It'almost better to ask, what am I not reading now... lol... So I've decided to pick up poetry again. Right now I'm reading the a complete collection of Pablo Neruda, as well as The Dark Between Stars, by Atticus and a couple of others. Gladly taking more suggestions. I've been refilling my creative cup lately, and I don't mind a wide variety. Also rereading Jesus' Son and some metaphysical books on things like Alchemy, Tarot, Herbal magic and so on.
I quite enjoy reading about the tarot and use it for achieving insight, on occasion. I have also collected many different sets of cards, although I really only use a couple of them. But I think it's a fascinating tool. Not for 'forseeing the future' but for understanding and thinking about the present. It forces me to look at aspects of myself or a situation that I may be resisting. I could recommend a few books on the subject, Andrae, depending on what you want to learn about.
Just finished reading an older book (new to me) that had me laughing, but also nodding in agreement (even though I enjoy reading Annie Proulx, one of the authors who gets criticized.) It's A Reader's Manifesto: An Attack on the Growing Pretentiousness in American Literary Prose, by BR Myers. The book has a convoluted publication history, but apparently its first appearance was in 2002. Myers's principles still stand ...in fact, maybe even more-so nowadays. Ever read a prize-winning novel, and found you just couldn't get into it? You're not alone. And Myers makes a great case for why. And no, it's not because you are stupid or a philistine.... There's a lot in that book that writers should take on board.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17313418-the-minotaur-medallion?ac=1&from_search=true I'm facebook friends with the author, its well written, but I'm having a really difficult time getting through it. Not sure why. Also tried reading 'The Dame' by R.A. Salvatore, also not floating my boat. As I write more myself, I'm critiquing a lot more...I'm not sure I like this.
I've often felt that some authors compose their Mann Booker acceptance speeches before starting on the book itself.
Interesting. Because what that card usually 'means' is that the worst has been experienced already. Things aren't going to get worse. So, while it looks like an awful card, in fact, it's not!
No disrespect, but I've yet to meet or hear of a Tarot reader who wouldn't put a positive spin on any draw in the deck
Actually, in the appendix to the updated edition, Myers lists 10 things a 'serious' writer needs to do if they plan to be in contention for a prize. In the context of what else he's written, these are hilarious, and give a good insight into his attitude. He also goes into more detail that I'm not quoting within each one: 1) Be writerly - Read aloud what you have written. If it sounds clear and natural, strike it out. 2) Sprawl - When in doubt, leave it in. 3) Equivocate - Plot doesn't add up? It was never meant to; you were playfully reworking the conventions of traditional narrative. 4) Mystify - Keep readers in their place by making them think that your mind operates on a higher level. 5) Keep sentences long - If the sentence is (too straightforward) and interesting, there is always the danger that critics will take you for a genre hack. 6) Repeat yourself - It's a good way to get skim-reading critics to compare you to Joyce. 7) Pile on the imagery - A figure of speech, left alone, is subject to special scrutiny, so make sure to deliver at least two in quick succession. 8) Archaize the language - (basically, 'talk' as you think people 'talked' 'back then.') Example from Cold Mountain: 9) Bore - Never underestimate the importance of our Puritan tradition; many readers ...doubt the value of any book they don't desperately want to end. 10) Play the part - Make sure everyone understands that while the English language produced a few pikers like Shakespeare, it's a couple of sizes too small for what you have to say. The more pompous you act, the more deferential people will become. The book is really worth a read, even if you don't agree about specific authors. While I enjoy reading Annie Proulx because she's got a real sense of fun and doesn't bore me (unlike the others who come into Myers's sights) I do fundamentally agree with what he says about her writing. If you stride into a room in full cowboy gear, shout YEE HAAA and start shooting pistols in all directions, you ARE likely to hit something worthwhile, sooner or later.
It took me a while, but I've learned to think about the meaning of the card when it comes up. There is no bad card in the deck that I haven't received during readings, and I'm still here. But they do provide insight. The ending of a tough time is one of the strongest 'meanings' of The Ten of Swords. There are other cards I really hate to get. (The Tower, the Three of Swords, etc.) But the Ten of Swords isn't one of them.
10 bucks and I'll give you a reading where the most positive thing is: you'll be dead soon, so at least you won't have to worry about it for long.
Spoken like a true Adept! I never would have guessed you had an interest. I like your emphasis on perspective in the present, especially for drawing clarity or emphasis to something you may be resisting. That is where tarot has most of it's valu. can you tap into the future? yes, but I have yet to find an instance where that has done me any good. Why, because even though all time is now, and many things have come to pass in this moment, The future is more fluid and shifting than many realize. And the only time we are able to truly impact is the present moment. I wouldn't mind a few book recommendations, but I must say I have a few decks of my own, a couple books and an archive of lessons from a course I've been taking
One of my best friends just made me laugh the other day. He was responding to something his son said, along the lines of, "Dad, why are you always looking back into the past instead of looking forward to the future?" He said,"Because the past is more reliable." I don't want to hijack this thread with tarot discussions, but please PM me if you want, and I'll be happy to give my book recommendations, and why. I'd also love to find out which decks you own, and what your own perspective is on using the tarot. If you've just been studying it in class, you'll have a much more widely-focused start than I got. However, I did get a very grounded and personal start, which helped me overcome my initial antipathy towards it. The person who got me going, way back in the late 1970s, was a matter-of-fact, pragmatic person who had already become a friend. When she told me she did tarot, I was surprised. If she had flown at me with rings on her fingers, bells on her toes, clutching a crystal ball and spouting New Age wisdom, I'd have run a mile. Instead, she just asked me if I wanted to try it out myself. Right away I could see the potential. I am still skeptical when I hear the mumbo-jumbo usually attached to tarot. However, when I work with the cards myself and make my own associations for each card (I've even written my own wee notebook I use for reading and study) they really are an interesting and useful tool for many things.
I've been looking at the books from this author as well, unsure and yet intrigued. They seem to be on the darker side, do you find this to be true?
Picked up my first Peter Hamilton book and am enjoying it. The Great North Road is a huge book though, and tends to reveal at a slow pace. I'm enjoying it, it's a good read, and have bought the Commonwealth saga on that basis. But they are all long stories so take some time.
Just finished My Sister The Serial Killer I have never been more conflicted! if your little sibling, of whom you've protected from a violently abusive father, killing the man to keep him form killing your younger sibling, grew up to murder 4 people....... older sibling wanted to tell about the murders to protect the guy who was going to be victim #5, but then "victim #5" stabs younger sibling.... who tried to kill him first to protect the older one??? OMG! I dont know if I hate them or not! i hated the younger sister the entire time (as an older sister myself and seeing how manipulative younger siblings can be), but now i'm not so sure. im not so sure what I'd do!! ahg! it was such a good read.
I got "Fall of Gondolin" for my Christmas so that's what I will read as soon as I wrap-up the book I'm reading now.
"The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't." Needed something fun and light this Christmas so I'm re-reading the Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
I'm reading A Brief Life by J.C. Onetti. Thrilling, isolated, poetic, typical Latin American storytelling imo. Additionally, I'm reading the small books of Penguin's series on Hongkong, rather factual than fiction, but very interesting. Also, HK/US author Xu Xi's English writing style is quite particular (poetic, but harsh).
A little discussed genre referred to as “grit lit:” intense, violent, emotionally charged. In this case beautifully written. Two of the most compelling novels I read in 2018 were both written by the same author, David Joy: “Where All The Light Tends To Go,” and “The Weight of the World.” Wow!
Believe it or not, I treated myself on Christmas Day, to reading Enid Blyton's Famous Five books. I keep hearing them talked about as a favourite read of UK women when they were young, but as a Yankee child I had never read one. So I downloaded three of them and read them all in one day. I can (kind of) understand why they were so well liked. There was a nice sense of place in all three of them, the characters weren't all paragons of virtue, and some of the characters who only appeared in one book were pretty good. I didn't dislike the stories as much as I feared I would. They ARE awfully stuffy, though, and dated (of course.) And VERY repetitive. Sort of British Bobbsey Twins with a little more crime involved. Lots of swanning around tunnels, flourishing or forgetting of torches, and elaborate picnic lunches. And a rather irritating dog character. Every chapter seemed to end with, "Woof," said Timmy (the dog.) Three books were enough to get me through Christmas. Now I know.
