I usually read more books than I have the time to write about. So, I thought I’d once in a while write shortly about books I read or listened to during a certain period of time. Today, I’d like to share my reading experiences of 2023’s first month:
Dual-aspect Monism and the Deep Structure of Meaning by Harald Atmanspacher and Dean Rickles.
Philosophers and scientists have long theorised about the nature of the mental and whether it precedes or comes from the physical. Non-dual monism is a theory that states that the mental and physical are of the same substance. This book lays forward this theory and how it relates to the concept of meaning, which the authors argue is a fundamental aspect of the fabric of reality.
This book is thought-provoking and also pretty challenging. It goes not just into philosophy, but also into physics and consciousness research. Certain parts I struggled to understand, but it was well worth a read. Biggest drawback is the prize. I paid 36$ just for the e-book. You’d have to pay 150$ if you want a physical copy.
Beyond Reason by Heather Freysdottir
Godspousing, that is marrying a Deity, is not a very common path even within modern Polytheism and it’s hard to come across books on the subject. Beyond Reason is the story of one devotional Polytheist’s marriage to Loki and how it came to be.
A rather short but interesting book. My favourite parts were something I particularly love: devotional poetry.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
A retelling of the myth of the demi-god Achilles from the perspective of his lover and lifelong companion Patroclus. A hauntingly beautiful story of the love between two men in times of war. Listening to it brought at times tears to my eyes. A fantasticly written book!
Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart
A beautiful story about two boys falling in love in 1980’s Glasgow. Their love is forbidden not only because of them being the same sex, but also because Mungo is a Protestant and James a Catholic. In a place and time when the people around them would rather see boys kill than fall in love with each other, their relationship has to be kept hidden and the question is whether they can have any future together.
I listened to this novel on Audible and it was my favourite book this month. It’s beautifully written and deep, dealing with such issues as class society, bigotry and toxic masculinity. I can’t but recommend it!
Son Of Freya 