tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42347672882247386302024-03-12T18:50:34.410-07:00A Reading LifeWherein a bookworm explores his reading habits, book collecting, and the wonders of the written word.Book_Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709573446419222296noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234767288224738630.post-66695890166298075342009-08-07T14:32:00.000-07:002009-08-07T14:34:27.636-07:00We've Moved!Thats right, the blog has moved and had a name change. Come join me at http://deusexlibrus.wordpress.com/ and check out Life in the Stacks! See you there!Book_Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709573446419222296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234767288224738630.post-18062640440706016622009-08-06T15:12:00.000-07:002009-08-06T15:24:53.166-07:00Booking Through Thursday: Recent Serious<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBULhyyHKYJFFR86vCHcqmV47TwEZlW38p-ulgLGkgdsRrmxd27qXIW4lnuVBgEHbRQi98ex_52zNQq7KSSa5pj2iY5H2R0OuJNi93Sx7vXo5Y2MVPTfdFqC75_9Eib4C0LMwzxGTYC7ai/s1600-h/blogging+through+Thursday+badge.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100px; height: 34px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBULhyyHKYJFFR86vCHcqmV47TwEZlW38p-ulgLGkgdsRrmxd27qXIW4lnuVBgEHbRQi98ex_52zNQq7KSSa5pj2iY5H2R0OuJNi93Sx7vXo5Y2MVPTfdFqC75_9Eib4C0LMwzxGTYC7ai/s320/blogging+through+Thursday+badge.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366977550883302946" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#4F402A;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">What’s the most serious book you’ve read recently?<br />(I figure it’s easier than asking your most serious boook ever, because, well, it’s recent!)</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#4F402A;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#4F402A;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#4F402A;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This is rather difficult as I read significantly less fiction than I should. As you can tell from "Currently Reading" at the top of the page, all four books I'm reading at the moment are non-fiction. However, if I had to choose one, I'd probably have to say a People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn, or maybe the Joseph Smith Biography. Patience and Fortitude is a good read, but its rather fluffy. Charing Cross Road is an epistolary and rather laugh out loud funny, think female Lewis Black Chewing out a British Bookseller, and you've got the basic idea. The Joseph Smith biography, I'm obviously kind of speechless on. The thing has its ups and downs, definitely has some "What the..." moments, but overall its pretty dry and boring. Zinn's book is extremely interesting in approach and ideas, but it feels like walking through thick mud at times, which is why in the end, it ties with the Smith biography. I just can't decide.</span></span></div>Book_Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709573446419222296noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234767288224738630.post-1333565174019136692009-08-06T14:58:00.000-07:002009-08-06T15:09:36.972-07:00More Bookstores TodayJust got back from Magus Books and the University of Washington bookstore. Picked up a copy of Q's Legacy from the UW store I had them transfer from another branch. It wasn't the edition I was wanting, but I'm gonna keep it anyway. Still going to find a twin to 84 Charing Cross Road, but I figure there's no harm in having more than one edition, which, I guess says something about me as a bibliophile. What can I say, I like the book.<div><br /></div><div>Found a copy of Tales of Beedle the Bard for $2, didn't buy it though. My girlfriend said something about having a copy she'd be willing to give me, although the connection was horrid, so I'm not quite sure if I heard her right, I hope so. Its a measly $2, but then again I'm not exactly rolling in money at them moment.</div><div><br /></div><div>Which brings me to Easton Press. DEAR GOD IS THIS LOVELY AFFORDABLE BOOK PORN OR WHAT! Check out eastonpressbooks.com to see what I mean. They've got sets of Chronicles of Narnia and the Dark is Rising, VERY NICE COPIES, that I've just gotta have. I read Narnia as a little kid to the point that one of the books split in half. Also read the Dark is Rising, but didn't know until recently that there was a whole series. Also found a two volume set of the writings of His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama. Not sure they're the complete writings though, or they'd have to be pretty darn thick to include all the books he's written. Either way I wants it. It should be rather obvious by now that I'm a total bibliophile, infact, I hope to end up like the guy that writes Dr Johnson's Compendium of Fantastic, Whimsical, and Weird Books: horrorfictionnews.com/blog/. This is quite possibly one of the most awesome book blogs I've ever seen, and I highly recommend it.</div>Book_Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709573446419222296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234767288224738630.post-57945565099558597072009-08-06T08:17:00.000-07:002009-08-06T08:19:18.790-07:00Title RevampAfter having kind of a blah title for the longest time, I've been thinking about renaming the blog. I mean, seriously, "A Reading Life" just doesn't really pull you in. So, any ideas, suggestions, etc, feel free to post in comments and I'll take 'em into consideration.Book_Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709573446419222296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234767288224738630.post-39900671564195372762009-08-06T07:40:00.000-07:002009-08-06T08:05:31.525-07:00Book Buying Habits of the Poor and BibliophilicWell, poor is a relative term, I get $200 a month for expenses from my parents while I'm in college (dear God I hope she doesn't read this blog!) and most of it goes to going out with friends in one form or another (movies, DVD rentals, restaurants, etc) but an overwhelming majority of that money goes to books. Books seem to multiply in my dorm room and bedroom at home like unto paper rabbits, its nuts.<div><br /></div><div>When I'm home, I have about a half dozen or so bookstores I'll visit about once a week, including used, independents, and B&N. *shivers with disgust* Now, I should probably mention the fact that I'm extremely picky about Barnes & Noble. I'll buy magazines from them, and occasionally a book, there are some gems, but most of their stuff is either BS, or I can get cheaper on the internet, even with their joke of a member's discount, which only really serves to take care of sales tax. Did I mention I don't like chain bookstores?</div><div><br /></div><div>On the other hand, we've got a nice variety of used and independent stores here in Seattle. Half Price is amazing. I know what you're thinking, "Half Price is a chain, didn't you just say you detest chain bookstores?" Well, yes, but used bookstores are an exception because they're honestly more like independents in selection and atmosphere. Last week when I was at my local Half Price I found a bunch of books by a wonderful woman by the name of Alice A Bailey. Now, understand, Bailey was a Theosophist. These are the guys that started the movement back in the 1800's that degraded into what we know as the "New Age." These books however, are not what we think of as New Age now, they are vastly more thought provoking and challenging. Not to mention the fact that they're hard to find in brick and mortar stores, damn near impossible, actually. Which is why I just about fainted when I saw about half the set sitting on Half Price's New Age shelves, and snapped up a couple on the spot.</div><div><br /></div><div>Half Price, however, is only the tip of the iceberg, and really the most boring part. Halfway between my house and that Half Price is a little place called Magus Books, an independent used book merchant in the truest sense. This place is lit by giant plate glass windows and halogen bulbs, peeling paint on the walls, the smell of old books in the air. Its absolutely awe inspiring. Just about the only thing missing for me about this place is the lack of stacks of unshelved books in the aisles. I've found Rosicrucian and Freemason bibles here (and kicked myself because I was broke and couldn't afford either) nice copies of the Her Krishna edition of the Bhagavad Gita from the 60's, all kinds of crazy odds and ends on the shelves. I could walk around this place browsing for hours, and it isn't much more than a hole in the wall. Not to mention the fact I've had my eye on a couple books in the antiquarian/collectible cabinet at the front of the store for a while now, if only they're still there when I have some money again, they'll be mine, all mine, MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! *rubs hands with a sinister grin*</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Sorry, got a bit carried away there, Booking Through Thursday post should be up sometime this afternoon.</div>Book_Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709573446419222296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234767288224738630.post-40410098959987762962009-07-09T20:41:00.001-07:002009-07-09T20:56:59.557-07:00Booking Through Thursday: UNREAD BOOKS!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMFZku8cpCaVHToTYSCYwOPaiv0_C65WWA0tEC_PCasn_2dGfUhrx7Rp3lrEKwdkqUWQeb3pgrJm-vvYAocUdsGdikOU0sPMp6iuC-mWtKGGzhX2SmGCkpUgypSSvNRr45WpziEWpG38kS/s1600-h/blogging+through+Thursday+badge.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100px; height: 34px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMFZku8cpCaVHToTYSCYwOPaiv0_C65WWA0tEC_PCasn_2dGfUhrx7Rp3lrEKwdkqUWQeb3pgrJm-vvYAocUdsGdikOU0sPMp6iuC-mWtKGGzhX2SmGCkpUgypSSvNRr45WpziEWpG38kS/s320/blogging+through+Thursday+badge.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356672170654108978" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#4F402A;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">So here today I present to you an Unread Books Challenge. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Give me the list or take a picture of all the books you have stacked on your bedside table, hidden under the bed or standing in your shelf – the books you have not read, but keep meaning to.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> The books that begin to weigh on your mind. The books that make you cover your ears in conversation and say, ‘No! Don’t give me another book to read! I can’t finish the ones I have!’</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#4F402A;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#4F402A;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Honestly, the easiest way I have to do this is to point you to the "unread" collection of my LT profile: http://www.librarything.com/catalog/DeusExLibrus/toread. Fortunately I don't read many books other people, at least on LT read, so I don't have to worry much about spoilers. I have, however, been inspired by the Green Brothers: youtube.com/vlogbrothers, and my bibliophilic friends to start reading fiction again, as well as some non-fiction that I have thats been sitting around for a while. :D</span></span></div>Book_Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709573446419222296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234767288224738630.post-68330919004894986502009-06-19T15:31:00.000-07:002009-06-19T15:36:38.630-07:00Turtle Feet by Nikolai Grozni<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Pkv4b_lAH9IorRsImBFwFq4eTblLrJijIEcSBdip7cY01enAS1pnFI-sWx_d6iIYUcB6idPrHoLGhkFDPs4OQp6knDX8StMDaIRgP6NN6wwMF7PRSLfZykyTU-wi87-YLrQYXbCK96G3/s1600-h/159448984X.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 140px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Pkv4b_lAH9IorRsImBFwFq4eTblLrJijIEcSBdip7cY01enAS1pnFI-sWx_d6iIYUcB6idPrHoLGhkFDPs4OQp6knDX8StMDaIRgP6NN6wwMF7PRSLfZykyTU-wi87-YLrQYXbCK96G3/s320/159448984X.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349170296638329554" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana; line-height: 16px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; ">Turtle Feet Chronicles Nikolai Grozni's experiences studying Tibetan Buddhism as an ordained monk in Dharamsala, India. While we see a bit of his life as a monk, the book focuses to a disappointing degree on his eccentric friend Tsar, a Bosnian ex-patriot, ex-monk.<br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana; line-height: 16px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; ">This book is amazing. While I wish it had spent more time on the monastic life and significantly less on his friends exploits, it does do a good job of showing how messed up living a completely cloistered life can make people. Fair warning however, do not read this book if you're into political correctness, uber-liberal, or any such thing. Grozni doesn't sugar coat his experiences, and he runs into some pretty stupid out of touch people. A primary example being one of his teachers, Geshe Yama Tseten, who looks up the identity of an animal he claims attacked him on a mountain top in a book about sea life, and is a vitriolic xenophobe when it comes to westerners, calling them fools, and putting them on the same level as domesticated animals in intelligence.</span><br /></span></div>Book_Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709573446419222296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234767288224738630.post-14340412309774087832009-06-16T15:22:00.000-07:002009-06-16T15:56:23.681-07:00Tuesday Thingers: Because I'm Bored<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQ0n2JwIh6IIhnn7yiCpoOisAI7V0PKqhyv9Jkw96cezFWxKhlKUC8262ci81URmFLlvkqwblkVZplODMV9ssz1nsIFjGshO5yRW7x8bK4R1CbB07guw_z1zVUP6QHJpzNC-UE75MGqFc/s1600-h/Tuesday+Thingers+badge.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 84px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQ0n2JwIh6IIhnn7yiCpoOisAI7V0PKqhyv9Jkw96cezFWxKhlKUC8262ci81URmFLlvkqwblkVZplODMV9ssz1nsIFjGshO5yRW7x8bK4R1CbB07guw_z1zVUP6QHJpzNC-UE75MGqFc/s320/Tuesday+Thingers+badge.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348054480827784802" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="">Ok, I should probably be vacuuming before my mom's friends (including a couple mutual ones) get here for her Tuesday knitting circle. Instead, because I haven't been at this for a while, I'm going to do this week's Tuesday Thinger, followed by one or two old ones.</span><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px;"><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Arial"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>Have you explored the new Collections feature? Do you plan to use the new Collections? Are you going to add any special collections? If so, what are they?</b></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Arial; min-height: 16.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b></b></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 14.0px Arial"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I'll admit it, I've been waiting for Collections functionality ever since I joined and heard rumors about it, sometime back in 06 or 07 if memory serves. I don't plan to use them, I use them, all the preconfigured ones, as well as a couple I made myself. With the advent of collections I took my "Religion & Spirituality Library" tag and converted it into a collection. Its sort of the focus of my whole collection, so I thought it deserved its own. Someone's probably achieved more complete collection of this sort of literature, but mine is still growing, and it is rather specialized. I also created a collection for all the books I read last year, and for the ones I'm reading this year. I've considered converting my fiction and non-fiction tags to collections, but I'm a bit on the fence about it.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 14.0px Georgia; min-height: 16.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 14.0px Arial; min-height: 16.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Arial"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>What other weekly memes or round robins do you participate in? Is this the only one? Why Tuesday Thingers and not some other weekly Tuesday meme? Or do you do more than one?</b></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 24.0px; font: 14.0px Arial; min-height: 16.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Arial"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">In addition to Tuesday Thingers, I do the Sunday Salon, Booking Through Thursday, and am planning to add Musing Mondays to the list. If anyone knows of a weekly meme for Wednesday let me know at romartin at linfield dot edu. I got into Tuesday Thinger because it was started at Librarything, which I absolutely love, and is quite honestly an avid reader/bibliophile's dream come true in some ways</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Arial; min-height: 16.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Arial; min-height: 16.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Arial"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>Cataloging sources. What cataloging sources do you use most? Any particular reason? Any idiosyncratic choices, or foreign sources, or sources you like better than others? Are you able to find most things through LT’s almost 700 sources?</b></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 24.0px; font: 14.0px Arial; color: #333333; min-height: 16.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Arial"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I try to use the Library of Congress as much as I can. No reason really, just my own little idiosyncratic habit i guess. When I can't find records for a book in the LoC I usually use amazon.com</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Arial; min-height: 16.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Arial; min-height: 16.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Arial"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Sorry for the weird formatting on this post. Just getting back into the groove and finding I have to relearn some of this stuff.</span></p></span></div>Book_Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709573446419222296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234767288224738630.post-80312650223606841422009-06-16T14:44:00.000-07:002009-06-16T15:15:09.549-07:00BOOKSTORES!Found this meme and I figured I'd get things going again:<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; "><span style="font-style: italic; ">What's your favorite bookstore?</span><br />I'd have to say Quest Bookshop in Seattle. Its a metaphysical bookstore that is run by the Theosophical society. The Seattle branch's lending library is in a big back room and open to the public (although there's a membership fee to actually borrow books you can literally sit there and read the whole couple thousand book collection if you wanted). You could find just about any book you could possibly want to read about western or eastern religion and spirituality in the store or library, its incredible. Its just a little hole in the wall store, but I've literally gotten lost in there!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; ">Have you ever traveled out of state or out of the country, just to visit a particular bookstore?</span><br />No, I can honestly say I haven't. I've gone to Powell's in Portland a number of times, but I was always in Portland to visit friends anyway. I would love to go to the Strand, however, and my well see about going to visit a cousin who lives there just to have an excuse.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; ">Have you ever gone on a date to a bookstore? Would you consider a bookstore to be a romantic place?</span><br />I wouldn't exactly consider a bookstore romantic, although I have ended up at the local Indie shop in the town where I go to college.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; ">What's the latest you've stayed out at night at a bookstore?</span><br />I can honestly say I've never stayed that late at any bookstore. Usually I'm there during the day.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; ">Do you like to go with friends or by yourself?</span><br />If its someone thats willing to be on their own and dialogue a bit, but doesn't mind me not following them around all the time, book shopping with someone can be kind of fun. Mostly when I shop I tend to browse, picking up interesting looking books and reading pages at a time, so I really prefer to be on my own.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; ">What would your dream bookstore be like?</span><br />I've come close to it with Quest (see first question). It'd be a place that specializes in Eastern Religion, Metaphysics, spirituality, etc, with big comfy chairs for reading (which Quest has in the lending library, the retail store in the front is too small, and its pretty packed with shelves). I'd be on a first name basis with everyone working there, I'd be able to mention some obscure teacher no one's heard of, and they'd know who they were right off the bat and be able to tell me if there was anything in stock (somehow Indies especially don't really sit with me well when the people who work there don't even know their own stock.) It'd be well lit, mostly by big windows that let lots of light in during the summer, and good quality lamps (not those horrid halogen atrocities) in the summer.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; ">What's your favorite specialty bookstore and what does it specialize in?</span><br />See the first question.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; ">Have you ever worked at a bookstore or wanted to? </span><span style="font-style: italic; ">Do people ever mistake you for a bookstore employee and ask you questions as you browse? </span><br />Never worked in a bookstore, but would like to. However, I'd go for a job in an independent or used store before something like B&N, although I wouldn't pass up a job and Barnes and Noble were it offered, especially in this economy (employee discount DROOL). I can honestly say i've never been mistaken for an employee. However, at least in the religion area of the Barnes and Noble at the University District in Seattle I could probably do a better job of locating a book for someone than most of the staff. I've certainly spent enough time in that nook to know the stock pretty intimately.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; ">Do you like bookstore cafes? Would you consider a bookstore a social destination as opposed to strictly a retail destination?</span><br />Honestly I'm not a big fan. People tend to bring stock up there before they've bought it from what I've seen. This usually results in the book getting damaged or food smudged on it, and when I go to a bookstore I usually expect to find the stock in good condition, minor shelf wear excepted. Shelf wear, however, does not and has never included food stains water marks, or any of a number of things I've found in books in some stores (not naming names).<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; "></span><span style="font-style: italic; ">What's the silliest thing you've ever done in a bookstore? Ever been kicked out of one?</span><br /></span>I've been known to take books on Buddhism and Hinduism and mix them into the Christianity section. Christians do it all the time, so I figure its only fair. *evil grin* Never been kicked out of a bookstore though.</div>Book_Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709573446419222296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234767288224738630.post-47038524109606072072009-06-16T14:30:00.001-07:002009-06-16T14:31:54.546-07:00Somehow I let this drop by the wayside and haven't written anything in a number of months. I'll try to get things back on track over the rest of the summer, although I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to be able to pull it off as I'll probably have to take a break for the first half of the coming academic year as I'll be writing my Capstone Thesis.Book_Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709573446419222296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234767288224738630.post-19384537227815891862008-11-17T22:22:00.000-08:002008-11-17T22:29:48.671-08:00Library Book SalesToday was the first day of my college library's annual book sale. Being an unapologetic bibliophile, I of course had to go, which means I of course ended up spending money. A friend of mine found like fourteen volumes from one of those insanely expensive book clubs. You know, the ones that sell books that cost $50 a month for two years? Being sold for $2 each, I of course had to snatch them up before someone else got their grubby mits on 'em. I'll post the complete list later, but it includes:<br /><br />John Bunyan's a Pilgrim's Progress<br />Robinson Crusoe<br />Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained and other Poems by John Milton<br /><br />Pilgrim's Progress and Paradise Lost & Regained were especially nice finds, as I've been looking for nice editions of them for a while. Robinson Crusoe is one of those classics that boys used to read that I never got around to picking up, and having the father that I do, who grew up as a boy scout, and read all that sort of stuff, I feel kind of lacking somehow.Book_Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709573446419222296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234767288224738630.post-7412264182254854442008-11-17T22:13:00.000-08:002008-11-17T22:21:20.923-08:00[TSS} Tibetan Buddhism FTW!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuRJQArXDpa7vev13VaMvEirgqHblYp_EuvcyvHraQgc_KIXq5KJ3-OZOFs7xO0H6VMfoJCKVHotgEhN8U-KuLgWSWciohUHS7eiXFu6yTtzSz-YWjKRx7S4q8dla2Wduo_M6k0gVQ5-j/s1600-h/the+Sunday+Salon+badge.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 125px; height: 66px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuRJQArXDpa7vev13VaMvEirgqHblYp_EuvcyvHraQgc_KIXq5KJ3-OZOFs7xO0H6VMfoJCKVHotgEhN8U-KuLgWSWciohUHS7eiXFu6yTtzSz-YWjKRx7S4q8dla2Wduo_M6k0gVQ5-j/s320/the+Sunday+Salon+badge.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269877180926215138" border="0" /></a>Having had two big tests on Friday, I planned to spend this past weekend catching up on reading for my Buddhism class. I had a section to read in one book, and another to finish. Well, it being a "light" homework weekend, I ended up spending the majority of my time watching TV and hanging with friends. I went on a bit of a trip down memory lane watching the 1977 Hobbit, and 1980 Rerturn of the King cartoons, which I found on youtube and were awesome. If you haven't seen them yet, you should rent them sometime, they're amazing, and they include the songs Tolkien wrote, which were sadly lacking from Peter Jackson's masterworks.<br /><br />Back to books, however. Planning to read the section on Tibetan Buddhism in the Buddhist Handbook, and finish a book by the XIVth Dalai Lama titled "the Buddhism of Tibet", I succeeded in only reading the section from the Handbook. I'm halfway through HH's book, but I'm utterly bogged down. I've read plenty of books on Buddhism and some on Tibetan Buddhism before, but this book makes me feel like I'm wading through cement as it dries.Book_Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709573446419222296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234767288224738630.post-17798820928595351882008-11-10T00:18:00.000-08:002008-11-10T00:32:12.582-08:00[TSS]WIZARDS WIZARDS EVERYWHERE!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBV9jr-0jyq5iMhRbf5zsp2rcUgCerHil-z6DAZsnqCn5OJFF_5MUYk5B3fCq96AVnW6ejdL1uz70WprtUZMw2h27QRiMS82vSwC62pTj6iNk9P-KJxMqPpYkqHi5_Zsj1ZDs2Gf_BW-xM/s1600-h/the+Sunday+Salon+badge.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 125px; height: 66px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBV9jr-0jyq5iMhRbf5zsp2rcUgCerHil-z6DAZsnqCn5OJFF_5MUYk5B3fCq96AVnW6ejdL1uz70WprtUZMw2h27QRiMS82vSwC62pTj6iNk9P-KJxMqPpYkqHi5_Zsj1ZDs2Gf_BW-xM/s320/the+Sunday+Salon+badge.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266943798530219538" border="0" /></a><br />Finished Wizard of Eathsea over the weekend. Its the second time I've read it, and I really enjoyed it. Le Quinn crafts an interesting character in Sparrowhawk, and she almost creates a new subgenre of fantasy with WoE. I haven't read any of the other books in the cycle yet, but WoE for me at least, reads in many parts, like an epic poem in prose. I'm currently stuck between continuing on to read the Tombs of Atuan, which I've not read yet, or starting Wizard's First Rule. So, what say you, my likely miniscule audience? Should I read Tombs, or start Wizard's First Rule? or read both at the same time? (Keeping in mind I have schoolwork to do as well.)<br /><br /><br />I realise this blog has been a bit inactive over the past weeks. I've been rather busy getting some school junk taken care of, and this sort of fell to the wayside. Fear not, however, for I plan to make posts a bit more regular from now on. I'm working on putting my thoughts on WoE down in pixels at the moment, and they should be up for you to read sometime this week.Book_Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709573446419222296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234767288224738630.post-71232813622389058492008-11-08T15:34:00.000-08:002008-11-17T22:32:11.279-08:00A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le GuinnMisses Le Guinn is considered one of the Grandmasters of the fantasy genre, and WoE demonstrates exactly why. The book is written almost like an epic poem in prose, and follows the beginning of the life of a wizard known as Sparrowhawk, or Ged. Ged has lived the first eleven years of his life on the Isle of Gont, one of many isles in the world of Earthsea, where Wizards are real.<br /><br />As a child he learns from a witch who lives in the village, before using the power he has just learned to turn a group of marauders back from the village. Because of this event he is sent off to study with the wizard Ogion. Eventually he is sent to the Wizard academy on the island of Roke, where he unknowingly frees an evil force. Ged spends the rest of the book pursuing the Shadow before finally confronting it for the final time and at the end of the world.<br /><br />Magic in Earthsea is like no other system you've ever seen. Very little magic is true change. There are charms that patch boats, and do any number of other things. However, most magic utilises an object's "true name" to change or summon it. We see examples of this when Ged and some of his friends are playing with magic at the academy. Springs are called up from the ground, but the water was not truly refreshing or filling. Magic is rarely made permanent, as anything that causes permanent change can possibly unbalance the world.Book_Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709573446419222296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234767288224738630.post-80726684372891108292008-10-08T16:03:00.000-07:002008-10-08T16:16:56.529-07:00Spiritual Manifestos by Niles Elliot GoldsteinLike God at 2000, this is one of those books you should really take a look at if you've become disenchanted with organized religion. Goldstein, a New York Jew, has collected ten short articles (None are over ~20 pages) written by clergy from different religions about how they are working to revitalize their religion to keep it relevant in the 21st century. These include three protestants (including a couple who co-minister a congregation), two Catholics, three Jews, a Zen Roshi, and a Unitarian Universalist minister. Of these there are four women represented. While there was some theological diversity, I was a bit surprised that there was no repsesentative of Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism, or Islam included in this collection, especcially as they all have very active communities in the US.<br /><br />I confess, I didn't read every word of all ten manifestos. I skipped the pieces written by Rabbis, primarily because I didn't find them engaging, although others very well might. I also found the piece written by UU minister Reverend Stephanie R Nichols twice, although being a UU myself, one can understand why I might take particular interest in that piece.Book_Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709573446419222296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234767288224738630.post-62355247574211640222008-10-03T15:00:00.001-07:002008-10-03T15:03:52.082-07:00the Army of the Republic by Stuart Cohenthe Army of the Republic is a finely crafted work in the tradition of 1984, Fahrenheit 451, going back to the beginning of the 20th century. Lando, James, Anne, and Emily are finely crafted extremely believable characters. James, the closest thing we see to a bad guy first hand is not your typical purely evil villain. He's human, manipulated by the "corporates" he believes himself to be one of, unable to see past his own filters to the reality of what his son is doing until its too late. Lando is the man many of us wish we were, the guy that didn't give up his ideals after college, and went on to put his own neck on the line to protect them.<br /><br />The best way I have of describing this book is to imagine 1984 crossed with V for Vendetta, with just a dash of the Siege, and you'll have some idea of the amazingness of this book. My only real gripe is that it seems to simply cut off at the end. There's no clear conclusion as to whether the AoR and the resistance it led were successful or failed. Still, the reality of this book is so close to what we are living now, and so believable, its disturbing. The AoR should be on everyone's reading list this year.Book_Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709573446419222296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234767288224738630.post-16312597565594919472008-09-16T13:16:00.000-07:002008-09-16T13:32:56.345-07:00Tuesday Thingers, ON TUESDAY, OMG!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEIDb4Zut7vNE0wKu8O2yZHFywa5NQPmL-i_lpNi1e_O33apN53dZpvHb-Tzz8Xr8mjnj7qh6uZvCwYEFGZlqvzHtyKlWxHsZF5U0tIUUl8V2LalKFU62shCdsQn7brBCuIBbv70ZQrAx/s1600-h/Tuesday+Thingers+badge.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEIDb4Zut7vNE0wKu8O2yZHFywa5NQPmL-i_lpNi1e_O33apN53dZpvHb-Tzz8Xr8mjnj7qh6uZvCwYEFGZlqvzHtyKlWxHsZF5U0tIUUl8V2LalKFU62shCdsQn7brBCuIBbv70ZQrAx/s320/Tuesday+Thingers+badge.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246717902262945138" border="0" /></a>Today's Question: Have you ever added a quote to the quotation field in common knowledge? What's a quote you particularly like from a book, one that you know by heart?<br /><br /><br />I haven't added any quotes to CK. However, I have edited a few that cut off in the wrong spot (the opening sentence of Small Favor for example). As for quotes, one of my favorite series is the Dresden Files, by Jim Butcher. While the whole series is great for quotes (Harry, the main character, is the king of snark, or at least high up in the court) one of my favorites is: "And again I do answer thee: Bite me." Keep in mind Harry is talking to a Fae, a fairy. The fae in Celtic lore and the Dresden Files are not cute little winged girls. The Fae are incredibly dangerous nature spirits, so to tell one of them to "bite me" is kind of bad-ass. Either that or incredibly stupid.Book_Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709573446419222296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234767288224738630.post-38244061089222575712008-09-07T20:00:00.000-07:002008-09-07T20:04:46.057-07:00[TSS]: wardrobe malfunctions<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTsB_q_lfWz8YP7jHkdCHCNjxohoBZ3Y2lkgNX0CyQiV7kDmtpPc5qqD4CQ84Trwj3o6Mo1rppz8adRU44whiSLB2IF5CWzo5dyvZGI_gwkvFZoUNEjT6LSsraXaclZ8eXmfC7dXwe06Nw/s1600-h/the+Sunday+Salon+badge.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTsB_q_lfWz8YP7jHkdCHCNjxohoBZ3Y2lkgNX0CyQiV7kDmtpPc5qqD4CQ84Trwj3o6Mo1rppz8adRU44whiSLB2IF5CWzo5dyvZGI_gwkvFZoUNEjT6LSsraXaclZ8eXmfC7dXwe06Nw/s320/the+Sunday+Salon+badge.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243480449433321682" border="0" /></a>So, I updated my Currently Reading list at the top of this page, but there seems to have been a malfunction, and the list didn't take. Either way, its up now, although I am almost through Furies of Calderon at this point. I'm going to be doing A LOT of reading for school for this semester, primarily for classes I'm taking on Christianity and Buddhism for my major, so it won't be a major chore or anything. All I'm saying is thank God for my reading nook. Having a comfy chair and a good reading light is going to make this semester so much better!Book_Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709573446419222296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234767288224738630.post-78671603566518853022008-09-01T14:49:00.000-07:002008-09-01T14:56:54.289-07:00[TSS] College Move in!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Ov4VP2dnwZOIKBLnHVZqV9jUxDO2Bj1HvR6XWhJyrHFxiHF8dlgkQNlxeiF-gCU-Ri14IA44gz15CJ7sddHNXlQpLWRobwzcyg7-S3AjK7zlXt4KCtf9y95tgF7q9IPfGNstCmicHJSV/s1600-h/the+Sunday+Salon+badge.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Ov4VP2dnwZOIKBLnHVZqV9jUxDO2Bj1HvR6XWhJyrHFxiHF8dlgkQNlxeiF-gCU-Ri14IA44gz15CJ7sddHNXlQpLWRobwzcyg7-S3AjK7zlXt4KCtf9y95tgF7q9IPfGNstCmicHJSV/s320/the+Sunday+Salon+badge.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241174483634566482" border="0" /></a><br />I spent this weekend moving back to college, and will be continuing to do so, so I didn't do quite as much reading as I would have liked. I got most of my stuff put away reasonably quickly, but with 3/4 of my library at school, it'll be a couple days before I get my books put away. The way things are looking, I'm going to have to put quite a few in storage in my dorm. On the upside, I've got a loft bed this year, and I've set up an awesome little reading nook underneath it. I've got two mini bookshelves in there I'm going to fill with books, the muslim prayer rug my dad got me in Kurgistan, and a nice floor lamp. My mom is going to get me an easy chair to put in there too, so all in all, it'll be bibliophile heaven.Book_Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709573446419222296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234767288224738630.post-53485089094872127462008-08-17T15:26:00.000-07:002008-08-17T15:37:06.568-07:00[TSS] Tibetan Love<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3G9A54G76F4_7_aCEqvoICHqrdB32N1D_yzGqLwX9dOAkWf7xTFQVakDdt25J5xedL32f7X_7YF0h5mQDjkOUPaTyowcX_U7HGXMMg_oYYy5TdIAKtfQNb79SQE9yLVJ-O8y7GRaWD_5r/s1600-h/the+Sunday+Salon+badge.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3G9A54G76F4_7_aCEqvoICHqrdB32N1D_yzGqLwX9dOAkWf7xTFQVakDdt25J5xedL32f7X_7YF0h5mQDjkOUPaTyowcX_U7HGXMMg_oYYy5TdIAKtfQNb79SQE9yLVJ-O8y7GRaWD_5r/s320/the+Sunday+Salon+badge.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235618850426861762" border="0" /></a><br />My main focus over the last week has been a book titled "the Joy of Living" by a Tibetan Buddhist monk with the tongue twister of a name Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. Yongey (Rinpoche is a title, equivalent to PhD in the west, not a last name) here writes about Tibetan Buddhist meditation, as well as the similarities between western science, and Buddhist teachings. I have about 75 pages left in the book, so will probably be finishing it today.<br /><br />In other unrelated news: You will notice that "the Amazing Adventures of Cavalier & Clay" has disappeared off my currently reading list. I love the book, its a blast, but its taking so long to get through that I'm feeling a bit of burn out, loosing the push to read it. With all the stuff I have to read, and want to share with you guys, I've decided to set Chabon's book aside for a while.Book_Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709573446419222296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234767288224738630.post-29824009661160562102008-08-13T18:33:00.000-07:002008-08-13T18:34:43.865-07:00My History Teacher Lied!Lies my Teacher Told me should be required reading in high school. The only problem? It shows how error ridden and just plain full of lies the average high school history book is. Loewen studied 12 different highschool textbooks, and discusses his findings in this amazing book. The first ten chapters discuss history as told by the textbooks he studied, and how events actually played out. Quite a bit of ink is also devoted to events key to understanding history and current events that these books simply ignore. For example the plagues that crippled a thriving native american presence in the years before Columbus arrival, and the fact that President Wilson started numerous wars to take over Latin America. These books also minimize Helen Keller's contributions to history. The woman who is famously used as encouragement for children to work hard and succeed was a radical socialist and highly active in the women's suffrage movement. The last two chapters discuss why history is taught the way it is, and the result of such practices.<br /><br />I honestly found the book a bit slow in the last two chapters, but the first ten make for amazing reading. In a book much shorter than most high school textbooks Loewen manages to create a much more intriguing history of the US. Even if the book lacked the last two chapters, I would still recommend it, but the last two, the last chapter especially, make this an even more important read, as unlike Religious Literacy Loewen explains not only how we've gone astray, but why we need to fix the problem.Book_Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709573446419222296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234767288224738630.post-70088384860954373042008-07-22T19:31:00.000-07:002008-07-22T19:33:12.690-07:00a History of God by Karen ArmstrongThis is a book everyone should be required to read in high school, along with <a href="http://www.librarything.com/work/8512" class="w8512">the World's Religions</a>. Armstrong starts with ancient Israel and takes you through to the modern day, discussing the major theologians of the Abrahamic tradition (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam). This book will be enlightening and challenging for many people. One thing that becomes apparent quickly is that the Fundamentalist idea that the scriptures are meant literally is not some long lost traidition. The ancient Jews, Christians, and Muslims, all saw their scriptures as mythology, and, did not see the Old Testament as literal history. Its an excellent overview of the history of God in terms of how our concept of deity in the western traditions has changed over the past couple thousand years, however, I think she leaves out a few recent theologians who deserve a place in the chronology. However, given the restrictions of the book, I think she did an excellent job.Book_Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709573446419222296noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234767288224738630.post-58731243394787135082008-07-22T19:24:00.000-07:002008-07-22T20:35:17.154-07:00Kaimira: the Sky Village by Monk & Nigel AshlandPublication Date: July 2008<br />ISBN: 978-0-7636-3524-4<br />Price: $16.99<br /><br />The Sky Village is the first in a planned five book series, dealing with a semi post-apocalyptic future. At some unspecified point in time in history, although given the technology, probably far in our future, a war broke out between the human race, animal kingdom or "Beasts", and technology, or the "Meks." The Meks come off a bit like clone war droids, and the "Beasts" seem almost to possess human qualities at times, Elk and Moose acting almost like generals with a surprising degree of sentience, there's also the fact that at numerous points species appear in the desert when its a distinctly inhospitable environment for them. The story picks up a thousand years after, when things are starting to heat up again between the Meks and the Beasts.<br /><br />Mei is a 12 year old girl living in China whose village, Luo Ye, is attacked by the Meks. Her mother is captured, and her father goes after them. Before Leaving to hunt the Meks though, he leaves Mei at the Sky Village, a bundle of interconnected hot air balloons that are home to a large group of humans who have divorced themselves from life on the Earth. Her father gives her a mysterious book, called "the Tree Book" before he departs, out of which he has read her stories of a boy named "Breaker" her whole life.<br /><br />Unknown to Mei, a boy named Rom Saint-Pierre, nicknamed Breaker, lives with his sister Riley in the abandoned ruins of Las Vegas Nevada. Hiding from the Beats, scavenging for food, they've managed to stay alive, until their father appears, acting like a beast, and they run to a friend, who takes them to the Demon Caves, a place where humans bet on fights between demonic entities summoned from the depths of their controller's mind. Before entering the caves, Breaker discovers his father's Tree Book, from which he's heard stories about Dragonfly, Mei, since he was little. But there is a sinister presence in the Tree Books, and the fate of the world may well rest in the hands of two unsuspecting preteen children half a world apart from one another.<br /><br />The fighting demons reminded me of about a dozen different beast battle anime and manga series. Triggits, small diamond like pieces of tech, along with helmets are used to summon and control the demon. Crush the triggit and win. But wait! Because of the Kaimira gene both Mei and Rom, who is forced to fight in the demon battles possess, Rom doesn't need the tech! I won't give away the ending, except to say that the Sky Village really functions as world creation and set up for the rest of the series, which looks to be a pretty wild ride.<br /><br />Given, the Sky Village isn't exactly revolutionary, however, any child or adult fan of Sci Fi/Fantasy should find something of interest in this series, and I will definitely be looking out for the next book in the series.Book_Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709573446419222296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234767288224738630.post-24149594650502650372008-07-17T15:12:00.000-07:002008-07-17T15:44:30.919-07:00Booking Through Thursday Double Feature<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudwxN2q1TRfNoF10yDsh6GQEvGypcWCq4177SJQvLvFi0lhcNl2GpwGDUtB5qwWFRjotTdwC2V3arPygT7CNhY_5dXLKD3uZEiRwuYoqZnQDCz8zwUn-UR_GdCmf_mqsppT-QoJMFa-jT/s1600-h/blogging+through+Thursday+badge.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudwxN2q1TRfNoF10yDsh6GQEvGypcWCq4177SJQvLvFi0lhcNl2GpwGDUtB5qwWFRjotTdwC2V3arPygT7CNhY_5dXLKD3uZEiRwuYoqZnQDCz8zwUn-UR_GdCmf_mqsppT-QoJMFa-jT/s320/blogging+through+Thursday+badge.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224117521046166898" border="0" /></a><br />Doing something a bit different this week. I'm doing two weeks of BTT at the same time! I missed last week's, so I'm doing it now just for the hell of it, and I'm also doing this weeks. The current BTT question is first, followed by the previous one.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Do you buy books while on vacation/boliday? Do you have favorite bookstores that you only get to visit while away on a trip? What/Where are they?</span><br /><br />There are two mom and pop metaphysical bookstores where I live, Quest, run by the Theosophical Society, and East/West, run by Ananda. However, my favorite normal bookstore of all time, Powell's City of Books is in Portland Oregon. I try to at least go in and look around whenever I'm in Portland. The store is amazing. The flagship is a giant maze of a story that you could literally get lost in, thankfully they have maps available at the front door.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What would you do if, all of a sudden, your favorite source of books was unavailable?</span><br /><br />While B&N is great, my two favorite bookstores of all time are run by religious brotherhoods. Quest, run by the Theosophical Society, and East/West, by Ananda. Given, I could probably get most of the books these two stores sell somewhere else, maybe even cheaper if they went out of business. However, part of shopping there is the experience itself. I know many of the people who work at both stores personally from going to church and other functions with them, and the buildings themselves seem to have their own life and energy that the books retain. Looking at my collection, I could probably tell you what I bought from one of these stores and what I got online simply because they "feel" different.Book_Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709573446419222296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4234767288224738630.post-16542128298081499622008-07-15T09:57:00.000-07:002008-07-15T10:03:59.359-07:00Tuesday Thingers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCxM0jpU3V5g1sDRXmvLuDI0wyFRshQpC_GNukT6SghHtetuDdbQmCuzwkUU1wMlPDY97R6HaAOTM7CuENY-AlkIiR1kS_uhoK7GCT2wPVjcwBo27_Hu26kYR4skFsPkAhBrmKerUqDDoe/s1600-h/Tuesday+Thingers+badge.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCxM0jpU3V5g1sDRXmvLuDI0wyFRshQpC_GNukT6SghHtetuDdbQmCuzwkUU1wMlPDY97R6HaAOTM7CuENY-AlkIiR1kS_uhoK7GCT2wPVjcwBo27_Hu26kYR4skFsPkAhBrmKerUqDDoe/s320/Tuesday+Thingers+badge.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223286251393465858" border="0" /></a><br />Today's topic: Book-swapping. Do you do it? What site(s) do you use? How did you find out about them? What do you think of them? Do you use LT's book-swapping column feature for information on what to swap? Do you participate in any of the LT communities that discuss bookswapping, like the Bookmooch group for example?<br /><br />I used both Bookmooch and Paperback Swap for a while. I found them both easy to use, and, seeing as I'm still in school anything I can get for free or nearly so is always good. I haven't used either in a while because at this point I've got over a hundred books on my TBR pile, and its still growing. If I can ever get it down below 100 I may start using bookmooch or PBS again. I'm also not a member of any mooch groups on LT. Strangely enough, I got into bookmooch and PBS through www.bookcrossing.com, I site similar to mooching, except instead of mailing a book to someone, you register the book with the site, stick a special bookplate in it, and leave it somewhere in a public place for someone to find.Book_Spirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16709573446419222296noreply@blogger.com7