The Book Club

Some of us exchange books.
How about posting news and views of a good book you've enjoyed?
Doesn't have to be Spiritualist themed but I'd bet a theme emerges. Some of us have spookily similar tates by all accounts.
Holiday read here will be new Hilary Mantel sequel to Wolf Hall... 'Bring up the bodies'.

You beat me to it, Peter. I was just thinking that I should post some short reviews of some of the books I've read recently.

Left Behind wrote:You beat me to it, Peter. I was just thinking that I should post some short reviews of some of the books I've read recently.

That would be great LB!!

This topic has a few pages of books worth considering:

https://www.spiritualismlink.com/t658-recommended-reading

Thank you for reminding people of that link Wes, there is so much material on this site its hard to find it sometimes

Jim

Admin wrote:Well Wes why am I so Suprised that new members will not spend time just looking around and finding the vast resources which exist upon this one site.

Thank you for reminding people.

Jim

That thread was purely for spiritualist books and this topic is a bit more general, but you do make a good point - that there is much more to be read here than just the recent posts that show up on the left side of the portal

Good point Wes I am a bit testy at the moment this is the trivial forum and we could encompass many books.

Kindle won't do Search on here.
If someone kind might paste over some recommendations from there to here it could save duplication.
Just re read Alfred Kitson biography. A marvellous humble voice from the first fifty or so years of English Spiritualism . No change either, twas ever thus.
Kitson a secular Spiritualist and WT Stead in the Xtian Spiritualist corner had similar issues and exchanged snippy correspondence that mirrors in tone and position taking some posts we see on here now and again.
Kitson had the lasr word though, he writes.... ... But I was gratified when Stead returned through the mediumship of Mrs N to apologise and say how wrong he now realised he had been...

Makes ya fink dunnit?.

KatyKing wrote:
Holiday read here will be new Hilary Mantel sequel to Wolf Hall... 'Bring up the bodies'.

Did you enjoy Wolf Hall KK?

Cracking book. By all accounts this new one would have been as long but publishers have split it so a third instalment yet to come. Cromwell was certainly a complex character and I was happy to go with her version of it.
Wolf Hall could be a useful primer for anyone involved in SNU heirarchy. Court intrigues 101 and all that.

I found Wolf Hall hard-going as my knowledge of that period of history is terrible. (Actually, my knowledge of a lot of history is terrible!) But I found it very very interesting. I'm not sure I have enough energy to handle the next book though

Do you read a lot of books on kindle? I have started getting ebooks and magazines instead of paper ones for about the last 6 months to read on my dinky lightweight laptop via the Kindle app from Amazon or the Zinio magazine app.

I made the move over due to the lack of space at home, the handiness of having the choice 10 things I could read when I'm out and about instead of just 1 book or a magazine, and also the cost - especially for the magazines. I was always very anti-ebooks and e-mags but I am now a convert

KatyKing wrote:Kindle won't do Search on here.
If someone kind might paste over some recommendations from there to here it could save duplication.
Just re read Alfred Kitson biography. A marvellous humble voice from the first fifty or so years of English Spiritualism . No change either, twas ever thus.
Kitson a secular Spiritualist and WT Stead in the Xtian Spiritualist corner had similar issues and exchanged snippy correspondence that mirrors in tone and position taking some posts we see on here now and again.
Kitson had the lasr word though, he writes.... ... But I was gratified when Stead returned through the mediumship of Mrs N to apologise and say how wrong he now realised he had been...

Makes ya fink dunnit?.

About what did Stead admit to being wrong, Peter?

Kitson just says that Stead now saw the error of his opposition to Kitson's secularist position. Kitson was reassured as he'd felt to be the brunt of hostility from the Christian Spiritualist wing.

Loneblossom wrote:I found Wolf Hall hard-going as my knowledge of that period of history is terrible. (Actually, my knowledge of a lot of history is terrible!) But I found it very very interesting. I'm not sure I have enough energy to handle the next book though

Do you read a lot of books on kindle? I have started getting ebooks and magazines instead of paper ones for about the last 6 months to read on my dinky lightweight laptop via the Kindle app from Amazon or the Zinio magazine app.

I made the move over due to the lack of space at home, the handiness of having the choice 10 things I could read when I'm out and about instead of just 1 book or a magazine, and also the cost - especially for the magazines. I was always very anti-ebooks and e-mags but I am now a convert

Good book Bring up the bodies. Much shorter time frame than Wolf Hall and it took some getting used to the view through Cromwell's eyes style of writing. Hard to tell who is speaking sometmes without checking back a few lines. She did something similar in Beyond Black which was about a mediumistic character pestered by two persistant yet amusing spirit people. Rather spoiled me reading Mantel first, the couple of two for seven pound Tesco potboilers I read after it were all the worse for comparison. Mantel is brilliant but needs a bit of effort. Possibly not a holiday read with hindsight. Next one will see Cromwell through to execution and should be out soon.

I've always been a bit suspicious of Hay House self help books but wouldn't mind being a few bob short of Louise Hay's fortune. Picked one up off book table at church yesterday.
Radical Contentment by Alan Cohen. Really good.
Making the most of what we've already got. Nothing earth shattering but breezily written and very funny in parts.
"Even I don't wake up looking like Cindy Crawford"
[Cindy Crawford]

Ive read a few good and interesting books lately that others may be interested in picking up.
Judy Hall - the art of psychic protection.
David Ashworth - dancing with the devil as you channel in the light
Ursula roberts - All about mediumship
Ena Twigg - Medium Rare
Arthur Findlay - the rock of truth
Gordon Higginson - on the side of angels
mary ann winkowski - when ghosts speak

Bought a mouse scanner yesterday hoping to be able to OCR some interresting bits for the forum and all ofour research. Some of the old books don't take to flat bed scanning well and I can't afford the professional set up.

Jim

Anything by Doris Stokes I answered when a lady newish at church last Sunday asked for a good book to read. But I've wondered since. I love Doris's books but are they the best first read for someone showing an interest in Spiritualism?
Anyone got a suggestion for such a book?
Good all round intro not too pompous or pontificating but not one of those 'me me me' sorts either?

I've just finished two books by JOHAN THEORIN (a Swedish author). They are mysteries, very noir. They take place on the island of Oland in Sweden. They're entitled ECHOES FROM THE DEAD and THE DARKEST ROOM. I liked the books, but they were a little too much on the dark side for me. But, I exchange books with a friend in Sweden, and she sent these to me. I did enjoy them, but they were slightly depressing. But. they were well written and kept my attention.

KatyKing wrote:Anything by Doris Stokes I answered when a lady newish at church last Sunday asked for a good book to read. But I've wondered since. I love Doris's books but are they the best first read for someone showing an interest in Spiritualism?
Anyone got a suggestion for such a book?
Good all round intro not too pompous or pontificating but not one of those 'me me me' sorts either?

Doris Stokes was a good clairaudient but I wouldn't recommend her books to newcomers. This Is Spiritualism by Barbanell or The Mediumship of Helen Hughes by Upton, I am sure there are plenty more.

Yes that was a concern. I enjoy Doris books but what practical good they might be to a newcomer is debatable. Good easy reading and her warm personality shines through but ....
Those two SNU booklets Religion and Philosophy of Spiritualism are OK but very expensive for the few pages you get also maybe a bit too SNU party line. That's understandable of course.
Much of what we have is a bit elderly. Valid of course as far as it goes but dated.

One book I have found people seem to enjoy is 50 Years a Medium by Estelle Roberts, also Eileen Garretts My life and strangely, given its age, My Life in Two Worlds Gladys Osborne Leonard which is available in e format.

Met Jean Cull a number of times and as a result I decided to read some of her work -

More to Life Than This: Story of Jean Cull
More a Way of Life: Further Stories of Jean Cull

Both were written by her husband Robert - I still have them, though haven't looked at them for many years now...

Then maybe......
;-)