As the title says: What is a book that you read this year that you’ve been wanting to read for a long time or that has been on your TBR shelf for whatever reason? How was it in the end?
I just had to post this question right now, because there’s a trending post about the beauty of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. For me, it was this exact book. I’m not proud of it but it’s been the better half of a decade since my friend gifted it to me. I’m actually surprised how well it delivered. The storytelling was so vivid and actually made me feel like I was part of it (one of the rêveurs!) I loved everything from the grand magic shows and the way the magicians were holding the circus together to the small hidden tricks. The many layers that neatly came together in the end.
I’m so glad I read it, but wow was I missing out for many years! I should stop postponing books for that long… I say and nervously glance at my shelf 💀
So, what book would that be for you?
The Lotus Sutra. I started it two or three years ago, but gave up on it pretty quickly because without commentary and explanations, it just made no sense to me. This year I read An Introduction To Buddhism by Peter Harvey, which was a massive project, but also very rewarding, and then I went back and read the Lotus Sutra. With a bit of background and context it was much more approachable. It’s hard to make any statement about whether it’s a great read - it’s certainly not something you read for entertainment, but for general knowledge. Buddhist temples, scripture, depictions, symbols, art etc. are all over the place where I live, so I wanted to understand a bit more of what I see everyday.