Conversations With Black: 13 People, 1 Body by Bill Puett, Ph.D.

I recently read Conversations With Black: 13 People, 1 Body by Bill Puett, Ph.D. This is a work of nonfiction which explores concepts such as multiple systems, the nature of consciousness, personhood, the mechanics of hypnosis, past lives, and more.

I ended up reading Conversations With Black: 13 People, 1 Body by Bill Puett, Ph.D. because Bill Puett was one of my college professors back in the day. In fact, he was one of my favorite professors in college. I took 2 (or maybe 3??) of his philosophy courses during college and at one point thought I wanted to be a philosophy major. But I ended up sticking with my original major (BA in Russian language) instead. 

I'm glad I read Conversations With Black: 13 People, 1 Body by Bill Puett, Ph.D. This book is not a lengthy book as it is under 200 pages, but it isn't a light read in the slightest.

Conversations With Black: 13 People, 1 Body by Bill Puett, Ph.D. is epistolary in nature as it is written mainly as a series of emails between the author and various persons that inhabit a single person... think 13 different people inhabiting one body verses one person with 13 different personalities. 

This book covers what it is like for one specific 'body' that lives with dissociative identity disorder (previously known as multiple personality disorder) and their journey. This book goes a lot deeper than exploring what it's like to live with 13 individuals in one body and it's more than simply a biography. The author largely communicates with Black, who is one of the people that lives in this multiple system. Bill and Black delve into some deep philosophical discussions that are a lot to intake and absorb about consciousness, past lives, the mechanics of hypnosis, etc. Additionally, there is some new to me concepts/terminology/vocabulary that I'm still trying to fully grasp the understanding of, so I will need to do another pass through of Conversations With Black: 13 People, 1 Body.

Below is the summary for Conversations With Black: 13 People, 1 Body by Bill Puett, Ph.D. from Amazon:

For more than 18 years, I have had many conversations with Black and the thirteen people of a multiple system who share the same physical body. I have been for some their closest friend and for all a counselor and life coach. They are a wonderful and extraordinary group whose lives have touched me deeply. Here is a book about multiplicity, consciousness, personhood, souls, past lives, ethics, and friendships over lifetimes, written through the lens of our deep friendship and concern for each other.

I'm giving Conversations With Black: 13 People, 1 Body by Bill Puett, Ph.D. a rating of 3.5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Born A Crime by Trevor Noah

I've been wanting to read Born A Crime by Trevor Noah since last summer. So this year, I decided to listen to the unabridged audio version of Born A Crime by Trevor Noah and narrated by the author. 

I'm so glad that I finally got around to listening to Trevor Noah's memoir. It's amazing!! And listening to Born A Crime narrated by the author made it all that much better as he makes it come alive... plus it was wonderful listening to Trevor Noah speak the various African languages in short sentences throughout his memoir.

Trevor Noah definitely captures the essence of what life was like for him growing up in South Africa... Born A Crime by Trevor Noah is well written and very engaging. It was very interesting to learn what it was like to grow up as a mixed race child in South Africa during Apartheid and in poverty. Trevor Noah's memoir had me laughing out loud in parts, sad in other parts, and everything in between.

The listening time for Born A Crime by Trevor Noah is 8 hours, 44 minutes.

Below is a summary for Born A Crime by Trevor Noah from Amazon:

Trevor Noah’s unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents’ indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa’s tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle.

Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. It is also the story of that young man’s relationship with his fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother—his teammate, a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life.

The stories collected here are by turns hilarious, dramatic, and deeply affecting. Whether subsisting on caterpillars for dinner during hard times, being thrown from a moving car during an attempted kidnapping, or just trying to survive the life-and-death pitfalls of dating in high school, Trevor illuminates his curious world with an incisive wit and unflinching honesty. His stories weave together to form a moving and searingly funny portrait of a boy making his way through a damaged world in a dangerous time, armed only with a keen sense of humor and a mother’s unconventional, unconditional love.

I am giving Born A Crime by Trevor Noah a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Would You Rather Book Tag

I was tagged by Greg @ Book Haven for this tag! This was fun and without further ado- here are the questions. Oh, and consider YOURSELF tagged if you are so inclined.

1) Would you rather read or watch Netflix for an entire year?

Easy question!! I'd rather read books for an entire year.

2) Would you rather read all new releases or used/ backlist books for a year?

I would rather read used/ backlist books for a year as I am behind on my book reading.

3) Would you rather have pizza or Chinese food?

Tough choice as I love both food options. But right now, I'm in the mood for pizza, so I am going with pizza.

4) Would you rather use Bookstagram or Twitter- only one- for a whole year?

I'd rather use Twitter for an entire year.

5) Would you rather have your blog professionally designed or do you like to DIY?

I'd rather have my blog professionally designed. I just don't have the extra $$$ for things like this right now. 

6) Would you rather have a bookstore or be hired by your fave publisher?

I'd rather own my own bookstore.

7) Would you rather have dogs or cats?

I like both animals as pets, but I'd rather have dogs as a pet.

8) Would you rather go to the past or future?

I'd rather go to the future.

9) Would you rather be in a Victorian era mystery or a future setting book?

I'd rather be in a Victorian era mystery.

10) What is your best book of 2020 so far?

The Familiar Dark by Amy Engel or Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple.

Okay- so if you wanna play along here are MY questions for you!

1. Would you rather read fiction or nonfiction books?

2. Would you rather read an ebook or a physical book?

3. Would you rather spend an entire year reading books by only new to you authors or stick solely to reading new books written by your favorite authors?

4. Would you rather shop for books online or buy them at a brick and mortar store?

5. Would you rather attend an individual author signing event or attend a full scale book festival?

6. Would you rather read in complete silence or listen to background music, etc. while you read?

7. Do you prefer reading a standalone book or become engrossed with reading books that are part of a series?

8. Would you rather drink a cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa while reading?

9. Would you rather listen to a book related podcast or watch a book related vlog?

10. Would you rather explore/visit a utopian world or a dystopian world?

Night of the Living Dandelions by Kate Collins

So far this month, I've been binge reading cozy mystery novels! I finished reading Night of the Living Dandelions by Kate Collins, which is the 11th novel in the 'Flower Shop Mystery' series. 

I really liked reading Night of the Living Dandelions by Kate Collins. The writing, characters, and storyline were very entertaining.

Below is the plot summary for Night of the Living Dandelions by Kate Collins from Amazon:

Flower shop owner Abby Knight does not believe rumors that Vlad Serban, friend and employee of Abby's fiancé Marco, is a vampire. But how to explain that Vlad is from Romania, has prominent canines, likes bizarre plants such as bloodwort and Dracula orchid, and dresses entirely in black?

When a local woman is found dead, her body drained of blood, the stakes become life and death. With Vlad the #1 suspect, Abby and Marco race to find the real killer, before Vlad's life really starts to suck.

I am giving Night of the Living Dandelions by Kate Collins a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

New to me Little Free Library Find in Danville, California

171 Waterman Circle, Danville, California 94526

Yes, to discovering another newly placed Little Free Library Find in Danville, California last weekend with my hubby!! Little Free Libraries are so much fun to find and they bring a smile to my face. 

I left four books inside this Little Free Library, but didn't take any home with me. I love leaving books for others to discover and read. Hopefully, my books find loving new homes soon!

Snipped in the Bud by Kate Collins

Snipped in the Bud by Kate Collins is the 4th cozy mystery novel in the 'Flower Shop Mystery' series. I can confidently say (in my opinion) this cozy mystery novel is much better than the 3rd cozy mystery novel in the 'Flower Shop Mystery' series, Dearly Depotted, which I read and reviewed earlier this month. I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy Snipped in the Bud by Kate Collins based on the blurb from the back cover... But the storyline, characters, and writing were a lot of fun. I also really enjoyed the author's wonderful sense of humor.

The following is a plot summary for Snipped in the Bud by Kate Collins from Amazon:

When I swapped the thorny problems of law school for the budding business of my flower store, Bloomers, I vowed that I, Abby Knight, wouldn’t be caught dead visiting that hateful campus ever again. But sometimes a girl’s got to face down her dragons....

PLANT OF ATTACK

Someone orders a black rose for Abby’s old law school nemesis, Professor “Snapdragon” Puffer. But her plans for a speedy delivery are foiled when he catches her putting the bloom on his desk and sends it straight into the trash. Abby flees in terror, only to run smack into Carson Reed, the professor who recently had her arrested at an animal rights protest. After a biting exchange, Abby storms out of the building. But if there’s anything she can’t stand, it’s injustice and bullies. So, even though she knows bad luck comes in threes, she ignores the advice of her sometimes boyfriend, hunk-a-licious Marco Salvare, and heads back in to retrieve her dignity and her flower—only to find the rose now decorating a dead professor, and herself the prime suspect....

I am giving Snipped in the Bud by Kate Collins a rating of 4 stars of of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Dearly Depotted by Kate Collins

Dearly Depotted by Kate Collins is the 4th cozy mystery novel in the 'A Flower Shop Mystery Series'. I've read a few of the other novels in this cozy series, which I've enjoyed reading. So, I decided to give this one a go as I was looking for something on the lighter side to read.

Dearly Depotted by Kate Collins was a so-so read for me. Abby's cousin, Jillian, drove me nuts as she's an annoying character and so did one of the other minor characters, Karl. Some of the plot twists and turns for this novel were also a bit too much for me, which left me feeling meh overall. I still have 2 more novels in the 'A Flower Shop Mystery Series' in my 'tbr' pile. I'm hoping they'll be better reads.

Below is the plot summary for Dearly Depotted by Kate Collins from Amazon:

Abby has her hands full at her cousin Jillian's wedding as florist, bridesmaid, and grandma-sitter-all while wearing a hideous dress. Then the groom's 90-year-old grandmother goes missing from the reception. On her search, Abby finds the corpse of guest Jack Snyder. Now she must find out who killed Jack in the pulpit.

I am giving Dearly Depotted by Kate Collins a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

New to Me Little Free Library in Danville, California

333 Remington Loop, Danville CA 94526

Last weekend, my husband and I found a new to us Little Free Library in Danville, California. Yippee! I really enjoy finding new to me Little Free Libraries.

I left six books at this particular Little Free Library, but I didn't take any home with me as I already have way too many books to read as it is.

Have you left books at any Little Free Libraries lately?

Wayfaring Stranger by James Lee Burke

I listened to the unabridged audio version of Wayfaring Stranger by James Lee Burke and narrated by Will Patton. Wayfaring Stranger is the first novel in the 'A Holland Family' series.

Listening time for Wayfaring Stranger by James Lee Burke is 13 hours, 6 minutes.

Prior to listening to Wayfaring Stranger by James Lee Burke, I'd listened to and reviewed two previous novels by James Lee Burke - Crusader's Cross by James Lee Burke and Rain Gods by James Lee Burke. Both novels were narrated by Will Patton and both novels were excellent.

So with that in mind, I was excited to listen to Wayfaring Stranger by James Lee Burke. However, when all was said and done, I wasn't that excited about this novel. I loved the characters for Wayfaring Stranger as James Lee Burke is great at creating interesting characters. The storyline wasn't all that compelling to me. The plot had too much emphasis on the good verses bad motif for my liking. Additionally, the writing for Wayfaring Stranger felt formulaic.

As always, Will Patton is an excellent narrator. I could listen to just about anything he narrates.

The following is a summary for Wayfaring Stranger by James Lee Burke from Audible:

From "America’s best novelist" (The Denver Post): a sprawling thriller drenched with atmosphere and intrigue that takes a young boy from a chance encounter with Bonnie and Clyde to the trenches of World War II and the oil fields along the Texas-Louisiana coast.

It is 1934 and the Depression is bearing down when 16-year-old Weldon Avery Holland happens upon infamous criminals Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow after one of their notorious armed robberies. A confrontation with the outlaws ends as Weldon puts a bullet through the rear window of Clyde’s stolen automobile. Ten years later, Second Lieutenant Weldon Holland and his sergeant, Hershel Pine, escape certain death in the Battle of the Bulge and encounter a beautiful young woman named Rosita Lowenstein hiding in a deserted extermination camp. Eventually, Weldon and Rosita fall in love and marry and, with Hershel, return to Texas to seek their fortunes. There, they enter the domain of jackals known as the oil business. They meet Roy Wiseheart - a former Marine aviator haunted with guilt for deserting his squadron leader over the South Pacific and Roy’s wife, Clara, a vicious anti-Semite who is determined to make Weldon and Rosita’s life a nightmare. It will be the frontier justice upheld by Weldon’s grandfather, Texas lawman Hackberry Holland, and the legendary antics of Bonnie and Clyde that shape Weldon’s plans for saving his family from the evil forces that lurk in peacetime America and threaten to destroy them all.

I'm giving Wayfaring Stranger by James Lee Burke a rating of 2.5 stars out of 5 stars. I will not continue reading the rest of the 'A Holland Family' series.

Until my next post, happy reading!