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This year I won't do difficult challenges. I want to take it easy.

By sure I will continue reading books set in India and I hope to read at least 5 books, hopefully set in states I haven't been yet through books, but it is getting difficult.

I hope to start again my "Novel Cure Challenge" that has been in standby in 2017.

I won't do the cat challenge but this doesn't mean I won't read books with cats if I'll find some good books.

And, above all, I think 2018 will be the year dedicated to religious books.

Far and wide through India

previous year: /topic/show/...


visited 17 states (48.5%)
or


States:
Andhra Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Assam
Bihar: India: A Wounded Civilization
Chhattisgarh
Delhi:
The Wildings
Delhi
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
Goa: Around India in 80 Trains by Monisha Rajesh
Gujarat:
The Algebra Of Infinite Justice
Il libro di Krishna
Haryana: Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata
Himachal Pradesh: Nine Lives
The Dalai Lama's Cat
Jammu e Kashmir: Kashmir Saivism - The Central Philosophy of Tantrism
Jharkhand
Karnataka:
India. Cinque racconti, sei reportage, tre fumetti
Waiting for the Mahatma by R.K. Narayan
Kerala: Idris : Keeper of the Light
Madhya Pradesh:
Five Past Midnight in Bhopal: The Epic Story of the World's Deadliest Industrial Disaster
Un'isola di mistero : seguito delle avventure di viaggio di Dalle caverne e dalle giungle dell'Indostan
Maharashtra:
Sacred Games
Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity
Saturday Date
The Moor's Last Sigh
ŚRĪ JÑĀNEŚVARA : Lo yogin cantore della libertà
Family Matters
Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life and Teachings of Shirdi Sai Baba
Manipur
Meghalaya
Mizoram
Nagaland
Orissa: eFiction India Vol. 1 Issue 07
Punjab: Train to Pakistan
Rajasthan: India Was One
Sikkim
Tamil Nadu:
Shilappadikaram
The Toss of a Lemon
Tripura
Uttar Pradesh:
Sea of Poppies
Krsna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead: v. 1
Uttarakhand
West Bengal:
Freedom at Midnight
The City of Joy
The Sleeping Dictionary
Sister of My Heart
The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice
The Lives of Others

India without a real setting:
Kamasutra
71 Golden Tales of Panchatantra
A Fine Balance
L'Induismo
Timeless wisdom from ancient India
The Dance of Siva: Essays on Indian Art and Culture
The Difficulty of Being Good: On the Subtle Art of Dharma
Animal's People

Novel Cure Challenge

previous year: /topic/show/...

Review that needs to be updated every time I read a new book: /review/show...

1) Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands should help to cheer you up: /review/show...

2) Like Water for Chocolate should help for people who aren't able to express their feelings: /review/show...

3) Zorba the Greek should help for nervous breackdowns (I don't have it but decided to read it nevertheless because it's a classic I still had to read: /review/show...

4) The Comforters should help for people who think they are crazy (I don't think this about me, but seen that Muriel Spark is a beloved author by many GR friends, I decided to read it): /review/show...

5) The Golden Ass should help people who are too confident in themselves. As usual, I'm not but I liked the plot of the book: /review/show...

6) Family Matters should help for who has old parents, to treat them well because we will be old too. Well, I won't abandon my parents and fingers crossed that my son won't abandon me: /review/show...

Wishlist

This won't be a real challenge, but I want to keep track of my wishlist to see how many books I will manage to read this year.

I started the year with: 560 books

- Pane e bugie
- Più forti dell'odio
- Solo l'amore crea: Le opere di misericordia spirituale
- The Kingdom of God Is Within You
- Zorba the Greek
- Interpreter of Maladies
- Oceano
- Flight Without End
- War's Unwomanly Face
- The Dalai Lama's Cat
- Il prete giusto
- Chiamami sottovoce
- L'arte di ricominciare

I ended the year with 632 books.

Wow those are some serious challenges.
By religious books do you books about religion or books about religious people? Philosopy or history or both?

Esther wrote: "Wow those are some serious challenges.
By religious books do you books about religion or books about religious people? Philosopy or history or both?"

Everything, but I prefer easy and inspirational books. Maybe saying spiritual books is better respect to religious books. So surely books about true stories like Più forti dell'odio by Christian de Chergé (Stronger than Hate) that talks about these monks in Algeria that have been killed by Islamists but they were able to love their enemies and to forgive them. Or like The story of a humble Christian the fictionalized story about pope Celestine V, or The Song of Bernadette by Franz Werfel. Or, for ex, I will read The Kingdom of God Is Within You by Leo Tolstoy.

I like also to read non-fiction with the story of saints. I don't think I will read holy scriptures as the Gospels, the Koran or the Torah. I prefer the historical part; the philosphical part is often too difficult for me.

I won't read only about Catholicism, but also about Hinduism and I still have to read The Puranas. I like also retellings of the Mahabharata or non-fiction that explain in a more detailed way concepts of the Mahabharata.

Last year I was doing a Talmud study class (commentaries on the Torah) but the arguments are so involved we only get through a few chapters a year! This year I can't continue because of work commitments.
I sometimes do the sermon at syngogue so then I read various commentaries on that week's Torah portion which is also interesting.
The problem for me is that I find pop-philosophy lacks depth or intellectual rigour but 'real' philosophy requires my brain to be more alert than it normally is at the end of a working day!

At present I am working through Man's Search for Meaning which is hardly cheerful but quite short and very interesting.

Esther wrote: "Last year I was doing a Talmud study class (commentaries on the Torah) but the arguments are so involved we only get through a few chapters a year! This year I can't continue because of work commit..."

I know how it is. Some years ago I followed some lessons where the "teacher" commented The Bhagavad Gita. In one year we were able to do only a few verses. And the Bhagavad Gita is only a small part of the Mahabharata! Sadly the teacher (a Hindu nun) couldn't continue the lessons.

What the Gospels concerns, seen that I don't go often to Church (I go only very rarely), I receive every day a newsletter with the commentary to the daily pericope. Well, I can say that I'm reading the Gospels in small pieces :D

I added that book to my wishlist. It seems interesting.

Good luck on your challenge, dely ! Hope you enjoy them all !

Thanks Angela!

1) Pane e bugie by Dario Bressanini 4*

No English edition. The title is "Bread and Lies". The author is a chemist and scientist and in this book he talks about all the lies around food.

Is it true that organic food is healthier or more safe? No, it isn't and he explains why. Everything he writes about is based on serious scientific researches (there are always notes so that the reader can go and read the researches on interent). Is it true that GM food is dangerous? No one knows till now, so we can't say if it is dangerous or not.

This book is very interesting and written in an easy way so that also people who aren't into chemistry or science are able to understand it. The author talks about the most common lies: brown sugar is healthier respect to white sugar, Monosodium glutamate leads to cancer, organic food is healthier, farm-to-table products are better for the environment because there is less pollution, etc.

He also explains why these lies are so fast to be believed by people and how it's difficult to let them understand that these are only lies. The author isn't against organic food or pro GM food; he is objective and explains everything very well so that the reader can be more watchful when buying food.

I would recommend it to everyone obsessed with organic food or to those, like me, that thought that farm-to-table products pollute less, that brown sugar is better for our health, that there aren't pesticides in organic food, and GM food is the Evil.

- wishlist

Too bad that there isn't an English language edition of that dely! I am also a chemist (as was my father) and we both were disgusted by the marketing strategy to sell "organic" food at an inflated price. I would much rather pay that price for produce locally grown and indeed make some effort to do so.

Leslie wrote: "Too bad that there isn't an English language edition of that dely! I am also a chemist (as was my father) and we both were disgusted by the marketing strategy to sell "organic" food at an inflated ..."

Yes, adds and fake news are really able to mislead people. The problem is also ours because we believe everything we see, hear or read, without taking enough time to do a serious research on internet. But this is difficult too, because it's full of pseudo-scientists that say wrong things. In fact I'm also glad that the author talked about how a serious scientific research works and which are the serious scientific magazines. It seems there are several that aren't serious and where pretty everyone can write about a research he did though it hasn't been accepted by other scientists.

The part about locally grown food is very interesting too. I bought it because I thought there will be less pollution or because I saw them as more healthy or genuine, but also this isn't true.

dely wrote: "Leslie wrote: "Too bad that there isn't an English language edition of that dely! I am also a chemist (as was my father) and we both were disgusted by the marketing strategy to sell "organic" food ..."

I buy locally grown food because it supports local industry and takes less energy to bring to market.
We live in quite a rural area but the main produce is bananas with some avocado and watermelons. Hardly a balanced diet!
I also do my best to support the local vineyards! :0)

But I do indulge in luxuries. I love brussel sprouts which can't be grown here, so i buy them frozen. And they have recently started importing digestives Mmmm.

Esther wrote: "I buy locally grown food because it supports local industry"

Yes, this is the only reason if one wants to buy locally grown food. About the less energy, it could be correct for Israel. If I don't go wrong there it's hotter than here, so maybe you have all year long some fruits or vegetables. If I do the example with tomatos and Italy, we have them here only in summer. If we buy them in another season, it means that they come from abroad, or a local farmer used a greenhouse that needs a lot of energy to be heated. Well, for his maybe 50 kg of tomatos, he and other local farmers, use more energy respect to a ship or an airplane that brings here tons of tomatos. (This way we help also other farmers of emerging countries.)
If we choose to eat only locally grown food to have less pollution, then our countries should also stop to export food. But the export of typical food is important for a country's economy. Take for ex. Italy: we earn a lot with our food export. If everyone starts buying only local food, it would be the end of many industries and the countries' economy. Of course the author explains it much better and with more details and exact calculations.

The author added another interesting note: if we want to buy locally products to pollute less, then we should do it with everything, not only food: technology, clothes, cars, etc.

I also do my best to support the local vineyards! :0)

Lol

dely wrote: "The author added another interesting note: if we want to buy locally products to pollute less, then we should do it with everything, not only food: technology, clothes, cars, etc.."

Israelis are very much into buying 'Blue and White' ie things made in Israel. Being such a small country almost everything made in Israel can be considered sort of local.

Up until about 5-10 years ago produce in Israel was incredibly seasonal. You just couldn't get vegetables out of season.
Even now strawberries are a winter fruit and after May are just not available. Other berries don't grow here and only started to appear in the freezer department after the wave of Russian immigrant in the early 1990s.
Cherries and lichee also have very short seasons - blink and you miss them. And certain root vegetables are a luxury or non-existent.
However tomatoes are a national addiction. After one Passover when weather and a blight led to a 1000% increase in prices the law was changed to specially allow tomato imports!

dely wrote: ".But the export of typical food is important for a country's economy.."
I agree that while buying local is good isolationist policies are detrimental. International commerce makes the world go round!
Israel has a reputation for producing great cotton goods but their export is a vital part of the economy. It is almost impossible to buy Israeli-made cotton goods in Israel. And a lot of the fruit and veg in our supermarkets (oranges, avocados, persimmons etc) are export 'rejects'.

Esther wrote: "dely wrote: "The author added another interesting note: if we want to buy locally products to pollute less, then we should do it with everything, not only food: technology, clothes, cars, etc.."

I..."

Today we got so used to have everything in every season, that it's nearly impossible to don't import vegetables/fruits out of their season. Or even live without products that don't grow usually in our countries, but to which we got used and like to eat.

I like to use my local farm shop to support them but I tend to look at where the food was grown as they do sell imported food. I try to chose my seasonal produce from there but if I want to eat bananas, avocados etc then I will use the supermarket as I realise their carbon footprint will be lower.

I'm also trying to decrease my meat and dairy intake for environmental reasons. I haven't gone completely vegetarian but I eat meat maybe 1/2 times a month and fish once a week. I have chosen to drink oat milk but I don't know of the environmental impact of that.

The book sounds brilliant, I wonder if it will be translated

Heather wrote: "The book sounds brilliant, I wonder if it will be translated "

I don't know. It has been published the first time in 2010 (if I don't go wrong) and it has been reprinted several times till 2015. It's already a lot of years and I think they would have translated it in all these years if they wanted.

dely wrote: "Heather wrote: "The book sounds brilliant, I wonder if it will be translated "

I don't know. It has been published the first time in 2010 (if I don't go wrong) and it has been reprinted several ti..."

I will have to look for a similar book in English. Or learn Italian!

Heather wrote: "dely wrote: "Heather wrote: "The book sounds brilliant, I wonder if it will be translated "

I don't know. It has been published the first time in 2010 (if I don't go wrong) and it has been reprint..."

I hope you will find something like this in English!

2) Più forti dell'odio by Christian de Chergé 5*

No English translation. It is a collection of homilies, letters, testimonies, lectures to understand the life of the seven trappist monks that have been kidnapped and killed by Islamists in 1996 in Algeria. For who doesn't know the story, here the link:
Simply wonderful and not only for believers.
I finished it yesterday and loved it that much that I started rereading it again today.

Only Italian review: /review/show...

- wishlist
- religion

3) My third book was a re-read of the second book of this year: Più forti dell'odio.


4) Solo l'amore crea: Le opere di misericordia spirituale by Fabio Rosini 2,5

No English edition. The book has been written by a priest and talks about what mercy, love and forgiveness really mean.
It was somehow interesting, but it is really badly written so I struggled to follow the author's musings.

Only Italian review: /review/show...

- religion
- wishlist

I know that you aren't doing your cat challenge this year but I came across one I don't know if you have read yet (or if it is available in Italian): A Cat Affair.

Leslie wrote: "I know that you aren't doing your cat challenge this year but I came across one I don't know if you have read yet (or if it is available in Italian): A Cat Affair."

Thanks. No, I didn't know this book and it seems there is no Italian edition for none of this author's books.

dely wrote: "Leslie wrote: "I know that you aren't doing your cat challenge this year but I came across one I don't know if you have read yet (or if it is available in Italian): A Cat Affair."

T..."

Too bad. Maybe sometime in the future it will be translated!

5) Il regno di Dio è in voi 5*

English edition: The Kingdom of God Is Within You by Leo Tolstoy

Only Italian review: /review/show...

Seen that the review is pretty long and I needed the whole morning to write it, I don't think I will manage to rewrite it also in English.

Here the most important points of the book about which I talk also in my review:
1) it isn't, as we could think from the title, only a religious book, and Tolstoj does not a religious sermon. It is above all about politics, humankind, about how people live, about the army. Many of the things he says, though the book has been written at the end of the 19th century, are still present.
2) whatever government we have, there will always be oppressed, poor, exploited people. Different oppressors, but oppression, injustices and poverty are still there.
3) the only solution to make a real change in this, is that everyone should follow the words spoken by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, above all that one that says to love also our enemies. Only loving each other as brothers, evilness, poverty, injustices, will disappear. (It's the same as Gandhi's non-violence)
4) Tolstoj talks also a lot about the army and the compulsory military service
5) he talks about the bigotry of the Church and that of several Christians
6) he says that people are always waiting for a change, but a real change will only happen when a person decides to follow the words of Jesus, and therefore be an example for the others.
7) there are three "levels" for society: the "natural" one, whithout a social order, the "social" one, where we have laws in order to live in a more peaceful and safe society from which we need to free ourselves in orders to reach the third level that is "divine". Only when we will reach this level, there will be peace on earth.

There is really a lot in this book and it is very interesting. Not easy and not flowing, but very very interesting.

religion
wishlist

January
In the first month of the year, I have read 4 religious books that were also in my wishlist. One of those I have read twice in the same month, so I can say I have read 5 books :D

Best book read in January: Più forti dell'odio

In my wishlist there are now 565 books, so 5 more books respect to the 560 books with which I started the year :/ But, well, I'm on GR also to find books I could like.

For February, I think I will go on with my Novel-Cure-Challenge so again some fiction, yay! But a friend of mine already gave me a book about chakras so I will read this too, and I wanted to find a good edition of the Sermon on the Mount.

6) I sintomi parlano: Comprendere il messaggio della malattia e servirsene per guarire by Rossella Panigatti no rating

No English edition.

I haven't read the whole book but only the introduction where the author explains chakras and how her way of healing from various diseases works. I gave also a look to the "energetic reading" of some illnesses. The book is a long list of diseases and why they are caused, from a scientific point of view but above all from an energetic point of view. In the author's opinion every disease is caused because of a block of energy in one of our chakras. Every part of the body is linked to a chakra and with the syntoms of a disease we can see which chakra is involved. Seen that every chakra is linked to different emotions, we find out what the "emotional" cause of the disease is. Following the author, doing a meditation on the blocked chakra helps to unblock the emotions, the energy and to heal.

This isn't a book I would usually read because when I'm ill I go to a doctor. But a friend of mine lent it to me so I've read it only out of curiosity.
The main problem is that the author says that every kind of disease can be healed, from cancer to cough, only from an energetic point of view. Well, I think that such kind of things are also dangerous if there are people who stop going to a doctor and start doing only meditation to heal.

Only Italian review: /review/show...

7) Dona Flor e i suoi due mariti 2*

English edition: Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands by Jorge Amado

Not for me. It should be a funny read, full of humor, but reading about people who follow only their sexual instincts, above all married people, really without values, is not funny. Maybe I'm a bigot and close-minded person, but I don't like to read about such things. It is not funny, it is sad if a person, above all a married person, is not able to be loyal.
The author wanted to show how much society is hypocrite: from the outside people want to be seen perfect and loyal, but then inside they are consumed by passion and sexual lust and would go with everyone to satisfy their passion.

I have read this book because of my Novel-Cure-Challenge. It should cheer you up. It didn't cheer me up, on the contrary, it left me with a feeling of annoyance.

- Novel Cure Challenge

Only Italian review: /review/show...

8) Le beatitudini. La felicità realizzata by Angelo Comastri 3*

No English edition. It is a very short book (60 pages) and I thought it talked about the Beatitudes, the sermon that Jesus had on the mount. It was only about one of those, but it was however interesting.

Religion

9) Dolce come il cioccolato 3*

English edition: Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

This too was for my Novel-Cure-Challenge. It should help people who aren't able to express and live their feelings. This happens also to Tita, the main character of the book. Seen that because of a despotic mother she isn't free to love the man she likes, and seen that she also wasn't allowed to be angry or to cry, all of Tita's feelings flow in the food she prepares.
It is magical realism so weird and funny things happen when people eat her dishes.
It's a short, flowing, easy and pleasant read. Nothing special, but it cheered me up.

Only Italian review: /review/show...

Novel Cure Challenge

10) Zorba il greco 3*

English edition: Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis

Following The Novel Cure: From Abandonment to Zestlessness: 751 Books to Cure What Ails You this book should help for nervous breackdowns. I don't have it but decided to read this book nevertheless because it's a classic I hadn't read yet.
The book talks about the friendship between two completely different men: a narrator without name and Zorba. The first one is an intellectual, always looking for Buddha and wants to lead a spiritual life. Zorba, instead, lives his life to its fullest. He seems an ignorant and simple person, but thanks to his liveliness, he will be helpful to his intellectual friend. The narrator finds out thanks to Zorba's simple wisdom that to be really free, a man needs to go over deities, ideologies and intellectualisms.

It is an interesting book with good quotes, but at the end I had the feeling that the author wanted to persuade the reader that Zorba's way of living is the right one. I think instead that there isn't a right or wrong way, and that everyone has to find his way of living.

Only Italian review: /review/show...

-Novel-Cure-Challenge
-Wishlist

11) Le parole della spiritualità. Per un lessico della vita interiore 4*

English edition: Words of Spirituality: Exploring the Inner Life by Enzo Bianchi

Another book about religion (Catholicism) where the author talks in short chapters about many topics like patience, meditation, listening, asceticism, silence, poverty, forgiveness, love of the enemy, death and faith, old age, etc.
Every chapter is dedicated to one topic and though they are very short, they have a deep meaning and the author is able to explain deep and complex topics like these in an approachable way.

Only short Italian review: /review/show...

Religion

12) I consolatori 1*

English edition: The Comforters by Muriel Spark

Also this book read for my Novel-Cure-Challenge. It should help people who think they are crazy. I don't think to be crazy but decided to read it because many GR friends like this author.
Several weird things happen but the reader doesn't know how these events and people are linked. I don't have a lot of patience with such "mysteries" so after 100 pages or so I was annoyed by it. It also hasn't a real plot and the characters are all crazy. I don't know what the author wanted to tell the reader. For me it has no sense at all, and it was a real disappointment.

Only Italian review: /review/show...

Novel Cure Challenge

13) L'asino d'oro 5*

English edition: The Golden Ass by Apuleius

This was such a funny and witty story! A too curious young man transforms himself in a donkey because of a magical unguent. He knows the cure but being a donkey he is stolen by some thieves that need a donkey to carry their stolen goods. So his misadventures begin and there is a lot to laugh. He is a donkey, but still has a human brain.

Only Italian review: /review/show...

Novel Cure Challenge

This sounds very funny!

Evelyn wrote: "This sounds very funny!"

It is! I would recommend this book to everyone for a funny, easy and flowing read. Of course you have to like that kind of humor that deals with misadventures and witchcraft.

14) L'interprete dei malanni 3*

English edition: Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

This books has been recommended to me by Lauri for the recommendation swap.

My short English review with my opinions: /review/show...

- Wishlist
- Indian Readers Challenge

February

I have read more than usual also in February compared to my average books read last year.
This month I have read 8 books:
- 5 for my Novel-Cure-Challenge
- 1 for my IR Challenge
- 1 religion
- a book that has been lent to me

Two of those were also in my wishlist so 2 books less in my wishlist but I still have 570 books, so 10 more respect to January and 5 more respect to February.

I also used much more the public library. For March I still don't know what I will read, but surely I will go on with my religious books and my Novel-Cure Challenge.

Best book of the month: The Golden Ass by Apuleius

15) Saremo giudicati dall'amore. "Il demonio nulla può contro la misericordia di Dio" by Gabriele Amorth 5*

No english edition. The translated title is: "We will be judged by love. The devil can't do anything against God's mercy"

I don't know if Father Amorth is famous also abroad, but he was one of the most famous exorcists. In this book he talks about his experience as an exorcist but of course also about Good and Evil, where the devil is hidden and how he usually "works", and how to stay on the safe side. He also explains that a possession is very rare and usually it isn't as we see in movies. The problem is that the devil is really everywhere and he is very sneaky. There isn't only the possession, but a lot of other evil spells that are dangerous for people. Father Amorth gives also several tips to stay on the safe side though he says that no one can be considered safe.
It talks also about how dangerous seances can be, but an interesting part is also that one dedicated to magic and healers, and that one about psychiatry and possession.
But the book gives also a lot of hope because he underlines more than once that Good always wins over Evil.
It was really a very interesting and detailed book and it told me a lot of things I didn't know. It was also a bit scary, to tell the truth :/

Only Italian review: /review/show...

- Religion

16) Oceano by Francesco Vidotto 2*

No English edition.
The title is also the name of the main character. He is an over 90 years old man that goes to the author, Francesco Vidotto, asking him if he wants to write the story of his life. The author agrees so they start to meet and Oceano tells him the most important facts of his life. In the meantime they also become friends.

I thought it would have been interesting to read about the life of this old man who took also part in WWII and that had a hard life in a small village on the mountains of North Italy (Dolomites).
Sadly the author wasn't able to let us feel the hard life of Oceano, his love for his wife and his emotions. Things aren't described in a deep an enthralling way, they are only told. I wasn't emotionally involved in the story of Oceano.

Only Italian review: /review/show...

I have bought this book only because I'm waiting for a book I bought to be delivered, and because I have seen a lot of 5 stars rating here and on Amazon. I had heard good things about it also in a radio show during an interview to the author. I could have saved 6 euro :/

-Wishlist

17) Geschichten vom lieben Gott 3*

English edition: Stories of God by Rainer Maria Rilke

Downloaded the German edition for free from Amazon while waiting for Family Matters to be delivered.

Reading the title I thought it was completely different, but it was a charming read.

My English review: /review/show...

I don't know if this can be considered a religious book :/

18) Die Flucht ohne Ende 3*

English edition: Flight Without End by Joseph Roth

I've downloaded this ebook from Amazon. Seen that it's a classic of German literature it was available for free, at least the German edition.

I would have rated the book also higher but the end arrived too fast and it has also an open ending, something I don't like a lot. But I liked Roth's prose and descriptions, and the topic of the book: a man that doesn't feel at home anywhere so he moves from one country to another looking for something he will never find because not even him did know what he was looking for.

My English review: /review/show...

-Wishlist

19) I disordini della mente nell'Āyurveda by Ernesto Iannaccone 3*

No English edition. The title could be: The Disorders of the Mind in Ayurveda

It was interesting though not exactly what I was looking for. The first part is dedicated to basic notions (symptoms, causes, therapies of mental diseases (unmada) in Ayurveda) and in the second part there are the sanskrit transcriptions (with Italian translation) of those parts of the Charaka-samhita, Sushruta-samhita and Astangahrdaya that deal with mental disorders.
Following Ayurveda, unmada can be caused by an imbalance of the dosha and in this case the therapies are softer (an appropriate diet, massages with medicated oils, ayurvedic medicines, purifications, etc.). More serious unmada are due to possession: by divinities so they are positive (for ex. look at Theyyam dance), or by asuras so the therapy is stronger and in addition to ayurvedic medicines there are also tortures. In both cases, with unmada by possession, also prayers and yajna are important.

I thought the book would have a much more modern view of mental disorders in Ayurveda, but there was written that a lot of ayurvedic medicines are still prepared following the ancient recipts, and that there are still a lot of people who go for pilgrimages or do yajnas because think they are ill because possessed.

Only Italian review: /review/show...

Indian Readers Challenge

20) ŚRĪ JÑĀNEŚVARA : Lo yogin cantore della libertà by Swami Abhayananda 4*

No English edition. It's a book about .

It has two parts: in the first one there is the life of Sri Jñāneśvar (very interesting also the historical parts seen that at that time India was under the Mughal empire).
In the second part there is the Amritanubhava (the first piece of literature written in Marathi in which Sri Jñāneśvar talks about the experience of the union with God), the Haripatha (a collection of devotional songs written by Sri Jñāneśvar, this too in Marathi) and the Cangadeva Pasashti (a letter he wrote to Cangadeva, a yogi and guru of his time).

Only Italian review: /review/show...

- Religion
- Indian Readers Challenge

21) Questioni di famiglia 2*

English edition: Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry

It wasn't as good as A Perfect Balance. There is less historical background though we learn about the Parsi religion and community living in India. There are also hints to Shiv Sena.
But I found it dragging and couldn't stand some of the characters. Their behaviour was not believable.

This book is also for my Novel Cure Challenge and should help for who has old parents, to treat them well because we will be old too. Well, I won't abandon my parents and fingers crossed that my son won't abandon me.

Only Italian review: /review/show...

- Indian Readers Challenge
- Novel Cure Challenge
- Far and wide through India

22) Vita della santa Vergine Maria 5*

English edition: The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary: From the Visions of Ven. Anne Catherine Emmerich by Anne Catherine Emmerich

It was a pure joy to know more about the Virgin Mary and her life. The book has two parts: in the first one we come to know about the ancestors of the Vergin, her life as a child, the wedding with Joseph, the birth of Jesus, till the escape to Egypt because of Herod. In the second part there is the life of the Vergin when she is already old and lives in Ephesus.
The visions of the blessed Anne Catherine also helped some archaeologists to find Mary's house in Ephesus, and Mel Gibson based his movie The Passion on her visions that can be found in The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ: From the Visions of Anne Catherine Emmerich. They also received the approval of the Vatican so they are trustful.

Only Italian review: /review/show...

- Religion

23) The Verger by W. Somerset Maugham 3*

24) The Open Boat by Stephen Crane 2*

Two short stories I have read yesterday. They can be found online for free.
The verger:
The open boat:

The first one is really very very short and talks about a verger that is fired because he can't read and write. He then becomes a rich business man.
The second one talks about 4 men in a boat that fight against the waves in order to don't get drowned. We have the fight of man against nature and the brotherhood they develop.

I forgot to write a log for March! I knew it would happen. Sooner or later I will also forget to update the thread.

March
In March I have read some books I hadn't planned to read. Two I downloaded for free because they are classics without copyright (one of which was in my wishlist), 2 about religion (one Catholic and one about a Hindu saint), a book about ayurveda and a fiction that was in my wishlist. So 6 books.
So I continued my challenge to travel around India with books, but I have also two books less in my wishlist and I have read interesting books about religion.

- religion: 2
- IR Challenge: 2
- wishlist: 2 (there are still 578 books, 18 more respect to the beginning of the year :-()

Best book of the month: Saremo giudicati dall'amore. "Il demonio nulla può contro la misericordia di Dio"


April
In April I hadn't a lot of time to read. I have read only 2 books:
- Family Matters for my IR Challenge and it fits also my Novel Cure Challenge
- The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary: From the Visions of Ven. Anne Catherine Emmerich for religion
Oh well, I have read also two short stories.

Best book of the month: The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary: From the Visions of Ven. Anne Catherine Emmerich

For May I already have two books to read, one fiction and one non-fiction. I hope to manage to read them both and then I don't know what I will read next.