Books to come back to

It’s been such a long while since I wrote about what I’m reading. So here are a few that I’ve read since late last December to the present. Some of these you’ll notice are quite easy reads, while others are demanding yet beautiful in their own way.

Conversations on Love – Natasha Lunn

‘Life is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be lived.’ – M. Scott Peck

This collection reminded me of ‘The Story: Love, Loss & the Lives of Women’ by Victoria Hislop – which is a collection of 100 short stories (details just below). Lunn collects her conversations with different people from different walks of life, on topics ranging from lovers, strangers, parents and parenting, friendships, and the cycles of our life which are punctuated by their endings and beginnings. The base is always so beautifully love – how we find it; how we sustain it; how we survive its loss; along with Lunn’s own reflections.

The conversations that most appealed to me where the ones on loss, and though many of the segments are ones I’d revisit I at times find myself recalling without effort Lunn’s interview with actor Greg Wise who nursed his sister Clare till she died – and they speak about the importance of language, the quality of our language, how such moments change us and to be present in them as much as we can (even when we’re exhausted), and how nice it is when we have structures of support around death and grief. “We’re all textured by the gaping holes that are left by the death of people close to us. Gently, over time, the emptiness softens”.

I have to also comment on the gorgeous and thoughtful cover with the marble effect inside – reminiscent of Victorian versions of Dickens for me. Love it!

The Story: Love, Loss & the Lives of Women – Victoria Hislop

I’ve included this as it was a reminder and because it is so lovely to go back to – it’s a mammoth of a book so I see it as a living room/study book rather than a bedside table kind.

Split into three sections – love, loss, the lives of women – it features stories by Angela Carter, Margaret Drabble, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Doris Lessing, Alice Munro, Virginia Woolf, Katherine Mansfield, Emma Donoghue amongst many others.

The beauty of such collections I feel is that there are a few authors who you’d never heard of or would have never thought to buy their books, there are some you’ll thoroughly enjoy and others you won’t, and some which you’ll want to re-read or buy more of.

The Cat Who Saved Books – Sosuke Natsukawa

I received this for Christmas and it was a really nice break from the theoretical and heavier reads I usually go for. It’s translated by Louise Heal Kawai and I think she’s done a wonderful job of retaining the essence of the Japanese culture, through their ways and also their language (as some things really are untranslatable), and making it approachable and enjoyable for an English reader.

To be honest I’m perhaps more intrigued by translations because of this appreciation of the fine balance – of recognising the author, the translator and the plot – it’s quite fascinating. And of course, it’s about a cat who saves books – what could be better! – it highlighted the ways in which books have so much power to remind us: who we are; how to empathize and why the quality of our language matters.

Letters from Father Christmas – J.R.R. Tolkien

I read this over last Christmas holidays and think it’s a wonderful gift for kiddos as well as adults for the coming Christmas season. It’s a beautiful insight into the Tolkien world as J.R.R. originally wrote these letters for his own children every Christmas – this edition collects the first note to his eldest son in 1920 to the final letter to his daughter in 1943, including all the paintings, it’s truly enchanting!

Return to the Centre – Bede Griffiths

Ever since touching this book and any other works by Bede Griffiths I’ve had more of an appreciation of how connected we all are – to each other and to the world around us, to nature. He touches upon various elements such as the ‘sacred mystery’, ‘the mystery of love’, ‘myth and reality’, ‘Krishna and Christ’, ‘death and resurrection’, ‘spirit’, and ‘yoga as a way to union’ – all routes lead to how love is the goal, love is what all faiths are in search of.

“Religions do not exist to fight one another but to assist humanity to develop its deepest and truest self – which is to say to find Love. And to become Love” – Matthew Fox (wrote the forward). If you’re interested in spirituality and learning more this is a really great book to explore. Bede Griffiths was a British-born Benedictine monk who lived in ashrams in South India and became a noted yogi – he was a big part of the Christian Ashram Movement, showing that one doesn’t have to be either a Christian or a Hindu, you can merge the teachings.

I personally love to re-turn to this book as it’s a reminder that at times we really do need to go back to ourselves, to re-centre. Some personal highlights:

- Truth is not about progress, it’s about return – a constant movement

- We all need to go back to our Source – we are all connected (‘all men are one Man’ Aquinas)

- Simplicity in life – always

- Life is built around a Centre – and so are we (Mircea Eliade)

- To know our Nothingness

- Importance of meditation to arrive to our unconscious

- Love is the essential structure of reality because it is the ultimate Truth – ‘love which moves the sun and the other stars’ (Dante)

Be Water, My Friend – Shannon Lee

This was such an inspirational read – so much so I included it in the second part of my literature course (Listening to Literature 2). There are so many lessons to take away from this, it’s lovely to pick up and randomly choose a page (more on this process in my next book club blog).

There’s so much that I appreciate when it comes to perspective – how to truly see, listen, challenge (yourself and others to grow), to be open to learning at all times. . .there’s so much you’ll enjoy and you don’t even have to be a fan of Bruce Lee to enjoy this. I think you’ll come out on the other side with a greater appreciation for the sense of dedication and commitment he showed his art but as always take what resonates and leave the rest.

The Yoga of Sound: tapping the hidden power of music and chant – Russill Paul

This is probably one of the best books I’ve ever held and read and I haven’t even finished it yet. It’s quite an intense one, and I feel it’s enough to take a few nuggets of golden wisdom and then re-turn to it in a couple of weeks, sometimes a couple of months. I have to admit I don’t usually do this with books but it feels good with this one and so this is what I do – I re-read many times and go on a little further, put it down and then pick it up again when I want to further the journey, but I can also admit it’s always in my bag in the meantime. It’s been my companion this year and I feel it might be for a few months more!

A must read.

Enjoy your reading!

Book Club