@Narayoni@mastodon.social
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Narayoni

@[email protected]

I am a Ph.D in Chemistry and a book lover who also loves cats, dogs and animals in general. I am interested besides in general science, technology, astronomy, ancient history, economics, finance, medicine etc.

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Narayoni, to bookstodon
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A lovely metaphor from Om about the nothingness after life

"‘About life being like a sparrow flying through a room? Nothing but darkness outside? And it flies through the room and there’s just a moment of warmth and light?’
‘There are windows open?’ said Brutha.
‘Can’t you imagine what it’s like to be that sparrow, and know about the darkness? To know that afterwards there’ll be nothing to remember, ever, except that one moment of the light?’"
@bookstodon

Narayoni, to bookstodon
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I totally agree with you Urn, sometimes laughing at something is the only thing that can keep you sane, what with going on in the world.

"He remembered Didactylos saying the world was a funny place. And, he thought distantly, it really was. Here people were about to roast someone to death, but they’d left his loin-cloth on, out of respectability. You had to laugh. Otherwise you’d go mad."
#SmallGods by #terrypratchett
@bookstodon #discworld #GNUPterry #books #reading #discworldquotes

Narayoni, to bookstodon
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Lol 😂 🤣 now that's a good one!

"He fumbled under his robe and produced something that looked, to Fergmen’s eye, very much like a torture instrument. This must have communicated itself to Urn, who said very slowly and kindly: ‘This is an ad-just-ab-ble span-ner.’
‘Yes?’
‘It’s for twisting nuts off.’
Fergmen nodded miserably."

@bookstodon #SmallGods by #terrypratchett #GNUPterry #discworld #discworldquotes #theturtlemoves #bookquotes #reading #books

Narayoni, to bookstodon
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Religion with its somewhat random rules 😂 🤣
"‘I nearly committed a terrible sin,’ said Brutha. ‘I nearly ate fruit on a fruitless day.’
‘That’s a terrible thing, a terrible thing,’ said Om. ‘Now cut the melon.’
‘But it is forbidden!’ said Brutha.
‘No it’s not,’ said Om. ‘Cut the melon.’But it was the eating of fruit that caused passion to invade the world,’ said Brutha.
‘All it caused was flatulence,’ said Om. ‘Cut the melon!’"
@bookstodon

Narayoni,
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@TeflonTrout @bookstodon I read this series in publication order and this book has remained my favourite (among other favourites!)

Narayoni,
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@valheru @bookstodon @archeokluit
Same here! This is my favourite discworld book.

Narayoni,
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@jens @bookstodon
So what did you call your pet tortoise? Honestly, I hardly any names of constellations.

Narayoni, to bookstodon
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These lines made me wonder: how many people actually believe in God, and not the Institution, out of fear or just because it's what everyone does.
"… it can’t be just him who believes in me.
Really in me. Not in a pair of golden horns. Not in a great big building. Not in the dread of hot iron and knives. Not in paying your temple dues because everyone else does. Just in the fact that the Great God Om really exists."
@bookstodon #SmallGods #terrypratchett #reading #discworld #bookquotes

Narayoni,
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@DavidBruchmann @bookstodon
I think this is such a beautiful belief. There are times when I have had similar thoughts..But probably nowadays I lean towards simply wondering at the beauty and almost miraculous nature of science and the cosmos without thinking about there being an unknown power behind it all. However, I think that all the different ways that we go about trying to understand our world and our universe is one of the really beautiful and interesting things about humankind in general

Narayoni,
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@DavidBruchmann @bookstodon
I personally think that it doesn't matter to me whether God exists or not: we live in a wondrous universe and we should try to remember that our time is limited and we should try and be the best version of our selves while we can. And yes, this universe and all the complex living beings are nothing short of stunning and awe-inspiring.

Narayoni,
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@DavidBruchmann @bookstodon I think you made a very interesting point. Anyways, thanks for sharing your beliefs, I liked reading about it. Maybe you can consider writing about it if you are into writing. Maybe it may do some good to whoever reads it. I am not a writer, (so maybe wrong) but I think writing, just by itself, can also make the writer feel good.

Narayoni, to bookstodon
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Now that's exactly what I have always believed... My moral code in a nutshell, simple and to the point,with religion having nothing to do with it:
"What have I always believed?
That on the whole, and by and large, if a man lived properly, not according to what any priests said, but according to what seemed decent and honest inside, then it would, at the end, more or less, turn out all right."
by @bookstodon

Narayoni,
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@JenWojcik @bookstodon now that's succinct and to the point! 👌

Narayoni,
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@PeteZ @bookstodon oh I love this ❤️. I think I will look into reading Marcus Aurelius. Any suggestions?

Narayoni,
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@DarkMatterZine @bookstodon I so absolutely agree with you on this! So true.

Narayoni,
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@tompearce49 @PeteZ @bookstodon thanks! I will check it out.

Narayoni,
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@karabaic @PeteZ @bookstodon absolutely.

Narayoni, to bookstodon
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This made me lol 😂 so hard 🤣🤣
"Nhumrod looked around the garden. It seemed to be full of melons and pumpkins and cucumbers. He shuddered.
‘Lots of cold water, that’s the thing,’ he said. ‘Lots and lots.’"
by
@bookstodon

Narayoni, to bookstodon
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If only fanatics had the capacity to reason, the world would have been so different .... But then they wouldn't be fanatics 🤷
"‘Ye god, not a damn holy war, is the man insane? Some idiot missionary gets himself killed, some man writes some gibberish about the shape of the world, and we have to go to war?’"
#SmallGods by #terrypratchett
@bookstodon #discworld #bookquotes #discworldquotes #GNUPterry #theturtlemoves #reading

Narayoni, to bookstodon
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Superb metaphor 👌
"Fear is strange soil. Mainly it grows obedience like corn, which grows in rows and makes weeding easy. But sometimes it grows the potatoes of defiance, which flourish underground."

@bookstodon

Narayoni, to bookstodon
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I found that is a philosophically dense, emotionally evocative, thought provoking page turner. Now one of the things I loved about this book and of other that I have read, is the brilliant characterisation. Some of the themes explored in the book are the conflict of faith (or a lack thereof) and the question of morality and free will. I love this book! More on my bookwyrm linked.
@bookstodon
https://bookwyrm.social/user/Narayoni/comment/2801336

Narayoni,
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@julieofthespirits @bookstodon I guess different people different tastes 🤷. My first Dostoevsky was Crime and Punishment and right from the start I was hooked! When I had started I had expected to find it slow moving. I think he is great at writing realistic characters and I enjoy character driven books. Dostoevsky is one of my favourite writers now, especially after TBK which is my favourite out of C&P, Demons and TBK.

Narayoni, to bookstodon
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Exactly my thoughts about the Creator and the state of the world
"But there were things to suggest to a thinking man that the Creator of mankind had a very oblique sense of fun indeed, and to breed in his heart a rage to storm the gates of heaven...
...The mugs, for example.
They had legends on them like A Present From the Holy Grotto of Ossory, or To The World’s Greatest Daddy"
@bookstodon

Narayoni, to bookstodon
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An astute judge of human nature ain't he?
"And it all meant this: that there are hardly any excesses of the most crazed psychopath that cannot easily be duplicated by a normal, kindly family man who just comes in to work every day and has a job to do.
Vorbis loved knowing that. A man who knew that, knew everything he needed to know about people."
@bookstodon

Narayoni,
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@tokensane @bookstodon and it's my favourite. I can relate to this anger.

Narayoni, to bookstodon
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The Citadel would be a fascist's wet dream...
"No matter what your skills, there was a place for you in the Citadel.
And if your skill lay in asking the wrong kinds of questions or losing the righteous kind of wars, the place might just be the furnaces of purity, or the Quisition’s pits of justice.
A place for everyone. And everyone in their place."-from by @bookstodon

Narayoni, to bookstodon
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Defense Attorney Fetyukovich is giving me #poirot vibes with his use of psychology, lol.
"Well, so you see on the one hand the man was not cautious enough, he lost his head, got frightened, and ran away leaving evidence on the floor, but when two minutes later he strikes and kills another man, then all at once the most heartless and calculating sense of caution comes to our service." from #TheBrothersKaramazov #fyodordostoyevsky @bookstodon #books #reading #agathachristie

Narayoni, to bookstodon
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For context, these lines refer to people shouting and unburdening themselves in taverns. I think these lines are a fitting testament to the state of social media now. A very astute comment on the unchanging nature of human behaviour over time.
This quote is taken from The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky.
by @bookstodon

Narayoni, to bookstodon
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A while ago, I read the Masters of Rome series, written by Colleen McCullough. These books introduced me to characters that felt like real flesh and blood people I know so well, involved in delightfully intricate political manoeuvres. Rome, as described in these books, feels like a very real place. This book series has made me fall in love with history, especially ancient history. More on lemmy post linked. @bookstodon
https://literature.cafe/post/2051183

DocCarms, to bookstodon
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There was a poll that stated—Rowling’s opening line in the HP series is one of best in the world. Someone posted about how there are a bunch of other opening statements that are better.

Here’s one of my personal favorites, from Gabriel Garcia Marquez (English translated):
“It is inevitable. The scent of bitter almonds always reminded him of the fate of unrequited love.”

What are some of your favorite opening lines in literature? 😊
@bookstodon

Narayoni,
@Narayoni@mastodon.social avatar

@DocCarms @phoenixashes76 @ukaunz @bookstodon Here’s an interesting one: "THIS IS WHERE the gods play games with the lives of men, on a board which is at one and the same time a simple playing area and the whole world.
And Fate always wins."-Interesting Times

Narayoni,
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@DocCarms @phoenixashes76 @ukaunz @bookstodon and a funny one: "THE SUN ROSE slowly, as if it wasn’t sure it was worth all the effort."-The Light Fantastic

duanetoops, to bookstodon
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The first book was beyond enjoyable! Excited to start the second!

@bookstodon

Narayoni,
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@duanetoops @bookstodon I read this book last year and loved it. It was such an enjoyable cozy scifi adventure! Murderbot's hilarious internal monologues concerning "her humans" were my favourite parts of the book. (I am not completely sure whether the pronoun "her" was used or not, however.)

Narayoni,
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@Jennifer @duanetoops @bookstodon I guess for some reason I have been thinking of Murderbot as "her" in my mind.

Narayoni,
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@duanetoops @Jennifer @bookstodon is this from the second book in the series? Sounds promising.

Narayoni,
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@duanetoops @Jennifer @bookstodon I think I will be reading this asap. It sounds quite entertaining.

Narayoni,
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@Jennifer @duanetoops @jgoodleaf @bookstodon @murderbotbot that's so cool! But I guess I should refrain from following it until I finish the series (coz spoilers!).

likewise, to bookstodon

What are you reading this week?

The 3 I’m in the middle of:

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
Crow Mary by Kathleen Grissom
Orfeo by Richard Powers
@bookstodon

Narayoni,
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@likewise @bookstodon I am reading The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky now and I am absolutely loving it. I am over 70% through and I don't know what to read next; something that would even barely match up to what I am reading. This is giving me mild anxiety now! Please suggestions?

Narayoni,
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@Thoreau @likewise @bookstodon thanks I will add that to my list ☺️

haikushack, to poetry
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I needed to publish this rant. I'm really tired of the way we treat poets in our freebie culture.

https://vocal.media/writers/poetry-in-our-freebie-culture

@poetry @bookstodon

Narayoni,
@Narayoni@mastodon.social avatar

@haikushack @poetry @bookstodon wow I had absolutely no idea something like this was happening for so long. It doesn't make any logical sense to me as to why this has been happening. I mean what is the thought process? Poetry is a form of creativity, just like prose. It shouldn't be devalued like this. I personally think poetry is so much more difficult to create and understand. How is this not obvious to people who expect poets to give away their hard work for free.

maxi, to actuallyautistic
@maxi@todon.eu avatar

There was a #comic on here that relates being #actuallyAutistic in a neurotypical world with being a #cat in a world made for #dogs. The dogs were loud and wild, to the dismay of the feline protagonist. At one point she discovered a "cats' club" and was very happy there.

Can someone please help me locating this comic / toot?

@actuallyautistic #followerPower

Narayoni,
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@VerzopftVerkopft @maxi @actuallyautistic just went through the comic. It's a great analogy 👌

Narayoni, to technology
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@technology
The EU has just clamped down on big tech. Britain, take note https://mastodon.scot/@DrHannahGraham/110956248305740892

likewise, to bookstodon

Old-fashioned call waiting.
@bookstodon

Narayoni,
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@likewise @bookstodon I am such a huge fan of the Brontes. Is Bronte named after any particular Bronte?

kimlockhartga, to bookstodon
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According to the book I'm reading:

"They say human brains have the storage capacity to hold everything on the internet, the equivalent of 4.7 billion books."

So, you don't have to worry! Unless you achieve immortality, no matter how many fun facts you learn, or books you read, your brain will never run out of disk space.

@bookstodon

Narayoni,
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@kimlockhartga @bookstodon worries about disc space can never hold me back from reading!

Narayoni,
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@oldredsubby @bookstodon @passenger @kimlockhartga that is so very true! For example, I first read Wuthering Heights when I was a teenager and didn't really like it much. Later, I happened to read it again in my early 30s and I was blown away by how much I loved it. The characterisation, the atmosphere.. I really didn't have words to express how that book made me feel. All I could think was that it was a masterpiece.

Narayoni,
@Narayoni@mastodon.social avatar

@passenger @kimlockhartga @bookstodon haha, in fact I am secretly glad when I forget my favourite books just enough so that I almost enjoy reading it as much as reading it for the first time with the added benefit of vaguely remembering the best parts and looking forward to them!

kas, to random

@vegan

TL;DR: Is germination rate a good indicator of edibility?

I found a long forgotten bag of checkpeas at the back of my cupboard the other day, the best before date surpassed by at least half a year.

I also had a strangely empty pot with soil that had bothered me for some time, and I decided to sow a small handful of chickpeas to see if they were still alive — which they were (of course): without counting before or after, I'd say that most of the chickpeas germinated withing just a few days.

I made a batch of cranberry blondies that were delicious. All gone now! 😋

So this made me wonder: Completely disregarding the best before date, would you say that a high germination rate could be a good indicator for edibility? I mean, if the seeds are still alive and able to germinate into healthy looking seedlings, their combined biochemistry cannot be off by a lot, right?

I could be a littler worried about rancid fatty acids, but it's not like chickpeas have a lot of fatty acids (dry ~6%, canned ~2.5%), and wouldn't a viable seeds have mechanisms for preventing those fatty acids from going all rancid?

Am I overlooking something?

Narayoni,
@Narayoni@mastodon.social avatar

@kas @plants I would personally not like to take the chance of eating expired chickpeas, however, this is definitely a very good use of expired chickpeas 👍.

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