Month: November 2022

Dreams 1-2-3: Remember, Interpret, and Live Your Dreams by J.M. DeBord and The History of Last Night’s Dream: Discovering the Hidden Path to the Soul by Rodger Kamenetz

I’ve been going through a personal dream project for the last couple of years. It’s taken me awhile to get to the research given my life. I finally got around to them. These are the fourth or fifth book I’ve read on these. Most don’t really satisify what I am looking for. The first one here had some good tips for intereptation but nothing that intrigued. The second one really started well but then sort of meandered too much into the Judea-Christian and psychiatric Freud history of dreams that did not interest me. After this, I became much more discerning and flipped through a few more dream books which I returned without really reading. 3/5 stars and 2.5/5 stars.

October 1, 2022 and October 1-8, 2022.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

Of all the East Asian fantasy novels that I’ve read in the past year, this is by far the most Chinese. It has a protagonist with a hidden past and a journey of training and discovery. It’s true Chinese historical fantasy love drama including a complicated political love triangle with lots of angst. There is betrayal, messiness and back and forth relationships. I actually think I’d try watching an adaption if it was ever remade as a C-drama. I wonder if it’s doing well in East Asia. Enjoyable and looking forward to the sequel. 4.5/5 stars.

Read October 10-14, 2022.

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

See blog post here. 4/5 stars.

The Rule of 30: A Better Way to Save for Retirement by Frederick Vettese

This finance book is written as a novel of a couple who learn financial lessons from an actuarial neighbour. It’s a good way of explaining information and there were a couple of things I did find interesting that weren’t covered as much in other personal finance books including the importance of demographics in interest rates. I did find myself a bit pessimistic about saving for retirement because the book has a formula predicting people’s lives including first house, kids, second house, paying off mortgage, retiring at 65 etc. This book was published last year right before inflation started going up. While the author/characters acknowledge black swan events and disability affecting working age, I found it depressing given that we are currently in a recession and also, a lot of people of my generation won’t be able to get a home with house prices. I am extremely grateful we have a condo, but I do not really want to work until I’m 65 or 70. I learned a couple of things but it kinda made me sad given the times we are in. 3/5 stars.

Read October 18, 2022.