Home Creators Posts Import Register Favorites Logout
haven't archived this post yet. have a subscription? use the importer!

Downloads

  • Message for end of year.mp3

Missing 1 full-res photo, 1 file, as this post has not yet been imported.

Content

As the New Year approaches, I find it's rewarding to mark where we came from and feel positive about where we're heading. 

So let's congratulate ourselves on our successes this year.

It would be so wonderful to hear from you, and learn what your year looked like. 

I ask myself the three questions below at the end of each year. You might find them useful prompts for reflection as we move into 2022.

Questions to Reflect Upon

1) What are you proud of this year? Remember that success is relative. Perhaps you recall that moment of decision in which you committed to elevating your reading. Perhaps you look back over the year and see you have read a healthy handful of the great books deeply. Let us know how you feel about your wins this year.

2) What obstacles have you overcome? This may not be the happiest thing to mull over, but it's worth confronting our difficulties rather than hiding from them. It's empowering to realise that we are resilient and resourceful in the face of what life throws at us.

3) Do you have any New Year's resolutions? Which books are you most keen to read? What would you like to get out of the year ahead?

Happy reading & Happy New Year, everybody!

Files

Previews only

Comments

Bill Freeman

Arlington, Virginia - USA Ben and Esteemed Colleagues, As always, there is so much to respond here but I would like to pick up on your thought about New Year’s resolutions. I recently came across this reflection about these perennial resolutions and found it extremely impactful. It is so easy to live in the mental fog of “not good enough,” “if only,” and “when I . . . “ Perhaps, there is nothing to fix and we are complete just as we are. This feels so spacious to me which draws me to share it with you. <b>Crooked Trees and New Year's Resolutions</b> "There was an old Buddhist priest who ran a small temple at the top of a hillside. He'd spent several decades chanting, praying, and providing spiritual support to his community, but the time had come for him to retire. Sadly, the priest did not have any children that he could give the temple too. So, he put together a small wooden sign, and placed it in from of a withered, crooked tree that was growing outside the gates of his temple. The sign said, "Anyone who can tell me how to fix this tree can have my temple and the land that it resides on." Word spread quickly about the sign, and monks came from all over the country to offer advice. Some told the priest that he should cut the tree down. Others suggested the use of wires and ropes to straighten its branches. The old priest listened patiently to each person, and when they were done he grabbed a frying pan and chased each one from the temple grounds. Many years passed, and it started to seem like no one would be able to answer the priest's koan. Finally, a Buddhist nun appeared at the temple. She'd been traveling for many days, and she needed a place to rest. She knocked on the temple gates, and after a few moments the priest came out; frying pan in hand. "I'm very tired," the nun said, "May I sleep at your temple tonight?" "No, you can't sleep at my temple tonight," the priest replied, "But you can have my temple and land it resides on if you can answer one question." "Okay," the nun replied calmly, "What's your question? The priest pointed at the the crooked tree with his frying pan and said, "How do I fix this tree?" Upon hearing this, the nun looked at the tree for a long time. She noticed the trunk was so bent that it almost ran parallel with the ground. She saw the gnarled branches that twisted in strange directions, and the dead leaves that surrounded the tree's base. Eventually, the nun turned to the priest and said, "Just leave it alone, the tree is fine the way it is." As soon as the nun finished speaking the old priest smiled broadly, and dropped his frying pan. He bowed deeply to the nun, and said, "Follow me, this temple belongs to you." * * * As we approach New Year's Eve, my timeline is filled with people discussing their New Year's resolutions. Words like "New Year, New You!" and "Get beach body ready!" are filling my screen like mantras, representing the hopes of people who want to be smarter, richer, and prettier in 2022. This is to be expected. After all, our economy hinges on the idea that if we buy one more gym membership or add one more mindfulness app to our phone, then all of our dreams will come true. But each time one of these messages appears I think back to the tree in the story, and I wonder, <b> "What if we're not as broken as we think we are?</b> To be sure, each of us is a "crooked tree" dealing with our own fears and insecurities. Our bodies don't look the way we think they should, our paychecks don't have enough zeroes, and our relationships aren't what we desire. But why is that a bad thing? After all, the tree in the story was gnarled and ugly. But the tree accepted it's crooked nature. The priest accepted its crooked nature, and everything was peaceful as a result. The only time fear or anxiety entered the picture was when foolish monks attempted to make the crooked tree straight. That's why the priest chased them off with a frying pan. In contrast, the nun looked at the tree, and she saw what it was; not what she desired it to be. She understood that whatever made it crooked and gnarled could not have happened any other way. Thus, the tree could not exist any other way. <b>She understood that the tree could not be fixed because the tree was never broken. </b> What would happen if we looked at ourselves like the nun looked at that tree? What would happen if we treasured our imperfections in the same way that the priest treasured the tree's gnarled branches? Personally, I think our lives would be better as a result. More than that, I think it's incumbent on us to see the perfection of our imperfect souls. <b>Because crooked trees / people are perfect in their crookedness, and we suffer when we try to make them straight. </b> With this in mind, I toyed with the idea of not making a resolution this year. The idea of people spending days or even weeks combing their imperfections in order to find something to "fix" makes my heart hurt. But I decided that it would be best to engage with the perfect nature of this imperfect ritual. <b>So, my new year's resolution is this: In 2022, I'll wake up every morning, I'll go to sleep every night, and I'll live my crooked life in between. </b> I wish you love and light in the New Year. Bill Kakuyo, S. A. (2018, Dec. 28). <i>Crooked trees and new year’s resolutions.</i> The Same Old Zen. https://sameoldzen.blogspot.com/2018/12/crooked-trees-and-new-years-resolutions.html?fbclid=IwAR2EeF8DH40AmT7L9DchFN2ZWXDnXoJiL3xS0Tz_JvPC7-SOvrPy3BC9Mh0

Jenny Housley

Thanks Bill, I loved your post and read it to my partner this morning having just awoken and trying to get settled on my imperfect cushion! I think we will do the same. All the best for the year ahead.

Erik Bajzert

What a fantastic story and what thoughtful words. Here's to being imperfect. Happy New Year!

Erik Bajzert

To answer questions one and two in a single paragraph: this was the year I finished War and Peace. While I read plenty of works that captured my attention in some way, Tolstoy's epic "not-novel" is the one that has left the largest impression on me. One of the many ideas Tolstoy explores in the work is the chaotic nature of history and how we are intrinsically caught in its forward momentum, whether we like it or now. I'm paraphrasing, of course, but his exploration of history questions our perception of free-will and problematizes the human need to ACT in the face of turmoil. Even though said acting is rather futile and likely overstaed when we talk about out potential for greatness (sorry, Napoleon). This idea was big for me. I've been the kind of person who tends to want to act, overact, overthink and overcomponsate in futile efforts to avoid potential hardships or somehow engineer more desirable situations out of life, even when those things are not actually possible. In that sense, reading Tolstoy was revelatory. Within the pages of War and Peace lies the overthinker/overplanner's greatest challenge. While grappling with the vast randomness of the universe as described by Tolstoy, I found myself realizing that the world is much more complicated than I will ever know and that many of my decisions are likely rooted in external factors I would never comprehend. And, for the first time, I started to get comofortable with that. To be okay with it. If there was any challenge I had to face this year, it's that one. And, as for the year ahead, I'm most looking forward to our Shakespere project. I'm also hoping to stay organized, make plenty of time for friends, smell the roses a little more and, hopefully, have another life changing revelation within the comforts of a book. Happy New Year, everyone!

Bill Freeman

Erik - Great report. I joined last February and our first read by Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina." I have ever read any of Tolstoy and didn't even know the plot. By far, my major discovery last year. I'd read that Tolstoy is consider the greatest writer of the 19th century. Good luck and Happy New Year.

Dee

I’ve always had the stamina for long and complex books but it has tended to be a rather lonely pursuit, so I’m really pleased with myself for discovering and joining this book club. The approach taken by the club has done so much to overcome the grim feeling I had of having an ever increasing number of books to read, in an ever decreasing amount of time, a feeling that was constantly reminding me of my mortality and that sometimes made projects seem a bit futile. Now every book is a worthy project in its own right, and one that never needs to be marked ‘finished’. Next year I intend to carry on my resolution to trust more in my own reactions to books and to write my own reviews. Happy New Year people, and best wishes for your resolutions.

Caroline P

Hello reading chums, what interesting questions. Without a doubt my proudest reading achievement is something the rest of the world has realised but has passed me by…that is reading Shakespeare. It started with the sonnets as prompted by HLBC and led to reading two plays slowly and deeply and falling totally in love with them. Firstly I thought they would be too difficult to read and secondly I just didn’t understand before how much is in those plays, how relevant they are today and how they would blow my tiny mind. So I am super proud that I overcame my preconceptions. The same goes for other books like Don Quixote and Les Misérables but really it is Shakespeare that has won. The biggest obstacle has been learning how to articulate my thoughts in books and really whittle down ideas and thoughts about them. What can I say…I am working on it. The other thing is that I lost my beloved dog, Stanley, in May. It breaks my heart every single day. I had two dogs, but Stanley was a dog of a lifetime. My other dog, Freddie, is deaf and relied on Stanley quite considerably so he is bereft too. I find I have times when even reading isn’t enough 😢. Anyway, that has been an obstacle that I am also working on. My New Years resolution is to really take on the new book list and NOT have a GoodReads goal this year but slowly and properly read. As you can see above, Shakespeare is my biggest enthusiasm of the book list. I want to read through Emily Dickinsons work. I am planning teaching myself human evolutionary anatomy and have books at the ready for that..

Pablo

👋🏻 Morning Comrades 😀 I guess firstly I’d like to wish you all a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2022 given that the hour is so nearly upon us. What am I most proud of this year? I commenced the start of 2021 with a fist full of resolutions, but as the seasons have waxed and waned a lot of those have lapsed. Now the holly king is once more preparing to hand over to the oak king, and the cycle renews itself once more. I had a health kick for the first three quarters of 2021 and felt a lot better for that, for some reason it got derailed as the leaves started to fall from the trees in Sep/Oct. But I’m proud that I proved to myself that it was possible – I just need to work on the sustainability of a healthier lifestyle in the longer term a little more now! 😆 My second-best decision of the year was probably taking the plunge to join this community in the autumn. I have forever loved my ‘precious books’ but candidly always lacked the fellowship and society of likeminded enthusiasts. Reading wise; Les Miserables was simply amazing, and I’m sure that I’ll recollect 2021 fondly for that. Likewise, the read of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was great too, I have adored the fascinating peripheral ‘rabbit holes’ that the reading schedule has led me down: Whether that was argot/thieves cant, or the poetry of the romantic period. These were avenues that would have otherwise been unexplored by me. The HLBC community has been fabulous fun and ‘expanded my map’ considerably - I’m very grateful for all of that experience. What Obstacles have I overcome? Candidly I can end up in some gloomy cul-de-sacs mentally, and that tends to spill over into other facets of my life sometimes. I feel on occasion that Auntie Shirley’s song lyrics are true and that ‘it’s all just a little bit of history repeating’. In other terms, that there’s an absence of the persistence of possibility in my life and that meaningful change isn’t possible for me. Having said that, I think I have done better this year with these issues on reflection. Reading wise probably the biggest challenge for me was starting to read Dicken’s after being turned off that in my early teens, however, I’m so glad that I have, and I’m sure that I’ll read further novels from the set inherited from my grandfather now. Honouring grandads’ memory in this way has given me an injection of positive feelings. Oddly marginalia was challenging for me initially too as I had always been taught that marking a book was a sacrilegious thing to do, but it turns out that this has been instrumental in elevating my comprehension and focus in my reading. I do feel that the volume of works in the HLBC reading schedule is still somewhat intimidating, but hey, I don’t have to read everything, and it’s a good reminder to prioritise something that adds more than its face value to my day-to-day mental wellbeing. Resolutions! I did give out, but I haven’t given up. My partner and I will be jumping back on the ‘healthy waggon’ after a sojourn on foot throughout the dark forest of the fall season - I’m feeling extremely positive about that, roll on the 2nd of Jan! This time last year my thoughts were on minimalization in my life, I haven’t forgotten those aims, but I feel like continuing to prioritise my health and wellbeing must remain my salient goal for 2022. Little resolutions: I’d like to make time to get out and go to some galleries, see some theatre, cinema and ballet/opera in ’22, these are very enriching for me mentally and have been curtailed a lot by the pandemic over the last two years. Reading wise I’m very taken with the 2022 schedule for the club; there’s more great content than you could shake a stick at! 😆😆 I’m trying not to preform my ideas too much and stay open to the experience of it, from my involvement this year it has been the works that I have been a bit ‘meh’ about that have actually yielded the best reading experiences. I’m looking forwards to Shakespeare as that’s way outside of my comfort zone, finally concluding Moby-Dick will be amazing and I have my fingers crossed that it will be third time lucky, and I’ll finally manage to complete Joyce’s Ulysses Again my best wished to you all for ’22 and I’ll look forwards to reading and discussing the great books with you all immensely 😀

Pablo

👋🏻 Dee 😀 I have very similar feeling to what you describe here. I think that it was Leonardo de Vinci who said that "Great art is never finished, only abandoned" I think that we can draw that sentiment into our reading practice. I'd also like to write a few reviews too, it seems like a worthy exercise 😀

Caroline P

Ohhhh to go to theatres and galleries… yes I think I might add that to my hopes for the new year too. I tend to not bother with doing that, but when I do make the effort I enjoy them so much. And I agree, hasn’t the book club been this the best of things. My reading has become much braver and more fulfilling and that spills over into everything else too. It just expands how we make sense of the world doesn’t it. As I sit here with a mince pie, some Terrys Chocolate Orange and some salted peanuts I am thinking how THIS HAS TO END TOMORROW😅

Pablo

👋🏻 Caroline 😀 Sorry to hear about your dog 😢 Always a sad event... I'm hoping to follow your inspiring comments about your own experience and develop a similar passion for 'The Bard' myself too. Arriving at bite sized summaries of the ideas of great literature by whittling them down seems a good plan doesn't it? I need to work on that myself so a great timely reminder for me from you there 😉

Pablo

Yeah, the theatre and stuff is such a little occasional treat, and we're blessed to have such good ones locally to us, that I really need to make the effort and just go more. The odd visit to any of these is like bonus mental fertiliser for me and I have neglected it over the past couple of years to my shame. Book club has been the best hasn't it? Looks like next year will be even better too don't you think? Some very intriguing choices from Ben on the schedule. I completely agree that all these different things can cross-pollinate other facets of your life - And what a joy that is when it happens ☺ One thing I forgot in my post was that my local second hand book seller is doing monthly events this coming year too that I'm hoping I'll be able to get involved in too. Your comments on the mince pies and chocolate orange made me laugh out loud 😆😆! My partner has eaten nearly a full box of Ferrero Rocher yesterday and is planning to finish them off to 'get rid of them' today! Ditto drinking and rubbishy take out or poor quality foodstuffs for me... I'm going to cook us both up a full English breakfast tomorrow morning, but back on the healthy train in earnest from the 2nd of Jan 😉

Scott W

My reading in 2021 was the most active and enjoyable I can ever remember. My top 3 reads were The Aeneid, Lyrical Ballads, and A Pale View of Hills. Next year I am most looking forward to building a better acquaintance with our Bard from t'North (hey, it's above London, it's North!), plus Moby Dick, Blood Meridian and Ulysses. Happy New Year!

Jetzabel Peniche

Hi Ben and Everyone, This year has been full of surprises and difficult for me. This pandemic has caused so much devastation but we do the best we can and hope for the best . I know this will pass and it will get better. When I caught Covid in February of this year, I was scarred because my symptoms were not mild at all but thank God, I overcame it and took awhile to get better. During the days that I was very ill and confined to my son’s bedroom, I would sit next to his window and look at tree in front of it. I would always see a hummingbird every morning flying in front of my window when I sat there . I wanted to be the hummingbird and envied his freedom, but I came to appreciate its beauty and the way his his wings flapped. It’s an amazing little bird. They would make a special noise and it would comfort me. I would sit there for a long time and just watch him fly around my tree, going from one flower to the next one. He wasn’t in a hurry and would take his time to go from one to the next. I wanted to be that hummingbird, I wanted to be free like him and not be in a rush. I was confined to a room and it felt like ages trying to get better and not succumb to it. And all I kept thinking during my very difficult moments was to be able to have more time to do things and enjoy the littlest things in life. Not be in a hurry or skip things because I didn’t have time, I wanted to be like the hummingbird, take my time to enjoy life. Before I caught it, I was always in rush to do things and sometimes I would skip on doing things like going to a family gathering because I didn’t have time or skip a baseball game from my kids because I was too busy . I was always rushing and sometimes, that can be bad. You might end up missing the best things so when I became very ill, all I kept thinking about was the hummingbird and time. When I came out of my room, I took my time and was very thankful to be given more time to enjoy everything that life has to offer. I slowed down, and not in hurry for anything , you could probably say , I am a slowpoke but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I wanted to share this because that was the hardest moment that I went through this year. I am very happy to be in this group and have come to love literature. I take my time in reading and I love how Ben, has everything set up. I enjoy reading your posts and have learn so many things from this wonderful group . I can’t wait for next year’s reading plan . I wish everyone a wonderful new year filled with lots of love, health, peace and happiness! See you all next year :)

Denise Powers

Hello and happy new year everyone! I am brand new to the group, and excited to be here. I have long been looking for a forum to dive into these great novels and was beginning to think I was going to have to go back to university to get it. This is a much better option! I have always been an avid reader and have always been attracted to classics, however, I think it is fair to say that I can be an impatient reader and that makes me want to hurry along. I will chew the chocolate, and never let it sit and melt in my mouth. You know? So that is now my resolution: to take my time, to read slowly and savour every flavour. I have a feeling that will be much easier to do if I am reading alongside you good folks and hearing/reading what you have to say. I have only one other resolution for 2022 and that is to go on an epic adventure: to hike the full Pacific Crest Trail, backcountry from Mexico to Canada. I am hoping I will have enough steam at the end of each day to read. What a place to read and digest some of the world's greatest works than surrounded by nature. Very Waldenesque. I have a fear, however, and I am hoping that someone out there might have some advice for me on how to overcome it. I can't bring myself to mark up my books! I picked up a second hand book from the charity shop the other day and was delighted to find, when I got it home, that it had been extensively marked up. I flipped through it, reading the previous readers comments and thought it was a great addition to my reading experience. But when I am sat with pencil in hand, I can't bring myself to mark up the page. What am I saving the book for? I have a little journal that I am writing book thoughts in, but using that doesn't have the same kind of context. Any advice? 2022 is now here, stretching out all bold and beautiful right in front of us. I wonder what it is going to bring? I am grateful to have found this group and having read some of the conversations, know that I am going to love reading with you. Best wishes for love, health, happiness and great reads for 2022!

Mahmoud

Having only recently joined in December, I would still love to chime in and share my thoughts. I'm truly proud and satisfied for making a commitment to becoming a more dedicated reader of great books. This club has been an excellent gateway enabling me to do so, by transforming the nature of my reading from being merely solitary to one that is more communal. I'm also proud of acquiring a finer appreciation and taste for higher literary forms, such as poetry. Indeed, it was Ben's poetry discussions, which ultimately brought me here on my quest.  Developing a writing practice has not been easy, but I overcame the discomfort and excuses associated with marking books while reading. In fact, I now prefer doing so and the experience of making books my own. Becoming more courageous in allowing myself to experience difficult emotions, reflect upon deep questions, and expressing my thoughts through journaling has also provided me a therapeutic outlet for being vulnerable, honest, and more in touch with my inner self.  While I'm eagerly looking forward to finally reading Shakespeare in general, I'm excited for precisely those books that arguably have a reputation for being intimidating and challenging to get through especially on one's own, such as  Ulysses, Moby Dick, and Blood Meridian. And as McCarthy is highly regarded for his beautiful prose, I also intend to read his Border Trilogy in due time. I definitely want to seize the opportunity and not miss out on having company and support for these reads in particular.  Happy new year everyone. Best wishes and all the best!

Caroline P

Hello Denise, welcome to our brilliant corner of the Internet. I joined a few months ago now and can honestly say that this group has revolutionised my way of reading. I love your comment about eating chocolate..that is exactly how it is. An epic journey with a book sounds utter bliss. I too crave a long journey. I am hoping for a long train journey to Orkney to visit friends..I hope the nasty 🦠 goes away so I can put plans into action. As to marking books… it is like drawing, the clean empty page. Sometimes I put a little blob of paint on all the pages of my sketchbook so they are no longer pristine. Maybe you could start with little marks on the corner of the page..and progress through bigger marks, words and then the full contents of your thoughts. 😝 anyway, welcome to the best book club out there!

Caroline P

Oh my goodness, what a horrible thing this virus is. But I agree completely that these trials do have benefits in some bizarre way. It is like a pause where you can reevaluate life isn’t it. Happy new year and hopefully a much better one.

Sharon xx

Hi Ben and fellow bibliophiles - Happy New Year one and all! Welcome to all the new members. I'm guilty of being absent of late but be assured that I'm still reading away like a woman possessed. I love a list of questions particularly when it's Ben that has sent them. 1) Looking back of the year I'm really proud of my continued commitment to reading every single day. I've not missed once (Audible has helped, espcially on the days I work). I've discovered that books I'd previously been intimidated by are actually very readable and I'm so surprised at how much I've enjoyed them all and even ended up falling in love with some new authors and genres. I have been challenged but never to the point of defeat and my literary growth is now obvious, even to me. My choice of personal reads, outside of the book club schedule, has also changed beyond all recognition. I've always loved nature writing, fantasy novels and a bit of crime but I now find myself reaching for more classics, myth retellings and poetry. I've been lucky enough to be able to revamp my, 'Home Library' over this last year into something fabulous that I'm incredibly proud of. Authors/Poets that filled 2021 for me are: - Tolstoy, Dickens, Chekhov, Proust, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Dickinson, Hugo, Shakespeare, James, Keats, Shelley, Plato, Browning and Blake. This list of names absolutely astounds me and these are just from our book club reading. I didn't read all the set texts for 2021, but those that I have, I've loved. I'm so grateful to Ben for the guidance and opportunity. This is a real Bucket List achievement for me. 2) Obstacles have been very First World if I'm honest. Work mostly as I find it tricky to fit everything in on the days that I'm in the office (NHS) but it's work that pays for my books so there is a clear and positive pay-off. Life does, 'get in the way' sometimes but even if I'm absent online, I'm still here and following the lectures and posts. 3) I don't really do resolutions per se but I am keen to keep up with my daily reading habit in 2022 as it's become an important part of my life. There isn't room to list the books I'm keen to read lol. ALL the books please?! I am researching the life and times (all things Victorian) of Charles Dickens currently, as he is probably my favourite author to come out of 2021. I'm about to start Claire Tomalin's - Dickens, A Life. I also know we have Wuthering Heights coming up soon. I started this in August 2021 but suspended it (reluctantly) once it appeared on our list for this year, so I'm really looking forward to picking that up again. Oh and more Dickens......did I mention Dickens? ;) Stay safe and well everyone. I'm looking forward to another year of reading and discussion with you all. Sharon xx

Janette Wilson

I find it interesting that people need to compete for the number the books they read in a year. I joined the bookclub about 8 to 10 weeks ago and have read Anna Karenina, Blood Meridian, and Dracula. There have been a few small forays in between but my assessment is that it has been a bit too intense for me. I know that Ben reads at a phenomenal pace but I also noted he said he sometimes reads slowly. I will not be able to keep the intensity as I am fearful I shall lose the joy.I am reading another Richard Osman and find myself feeling guilty as it is pure escapism.How to keep the balance between reading for the intellect and for escape is something I will have to assess. thankyou for all this. Janette KW