Do you have any books you have reread? if so, why?
Are there any genres you dislike or avoid? Your reading list is very diverse
I sometimes reread non-fiction books as reference or reminders (ie Investing between the lines, Quiet, Nudge)
Fiction books are mostly one and done, except for One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich and A Tale of Two cities. I’ve reread both 7 times
It’s not that (arguably, what I do is less productive).
I tend to overanalyze things, which takes the enjoyment out of it.
For example, if the lyrics describe someone doing something extreme for love (ie I’ll catch a gernade for you), I think “that’s stupid, why would anyone want to do that”
With classical music, it’s very nice, but I find it distracting bc I spend time focusing to figure out which instruments are playing. The process becomes more like a coding task than enjoying art
There’s a lot of songs that take me back to certain points in my life or remind me of someone. Most of the memories are bittersweet, but I’m still glad I have them.
Otherwise I just enjoy music. It’s just cool. That sense of pride when you succesfully keep up with a fast rap song (is that just me?), blaring a rock song when driving down the highway, stuff like that. I feel like music just goes well with certain moments in life.
I think some people would genuinely do this out of love. If not romantic love (which I do believe there are people out there who feel this strongly) then maybe in a brotherly love way (obvious example would be soldiers, who do do this). I mean, I have no idea if Bruno Mars (that’s a Bruno Mars song, right?) would actually do this for his lady but who knows.
I’ve reread The Human Condition because it’s one of the most important books in my opinion and propelled me to read almost everything else Arendt has ever written. I’ve also reread Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport and Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. I plan to reread Range and The Karamazov Brothers this year. Would like to add Infinite Jest to that list but too much of a monster to consider anytime soon. Sometimes I read books that seem useful to or can inform me, but I also read stuff with which I think I would identify via experience or belief but whose authors articulate that idea way better than I can. And those aren’t always mutually exclusive.
My reading list is not very diverse. I stick to mostly the same genres, probably because I grapple with the same themes all the time.
I don’t feel that my observations clash with yours.
I’m in the middle of Chasing the Scream by Johann Hari. Enjoying it. His opinion of the war on drugs is very clear and the point of the book is to convince you of his opinion, so if you disagree with him you may not like the book, but I think it’s well written. I think he makes some interesting points, some I agree with, some I don’t, but it’s a good book. I read his book on depression/anxiety this past fall and liked it, so I wanted to check out his other work.
Also started reading Born to Kill: The Rise and Fall of America’s Bloodiest Asian Gang by T. J. English, but then my uncle “borrowed” it so I went with Hari’s book. I like reading about crime, for lack of a better word. Gangs have always been interesting to me, as are the things different ethnic groups will do when placed in certain environments. (This book is about young refugees fleeing Vietnam and their actions in, primarily, NYC upon arriving in the U.S. Another example would the creation of MS13 after Salvadorans in California clashed with the Mexican community.)
Also read Prison Writings: My Life is My Sun Dance by Leonard Peltier over Christmas. That’s a pretty unknown chapter of American history but one I am very interested in and have some connection to. Thinking about writing a paper on it this semester so I’ve been trying to find good books that deal with the topic (A.I.M.-related people and events, mostly during the 1970s). The book was a very easy read, but I enjoyed it and found it…stirred something in me. But it might hit home a little closer simply due to the topic.
Lol I just listen to anything even if the lyrics are negative or whatever. If it sounds good then I like it. I rarely pay attention to lyrics in music.
Don’t you love it when you answer your own question? When I was in school, reading books for fun was right out. All my non-academic, entertainment-oriented reading was in the form of topical articles. “I don’t know much about the medieval history or interior geography of Turkmenistan. Let’s read about it for five hours before starting my Criminal Procedure outline.”
Say no more…
saved. My friends are going to love this
We have this thing were I played a funny Russian song at the begining of class as the prof walks in (he’s Russian)
We’re taking another one of his classes next semester
Sounds like a great prof!
That video is the first in a series of three, by the way. Sergey Lazarev has a funny one too (Eto Vsyo Ona), if you need more.
I’m reading In Putin’s Footsteps by Nina Khrushchev and Jeffrey Tayler and The Almost Nearly Perfect People - Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia by Michael Booth. So far, they’re both meh. If they don’t improve soon, I’ll ditch 'em and find more gripping work. As @Bagsy more or less said, life’s too short to voluntarily read boring books.
Started reading Defense Lawyer by James Patterson…very interesting read pertaining to a defense lawyer for organized crime in NYC during the 70s and 80s
Ahh yes, I’ve seen that one. It’s definitely on my list.
I’ve read meh things about this book but would be interested to know if it improves.
It’s funny though because I almost never quit any book, even if I sometimes feel like I have to force myself to finish.
I kinda figured you do, actually. Throughout my teens and early 20s, I’d power through boring books, too; I felt like a quitter if I didn’t finish reading them.
I was 24 when my leg was crushed, and I was under doctor’s bed rest orders for 20 hours a day… for eight months straight. I read a LOT. After reading one particularly pointless novel, it finally clicked.
“TnT,” I told myself, “you could’ve actually spent that time reading something interesting.”
Future trips to Barnes and Noble confirmed my suspicions - there are so many books on Earth, I needn’t waste my voluntary reading time on unengaging material.
The end 
I like to think my super good taste in books prevents this from happening too often. I think I only had to do that once last year, though I must admit I’m slogging through Normal People right now.
The ultimate dilemma.
Just finished 451 Fahrenheit, started on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. Imagine it will be done today or tomorrow whereupon I’ll have to watch Blade Runner again
I’ve seen you and someone else mention it a few times. I’ve never read the author but, if you finish the book, I’ll be interested bro read your review. Not all boring or dense books are without merit. But some are.
I am upset because my library took away the Overdrive/ Libby app because there was an "offensive " book for children on there. It’s ridiculous!!!
Wait, your library took away the entire app because of one book?!
dafuq??? That’s beyond ridiculous