Greg’s Comments (group member since Jul 02, 2014)

Greg’s comments from the All About Books group.

What are your reading plans for February?

LauraT wrote: "Barely started yesterday afternoon; interesting the "male only" thinking of culture - obvious for the time and place of the book, still so real also nowadays:

Nowadays all tablets in the kingdom a..."

Yes Laura, I had never heard that story before, the outlawing of the worship of the female goddess of writing in favor of a new male god of the scribes.. I know so little of the history of ancient mesopatamia!

Nidhi wrote: "I have put this read on hold because reading two books, having multiple timelines through the ages was an insane idea. This week I am going to finish Cloud Cuckoo Land and then resume this one."

Sounds good Nidhi. And both books are pretty long too!

Nidhi wrote: "I too found the story of Zulaika fascinating but Zaleekhah's decision to live in house boats is more fascinating, she wants to be surrounded with water."

It is interesting how drawn she is to water, both personally and professionally. I guess if I were a hydrologist, I might be obsessed with it too!

The reference to the story of Zulaika in the first Zaleekhah section is fascinating. I had never heard it before:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yusuf...

It's particularly interesting how the story differs in the different religious traditions and how there are yet other imaginings of the ending of the story in poetry and literature.

LauraT wrote: "I'm planning to read this also queth a friend of mine here in Italy - so double Read Group!!!"

How fun Laura! Hope you both enjoy it!

I'll be joining too.

LauraT wrote: "I'm about to start it: hopefully tomorrow!"

So glad you're joining Laura!

Ron wrote: "Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin is a powerful, complicated and beautifully written novel about love."

Definitely Ron! It's such a beautifully written book that I read it twice!

I feel the same Ruth! I know exactly what you mean.

It's my own ignorance, but I had never heard of the Yazidi faith before. I've been researching it online now, and it's so fascinating, such a rich symbology and mythology! I definitely enjoy that aspect of the first Narin sections, in learning a little about it.

If anyone is curious, this is an image of the sacred place Lalish that Narin refers to:



And this is the Zamzam well:

Looking forward to understanding what you mean about the research as I get further in the book Tatyana! I do find Arthur such a sympathetic character - I can't help but root for him.

We have our six books!

Thanks so much everyone for the nominations and seconds - some great ones! A good variety of choices to choose from too.

Ruth wrote: "Happy New Year everyone! I am going to resolve to do more reading and less doom scrolling. I plan on fully retiring at the end of June or at the very latest the end of the year. That could change i..."

Ruth, I fully support you in your move away from doom scrolling!

I know many people can handle it, but I had to come to terms with the fact that I am not able to handle the news in such times because I get too worked up. There is no chance that my voting attitudes will change in the current environment; so I don't really need the news to do my civic duty. And it is just too spiritually and emotionally harmful to me to consume it so I have completely let it go for now. I have never felt so good since I stopped consuming it. I am less stressed, more hopeful, and have regained my natural disposotion of believing that people are basically good. People are generally kind to each other. Yes, there are some really bad or cruel people in the world, but if I can't do anything about it, I don't want to know what they are doing. They'll do what they're going to do. I'll keep paying attention to things I can control; the rest I will only pay attention as much as I need to in order to do my duty.

Congratulations on your nearing retirment, and I hope you have a wonderful one!! The job you've been doing is so important, and it can do so much good for people who need that attention and kindness so badly! But it's exhausting for sure and takes a lot out of you, and I'm so glad you're getting your well deserved break. Wishing you many peaceful reading years to come!

For everyone who is reading or who has read this book, which of the timeframes is your favorite: Arthur's, Narin's, or Ashurbanipal's? I really like all three of them for different reasons. I don't feel bored with any of them.

I'm halfway through part 1 now.

Alannah wrote: "I have included my review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Sounds fun Alannah!

Alannah wrote: "I got this book through audible yesterday. I look forward to reading it."

I'm doing a combination, some with a physical copy at night and some through Audible on my commute. So far I think the Audible readers are doing a great job! Hope you enjoy it Alannah!

Steve wrote: "Good luck to both of you, Greg and Alannah. 2024 was a very busy and somewhat discouraging year at work for me. There have been big changes at work in my department, and I finally made goo

Steve, so glad you have time to take care of yourself now and to spend more time with your grandchildren, even though it's a big adjustment. I hope you have a wonderful retirement!

Nidhi wrote: "I second The World of Yesterday. Let's plan a buddy read if it doesn't get selected."

That would be great Nidhi! My work is more predictable now; so I am better able to commit. Really sorry I disappeared during the IQ84 read!

I'll nominate The World of Yesterday by Stefan Zweig again. It's worth another try.

Nidhi wrote: "I nominate Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates"

I'll second this one