Moved My Blog

Click the link above for my blog. I decided it was time for a move.
I was paying for the space anyways and at least there I have a bit more freedom, with how things work and look.

I will still be following blogs I do here just not posting my own blogs here. :)

Feel free to follow and pass on the link!

New book list

So I was in the second hand store the other day and stumbled upon some books and might have been dragged away before i bought a couple shelves full lol.

The Importance of Being Earnest - Oscar Wilde
Moby Dick - Herman Melville
The TerraCotta Army - John Mann
Tess of the d'Uurbervilles - Thomas Hardy
Galileo's Daughter - Dava Sobel
Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

Some nice additions there I think!
I'm a bit behind on my reading with so much going on but I will catch up!

China: Alive in the Bitter sea

Awk I havent updated, which is odd for me but I have been in such a gaming mode lately.

This book I found, in a second hand store I frequent all to often (along with a stack of others).

This book I think just might be the most unique eye opening book I have red thus far.

I love Asian culture but to be honest, I know nothing of their history. So finding this book is how i plan to change that.

The writing is seamless, easy to read and gives you a clear picture of his experiences.

I look for forward to what this book has to teach.

The Way of the Sufi

Absolutely beautiful book, I give it 4/5.
Definitely a to buy in the future.
I loved that it was not just one Sufi they focused on but a lot of them over different time periods.
It kept the book fresh and easy to appreciate.
Its a good book for anyone regardless of their level of understanding of Sufism.

Book Shopping [second hand]

20,000 Leagues under the sea - Jules Verne
Myst - Rand and Robin Miller w/ David Wingrove (based on/from the rpg)
Wizards First Rule (book 1) & Faith of the fallen (book 6) - Terry Goodkind
China Alive in the Bitter sea - Fox Butterfield

I picked up an Astronomy Magazine too.. The section on Dark Matter caught my eye and there was even more inside.. Another section on the solar eclipse over China in 09 and it included pics from China. Many wonderful things including the Terra Cotta Army.
So happy to see that.

So I hit the jackpot.
I found those as well as a Star Trek memorabilia behind the scenes binder full of information for Deep Space Nine.
A pair of jeans
A Thailand statue
An Egyptian picture for my wall.

All for the low low price of $45

If i was one for cassette books I'd of been in for a treat today. Jane Austen.. However, i always end up not hearing what I'm listening to with audio books.

It was a gorgeous day out there, that helped. +10 degrees out of the sun and +15 in the sun.
Hello spring please keep coming.
My book list for the '10 challenge has been getting a lot of changes happening, the library has been.. I don't know either getting more people in reading more or they sold a lot of the books i wanted out at their big book sale.. that I sadly had to miss.

I have been on hold for one big alone since about December what does that tell you.
But I am still doing okay I've read 9.5 books.
The .5 being Jane Eyre and i just can't finish that one yet. That particular book really got to me.

My plan for the rest of the week is to finish the two library books and return them.

The Way of the Sufi - I really love this book its beautiful.
The Victorian Underworld
I also have an Ebook on Buddhism I would love to finally get through.

I don't do well with ebooks I don't like being trapped to my computer screen, and my pdf reader tends to kill my blackberry battery.

Whats your favorite format?

What Muslims Believe [conclusion]

This book was a heavy, heavy, slow read.
I found it completely by accident in my library and it had never been checked out.. published in 2009.

The writer doesn't hide his opinions of things while he states facts.. including some very homophobic opinions. His opinions are not always modern and it makes it a hard read. I had to force myself to continue the book to the end a few times.

Would I recommend this book no, especially not to a new Muslim as it could be very off putting.

Honestly, I am just glad to be done with it.
I had thought since it was done in conjunction with a BBC series that a lot more would have been "useful" or thought provoking.

The BBC series was hopefully better then the book because they really let the ball drop on this one.

Introduction to Buddhism [Beginning]

Introduction to Buddhism - Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

I love my friends, I had this come through my mail slot today. It's in such good condition I hesitate to believe its been read even tho he told me he's read it Lol.

The cover art is really pretty tho in this picture it looks flushed out by a flash.

It's got some really nice illustrations through out and easy to read font. So far so good.

I'm only a mere 4 pages in but it's a seemless easy read. I have a feeling this ones not going to have the translated feel like the Dalai Lama book i just finished.
Time will tell.

Life Below the Stairs Conclusion

I loved this book. Informative, light, with actual stories of real people, cartoons, pictures, photos.
This was definitely one of my better finds from the library.

A must read for history buffs, Victoriana fans or someone interested in something different.

5 stars easy.

Becoming Enlightened Conclusion

Done. Thankfully.
Now don't get me wrong, i have a great respect for the Dalai Lama but with that said they really need to get their stuff together.

Some books say they believe in reincarnation and others say they don't.

For someone interested in the Meditation part I think some of the contemplating sections could be handy.

But for someone interested in Buddhism, it can be confusing.. beginners or not.

Conclusion - The Industrial Revolution

Done and done.
What a slow, informative, unbiased read.

I give it a 3 stars.

[From my goodreads.com review]

I rated this book a three for a few reasons:

1) there is a lot of information in it.
2) it's well organized and thought out
3) it covers everything truthfully with out subscribing to the American habit of changing the history text books. [It also admits other books do just that]

I am a history buff but buff or not, this is not a book that I could just read with out taking breaks and jumping into another book at times, because it is a very slow read.

Had it not been for the 3 factors above the rating would have been lower for that reason.

Book Update

I visited the library and came back yesterday with:
Becoming Enlightened - the Dalai Lama
Life Below the Stairs [Domestic servants in England from Victorian times] - Frank E. Huggett
What Muslims Believe - John Bowker
The Way of the Sufi -Idries Shab
The Victorian Underworld - Kellow Chesney

I started with the Dalai Lama.
Now, I have a huge amount of respect for His Holiness - however I'm a tad confused.
I am also reading a book called What Buddhism is not, the author claims they don't believe in reincarnation yet its plainly stated in this book.

But that aside its a well written, fast read.
I think because I have a bit more of a background having read more books on Buddhism that its less informative for me then others might find it but something I am glad I picked up at our local library.

My library shocks me at times because this city is not one for culture being its smaller and known for not liking change.
The pocket sized paper back was going for 20$ before tax - and having read half of it. im glad i waited it out.

Life Below the stairs.. i love this book.. it puts you in the houses of the past so you get a real feel for how things were. Its great for someone that loves Victorian times, history and that all around goodness.

I have about 100 pages left to the Industrial Revolution - Honestly, its boring as all hell with a few interesting essays in it. But I have to admit that I am glad we had better history texts in our classes.
History should be fun and exciting and this book just isn't it. But its not bad enough that I can't just fight through it.. its a fast ish read..

I will likely finish Becoming Enlightened and the Industrial Revolution tomorrow.
Life under the stairs come Saturday and be on to one of the others and continue on with the Victorian underworld.

Monday is also a holiday so I plan to cuddle up with tea on the couch all day and read. I am going to make up for the days i didn't get the reading in that i wanted to for awhile last week.

Book Shopping

I went book shopping today, so hard to decide. My goodness..
I avoided typical fiction and sci fi since well, I can not get into it right now.

X-Men and Philosophy was one.. of the series that caught my attention..( I said "typical fiction and sci fi remember lol)

Star Trek was the other.. However god damn do I ever want the Batman and Harry Potter ones..

I have been debating on changing my book lists til i remembered that some other book challenge people don't make lists til they read it - good idea tho i need the list to get me motivated.

One of the books i wanted to buy today (but could not afford the stack of 8 books) is at my library so Im going to go play in the library today and get it and another book.. Buddha related and likely an Islam book as well.

I have to admit tho its funny to see the guy behind the cash at chapters today checking out my books as he waits for the chick to come lower the price on one book. Lol.

Now if only he was my type. Lol.

When fiction just won't do..

I've put aside the fiction that i was reading. I just can not seem to get into it right now.
I've gone back to reading the history text on the industrial revolution.
Perfect timing as it also helps with other writing things I have going at the same time.

I am also reading "Shadows of forgotten ancestors" I have had this book forever and just never started it.

Its a really interesting read, and educational at the same time. I find its a very easy book to get comfortable with and fall into.

what I am reading, and some writing stuff

It's been much longer then I thought it would be in between updates my bad.
I can not seem to get too into sci fi or fiction lately and the history book I am reading is a text book. So I've temporarily decided to hold off on the fiction and sci fi and try something else see if breaking it up helps.

I've moved onto "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors" By Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan.
I have had the book forever and never gotten to reading it so this should be a change so far, I am enjoying it.
I can only hope this does not mean I am going to have issues with fiction and sci fi for the year.

In a weird turn of events I have had my other creative juices flowing.
I have now begun writing fanfic for a favourite show of mine.
Its like a project in itself because the show is VERY in depth.. and covers such a broad span.

One of the writers also did Gilmore Girls. :)

Its funny because fanfic used to make my head explode and then I moved to indifference and here I am..
I think the only two I would ever do are TBBT and GG.
I seem to have a thing for something thats only insane to take on as a challenge. lol

It's also sent me off running on another story idea I had which is interesting because now I have 3 writing projects on the go and 2 reading challenges.
Added to my own personal study of Islam at the same time.
Phew.

I have yet to start the mini movie one but I think that, that is going to be something that I do just for me. As writing another review would kill me with everything else I have going on right now.

But I guess I should enjoy the focus while I have it.

Book 5 - Yoga Body, Buddha Mind

2.5 outta 5.
Great for someone with no knowledge of Yoga or Buddha..
The class prep pages are also helpful.

I read this book hoping for i don't know. more of the Buddha side of things since my yoga has to be adaptable for disabled people. However, I was disappointed.

There were some good bits..

Chogyam Trungpa "the way to rule the universe is to expose your heart."

and a prayer that I liked.


"May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness
may all beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
may all beings never be parted from freedom's true joy.
may all beings dwell in equanimity free from attachment and aversion. "

The Drowned Book conclusion

The Drowned Book was the latest book I completed this afternoon.
An amazing book. One i found myself scribbling quotes from so that I wouldn't forget them.
I found it to be a bit of a slower read then Rumi but they are indeed of the same linage.

The Story Tellers Daughter conclusion

The Storytellers Daughter
Saira Shah

I went out of my comfort zone with this one, going completely different from everything that I normally pick out for myself. I have read stories of war before but they were older and war was written about differently, the pictures were blurry, the details glazed over to make it more story book like. Not this one. I have been awed by this book since the beginning.

The book itself is divided into 3 books, or journals i guess as she kept them. Aside from the books acknowledgements one book starts and another has ended the writing is seamless and flows right into the next book.

In my brief comments about this book I said that she took you with her on her travels, its not just you reading her account of what happened she has a way of placing you next to her as she walks through war torn areas, going days with out eating and everything else she goes through.

I still stand by that.
The last portion of the book was definitely the hardest, by the time you reach that part you yourself feel you belong in Afghanistan and you want to do something to help.

Definitely a moving book.
One that makes me curious how the world would change if more people read it and (really) understood it.

Book Update

latest book review here
I need to update my list. I lent one out to someone who needed one more then I did.
So my list needs a new one or two.

I can't decide what I want to add until i realized that something from the second challenge list might be wise.

Dickens or Shakespeare ??

Book challenge blog update and Reading updates

Gilmore Girls book challenge/project, and the Mini movie challenge has its own blog now I just thought it easier that way.
So those only interested in those updates can find them with out the rest of the stuffings.

I'm reading The Storytellers Daughter - 70 pages in.
This book is intense, its fabulous, its emotional, it is well thought out, well written, it is one that I have had to add to my to buy list because checking it out is just not good enough.
This book struck a chord with me.

Some extra bonuses with the hard cover are thicker paper, and its not insanely bright white. When you have issues with colour and sight that is a god send.

I converted to Muslim a few months ago, when i found this book, it was one of two with similar titles and I skimmed what this was about before adding it to my list not really thinking anything about it one way or the other.

Saira Shah has blown me away.
She takes you on her journey literally with her, there is no sitting by the sidelines and reading about it.
You are filled with stories of a personal nature, combined with historical fact and legends.. Which is what (living) life is, or rather, what it should be.

The book is filled with tibits that you will find yourself stopping to record for your own reflection later.
It's definitely added to my to buy list. I am amazed my library had it and saddened I appear to be one of the few whose checked it out.

"The legends we choose to tell reflect the message we wish to preserve."
"If you have a myth you can be proud of where you come from. You can not be proud of a shred of a tent in the dust bowl that is a refugee camp in Pakistan. If you have a myth, you can hold your head high when the lowliest locals call you a dirty afghani and accuse you of trying to take their jobs.
If you have a myth you can quote back at them the great Afghan poet Jalaluddin Rumi: " A royal falcon landed owls, they hooted at him in anger. He replied Oh foolish ones, - "you think I am trying to unsurp your homes, but my true place is on the wrist of a king!"

(Sa'adi)"Do not become attached to something that will not endure"
He decided to create a garden that time could not destroy. He built his rose garden, his great work "The Gulistan" out of stories. It has survived for eight hundred years. "Roses" he said, "live but for days. My Rose Garden will never die"

"Towering above me, unchanging, eternal are the mountains. Down in the valley, a city of towers, and minarets sparkles in the late-afternoon sun. Kabul jan -- beloved Kabul--
lies like a jewel at my feet. I know by now that its beauty is an illusion: close up., the city is in ruins as shattered and broken as this garden, I have missed teh golden age, I have come too late.
But only because of the myth - the map of tales my family drew for me all those years ago-- can I recognize the beauty in this ruin."

This book has changed the way I think about a lot of things and identified some things I have been wrestling with lately. Things I have been trying to find on my own spiritual journey to Allah and know I know now more about what it is that I am seeking along the way.

***

I've also come to realize that one of the other books on my booklist is a scam..
I won't link the scam because I don't want anyone to think I am supporting that crap.
"A promise of hope : [the astonishing true story of a woman afflicted with bipolar disorder and the miraculous treatment that cured her]" Four chapters in and I want to set it on fire.
Seriously. But since its a library book, i shall return it. Mentioning that its part of an online med scam..
It reminded me of twilight as i read the bit I have fluffy and vague. Horrible writing.

***
I am also reading The Drowned Book.
Another AMAZING book. A library book added to the Buy list.
I stop to scribble quotes as i read because you just can't read a "Rumi" book and not.
An essential read for any Muslim or non alike.

""perfection in the mystery" whatever we love in this visable world we are sure to discover its flaws."

"I was a hidden treasure and I desire to be known." - a hadith

Gilmore Girls Book series.. and my book challenge update

So I was sitting here adding books to my good reads site when it hit came to mind again, my desire to read ALL the Gilmore Girl books (yes, the entire series is also in book form)
I've wanted to read them forever...

Have I mentioned I am currently doing two challenges and their are only a small number of cross overs? Plus, I have a life, I am also trying to downsize my apartments contents, [while putting all my books into a spread sheet so i can keep better track] going through some serious cognitive therapy to deal with my bi polar, depression and other mental illness, trying to get on to writing my own book, memorize the Quran and learn Arabic, get back into my physio training and deal with a very messed up personal life.

All the while trying to keep myself stable... I honestly have no idea how I end up with so much that i want to do and have going on but there you have it.

Ya wanna know whats sad about that? I will likely end up reading them while I am trying to do the other two challenges. Lol. I just can't help myself.
They're not big by any means so it will likely be one an evening possibly one every two if I am realistic with my other two challenges because there are some definite books on their that mean business.

I started on the book challenge last night at 12:05am.
I was on hold (on the telephone) lol. When the call ended a short time later I read a bit more before turning out the light.

I have to say its a beautiful little book, the classic edition that i found in the clearance aisle. Hardcover with a ribbon sewn in as a book mark with the ends of the pages done in the gold to make it all nice. Its also pocket sized.
Love it.
Useful when you always have a book tucked in a purse or a a bag.

I am reading Emma Jane Austen. to start.
I can't say too much because well I haven't read enough of the book to be able to but from what I have read I will say I dislike Emma as a person/character but I love the setting, the writing and where the story could go because of that.

Now hopefully I can just get over wanting to smack her into next year.