Books shoulda been my word for the year

So far, 2022 seems to be all about reading books, listening to audio books, and creating page after page in my new art journal. Maybe “books” shoulda been my word for the year?

The reading challenge I decided to join last month lit a spark, and now I can’t stop reading.

Books to read,
old magazines to cut up,
and books to alter.
It’s gonna be a busy year. 

Books I’ve finished or abandoned: 

Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond: A Meditator’s Handbook (audio book on Audible) by Ajahn Brahm – loved it!! I especially appreciated the chapters on reaching the different levels of jhana.

Braving the Wilderness (audio book) by Brene Brown – it was okay. Nothing much new or different from her other books. I gave it 3 out of 5 stars. 

Buddhism by Dr. Winston King (audio book) – really enjoyed listening to this one. When it was over, I listened to it again from the beginning.  

Upper Bohemia: A Memoir by Hayden Herrera (audio book) – I really disliked this book. I thought the author was angry, whiny and complained A LOT..like, constantly about a childhood that didn’t really seem all that bad compared to others. I only got to chapter 5 on this one before I gave up. There are more interesting books out there. 

Books I’m currently reading:

All My Friends Are Invisible by Jonathan Joly – I’m about half way through this fairly short book (less than 200 pages). All I keep thinking is how much guts it took to write this story, and even more bravery to publish it. 

Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence by Anna Lembke (audio book) – just started this one. It’s okay..nothing that most of us don’t already know. 

Buddhism: Its Historical, Theoretical and Popular Aspects: in Three Lectures by Ernest John  

Manual of Insight by Mahasi Sayadaw – highly recommended by one of my monk teachers. (Sadhu, and thank you, Bhante!) This is a large 700+ page study book for Vipassana Bhavana meditation for Theravada Buddhists. This one’s going to take some time, and will remain a reference book long after I’ve finished.