A cartoon from The Food of Love
Heloise & Abelard: A New Biography by James Burge. A gripping read so far. Here's the description from Publishers Weekly:
The romance of Héloïse and Abelard remains one of the greatest love stories of all time—one of forbidden love; the eventual lifelong separation of the lovers, cloistered in a monastery and convent; and the vengeful castration of Abelard by Héloïse's uncle. More tantalizingly, we know of the affair only from eight surviving letters between the couple. But British Sunday Independent columnist Burge draws on 113 recently translated letters that have been attributed to the lovers. Based on all of these letters, Burge analyzes the feelings and states of mind of the correspondents, and he can be a bit pedantic at times. But who can fail to be moved by the passion expressed in the letters? "Even during the celebration of the Mass," Héloïse famously wrote, "when our prayers should be purest, lewd visions of the pleasures we shared take... a hold on my unhappy soul...." Burge relates Abelard's theological struggles with the medieval Church, especially with the powerful Cistercian leader Bernard of Clairvaux. Unlike in previous biographies, Héloïse emerges as a leader, too, in her role as abbess of the Paraclete, which she developed into a substantial institution. A complex woman, she sought a unified sense of self that would incorporate both her sexuality and her religious faith. Readers new to this medieval drama will be drawn to this vivid account.Your Best Birth: Know All Your Options, Discover the Natural Choices, and Take Back the Birth Experience by Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach. I never knew dead bodies could be so interesting!
Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain by Oliver Sacks. Really fascinating, and each chapter can be read independently of the others. I have perfect pitch (also called absolute pitch) and I enjoyed reading up more about this variation (abnormality?) of the human brain.
Dio's waking up and wants to nurse--so that's all I have time to list for now!
That breastfeeding book looks awesome. I read Mary Roach's book on sex ("Boink") and found it quirky and uncomfortably hilarious. I think I might pick up "Stiff" next.
ReplyDeleteIf you liked Stiff, (and/or Boink LadyLeslie) you might also like Spook, which is her book on ghosts and the afterlife. Good stuff. I didn't know about Boink, I'll have to check it out!
ReplyDeleteI loved Boink and Stiff...good stuff! (I used to want to be a coroner long ago...)
ReplyDeleteI love sociological/anthropological books. Jessica Mitford's "The American Way of Birth" and "The American Way of Death" are both eye-opening. I will never, ever, ever choose to go through a mortuary ever.
I am wide-eyed with wonder! Remarkable Mother Breastfeeds AND Reads Actual Books AND Blogs... whew! Thanks for being one of my favorite daily reads!
ReplyDeleteI am wondering too...how in the world do you have the time and energy to read right now? Esp. if your baby is a fussy one? I honestly couldn't do it. My daughter is 18 months and I still hardly get a chance...
ReplyDeleteHow do I find time to read? Nursing! Plus when my mom was here for 2 weeks I didn't have to take care of Zari so I had plenty of time to read. Dio does have fussy moments, but it's not all of the time, so when Zari is occupied or sleeping, I can read with him on my chest.
ReplyDeleteI remember just having my little nursling . . . y'know, before he could move by himself.
ReplyDeleteWe sure did get a lot of entertainment in. Brad and I watched several box sets of shows: Firefly (best TV show EVER), Heroes, and more.
You can actually do a lot when you're nursing. ^__^
I have to laugh at where these comments are going. I remember having a conversation with a SIL in which she asked me in wonder how I managed to read so much (this was when I only had 2 kids). I couldn't imagine life WITHOUT reading. Now I can see where she was coming from. I have to really work at it to find time to read, but am starting to squeeze it back into my day. There's just no substitute for a good book, and it sounds like you've recommended some good ones.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I do love reading, but as soon as my girl finally goes to sleep, I usually collapse and join her.
ReplyDeleteI love the summaries of what you are reading. I check out books constantly from the library and my intentions are to include them on a list on my blog like yours. You read such a wide variety!!
ReplyDeleteI hope you didn't miss the birth photos I posted to my blog.
I love that you're reading Musicophilia. I haven't had a chance to read that one yet, but it's on my list - right after Choral Pedagogy, and the new Ricki Lake book. :)
ReplyDeleteI just got Your Best Birth from the library, and I'm already a little disappointed a the language in the book (bad words). Is that really necessary? Ugg, why do people think cursing makes them look good, when it just makes them look trashy? I really hope there's not too much more!
ReplyDeleteHmmm cant'wait to pick up the A and H biography. Was just speaking to my partner the other week about how wonderful their story is....thanks for the recommendation - and the breastfeeding book is great - picked it up in London last break! Love it.
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