Bedside Books: What are You Reading? + A Chance to Win SBD!
A few weeks ago @wizardave ran a great competition to share our bookshelves. It was an awesome invitation, and so many of us really relished not only the opportunity to remember what we had on our bookshelves, but contemplate how books had shaped our lives. Even better than that, we got the opportunity to share - something this platform is really wonderful for. We got to learn so much about other people through their bookcollections and we all had to admit it was one of the best things we'd shared on Steemit.
Jamie perusing the fabulous collection at artists John and Sunday Reid's house at Heide, Melbourne
With that in mind, I've been thinking alot about how we might keep this going in someway. Maybe I'm just being nosy. Maybe I just want some book reviews from you guys. However, I think it's a cool opportunity to maybe get a few upvotes for you book lovers merely by waxing lyrical about the books you're reading!
Check out some of the incredible collections:
@happysmileyman 's small bookshelf in his truck Alice.
@ginnyannette 's beloved Jane Austen and children's books
@revisesociology 's barrier to a nomadic lifestyle (because he can't carry his books around)
@mistermercury's growing library after having to sell most of his in a time of need
@mrprofessor 's love of travel books and music here
And if you're interested, you can see my shelves here
But oh, my gosh, it took a long time to present our bookshelves. And if you've ever spent hours in a bookshelf just window shopping, it took just as long to read about them here.
@mountainjewel took so long to get around to all her various stacks and shelves she missed the competition entirely. However, she did convince me to think about ordering Toka Pa's Belonging 'Remembering Ourselves Home' as well as a flight to the Ozarks just to curl up next to her bookshelves. Not in a creepy way, just in an I love books kinda way.
@mountainjewel's collection, partly inherited from her book loving Grandma
So I got to thinking about this beautifully intimate sharing of books and lives, and wanted to keep it going, but maybe in a less laborious way. Maybe we could share our mini-stacks. A little portion of our book lives in this moment in time, and a bit of enthusiastic sharing of what we're enjoying - or hey, maybe that we're simply ploughing through just because we feel we ought to (although I did that with Ulysses once, and I didn't get past page 10 for two years)
Are you up for it?
The Rules
- Create a steembabble about the three books you're digging or hey - FORCED to read at the moment!
- Explain a little about what they're about, and what led you to read them
- Throw in a couple of photos to pretty it up a bit
- Refer back to this post in your answer
- Pop your post link at the bottom.
I'm going to let it run for 2 weeks, so I'll write another post to remind you in the meantime. Sometimes we're so busy that a week just isn't enough to get our shit together. And hey - maybe we are busy READING!
Depending on this post payout, response and my financial status in two weeks time (that'll take us to, say, end of June) I'll reward two, maybe THREE amazing book-folk with 2SBD, and definitely put together a summary post curating your wonderfulness.
You'll definitely be in the running if I end up ordering one of your choices!
So, would you like to know what I'm reading?!!
My mini stack at the moment consists of three books - Jack Kornfield's 'A Path With Heart', and 'The Art of Frugal Hedonism' by Annie Raiser-Rowland and Adam Grubb.
The Art of Frugal Hedonism
I bought this listening to a interview on ABC Radio National here in Australia, mainly as Annie sounds like one amazing chic. You can listen to it here: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lifematters/frugalistas/8124376 and I highly recommend you do! She talks about her crazy frugal hedonistic childhood and chasing volcanoes, and getting married at Melbourne Town Hall in a homemade bear suit.
I love the way she begins by talking about RELISHING. It goes right to the heart of mindfulness and attentiveness really - that we can spend so much time acculumating wealth and worrying about STUFF that we forget that we have many of life's greatest pleasures right here and now:
We humans are ripe with nerve endings. Why waste them? Your author Annie remembers being a kid running around the bulk foods store with her best friend, plunging arms into the giant bins of dry beans and rating the different varieties for how fun they were for arm-plunging. She seems to recall that kidney beans won, and while it is possible that you might be asked to take your business elsewhere if you try this as an adult, it does serve to illustrate how thickly strewn our daily lives are with sensual delights just begging to be noticed.
The problem is, she postulates, is finding the sweet spot between working enough to meet our needs, and working too much to enjoy life's wonderful pleasures, like drinking wine in the park in the sunshine with your best friend, watching a sunset or other things that don't cost a lot of money, but are worth so much for our lives. Whilst I do many of the things she suggests anyway, I really like her philosophical approach, good humour and fun tips. It's a really sweet book and I'm going to pass it on to my son's girlfriend who's always trying to find ways to save. You can find her book and review chapters here
Jack Kornfield: A Path with Heart
The yoga studio I frequent in Torquay, Yoke Yoga, is a place of heart, and in fact that's their thing: 'Yoke of the Heart'. Yogic philosophy often talks about that unity of breath, mind and spirit or heart that brings joy and contentment to our lives, and maybe even a bit of bliss and connection to the divine. There's such a gorgeous community there and, upon talking about books, I suggested that we start a book lending library (I'm even pushing book stuff out in the real world!). We bring some books in for others to borrow, and can take things home. I feel a little guilty for having this one for so long, but I tell you what, my Ayurvedic book has gone to about ten people with no sign of being returned soon!
Jack Kornfield is well known for teaching meditation. He was trained as a Buddhist monk and has been teaching since 1974, bringing Buddhism and mindfulness practice to the West. His books are really accessible and full of relatable metaphors about vipassana (insight) meditation and mindfulness practice. It's the kind of book I like to dip into to remind myself to stay on the dhamma path. You can listen to his wisdoms on podcasts and talks here. I love dipping in - it just calms me down even reading it.
Have you ever started a lending library? I highly recommend it.
Welcome to Lagos: Chibundu Onuzo
I love Nigerian fiction - there's something about the subject matter and the writing style that really appeals to me, so I'll generally pick it up when I can. I loved Adichie's Half of a Yellow Sun. I haven't read a fiction book in a while, but this came via my Dad, and if Dad says read it, I generally do as I'm told. I'm really enjoying it so far, but haven't read far enough to give it a review. Here's a blurb:
Well, that's my stack. I probably should knuckle down to reading it, instead of just steeming about it!
Really looking forward to seeing what books you have sunk yourselves into!
Oh I so loved that challenge. Sadly I did a super rushed entry at the last min. I have actually been meaning to revisit the topic ever since. Weather I manage to hit this challenge or not I know I will be posting on books in the future.
For now I for sure want to read this entire comment thread. With that in mind I am just dropping a quick comment so I will remember to pop back in for more in depth reading. Glad you brought the subject back up.
Yay. I do hope you have time!! I'll be doing a reminder in a few days as I know one week is never enough! 💖
Fantastic idea! It was a blast writing about the book's shelf for @wizardave, thanks for mentioning me wohoo.
When I saw this post my creativity immediately kicked in. This week I'll pick up the third book to complete with the two I have by my side.
Fun, Fun.
Yay! I love your posts @mrprofessor and can't wait to read the one on books.
@chazzie-leigh
Awwwn...i love this and would like to participate. Do ebooks count?
Yes, of course. Are they 'books' or only published as ebooks? Just, the covers or images of the covers make for pretty posts and you know the old saying about judging a book by it's cover! Excited to see your post, that would be awesome! xxx
Lol...thank you. They are books. Expect an entry from me soon.
Can't wait!!! So excited! Don't worry... you have 2 weeks!!!
allllriiiiiight here's ours xoxo
this is a great post for a number of reasons. I like the format, how it reads, how it is presented, but most of all I like how it encourages engagement. Im going away on holidays in a few weeks and my hope is to read Allen Cars quick smoking book. Have not read a book since my last holiday and it was Girl on the Train
I am running an experiment here on steemit with the aim of improving retention and the steemit experience and after looking at your account I think it is something you might enjoy. come on over and join in on the discussion
https://steemit.com/steemit/@paulag/let-s-grow-steemit-together-direct-engagement-experiment-week-1
Thanks so much for your kind comment - it's always a nice thing when someone takes the time to comment on your efforts!... I'll pop over and have a look. I hope you write a post about your 3 books! Maybe it could be: 3 Holidays, 3 Books!
that is a really good idea 3 Holidays, 3 Books. thank you!
Love this contest, and love the books you have introduced me too, I will be getting involved in this for sure.
Fabulous!! Would LOVE to see what you are reading! I do feel rather voyeuristic, but if you can't pop over to SEE people's bookshelves, whaddya gonna do? xx
you are seriously so cool. come curl up with my bookshelves!! :) love this contest. i resteemed it so more will see. i'll consider throwing my hat in- but you already gave away my favorite book i'm reading (tokopa's...). surely i have to include that one. i'm so happy to hear i inspired you to look into it. seriously seriously amazing. glad you followed up on your desire to keep people sharing their books!! xxx
Yay thanks for the confidence vote! I think you definately have to rave some more about Tokapa... like fermented carrots, we just can't hear enough of your enthusiasm.. (I'm not sure if that makes sense by I just woke up) ... Thanks for the resteem! It's just such a nice way to get to know peeps, don't you think?
okay, well if you say so, i'll rave some more ;) i've actually been meaning to write a review of her book, but it seems a bit daunting trying to encapsulate into a post something that touches me profoundly on so many levels. been wanting to read jack's book above, too, by the way for some time. as a book worm, yes i think it def helps us get to know each other!
Brilliantly creative way for people to share their passion for books! I may do an entry but will definitely resteem on my book blog to spread the word. Four more days right?
Thank You thankyou Thank You...!!!! Please do enter. It's two weeks.. I will post again but I wanted to give everyone a good chance to enter xx Appreciate the resteem and off to check out your blog!
Nice selection - although as to the first one I think it'd just wind me up - I much prefer JLF's systemic-analytic approach to frugality and ERE.
Which stack to choose is the only problem!
As to thr later - I've only read 'Things fall apart which was truly excellent.
There was a fabulous doc called Welcome to Lagos on bbc a few years ago.
I saw that - I think it's still online so I must watch it. What/who is JLF? I've given up on the hedonistic frugality one - it's cute and comic and there are some good ideas, but it's a little twee for me. I hope you share your stack!
Jacob Lund Fisker - Early Retirement Extreme --- he calls his approach 'applied capitalism' and developed the concept of the Renaissance Man to explain how there are '4 dimensions' to work on to retire early - financial, social, self-reliance and I can't remember the fourth one... damn work of genius if you ask me.
That doc is quite old now, but very well put together, especially the first episode.
I will share, I love these competitions.
Brilliant... !!!!