Top Books of 2024
Gathering Moss
written by Robin Wall Kimmerer
A beautiful ‘Ode to Moss’ from Robin Wall Kimerer, who made my top favorite books for 2022 with her ‘Braiding Sweetgrass’.
It is written with her beautiful way of storytelling, overlapping indigenous wisdom, science and data research and field work experience to create a picture of the biology of mosses clearly and artfully, while at the same time reflecting on what these fascinating organisms have to teach us.
I love how she reiterates who salmon, rivers, trees, soil, salamanders and all manner of beings that depend on mosses in the complex intricate web of our earth ecosystem.
It made me rethink a bunnings trip to get some moss, or to pick some from a tree or post stump, how long it takes to grow and how devastating it is to harvest for florists, plant nurseries and private gardens!
Floating Brothel
Written by Sian Rees
I think I found this book secondhand somewhere, I finished it when I was travelling around Scotland and left it at an Air BnB home library on Isle of Skye.
It was an interesting read. I have heard that Australia was populated as part of a branch of ‘the new world’ by convicts. You don’t hear about female convicts or their story often, so this was intriguing to read.
It details a voyage upon the Lady Julian from England in 1789 with plights and dramas along the way to finally arrive in Botany Bay over a year later. Amazingly most of the women were petty criminals - imagine being deported for stealing linen, only to board a ship with a bunch of lonely and horny sailors that you have to gleam comfort for sexual favors. So many tales from these first women who helped colonize Australia (not by choice) and I wonder if there are any of their descendants still around today with some heirloom stories to share.
There are quotes and detailed accounts throughout the book, but you can also pick up some of the romanticized aspects of the book - did some of those things really happen or can we only imagine, given the situation.
It was still a good read and gives the reader a lot to think about on how some nations are born from criminal colonists (not unlike USA and Canada).
Spare
By Prince Harry
This was on my cousin’s home library bookshelf in Scotland. I wasn’t sure what to expect but when I got home, I listened to the Audiobook - wonderfully read by Prince Harry himself, so the context, tone and emotion are all there.
I wouldn’t call myself a royalist, or even support the monarchy. Coming from Canada as a commonwealth country, we of course heard of the queen, but it wasn’t something we frothed over, at least I didn’t.
I am glad he wrote this book, as a human, it is interesting to hear his side of things, being brave enough to say enough is enough and spill the beans.
He details the time of his mother’s death, Princess Diana, and what it was like for a coming-of-age boy to lose his mother, but to be in a bubble of Britain inside a bubble of royalty. How he wasn’t able to express grief for many years, and the family dynamics around that. Seriously tragic.
He details his time in the Army, in Afghanistan and the crippling panic attacks he experienced after he returned.
Some details around his relationships and the hoops they had to go through to try and achieve a morsel of privacy.
He details the rubbish, lies and lengths the British press will go to spin a story, and how his family and the royal household will support decisions by the press, stay silent, not support.
I don’t read news, newspapers or the magazines, but in the grocery aisle they are there and you see the headlines. On a conscious level, you know its fake news and rubbish, but on a subconscious level, the poison seed seeps in and you aren’t sure what to believe.
I applaud him for leaving the monarchy to try and have a life, it has certainly supported some more modern discussions on what the point of the monarchy is for, and will they answer to the crimes they have committed over the years and centuries past?
Only time will tell.
I can only wonder if Kate or William would have enough courage to tell their side of things - the chances are minute, but anything is possible. What we know about stress and the studies that have been done on how it interacts with cells and our human biology of disease, is it any wonder that Kate developed cancer?
Imagine how many words she has had to swallow, how many truths she has had to turn away from, how many times she had to conform to an idealogy and silenced by necessity. If she were able to share what her heart wants to share freely, I wonder what we would learn?
Who knows what is in store for the future of British royals, they have survived so many scandals, one can only wonder.
I would recommend this book even to someone who is a die-hard royalist and monarchist, it is good to have an open mind to other sides of the story, n’est-ce pas?
SCAR TISSUE
Written by Anthony KiedIs
In this book, Anthony recounts his life story and the history of the band “Red Hot Chili Peppers”.
It was such an interesting read, but also triggering for me! He outlines a lot of drug abuse and with my history of drug experience with an ex partner, I felt a lot of parallels, almost like I could have dated him and understood what he was going through.
The story of his girlfriend Ione Skye was particularly poignant for me because it felt so similar - a young girl who is naive, dates a rockstar who has mental emotional baggage and a substance abuse problem. How quickly you get spun into that web even with best intentions.
My ex has a tragic story, he didn’t make it, but it felt a bit like closure hearing about a rare case of sobriety in the face of the impossible.
This book helped me face some things head on, heal parts of me that were ready to heal and also find some peace and hope for others who find themselves lost from recklessness to redemption.
The Sorcerors Apprentice
By Amy Wallace
I have only recently read one of Castaneda’s novels (read a blog post last year outlining a review of “Journey to Ixltan”), but the first read immediately captured my attention. Even though I hadn’t heard of Castaneda’s teachings or writings; I had heard of “Don Juan” although I never understood the context when people in society quoted or referenced Don Juan.
Castaneda's rise was meteoric in the late 1960s as he wrote massive bestsellers, inspired many to experiment with psychedelics, and was dubbed "the Godfather of the New Age."
Society now accepts the possibility that Castaneda's experiences may have been fabricated, but this did little to compromise his legend. One cannot deny his ability to inspire awe, wonderment and also inspire you to ask yourself some deeper meaning of the world, your beliefs and how you perceive things. I must admit that after reading his work, I had a deeper sense of connection with myself and the world around me, especially the natural world.
Being the daughter of the renowned novelist Irving Wallace, Amy Wallace seldom felt intimidated by celebrities. Her initial reluctance to meet Castaneda gave way to an unexpected 20-year friendship. However, this bond spiraled into a tumultuous affair, as detailed in her book. "Sorcerer's Apprentice" candidly exposes the dynamics of the "Cult of Carlos," led by a persuasive yet charismatic authoritarian who manipulated his young female acolytes through emotional manipulation, mind games, strange rituals, questionable teachings, and sexual exploitation. Wallace's narrative is a compelling and cautionary account, highlighting the perils of surrendering control to a despot and the resilience required to overcome physical and psychological trauma.
For many who lead ordinary lives (lets face it, 85% of the worlds population does the 'daily grind'), waking up each day to earn a living, the notion of "magic" in the world that can be harnessed for self-improvement is captivating. This idea resonated with the 60's generation at the perfect moment, coinciding with Castaneda's rise to prominence. Castaneda's philosophy, well-known among his readers, advocates for an anti-authoritarian stance, a break from relentless social conditioning, and a dismantling of the ego to become the warriors of impeccability we are destined to be. However, the true measure lies in our deeds, the fruits of our actions, which raises the question: has anyone, including Castaneda himself, truly attained the warrior's goal and fearlessly plunged into the abyss of infinity? Amy Wallace's book leaves one with lingering doubts.
When one becomes so entranced by the ‘magical world’ of connected spirituality, it is always good practice to receive some humbling reality of the extremes that some of these ideals and communities perpetuate. I know people who could use some grounding in a humbled nature to balance the equilibrium, but alas, to each their own journey.
I can relate to Amy when she details her love life with someone like Castaneda - I have dated someone in a similar parallel (at least metaphorically speaking). Because the most dramatic and real love affairs in one's life remain with you, Wallace continues to respect and feel affection for the man despite their long and tumultuous past.
Personally, this story does not change my opinion of Castaneda's teachings - he has many faults of course, but his books have been highly influential and have positively altered my worldview in many ways, which are too numerous to list. They come recommended for anyone seeking insight into the workings of his peculiar and unconventional world.