Blessed are we who love a good book.
Reading or listening; just the interest in expansion is that of good fortune.
When I work with my hands I am most likely listening to book or podcast, & every now & again- music.
I used to listen to much more music, but as I have grown older my brain has grown hungrier. I work alone & the work I do is noisy, so I can't imagine having a studio-mate, though I do miss that life sometimes. Either way- I often saw & hammer with my audiobook of choice turned way up to hear it above my ear protection... I do realize the irony.
Nonetheless, I think a good book, (or podcast or band/ song for that matter) is an incredible gift, because you're handing over a world to someone. If that's not love I don't know what is.
Here's a list of books I have been enjoying that are (mostly) available on Libby (the free library app). Some books I have physically read & then listened to after, or partially read & then finished by listening. I realize this part has no bearing on you, but I feel like I need to confess a level of impurity for not having a tangible copy of the entire list.
1) "Understory: A Deep Time Journey" by Robert MacFarlane: This book is wildly dense & packed to the gills with worldly knowledge that must've taken years & years to compile. The author is an explorer & adventurer who ties basically anything that you can fathom having to do with the underground into one head-spinning, lyrical, open-eyed read.
He covers underground civilizations, caving repelling & diving, mining, miles of tunnels, catacombs, subcultures that spend significant periods below ground, the attempted disposal by burial of nuclear waste & how to convey to people who may come across this land far in the future to keep away, even if the current language of the area is long forgotten. So much more than this. He is also traveling the world in this, so we ride & join intimate moments amongst fellow adventurous friends.
It took me well over a year to read & is the type of book that you'll have to likely turn pages back again to take it in. I'd started off physically reading & wound up completing the 2nd 1/2 on audiobook which is wonderful because I will rewound again & again.
I think this was brilliant. Seldom will you find something so rich, thought provoking & valuable.
2) "Owls of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to Find and Save the World's Largest Owl" by Jonathan C. Slaght, PhD. This book really transported me to the rugged terrain. It’s was absolutely fascinating.
I love learning about the people out on the far reaches of the inhospitable landscape, filled with passion, dedication, drive, curiosity & hope; willing to sacrifice creature comforts in exchange for protection of species of the Fish Owl. Reading this book gives one great hope.
It was so nice to catch glimpses into Russian culture in the Primaria River area that you’d otherwise never be privy to.
The whole book was eye opening & grounding.
3) "Walk Through Walls: A Memior" Marina Abramovic. Known as the Godmother of Performance Art, this is the story of one of the most unique, dedicated, risk taking, commited-to-her-art-at-all-costs reads I have ever encountered. She is fully herself, unapologetic, unabridged. I don't think it ever occurred to her to ask for permission. You might not realize how she influenced art or even you until you read this.
4) "The Nineties" Chuck Klosterman. Super interesting critical analysis of an entire decade & how it's ethos shaped many of us who grew up in that time period. I was in high school from 94-97 & can relate to so much of this book. Such cool insight. Highly recommend!
5) "How Stella Learned to Talk: The Groundbreaking Story of the World's First Talking Dog" Christina Hunger. This woman studied speech pathology (which I find fascinating) & worked primarily bridging the gap of communication with nonverbal students. When she got a puppy she began applying some of the same techniques that she was using with her students & little by little, her dog began to communicate. It's a slow, scaffolding process that after reading makes me feel slightly negligent for not setting me dog up in a similar way. It's inspiring & interesting, & maybe you'll be a better person than me, & listen or read this & get your dog on a similar program!
That's it for now, but it is my intention to continually add more suggestions. If you'd like to see even more & or follow me or be friends on Goodreads, please do!
