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| Author: Posted: Sep. 8, 2002 | This Page Viewed: 7,000,949 |
Question of the Week: 64 - 10/29/2001 What Are YOUR book/video/dvd Recommendations? What books do you like? Which ones do you read over and over again? What ones do you recommend for those 'taking a mental break' moments or for holiday gift giving? Do you have some suggestions for videos/dvds that deserve a viewing? Your suggestions need not be Pagan specific. In fact, we encourage you here to offer tips on good selections that may be found in the often-overlooked area of mythology, history, humor, sociology, sci-fi or art sections of the bookstores or video sections. |
| Reponses: There are 119 responses posted to this question. | Reverse Sort |
| When I Was Younger I Used To Read "my Side Of The... | Oct 22nd. at 12:56:37 am EDT |
| Jennifer Salinas (Saginaw, Michigan US) | Age: 18 - Email |
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When I was younger I used to read "My side of the mountian" it was about a boy who escaped the evniroment of the city to live on his familie's mountian. I loved the story a lot. i can't remember the author for at, such a young age, author's names weren't really important to me. "the far side of the mountian" The sequal proved to be disappointing, although very well writen, i guess, again being very young, i wanted things to be different. A movie that i love is the Matrix. Keano Rieves is soooo hot in black leather stuff. :-) ummmmm... another is Jurassic park. The computer imagery in that movie set my lust for computer art and animation and I currently work to become one of those creators. blessed be Isis Dragon Gin black_dragon48417@yahoo.com |
| Heart Touching Video: The War (1994) With Kevin Costner Fun For The... | Oct 22nd. at 7:16:25 am EDT |
| Brekke WhiteRaven (Bloomfield, New Jersey US) | Age: 21 - Email |
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Heart Touching Video: The War (1994) with Kevin Costner Fun For the Whole Family Video: Willy Wonka and the chocolate Factory (1971) with Gene Wilder Holiday Gift Video For The Average Man: Fight Club (1999) with Edward Norton Holiday Video Gift for Woman: Tea with Mussolini (1999) with Cher Books for anyone who remembers what its like being a kid... Kids included...: The Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling Coffee Table Book: The Art of Makeup (Kevin Aucoin, 1996) Absolutely Hilariously Sarcastic: Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy More Than Complete Trilogy(Douglas Adams{R.I.P} 1970ish?) The War is definately a sad movie, yet its the sort of sad that inspires us to go out and get happy and be thankful for the lives we lead. Willy Wonka is an Absolute Classic! Fight Club is not only good for men, but anyone who loves to really pay attention to all the little hints in movies. Tea with Mussolini is uber-chick flick. However, I was glued to my seat. Harry Potter takes me back to the days when my worst fear was cooties and/or a troll under my bed. The art of makeup is a fabulous book for eye candy. many stars are all ritzed up for head shots in this book. Hitchhikers guide is just plain.. for lack of a better term.. ROFL. Other movies that I highly recommend... Dogma, To Kill A Mockingbird, Legend, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, The Last of the Mohicans (from the 90's), and Meet the Parents. Books... Mists of Avalon, The Dragonriders of Pern series, Midwives (Chris A. Bohjalian) and Jack Handy's Deep thoughts. I know. I babble ;) |
| For Light Relief, A Great Laugh And An Ironic Perspective On Our... | Oct 22nd. at 8:09:58 am EDT |
| Jools (Rhyl, England UK) | Age: 34 - Email |
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For light relief, a great laugh and an ironic perspective on our own world, anything and everything written by Terry Pratchett - if I could find a way to get in to the Discworld, I'd take up residence in Ankh Morpork this afternoon! Tolkien is a must-have, as is David Eddings. Otherwise, Marian Green provides sensible advice and guidance for the Craft ( as opposed to the "take three tufts of wolf-fur and a newt's third toe" brigade!), Doreen Valiente's "The Mystical Qabbalah" is an annual read, as is "The Chalice and the Blade" by Rianne Eisler. Kala and Katz Pajaeon's "Candle Burning Magic" is worth a read, and is much-referred to on my bookshelves. Films, well, "Willow" is a favourite, as is "Dragonheart" ( cos I'd love to find a real one someday!). "The Scent of a Woman" is a really powerful film that I watch time and again, and for a real "chick flick", "Green Card" has got to be the ultimate "take half a box of Kleenex and say goodbye to your mascara" film. Just for an alternative perspective, check out "Handbook for the Urban Warrior" by Barefoot Doctor - a Taoist guy over here in the UK, with a very down-to-earth way of applying those principles to daily life ( yes, I know I was on Films, but I'm wandering round the "favourites" file in my mind, so you'll have to forgive me!). And to help add structure and another alternative perspective, try "Ritual" by Emma Restall-Orr, for a druidic point of view to the way we "work". I could go on all afternoon, but I'm at work writing this, so I'll have to fly! Brightest Blessings, all! |
| Two Recent Books By Authors I Love: American Gods Neil Gaiman Isbn... | Oct 22nd. at 8:12:34 am EDT |
| Bethy (Staten Island, New York US) | Age: 34 - Email |
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Two recent books by authors I love: American Gods Neil Gaiman ISBN 0-380-97365-0 A wonderful mix of mythology and americana and a gripping story to boot. The Onion Girl Charles deLint ISBN 0-312-87397-2 It made me cry. This is a heartrending story about favorite character Jilly, with a mix of magic and hard reality that is deLint's trademark. Books I read over and over again: Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Prachett oh, and a fabulous beautiful cookbook Betty Crocker's Best Christmas Cookbook ISBN 0-02-863465-9 droolworthy recipes for all aspects of the holidays and good year round! The mashed potato recipe is heavenly! |
| I Enjoy Great And Well Written Scifi/fantasy Books. My Personal Favorite... | Oct 22nd. at 10:01:29 am EDT |
| Sonja (Cocoa, Florida US) | Age: 33 - Email |
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I enjoy great and well written scifi/fantasy books. My personal favorite writers are Mercedes Lackey, Laurell K. Hamilton, Weiss& Hickman, Tolkien, C.S.Lewis, and the Chicks and Chain Males series..and Terry Prachett... I also have finnished reading Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum bounty hunter series*good for a laugh* |
| For Older Kids On Up, Richard Adams' Book "watership Down" Is A... | Oct 22nd. at 10:08:10 am EDT |
| Anigrrl (Lake Oswego, Oregon US) | Age: 31 - Email |
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For older kids on up, Richard Adams' book "Watership Down" is a must-read for Pagans with an Animistic bent(which would be most of us). Outside of speaking, the world of rabbits is presented in a very vivid, realistic way and has a surprisingly strong spiritual undercurrent. Brian Jaques "Redwall" series & other more anthropomorphic titles which followed owe their inspiration to this book which started it all. The film "Watership Down" by Nepenthe Productions follows the book rather faithfully, including its grim realities of Nature which earned it a PG rating. Cute little Thumper bunnies won't be found here. For Pagans who like anime or those who need to break free from their prejudice of anime, there's no better film than "Princess Mononoke." Director Hyao Miyazaki is well known in Japan for his strong Shinto-flavored environmental beliefs, which are stamped on every film Studio Ghibli makes. He stated publically that old European Deities were mixed in with this picture, & The Horned One does roam the primeval forest of Mononoke's Animal Gods. There's both a strong heroine & hero, & the backgrounds & animation are truly gorgeous. For younger Pagans, rent "My Neighbor Totoro" where two girls move to the countryside & encounter the kami nature spirits which live there. I recommend these titles for people who don't get to experience the natural (real) world as much as they would like. All evoke a sense of ecospirituality that is rarely seen in most mainstream media today. Blessed Be, Anigrrl |
| I Believe That Some Of The Best Books Are By Silver Ravenwolf... | Oct 22nd. at 10:11:14 am EDT |
| Gabriel (marshall, Wisconsin US) | Age: 15 - Email |
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I believe that some of the best books are by Silver Ravenwolf. There are so many useful things in her books. In one particular book she tells a story about dealing with some who said he was a Wiccan. This story really helpe me in lerning how to deal with posers. The best movie I've found so far truly has to be "The Crafft" that is the greatest movie I have ever seen. |
| If You're Looking For Movies With A Witchcraft Feel To Them I... | Oct 22nd. at 10:16:56 am EDT |
| Raven Prince (Fort Lauderdale, Florida US) | Age: 19 |
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If you're looking for movies with a witchcraft feel to them I recommend The Wicker Man, Drawing Down the Moon, The Craft, Scooby Doo and the Witches' Ghost(I would reccomend that one to any pagans raising their children on the path, since it goes out of its way to explain the difference between Wiccans and evil witches and even to a certain extent explains what Wicca actually is), Scooby Doo on Zombie Island (also good for children), Bedknobs and Broomsticks, So I Married a Witch (a classic from the 1930s), Elvira Mistress of the Dark, The Witches of Eastwick, and even the Halloween movies (believe it or not the Halloween horror movies with Michael Myers were the first places I ever heard anything about Celtic practices from, and their information wasn't entirely inaccurate either, but you have to watch Halloween 2 and 6 for that). I'm sure there are many, many other movies out there with subtle pagan overtones. Apart from that, my pics for horror movies this time of year are: Halloween 1 & 2 & H2O, Nightmare on Elm Street 1 and New Nightmare, Friday the Thirteenth 1, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 1, Scream 1 & 2 & 3, The Fog, Terror Train, Prom Night (gods bless Jamie Lee Curtis, the scream Queen), The Howling, Bad Seed, The Town that Feared Sundown (a true story about the Texarkana Phantom killer), Freaks (a classic from about the 1930s, with real carnival freaks in the starring roles), etc... or any of Stephen King's horror movies. my book recommendations are as follows: a few books for Celts/Druids or those interested in the Celts and the Druids are Celtic Magic by DJ Conway (not really very accurate at all, but the quick index listings of all the Celtic gods is very useful and the book only costs $5.00 when you can find it), The Druids by Peter Berresford Ellis (a very scholarly look at the history, beliefs, structure, and practices of the Druid class of Celtic society, boring for most people but highly informative, a must-read for all Druids or those interested in the Druids), The World of the Celts by Simon James (another book about the history and practices of the Celts, very academic and highly informative, another must-read), Glamoury by Steven Blamires (highly recommended to everyone interested in Celtic spirituality), The Encyclopedia of Celtic Wisdom by Caitlin & John Matthews (very detailed, very informative, literally an encyclopedia), 21 Lessons of Merlyn (can't recall the author's name at the moment), By Oak, Ash, and Thorn by DJ Conway (a book which teaches a modern Celtic form of shamanism, very well done), and The Wisdom of Trees by Jane Gifford (beautifully done, wonderful pictures of trees all throughout the pages of the book). I also recommend as a Celtic Tarot deck The Sacred Circle Tarot by Anna Franklin and Paul Mason. And for those interested in folk magick: Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham, Crystal, Gem and Metal Magic by Scott Cunningham, Earth Power & Earth, Air, Fire, and Water by Scott Cunningham, and Magical Herbalism by (you guessed it) Scott Cunningham (those five books will give you everything you need to know to practice folk magick, though i know many other very informative books on the subject exist such as Silver Ravenwolf's American Folk Magic). |
| Fantasy/urban Fantasy: Obviously, "lord Of The Rings" And "the Hobbit," What... | Oct 22nd. at 10:46:31 am EDT |
| Lauryl Stone (Chapel Hill, North Carolina US) | Age: 33 - Email |
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Fantasy/Urban Fantasy: Obviously, "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit, " what recommendations list would be complete without those? :) Lately I've become a huge fan of Diana Wynne Jones. Her book, "The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, " should be required reading for ANYONE who's either running or playing a fantasy RPG or who wants to write fantasy. It's a very humorous romp through some of the most famous cliches of fantasy, written in the style of a travel manual. Entries include such gems as the entry on Evil: Evil is generally around someplace in Fantasyland and seems to cast quite a blight. It has two states, active and passive. In the active state, it is rampant, embodied in puppet Kings, Armies of Undead, Monsters and Creeping Pollution of the countryside..." Also, if you liked Harry Potter, try her books "The Dark Lord of Derkholm" and its sequel, "Year of the Griffin." Another favorite is Pamela Dean's "Tam Lin." Take the old Scottish ballad of Tam Lin (recorded by both Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span) and set it in a small liberal-arts college. Captures the special feeling of college mixed with a dose of Faery, bright and dark. Also Emma Bull's "War for the Oaks" -- I actually have three copies of this in paperback, one is my own and two are loaner copies that I share with people whenever I find someone who hasn't read this yet. It's classic urban fantasy. I can't say enough good things about this book. Just get it and read it. Guy Gavriel Kay is yet another person whose books I immediately buy in hardback. I'm a student of medieval Spain, so of course I loved "The Lions of Al-Rassan, " which is very loosely based on the epic poem of El Cid, which itself is loosely based on the life of a real man, Rodrigo Diaz -- sort of the Arthur of Spain, complete with sword. If you know El Cid at all, you know how "Lions" ends, but it's a good read. Particularly because there's a strong female character, a Jewish physician. The Muslim History of Spain: As for history, like I said I'm a student of medieval Spain, particularly the Caliphate of Cordoba, where you had three religions existing in relative harmony. Two good books about the era by Richard Fletcher: "The Quest for El Cid, " ISBN 0-19-506955-2, and "Moorish Spain, " ISBN 0-520-08496-9. For a good look at the Nasrid Sultanate of Granada, the last foothold of Islam in Spain, I recommend L.P. Harvey's "Islamic Spain: 1250 to 1500, " ISBN 0-226-31962-8. For a fictional account that follows one family during and after the fall of Granada, I suggest "Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree, " by Tariq Ali, ISBN 0-86091-676-6. Religious Studies: For the history of paganism, try Ronald Hutton's "Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft." It will probably make some people angry, because it pokes holes in cherished theories about paganism as an unbroken tradition from ancient times. ISBN 0-19-285449-6. Hand in hand with Hutton's book, I recommend Anne Ross's classic, "Pagan Celtic Britain, " ISBN 0-89733-435-3. Psychology/Women: For anyone who wants to know who's living in their body, try "The Goddess Within, " by Jennifer Barker Woolger and Roger J. Woolger. Splits the Divine Feminine into six Goddesses: Demeter, Hera, Athena, Persephone, Artemis and Aphrodite, symbolic of characteristics that are found in individual women. It's a great way to get in touch with parts of yourself that you may be repressing or not treating well. ISBN 0-449-90287-0. Written by a pair of Jungians. Astrology: Cards on the table, here: I work for the folks who wrote these next two books, but I'd like to think I'd recommend them anyway -- but if you want to ignore this paragraph I won't be offended. :) "The Inner Sky, " by Steven Forrest. A great primer on astrology, particularly astrology as a tool for growth, not a fate that's carved in stone. ISBN 0-935127-04-6. Out of print at the moment but will be reissued by the publisher soon (we hope). "The Book of Pluto, " by Steven Forrest. In a birthchart, Pluto highlights areas of woundedness. This book is a practical, hard yet compassionate guide on how to make it through Plutonian times. ISBN 0935127-34-8. Tarot: The Robin Wood tarot, with traditional pagan imagery beautifully done. If you like all things Celtic, try Caitlin Matthews's Celtic Wisdom Tarot, ISBN 0-89281-720-8. Features different images and names for the Major Arcana: The Soul, the Decider, the Guardian, the Shaper, the Keeper, the Rememberer, etc. The suits are Battle (swords), Skill (wands), Art (cups) and Knowledge (coins/pentacles). All cards are richly illustrated, with full drawings on all the number cards too. Science Fiction: For a series with a strong female character, try David Weber's Honor Harrington books, starting with "On Basilisk Station." Well that's enough for now. Great, fun topic! |
| Merry Meet All~ Of All The Gifts That I've Received Over The... | Oct 22nd. at 12:04:46 pm EDT |
| Cory Cochran (Panama City, Florida US) | Age: 43 - Email |
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Merry Meet All~ Of all the gifts that I've received over the years, my favorite still is the big blank Book of Shadows...lined or unlined, you make it yours by writing down all the important stuff in your journey to knowledge and wisdom. Bright Blessings~ Father Time |
| Books: Anything By Stephen King & Anne Rice. I'm Going To Purchase The... | Oct 22nd. at 12:10:10 pm EDT |
| Ciarrai (Piscataway, New Jersey US) | Age: 34 - Email |
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Books: Anything by Stephen King & Anne Rice. I'm going to purchase the latest Witchcraft books that Amazon told me about except I will probably get them via the Pagan Pride bookstore. Video/DVD: Anything by Quentin Tarantino but most especially Pulp Fiction. Amadeus. American Beauty. And for a good belly laugh, all of the original SNL reruns. And Amimal House. And The Blues Brothers. And AB/FAB (Absolutely Fabulous -- the best British art form since Python!) And just for the heck of it, I listen to lots of The Beatles -- it keeps depression from sinking in. I find "One" is the best for the car. You never get sick of it. And lots of Stones, anything Stones, but most especially Exile on Main Street, and oh yeah, Beggars Banquet (for Jigsaw Puzzle). Other gift ideas: gift certificates to spas -- you can get a cheap facial, manicure or neck massage w/out breaking the bank. I think we all need a day at the salon, don't you? Peace, Ciarrai the Prissy Witch |
| Video Recommendation: Mind Walk, Stars John Hurd, Sam Waterston, Liv Ullman. This... | Oct 22nd. at 1:14:16 pm EDT |
| awwen (Houston-TX/Ogden-Ut, Texas US) | Age: 33 - Email |
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Video recommendation: MIND WALK, stars John Hurd, Sam Waterston, Liv Ullman. This movie is about a conversation between a politician(sam), a poet (john) , a physicist on sabbatical (Liv) while they tour a french island castle. they start with humanity's perception of time before decartes to the present and wind up with the impact of two competeing paradigms "decarte/Mechanistic Universe/ male principle" and "Systems theory/Living organism Universe/female 'Goddess'principle". for casual intellectual entertainment, this is the pick! Great for science and for pagan oriented thinkers. |
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