What books are you reading ?

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kbot
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Post by kbot » 01-04-2015 01:29 PM

My father's mother's maiden names was Gamache and the family was from Quebec. Quite a large family......
There you go man, keep as cool as you can. Face piles and piles of trials with smiles. It riles them to believe that you perceive the web they weave. And keep on thinking free. (Moody Blues)

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Doka
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Post by Doka » 01-04-2015 02:08 PM

Wow! Kbot, that just is..........leaving me kind of speechless.............:eek:

Are you going to read a book of hers? I understand they are pretty light weight to your usual reads.

Again Wow! I just had my "shock factor" fix for several months!
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Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities, Can Make You Commit Atrocities': Voltaire

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Post by Fan » 01-04-2015 02:30 PM

Doka wrote: I had a friend suggest the books of Louise Penny to me, and I'm so glad they did!

Louise lives in Canada and writes delicious mysteries. Her main character is Inspector Armand Gamache and sidekick Jean-Guy Beauvoir. The other characters are totally awsome , most live in place called Three Pines, that I would love to live in , If it where real. As you read you get to know all of them ,in depth. And Louise sprinkles in a bit of Canadian history, as well as some beautiful places to visit. I'm sure I did not appreciate how beautiful Canada is, untill reading her books and looking places up, I had to see!

If interested, try to read the books in order that they where written, there are 10 of them! The first is "Sill Life". I just about drove my library people nuts, getting all of them in for me, but well worth the effort. I believe she was on Amazon's best book of the year (mystery fiction) for 2014.


http://www.louisepenny.com


Never heard of her, but looks good!
The heartbreaking necessity of lying about reality and the heartbreaking impossibility of lying about it.

― Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle

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Post by kbot » 08-06-2015 12:36 PM

Got a few going:

The Tale of the Heike

From Amazon: The Tale of the Heike is one of the masterworks of Japanese literature, ranking with The Tal of Genji in quality and prestige. This new translation is not only far more readable than earlier ones, it is also much more faithful to the content and style of the original. Intended for the general audience as well as the specialist, this edition is highly annotated.

The Tale of Genji

Written in the eleventh century, this exquisite portrait of courtly life in medieval Japan is widely celebrated as the world’s first novel. Genji, the Shining Prince, is the son of an emperor. He is a passionate character whose tempestuous nature, family circumstances, love affairs, alliances, and shifting political fortunes form the core of this magnificent epic. Royall Tyler’s superior translation is detailed, poetic, and superbly true to the Japanese original while allowing the modern reader to appreciate it as a contemporary treasure. Supplemented with detailed notes, glossaries, character lists, and chronologies to help the reader navigate the multigenerational narrative, this comprehensive edition presents this ancient tale in the grand style that it deserves.

Legends of the Samurai

Over the decades the reputation of the samurai has grown to mythical proportions, owing to such films as Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai and Yojimbo as well as works such as James Clavell's epic Shogun.
In Legends of the Samurai, Hiroaki Sato confronts both the history and the legend of the samurai, untangling the two to present an authentic picture of these legendary warriors.

Through his masterful translations of original samurai tales, laws, dicta, reports, and arguments accompanied by insightful commentary, Sato chronicles the changing ethos of the Japanese warrior from the samurai's historical origins to his rise to political power.

A fascinating look at Japanese history as seen through the evolution of the samurai, Legends of the Samurai stands as the ultimate authority on its subject.

The Japanese Tea Ceremony: Cha-No-Yu

The tea cermony—known as cha-no-yu, or literally "hot water for tea"—has touched nearly every aspect of Japanese life.

First published in 1933 as Cha-No-Yu, or The Japanese Tea Ceremony, this classic remains the gold standard for books on the five-centuries-old tea ceremony, which is itself "an epitome of Japanese civilization." Abundantly illustrated with drawings and photographs showing every aspect of the tea ceremony, this book takes readers on a complete tour of furniture and utensils, architecture and gardens, and numerous other features of cha-no-ya. Photos of tea bowls, teahouses and gardens reveal the exquisite artistry of the cult of tea.

The Japanese Tea Ceremony is a fascinating exploration of one of Japan's greatest arts and details the importance of the tea ceremony's history and traditions, its historical tea masters and its physical manifestations.

This book includes:•Descriptions of the many disciples contained within the broader framework of tea ceremony, including art, architecture, gardening and exquisite handicrafts
•The experiences of masters of the art over the centuries
•Histories of the various schools and traditions of the art of tea

Bernadette Speaks: A Life of St. Bernadette Soubirous in Her Own Words

This is a different kind of saint's biography - one that reads almost like a novel. In these pages Bernadette lives again. We follow her from birth to death, hearing her speak, watching her interact, experiencing with her the life-changing impact of the eighteen apparitions of the Virgin Mary at Lourdes. But this is not a novel. Everything recounted here has been strictly authenticated by the author, renowned Marian scholar Father Rene Laurentin. Father Laurentin has spent twenty years, in collaboration with several successive teams of experts, scientifically establishing the history of Lourdes and of Bernadette Soubirous. The fascinating result reveals the hidden face of Saint Bernadette. The Holy Spirit led Bernadette down a path of Gospel holiness and simplicity - a path of abandonment to the merciful love of God. She remains for us a humble and radiant herald of our Lord and our Lady, echoing across the centuries a message of challenge and of hope: change your heart; begin to fully live the Gospel of Jesus. Father Rene Laurentin, one of the foremost Marian theologians of our time, holds a licentiate in philosophy, as well as doctoral degrees in literature, history and theology. He has taught in universities across France, Italy and the United States. Father Laurentin's research on the apparitions at Lourdes, begun in 1952, has been compiled in no less than thirty volumes. His study culminated in the publication of Bernadette vous parle, presented here in its entirety in a first-time English edition.

The Rule of Saint Benedict: A Contemporary Paraphrase


Listen, my child. I want you to put the ear of your heart to the solid ground of the master’s wisdom (what I received, I’m passing on to you). It’s advice from a spiritual father who loves you—the sort of counsel you receive by letting it shape your whole life. Listening is hard work, but it’s the essential work. It opens us up to the God we’ve rejected by only listening to ourselves. If you’re ready to give up your addiction to yourself, this message is for you: to listen is to equip yourself with the best resources available to serve the real Master, Christ the Lord.

So begins the famous opening paragraph of Benedict’s Rule in Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove’s vital, new, contemporary paraphrase. The entire text of the Rule is here plus a lengthy introduction from Jonathan, and detailed explanatory notes throughout that explain difficult passages.

The result is a classic re-introduced that will enliven any 21st century expression of religious community.

The Spiritual Exercises

Ignatius of Loyola (1491- 1556) was a Spanish knight from a Basque noble family, hermit, priest since 1537, and theologian, who founded the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and was its first Superior General. Ignatius emerged as a religious leader during the Counter-Reformation, and his devotion to the Catholic Church was characterized by unquestioning obedience to the Catholic Church's authority and hierarchy. After being seriously wounded at the Battle of Pamplona in 1521, he underwent a spiritual conversion while in recovery. De Vita Christi by Ludolph of Saxony inspired Loyola to abandon his previous military life and devote himself to labour for God, following the example of spiritual leaders such as Francis of Assisi. He experienced a vision of the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus while at the shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat in March 1522. Thereafter he went to Manresa, where he began praying for seven hours a day, often in a nearby cave, while formulating the fundamentals of the Spiritual Exercises. In September 1523, Loyola reached the Holy Land to settle there, but was sent back to Europe by the Franciscans. Between 1524 and 1537, Ignatius studied theology and Latin in Spain and then in Paris. In 1534, he arrived in the latter city during a period of anti-Protestant turmoil which forced John Calvin to flee France. Ignatius and a few followers bound themselves by vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. In 1539, they formed the Society of Jesus, approved in 1540 by Pope Paul III, as well as his Spiritual Exercises approved in 1548. Loyola also composed the Constitutions of the Society. He died in July 1556, was beatified by Pope Paul V in 1609, canonized by Pope Gregory XV in 1622, and declared patron of all spiritual retreats by Pope Pius XI in 1922. The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, written from 1522-1524, are a brief set of Christian meditations, prayers and mental exercises, divided in four thematic 'weeks' of variable length, designed to be carried out over a period of 28 to 30 days. They were composed with the intention of helping the retreatant to discern Jesus in his life, leading then to a personal commitment to follow it. Though the underlying spiritual outlook is Catholic, the exercises are often made nowadays by non-Catholics. The 'Spiritual Exercises' booklet was formally approved in 1548 by Paul III.

American Indian Myths and Legends (The Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library)

This magnificent collection gathers 160 tales from 80 tribal gathers to offer a rich and lively panorama of the Native American mythic heritage. From all across the continent come tales of creation and love, of heroes and war, of animals, tricksters, and the end of the world. Alfonso Ortiz, an eminent anthropologist, and Richard Erdoes, an artist and master storyteller, Indian voices in the best folkloric sources of the nineteenth century to make this the most comprehensive and authentic volume of American Indian myths available anywhere.
There you go man, keep as cool as you can. Face piles and piles of trials with smiles. It riles them to believe that you perceive the web they weave. And keep on thinking free. (Moody Blues)

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Post by Fan » 08-06-2015 12:53 PM

wow got some great ones going there kbot!
The heartbreaking necessity of lying about reality and the heartbreaking impossibility of lying about it.

― Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle

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Post by Bobbi Snow » 08-06-2015 07:14 PM

I just finished:

UNDER THE BELL CURVE
Random Essays from a MENSA Member - Teresa Fisher
(Available on Amazon.com)

While this won't ever be considered a great novel, it happens to be a combination of wry humor and the art of self-discovery. It's about travel, personal, and amusing experiences shared with someone else or just by herself.

I have known this woman for fifteen years, and just when I thought I'd heard every weird story of her life, she surprised me by publishing this book with yet unmentioned excerpts from her wickedly funny life.

It's not a difficult read. It's simply entertaining. Her late husband must be very proud of her... And I can hear Bill calling out, "But... but you still didn't tell them about ---!" He should know that soon she will. He needs to just have some patience."
ImageIf you're still breathing, it's not too late!

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kbot
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Post by kbot » 08-07-2015 03:37 AM

Fan wrote: wow got some great ones going there kbot!


:D My wife tells me I'm weird with my reading choices..........
There you go man, keep as cool as you can. Face piles and piles of trials with smiles. It riles them to believe that you perceive the web they weave. And keep on thinking free. (Moody Blues)

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Re: What books are you reading ?

Post by Uncle Fester » 09-28-2019 09:14 PM

"Charging The Human Battery" By Mac Anderson AND "I Sing The Body Electric" By Walt Whitman

VERY Enlightening!! WATT else can I say. My mouth is full

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