New Leaf Nominations for October 2019 • Ya Gotta Believe: Life of the Spirit

[Catlady]

My second nomination is The Wonder by Emma Donoghue (2016, 303 pp.).

By the New York Times bestselling author of Room: A small Irish village is mystified by what appears to be a miracle but may actually be murder in this "fine, fact-based, old-school page-turner" (Stephen King).

In this masterpiece by Emma Donoghue, an English nurse brought to a small Irish village to observe what appears to be a miracle -- a girl said to have survived without food for months -- soon finds herself fighting to save the child's life.

Tourists flock to the cabin of eleven-year-old Anna O'Donnell, who believes herself to be living off manna from heaven, and a journalist is sent to cover the sensation. Lib Wright, a veteran of Florence Nightingale's Crimean campaign, is hired to keep watch over the girl.

Written with all the propulsive tension that made Room a huge bestseller, THE WONDER works beautifully on many levels--a tale of two strangers who transform each other's lives, a powerful psychological thriller, and a story of love pitted against evil.

Available in all relevant countries and in Overdrive (e-book and audiobook).

Amazon U.S., $9.99

[Bookpossum]

I too have been casting around for something to nominate this month. After considering ghost stories, and The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry, I finally decided on a bit of hilarity. So I nominate Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams.

From Kobo:

What do a dead cat, a computer whiz-kid, an Electric Monk who believes the world is pink, quantum mechanics, a Chronologist over 200 years old, Samuel Taylor Coleridge (poet), and pizza have in common? Apparently not much; until Dirk Gently, self-styled private investigator, sets out to prove the fundamental interconnectedness of all things by solving a mysterious murder, assisting a mysterious professor, unravelling a mysterious mystery, and eating a lot of pizza – not to mention saving the entire human race from extinction along the way (at no extra charge). To find out more, read this book (better still, buy it, then read it) – or contact Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. ‘A thumping good detective-ghost-horror-whodunnit-time travel-romantic-musical-comedy epic.’ The author

Kobo prices: $US7.99, $C10.69, $A9.99, ￡4.99.

Length: 287 pages.

[Bookworm_Girl]

I second Black Narcicuss.

[CRussel]

Second for Dirk Gently

[Bookpossum]

I second The Sleeper in the Sands.

[fantasyfan]

Third for Dirk Gently.

[issybird]

I'm nominating Magic and Mystery in Tibet by Alexandra David-Neel, published in 1928.

The description is a little over the top, but I thought it gave more flavor than the alternative, which is bare bones.

For centuries Tibet has been known as the last home of mystery, the hidden, sealed land, where ancient mysteries still survive that have perished in the rest of the Orient. Many men have written about Tibet and its secret lore, but few have actually penetrated it to learn its ancient wisdom. Among those few was Madame Alexandra David-Neel, a French orientalist. A practicing Buddhist, a profound historian of religion, and linguist, she actually lived in Tibet for more than 14 years. She had the great honor of being received by the Dalai Lama; she studied philosophical Buddhism and Tibetan Tantra at the great centers; she meditated in lonely caves and on wind-swept winter mountains with yogi hermits; and she even witnessed forbidden corpse-magic in the forests. Her experiences have been unique.

Prices: US $2.99, CA $3.99, AU $4.63, UK £2.39. There's a more expensive edition, also, but I've verified these prices. There's a WhisperSync book to go with the cheap edition as well.

313 pp.

[Victoria]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Please mention it anyway.

I had hoped to nominate Elaine Pagels’ Beyond Belief, the Secret Gospel of Thomas.

The Amazon description is

In Beyond Belief, renowned religion scholar Elaine Pagels continues her groundbreaking examination of the earliest Christian texts, arguing for an ongoing assessment of faith and a questioning of religious orthodoxy.

Spurred on by personal tragedy and new scholarship from an international group of researchers, Pagels returns to her investigation of the “secret” Gospel of Thomas, and breathes new life into writings once thought heretical. As she arrives at an ever-deeper conviction in her own faith, Pagels reveals how faith allows for a diversity of interpretations, and that the “rogue” voices of Christianity encourage and sustain “the recognition of the light within us all.”

The Gospel of Thomas was discovered near Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in December 1945 as part of the Nag Hammadi library. The topic may sound dry and academic, but I found it fascinating.

I also found it quite moving. It’s a reflective, quietly written book and I thought the author was quite insightful. She was very open about her struggles with spirituality, and the impact of the loss of her young son. It’s a fairly short book and I actually felt a bit bereft when it was over.

PS:
The description says “she arrives at an ever-deeper conviction in her own faith..” - I wouldn’t describe it that way -which sounds ‘one and done’. I’d say she’s more of a seeker / wrestler than the description implies.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by Victoria

I had hoped to nominate Elaine Pagels’ Beyond Belief, the Secret Gospel of Thomas.

Thanks. Not in any of my libraries, unfortunately.

[Victoria]

My literal nomination of the theme, taken from my tbr, is A Morbid Taste for Bones. Ellis Peters (The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael Book 1)

A Welsh Benedictine monk living at Shrewsbury Abbey in western England, Brother Cadfael spends much of his time tending the herbs and vegetables in the garden—but now there’s a more pressing matter. Cadfael is to serve as translator for a group of monks heading to the town of Gwytherin in Wales. The team’s goal is to collect the holy remains of Saint Winifred, which Prior Robert hopes will boost the abbey’s reputation, as well as his own. But when the monks arrive in Gwytherin, the town is divided over the request.

When the leading opponent to disturbing the grave is found shot dead with a mysterious arrow, some believe Saint Winifred herself delivered the deadly blow. Brother Cadfael knows an earthly hand did the deed, but his plan to root out a murderer may dig up more than he can handle.

Before CSI and Law & Order, there was Brother Cadfael, “wily veteran of the Crusades” (Los Angeles Times). His knowledge of herbalism, picked up in the Holy Land, and his skillful observance of human nature are blessings in dire situations, and earned Ellis Peters a Crime Writers’ Association Silver Dagger Award. A Morbid Taste for Bones kicks off a long-running and much-loved series that went on to be adapted for stage, radio, and television.

It’s available via overdrive.

kobo: $9.56 Aud; $12 US; $14.39 Cdn
kindle: $9 US; $12 Cdn; $8.79 Aud

[Dazrin]

It doesn't look like I will have time to find anything so for now I'm going to third Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar and second A Morbid Taste for Bones.

I was able to finish September's selection already, YAY!, but my reading this year has been WAY down. Over 10,000 pages less than this time last year.

[Bookpossum]

Originally Posted by Victoria

I had hoped to nominate Elaine Pagels’ Beyond Belief, the Secret Gospel of Thomas.

The Amazon description is

In Beyond Belief, renowned religion scholar Elaine Pagels continues her groundbreaking examination of the earliest Christian texts, arguing for an ongoing assessment of faith and a questioning of religious orthodoxy.

Spurred on by personal tragedy and new scholarship from an international group of researchers, Pagels returns to her investigation of the “secret” Gospel of Thomas, and breathes new life into writings once thought heretical. As she arrives at an ever-deeper conviction in her own faith, Pagels reveals how faith allows for a diversity of interpretations, and that the “rogue” voices of Christianity encourage and sustain “the recognition of the light within us all.”

The Gospel of Thomas was discovered near Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in December 1945 as part of the Nag Hammadi library. The topic may sound dry and academic, but I found it fascinating.

I also found it quite moving. It’s a reflective, quietly written book and I thought the author was quite insightful. She was very open about her struggles with spirituality, and the impact of the loss of her young son. It’s a fairly short book and I actually felt a bit bereft when it was over.

PS:
The description says “she arrives at an ever-deeper conviction in her own faith..” - I wouldn’t describe it that way -which sounds ‘one and done’. I’d say she’s more of a seeker / wrestler than the description implies.

Thanks for this Victoria. I read another book by Pagels many years ago, and find Gnosticism very interesting. I must see if I can find this.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Victoria

I had hoped to nominate Elaine Pagels’ Beyond Belief, the Secret Gospel of Thomas.

The Amazon description is

In Beyond Belief, renowned religion scholar Elaine Pagels continues her groundbreaking examination of the earliest Christian texts, arguing for an ongoing assessment of faith and a questioning of religious orthodoxy.

Spurred on by personal tragedy and new scholarship from an international group of researchers, Pagels returns to her investigation of the “secret” Gospel of Thomas, and breathes new life into writings once thought heretical. As she arrives at an ever-deeper conviction in her own faith, Pagels reveals how faith allows for a diversity of interpretations, and that the “rogue” voices of Christianity encourage and sustain “the recognition of the light within us all.”

The Gospel of Thomas was discovered near Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in December 1945 as part of the Nag Hammadi library. The topic may sound dry and academic, but I found it fascinating.

I also found it quite moving. It’s a reflective, quietly written book and I thought the author was quite insightful. She was very open about her struggles with spirituality, and the impact of the loss of her young son. It’s a fairly short book and I actually felt a bit bereft when it was over.

PS:
The description says “she arrives at an ever-deeper conviction in her own faith..” - I wouldn’t describe it that way -which sounds ‘one and done’. I’d say she’s more of a seeker / wrestler than the description implies.

I remember reading this article in the Washington Post late last year, about Pagels' most recent book, a personal reaction to religion referencing her losses.

[Victoria]

Originally Posted by Bookpossum

Thanks for this Victoria. I read another book by Pagels many years ago, and find Gnosticism very interesting. I must see if I can find this.

I find it very interesting too. I hope you have some luck seeking it out Bookpossom! Unfortunately it didn’t seem to be available in either kindle or kobo versions. But both stores recognized me as a Canadian, so I may not be able to see the full selection available to Australians.

(I hope your eyes are still going well.)

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Victoria

I may not be able to see the full selection available to Australians.

I checked Australia as well; not that I doubted you, but only that sometimes two pairs of eyes can be helpful. No joy.

We were posting simultaneously, so just in case I'll point you to the article I linked to above, which might be of interest to you.