Do you read books?

[SoulWhisperer]

PS: This thread looks like the average old man complaining young generations are slackers. I'm honestly not old, but I found that in my depression reading has always been something I loved deep inside, because of my empathy. (Open to new book reccs and PMs if you wanna discuss the topic )

I always heard people say that nobody reads books anymore, that everything is online and all of that, but what's the situation like here?

Long time ago I asked here for advice on books about suicide and depression, and got around 8 recommendations, good ones. Today I've finished "Why people die by suicide" and I must admit the ending almost made me cry. I'm a very empathetic person when it comes to books and stories (note: The recommendations I got weren't novels but rather scientific data/research books).

I honestly feel like reading actual books, let it be novels, fiction, old classics or virtually anything cultured with a degree of seriousness allows you to analyse things in a way the average person doesn't, because too busy idk, watching Instagram reels or tiktoks, who knows. A lot of focus is on online stuff now, but I feel like books are precious as way to communicate messages with people, from afar, the old way. When I read a book and end up loving it I always think of the author and admire them for their determination, I'd love to be able to write a book too! I think about the times they've been sat writing and thinking of their work, that is now in my hands, and if it reached me then it means their work was a success in the end, and I'm happy for them.

All the books I've read left me some wiseness I'll always treasure, even in death, I feel like they're something tangible and almost sacred that can transport messages. Because in the end, language, especially written, when you have a lot more time to use the right words to describe things, is ultimately used to express what you feel. Words exist for this reason: to express ourselves and what we feel. I find it simply beautiful.

Does anyone relate in any way? Do you read books? Any cool things you've found or felt thanks to literature?

 

[CatLvr]

Long time ago I asked here for advice on books about suicide and depression, and got around 8 recommendations, good ones.

Do you mind sharing the titles??

I LOVE to read. And it doesn't matter if you are old or not -- if you like to do something, anything, and it brings you joy then DO IT! And NEVER apologize. (As long as you aren't hurting another creature, that is ... Fellow empath here. )

 

[SoulWhisperer]

Do you mind sharing the titles??

I LOVE to read. And it doesn't matter if you are old or not -- if you like to do something, anything, and it brings you joy then DO IT! And NEVER apologize. (As long as you aren't hurting another creature, that is ... Fellow empath here. )

[v] the perks of being a wallflower
[v] Noonday Demon by Andrew Solomon
[ ] Tuesdays with Morrie
[v] On suicide a discourse on voluntary death, Jean Améri
[v] Johnny Got His Gun
[v] No longer human osamu dazai
[v] Girl In Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
[ ] Rich dad and poor dad
[ ] Thinking fast and slow
[ ] The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley, by Shaun David Hutchinson
[v] Suicide Notes, by Michael Thomas Ford
[ ] The Neuroscience of Suicidal Behavior, by Kees Van Heeringen
[v] Why People Die by Suicide, by Thomas Joiner

I copy pasted this from my old notebook, the ones with "V" are the one I own (I only buy physical books), I haven't looked into all of them, some are about war if I'm not wrong. Feel free to skim as you wish.

Notes on stuff I read (I didn't read all books I bought, it's a lot of stuff and I got too little time lol):
- perks of being a wallflower was "meh" for me although other ppl loved it
- Noonday demon (I started today IS A 750 WORDS TOME)
- No longer human is a MUST!! veryyyy good book
- Girl in pieces I read 3 years ago, absoutely fantastic work, I just love how it described the hardships of life and suicide without falling into a cliché, it all felt so fucking real... That's what made me love it
- suicide notes, I thought it would've been entirely different. Don't get me wrong, the book is cool, it's very linear and nice but the protag was too young for me to relate, it focuses more on psychological aspects of recovery rather than the suicide attempt itself
- why people die by suicide, not a novel as I said up maybe, I gave my thoughts in this post (briefly)

PS: In the end some books cross-reference a ton more in notes, that's also a good way to find similar books too

 

[bankai]

I don't read anymore. I listen to audiobooks though. I listened to Ishura and Overlord in the past 12 months.Also The Light bringer is an excellent read.Red rising as well.

 

[CatLvr]

[v] the perks of being a wallflower
[v] Noonday Demon by Andrew Solomon
[ ] Tuesdays with Morrie
[v] On suicide a discourse on voluntary death, Jean Améri
[v] Johnny Got His Gun
[v] No longer human osamu dazai
[v] Girl In Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
[ ] Rich dad and poor dad
[ ] Thinking fast and slow
[ ] The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley, by Shaun David Hutchinson
[v] Suicide Notes, by Michael Thomas Ford
[ ] The Neuroscience of Suicidal Behavior, by Kees Van Heeringen
[v] Why People Die by Suicide, by Thomas Joiner

I copy pasted this from my old notebook, the ones with "V" are the one I own (I only buy physical books), I haven't looked into all of them, some are about war if I'm not wrong. Feel free to skim as you wish.

Notes on stuff I read (I didn't read all books I bought, it's a lot of stuff and I got too little time lol):
- perks of being a wallflower was "meh" for me although other ppl loved it
- Noonday demon (I started today IS A 750 WORDS TOME)
- No longer human is a MUST!! veryyyy good book
- Girl in pieces I read 3 years ago, absoutely fantastic work, I just love how it described the hardships of life and suicide without falling into a cliché, it all felt so fucking real... That's what made me love it
- suicide notes, I thought it would've been entirely different. Don't get me wrong, the book is cool, it's very linear and nice but the protag was too young for me to relate, it focuses more on psychological aspects of recovery rather than the suicide attempt itself
- why people die by suicide, not a novel as I said up maybe, I gave my thoughts in this post (briefly)

PS: In the end some books cross-reference a ton more in notes, that's also a good way to find similar books too

Thank you so much!! I'll be back later!! Haha!

I don't read anymore. I listen to audiobooks though. I listen to Ishura and Overlord in the past 12 months.Also The Light bringer is an excellent read.Red rising as well.

I tried audiobooks. And I wanted them to REALLY be a viable solution. But I will turn it on, start cleaning -- or driving -- and next thing I know we are halfway through a book and I have NO IDEA what the hell they are talking about ... My ADHD brain just tunes it out, I guess. Even when I just sit and listen. Next thing I know, some strange voice is waking me up from a 2 hour nap!

 

[SoulWhisperer]

Yeah audiobooks aren't for me because I'd end up multitasking and not focusing on a single word either. Although everyone is different and stuff may work just like me being able to focus better on working if I'm listening to music (Yes, studying with headphones helps me focus even if it's pretty fast-paced stuff)

 

[avoid]

I'd love to be able to write a book too but I always have trouble finding words. Maybe I'm slow-witted, though not dim-witted, often needing time to formulate a response. I'm also a terribly slow reader—maybe it's related? Either way, I started reading books only a year ago so I have a lot of catching up to do.

I happened to have read When Breath Becomes Air yesterday and it moved me to tears. I really enjoyed the manner in which he wrote (prose? not sure). Tuesday with Morrie is also good, though in my opinion, more philosophical and less emotionally impactful. I'm currently reading A Grief Observed and it's so insightful. For example, the quote below.

I have no photograph of her that's any good. I cannot even see her face distinctly in my imagination. Yet the odd face of some stranger seen in a crowd this morning may come before me in vivid perfection the moment I close my eyes tonight. No doubt, the explanation is simple enough. We have seen the faces of those we know best so variously, from so many angles, in so many lights, with so many expressions—waking, sleeping, laughing, crying, eating, talking, thinking—that all the impressions crowd into our memory together and cancel out into a mere blur. But her voice is still vivid. The remembered voice—that can turn me at any moment to a whimpering child.

I don't know if I'll be able to view the world, or at least my world, differently once I've read a good number of literary books. I enjoy the stories but I seem to forget them way before I've had the chance to apply any insights to my life. Though maybe it's a matter of just keep reading.

 

[bankai]

I tried audiobooks. And I wanted them to REALLY be a viable solution. But I will turn it on, start cleaning -- or driving -- and next thing I know we are halfway through a book and I have NO IDEA what the hell they are talking about ... My ADHD brain just tunes it out, I guess. Even when I just sit and listen. Next thing I know, some strange voice is waking me up from a 2 hour nap!

Interesting. That's quite understandable. I don't listen to them at home myself, I listen to them when I'm stuck in one place, like on a cab ride to work.That forces me to listen. but to be honest i have that problem as well where i skip certain sections but that's the beauty it has a rewind button so that i can quickly go a bit back and listen again.

I feel they are way more engrossing because they're actually narrated by voice actors. For example, the female voice actor will be narrated by actual women and male characters by men.There will be background music as well. Not all of them has this feature though, some of them are just narrated by one person.For playing audiobooks,Smart Audio Book Player is a good software.

Check audiobookbay.lu for good ones.My recommendation is pick a book you know you will like for sure. So that you don't get put to sleep by something that's not so enjoyable. Then if you still don't enjoy them, then I suppose it's not for you.

 

[Interdegenerate]

Yes but only dry non-fiction books. I've never found much value in fiction or fantasy, though I'm a maladaptive daydreamer so I'm constantly engaged in imagination.

 

[Imeavie]

Not entirely suicide oriented, but similar in theme, or headspace, I have read some decent books I can recommend.

Also eBay is your best friend for cheap books.

• The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (A young intelligent woman with a bright future suddenly spirals into depression. This does an amazing job at showing how depression actually functions, and affects people in real life. Inspired by the authors actual experiences.)
• 
  
• Cut by Patricia McCormick ( A seemingly ordinary teen girl suddenly starts cutting herself, and stops talking. Does a good job showing the unusual perspectives some might have when dealing with mental unwellness)
• 
  
• The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson (similar in a vague sense. It does explore at what point physically you stop being a person, and what the value of life is.)
• 
  
• Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler (fantasy-ish, deals with eating disorders, and finding meaning in life)
• 
  
• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky (I recommend the jessie coulson translation from Norton Critical. It explores the human conscience, guilt, self-worth, and the struggle against oneself to be true to who they are despite who they want to be. A difficult read for some, but well worth it.)

I will end this with an excerpt from The Bell Jar, because it is just so wonderfully written.

"I had always thought that if I reached out, I would find someone to hold on to, but the more I reached, the more I found nothing but empty air. It was as if the people around me were just shadows, and I was the only real thing in a world of illusions. My loneliness was a constant companion, a presence that followed me everywhere and made every moment feel like a hollow echo of what could have been." - The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

 

[Grog]

I really want to read books; I think my ADHD just prevents me from ever finishing them. I find myself having to re-read sentences over and over again constantly. I hate my ADHD.

I just bought a copy of No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai because I heard it was about a person who felt alienated from the rest of society and doesn't understand other human beings -- just like me. I want to want to read it, if that makes any sense? But so far, I haven't been able to muster up enough motivation to pick it up.

I think I am more motivated to do things when I have someone doing them with me. But, for the past few years, I've just been so alone. I don't have any sort of special confidant in this world, so I don't have anyone to share the excitement of reading this book with me. When one partakes in all their hobbies all by their lonesome, it starts to feel joyless and pointless. I feel like I would read more if I had some friends who liked to read too.

 

[SignatureRequired]

I really want to read books; I think my ADHD just prevents me from ever finishing them. I find myself having to re-read sentences over and over again constantly. I hate my ADHD.

I just bought a copy of No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai because I heard it was about a person who felt alienated from the rest of society and doesn't understand other human beings -- just like me. I want to want to read it, if that makes any sense? But so far, I haven't been able to muster up enough motivation to pick it up.

I think I am more motivated to do things when I have someone doing them with me. But, for the past few years, I've just been so alone. I don't have any sort of special confidant in this world, so I don't have anyone to share the excitement of reading this book with me. When one partakes in all their hobbies all by their lonesome, it starts to feel joyless and pointless. I feel like I would read more if I had some friends who liked to read too.

I can certainly relate to that. I just started listening to an audiobook of one of my all time favourites that I read on paper, and I'm amazed at how much I missed. Having the book spoken to me makes me pick up on things and gives me a better ability to internalize what is going on.

Obviously I would have had a general sense of the plot to say that I enjoyed it, but it was so surface level, and if you asked me more in depth questions, I'd probably have to drop the conversation.

 

[Grog]

I can certainly relate to that. I just started listening to an audiobook of one of my all time favourites that I read on paper, and I'm amazed at how much I missed. Having the book spoken to me makes me pick up on things and gives me a better ability to internalize what is going on.

Obviously I would have had a general sense of the plot to say that I enjoyed it, but it was so surface level, and if you asked me more in depth questions, I'd probably have to drop the conversation.

I've thought about giving audiobooks a try. I just don't think I would like someone else's voice conveying the emotions of characters; I'd want to interpret all of that myself. With that been said, having both visual and audio stimuli to a book probably would help it all stick better in my mind.

 

[SignatureRequired]

I've thought about giving audiobooks a try. I just don't think I would like someone else's voice conveying the emotions of characters; I'd want to interpret all of that myself. With that been said, having both visual and audio stimuli to a book probably would help it all stick better in my mind.

It's certainly worth a try. I know some find a mix of audio and visual very helpful. I think I'd get too overwhelmed.

 

[Apathy79]

I read roughly a book per week for about 20 years until my hermitage burned down and I started going online a lot more. I read way less now. Like a chapter before bed most nights. That's it. I feel like my reading capacity has diminished from online stimulus. Like I get bored with it faster than I used to, and even when I am enjoying it, if that makes sense.

That said if I am really excited about a book, I'll often read it cover to cover in one sitting. Crime and Punishment was like that. Finding Me (the Cleveland kidnapping) was like that. Brothers Karamazov I read in 3 nights, and that's a long book! Those books are special.

I'm about halfway done writing my own fiction novel. That's been a 5 year project already. Really gives me great respect for writers going through that process. It's not easy bringing those characters to life in a way that feels real.

 

[Dyingoportunity]

I used to read all the time up until a few years ago. nowadays I struggle to focus on a single paragraph.

 

[Forever Sleep]

I kind of wish I did read. I admire it as a more intellectual hobby. I'm so lazy in leisure time. Reading feels like work somehow. Even fiction. I like reading posts here I suppose but it must be years since I finished a whole book! That's pretty embarassing but, I also don't entirely care.

I wasn't so bad at college, funnily enough. We obviously had to research books to write essays. I could do it when there was a reason to but, it just doesn't appeal much for pleasure.

 

[sinfonia]

Sometimes. I read candide by voltaire recently and a few tragediee by sophocles. Next up is decamerone by giovanni boccaccio (unfortunately I couldn't find a complete edition that is properly printed, so it's only a selection of around 200 page length). Also a bunch of non-fictiok books here and there.

 

[daveyc]

I can barely read at all. Every time I try to read I end up punching myself in the head because I cannot do it.

 

[SoulWhisperer]

I'd love to be able to write a book too but I always have trouble finding words. Maybe I'm slow-witted, though not dim-witted, often needing time to formulate a response. I'm also a terribly slow reader—maybe it's related? Either way, I started reading books only a year ago so I have a lot of catching up to do.

I happened to have read When Breath Becomes Air yesterday and it moved me to tears. I really enjoyed the manner in which he wrote (prose? not sure). Tuesday with Morrie is also good, though in my opinion, more philosophical and less emotionally impactful. I'm currently reading A Grief Observed and it's so insightful. For example, the quote below.



I don't know if I'll be able to view the world, or at least my world, differently once I've read a good number of literary books. I enjoy the stories but I seem to forget them way before I've had the chance to apply any insights to my life. Though maybe it's a matter of just keep reading.

I'll have a look at the title, also I don't actually remember everything I read, but just like movie scenes and famous lines they just cross your head from time to time, it's like passive knowledge that returns whenever you get hinted to it.
I wish I could write a book too, while my language is sufficient (not for sophisticated stuff though unfortunately), although I struggle with motivation to write anything longer than a short story for more than a reason. I'd need COLOSSAL motivation to write a book...

Interesting. That's quite understandable. I don't listen to them at home myself, I listen to them when I'm stuck in one place, like on a cab ride to work.That forces me to listen. but to be honest i have that problem as well where i skip certain sections but that's the beauty it has a rewind button so that i can quickly go a bit back and listen again.

I feel they are way more engrossing because they're actually narrated by voice actors. For example, the female voice actor will be narrated by actual women and male characters by men.There will be background music as well. Not all of them has this feature though, some of them are just narrated by one person.For playing audiobooks,Smart Audio Book Player is a good software.

Check audiobookbay.lu for good ones.My recommendation is pick a book you know you will like for sure. So that you don't get put to sleep by something that's not so enjoyable. Then if you still don't enjoy them, then I suppose it's not for you.View attachment 168970

That's valid advice imo

Not entirely suicide oriented, but similar in theme, or headspace, I have read some decent books I can recommend.

Also eBay is your best friend for cheap books.

• The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (A young intelligent woman with a bright future suddenly spirals into depression. This does an amazing job at showing how depression actually functions, and affects people in real life. Inspired by the authors actual experiences.)
• 
  
• Cut by Patricia McCormick ( A seemingly ordinary teen girl suddenly starts cutting herself, and stops talking. Does a good job showing the unusual perspectives some might have when dealing with mental unwellness)
• 
  
• The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson (similar in a vague sense. It does explore at what point physically you stop being a person, and what the value of life is.)
• 
  
• Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler (fantasy-ish, deals with eating disorders, and finding meaning in life)
• 
  
• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky (I recommend the jessie coulson translation from Norton Critical. It explores the human conscience, guilt, self-worth, and the struggle against oneself to be true to who they are despite who they want to be. A difficult read for some, but well worth it.)

I will end this with an excerpt from The Bell Jar, because it is just so wonderfully written.

"I had always thought that if I reached out, I would find someone to hold on to, but the more I reached, the more I found nothing but empty air. It was as if the people around me were just shadows, and I was the only real thing in a world of illusions. My loneliness was a constant companion, a presence that followed me everywhere and made every moment feel like a hollow echo of what could have been." - The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Thank you for those recommendations, I'll take a look at them (also I buy them off Amazon for free thanks to government funds for culture)

I really want to read books; I think my ADHD just prevents me from ever finishing them. I find myself having to re-read sentences over and over again constantly. I hate my ADHD.

I just bought a copy of No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai because I heard it was about a person who felt alienated from the rest of society and doesn't understand other human beings -- just like me. I want to want to read it, if that makes any sense? But so far, I haven't been able to muster up enough motivation to pick it up.

I think I am more motivated to do things when I have someone doing them with me. But, for the past few years, I've just been so alone. I don't have any sort of special confidant in this world, so I don't have anyone to share the excitement of reading this book with me. When one partakes in all their hobbies all by their lonesome, it starts to feel joyless and pointless. I feel like I would read more if I had some friends who liked to read too.

I'm sorry to hear that, I can understand how troublesome ADHD could be when it gets in the way of things (even if I don't have it, that I know of right now). I wish I could read with/for you

I read roughly a book per week for about 20 years until my hermitage burned down and I started going online a lot more. I read way less now. Like a chapter before bed most nights. That's it. I feel like my reading capacity has diminished from online stimulus. Like I get bored with it faster than I used to, and even when I am enjoying it, if that makes sense.

That said if I am really excited about a book, I'll often read it cover to cover in one sitting. Crime and Punishment was like that. Finding Me (the Cleveland kidnapping) was like that. Brothers Karamazov I read in 3 nights, and that's a long book! Those books are special.

I'm about halfway done writing my own fiction novel. That's been a 5 year project already. Really gives me great respect for writers going through that process. It's not easy bringing those characters to life in a way that feels real.

That's an impressive story I'll be honest, sorry to hear about what happened with the old habit, I also wish you best of luck with the completion of your work

Sometimes. I read candide by voltaire recently and a few tragediee by sophocles. Next up is decamerone by giovanni boccaccio (unfortunately I couldn't find a complete edition that is properly printed, so it's only a selection of around 200 page length). Also a bunch of non-fictiok books here and there.

The masterpiece by Boccaccio is something we study here cuz I'm in Italy, I was forced to read through it at school lol. I think old works are still magnificent and worth studying/reading

 

[usernamesarehard]

I'm in my early 20s and yes I still read books. I think because the education system has gone down the shitter (at least here in the us) less and less young people read books. Covid lockdowns happened near the end of my sophomore year and for my senior year. So I was already literate and loved reading. For the kids grade k-8 who were in lockdown, they got fucked. The education system was already deteriorating because apparently admin care more about parent complaints than making sure kids actually learn anything and with no child left behind, more and more kids are being left behind ironically enough. Do note though this is coming from someone not in the education system, just reads/ watches a lot of content where teachers complain about how bad the system has gotten.

But yeah I love physical books. Even reading ebooks doesn't compare to having a physical copy. I only read ebooks because I can download them for free and because they don't take up much space.

There's this quote from the catcher in the rye that I really like for some reason.

"You know that song 'If a body catch a body comin' through the rye'? I'd like – "
"It's 'If a body meet a body coming through the rye'!" old Phoebe said. "It's a poem. By Robert Burns."
"I know it's a poem by Robert Burns."
She was right, though. It is "If a body meet a body coming through the rye." I didn't know it then, though.
"I thought it was 'If a body catch a body,'" I said. "Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around – nobody big, I mean – except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff – I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all."

 

[SoulWhisperer]

I'm in my early 20s and yes I still read books. I think because the education system has gone down the shitter (at least here in the us) less and less young people read books. Covid lockdowns happened near the end of my sophomore year and for my senior year. So I was already literate and loved reading. For the kids grade k-8 who were in lockdown, they got fucked. The education system was already deteriorating because apparently admin care more about parent complaints than making sure kids actually learn anything and with no child left behind, more and more kids are being left behind ironically enough. Do note though this is coming from someone not in the education system, just reads/ watches a lot of content where teachers complain about how bad the system has gotten.

But yeah I love physical books. Even reading ebooks doesn't compare to having a physical copy. I only read ebooks because I can download them for free and because they don't take up much space.

There's this quote from the catcher in the rye that I really like for some reason.

"You know that song 'If a body catch a body comin' through the rye'? I'd like – "
"It's 'If a body meet a body coming through the rye'!" old Phoebe said. "It's a poem. By Robert Burns."
"I know it's a poem by Robert Burns."
She was right, though. It is "If a body meet a body coming through the rye." I didn't know it then, though.
"I thought it was 'If a body catch a body,'" I said. "Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around – nobody big, I mean – except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff – I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all."

I've recently read that book!!! My English teacher had a copy and Leng me it, I never thought I'd read something similar and while at first I thought I was gonna be bad it surprised me exceedingly, it was a very nice book!!!!

PS: I remember that, that's towards the ending part of book that actually refers to the book's title, the talk about how the protagonist sort of wished to live in the sidelines iirc (bad memory)

 

[Pure Vanilla]

PS: This thread looks like the average old man complaining young generations are slackers. I'm honestly not old, but I found that in my depression reading has always been something I loved deep inside, because of my empathy. (Open to new book reccs and PMs if you wanna discuss the topic )

I always heard people say that nobody reads books anymore, that everything is online and all of that, but what's the situation like here?

I honestly find myself only reading online books that have no paper copy, manhwas and webnovels and whatnot, they grow boring after years of the same troupes but the months they took to finish were pretty enjoyable, webnovels are comically long

 

[sinfonia]

The masterpiece by Boccaccio is something we study here cuz I'm in Italy, I was forced to read through it at school lol. I think old works are still magnificent and worth studying/reading

It's hilarious, too! I already read the first novella; it's about a very immoral man, who gives a false confession just before his death, and is turned into a local saint.

 

[ginko0]

Yup, books are a large part of what I consider to be my "essence". From Carl Sagan's scientific thinking, to classic writers such as Dostoevsky, Homer (gotta love the greeks) and Shakespeare. We all know the benefits of reading (improved memory, focus, empathy). But, in my opinion, the greatest benefit is: you become wiser. One good book equals a lifetime of knowledge/experience. When you read The Odyssey, for example, you not only enjoy one of the greatest stories ever written, but you understand what people from the past (greeks, in this case) believed in, how they behaved, what were their worries, their idea of the Cosmos, and you start to compare that to your own ideas and beliefs. You become humble, you become curious, you become wiser.

However, of course, knowing too much is not bound to make you happy, unfortunately.

I feel like books are precious as way to communicate messages with people, from afar, the old way. I feel like they're something tangible and almost sacred that can transport messages.

Do you know Carl Sagan? What you wrote reminded me of one of the episodes from his tv series, Cosmos. Check it out, he speaks in such a passionate manner:

Also, did you get a digital copy of a discourse on voluntary death? If so, could you PLEASE send me the file/link? I've been looking for this book for months now, but the only pdfs I find are made of photos, terrible to read.

Also, what were the books recommended to you on suicide? I've read Suicide, by edouard levé, and it was so intimate I felt it was me he was writing about. (He committed suicide short after writing it, which makes it even more interesting)

 

[SoulWhisperer]

It's hilarious, too! I already read the first novella; it's about a very immoral man, who gives a false confession just before his death, and is turned into a local saint.

I probably forgot all, but I could pick it up again someday, thankfully I can read it in original text without issues

 

[daveyc]

Has anyone here successfully taught themselves to read?

My working memory is so poor that when I try to read a block of text, it goes over my head. I usually have to reread a sentence multiple times before it sticks. I eventually get very frustrated and give up.

 

[Imeavie]

Not entirely suicide oriented, but similar in theme, or headspace, I have read some decent books I can recommend.

Also eBay is your best friend for cheap books.

• The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (A young intelligent woman with a bright future suddenly spirals into depression. This does an amazing job at showing how depression actually functions, and affects people in real life. Inspired by the authors actual experiences.)
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• Cut by Patricia McCormick ( A seemingly ordinary teen girl suddenly starts cutting herself, and stops talking. Does a good job showing the unusual perspectives some might have when dealing with mental unwellness)
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• The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson (similar in a vague sense. It does explore at what point physically you stop being a person, and what the value of life is.)
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• Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler (fantasy-ish, deals with eating disorders, and finding meaning in life)
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• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky (I recommend the jessie coulson translation from Norton Critical. It explores the human conscience, guilt, self-worth, and the struggle against oneself to be true to who they are despite who they want to be. A difficult read for some, but well worth it.)

I will end this with an excerpt from The Bell Jar, because it is just so wonderfully written.

"I had always thought that if I reached out, I would find someone to hold on to, but the more I reached, the more I found nothing but empty air. It was as if the people around me were just shadows, and I was the only real thing in a world of illusions. My loneliness was a constant companion, a presence that followed me everywhere and made every moment feel like a hollow echo of what could have been." - The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Edit: I forgot to add one of my favorite books (posted late night on new meds) that does cover suicide.

• 13 Reasons Why (This is about a girl who killed herself, and now she has cassette tapes left behind telling the 13 reasons why she killed herself. They arrived at the house of someone who loves her, and it is a journey of emotions as he searches for why he is on the list.)

 

[NonEssential]

I occasionally go to the library to get games from, but I've been thinking about getting books from there too. There's a category for books about suicide there, so I should probably try reading some of those despite that the books are in Finnish which isn't my native language, but I need to get better at it anyway.

 

[Aergia]

SS book club when?