Current / Recent Books

[Karl12]

Truly magnificent (free) book from Clive:

[Roma]

Any good Arthurian novels out there? 

I tried reading The Once and Future King.  I nearly ditched it when Merlin made the dishes wash themselves.  I tapped out once he turned Arthur into a fish.  I was really hoping it was more like Excalibur than Fantasia...and I was seriously disappointed.

I've heard Mists of Avalon is good.  Not sure what else though.

[quintessentone]

I am trying to get back into reading and this particular book, "A Vindication of the Right of Woman" by Mary Wollstonecraft (born in 1759 and who is the mother of Mary Shelley of the famed "Frankenstein"), so far, has kept me engaged. Maybe I will continue to read it under a less busy atmosphere later on. The book was a Christmas gift and so I've read the introductory history, her letter to M. Talleyrand-Perigord (a legislator) advocating for her sex and next will be the Author's Introduction of the book. Lots of introductory splaining going on so far.

"Consider, Sir, I address you as a legislator, whether, when men contend for the freedom, and to be allowed to judge for themselves, respecting their own happiness, it be not inconsistent and unjust to subjugate women, even though you firmly believe that you are acting in the manner best calculated to promote their happiness? Who made man the exclusive judge, if woman partake with him the gift of reason?"

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Vindicat...s_of_Woman

[Tecate]

The Mists of Avalon was great. I read it as a kid.
I remember The Crystal Cave as well, but I believe it became a series of books.

I just finished The Seven Daughters of Eve. Interesting read. It’s about tracing European roots with Mitochondrial DNA.

I’m now close to finishing Bill Bryson’s At Home. I’ve read most of his books and they are enjoyable.

Tecate

[Roma]

The Mists of Avalon was great. I read it as a kid.
I remember The Crystal Cave as well, but I believe it became a series of books.

I just finished The Seven Daughters of Eve. Interesting read. It’s about tracing European roots with Mitochondrial DNA.

I’m now close to finishing Bill Bryson’s At Home. I’ve read most of his books and they are enjoyable.

Tecate

I believe you are correct that The Crystal Cave became a series.  I decided to pick up The Winter King (first book of The Warlord Chronicles) by Bernard Cornwell.  If anyone isn't familiar with him, he also wrote The Last Kingdom which became a damn good series on Netflix.

[quintessentone]

I randomly opened my Zen Koans book to this tidbit of wisdom:"84. True FriendsA long time ago in China there were two friends, one who played the harp skillfully and one who listened skillfully.
 
When the one played or sang about a mountain, the other would say: "I can see the mountain before us."
When the other played about water, the listener would exclaim: "Here is the running stream!"

But the listener fell sick and died. The first friend cut the strings of his harp and never played again. Since that time the cutting of harp strings has always been a sign of intimate friendship.

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"True Friends (Koan 84 from the Shaseki-shu) is a Zen parable illustrating the depth of intimate friendship and spiritual resonance.  It tells of two friends in ancient China: one who played the harp and one who listened with perfect understanding. When the musician played of a mountain, the listener saw it; when he played of water, the listener heard the stream. 
Upon the listener’s death, the musician cut the strings of his harp and never played again, establishing the "cutting of harp strings" as a traditional sign of losing one’s true friend.  

In broader Zen context, a "true friend" (or kalyanamitra) is also defined as a spiritual guide who helps pull out the roots of false conceptions and points directly to the true path, rather than merely offering comfort."

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"As Antisthenes noted, "There are only two people who can tell you the truth about yourself - an enemy who has lost his temper and a friend who loves you dearly." This sentiment is echoed by Robert Breault, who advised to "Cherish the friend who tells you a harsh truth, wanting ten times more to tell you a loving lie.""

[Karl12]

Brilliant

[Karl12]

Highly recommend right here


Absolutely haunting genius book

[Karl12]

Full audiobook - Rosemary's baby