. That's pretty much the basics of what I know of him. That's why I'd like to read his biography. I believe that he was also a mathematician.

Thank-you.

I think that polymath is the word to describe Bertrand Russell. :cheesy:

Talon

12-21-2012, 09:23 AM

Thank-you.

I think that polymath is the word to describe Bertrand Russell. :cheesy:

Nice...Daktari. Exactly.

...Hey, give me some of that encyclopedic learnin' ability...*chuckle*

Butterbean

12-22-2012, 10:57 AM

I just finished "Sante Fe Edge" by Stuart Woods and was riveted by the combo of smut and crime. LOL

nycfem

12-22-2012, 12:03 PM

Omg, that book you mentioned was so good and so obscure, so it was funny to see your post on it. Would you mind linking me to the books you read on BPD and giving your own brief reviews? As a therapist I'm always particularly fascinated by BPD. I also dated someone with BPD in college and that contributed to my interest in lesbians with BPD.

My fave books on Borderlines are:

Girl in Need of a Tourniquet: Memoir of a Borderline Personality: Merri Lisa Johnson: 9781580053051: Amazon.com: Books

This one is by a woman with BPD. It has an odd writing style and is very quote heavy. At first I decided it wasn't a good book, and then in retrospect I found that aspects of it did have a memorable impact, and I decided I liked it. It's a lesbian memoir.

and

Borderlines: A Memoir: Caroline Kraus: 9780767914284: Amazon.com: Books

This is a memoir with a lesbian twist of sorts by a woman who was best friends with and somewhat romantically involved with a woman with BPD. Excellent writing.

I am reading Sirens Song: My Marriage to a Borderline. It's a memoir from a medical students perspective of how luring a relationship to someone with Borderline Personality Disorder can be. As weird as it sounds I have been researching BPD since I discovered the ex who I had the longest relationship with had it... This is my 5th book on Borderline Personaility Disorder in 3 months.

femmeandstrong

12-22-2012, 12:22 PM

reading a txtbook for understanding medical billing and health insurance...
and another course on medical terminology...
LOL

puddin'

12-22-2012, 01:58 PM

jus' finished "quail fried rice", by jill carroll (was a decent read)

am now readin' "murder, murder, deja vu", by polly iyer (it's rivetin')

Dance-with-me

12-22-2012, 04:37 PM

"Reading" some fairly crappy mindless romantic novel via books on CD during my commute to work.

Reading two books from the library: "Home" by Toni Morrison, and "I am Forbidden" by Anouk Markovits.

Just finished "The Cross in the Closet" by Timothy Kurek, and "Licking the Spoon" by Candace Walsh.

falloutmk

12-22-2012, 05:08 PM

Here is the book that started getting me interested in Borderline.
It is a book by the writer of My Gender Workbook, Kate Bornstein.
Mostly it's about her journey through Borderline PD and her encounters with being a into Scientology.

Here is the only book on BorderlinePD the I didn't breeze through because i wanted to savor every morsel of the book.
The book that chronicles a girls relationships and how she was able to recover from the disorder with Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Activism, and taking refuge in Buddha.

You also said you had interest in Bipolar Memoirs which I have not read many on but I have one last recommendation for a therapist to read.
Rage Against The Meshuganah: Why it Takes Balls to go Nuts.
An excellent book on Depression from one mans perspective.

:moonstars:

nycfem

12-23-2012, 12:05 AM

RE: the previous post right next to this one by falloutmk

Wow, thank you so much for this.

I have the one by Kate but haven't read it yet. BPD AND scientology?! I'm sure to have a literary orgasm! I really liked Kate's other memoir from many years ago: Gender Outlaw and also her book of alternatives to suicide for gay freaks (paraphrasing). Those were both total keepers. She was the guest speaker at our LGBT synagogue this year, and it was my first time seeing her in person. Love her!

I've seen "Borderline and the Buddha" but been on the fence about it. It got great reviews but I was not interested in reading it if a whole lot was on the DBT process because I felt it might feel too much like work to me. Is there a lot of technical stuff on DBT in it?

Haven't read the third book, though I like the title :). You mentioned you read some other books that are not on BPD but similar. I'm curious what sort of stuff?

puddin'

12-23-2012, 02:44 AM

Omg, that book you mentioned was so good and so obscure, so it was funny to see your post on it. Would you mind linking me to the books you read on BPD and giving your own brief reviews? As a therapist I'm always particularly fascinated by BPD. I also dated someone with BPD in college and that contributed to my interest in lesbians with BPD.

My fave books on Borderlines are:

Girl in Need of a Tourniquet: Memoir of a Borderline Personality: Merri Lisa Johnson: 9781580053051: Amazon.com: Books (http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Need-Tourniquet-Borderline-Personality/dp/158005305X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356198959&sr=8-1&keywords=girl+in+need+of+a+tourniquet)

This one is by a woman with BPD. It has an odd writing style and is very quote heavy. At first I decided it wasn't a good book, and then in retrospect I found that aspects of it did have a memorable impact, and I decided I liked it. It's a lesbian memoir.

and

Borderlines: A Memoir: Caroline Kraus: 9780767914284: Amazon.com: Books (http://www.amazon.com/Borderlines-A-Memoir-Caroline-Kraus/dp/0767914287/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1356198999&sr=8-2&keywords=caroline+borderlines)

This is a memoir with a lesbian twist of sorts by a woman who was best friends with and somewhat romantically involved with a woman with BPD. Excellent writing.

as a mental health professional, i say bpd has to be da most truly challengin' folks to work wit'. they bring out ALL your countertransference shite! i've learnt mo' from bpd individuals than from ana otha major mental illness i've had da privilege to work wit'...

always2late

12-23-2012, 02:54 AM

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins.

torchiegirl

12-23-2012, 06:40 AM

this month's Smithsonian magazine

...
...
...

Nomad

12-23-2012, 07:31 AM

Emotional Blackmail: When the People in Your Life Use Fear, Obligation, and Guilt to Manipulate You by Susan Forward

A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver

Sparkle

12-23-2012, 08:54 AM

Gone Girl: A Novel by Gillian Flynn

Seriously twisted (and twist-filled) story; very compelling, I've not finished it yet but I'm finding it hard to put down. If you think you may want to read the book, don't read many reviews because even with the best intentions they are full of spoilers.

Prudence

01-02-2013, 12:15 PM

I was given the 50 Shades Trilogy for Christmas. Began reading it Christmas day evening. I am enjoying it. Its turning out to be a sweet love story. I am so tired of self help this and that. This is truly fun, take me away, reading-----

tonaderspeisung

01-02-2013, 06:59 PM

i borrowed the chess machine by robert lohr from the library

i don't know if it's good yet but the description sounds awesome

"Based on a true story, The Chess Machine is the breathtaking historical adventure of a legendary invention that astounded all who crossed its path

Vienna 1770: Baron Wolfgang von Kempelen unveils a strange and amazing invention, the Mechanical Turk, a sensational and unbeatable chess-playing automaton. But what the Habsburg court hails as the greatest innovation of the century is really nothing more than a brilliant illusion. The chess machine is secretly operated from inside by the Italian dwarf Tibor, a God-fearing social outcast whose chess-playing abilities and diminutive size make him the perfect accomplice in this grand hoax.

Von Kempelen and his helpers tour his remarkable invention all around Europe to amaze and entertain the public, but despite many valiant attempts and close calls, no one is able to beat the extraordinary chess machine. The crowds all across Europe adore the Turk, and the success of Baron von Kempelen seems assured. But when a beautiful and seductive countess dies under mysterious circumstances in the presence of the automaton, the Mechanical Turk falls under a cloud of suspicion, and the machine and his inventor become the targets of espionage, persecution, and aristocratic intrigue. What is the dark secret behind this automaton and what strange powers does it hold? The Chess Machine is a daring and remarkable tale, based on a true story, full of envy, lust, scandal and deception."

puddin'

01-04-2013, 06:38 AM

some trashy (free) suspense novel on me kindle. and i like it... lol

Daktari

01-04-2013, 08:21 AM

The Life of Pi - Yann Martel. Cracking read!

easygoingfemme

01-04-2013, 09:03 AM

About to go pick up Cutting for Stone from the library. My book club read for the month.

always2late

01-06-2013, 04:23 PM

Is anyone on goodreads.com? I joined several months ago, but just recently started actually using the site, and I'm really glad I did! Looking through friends' lists, I've come across a lot of books I wanted to read, or re-read, and had forgotten about.

Greco

01-06-2013, 05:44 PM

"Canto General"

por Pablo Neruda

Greco

Greco

01-06-2013, 06:40 PM

"Canto General"

by Pablo Neruda

In Spanish, though there are several English
translations.

Thank you for asking, Greco

"Canto General"

por Pablo Neruda

Greco

cinnamongrrl

01-14-2013, 11:04 PM

For the foreseeable future...

The TEAS study guide (entrance exam for nursing school)

and then

Anatomy and physiology texts that my professor deems necessary...

Hollylane

01-14-2013, 11:07 PM

Still working on Wizard's First Rule, by Terry Goodkind.

The JD

01-15-2013, 12:22 AM

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. An amazing biography, not sure why it took me so long to pick it up. I'm awed by the amount of research the author put into this book- she goes seamlessly between family history, medical ethics, racism in the South and cell biology.... all in a compelling narrative. It's all the more moving to me because I've actually worked with the HeLa cell line...and only now have I ever thought about the woman it came from.

Semantics

01-20-2013, 01:54 PM

Thieves of Baghdad by Matthew Bogdanos.

I listened to him speak at a local college and found him intelligent and humble, so I was surprised to read so many reviews calling him pompous and egotistical. I'm very interested in the subject of what happened to all of the stolen museum artifacts in Iraq and the hunt to find them again. It's good so far.

Greyson

01-20-2013, 07:36 PM

I am reading The Hunger Games. I rarely read fiction. The ten year old in my life loved this book and asked me to read it. Not exactly riviting for me but, I am very glad to see that a young woman is smart, strong, hero. And, I am touched that the 10 year old wants to share something meaningful to her with me.

Greco

01-26-2013, 06:57 PM

"Deep Survival" by Laurence Gonzales

"Surviving Survival" by the same author

Read these two this past week and tonight I
am re-reading "Final Gifts" by Maggie Callanan
and Patricia Kelley

Yes, the themes are death, dying, surviving survival
and above all and in all categories...resilience.

What deep pleasure I get from reading...like holding
subtle, and heart-wrenching conversations with intelligent
and sensitive others.

Life is good. Greco

cinnamongrrl

01-26-2013, 07:52 PM

By Wednesday, I hope to be reading a biography about Lincoln's early life. Seeing the movie made me want to read alll about him....

I can't wait to be able to read again just in general. Without the clawing headaches that follow... :)

<<< happy girl..if not a wee bit trepidatious

:eatinghersheybar:

Sparkle

01-26-2013, 08:25 PM

The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell

"Marnie and her little sister, Nelly, are on their own now. Only they know what happened to their parents, Izzy and Gene, and they aren't telling. While life in Glasgow's Maryhill housing estate isn't grand, the girls do have each other. Besides, it's only a year until Marnie will be considered an adult and can legally take care of them both."

Chelsius

01-26-2013, 09:25 PM

I am, for what seems the millionth time, rereading the entire Harry Potter series. Right now I'm on Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

socialjustice_fsu

01-26-2013, 09:43 PM

Help Thanks Wow: The Three Essential Prayers, written
by Anne Lamott.

This book is written in the usual Lamott style of dissecting the way we communicate with a Higher Being. She brings the three essential prayers to life as only she can do. This is an easy read as far as time...however, processing of the content can be a bit more tedious. Somehow she weaves the content in such a way one comes away thinking...she just read the thoughts in my head.

Anne Lamott glows again with the publishing of this jewel.

Hollylane

01-26-2013, 09:50 PM

I am, for what seems the millionth time, rereading the entire Harry Potter series. Right now I'm on Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

I usually do this once a year. :)

dark_crystal

01-29-2013, 05:45 PM

I just finished Game of Thrones

and am really really jonesing for the next book: but I have a book club book (The Big Burn) plus the new Jen Lancaster and the new John Green that people are really bugging me to discuss with them

also a big stack of stuff for graduate seminar in British Enlightenment Literature

What I am looking for here is for someone to tell me

"Go ahead and plow through the entire Song of Ice and Fire series- book club can wait, Enlightenment Literature can wait, John Green can wait, and Jen Lancaster can wait"

Is there anyone out there available to do that for me?

cinnamongrrl

01-30-2013, 09:41 AM

Everything I can get my hands on! <3

Talon

01-30-2013, 09:57 AM

I'm reading a childhood favorite right now...The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm.

easygoingfemme

01-30-2013, 09:59 AM

Before Green Gables.
It's the story of Anne Shirley ( of Green Gables), before she was adopted and brought to Prince Edward Island.

Talon

02-11-2013, 02:04 PM

Lessons in French by Hilary Reyl

StrongButch

02-11-2013, 02:08 PM

Dancing the Dream-Jamie Sams ( a book on 7 spiritual paths of Native Americans)

Semantics

02-11-2013, 07:52 PM

The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies? by Jared Diamond.

I'm a big fan of Diamond's and I liked this book. It received a lot of negative reviews, and I think one of the issues is that his previous books, while non-fiction, focused on much more dramatic content.
They were entertaining and yet one didn't need an anthropology degree to understand them. The World Until Yesterday has more of a textbook vibe than Collapse and Guns, Germs, and Steel.

KCBUTCH

02-11-2013, 08:20 PM

The Laws of Spirit by Dan Millman

Chancie

02-11-2013, 08:32 PM

JinxieB

02-12-2013, 03:07 AM

The Stand...by Stephen King...only about the 50th time I have read it :blush: but I swear, every time I pick it up, I read something that I don't remember being there the time before...kinda like when you have driven the same route on your way to work forever and something suddenly pops up and you wonder...well when the heck did they build that, or how long has that been there? and someone in the truck with you says...Ohhhh that has been there forever...well holy crackers...I never seen it before...hahahahaha makes me kinda feel dumb, but surely I'm not the only person this happens to, or maybe I am and just don't realize it :|

DamonK

02-12-2013, 03:52 AM

Fire by Midnight by Lisa Marie Wilkinson

Kätzchen

02-12-2013, 02:24 PM

I am currently re-reading a favorite book:

The Color of Water:
A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother
(James McBride, 2006; Riverhead Books, New York)

From the New York Times Book Review:
"Complex and moving... suffused with issues of race, religion, and identity. Yet those issues, so much a part of their live and stories, are not central. The triumph of the book - and their lives - is that race and religion transcended in these interwoven stories by family love, the sheer force of a mother's will, and her unshakeable insistence that only two things mattered: school and church....
It's her voice - unique, incisive, at once unsparing and ironic - that is dominant in this paired history, and its richest contribution.... The two stories, son's and mother's, beautifully juxtaposed, strike a graceful note at a time of racial polarization," (The New York Times Book Review).

Bleu

02-12-2013, 03:03 PM

I happened upon Charlie Rose about two weeks ago and his guest was article and short story writer George Saunders.

His latest publication, In Persuasion Nation, is what I am currently reading.

So far the serious social commentary laced with natural humor has me cracking it open every evening.

I know it may sound pompous of me, yet it's not how I mean it, but few things hold my interest and very rarely, at that, fiction. So, I am quite pleased that I picked this one up.

:)

~Bleu

Fancy

02-13-2013, 05:52 AM

The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food, and Love
by Kristin Kimball

It almost started out like a romance novel, but thank goodness it went beyond that and I'm currently learning more about farm implements and the milking process than I ever thought possible. So far it's quite inspirational; the tenacity of people united with a dream.

Soon

02-13-2013, 06:03 AM

Emotional Blackmail: When the People in Your Life Use Fear, Obligation, and Guilt to Manipulate You

JustLovelyJenn

02-13-2013, 11:47 AM

I am still reading Eat, Pray, Love. Its taking me a long time... I just can't seem to stay focused on getting through it, even though I am really enjoying it.

falloutmk

02-13-2013, 01:10 PM

The Slow Fix by Ivan Coyote (http://ivanecoyote.com/work/14/slow-fix)

Ivan Coyote is a great short story writer/storyteller who has inspired me beyond belief... which is funny because we are very different people. Ze likes country life, is a storyteller, and socializes with more close minded people than I could ever bear... Still zirs writing inspires me in the erotica and erotic poems I've been working on.:typewriter:

TheMerryFairy

02-13-2013, 06:14 PM

Talon

02-15-2013, 09:08 AM

After the Finish Line...(The Race to End Horse Slaughter in America)

by Bill Heller

justanolecowboy

02-16-2013, 10:42 AM

(3) Books going right now:

Team of Rivals: Doris Kearns Goodwin
The Whiskey Rebels: David Liss
Foucault's Pendulum: Umberto Eco

Daktari

02-16-2013, 11:23 AM

At Home, a Short History of Private Life - Bill Bryson
Shakespeare on Toast - Ben Crystal
Recovery's a Bitch - Jacqui Brown
Living Clean - the approval draft
The Etymologican - Mark Forsyth

femmeInterrupted

02-16-2013, 11:38 AM

Madness and Civilization:
A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason
Michel Foucault

Other Kingdoms
Richard Matheson

The Wretched of the Earth
Frantz Fanon

nycfem

02-16-2013, 11:50 AM

I hope you'll write us some brief reviews if time permits. These all sound like interesting reads.

At Home, a Short History of Private Life - Bill Bryson
Shakespeare on Toast - Ben Crystal
Recovery's a Bitch - Jacqui Brown
Living Clean - the approval draft
The Etymologican - Mark Forsyth

MegBluEyz

02-16-2013, 11:58 AM

This Time I Dance! By Tama J. Kieves.

It is about the passion inside in expressing it to the world in what one does as in purpose.

Daktari

02-16-2013, 03:39 PM

I hope you'll write us some brief reviews if time permits. These all sound like interesting reads.

I really like hearing what folks think about what they're reading or have read too. :cheesy:

Just started the Bryson today but always enjoy his wonderfully understated, wry style of writing.

Shakespeare on Toast (non fiction) is wonderful thus far; I'm about two thirds through; It's made me laugh out loud and imparted new knowledge too...bonus! Not finished it but highly recommend to those who like language, literature, Shakespeare and theatre study.

Recovery's a Bitch was not what I expected sadly mainly because I was a numpty and didn't read the Amazon synopsis, just went on the title alone. Doh! However, it's funny, hilarious in parts and I'm glad I got it...it's very much a 'dipper' though. The author is a woman who was dealing with her daughter's addictions and destructive behaviours concurrently with her own menopausal symptoms. I had been looking for info about dealing with man-o-pause in recovery

Living Clean is the newly approved NA book and it's awesome! I could critique how it's written but won't, just because in this context, it wouldn't be helpful. Not finished it yet; enjoying reading it in chunks along with others at the meeting I currently chair. Everyone is loving reading/hearing it because it's not something we've already heard endlessly - although sometimes, endlessly is what it takes :|

The Etymologicon is another dipper; A bathroom book if you will :winky:
It is, as you might imagine, a book about where words come from. There's much more to it than that though. If you like words, etymology and language you might really enjoy this book. Not read enough to critque properly yet.

TheMerryFairy

02-16-2013, 11:04 PM

Next on my list is Chicken Soup for the traveler's soul

JAGG

02-16-2013, 11:22 PM

" You are not so smart." By David Mcraney

alexri

02-17-2013, 02:04 PM

Not reading, but listening to the audio books at work.

"Dark Nights of the Soul: A Guide to Finding Your Way Through Life's Ordeals" by Thomas More

"Sex Changes: A Memoir of Marriage, Gender, and Moving On" by Christine Benvenuto

"Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor E. Frankl

"This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection" by Carol Burnett

puddin'

02-18-2013, 01:37 PM

recent reads:
alex cross, run, james patterson
negotiator, dee henderson
quinn's christmas wish, lawna mackie

currently readin':
the rules of life, richard templar
southern waters, d.g. mcintosh
in a true light, john harvey

The JD

02-24-2013, 01:19 AM

I just downloaded Assholes: A Theory by Aaron James. It got mixed reviews, but I'm drawn to the oddball social science books, so what the hey.

always2late

02-24-2013, 01:23 AM

Currently reading: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith and Dog Show Confidential by Connie Newcomb

always2late

02-24-2013, 01:28 AM

Shakespeare on Toast (non fiction) is wonderful thus far; I'm about two thirds through; It's made me laugh out loud and imparted new knowledge too...bonus! Not finished it but highly recommend to those who like language, literature, Shakespeare and theatre study.

Thanks for posting this...the books sounds really interesting and is now on my "to read" list. :)

Daktari

02-24-2013, 09:14 AM

Thanks for posting this...the books sounds really interesting and is now on my "to read" list. :)

Yer very welcome :chaplin:

It's a fascinating read, written so dummies like me can understand it. I hope you enjoy when you get a round tuit :cheesy:

Semantics

02-28-2013, 11:14 AM

I’m reading Travels with Herodotus.
This is Ryszard Kapuscinski’s last work, part memoir and part reflection on Herodotus' Histories, which he takes along during his travels.
I like it so far. I loved Imperium. Kapuscinski’s writing follows a narrative similar to the stories told to me by my own family and their experiences in post civil war and pre-Soviet Russia. He captures the mix of beauty and starkness
and what happens to regular people when empires fall and a society restructures and rebuilds. I don’t think it’s an easy dichotomy for a writer to process and retell with any balance, but he does it well.

Next up is The Long Falling by Keith Ridgway. I've heard great things about it.