Resurfacing from a bit of a hiatus! At the laundromat early this evening to do a bit of post Thanksgiving holiday laundry to make sure I have clean things to wear this week I spot young Vaughn seated in one of the chairs by the dryers, reading Ray Bradbury's classic Fahrenheit 451 for his 9th grade English class. He happens to attend the new high school right by my apartment - neat.
I got really excited when I saw that he was reading this book. Book burning - wah! When asked what he thought of the book so far he tells me that it's pretty interesting so far. He tells me he's at the part where they are talking about wife...where his house is ransacked (?) He said he wasn't really sure what was going on and I hadn't read the book in so long so I couldn't corroborate with my new buddy. This book doesn't seem to be a "page turner" per se for him but still holding his interest nonetheless.
It was pretty fun talking to him. It made me remember what many people were like at that age. Namely when asked a question the rule-of-thumb answer was a smirk, shrug, and an "I don't know" or "Anything/Everything". Oh youth. Oh to write papers on books again. Oh to complain about the trials and tribulations of "small font". Definitely had flashbacks of our past moans and groans.
The last book he read for class was Two Moons by Thomas Mallon and Sloan Harris. It takes place in the late 1800's in Washington D.C. around the Reconstruction era. Vaughn enjoyed this book but prefers his current read by far. I recommended that he check out the movie adaptation of Fahrenheit 451 once he is done with the book and see what he thinks about book vs. movie.
Did you read anything interesting over the Thanksgiving holiday break?
I always say this but I will really do enjoy it when people share what they are currently reading with me on the various social networks I am on. From my Brightkite stream. Along with his daily "abstract latte art" photos shared on Brightkite Brad (a.k.a belpers) took a snapshot of the book he was reading at the time - Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha. I was excited to ask him about this book since I've been interested in finally picking up a Hesse novel.
Siddhartha is about a young man on his personal spiritual journey of life. Brad continues to say that it's specifically about a guy who has a sense that there is more to life than what he sees in the lives of those around him so he sets out, leaving behind all that was expected of him by his father and those around him to find himself.
This is the first Hesse book Brad has read. He had heard about this book before but it was after reading Infinite Possibilities: The Art of Living Your Dreams by Mike Dooley that encouraged him to pick up Siddhartha. Dooley mentions that it was one of the most influential books in his life.
Brad has finished this book and is now reading/studying the book series called The Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East by Baird T. Spalding. He's read five of the six books and currently re-reading Book Five. Brad finds these books to be very influential in his own life more than any other book he has come across. He likes to take what he's read in these books and re-read passages from the Bible so that he may apply a different perspective to bliblical teachings than those he's been exposed to. "It's a remarkable experience to read something you've read before yet from a different perspective and then see a much deeper, richer meaning."
Brad is also reading Love Yourself. Live Your Spirit by Sonia Choquette. It's about learning to quiet your ego and live with a stronger connection to your spirit so that you may live your life more connected with your divine source as oppose to being focused on your ego, self, separation from God and the like.
Last book he read? Meditation by Osho. It covers techniques on learning to meditate with pratical lessons/rituals for inner peace and grounding your physical and spiritual bodies and aligning the two for oneness. "All this makes me sound kind of "out there" but really I'm a regular guy simply looking for my own place... one who asks why of those certain unexplainable experiences we all seem to have, one who is addicted to the energy of others, one who finds happiness in peace and love over anything else in this world."
When asked what he read growing up he confessed that he didn't really like to read. He remembered enjoying a book called Be Nice To Spiders by Margaret Bloy Graham. In high school he liked The Once and Future King by Terrence Hanbury White. In his 20's he started to do a little more pleasure reading and fell in love with anything by Michael Crichton. Then he was introduced to stuff like As A Man Thinketh by James Allen. "This is when I fell in love with reading. I found a love for reading as I was learning of the human mind and behavior and enriching my life through the understanding of the human potential and mankind's perspectives on life. One book that stood out was Sonia Choquette's Trust Your Vibes. This book resonated with me above all I'd ever read."
If Brad were to write a book of his own it would be about life, human potential, love, peace, open-mindedness, oneness, and finally what Jesus really meant and how all these topics are tied together. He'd entitle the book I AM.
Non-fiction books are his favourite but he does enjoy sci-fi stuff like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Halo and any of the Anne Rice books! And he admits that he has a freaky side. He loves him some erotica too! Hey now!
This brought me to my question about having an "Odd Shelf". As you may see on my side bar I am currently reading a book called Ex Libris where the author talks about having an "Odd Shelf". Her shelf contains books about anything and everything related to arctic travel/exploration/etc. She talks about other authors who have a shelf for books on specific porn and how her husband's "odd shelf" deals with all things about rainforests.
What does Brad's "odd shelf" contain? Books on the art of sexual ecstacy, sexual magic, and the like. Margot Anand's books are spiritual books but still involve sex. And his shelf would also have a few erotica books.
What is on your "odd shelf"?
It was pretty fun talking to him. It made me remember what many people were like at that age. Namely when asked a question the rule-of-thumb answer was a smirk, shrug, and an "I don't know" or "Anything/Everything". Oh youth. Oh to write papers on books again. Oh to complain about the trials and tribulations of "small font". Definitely had flashbacks of our past moans and groans.
