87 books
—
992 voters


“It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.”
― The Last Continent
― The Last Continent

“History is a narrative enterprise, and the telling of stories that are true, that affirm and explain our existence, is the fundamental task of the historian. But truth is delicate, and it has many enemies. Perhaps that is why, although we academics are supposedly in the business of pursuing the truth, the word “truthâ€� is rarely uttered without hedges, adornments, and qualifications.
Every time we tell a story about a great atrocity, like the Holocaust or Pingfang, the forces of denial are always ready to pounce, to erase, to silence, to forget. History has always been difficult because of the delicacy of the truth, and denialists have always been able to resort to labeling the truth as fiction.
One has to be careful, whenever one tells a story about a great injustice. We are a species that loves narrative, but we have also been taught not to trust an individual speaker.
Yes, it is true that no nation, and no historian, can tell a story that completely encompasses every aspect of the truth. But it is not true that just because all narratives are constructed, that they are equally far from the truth. The Earth is neither a perfect sphere nor a flat disk, but the model of the sphere is much closer to the truth. Similarly, there are some narratives that are closer to the truth than others, and we must always try to tell a story that comes as close to the truth as is humanly possible.
The fact that we can never have complete, perfect knowledge does not absolve us of the moral duty to judge and to take a stand against evil.”
― The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories
Every time we tell a story about a great atrocity, like the Holocaust or Pingfang, the forces of denial are always ready to pounce, to erase, to silence, to forget. History has always been difficult because of the delicacy of the truth, and denialists have always been able to resort to labeling the truth as fiction.
One has to be careful, whenever one tells a story about a great injustice. We are a species that loves narrative, but we have also been taught not to trust an individual speaker.
Yes, it is true that no nation, and no historian, can tell a story that completely encompasses every aspect of the truth. But it is not true that just because all narratives are constructed, that they are equally far from the truth. The Earth is neither a perfect sphere nor a flat disk, but the model of the sphere is much closer to the truth. Similarly, there are some narratives that are closer to the truth than others, and we must always try to tell a story that comes as close to the truth as is humanly possible.
The fact that we can never have complete, perfect knowledge does not absolve us of the moral duty to judge and to take a stand against evil.”
― The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories

“Cake is not the issue here.”
― The Last Continent
― The Last Continent

“You know what the Chinese think is the saddest feeling in the world? It's for a child to finally grow the desire to take care of his parents, only to realize that they were long gone.”
― The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories
― The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories

“The universe is full of echoes and shadows, the afterimages and last words of dead civilizations that have lost the struggle against entropy. Fading ripples in the cosmic background radiation, it is doubtful if most, or any, of these messages will ever be deciphered. Likewise, most of our thoughts and memories are destined to fade, to disappear, to be consumed by the very act of choosing and living. That is not a cause for sorrow, sweetheart. It is the fate of every species to disappear into the void that is the heat death of the universe. But long before then, the thoughts of any intelligent species worthy of the name will become as grand as the universe itself.”
― The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories
― The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories

Welcome, fans of The Lord of the Rings. Here we may discuss movies, books, characters, all from The Lord of the Rings. Whether you are just a fan of M ...more

For those who love the works of Peter V Brett. This mans mad genius is nothing short of amazing and we MUST discuss it!! The Painted Man The Desert S ...more

A place for Robin Hobb/Megan Lindholm fans. During 2013-2014 we did a massive buddy reading of Robin Hobb books. We continue to do periodic rereads, ...more

Can't resist the lure of an epic saga full of fantastic creatures, scintillating sorcery, heroic conflict, breathtaking world-building and compelling ...more
Jingizu’s 2024 Year in Books
Take a look at Jingizu’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Jingizu
Lists liked by Jingizu