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Tantric Coconuts
From the New York Times bestselling author of A Dog Named Christmas!
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance meets Life of Pi in this quirky spiritual journey across the wild highways and byways of America.
Free spirit Angel Two Sparrows—artist and musician extraordinaire—is having trouble making ends meet. On the verge of desperation, she inherits her crazy Aunt Lilly’s bookmobile and half-wolf named No Barks, and dreams up yet another life plan. Painting her business card on the side of the van, Angel and her trusty companion set off on a pilgrimage across America hoping to jump-start her new profession: Native American Spiritual Consultant.
Traveling in the other direction, Ted Day and his trusty Irish Terrier-mix Argo are on a much needed vacation (and in need of spiritual nourishment). When he leaves Kansas, Ted can’t image how far from his sleepy law office that old silver and black Winnebago 32RQ Chieftain will take him.
Two lives (four if you count the canines) collide (literally). Once the dust settles, Ted and Angel find themselves enamored. Sensing that something bigger and more profound has been set in motion, the couple embarks on a wild road trip, detouring into some rarely traveled corridors of the human soul. Very soon, it becomes clear that nothing will ever be the same for these travelers, their dogs, and, heck, the world at large, too.
“Coming from the author of books such as A Dog Named Christmas and Christmas with Tucker,” Kincaid writes, “This new novel might at first blush sound like a departure for me. And yet, Angel and Ted’s journey throughout the Southwest reveals the themes at the heart of all my work: the ultimate questions of life and love, of companionship and overcoming the odds.”
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance meets Life of Pi in this quirky spiritual journey across the wild highways and byways of America.
Free spirit Angel Two Sparrows—artist and musician extraordinaire—is having trouble making ends meet. On the verge of desperation, she inherits her crazy Aunt Lilly’s bookmobile and half-wolf named No Barks, and dreams up yet another life plan. Painting her business card on the side of the van, Angel and her trusty companion set off on a pilgrimage across America hoping to jump-start her new profession: Native American Spiritual Consultant.
Traveling in the other direction, Ted Day and his trusty Irish Terrier-mix Argo are on a much needed vacation (and in need of spiritual nourishment). When he leaves Kansas, Ted can’t image how far from his sleepy law office that old silver and black Winnebago 32RQ Chieftain will take him.
Two lives (four if you count the canines) collide (literally). Once the dust settles, Ted and Angel find themselves enamored. Sensing that something bigger and more profound has been set in motion, the couple embarks on a wild road trip, detouring into some rarely traveled corridors of the human soul. Very soon, it becomes clear that nothing will ever be the same for these travelers, their dogs, and, heck, the world at large, too.
“Coming from the author of books such as A Dog Named Christmas and Christmas with Tucker,” Kincaid writes, “This new novel might at first blush sound like a departure for me. And yet, Angel and Ted’s journey throughout the Southwest reveals the themes at the heart of all my work: the ultimate questions of life and love, of companionship and overcoming the odds.”
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
October 29, 2014
Man, I feel so bad giving such a low rating to a free book I requested! I mean, I didn't have to enter the GoodReads giveaway, right? But I did. And here we are ... the book's rating goes down a touch and I feel like I've wasted reading time reading something that got to feel like a chore. No one wins!
In my defense, though, the synopsis could have been a bit more accurate. I was expecting a quirky love story with a dash of new age spirituality. This was actually a spirituality book with a lukewarm love story shoehorned in there. The footnotes for further reading were jarring (and could probably have been replaced with a suggested reading list inserted at the end), and I felt like events in the story were too convenient, such as Ted's rapid progressions through spiritual grades, or Aunt Lilly's court case at the end. Also, Ted's attraction to Mashid was off-putting for me. Perhaps it was meant to lead readers to think that Ted and Angel wouldn't get together, but I personally was skeeved out that, despite his obvious attraction to Angel, Ted was so easily distracted by another pretty face.
Anyway, I suppose if you're someone who actually makes a point of reading books about new age spirituality, this could be enjoyable, but I for one hated The Celestine Prophecy, and that's what Tantric Coconuts reminded me of. The Celestine Prophecy meets Nicholas Sparks, minus anyone dying at the end.
In my defense, though, the synopsis could have been a bit more accurate. I was expecting a quirky love story with a dash of new age spirituality. This was actually a spirituality book with a lukewarm love story shoehorned in there. The footnotes for further reading were jarring (and could probably have been replaced with a suggested reading list inserted at the end), and I felt like events in the story were too convenient, such as Ted's rapid progressions through spiritual grades, or Aunt Lilly's court case at the end. Also, Ted's attraction to Mashid was off-putting for me. Perhaps it was meant to lead readers to think that Ted and Angel wouldn't get together, but I personally was skeeved out that, despite his obvious attraction to Angel, Ted was so easily distracted by another pretty face.
Anyway, I suppose if you're someone who actually makes a point of reading books about new age spirituality, this could be enjoyable, but I for one hated The Celestine Prophecy, and that's what Tantric Coconuts reminded me of. The Celestine Prophecy meets Nicholas Sparks, minus anyone dying at the end.
August 19, 2014
I received "Tantric Coconuts" from Blogging for Books in exchange for a blog post review. Before requesting it, I read the handful of reviews already written for it, and noted that they differed dramatically, with ratings ranging from one-star to five. Still, I was intrigued with the notion of a Nicholas Sparks-like novel with a spiritual element. Besides, the author has a "New York Times" bestselling track record. It HAD to be good, right?
Now then: reality. Say there are two Ferraris zipping down the road. Now imagine a head-on collision. Both are destroyed, and now neither is worth a plug nickel. That's kinda what I think happened to this book. On the one hand is a semi-sweet story laced with bits of humor, and on the other hand is the author's serious philosophy about life and spiritual growth. Either of these premises could have made a top-notch book, but when they're forced to collide and merge bumpers? Not so much. Then the book looses focus and identity, and in a well-meaning attempt to fulfill both roles, it fails to adequately fulfill either. Manufactured discussions between the characters as a means to teach the path to spiritual fulfillment came across as contrived and awkward. Stiff. The saddest part is that the message the author is trying to send is definitely one worth receiving. Unfortunately, I think most readers will give up on this book without finishing. I wish the author would write a straightforward non-fiction book about his thoughts on spiritual growth, rather than try to incorporate them artificially in a piece of fluff.
Now then: reality. Say there are two Ferraris zipping down the road. Now imagine a head-on collision. Both are destroyed, and now neither is worth a plug nickel. That's kinda what I think happened to this book. On the one hand is a semi-sweet story laced with bits of humor, and on the other hand is the author's serious philosophy about life and spiritual growth. Either of these premises could have made a top-notch book, but when they're forced to collide and merge bumpers? Not so much. Then the book looses focus and identity, and in a well-meaning attempt to fulfill both roles, it fails to adequately fulfill either. Manufactured discussions between the characters as a means to teach the path to spiritual fulfillment came across as contrived and awkward. Stiff. The saddest part is that the message the author is trying to send is definitely one worth receiving. Unfortunately, I think most readers will give up on this book without finishing. I wish the author would write a straightforward non-fiction book about his thoughts on spiritual growth, rather than try to incorporate them artificially in a piece of fluff.
August 6, 2014
I’ve enjoyed Greg Kincaid’s previous three novels (A Dog Named Christmas, Christmas with Tucker, and A Christmas Home) so I was excited to see that he had a new book coming out.
In rural Kansas, Ted Day is a divorced, workaholic lawyer. One of his grandfather’s last wishes was that he take a vacation. One of the things that Grandpa left him was an old silver and black Winnebago 32RQ Chieftain. After Grandpa’s funeral, he packs with the RV and his dog, Argo, and sets out.
At the same time on the Lakota Sioux Reservation in South Dakota, free spirit Angel Two Sparrow is trying to figure out what to do next. She wants to become a Native-American Spiritual Consultant. Exactly how she’s going to do this is shady, but she has a business plan. Her aunt Lilly gave her Bertha the Bookmobile, equally as decrepit as Ted’s Winnebago that she had converted into her home. Now that Aunt Lilly was in Pierre at the South Dakota Women’s Prison and no longer needs Bertha, Angel decides that she will go in search of clients for her new business. She paints her business card on one side and on the other side, her logo. She loads up with supplies and Aunt Lilly’s half-wolf/half-dog, No Barks, and sets out.
Somewhere in New Mexico in front of the Perfect Prairie RV Park, the two vehicles collide. Literally.
Cute, huh? The back cover copy promises a “quirky spiritual journey.” I like spiritual journeys; I was thinking Joan Brady’s God on a Harley and its sequel Joyride. But that’s as far as it goes.
By the time I got to page 70, where I gave up, the Ted and Angel were caricatures of a thousand characters before them. I felt like I was being preached at after Ted decided he want to give Angel’s way a try, and I was bored. To me there was no reason to turn the page; no compelling plot line, no wondering what’s going to happen next. PLUS what really closed the book for me was the footnotes.
Sorry, Greg, you missed the boat on this one.
I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.
In rural Kansas, Ted Day is a divorced, workaholic lawyer. One of his grandfather’s last wishes was that he take a vacation. One of the things that Grandpa left him was an old silver and black Winnebago 32RQ Chieftain. After Grandpa’s funeral, he packs with the RV and his dog, Argo, and sets out.
At the same time on the Lakota Sioux Reservation in South Dakota, free spirit Angel Two Sparrow is trying to figure out what to do next. She wants to become a Native-American Spiritual Consultant. Exactly how she’s going to do this is shady, but she has a business plan. Her aunt Lilly gave her Bertha the Bookmobile, equally as decrepit as Ted’s Winnebago that she had converted into her home. Now that Aunt Lilly was in Pierre at the South Dakota Women’s Prison and no longer needs Bertha, Angel decides that she will go in search of clients for her new business. She paints her business card on one side and on the other side, her logo. She loads up with supplies and Aunt Lilly’s half-wolf/half-dog, No Barks, and sets out.
Somewhere in New Mexico in front of the Perfect Prairie RV Park, the two vehicles collide. Literally.
Cute, huh? The back cover copy promises a “quirky spiritual journey.” I like spiritual journeys; I was thinking Joan Brady’s God on a Harley and its sequel Joyride. But that’s as far as it goes.
By the time I got to page 70, where I gave up, the Ted and Angel were caricatures of a thousand characters before them. I felt like I was being preached at after Ted decided he want to give Angel’s way a try, and I was bored. To me there was no reason to turn the page; no compelling plot line, no wondering what’s going to happen next. PLUS what really closed the book for me was the footnotes.
Sorry, Greg, you missed the boat on this one.
I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.
August 20, 2014
I received this book for free through Blogging for Books and I was excited. In Blogging for Books, you get to choose what books you want to read or experience and then you review them. I love this concept. It matches the writer with books they want to be a part of. And that is why I chose Tantric Coconuts.
A metaphysical, New Age journey of two spirits who couldn't be more dissimilar in their quest for life - a straight-laced, unapologetic lawyer who wants to just go by in life in a small unassuming box of this existence. Live simply and keep life easy. And a free spirited Native American woman living in a converted bookmobile out to journey through life by flowing with the energy that she chooses and whatever she experiences. She sees meaning in everything and wants to know the greatest meaning of all - what is life really about?
When Ted Day crashes into Angel Two Sparrows, their journey has already begun. Each seeking a new path only to find that the path includes the other person.
As I read this book and began to enjoy the experience of Angel Two Sparrows as a traveling Native American spiritual consultant and even Ted's more mainstream life and existence, I kept hitting up against walls.
Here's where my troubles began: this book is a traditionally-published book by Crown Publishing (hence Blogging for Books), which often makes the assumption that not only does the author have a solid, well-written story that will be marketed by the experts at Crown, but even though he is a seasoned author, his editor will edit and proofread the book in its entirety to make sure there are no glaring story problems, no issues with grammar or syntax, and just keep the entire story flowing from page to page. Most authors do a spot-on job, but even the best has things that get by them. That's why an editor, or even a second pair of objective eyes, comes in handy.
But I think Crown completely forgot to give Gregory Kincaid an editor here. I double-checked to make sure I didn't get a pre-publishing copy or an advanced review copy. Every book is entitled a few typos or misspellings. It happens. But here, I was sort of shocked this was a Crown book. There were numerous typos and misspellings, missing words, transposed words, but above all, there were some grammatical issues I couldn't believe got by anyone in the editing department. I am seeing more and more fiction books with editorial issues, but some of these made me feel like I was reading a first draft. In one section, a very clear description of Aunt Lilly emphasized her eye color more than once only to have it change later in the story. Doesn't seem like much, but I read this book over the course of several days and it popped out to me. Part of that is because once the story gets going, there is little description of the characters and more emphasis on the dialogue and teachings, so every little detail is held onto by the reader in order to know the characters. Sometimes this happens in writing. But a good editor will find it easily.
Another example lies in the lovely character, No Barks. The wolf was emphasized as a she-wolf that doesn't like men, except Ted Day. In one entire chapter, the dog became a male. These are major editorial issues and it throws the reader off because you wonder if you missed a new character or who you are reading about. Like I said, I can deal with a few things here and there. It typically doesn't mess with the story and the flow of it, but when there's too many and glaring story issues, it makes the reading experience a challenge.
Now, for the story itself. I love the concept. I love the idea of two characters coming together to know one another, to know the Universe and the exploration of the spiritual side of it, and the introduction of other characters that fill in gaps in the spiritual knowledge teachings (there were several that offered other perspectives on various religions). However, I became lost in the diatribe. It became a pedantic situation of Angel telling Ted what she knew and her many lists of what to do, how to find your own connection, etc. It felt like schooling, which was the essence of the concept, but in a fiction story, it just felt like endless diatribe.
It felt as though the author had studied many texts, many religions, and was very excited to share this knowledge in book format, however, it would have been easier to connect to in a non-fiction format. When characters preach to one another constantly, it becomes tiresome, especially when there's no other dialogue or break in the teaching. When a new character was introduced, I was excited that a fresh voice was going to come on the scene and offer something new. But the author kept the interaction very limited. Very little happened and then they fished. There wasn't even a great, flowing description of the fishing scene. And quickly, it was back to teaching.
Some of the information was interesting and held my attention (the story of Mohammad, etc.), but some of the interactions between the characters felt implausible. I found that in the beginning, I was interested in knowing the characters and their lives, their interests, their journey, but by the middle, I was so frustrated with the constant preaching and lack of character development, that I lost interest in who they are, their journey together, and what might even come of all of it. By the middle, it became predictable, as well, because the book is not about the characters and their journey, I believe it's about the author's interest in his own spirituality explorations and teaching what he's learned.
I am giving this a three-star rating because overall, the author's intention and majority of the writing itself is quite good. I found the storyline, the pedantism, and the obvious grammar/editorial issues to be cloying and obstructive to engaging and enjoying the book.
I'm not sure I would recommend this, however, there are those who will find connection with it. If you are seeking an understanding of Universal knowledge through a linear construct and want some guidance or suggestions for good books to read, this book has a ton of references. I appreciate what the author is trying to offer - it is a look at spirituality through a logical mind and it does have merit, which is why I gave it three stars rather than one or two. However, to me, spirituality is not about linearity or specific guidance through doingness, so I cannot offer it anymore stars than three (and that is truly a personal spiritual decision - we each have our own pathway to find our understandings of who and what we are). I would recommend, however, that the author put his knowledge and expansive exploration into a non-fiction series. It is obvious he has a passion for this knowledge and the desire to share it, but this story may have not been the best way to do it.
A metaphysical, New Age journey of two spirits who couldn't be more dissimilar in their quest for life - a straight-laced, unapologetic lawyer who wants to just go by in life in a small unassuming box of this existence. Live simply and keep life easy. And a free spirited Native American woman living in a converted bookmobile out to journey through life by flowing with the energy that she chooses and whatever she experiences. She sees meaning in everything and wants to know the greatest meaning of all - what is life really about?
When Ted Day crashes into Angel Two Sparrows, their journey has already begun. Each seeking a new path only to find that the path includes the other person.
As I read this book and began to enjoy the experience of Angel Two Sparrows as a traveling Native American spiritual consultant and even Ted's more mainstream life and existence, I kept hitting up against walls.
Here's where my troubles began: this book is a traditionally-published book by Crown Publishing (hence Blogging for Books), which often makes the assumption that not only does the author have a solid, well-written story that will be marketed by the experts at Crown, but even though he is a seasoned author, his editor will edit and proofread the book in its entirety to make sure there are no glaring story problems, no issues with grammar or syntax, and just keep the entire story flowing from page to page. Most authors do a spot-on job, but even the best has things that get by them. That's why an editor, or even a second pair of objective eyes, comes in handy.
But I think Crown completely forgot to give Gregory Kincaid an editor here. I double-checked to make sure I didn't get a pre-publishing copy or an advanced review copy. Every book is entitled a few typos or misspellings. It happens. But here, I was sort of shocked this was a Crown book. There were numerous typos and misspellings, missing words, transposed words, but above all, there were some grammatical issues I couldn't believe got by anyone in the editing department. I am seeing more and more fiction books with editorial issues, but some of these made me feel like I was reading a first draft. In one section, a very clear description of Aunt Lilly emphasized her eye color more than once only to have it change later in the story. Doesn't seem like much, but I read this book over the course of several days and it popped out to me. Part of that is because once the story gets going, there is little description of the characters and more emphasis on the dialogue and teachings, so every little detail is held onto by the reader in order to know the characters. Sometimes this happens in writing. But a good editor will find it easily.
Another example lies in the lovely character, No Barks. The wolf was emphasized as a she-wolf that doesn't like men, except Ted Day. In one entire chapter, the dog became a male. These are major editorial issues and it throws the reader off because you wonder if you missed a new character or who you are reading about. Like I said, I can deal with a few things here and there. It typically doesn't mess with the story and the flow of it, but when there's too many and glaring story issues, it makes the reading experience a challenge.
Now, for the story itself. I love the concept. I love the idea of two characters coming together to know one another, to know the Universe and the exploration of the spiritual side of it, and the introduction of other characters that fill in gaps in the spiritual knowledge teachings (there were several that offered other perspectives on various religions). However, I became lost in the diatribe. It became a pedantic situation of Angel telling Ted what she knew and her many lists of what to do, how to find your own connection, etc. It felt like schooling, which was the essence of the concept, but in a fiction story, it just felt like endless diatribe.
It felt as though the author had studied many texts, many religions, and was very excited to share this knowledge in book format, however, it would have been easier to connect to in a non-fiction format. When characters preach to one another constantly, it becomes tiresome, especially when there's no other dialogue or break in the teaching. When a new character was introduced, I was excited that a fresh voice was going to come on the scene and offer something new. But the author kept the interaction very limited. Very little happened and then they fished. There wasn't even a great, flowing description of the fishing scene. And quickly, it was back to teaching.
Some of the information was interesting and held my attention (the story of Mohammad, etc.), but some of the interactions between the characters felt implausible. I found that in the beginning, I was interested in knowing the characters and their lives, their interests, their journey, but by the middle, I was so frustrated with the constant preaching and lack of character development, that I lost interest in who they are, their journey together, and what might even come of all of it. By the middle, it became predictable, as well, because the book is not about the characters and their journey, I believe it's about the author's interest in his own spirituality explorations and teaching what he's learned.
I am giving this a three-star rating because overall, the author's intention and majority of the writing itself is quite good. I found the storyline, the pedantism, and the obvious grammar/editorial issues to be cloying and obstructive to engaging and enjoying the book.
I'm not sure I would recommend this, however, there are those who will find connection with it. If you are seeking an understanding of Universal knowledge through a linear construct and want some guidance or suggestions for good books to read, this book has a ton of references. I appreciate what the author is trying to offer - it is a look at spirituality through a logical mind and it does have merit, which is why I gave it three stars rather than one or two. However, to me, spirituality is not about linearity or specific guidance through doingness, so I cannot offer it anymore stars than three (and that is truly a personal spiritual decision - we each have our own pathway to find our understandings of who and what we are). I would recommend, however, that the author put his knowledge and expansive exploration into a non-fiction series. It is obvious he has a passion for this knowledge and the desire to share it, but this story may have not been the best way to do it.
July 22, 2014
Full disclosure: I was chosen a First Reads winner, and received a paperback uncorrected proof of Tantric Coconuts in the mail.
Tantric Coconuts: A Novel is an unusual book, in that it describes a spiritual journey that two people (who didn't know each other at the start of the story) and their two canines unexpectedly take together. The author, Gregory D. Kincaid, tells the tale as the main characters take their road trip (which they embark upon for separate purposes that I won't spoil here) and, in that sense, there are the typical plot and character development as well as a series of settings that you'd expect to encounter when reading a novel; from that standpoint I can see why he called it A Novel -- it's a very enjoyable story of developing relationships. Along the way, however, one of the characters is hurrying to travel through a series of spiritual truths, and that aspect of the book by nature takes longer to digest. As I was reading, I found myself both bouncing back and forth between the two paces -- the normal pace relative to the plot and the slower pace relative to the main character's spiritual quest -- and wondering how Kincaid was going to accomplish writing these two seemingly incompatible books (a novel and a spirituality text) in under 300 pages. For the most part, he succeeds, although creating a protagonist who basically catches on to everything as he is first exposed to it was a little unrealistic (some might say cheating), at least in my lifelong experience of spirituality, but it provides a vehicle for covering a lot of ground, literally and figuratively. In some ways, the story is merely a cover for a quick course in comparative religions and their common spiritualities. And you won't be disappointed if you want to delve further -- Kincaid has footnoted every revelation or spiritual conversation with references to well- and lesser-known resources from which the spiritual truths in the book are taken.
I would highly recommend Tantric Coconuts if you are on or are curious about being on a spiritual path yourself; there will be things you'll find all along the way with which to identify. I'm not sure that the average reader of fiction would really find this to be a novel, though. So, the 4 stars I have given it are for my personal experience of the book; someone just reading for fun or diversion might only give it 2 stars, or might not even make it to the end.
All-in-all, I enjoyed the book very much and was truly grateful for the chance to read it.
Tantric Coconuts: A Novel is an unusual book, in that it describes a spiritual journey that two people (who didn't know each other at the start of the story) and their two canines unexpectedly take together. The author, Gregory D. Kincaid, tells the tale as the main characters take their road trip (which they embark upon for separate purposes that I won't spoil here) and, in that sense, there are the typical plot and character development as well as a series of settings that you'd expect to encounter when reading a novel; from that standpoint I can see why he called it A Novel -- it's a very enjoyable story of developing relationships. Along the way, however, one of the characters is hurrying to travel through a series of spiritual truths, and that aspect of the book by nature takes longer to digest. As I was reading, I found myself both bouncing back and forth between the two paces -- the normal pace relative to the plot and the slower pace relative to the main character's spiritual quest -- and wondering how Kincaid was going to accomplish writing these two seemingly incompatible books (a novel and a spirituality text) in under 300 pages. For the most part, he succeeds, although creating a protagonist who basically catches on to everything as he is first exposed to it was a little unrealistic (some might say cheating), at least in my lifelong experience of spirituality, but it provides a vehicle for covering a lot of ground, literally and figuratively. In some ways, the story is merely a cover for a quick course in comparative religions and their common spiritualities. And you won't be disappointed if you want to delve further -- Kincaid has footnoted every revelation or spiritual conversation with references to well- and lesser-known resources from which the spiritual truths in the book are taken.
I would highly recommend Tantric Coconuts if you are on or are curious about being on a spiritual path yourself; there will be things you'll find all along the way with which to identify. I'm not sure that the average reader of fiction would really find this to be a novel, though. So, the 4 stars I have given it are for my personal experience of the book; someone just reading for fun or diversion might only give it 2 stars, or might not even make it to the end.
All-in-all, I enjoyed the book very much and was truly grateful for the chance to read it.
December 4, 2014
I greatly enjoyed reading Tantric Coconuts (a novel) by Gregory D. Kincaid. There is just one problem for me. It’s not a novel. Not really.
There is no major character development (enlightenment yes, but no substantive background or information). There is no plot per se and descriptions of places and events is minimal, if at all. No protagonist and no antagonist as such. Yet I consider this book one of my most treasured possessions.
Gregory Kincaid has written the story of two people, Ted Day and Angel Two Sparrows, who meet by chance and happen to expand each others’ spiritual awareness. Sometimes on purpose and sometimes not. It is written in such a way as to draw you into the learning process without you having to try, even giving you footnotes for further study later.
I wish it had been called an illusory story of spiritual discovery instead of a novel. I think more people who would actually be interested in the subject matter would gravitate to it that way. Kincaid wanted to write a spiritual adventure to challenge and inspire. This does indeed do that. It doesn’t knock you over the head with a lot of complicated mumbo jumbo to make its point. It also really simplifies the basics, like dialog, which at times can jar your suspension of disbelief and bring you crashing back to reality. Several times. But that having been said, it does what it was intended to do: You will ask yourself Who am I? and What kind of person do I want to be? and How can I become that person?
While Tantric Coconuts isn’t perfect, if nothing else it will teach us that it doesn’t have to be. And neither do we. I couldn’t put this book down until I had finished reading it. And it was a wonderful and insightful journey. Thank you Gregory D. Kincaid. Nice work.
There is no major character development (enlightenment yes, but no substantive background or information). There is no plot per se and descriptions of places and events is minimal, if at all. No protagonist and no antagonist as such. Yet I consider this book one of my most treasured possessions.
Gregory Kincaid has written the story of two people, Ted Day and Angel Two Sparrows, who meet by chance and happen to expand each others’ spiritual awareness. Sometimes on purpose and sometimes not. It is written in such a way as to draw you into the learning process without you having to try, even giving you footnotes for further study later.
I wish it had been called an illusory story of spiritual discovery instead of a novel. I think more people who would actually be interested in the subject matter would gravitate to it that way. Kincaid wanted to write a spiritual adventure to challenge and inspire. This does indeed do that. It doesn’t knock you over the head with a lot of complicated mumbo jumbo to make its point. It also really simplifies the basics, like dialog, which at times can jar your suspension of disbelief and bring you crashing back to reality. Several times. But that having been said, it does what it was intended to do: You will ask yourself Who am I? and What kind of person do I want to be? and How can I become that person?
While Tantric Coconuts isn’t perfect, if nothing else it will teach us that it doesn’t have to be. And neither do we. I couldn’t put this book down until I had finished reading it. And it was a wonderful and insightful journey. Thank you Gregory D. Kincaid. Nice work.
August 28, 2014
This book seems like religion or spirituality 101 -If you ever wanted to know a little bit about different religions and how they all fit together, this book is for you. Its like taking a bunch of different self help/spirituality books mashing them together and throwing in a love story. I really struggled through this book. Maybe because I have read most of those books individually and the definitions and discussions of different philosophies was a little too rudimentary for me but I also just felt it plodded along. I think some people will find it fascinating and a good primer, and others will find it tedious and boring, some will find it offensive and others will put it down after a few pages. I'm somewhere in the middle. I thought it was good although I struggled with staying awake through information that I feel has already been told to me by the writers that are quoted or annotated in the book. If you are looking for something and don't really know what it is this might be the book for you, otherwise you may want to take a pass.
August 2, 2014
Tantric Coconuts by Greg Kincaid sounded like something right up my alley.
"Free spirit Angel Two Sparrow is having trouble making ends meet. When she inherits her crazy Aunt Lily's bookmobile and half-wolf named No Barks, she dreams up yet another life plan."
I knew it would be new-age and a little out there but didn't realize that it would be so far out there that I couldn't even get into the story. While it is a work of fiction, there are too many actual footnotes about books and philosophies that I felt as though I was reading a text book. This was not a light read at all, nor funny, nor very interesting. I couldn't even get half way through before I decided I didn't even care to find out how it ends.
"Free spirit Angel Two Sparrow is having trouble making ends meet. When she inherits her crazy Aunt Lily's bookmobile and half-wolf named No Barks, she dreams up yet another life plan."
I knew it would be new-age and a little out there but didn't realize that it would be so far out there that I couldn't even get into the story. While it is a work of fiction, there are too many actual footnotes about books and philosophies that I felt as though I was reading a text book. This was not a light read at all, nor funny, nor very interesting. I couldn't even get half way through before I decided I didn't even care to find out how it ends.
January 26, 2018
Interesting assortment of fiction and metaphysical theory. A little heavy handed at times for the characters involved in the story. I listened to this as an audiobook and found the single-read voice distracting in this case. I'd rather create the voices myself as I hear them read to me. But it was interesting enough.
March 10, 2024
After reading reviews of this book, I was hesitant to read it myself. But since I already had it at home, I figured I might as well do it. It wasn't the worst book I've ever read, but it wasn't the best, either. Most of the time it read like a spiritual psychology text book and I had to force myself to pay attention. The part with Father Chuck was the most interesting to me, as I was raised Catholic, and I found the views represented very interesting. Overall, the book was extremely repetitive--how many times do we have to hear that Ted had no friends, worked all the time, never took vacations, and found Angel attractive? Finally at the end they acted on those feelings, but Angel's feelings were never really discussed.
I did get good quote from the book, by Father Chuck: "Most people, and unfortunately almost all of the world's religious and political parties, fail to recognize that our life goal should be spiritual progress along the vertical axis and not arguing over our differences in dogmas and beliefs along the horizontal axis. As a result, the world is chock-full of first and second graders arguing with each other about their religious and political differences. The world is mired in petty conflict and destructive violence to the point of destroying itself. The human spiritual psyche of most of the world has been devolving into a one-dimensional, flat place, with our self-centered human ego as the head cheerleader screaming its worn-out chant: us versus them. That is why so many people are bailing on religion, frustrated with politics, and hoping for a new world order, something different."
(interesting choice of words, new world order. I think most of us by now do NOT want what the elites have planned for us. But otherwise, it's a good point.)
This book is about advancing your spiritual being interspersed with three religions--Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism. All of which are interesting. We see each other religions as extremists, and we don't realize that even people who share that religion don't like the extremists. It is the second book I've read in the last two months that talked about the Bible being taken figuratively rather than literally. Definitely has me thinking.
If you like reading about spiritual awakening sprinkled with religion, you'll like this book.
I did get good quote from the book, by Father Chuck: "Most people, and unfortunately almost all of the world's religious and political parties, fail to recognize that our life goal should be spiritual progress along the vertical axis and not arguing over our differences in dogmas and beliefs along the horizontal axis. As a result, the world is chock-full of first and second graders arguing with each other about their religious and political differences. The world is mired in petty conflict and destructive violence to the point of destroying itself. The human spiritual psyche of most of the world has been devolving into a one-dimensional, flat place, with our self-centered human ego as the head cheerleader screaming its worn-out chant: us versus them. That is why so many people are bailing on religion, frustrated with politics, and hoping for a new world order, something different."
(interesting choice of words, new world order. I think most of us by now do NOT want what the elites have planned for us. But otherwise, it's a good point.)
This book is about advancing your spiritual being interspersed with three religions--Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism. All of which are interesting. We see each other religions as extremists, and we don't realize that even people who share that religion don't like the extremists. It is the second book I've read in the last two months that talked about the Bible being taken figuratively rather than literally. Definitely has me thinking.
If you like reading about spiritual awakening sprinkled with religion, you'll like this book.
March 31, 2021
Going through my bookshelves as part of spring cleaning I decided to re-read a few books like this one. It is interesting to me that I actually liked this book the first time I read it back in 2014, I remember thinking it was a good way to teach about levels of spirituality. But as I was re-reading this book I found myself getting really annoyed. First, Angel is supposed to be full blooded Lakota and yet she never talks about the Lakota or other Indigenous spirituality as any part of the grading system she and her "coconut" friends came up with. She focuses on the Mideastern, patriarchal religions of Christianity, Muslim and Buddhism--not even a mention of Judaism, or any of Hinduism. I am not Native American so of course I can't speak for those that are--but I think that I would be really offended by this portrayal of a NA woman if I were.
September 30, 2017
If I had wanted a spiritual enlightenment self help book, I'd have bought one. This wasn't a novel, it was a sermon. A babblefest of the author's beliefs with the thinnest sugar coating of a story. As Angel yammers on and on and on and on and on, (tired of it yet? Now you know how I felt while reading this book) I found myself doing my impression of Chevy Chase mocking Jane Curtain during SNL weekend update. I flapped my mouth, bobbed my head and rolled my eyes. Found this book at the Dollar Store and it was definitely overpriced. The cover description was false advertising. I expected a cute story not a flippity-do-dah sermon! Unless you enjoyed being preached at, don't read this!
April 15, 2020
Two people looking for their path. What starts as a vagabond ramble for both of them, becomes a migration. This book I took my time with. It reads like an adventure, a romance, a self help book, a spiritual journey. I liked the author's sprinkled footnotes throughout the book referencing further reading or embellishing a reference a character makes rather than having the character belabor the point. I liked that it touches on the world's major religions without claiming a hierarchy, rather history and culture. It was pleasant to sit back and watch these charming personalities bring me along on their experiences through a way of thinking both perpendicular and parallel to my own.
August 14, 2017
I read such bad reviews about this book but I am so happy I picked this book up on vacation. This book is exactly what I needed. I felt as if Angel was also my spiritual consultant. It was interesting to see Ted and Angel go through Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism with the other coconuts. It was so enlightening to have been exposed to the levels of awareness. And I was waiting for what happened at the end in the final chapters and the epilogue!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2019
Ok. I didn't finish it. As a story it held one possibility; a man on a journey, even if he didn't quite realize it when he started out, a flaky as hell woman on her own journey, a dog and a wolf. Sounds good, right? But it quickly devolved into a philosophy class, and I just wasn't in the mood.
December 11, 2019
Meh. It was a really weird book. Was recommended to me because I liked the audio narrator. I’ll go back to the kids books he reads.
Read
April 7, 2020Lots of information on finding enlightenment thru various modes....too much of that, wrapped in a predictable love story between uptight lawyer and Dharma girl.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2020
dialogue read like an infomercial. this is not a novel so much as a religion textbook disguised as a story. a very poorly written one at that.
August 13, 2024
This book was little more than someone's attempt to show just how much they learned in philosophy class. The story barely existed. The rest was drivel.
August 5, 2014
From the New York Times bestselling author of A Dog Named Christmas!
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance meets Life of Pi in this quirky spiritual journey across the wild highways and byways of America.
Free spirit Angel Two Sparrow—artist and musician extraordinaire—is having trouble making ends meet. On the verge of desperation, she inherits her crazy Aunt Lilly’s bookmobile and half-wolf named No Barks, and dreams up yet another life plan. Painting her business card on the side of the van, Angel and her trusty companion set off on a pilgrimage across America hoping to jump-start her new profession: Native American Spiritual Consultant.
Traveling in the other direction, Ted Day and his trusty Irish Terrier-mix Argo are on a much needed vacation (and in need of spiritual nourishment). When he leaves Kansas, Ted can’t image how far from his sleepy law office that old silver and black Winnebago 32RQ Chieftain will take him.
Two lives (four if you count the canines) collide (literally). Once the dust settles, Ted and Angel find themselves enamored. Sensing that something bigger and more profound has been set in motion, the couple embarks on a wild road trip, detouring into some rarely traveled corridors of the human soul. Very soon, it becomes clear that nothing will ever be the same for these travelers, their dogs, and, heck, the world at large, too.
“Coming from the author of books such as A Dog Named Christmas and Christmas with Tucker,” Kincaid writes, “This new novel might at first blush sound like a departure for me. And yet, Angel and Ted’s journey throughout the Southwest reveals the themes at the heart of all my work: the ultimate questions of life and love, of companionship and overcoming the odds.”
GREG KINCAID, when not writing, is a practicing lawyer, specializing in divorce and family law mediation. He lives on a farm in eastern Kansas with his wife, three horses, two dogs, and two cats.
I am thankful to Blogging for Books for providing me with a free copy of Kincaid's novel to review. This is my first experience with any of Greg Kincaid's writing, so I had no preconceived notions of what this book would be like. Being on a spiritual journey or quest myself, the description given above from the publisher was enough to get me interested in reading the book.
Tantric Coconuts reads as a didactic piece on spiritual practice and growth couched in the form of a novel. Some of the passages between Angel and Ted (and the other spiritual gurus Ted is introduced to via Angel) felt a bit like a religious studies lecture in dialogue form. Readers will get a very basic viewpoint of Christianity, Islam and Buddhism from the point of view of someone who is a peace with finding the common themes in each religion. (I happen to fall into this camp myself, and so was not offended by this. Other readers who are fundamentally attached to a specific religion's doctrine may find these discussion hard to swallow.)
Having grown up in the upper Midwest, in Lakota territory, I was trying not to read any racism or stereotyping into the author's decision to make the spiritual guru a young, Lakota woman. I suppose it was simply a choice that set the spiritual guide/teacher outside of the realm of the majority of readers' personal experience/religious system.
I found Tantric Coconuts to be a quick and easy read. I was somewhat jealous of the swiftness of Ted Day's enlightenment journey and found myself wishing it could be that way in the real world. In real life most people spend decades doing the Work and still don't end up where Day and Two Sparrow land at the end. But that is the nature of reading fiction; one must suspend reality and live in the universe as created by the author.
I do highly appreciate Kincaid's inclusion of the background texts and sources used in taking Ted Day on this spiritual quest. There are several books listed in the footnotes that I plan to investigate further on my own.
If you find yourself questioning the meaning of life or whether or not there might be more to things than the conventional teachings from your background have to offer, jump in and enjoy the ride with Angel Two Sparrow and Ted Day aboard Bertha the Bookmobile!
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance meets Life of Pi in this quirky spiritual journey across the wild highways and byways of America.
Free spirit Angel Two Sparrow—artist and musician extraordinaire—is having trouble making ends meet. On the verge of desperation, she inherits her crazy Aunt Lilly’s bookmobile and half-wolf named No Barks, and dreams up yet another life plan. Painting her business card on the side of the van, Angel and her trusty companion set off on a pilgrimage across America hoping to jump-start her new profession: Native American Spiritual Consultant.
Traveling in the other direction, Ted Day and his trusty Irish Terrier-mix Argo are on a much needed vacation (and in need of spiritual nourishment). When he leaves Kansas, Ted can’t image how far from his sleepy law office that old silver and black Winnebago 32RQ Chieftain will take him.
Two lives (four if you count the canines) collide (literally). Once the dust settles, Ted and Angel find themselves enamored. Sensing that something bigger and more profound has been set in motion, the couple embarks on a wild road trip, detouring into some rarely traveled corridors of the human soul. Very soon, it becomes clear that nothing will ever be the same for these travelers, their dogs, and, heck, the world at large, too.
“Coming from the author of books such as A Dog Named Christmas and Christmas with Tucker,” Kincaid writes, “This new novel might at first blush sound like a departure for me. And yet, Angel and Ted’s journey throughout the Southwest reveals the themes at the heart of all my work: the ultimate questions of life and love, of companionship and overcoming the odds.”
GREG KINCAID, when not writing, is a practicing lawyer, specializing in divorce and family law mediation. He lives on a farm in eastern Kansas with his wife, three horses, two dogs, and two cats.
I am thankful to Blogging for Books for providing me with a free copy of Kincaid's novel to review. This is my first experience with any of Greg Kincaid's writing, so I had no preconceived notions of what this book would be like. Being on a spiritual journey or quest myself, the description given above from the publisher was enough to get me interested in reading the book.
Tantric Coconuts reads as a didactic piece on spiritual practice and growth couched in the form of a novel. Some of the passages between Angel and Ted (and the other spiritual gurus Ted is introduced to via Angel) felt a bit like a religious studies lecture in dialogue form. Readers will get a very basic viewpoint of Christianity, Islam and Buddhism from the point of view of someone who is a peace with finding the common themes in each religion. (I happen to fall into this camp myself, and so was not offended by this. Other readers who are fundamentally attached to a specific religion's doctrine may find these discussion hard to swallow.)
Having grown up in the upper Midwest, in Lakota territory, I was trying not to read any racism or stereotyping into the author's decision to make the spiritual guru a young, Lakota woman. I suppose it was simply a choice that set the spiritual guide/teacher outside of the realm of the majority of readers' personal experience/religious system.
I found Tantric Coconuts to be a quick and easy read. I was somewhat jealous of the swiftness of Ted Day's enlightenment journey and found myself wishing it could be that way in the real world. In real life most people spend decades doing the Work and still don't end up where Day and Two Sparrow land at the end. But that is the nature of reading fiction; one must suspend reality and live in the universe as created by the author.
I do highly appreciate Kincaid's inclusion of the background texts and sources used in taking Ted Day on this spiritual quest. There are several books listed in the footnotes that I plan to investigate further on my own.
If you find yourself questioning the meaning of life or whether or not there might be more to things than the conventional teachings from your background have to offer, jump in and enjoy the ride with Angel Two Sparrow and Ted Day aboard Bertha the Bookmobile!
December 31, 2016
While I thought the story was okay, I felt like I was reading a "how to" book on religion, not a boy meets girl story. I think the author went overboard with the lecturing and the, "if you want to know more, here's a book to read". How do you get into a book when the author keeps referring you to other books? The concept of the story was good. I liked the characters. But I didn't like the page after page after page of dogma.
June 29, 2017
I have yet to see a book that explains the intersection of spirituality and religion in such effortless, unbiased terms. I was equally impressed by the footnotes. Greg Kincaid did a lovely job of matching a sweet story to subject that is uniquely difficult to tackle. Though the prose is simple and unimpressive, it is the substance of the book that moves me to give "Tantric Coconuts" four stars.
August 23, 2014
http://chorescanwait.wordpress.com/20...
Author: Greg Kincaid
Started and finished: 8/11/2014- 8/15/2014
Rating: Stars (2 out of 5)
Would I read again? No
Would I recommend? No
Book Summary:
Angel Two Sparrow has just started a business as a spiritual consultant. She travels with her wolf, No Barks, in her Aunt Lily’s bookmobile in search for new students. Ted Day is an established lawyer who has just started his vacation with his terrier, Argo. Angel and Ted meet and become each others clients using each others services; Aunt Lily is in need a lawyer to get her out of murder charges which is the subplot of the book. Angel takes Ted (and the reader) through a spiritual journey and provides insight on Christianity, Muslims and Buddhism.
Book Review:
Incredibly hard book to get into and took me a while to get into the story. I liked the concept of learning about different religions and how three converge to basically the same message. I do think that it could have been incorporated more thoughtfully into the story and the evolution of the character, Ted. A great example is the hike Ted takes which allows him to let go of his ego. Instead, I felt the characters in the book were lecturing and not evolving the story.
The subplot with Aunt Lily was weak and thought the writer took the easy way out. The incorporation of dreams in relations to her case was a distraction after having nothing to do with solving the case. I just did not get this book. I gave this book two stars because you cannot help but like the two characters- Angel and Ted.
Favorite Quotes:
“Try to let go of planning, worrying, controlling, and just relax- trust that on this journey what comes next is what is supposed to come next. Trust that you can allow someone or something in the universe besides yourself to be in control” (pg. 99)
Random Thoughts:
I got this book free from First to Read program. It was my first free book from a publisher! Although I am not too thrilled about the book, I am however grateful for having exposed to it. I never would have picked up this book on my own.
Author: Greg Kincaid
Started and finished: 8/11/2014- 8/15/2014
Rating: Stars (2 out of 5)
Would I read again? No
Would I recommend? No
Book Summary:
Angel Two Sparrow has just started a business as a spiritual consultant. She travels with her wolf, No Barks, in her Aunt Lily’s bookmobile in search for new students. Ted Day is an established lawyer who has just started his vacation with his terrier, Argo. Angel and Ted meet and become each others clients using each others services; Aunt Lily is in need a lawyer to get her out of murder charges which is the subplot of the book. Angel takes Ted (and the reader) through a spiritual journey and provides insight on Christianity, Muslims and Buddhism.
Book Review:
Incredibly hard book to get into and took me a while to get into the story. I liked the concept of learning about different religions and how three converge to basically the same message. I do think that it could have been incorporated more thoughtfully into the story and the evolution of the character, Ted. A great example is the hike Ted takes which allows him to let go of his ego. Instead, I felt the characters in the book were lecturing and not evolving the story.
The subplot with Aunt Lily was weak and thought the writer took the easy way out. The incorporation of dreams in relations to her case was a distraction after having nothing to do with solving the case. I just did not get this book. I gave this book two stars because you cannot help but like the two characters- Angel and Ted.
Favorite Quotes:
“Try to let go of planning, worrying, controlling, and just relax- trust that on this journey what comes next is what is supposed to come next. Trust that you can allow someone or something in the universe besides yourself to be in control” (pg. 99)
Random Thoughts:
I got this book free from First to Read program. It was my first free book from a publisher! Although I am not too thrilled about the book, I am however grateful for having exposed to it. I never would have picked up this book on my own.
January 12, 2015
"Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance meets Life of Pi in this quirky spiritual journey across the wild highways and byways of America," they said. "Okay!" I said. "I'm in!" What I hoped for was a quirky boy-meets-girl (if the boy is a stiff-necked small town lawyer taking a road-trip/vacation to fulfill a promise to his grandfather and the girl is a free-spirited, new age, Native American, beginning her career as a spiritual advisor from the back of a converted bookmobile.) The problem is that the plot really didn't progress much further. Instead, the book segued into a primer on spirituality, various methods, means, types, and approaches. Don't get me wrong-- this is good information, but if I wanted to be exploring a spiritual pathway, I'd like to choose my own reading list, rather than be ambushed from the pages of a novel. As an outline/introduction to different spiritual viewpoints, this one is pretty decent, but again, I wanted a story, not a lesson. Mr Kincaid has created some characters that are just oozing with potential, but abandoned them to help enlighten the reader. I really wish he'd stuck to letting Ted, Angel Two Sparrow, and the dogs develop into fully fleshed out characters.
I'm guessing that there are those who this book will find, and it will be just the right time/tool/introduction to help them move into a new phase of life. I'm not particularly enlightened, but for me, a lot of this was like sitting through a review class on a subject I know pretty well. I plugged on through because it was a book sent to me by Library Thing Early Reviewers and the publisher, for which I am entirely grateful. I will pass it along through BookCrossing, hoping it finds the right reader while it travels the world as a BookCrossing book. Rating it 2.5 stars (out of 5), even though it is a decent introduction to spirituality book. It's just not as decent as a novel.
Tags: advanced-reader-copy, color-me-disappointed, early-review-librarything, not-to-my-taste-but-worthwhile, read, read-for-review, thought-i-was-gonna-like
I'm guessing that there are those who this book will find, and it will be just the right time/tool/introduction to help them move into a new phase of life. I'm not particularly enlightened, but for me, a lot of this was like sitting through a review class on a subject I know pretty well. I plugged on through because it was a book sent to me by Library Thing Early Reviewers and the publisher, for which I am entirely grateful. I will pass it along through BookCrossing, hoping it finds the right reader while it travels the world as a BookCrossing book. Rating it 2.5 stars (out of 5), even though it is a decent introduction to spirituality book. It's just not as decent as a novel.
Tags: advanced-reader-copy, color-me-disappointed, early-review-librarything, not-to-my-taste-but-worthwhile, read, read-for-review, thought-i-was-gonna-like
July 25, 2015
I can't believe I actually finished this book. I thought I would never be able to do it, but I forced myself out of reader pride, because once I start a book, I must finish it. This experience was horrible, and I actually feel bad about it because I have never had to give a book one star, but apparently, there is always a first time.
I couldn't get into this book, no matter how much I tried. The main characters, Ted and Angel, felt very bland and just plain boring. The plot was senseless and I feel like there was no connection or cohesiveness at all in the whole novel. I acknowledge that this book was centered on the idea of a spiritual adventure/enlightenment, but I felt that all the information was dumped at the reader, deeming it useless and was not as deep as I think the author wanted it to be. It was just loads and loads of spiritual teachings that felt like page fillers, and the sad part is that every part of the story was made of those. Even the little footnotes didn't make sense, they were kind of unneeded.
I feel so bad saying this, but I did not like anything at all. The writing style was not captivating, the plot was not even well developed, the characters were dull and wearisome, and nothing grabbed my attention. The only thing I looked forward to was finishing it to see if something interesting was actually going to happen, but I guess one should not always expect much. This book was definitely not my cup of tea and I'm sorry if I offended anyone or the author, but I just didn't feel any connection at all.
July 22, 2014
I think I won this through the First Reads goodreads contest. I'm not sure since I never got an e-mail telling me I won, but it did show up in my mail. :)
Also, I read the paper copy, not hardcover.
There are many books like this, that try to get across the spiritual nature of being, and just don't make it through, or the message is lost in many topics most people don't understand. The dialogue made me feel like I was there with Angel and Ted, and could join in the conversation. This books asks the questions that everyone with a spiritual nature tends to ask, and then ACTUALLY gives some good answers to them, without any sort of offensiveness.
I really liked this book. Although I felt it could go more in depth with many of the different subjects or even some of the characters, in doing that it may have felt like a different experience while reading. The plot allowed for easier reading than if it had been a purely motivational novel.
I keep asking myself "Would I want this book to be longer?" I really do, because I'm an information hog, but for the length of this novel, it was the perfect fit of teaching, plot, and dialogue. The author also gives an idea of where to find more information on many of the subjects, and what would be even more awesome, rather than the book being longer, would be an extended research area in the back of the book, where either the author wrote more on some of the topics presented, or gave more places to find the information.
Thanks for the chance to read the book! :)
Also, I read the paper copy, not hardcover.
There are many books like this, that try to get across the spiritual nature of being, and just don't make it through, or the message is lost in many topics most people don't understand. The dialogue made me feel like I was there with Angel and Ted, and could join in the conversation. This books asks the questions that everyone with a spiritual nature tends to ask, and then ACTUALLY gives some good answers to them, without any sort of offensiveness.
I really liked this book. Although I felt it could go more in depth with many of the different subjects or even some of the characters, in doing that it may have felt like a different experience while reading. The plot allowed for easier reading than if it had been a purely motivational novel.
I keep asking myself "Would I want this book to be longer?" I really do, because I'm an information hog, but for the length of this novel, it was the perfect fit of teaching, plot, and dialogue. The author also gives an idea of where to find more information on many of the subjects, and what would be even more awesome, rather than the book being longer, would be an extended research area in the back of the book, where either the author wrote more on some of the topics presented, or gave more places to find the information.
Thanks for the chance to read the book! :)
September 29, 2014
I was given Tantric Coconuts for free with the promise of a review through Blogging for Books. From the synopsis this seemed like a cute read, maybe even funny. This was my first time reading anything from Gregory Kincaid, I hadn't even really heard of him. I do like to venture into different genres of books than I usually like reading, you never know when and where you will discover a favorite...unfortunately this was so out of my league that I could barely finish it.
Tantric Coconuts is a philosophical and spiritual story with a little bit of a romance sprinkled here and there. The main characters are Ted Day, a workaholic lawyer who on the death of grandfather decides to take up a road trip in said grandfathers RV; and Angel Two Sparrow, a Native American driving around America in her Aunts bookmobile as a spiritual consultant to those in need of a good spiritual make over. It seems cute right? For me there was just way too much analogue on spirituality and philosophy, concepts that I find somewhat hard to understand and frankly boring.
This isn't necessarily a bad book.The writing is good and the characters are definitely interesting. The concept is a good idea and creative. My one and only problem is that I'm just not into religions, spirituality, and especially not philosophy. There was too much of a lecture feeling in a lot of the dialogue between the characters, which to be fair I really shouldn't have been surprised.
Tantric Coconuts is a philosophical and spiritual story with a little bit of a romance sprinkled here and there. The main characters are Ted Day, a workaholic lawyer who on the death of grandfather decides to take up a road trip in said grandfathers RV; and Angel Two Sparrow, a Native American driving around America in her Aunts bookmobile as a spiritual consultant to those in need of a good spiritual make over. It seems cute right? For me there was just way too much analogue on spirituality and philosophy, concepts that I find somewhat hard to understand and frankly boring.
This isn't necessarily a bad book.The writing is good and the characters are definitely interesting. The concept is a good idea and creative. My one and only problem is that I'm just not into religions, spirituality, and especially not philosophy. There was too much of a lecture feeling in a lot of the dialogue between the characters, which to be fair I really shouldn't have been surprised.
August 11, 2014
Tantric Coconuts by Greg Kincaid is the story of 2 very different paths merging together.
Ted Day is the stereotypical, workaholic lawyer.
Angel Two Sparrow is a free spirit–as free as they come.
When they bump into each other (literally, with their giant vehicles–an RV and a Bookmobile), is it fate or coincidence that their paths merge?
Together, they journey to the Southwestern United States and back to the Midwest, discovering spiritual truths, solving murder cases, and even falling a little bit in love.
I actually really liked this book. Naturally, the reason I picked it was because of the Bookmobile. (Who doesn’t love a story that has a bookmobile?) But, I really liked all the characters, the dogs, and the descriptions of the sites they were visiting along their journey.
Something else I enjoyed was that the spiritual knowledge they were gaining and discussing and developing wasn’t shoved down my throat. I did take a little bit of time to compare their thoughts with the truths that I value as part of my religion, but I didn’t feel forced to do that the way I do with some books about spiritual journeys. The characters were all {mostly} loveable, which is always sort of a big deal to me.
Overall, I think I’d give this book 3.5/4 stars. Somewhere between there.
Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Blogging for Books.
Ted Day is the stereotypical, workaholic lawyer.
Angel Two Sparrow is a free spirit–as free as they come.
When they bump into each other (literally, with their giant vehicles–an RV and a Bookmobile), is it fate or coincidence that their paths merge?
Together, they journey to the Southwestern United States and back to the Midwest, discovering spiritual truths, solving murder cases, and even falling a little bit in love.
I actually really liked this book. Naturally, the reason I picked it was because of the Bookmobile. (Who doesn’t love a story that has a bookmobile?) But, I really liked all the characters, the dogs, and the descriptions of the sites they were visiting along their journey.
Something else I enjoyed was that the spiritual knowledge they were gaining and discussing and developing wasn’t shoved down my throat. I did take a little bit of time to compare their thoughts with the truths that I value as part of my religion, but I didn’t feel forced to do that the way I do with some books about spiritual journeys. The characters were all {mostly} loveable, which is always sort of a big deal to me.
Overall, I think I’d give this book 3.5/4 stars. Somewhere between there.
Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Blogging for Books.
September 17, 2014
Flat characters I didn't care about, very shallow plot to jackhammer the idea home that mysticism (6th grade religion) is better than everyday (1st grade) religion, silly notion that one can get from one to the other (or at the very least, accept the negativity of one and embrace the positivity of the other) on a two-week road trip, very long passages explaining the history, evolution, pros, cons, etc. of one or the other, far too many dogs going for walks with their owners at sunset, something kinda icky about the frequent description of how attractive the women were (written by a man, so realistic I suppose, but something still didn't sit right with me), somewhat offensive stereotyping of non-specific "Native American" characters, an ending that was "Huh??".
As a Religious Studies major who focused on comparative religion and mysticism, I expected to adore this novel and I entered many giveaways in an attempt to get a copy before I finally traded for one. I didn't expect to dislike it this intensely. I'm relieved I spent no money. However, I think this could be that kind of book I hoped for to an older teen or 20-something who has been oppressed and/or disappointed with mainstream religions and is nevertheless spiritually-inclined.
As a Religious Studies major who focused on comparative religion and mysticism, I expected to adore this novel and I entered many giveaways in an attempt to get a copy before I finally traded for one. I didn't expect to dislike it this intensely. I'm relieved I spent no money. However, I think this could be that kind of book I hoped for to an older teen or 20-something who has been oppressed and/or disappointed with mainstream religions and is nevertheless spiritually-inclined.
July 23, 2014
This proved to be an interesting book.
It starts out with Ted Day, a lawyer, taking a vacation after the death of his grandfather. On the other end was Angerl Two Sparrow heading out in a bookmobile made home. They collide at an RV Park. Ted doesn't know what to think and neither doe Angel. She tries to talk him into being a student of hers since she is a spiritual consultant. Angel also tells him her aunt is in jail and since he is a lawyer, could he help her aunt?
So Ted decides to become her student in trade for helping her aunt. He meets her various friends, a priest Father Chuck, a Sufi, Mashid, and a Buddhist, Steven Singleton. So Ted learns spirituality through Christianity, Islam and Buddhism.
And in the end, after learning all this, Ted is able to help Angel's aunt.
I learned quite a bit about spirituality through reading this book. I loved the humor and insight that Ted had, and Angel's patient with him. I totally loved the ending also.
For those that want to learn more about spiritual matters of the three religions, this is a good read.
I won this book on the goodreads giveaway.
It starts out with Ted Day, a lawyer, taking a vacation after the death of his grandfather. On the other end was Angerl Two Sparrow heading out in a bookmobile made home. They collide at an RV Park. Ted doesn't know what to think and neither doe Angel. She tries to talk him into being a student of hers since she is a spiritual consultant. Angel also tells him her aunt is in jail and since he is a lawyer, could he help her aunt?
So Ted decides to become her student in trade for helping her aunt. He meets her various friends, a priest Father Chuck, a Sufi, Mashid, and a Buddhist, Steven Singleton. So Ted learns spirituality through Christianity, Islam and Buddhism.
And in the end, after learning all this, Ted is able to help Angel's aunt.
I learned quite a bit about spirituality through reading this book. I loved the humor and insight that Ted had, and Angel's patient with him. I totally loved the ending also.
For those that want to learn more about spiritual matters of the three religions, this is a good read.
I won this book on the goodreads giveaway.
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