Reading

Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon

/ Reading, Writing Guides

β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜† | Writing | Digital | Borrow | StoryGraph | Goodreads

Reading Notes

A quick, lively read.  Take aways:

  1. Show up and do the work.  Fake it til you make it.
  2. Studying a favorite author in depth, and then their three favorite authors, is a great way to emulate and build on their genius.
  3. Get away from the computer during the creative parts of the work.  Grab a pen and notebook.  Go outside and walk.
  4. Write the book you would want to read. Similar to Rilke’s advice to his young poet.
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Finding Meaning by David Kessler

/ β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…, Psychology, Reading

β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | Psychology | Digital | Borrow | StoryGraph | Goodreads

Reading Notes

Six Stages of Grief

  1. Denial: shock and disbelief that the loss has occurred
  2. Anger: that someone we love is no longer here
  3. Bargaining: all the what-ifs and regrets
  4. Depression: sadness from the loss
  5. Acceptance: acknowledging the reality of the loss
  6. Meaning: finding a way to sustain your love for the person after death while you move forward with your life.

The Three Steps of Taking in the Good

  1. Identify a positive experience or memory you shared with your loved one.
  2. Enrich this memory. Savor it. Think about it.  Repeat it over and over again in your mind for 20 – 30 seconds.
  3. Absorb the experience. Sink into it and let it sink into you. Feel it in your body. Soak it in. Visualize it in your mind.  Let it become part of you.
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Essayism by Brian Dillon

/ Reading, Writing Guides

β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜† | Writing | Digital | Borrow | StoryGraph | Guardian Book Review

What a strange little book about essay writing coupled with the author’s lifelong suffering of loss and depression.  There were some insights about essay structure and composition that I highlighted (see below), and, reeling from Connor’s death, I was somehow comforted by the author’s repeated declarations of woe.  He used writing as a method to stave off his depression, which apparently worked until it didn’t.

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Fairy Tale by Stephen King

/ Fantasy, Reading

β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜† | Fantasy | Digital | Own | StoryGraph | GoodreadsΒ 

A formulaic Hero’s Journey as only Stephen King could write.Β  Connor passed away in the middle of my reading this.Β  I had to put it down while his death was still so fresh.Β  I couldn’t fathom reading about a young man putting his life on the line in a fantasy story – or any story.Β  I picked it back up a few weeks later as a distraction, but never really got into it. The characters weren’t fully developed and I never really connected with the protagonist.Β  Might be the time.

Highlights

Whiskey doesn’t smell the same as gin… yet it does. All alcohol smells the same to me, of sadness and loss.

good people shine brighter in dark times.

tempus est umbra in mente is a better one. Roughly translated, it means time is a shadow in the mind.

There’s a dark well in everyone, I think, and it never goes dry. But you drink from it at your peril. That water is poison.

Treason’s Harbour by Patrick O’Brian

/ β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…, Nautical Fiction, Reading

β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | Nautical Fiction | Digital | Own | StoryGraph | Goodreads 

The week after Connor passed, I could not distract myself with reading. But, I desperately needed the distraction, so I turned to the healing salve of Aubrey and Maturin. I picked up where I left off with Treason’s Harbour, which is either my third or fourth time through these books.  Transporting myself to another known world outside my suffering and despair seemed to help.

As with most of these books, the story line seemed only vaguely familiar, despite multiple readings.  Why is that? I believe I read O’Brian in such a comfortable state, letting the words roll over me, that I don’t pay too close attention to the plot.

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Thrive in Retirement by Eric Thurman

/ Health & Well-being, Reading

β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜† | Health and Well-Being | Digital | Borrow | StoryGraph | Goodreads

Like Successful Aging by Daniel Levitin, the author’s message here is to never retire.  Work for as long as you can to stay healthy and happy.  If you do retire, make sure to find as much purpose in retirement as you possibly can.

The author used Thrive as his title for a reason.  Thrive has a Scandinavian heritage that comes from Old Norse, thrΔ«fask, which translates β€œgrasp.” You thrive when you grasp what you want from life.  Keep grasping, keep thriving.

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Existentialism Is a Humanism by Jean-Paul Sartre

/ Philosophy, Reading

β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜† | Philosophy | Digital | Borrow | StoryGraph | Goodreads

Reading Notes

Foundation of Existentialism: existence precedes essence β€” man is born without meaning or destiny.Β  His essence is created by his own will and actions.

Anguish β€” in Existentialism, anguish is the knowledge that each man must create meaning for his own life, and also be a responsible representative for humanity.Β  The anguish comes from the awareness of this awesome responsibility.Β  This definition of anguish is actually optimistic and not in keeping with traditional views of despair.

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The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson

/ Mystery-Suspense, Reading

β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜† | Mystery-Suspense | Digital | Borrow | StoryGraph | Goodreads

My first Craig Johnson / Longmire novel. I enjoyed the setting, the characters and the plot. Lots of interesting themes:

Wyoming’s rugged beauty and landscape
Native American culture and wisdom
Friendship
Justice and revenge
Graceful aging
Loss (Walter’s wife, Vonnie’s death)
Small town life
Rape, human cruelty

Highlights

I always wondered about men who spent their time trying to anticipate and know a fish in a world where man’s knowledge of each other could only be called scarce.

Good friends are the ones who can remain close without losing their ability to surprise.

The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben

/ Nature, Reading

β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜† | Nature | Digital | Borrow | StoryGraph | GoodreadsΒ 

Reading Notes

Trees are much more complex than we observe:

  1. Mature trees transfer nutrients to other struggling trees through root systems (especially offspring)
  2. Communicate danger from invasive pests through root systems to other trees a long distance away.
  3. Strong indication that trees have memories of past events.
  4. Transplanted trees don’t have the same communication or intelligence.
  5. Symbiotic relationship with mycelium network of fungi (the wood wide web).

Are trees sentient? Impossible to say they’re not.  Perhaps akin to an alien life form β€” just different?

Tree time: a tree is still a toddler until they’re 50.  Mature at 500.

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How to Retire Happy by Stan Hinden

/ Health & Well-being, Reading

β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜† | Finance | Digital | Borrow | StoryGraph | Goodreads

I read this because of the β€œhappy” aspect in the title β€” are there things I should be doing that that I’m retired to improve the overall quality of my life as a retired person? But, in fact, the book is much more focused on the financial aspects of retirement.  To that end, it helped me make sure I haven’t missed anything important in our own retirement planning.

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