Whats everyone reading now or read lately

[monsno_leedra]

Re: Whats everyone reading now or read lately

The Temple of Hekate by Tara Sanchez. Unfortunately it seems a waste of money so far based upon what little I've read to this point and reviews that seem to have greater credentials behind them. When you start off comparing her to the Thracian Goddess Bendis vice the Thracian Goddess Enodia then it just further tends to start out poorly to me. Then showing how to properly cast a circle just further moves it away for me as that is not Hellenic in scope or practice.

[Aeran]

Re: Whats everyone reading now or read lately

I have an issue. I can't read one book at a time...ever.

Totally feel your pain.

Currently reading:

The Valley Spirit - About a chinese-american girl who goes to China to study martial arts and mysticism at the Taoist temples there.

Gang Leader For a Day - Written by a grad student who lived with a crack dealing gang in Chicago and observed their way of life

The Consolations of Philosophy/Status Anxiety by Alain De Botton - fairly self explanatory

Philosophy & Theurgy - About the spiritual practices of the Greek philosophical/mystery schools, an aspect often looked over in favor of their role in the development of modern western science and philosophy. It's really interesting to realize that a lot of the figures I learned about when I studied philosophy briefly at Uni were as much mystics as they were philosophers in the modern understanding of the term, being heavily influenced by Egyptian, Middle Eastern and Indian spirituality, something that it seems the modern field of philosophy would rather ignore as it doesn't fit into their materialist worldview.

The Name of the Wind - excellent low fantasy novel by Patrick Rothfuss.

[Medusa]

Re: Whats everyone reading now or read lately

New audiobook called The Strain. Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. It's the first book of a vampire trilogy. And it's narrated by Ron Perlman! This one def is an excellent listen. It even has background music. And Ron Perlman is great at accents.

[Raphaeline]

Re: Whats everyone reading now or read lately

I gave up on Lord of the Rings. It's not bad, but I just wasn't feeling anything. It felt like a list of events and didn't really pull me in.

I've started Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb and it's pretty good so far. It took me a moment to get into it - had to get a chapter or so in - but now I'm enjoying it.

[Rowanwood]

Re: Whats everyone reading now or read lately

I gave up on Lord of the Rings. It's not bad, but I just wasn't feeling anything. It felt like a list of events and didn't really pull me in.

I couldn't do it either. I know its heresy, but I don't like the way Tolkien writes either. I think he forgot people have feelings.


I'm reading The Time of Contempt (The Witcher series) The translations from Polish are going slowly, but this guy translates well, even his snarky humor which I love. I'm also halfway through the last book of the Inheritance Trilogy by NK Jemisin. I'm struggling with this one, but the first two were incredible.

[Raphaeline]

Re: Whats everyone reading now or read lately

I couldn't do it either. I know its heresy, but I don't like the way Tolkien writes either. I think he forgot people have feelings.

I do feel awful for saying I didn't like what I read. I can't even pinpoint exactly what the problem was because it's not as though he isn't descriptive, but I just can't bring myself to connect to any of the characters. They're just names with dialogue. And although I love when authors put a lot of work into world-building, I feel like the actual story was bogged down with pages and pages of history that was explained at times when it just wasn't necessary.

[nbdy]

Re: Whats everyone reading now or read lately

Picked up God is Disappointed in You this past Monday. I find it absolutely hilarious, though someone not particularly familiar with the Bible might not.

[Ouranos Ouroboros]

Re: Whats everyone reading now or read lately

The Temple of Hekate by Tara Sanchez. Unfortunately it seems a waste of money so far based upon what little I've read to this point and reviews that seem to have greater credentials behind them. When you start off comparing her to the Thracian Goddess Bendis vice the Thracian Goddess Enodia then it just further tends to start out poorly to me. Then showing how to properly cast a circle just further moves it away for me as that is not Hellenic in scope or practice.

Thanks for the heads up. I almost bought that a few months back and was still toying with the idea.

New audiobook called The Strain. Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. It's the first book of a vampire trilogy. And it's narrated by Ron Perlman! This one def is an excellent listen. It even has background music. And Ron Perlman is great at accents.

Yep - Perlman is fantastic!

I gave up on Lord of the Rings. It's not bad, but I just wasn't feeling anything. It felt like a list of events and didn't really pull me in.

I've started Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb and it's pretty good so far. It took me a moment to get into it - had to get a chapter or so in - but now I'm enjoying it.

I couldn't do it either. I know its heresy, but I don't like the way Tolkien writes either. I think he forgot people have feelings.

I'm reading The Time of Contempt (The Witcher series) The translations from Polish are going slowly, but this guy translates well, even his snarky humor which I love. I'm also halfway through the last book of the Inheritance Trilogy by NK Jemisin. I'm struggling with this one, but the first two were incredible.

I'm wishy-washy about defending Tolkien. On the one hand, he wanted to emphasize that he was writing something that could be seen as serious adult literature instead of just fairy tales for kids. On the other hand, he did have an academic background, and there are times I think it leaves his writing rather dry.


I've read The Hobbit, the LotR trilogy, and three of his translations. My wife says I'd just love The Silmarilion (sp?). I can't decide if it sounds wonderful or nightmarish.

[Medusa]

Re: Whats everyone reading now or read lately

Finished up The Strain. On to Syndrome E by Franck Thilliez on audio book. A story about the mystery around a short home made film clip. You watch it and then you become blind! And then you die! Tied into an international murder mystery connected someway to that film. It's like CSI meets Hannibal Lecter. Pretty awesome. And it was originally in French.

[monsno_leedra]

Re: Whats everyone reading now or read lately

Thanks for the heads up. I almost bought that a few months back and was still toying with the idea.

To be honest I now wish I had not purchased it. As a generic book it's probably not to bad but I purchased it specifically because it was supposed to deal with Hekate. While I am not a hard recon I at least try to keep things in perspective to the culture they originate from and use terminology aligned to it. When the author starts off talking about Moots then going off into high versus ceremonial magics and how its elitist to do so just further turns me off. That all occurring in her intro alone. Then add in divination dice or how the tarot is so important and connected to Hekate and it paints a very modern pagan practice trying to claim its Hekateian in nature and purpose.

Yep - Perlman is fantastic!

I tend to think Perlman is an underrated actor. I've tended to enjoy his performances in the movies I've watched. Heck even Pacific Rim is an interesting role for him.

I've read The Hobbit, the LotR trilogy, and three of his translations. My wife says I'd just love The Silmarilion (sp?). I can't decide if it sounds wonderful or nightmarish.

The Silmarilion was the hardest of his books for me to read. Mainly due to it being fragmented stories that didn't seem to tie together but made the back story to The Hobbit and LOTR. I keep looking to find his stand alone story about Tom Bombadril but haven't read it yet.

[Ouranos Ouroboros]

Re: Whats everyone reading now or read lately

To be honest I now wish I had not purchased it. As a generic book it's probably not to bad but I purchased it specifically because it was supposed to deal with Hekate. While I am not a hard recon I at least try to keep things in perspective to the culture they originate from and use terminology aligned to it. When the author starts off talking about Moots then going off into high versus ceremonial magics and how its elitist to do so just further turns me off. That all occurring in her intro alone. Then add in divination dice or how the tarot is so important and connected to Hekate and it paints a very modern pagan practice trying to claim its Hekateian in nature and purpose.

I tend to think Perlman is an underrated actor. I've tended to enjoy his performances in the movies I've watched. Heck even Pacific Rim is an interesting role for him.

The Silmarilion was the hardest of his books for me to read. Mainly due to it being fragmented stories that didn't seem to tie together but made the back story to The Hobbit and LOTR. I keep looking to find his stand alone story about Tom Bombadril but haven't read it yet.

Divination dice and tarot? I almost want to buy it for comedic value... almost.

Haven't seen Pacific Rim but have probably seen La Cite des Enfants Perdus a dozen times.

I only know the stuff I mentioned, but my wife (who knows Tolkien's work pretty well) says there is a longish narrative poem about Bombadil in a book called The Tolkien Reader that contains various stories, poems, and commentaries. She said it wasn't in print a few years ago when she found a copy at a used book store but also doesn't think used copies are very rare. She says she thinks they might also have published it in a couple of other anthologies, but she can't be sure.

[Sondst]

Re: Whats everyone reading now or read lately

Re reading The Faerie Craft

[Medusa]

Re: Whats everyone reading now or read lately

Syndrome E was one of the most fascinating reads I've had to pleasure of listening to in quite a while!
Now on to Zone One by Coleson Whitehead. The zombie apocalypse is sorta over and how do you pick up the pieces and start a new society?

[Raphaeline]

Re: Whats everyone reading now or read lately

I finished Assassin's Apprentice and I really enjoyed it. It reminded me a lot of the Kushiel's Legacy series. I'm halfway through ... whatever the second one is called... and I'm enjoying it, too. I'd recommend this trilogy!

[anubisa]

Re: Whats everyone reading now or read lately

Well now i'm finished with Stalingrad and now i'm reading Army of Evil. Army of Evil is about the SS, which is Hitler's Army. Yes, I like reading about World War II. I'm a bit crazy.