Welcome to Litsy!

September NF pick: From Here To Eternity by Caitlin Doughty

#SummerEndReadathon @TheSpineView

This was a great read. Caitlin Doughty has a wonderful style; her writing is informal without being cutesy and she presents the different post-mortem cultural traditions respectfully while avoiding an overly anthropological tone. I loved her perspective on American funeral culture and the chapters flew by. The illustrations added a lot as well.

#BookBinge
Day 13. Involves Funerals
#InvolvesFunerals

This was a very interesting read. Caitlin travels the world and tells about different cultures' death rituals plus 3 unconventional rituals in the US. I really enjoyed it. It just reinforced my desire to not be buried in a tomb in the ground.

I started the tagged audio last summer but never finished it so I started it again this past weekend. I need to find a print copy so I can see some of the illustrations I see mentioned in other reviews. Another interesting account of “the good death” from Caitlin Doughty. I‘m 2 graphic novels away from 2 #bookspinbingo opportunities and 2 days to complete it.🤞

I love morbid nonfiction books and had so much fun putting together this post!

https://bookriot.com/must-read-morbid-nonfiction/

After a few losses the last 2 years I wasn‘t sure if I could get through this one, but I actually found the death rituals from different places comforting. It also gave me a lot to think about in regards to my own eventual plans.

#LMPBC @TheBookHippie @Bookishlie @megnews

I can‘t make it to the post office until Wednesday, but I promise to mail it priority!

This was interesting. I actually found the research being done in North Carolina (re: green “burials” – actually “recomposting” of the bodies) not only the most interesting, but the most appealing for me. Caitlyn herself would like to be offered up to vultures, as in Tibet. I already know I‘d like some kind of green burial, but I expect what type will depend on what‘s “allowed” where I am when I die. Cont in comments...

Oops I finished my #LMPBC book before I was supposed to start it.
This is not a travel memoir in the truest sense but I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did. I‘d love to see a part two with additional cultural death practices. Very interesting. I learned a lot.

Thanks @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm for the recommendation.

My book arrived for #LMPBC and I can‘t wait til March 1 to start so here I go! I hope you don‘t mind me using purple pen.

I started Hospice Volunteering a couple of weeks ago and asked my coordinator if she had suggestions for reading about this work. These are what she recommended to me.

I started this around October last year as a #Literati pick, but for some reason life got in the way so I didn‘t finish it, although it was very interesting! A #nonfiction #travelogue of sorts about death and burial rituals around the globe. Let‘s see if I can add this to my already too-long TBR for this month. 😁 #ScarathlonDailyPrompts #PhotoChallenge Day 12: #Grave

#TeamSlaughter #Scarathlon2022

Wonderful book that doesn't rush through its content. Author let's you soak in the cultures described while keeping you informed. Honestly, the descriptions and personal accounts were beautiful and sometimes sobering. The chapter regarding Japan is one of my favorites.

Nothing better than listening to a book narrated by the queen of death herself Caitlin on a thunderstorm-y day. I grew up with a family who owned a funeral home and I was always fascinated by death/funeral culture. I was shocked and delighted to learn about these intricate beliefs about death from other cultures. I am moving along in my death acceptance journey.

love learning things from queen Caitlin 🖤☠️

A fascinating and moving account of death rituals around the world. It gets very personal, though not so much to Caitlin herself, at times. I really appreciated her respectfulness and advice at the end on how you can also be a respectful death tourist.

@TheAromaofBooks This was my March #doublespin!

“Since we had brought the offerings, I figured I had better talk to one of the ñatitas. I asked Nacho to influence the [2016] U.S. presidential election; which was being held the next day. I can only assume that either Nacho was not the right ñatita for American political matters or was rusty in his English.”

Ñatitas are skulls that people of La Paz, Bolivia, believe have special powers and can grant favors. Very cool thing to learn about.

Serious TW for pregnancy loss in the Mexico chapter. Thankfully I haven‘t experienced it and it doesn‘t trigger me, but I have enough friends who would be devastated to come upon this chapter unexpectedly that I thought I‘d mention it. The stories are wrenching.

Also: I didn‘t realize this book was illustrated before I started reading it! The drawings are lovely.

I love Caitlin Doughty. I‘m so glad I‘m finally getting around to reading her books!

1. Our Last Days in Barcelona, Dead Romantics, Woman and Other Monsters, and Fortune Favors the Dead

2. From Here to Eternity by Caitlin Doughty

3. Black Cloud Rising by David Wright Faladé

#WeekendReads

Interesting reflections by the author as she travels the world comparing funeral customs in different locales.

5 ⭐️s!!
Caitlin Doughty is one of my favorite people to watch on YouTube, and I‘m JUST now getting around to reading one of her books!
This one covers her world travels to experience the death rituals of other cultures. It was a beautiful journey through what, especially for Westerners, can be an ugly topic.
Over the years, she‘s inspired me with her death positivity and I now feel much better about my plans for my body when I pass on.

A good choice as an audiobook so far

This week's death class reading is just this book in its entirety, and we're going to Fernwood Cemetery tomorrow as a field trip! Thankful that this is such a quick read, I've barely had any time to work on it this week. 😅 Should have this book done for #Scarathlon2021 #TeamSlaughter and #BookSpinBingo by tonight/tomorrow morning! 👍

I found this to be a fascinating “listen.” Caitlin Doughty describes funerary customs of various cultures around the world. I learned A LOT. I find the author to be witty, yet very respectful. She narrated this book & has a great voice.

Funeral home owner Doughty writes amusing and compelling essays on various death rites and rituals she witnesses around the world.

Read April 4-8
Rated 4/5 ⭐️
Book 21/60

This book strangely enough has helped me cope with my grief. She is wonderful and I can‘t wait to read everything she‘s got. As an anthropologist myself this book really is so enjoyable.

This is a book for those interested in the dark, in Death, the macabre, and other cultures of the world. There was a lot of interesting insight. I personally found it fascinating as Caitlin traveled the world and explained how other cultures view and process death/dying. It really gave me a lot to ruminate on, as far as what the Western world views as acceptable, and made me really think hard as to where & how I'd like to go when it is my time.

Merry Christmas Eve! I'm 2 chapters into my re-read of Pillars by Follett and I am hoping to finish up From Here To Eternity by Caitlin Doughty today. It's a short 200 page book, and I'm 100 in so shouldn't have a problem!
My plan is just to chill today, relaxing and read, watch movies and just generally have a low key day.
Happy reading, everyone, and Merry Christmas

Just love her

Looking forward to this, especially after my last disappointment
I love Doughty!

Whether we like it or not, we all have to face death some day, so it‘s interesting to see how people do so in a handful of places in the world, alongside Caitlin Doughty‘s humor. I‘m so glad she decided to write about death, though I have to say I‘m glad I don‘t live in Tana Toraja, Indonesia. I just can‘t quite imagine participating in their ritual.

Caitlin Doughty traveled the world to experience how death is honored by different cultures. This book definitely opened my mind to other traditions. I‘m also intrigued by a couple of innovative ways to dispose of bodies that allows people to be properly and ceremoniously returned to the earth. This book is fascinating, informative, and educational with a perfect amount of humor! #MountTBR

I hope Caitlin Doughty has a long and productive writing career because I have learned from and thoroughly enjoyed all three of her books. Her YouTube videos are great too.

If you are curious about death practices all over the world, I‘m sure you‘ll enjoy this!

Thriftbooks book mail part 1
From Here to Eternity
Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs

Loved this work of NF. The author profiles death in other cultures. Its not morbid. Lol. Actually she is pretty funny. Having worked in the medical field for many years found this fascinating . Sometimes its pretty descriptive. Book 1 done #deweysreadathon 5💀💀💀💀💀

Up first for #deweysreadathon. Cleaning the house while listening to this. Happy reading everyone

Current audiobook. I‘ve had the print version forever but I think I‘ll have better luck if I listen... and I really want to read this one soon.

I flew through this audiobook and really enjoyed learning about how other cultures view death. Doughty makes this book both informative and entertaining and definitely one I would recommend.

I loved this book so much I listened to it twice in three days!
Doughty tells about her travels all over the world, experiencing funerary practices in Japan, Colorado, Spain, and more. She compares them to the practices here in the US and how the corporatization of funerals in America has taken away much of the cultural significance and familial ties it once had.

A little light reading about corpses while I get pampered.

The 1st chapter hit close to home, as I‘ve had my dad and 2 cats cremated since June 2020. I would have felt better about the process if I could have spent more time with Dad‘s body, or had a ceremony like that at the outdoor pyre in Colorado. This urn contains some of Dad‘s ashes that I sometimes bring with me when I travel. Here, at Horseshoe Bay in Bermuda in February. I know it‘s a little weird but it makes me feel more connected to him.

Another fascinating read from Doughty! Unfortunately so many people believe American = normal when it comes to funerals/burials, but this book shows the broad range of “normal” in 10 countries.

I was glad to learn more about the Sky Burials of Tibetan Buddhists that I read about in Eat the Buddha. But personally, I want to end up in a futuristic Japanese columbarium. They sound much more awesome than the simple courtyard one at my church. 4⭐️🎧

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1 down for #bookspinbingo! This is also my regular #bookspin for this month!

It feels weird to say I enjoyed this book but I did! It was really interesting, and I feel like I learned a lot. I‘ll be thinking about this one.

"'There are 7,777 rituals in Aluk. People left because it got complicated.' Catholicism hardly seems the place to go for fewer complicated rituals, but there you go."

This book came recommended by my girlfriend when we were rapidly filling our new bookcases of which were filled in minutes, need more.

Anyway this one I started reading and I'm only on page 38 but it's really interesting.

Still reading End of Watch.

My next read seems interesting.

I really enjoyed this book! 📖 The author travels around the world to explore different cultures and how they approach death. She is so witty and has great writing skills! Death is such a taboo topic for us around here but she explores it so beautifully. I can't wait to read more by this author. I added this one to my reading journal 😊📓

Also we got our chunckster, Sir Edward long tail, shaved and he looks so precious ❤😹

This book was so good. It is so hard (in American culture) to talk about dying, mortality, and grief. This book wasn't technically about those things- it was just about dead bodies. But it told stories about how different cultures around the world handle and interact with dead bodies and how our treatment and interactions with dead bodies shape our perceptions on dying, death, how we process those things, and how we handle grief.

#weeklyroundup
Weird week. I DNF'd one book about 50 pages in, and didn't event pick up my stretch goal book, but I did read 2 extra books I had not planned on.

By far Anxious People was the best read of the week. Followed closely by From Here To Eternity, I adore Doughty. Glad to have 2 #bookspin April books off my list, one more to go!