So we actually have a few posts ready to go but well, we’re experience a few technical difficulties with the site. As soon as we get things straightened out we be back to our regular scheduled programming.
Finally!!!!
Two of the most highly anticipated books of year are out today! Or at least two of the books I have been anticipating! Now the challenge, which one will I read first?
So, dear readers, which one are you more excited about?
I have a backlog of reviews to write but I can’t stop reading!
I have been continuing my meditative practice and reading more on meditating this month. The good news I’m getting better. The bad news is I’ve gotten to the point where I know I’m getting better because I’m completely aware of how very, very bad I am at it. The author of Waking Up tells me this is a real sign of progress. You feel like you’re getting worse because you were so sure you were great at it before. But, now that you have a little practice of recognizing a thought you realize that you were just telling yourself a story before and you weren’t actually all that awesome.
So, that’s a total bummer if even if it is also a total victory.
Waking Up by Sam Harris is a book about spirituality for the non-religious. The thesis of the book is that spirituality is something human and that if we package it with religion we are missing out on something that we all need. Specifically, religion and spirituality have traditionally been places where we have cultivated consciousness with meditative practices that leave us calmer, more focused, and feeling better about the world, ourselves and others. Compassion, focus, these things can be taught and some traditionally religious practices can help us learn. Meditation, particularly if you think of it as a Buddhist practice, is an excellent example of this. There are other examples, too. Prayer seems to be a meditative practice for many people. But, if you don’t believe in God and/or you don’t want to follow or adhere to a set of guidelines or rules prescribed by a religion, you could still probably benefit from similar practices. The book focuses a lot on meditation practice and how meditation can help us cultivate consciousness.
Harris says throughout the text that he doesn’t want you to take him at his word. He wants you to test out his theories and ideas in the ‘laboratory of your life’. And, I liked that. I liked that a lot. I like being encouraged by someone selling an idea to try the idea on to see what I think about it. I also liked that Harris presented some research on consciousness and how what we think of as consciousness relates to our brains. This is an area of much ongoing research because we don’t know where consciousness is (if there is even one particular where to pinpoint, which there probably isn’t.) Some of the research he presented in this book is on split-brain patients (note: this stuff is *not* for testing in the laboratory of your own life). Split-brain patients have had their Corpus Callosum severed. This is done surgically (as a last-ditch effort to stem the tide of epileptic seizures that are devastating other neurological processes or for other equally serious reasons) and after the procedure the hemispheres are cut off from each other. This leads to some interesting behavior like the right and left hand both reaching for the same object. Or, the right and left hand picking out different outfits to wear. These are really interesting studies and if you’ve never read about split-brain patients before this alone might be worth the price of admission.
I really enjoyed this book and if you are interested in meditation practice or spirituality but can’t handle religion I’d say this isn’t a bad place to start.
I checked this book out from the Buffalo and Erie County Public libraries
Possessive stares are not sexy. That’s the least of this book’s problems, though.
It’s Banned Book Week!! If you need help finding your new favorite book that has been banned, visit the American Library Association’s page for a list. Don’t forget to read some of the reasons why books were banned or challenged. Some are pretty hilarious!
So what are your favorite banned books?
Not a Drop to Drink is very good, I’ll say that. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting it to be but it’s not what I got. It was pretty straight forward and unapologetic. Lynn has lived with her Mother spending every day struggling to survive and protecting their pond. Water has become scarce all over the world and clean water even rarer. Lynn’s pond in many ways is keeping them alive and most be protected at all times. Lynn’s mother is hard. She has taught Lynn from a young age how to use a rifle and to shoot if anyone gets to close. After a tragic accident that kills her mother, Lynn is on her own. She decides to make an alliance with her neighbor, Stebbs. Together they work to protect her pond and check out possible threats to them. This leads them to Lucy, Eli and Neva. They have escaped the city but are unprepared for living in the wild. Lynn takes Lucy home as both Eli and Neva are unable to care for the five year old. Before this the only people that Lynn knew was her mother and Stebbs. She was taught that everyone else was their enemy out to get their pond. Over the course she learns that not everyone is as ruthless and that helping someone is not weakness but also can be a strength. When far more ruthless men build a camp not that far from them, Lynn will do whatever it takes to save her new “family”
I liked the minimalist of the writing style. It really sets the whole mood of the novel. Lynn’s life is a struggle but it’s also pretty simple and straight forward. She does what needs to be done. The writing matches that. It doesn’t over elaborate or go into much details. It tells you what happens and let you fill in the gap. Lynn is a smart, strong but also vulnerable. Living away from the world, there are many things she doesn’t know about and leads to funny but also sad realizations about the world. She has been taught not to trust anyone but learns that sometimes to survive you have to. She’s not a shrinking violet, waiting to be rescued but will do the rescuing. The story is not afraid to be violent and talk about the nastier part of life or is it afraid of killing off characters. This is a harsh world they live in and tragedies will happen but life moves on. You can either deal with it and be stronger or not. There is a sequel but l really liked the ending. I liked the sense of hope it brought with it. I’m not sure there is a need for a second one but I’ll probably read it.
Beth has already done a short review on this book so here I am to give a longer, spoilerier review. This is a dystopian novel set in a future post-nuclear-holocaust Sudan. It follows the life of Oyesonwu, a woman born of rape and blessed with magic powers that she will use to change the world. This novel did not shy away from presenting the horror of rape, weaponized rape, genocide and female genital mutilation. Okorafor has a powerful voice and I am really glad to have read this book. I am also looking forward to reading more by this author. After the cut, though, I am going to discuss some problematic things in this novel.
2 Women, So Many Books 