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From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death
From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death | Caitlin Doughty
The best-selling author of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes expands our sense of what it means to treat the dead with dignity. Fascinated by our pervasive terror of dead bodies, mortician Caitlin Doughty set out to discover how other cultures care for their dead. In rural Indonesia, she observes a man clean and dress his grandfathers mummified body. Grandpas mummy has lived in the family home for two years, where the family has maintained a warm and respectful relationship. She meets Bolivian natitas (cigarette- smoking, wish- granting human skulls), and introduces us to a Japanese kotsuage, in which relatives use chopsticks to pluck their loved- ones bones from cremation ashes. With curiosity and morbid humor, Doughty encounters vividly decomposed bodies and participates in compelling, powerful death practices almost entirely unknown in America. Featuring Gorey-esque illustrations by artist Landis Blair, From Here to Eternity introduces death-care innovators researching green burial and body composting, explores new spaces for mourning including a glowing- Buddha columbarium in Japan and Americas only open-air pyre and reveals unexpected new possibilities for our own death rituals.
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CSeydel
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September NF pick: From Here To Eternity by Caitlin Doughty

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CSeydel
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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Pickpick

#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.

TheSpineView Awesome! 6mo
39 likes1 comment
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ChelseaM6010
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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#BookBinge
Day 13. Involves Funerals
#InvolvesFunerals

Eggs Perfect 👍🏼 7mo
16 likes1 comment
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NicoleCeBallos
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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Pickpick

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.

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MatchlessMarie
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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Pickpick

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.🤞

Clwojick Sheets! 🖤👻 10mo
44 likes1 comment
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rachelsbrittain
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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I love morbid nonfiction books and had so much fun putting together this post!

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

TiredLibrarian Lots of good stuff here! I LOVED Hidden Valley Road, and this one was recommended by my local Death Cafe. 10mo
julesG Perfect. I'm a fan of morbid NF. 10mo
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Bookwormjillk
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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Pickpick

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!

TheBookHippie No worries mine is going out tomorrow! 11mo
Jenken1998 I liked this one also! 11mo
megnews I found it intriguing and comforting as well. I would love to see her do a follow up someday. 11mo
61 likes1 stack add3 comments
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LibraryCin
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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Mehso-so

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...

LibraryCin Some of the more interesting cultural customs (for me) were in Mexico (Dias de los Muertos) and Bolivia (natitas). Like with her other books, there is a hint of humour there, as well (maybe less than with her other books, but still occasionally). And there were some great illustrations! 11mo
SamAnne I loved her book Smoke Gets in Your Eyes. This one has been on my list! 11mo
LibraryCin @SamAnne, enjoy! I have read that one, as well. 11mo
16 likes3 comments
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megnews
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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Pickpick

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.

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Yay! Glad you enjoyed it! ❤️❤️ 13mo
megnews @Bookwormjillk @TheBookHippie @Bookishlie am I mailing to Jill and each of us mailing to the person after us on the list @suvata sent? 12mo
Bookwormjillk I think so. Mail to the person below you on the list and if you‘re last mail to the first person. I haven‘t started yet! 12mo
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TheBookHippie @Bookwormjillk Me either it is a weekend to do list item. 12mo
TheBookHippie You mail to the person below you if your bottom you mail to top person the entire time so it goes in a loop. :) I sometimes throw in a tea bag or cocoa or a little note. 12mo
Bookishlie Sounds like a plan! I‘m about 2/3rds of the way through mine. 12mo
Bookishlie @megnews Help! I don‘t have your address! Send it to me please rochelleus@yahoo.com. Thanks:) 12mo
megnews @Bookishlie sent! 12mo
Bookishlie So weird aside. I just realized I did not get this for this month:( please tell me it wasn‘t lost in the mail:((( 9mo
61 likes2 stack adds9 comments
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megnews
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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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.

Bookwormjillk Purple sounds good to me! 13mo
Bookishlie Fine with me too! I need to find a good pen:) 13mo
TheBookHippie Totally fine by me! 13mo
43 likes3 comments
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JenniferEgnor
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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.

megnews This one helped me and my mother through my grandfather‘s hospice experience 13mo
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KT1432
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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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

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Geomancy
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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Pickpick

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.

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abbyreadz
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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Pickpick

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.

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morgankayj
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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love learning things from queen Caitlin 🖤☠️

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Clare-Dragonfly
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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Pickpick

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!

paperwitchs Love Caitlyn 😍 2y
shanaqui This sounds really fascinating! 2y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2y
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Clare-Dragonfly
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty

“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.

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Clare-Dragonfly
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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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.

rwmg Now I'm regretting having listened to the audiobook rather than read the book 2y
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Clare-Dragonfly
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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I love Caitlin Doughty. I‘m so glad I‘m finally getting around to reading her books!

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rachelsbrittain
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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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

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rwmg
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
Pickpick

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

cant_i'm_booked I have this book too! Can't wait to read it 2y
20 likes1 comment
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MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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Pickpick

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.

megnews I‘m so thankful you posted this. I try to be a minimalist, low materialism. I‘ve never understood all the $ on funerals, caskets etc., why we need our bodies to stay intact forever (or as long as possible.) I plan to be buried in a shroud at a green natural cemetery. I‘ve just been telling my kids my plans so they have time to get used to the idea. So I‘m very interested in reading this. 2y
MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @megnews That‘s my plan as well! Although, like Caitlin, my REAL dream would be to be consumed by animals in a form of sky burial. But America isn‘t quite ready for that unfortunately. If you haven‘t checked out her YouTube channel, Ask A Mortician, I can‘t recommend it enough! 2y
megnews I‘ll check it out. Thanks! 2y
rachelsbrittain Love Doughty's books! 2y
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rwmg
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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A good choice as an audiobook so far

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Caterina
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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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! 👍

EvieBee I briefly worked at a funeral home that housed the only crematorium in town. It was weird. 2y
RainyDayReading Loved this book! I really enjoyed her others as well. 2y
33 likes2 comments
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Readswithcoffee
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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Pickpick

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.

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amyf0x
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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Pickpick

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

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TheBookStacker
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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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.

britt_brooke Her books are so fascinating! You‘ll definitely appreciate 3y
Megabooks 💜💜💜 3y
rachelsbrittain I love her books and her YouTube channel! 3y
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perfectsinner
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Pickpick

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.

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perfectsinner
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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

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perfectsinner
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Just love her

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

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Hooked_on_books
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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Pickpick

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.

IuliaC I really liked this one, very informative :) 3y
Soubhiville I love Doughty‘s books! All of them taught me something while also being highly entertaining reads. And I‘m with you, I‘ve no desire to hang out with passed family member‘s bodies year after year. 3y
BethM Great pic! 3y
Librariana I love Caitlin Doughty!! "Ask a Mortician" is SUCH an underrated YouTube series... I've listened to (and loved!) both "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" and 3y
50 likes1 stack add4 comments
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NatalieR
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Pickpick

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

IuliaC I really enjoyed reading this book, indeed very informative 😃 3y
NatalieR @IuliaC Glad you also liked it! 😊 3y
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Soubhiville
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Pickpick

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!

TheNeverendingTBR Certainly was interesting! 3y
MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm I love her YouTube videos!!! I still need to get around to reading her books. 😅 3y
50 likes2 comments
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perfectsinner
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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Thriftbooks book mail part 1
From Here to Eternity
Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs

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Jenken1998
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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Pickpick

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💀💀💀💀💀

IuliaC I loved this one too ⭐ 3y
61 likes1 comment
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Jenken1998
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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Up first for #deweysreadathon. Cleaning the house while listening to this. Happy reading everyone

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SkeletonKey
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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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.

Megabooks I enjoyed this! 3y
SkeletonKey @Megabooks - I did also, finished it very quickly 3y
22 likes2 comments
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Jas16
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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Pickpick

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.

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K.Wielechowski
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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Pickpick

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.

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krismlars
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A little light reading about corpses while I get pampered.

Reviewsbylola I love her books! 4y
krismlars @Reviewsbylola this is my first time reading her, but I recently 'attended' a book reading that she moderated and was delighted by her. She is really entertaining! 4y
DimeryRene I loved this one! Also her first. 4y
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krismlars
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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.

kspenmoll I do not think it is weird at all. I‘m sure he is happy to travel with you.💕💕 4y
wanderinglynn I don‘t find it weird at all. ❤️ I lost my dad in 2010. I completely understand. 4y
Megabooks There‘s no one right way with the death of a pet or family member. There is the best choice for you. As a veterinarian, I have seen grief expressed a lot of ways, and they‘re all valid. 4y
Branwen It's not weird at all! *hugs* I wear cremation jewelry that carry my kitty's ashes so I can always have her near me! 💖 4y
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Megabooks
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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Pickpick

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⭐️🎧

Andrew65 Well done 👏👏👏 4y
Megabooks @Andrew65 thank you! 4y
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Cinfhen Great review!!!! You‘re flying through 🦋🦋🦋#ReadingUnicorn 🦄 4y
Megabooks @Cinfhen I‘m stuck on The Holdout and The Sympathizer. They were last-minute additions, and I really don‘t want to read either. ☹️ 4y
Cinfhen So swap them.... @TheAromaofBooks won‘t care 😉♥️ 4y
TheAromaofBooks @Cinfhen is completely correct!! Sometimes it turns out that a book isn't going to work - so just switch them for something more appealing!! I'm going to guess that you probably have two other books on your TBR that you've been meaning to read... 😂 4y
Cinfhen You‘re the BEST @TheAromaofBooks XX 4y
TheAromaofBooks @Cinfhen - I'm a bit of a pushover for sure 😂 4y
Megabooks @Cinfhen @TheAromaofBooks thanks y‘all!! I have a way of getting too caught up in the rules! 😂😂 okay, I‘ll swap them out. My #bookspin from April that I didn‘t read then sounds good now, so I‘ll make that my #doublespin, and whatever book I finish next will replace The Sympathizer! (I‘m almost done with a short story collection. 👍🏻) 4y
Megabooks And you really are great, Sarah, and Cindy, you are too!! 😘😘😘 @TheAromaofBooks @Cinfhen 4y
Cinfhen Thanks, Meg!!! Reading “challenges” should ALWAYS be FUN!!!! 4y
Megabooks @Cinfhen you know that “fun” kid on the playground who insisted on “rules” and “turns”, well she‘s loosened up a bit at 40, but she‘s still hard on herself. 🙈 4y
Cinfhen Hahah xxxx #LoveAcrossTheMiles ♥️ 4y
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wideeyedreader
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 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.

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 4y
27 likes1 comment
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thebookpimp
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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"'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."

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TheNeverendingTBR
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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.

CoffeeK8 This book was really terrific! 4y
veritysalter This book was fascinating, I absolutely adore Caitlin Doughty, her YouTube is fab and the posts on FB and Insta from The Order of the Good Death always give food for thought. Happy reading. 4y
69 likes4 stack adds2 comments
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Jemmygem
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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My next read seems interesting.

perfectsinner It's on my want-to-reads list.i love her stuff 4y
62 likes4 stack adds1 comment
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michellelav
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Pickpick

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 ❤😹

Onceuponatime 🐱 😂 4y
perfectsinner I love Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, and I basically have all her other books on my wish list. Glad to hear this is also a good one! 4y
Jemmygem What an adorable cat 🐈😘😉 4y
Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Sir Edward!😻 4y
michellelav @perfectsinner I'm excited to read more of her stuff! 4y
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sarahlandis
Pickpick

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.

sarahlandis This book challenged me to look at my thoughts on funerals and dead bodies and I honestly learned so much. Each chapter was a story from a different culture that the author got to experience and she had a nice conversational tone that told these memoir-esque stories while supplying so much educational information. 4y
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ChaoticMissAdventures
From Here to Eternity | Caitlin Doughty
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#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!