Don't. it sucks.

Probably better than the end of Sword of Truth, but I'll take your word for it.

I wrote an absolutely brilliant and insightful post about Dan Simmons, and managed to delete it.
Just imagine it, okay? It was amazeballs.

Infi, I believe I introduced Brianna to Kate Atkinson.
Even if I didn't, I want to pretend I did.
Sorry I didn't do the same for you.

Yes, she has a new book coming out.
If you promise not to buy it Stateside, I promise to send it to you after reading. As I did for Bri. Makes me less cry-y that way.

Illusions - Richard Bach

I read this book when it was published.

And again.

And again.

I probably wouldn't be reading it again right now, except that one of the hen-friends expressed that she wanted to "connect more" with me.

I have a work schedule that is the complete opposite of most people, and I am not a big friend of the phone, generally. Used to talk on the phone all the time when it was wired to my wall ... hours long conversations. But now that I have one in my pocket? Never exceed my minutes. Never.

So anyway ... I came up with the idea that we should both read the same book, and since one of our points of connection is spirituality, I suggested that perhaps we could buddy-read a book and discuss it.

Then she asked me what I wanted to read.

Darn it, I was hoping she'd figure that one out and save me the effort.

So, I suggested I book I'd mentioned to her before. It's rather long, and the first half discusses the science of happiness, the second half the spirituality and practice ... I started reading it a good while ago and stalled on it and put it aside. Thought it might be a way to get me back into it.

And then I started thinking about Illusions.

I read it in high school (at the time of it's initial publication, which was 1977, to save you from having to look it up on Wikipedia).

It really opened up a lot of interesting spiritual possibilities for me, and likely was a strong first step in the direction of my current spiritual relationship to the world.

So, that's why I'm reading Illusions right now. Again.

I remember reading Illusions when I was too young to get it. I think I was maybe 10 or 11. I only read it because a) it was written by the same author as Johnathon Livingstone Seagull which had hit me right between the eyes, and b) my big brother had just read it.

I ploughed through, and got something (don't recall quite what) from it, but I remember feeling like I wasn't really getting it. One of those times when I was conscious of something going over my head.


[eta] JLS remains one the best books I have ever read. It was one of those that did the family rounds. Passed around from martin to mum, to dad to me etc. Those were always my favourite reading experiences. When a book got all of us it seeped into the fabric of the house for a little while. Probably one reason why Thomas Covenant got so deep with me.

I loved Jonathan Livingston Seagull. My 6th Grade teacher read it aloud in class. I have a treasured paperback copy that is falling to pieces. I always loved, the hardback, though, with those occasional vellum pages that let the page beneath peek through. I also have an LP of Richard Harris reading the book.

Reading Ever After, the latest book in the Hollows series, Read a lot of it yesterday night and I expect to finish it by the weekend. I'm trying to figure out between Rachel Morgan and Harry Dresden, who has more baggage. After I finish this book, I'll be up to date in both series, not counting short story collections.

Anna Karenina ... I've been going back and reading all the classics I never got around to that came free (out of copyright) with my Kobo

Aside from the weirdness of Russian names/nick names - which don't always correlate well, I'm really enjoying it ... but I've always liked epic novels

Chester County library book sale was this weekend. Yesterday hardbacks were $2.50 each and we picked up a few things but it was close to closing and we would be in the area today. Today you could fill a paper shopping bag with books for $5. I picked up some of the Sookie Stackhouse series that became the TV series Trueblood. I've never read them. Picked up some other series I'e never read. I went into the 'special room' where they keep the books that they want to charge more for. They cut the price in half for today and I loaded up on childrens books. I got some Hardy Boys and found Huckleberry Finn, Red Badge of Courage, and a few others in the Great Illustrated Classics series. 50 cents each

I seriously loaded up on cookbooks, since my daughter-in-law likes them and since there were some BBQ/Chili/Rotisserie books for me.

Between the Mrs and myself, we filled one bag with 'special room' books and three bags with 'all you can bag' books. Probably about 60 lbs of books.:eek:

My vacation is coming up. Looking forward to some reading time.

Picked up Starfish by Peter Watts at the library. About halfway through already, and it's really excellent. Every character is a basket case in their own way, so it's like a 6-way psychological thriller where you don't even know which one of them is going to snap first.

Just started some book by Demetri Martin. Highly amusing. Don't remember what it's called.

Just finished Eat & Run by Scott Jurek (and some real writer). It was entertaining. Full of good recipes. Inspiring like all these endurance athlete books are.

I'm reading a PDA (Past Doctor Adventures) 5th Doctor novel on my kindle...but I'm still mainly listening to audio books: just finished the fourth book in Stephen Leather's Jack Nightingale series. I love them! I just wish there were more of them but this most recent ne only came o ut this month...be at least another year before another one (unless he drops off Nightingale for a bit).

Am now listening to the third book in the Tome of Bill sequence. Very funny, and with a plot that carries and characters that come off the page.

Trying to calm down by reading mother earth, gardening, and cooking mags. Ha.

Otherwise, reading Understanding Global Health, Intro to Global Health, and Understanding Health Policy. Very interesting.

In fiction, rereading Bill Bryson and Carl Hiaasen. I think Hiaasen is greatly underrated.

Doing my mandatory re-read of Ender's Game pre-movie. Also re-reading Epee 2.0. Reading the Lama's compassion book and just started Defenders of the Faith: Christianity and Islam Battle for the Soul of Europe, 1520-1536 by Reston.