Rated Neuromante 6/10
book
Rated Stories for Boys: A Memoir 10/10
I read this touching memoir in one sitting. Beginning with the suicide attempt of his father, Gregory Martin discovers why the man who raised him has reached this point. Not only was his father sexually abused as a child, but he has also been a closeted gay man throughout the entirety of his 39 year marriage. He has admitted to Martin’s mother that he has sought out “hundreds” of unknown partners at parks and rest stops while traveling and while the rest of the family slept at home. Because they lived in Spokane, Washington, the settings were very familiar to me, having myself lived there for several years.<br><br>Though the book focuses on Martin’s perspective and not his father’s, this isn’t a simple story of “troubled man comes out” — this is about a father and a son having to navigate an almost entirely new relationship. It’s an interesting exploration of memory, identity, and empathy, and I’m glad I read it.<br><br><i>(Full Disclosure: Hawthorne Books provided me with the e-book for review. This review originally appeared in <a href="http://persephonemagazine.com/2013/08/22/5-book-recommendations-for-your-reading-pleasure/">Persephone Magazine</a>.)</i>
Rated The Best American Essays 1988 6/10
<div>I picked up this 34 year old collection of essays, along with the 1990 edition, during one of the times I went to our local school district's free book giveaway day (when they pull some older books from circulation). It sat around for a long time before this challenge, but I enjoyed reading it for the most part. Most everything holds up, and the lived history from some people who are (presumably) no longer alive was interesting to read. Fav essays include work from Anne Carson, Mary Lee Settle, and Paul Horgan.</div>
Wants to read The Role Ethics of Epictetus: Stoicism in Ordinary Life
Rated Greek Buddha: Pyrrho's Encounter with Early Buddhism in Central Asia 6/10
<div>It is a fascinating book, but too speculative for my taste. Yes, all the logical “leaps of faith” are sound and plausible, but they remain leaps of faith. </div>
Edited 46d ago
Rated On the Calculation of Volume I 8/10
Edited 46d ago
Edited 46d ago
Edited 46d ago
Pollack details his yogic journey from skepticism to borderline evangelism with a great sense of humor, and like the best "sport" memoirs do, he makes it interesting to a person who has no idea what <i>asanas</i> are.<br><br>He finds himself searching for the right kind of practice and right kind of teacher that best suit his personality. For one thing, Pollack's still a stoner and a bit of pessimist, so anything too touchy-feely, straight edge, or activist has him rolling up his mat and searching elsewhere. Still, he takes the time to talk about the different practices offered by so many different teachers explaining some of the history and terminology of that particular yoga flavor. He tries out everything from the super-hot Bikram to political Jivamukti to his preferred lower-key methods, hatha and ashtanga.<br><br>Stretch is a fun, informative journey to contentment, complete with a side of holistic questions. Yoga, Neal discovers, is not about desiring more "things" in your life — stature, wealth, and the like — but rather finding contentment in the <i>now.</i><br><br>(Full review can be found at <a href="http://glorifiedloveletters.blogspot.com/2011/07/stretch-unlikely-making-of-yoga-dude-by.html">Glorified Love Letters</a>.)
Rated Survivors: New Dawn 2 10/10
<div>Really good, and made me wish I'd bought the next installment when it was on sale recently. Survivors is definitely among the best non-Doctor Who audio plays that Big Finish produces.</div>