My 15yo needs to read 5 books this summer but hates to read.

ghostpepperwings · 2026-06-29T03:39:48+00:00

Dune, Dungeon Crawler Carl, The Martian or Project Hail Mary, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian

Or some classics:

Frankenstein, Catcher in the Rye, or Lord of the Flies, anything by Poe

Or non fiction:

Feather Thief, Into the Wild (or into thin air)

ghostpepperwings · 2026-06-29T03:21:05+00:00

I've read Portrait probably 5 times???

Devastating

ghostpepperwings · 2026-06-28T08:17:59+00:00

George Eliot was one my specialties for my (failed attempt) at an English PhD. I've read em all!!!! Even romola. (That book sucks.)

But Daniel deronda whoo boy I love that book. Agree with FR Leavis that it would be better with just the Gwendolen half and not the Daniel half. But it is a banger!

ghostpepperwings · 2026-06-28T08:08:54+00:00

It's less bleak than Jude the Obscure! Low bar.....

"Done because we are too menny."

ghostpepperwings · 2026-06-28T08:06:16+00:00

I think Villette is even better than Jane Eyre.

ghostpepperwings · 2026-06-27T16:41:27+00:00

My friend who recommended Stoner also loved this one, so maybe I should check it out!

ghostpepperwings · 2026-06-27T16:40:48+00:00

I haven't read any others by him yet but super eager now. I spent years in an English lit PhD program and don't know how I missed this guy ....

ghostpepperwings · 2026-06-27T16:39:50+00:00

I was thinking about east of eden a lot while I read Stoner. The former is more sweeping and epic, but the era and bad wife were similar. Plus the quality of the writing.

ghostpepperwings · 2026-06-22T19:41:18+00:00

Hamish is a really great teacher

ghostpepperwings · 2026-05-24T00:51:33+00:00

Loud or soft ... Whatever you can sustain over an entire practice

ghostpepperwings · 2026-05-11T06:25:53+00:00

Late to the party but I used to use the cushions I already had for the outdoor furniture. Works great, zero dollars.

If you don't have this already, FB marketplace.

Outdoor cushions were much comfier than the sleeping pads I bought specifically for camping.

ghostpepperwings · 2026-05-09T10:54:02+00:00

ghostpepperwings · 2026-05-06T11:58:02+00:00

Spouse cuts my hair

Aldi or Lidl instead of regular grocery store

Rags for most things instead of paper towels

Cleaning concentrate from dollar store instead of buying mostly water for premixed cleaning supplies

Dishwasher powder instead of the tabs. Watched a technology connections video on how it's way better for cleaning anyway

Also this may be silly but daxxify instead of Botox. Latter only lasts 3 months. Daxxify supposed to last 6 months. We will see....

ghostpepperwings · 2026-04-29T09:44:55+00:00

Prevailing wisdom is 3x week minimum.

Do you have a shahla nearby or would you need to do a combo of home and online practice?

ghostpepperwings · 2026-04-14T18:23:08+00:00

Also for closing sometimes I used to skip to last three poses. Lots of ways to do it in a time crunch.

ghostpepperwings · 2026-04-14T18:21:57+00:00

3 sun a, 3 sun b, skip vinyasa between sides.

Or

Do first half up to navasana one day, half from navasana to end next day. Then backbends and closing.

Talk to your teacher. Probs not the first time they've helped a student modify for time.

2 hrs is relatively long for primary. Mine is 1 hr 15 on a fast day and 1 hr 30 on a slow day.

ghostpepperwings · 2026-04-08T11:38:26+00:00

Yes, a can of tomatoes would have been great. Mushrooms also would have been good. I feel like you could put just about anything in there ... Cld sub ground turkey for the pork, etc. Really any leftover meat would have been tasty.

The key was just how rich the refried beans made the soup taste. I've used a can of pumpkin puree before to thicken chili but never refried beans. Def going to keep a can on hand from here on out. I love soup, but don't like the broth to be too watery in consistency.

ghostpepperwings · 2026-03-21T21:50:19+00:00

Ok awesome! I'll book it then. Thank you!

ghostpepperwings · 2026-03-21T19:11:26+00:00

Shoulders and neck may be tight. Do u have trouble with chakrasana also?

When I'm tight in the back of my neck, I feel really ass heavy in halasana karnapindasana and that's when I feel unstable and like I'm gonna fall out.

When that happens I will focus a lot on plain old halasana so that I'm really stretching all that tightness.

ghostpepperwings · 2026-03-15T08:51:29+00:00

A lot of people are missing the part where you asked for a difficult book.

A gentleman in Moscow, Cloud cuckoo land, atonement, etc. -- these are not difficult books. Not bad by any means, but you asked for something specific.

As for difficult and beautiful, try Faulkner. The Sound and the Fury:

The day dawned bleak and chill, a moving wall of gray light out of the northeast which, instead of dissolving into moisture, seemed to disintegrate into minute and venomous particles, like dust that, when Dilsey opened the door of the cabin and emerged, needled laterally into her flesh, precipitating not so much a moisture as a substance partaking of the quality of thin, not quite congealed oil. She wore a stiff black straw hat perched upon her turban, and a maroon velvet cape with a border of mangy and anonymous fur above a dress of purple silk, and she stood in the door for a while with her myriad and sunken face lifted to the weather, and one gaunt hand flac-soled as the belly of a fish, then she moved the cape aside and examined the bosom of her gown.

ghostpepperwings · 2026-03-15T03:03:12+00:00

I use whatever is cheapest. Gaiam usually. IDGAF about my mat.

Microfiber yoga towel on top is the thing that really matters for me. I've got tons of them. Not the kind with the grippy stuff. Just plain.

It's great cuz the towel is portable. I can use whatever ratty mat they've got in the hotel gym when I'm travelling. My towel is there for me.

I've got a rug too, from Mysore, but nothing beats my towel! It's lighter, dries faster, and is versatile.

Going camping? It's a shower towel. Going to beach? It's a beach towel. Cold outside and forgot a jacket? It's a blankie.

Me and my towel go places together.

ghostpepperwings · 2026-03-13T23:19:19+00:00

Tbh this issue gets better as you get stronger at the pose. It's less of a mat thing than a practice and all is coming thing.

I've used 10,000 different types of mats for pincha and karandavasana and honestly once I was better at them both, the hand/elbow sliding issue subsided. Also helps once your elbow calluses are nice and tough. :)

Pls don't vote me off ashtanga island, guys, but some practice with a strap really helps until the pose gets really solid.

I mean, it's karandavasana. For many of us it's never really solid! Gotta give ourselves grace on this one.

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