What Are You Reading? - Page 127

Class-Punk · 04-23-2013, 10:39 PM

I read a lot on Advaita Vedanta, Jnana Yoga, Kundalini theory, and related texts. I find it funny how Jnana/"Gyana" Yoga is virtually unheard of in the West, and yet, is completely related to samadhi, the traditional goal of yoga. I remember seeing a Yoga 101 late start class my college was offering, and I found it funny that this is another class around something stripped of its goal, pretty much because I've been meditating on and off for five years and I'm probably crazy.

Given_Flesh_by_Sophia · 04-29-2013, 11:45 PM

Well, I read my way through Dante's Commedia Divina in the last few days (I particularly liked Purgatorio, it is second only to Inferno in my mind), and I was reading The Name of the Rose just recently too.

harley · 05-06-2013, 01:19 PM

I'm reading "Infinite Jest" by David Foster Wallace and but my reading has been interrupted by exams and essays, so I haven't gotten very far. It's not the easiest read to begin with (DFW warding off the casual reader, probably) but weirdly enjoyable.

Saya · 05-07-2013, 12:03 PM

Just finished lost boy lost girl by Peter Straub. First time reading Straub and it was pretty disappointing. Didn't hate it, but it wasn't scary. Will try another book sometime.

Now reading A Farewell to Arms by Hemingway.

BourbonBoy · 06-28-2013, 09:36 PM

"Wizardry & Wild Romance (A Study of Epic Fantasy)" by Michael Moorcock. Interesting read where he points out the strengths and weaknesses of Fantasy and Science Fiction literature.

CuckooTuli · 06-29-2013, 03:51 AM

The God of Small Things, by Arundhati Roy. Been meaning to read it for a long time now after first coming to her through her activism, and it's been well worth the wait - beautifully written and totally absorbing.

Saya · 07-06-2013, 08:43 PM

So, at this big used book sale a few months ago, I ran into an old coworker in the mystery section and asked her for a recommendation, and she gave me a Nora Roberts (Born In Death). Skeptical, I took the book to be polite, and just got around to reading it.

And its not AMAZING and a few things made me roll my eyes, but it did make me wonder why I thought she would be so bad. Is it because she's a woman? Is it because she also writes romances? Its not high art, but its not trash either. She's at least better than James Patterson, and IMO Dean Koontz and Stieg Larsson, and not quite so infuriating as Stephen King. Hell the mystery itself is way better developed than Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. And the stuff that I rolled my eyes at, I understood why it was there. Like, there's a surprise wedding and babies being born, which made me laugh, but I'm sure she thought "you know what women like? Murder! Babies! Weddings!" Even if it was silly, I understood why.

Now I really wish the English department would get off their asses and offer the Gender and Writing course again so I could write about it D:

Anyway, about to start Lilith's Brood by Octavia Butler.

Solumina · 07-07-2013, 12:08 AM

I had never read any of her books until I worked at the resort and I had also thought that she would kind of suck. I found that of the books that ended up on our bookshelf (we had a take a book leave a book kind of thing, also any books in the lost and found for more than a month ended up on our shelves) hers were the ones I liked the best (well other than anthologies of short stories). They were interesting and enjoyable without being all consuming so they were perfect for reading at the desk during the off season and the kind of thing that I would take along on a vacation.

Acharis · 07-07-2013, 01:24 AM

A Red Sun Also Rises. Kind of a steampunk book, a bit weird and slow to get started. Came together at the end but not amazing.

Saya · 07-07-2013, 06:24 PM

So I kinda read all of Dawn, the first book of Lilith's Brood, today. It was amazing, but really sad, so I'm reading Four And Twenty Blackbirds by Cherie Priest before I read the next one. Octavia Butler gives me too many feels.

Acharis · 07-08-2013, 07:14 AM

I'm now reading fluff because real life gives me too many feels as it is.

Lessee... I have VG Lee 'As You Step Outside', Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson 'The Winds Of Dune', and Gail Carriger 'Timeless'. Will post how they go.

FlorenceFearne · 07-08-2013, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acharis

I'm now reading fluff because real life gives me too many feels as it is.

Lessee... I have VG Lee 'As You Step Outside', Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson 'The Winds Of Dune', and Gail Carriger 'Timeless'. Will post how they go.

EEEEEEEEE! I love Gail Carriger! Er, sorry.

Sadly, I found that I loved the main character, Alexia, less as the series went on. I used to watch "Bones" on TV, but quit because it seemed like they had to make Brennan (leading female) more likable and nice, especially as she became domestic, and it killed everything I liked about the character. This book series suffered the same fate, I thought. Still worth reading, just felt like growing apart from a friend, if you know what I mean.

juanito256 · 07-09-2013, 03:54 AM

Just finishing reading Cozy Chilling Bedtime Stories by P. Gibey. Bunch of novels there, sci-fi and horror together, along with a little spicy erotic scenes, just lovely reading .

Saya · 07-14-2013, 09:59 PM

Finished the last book of Lilith's Brood. Some stuff annoyed me, like the silly evo psych (men are naturally promiscuous, aggressive and dangerous, humans naturally hate diversity) and the overwhelming sense that Butler was misanthropic (probably for good reason). Like at the end of it I thought humanity kinda deserved to get assimilated into an alien race. I also wish there had been queer characters, like the aliens had a third sex, the ooloi, who are natural genetic engineers and can create life and impregnate you just by touching you. So why not explore that with queer characters, could a lesbian couple have children with the help of an ooloi? Could an ooloi provide sex transitions? Why does it all have to be so cis and heterosexual?

Besides that though I really loved it and it made me think and I think it might have inspired the Asari in Mass Effect and no one else I know has heard of it so right now I feel like

CuckooTuli · 07-15-2013, 04:08 AM

Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond.

BourbonBoy · 07-15-2013, 04:56 AM

"Satan: A Biography" by Henry A. Kelly.

Saya · 08-08-2013, 06:46 PM

Trying to get through Zorba The Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis. I think this might be what it feels like to read Catcher In The Rye as an adult? Like when I was more accepting of misogyny I might have been able to get through this and think it is great but holy shit Zorba just said women love to be rraped and I'm supposed to think he's this great wise old man who knows better than any other character?

So I'm reading The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood to cheer myself up a bit. Her new book comes out this month so I think August will end up being an Atwoodathon.

Acharis · 08-09-2013, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlorenceFearne

EEEEEEEEE! I love Gail Carriger! Er, sorry.

Sadly, I found that I loved the main character, Alexia, less as the series went on. I used to watch "Bones" on TV, but quit because it seemed like they had to make Brennan (leading female) more likable and nice, especially as she became domestic, and it killed everything I liked about the character. This book series suffered the same fate, I thought. Still worth reading, just felt like growing apart from a friend, if you know what I mean.

Same here. I didn't mind the first book, but as they went on it kind of got a little twee? Not to mention slow. Would have finished the latest one if it had just got on with it.

I think I've read The Robber Bride Saya - was that where a lying manipulative 'friend' has a destructive influence on the other womens lives?

I just finished reading Dirt. Disturbing for a few reasons.

Acharis · 08-09-2013, 06:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saya

This is how I feel about Sabriel and the rest of the Abhorsen Trilogy.

Saya · 08-09-2013, 06:42 AM

I didn't know there was a trilogy until a few years ago BUT I LOVED SABRIEL I did my grade nine book project on it.

Acharis · 08-12-2013, 05:23 AM

^I was going to read 'Guns Germs and Steel'... might have to do that when I find it in a library.

I have no idea how 'Sabriel' and the others haven't gathered more attention... some might find it too "young" for them but it's still quite a kick ass mature story and severely underrated. First read it when I was about 10 (advanced reader) and am hoping Nix writes more about the Old Kingdom/Ancelstierre.

...Actually. You might enjoy 'Across the Wall: A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories'. There's a short story where Nicholas Sayre tries to cross the Wall again. 'Hope Chest' is also pretty epic.

Thanatosofos · 08-14-2013, 04:02 AM

Poppy Z. Brite's Exquisite Corpse, picked it up in Dublin last week and got started on it yesterday.

sinatra · 08-14-2013, 06:56 PM

Mick Mercers-music to die for.
Mostly discographies in that book but very interesting.
I love Micks gotiska rock books

BourbonBoy · 08-16-2013, 02:05 PM

"The Hellbound Heart" by Clive Barker. It's the novella the first "Hellraiser" film was based on.

Saya · 08-16-2013, 08:20 PM

How is it? I keep seeing it in an anthology and wanting to pick it up, but I've never read a Clive Barker book before.