This is a low stakes post. A simple list of the books I read but didn’t review. A few of them I had intended to review and never did; most were never going to be reviewed anyway. If I had some quick thoughts on the book being rated while I was writing this post, then I noted those thoughts down. But all I really want to say is “I read […]
![Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living by Dimitris Xygalatas [NF Review]](https://i0.wp.com/fallingletters.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/ritual-dimitris-banner.png?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1&resize=245%2C150)
Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Livingby Dimitris XygalatasSource: Hardcover/libraryPublished: Sept. 2022Publisher: Little, Brown Spark (Hachette)Length: 311 pages Genre: Non-fictionTarget Age: Adult (suitable for +14) Summary 💬 Ritual is one of the oldest, and certainly most enigmatic, threads in the history of human culture. It presents a profound paradox: people ascribe the utmost importance to their rituals, but few can explain why they are so important. Apparently pointless ceremonies pervade every documented society, from […]
![Joyful by Indrid Lee Fetell [Non-fiction Review]](https://i0.wp.com/fallingletters.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/joyful-ingrid-banner.png?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1&resize=245%2C150)
Joyful: The Surpring Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happinessby Ingrid Fetell LeeSource: Hardcover/libraryPublished: Sept. 2018Publisher: Little, Brown Spark (Hachette) Length: 359 pagesGenre: Non-fiction (design psychology)Target Age: Adult (suitable for +14) Summary 💬 Have you ever wondered why we stop to watch the orange glow that arrives before sunset or why we flock to see cherry blossoms bloom in spring? Is there a reason that people–regardless of gender, age, culture, or ethnicity–are mesmerized […]
![10 Books on the Shikoku Pilgrimage [Top Ten Tuesday]](https://i0.wp.com/fallingletters.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/top-ten-tuesday-shikoku.png?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1&resize=245%2C150)
Preamble Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is Freebie. Time to bust out a topic I’ve had in my drafts since 2020! That topic is the Shikoku Henro (四国遍路), or Shikoku Pilgrimage. The pilgrimage consists of 88 temples on the Japanese island of Shikoku which are associated with Buddhist monk Kōbō Daishi, the founder of Shingon Buddhism in Japan. From Aug 2014 to Aug 2015, I lived in Shikoku. I completed the […]
![11 Books About the Social Internet [Nonfiction November]](https://i0.wp.com/fallingletters.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/nonfiction-november-2022-week-3.png?fit=1500%2C843&ssl=1&resize=245%2C150)
This week we’re focusing on all the great nonfiction books that almost don’t seem real. A sports biography involving overcoming massive obstacles, a profile on a bizarre scam, a look into the natural wonders in our world—basically, if it makes your jaw drop, you can highlight it for this week’s topic. Hosted by Christopher @ Plucked from the Stacks. Overview This week, I’m bending the topic to include a post […]