Book Lists 2019 Book • Page 8

Pretty brief update for June. Didn't read much at all, mostly because in the latter half of the month I was out west visiting family and friends, and honestly I packed my time full enough that I didn't have time to read much. No regrets, though July promises to make up for that.

Terry Brooks is one of my favorite authors, and in about a year he's releasing the last chronological book in his Shannara series. I want to be caught up by then so I can read it when it releases, and I'm still very behind, so I'm ramping up reading his books. Wards of Faerie was a delightful adventure; I'm really enjoying this trilogy and how it calls back to several previous eras of the series. (I've already read the sequel and am on the final book now. After that, just six more books to be caught up.)

As for comics, Monstress was incredible -- art, storytelling, pacing, lore, everything. Highly recommended. Wolverine was a letdown and a disappointment, although I liked Logan and Ororo's honeymoon escape thing in the first two issues. Otherwise it was unsatisfying, but I'm glad I read it because I'm trying to get caught up on the Death of Wolverine event (so I can move on to the next part of his story).

Anyway, kind of a slow month, but July is looking great. I've got about a dozen new books from my birthday and plenty of free evenings and weekends to devour them all.

 

Lol of course another Robert F translated The Iliad. One of the big reasons I held off reading it for a few years was because I couldn't find an agreed upon translation, I felt like everywhere I looked at reviews some hated ones that others would love. I basically just pulled the trigger and said no more waiting and went with the most popular one on Amazon, ha. I can't stress enough how much reading it was an absolute joy though, so it wouldn't surprise me if I wanted to read it again sooner than later and I'll keep Fitzgerald's in mind.

I was definitely one of the people put off by it (mainly from low self esteem than anything else, assuming everything will go over my head) but I don't think it's anything people should be put off by, it's so damn readable and insanely thrilling from start to finish.

I have Robert F's translation of Odyssey ready to go, figured I'd stick with him since I dug what he did with the Iliad (though with no point of reference). I just read The Divine Comedy, so obviously I've been floating around the Aeneid for a bit now, it will be my next purchase. Do you have a rec for the translation? I had planned on just sticking with Robert Fa.

Also Monstress is the best.

 

Someone remind me to do this tomorrow.

 

2019 List:
1. 1Q84 - Haruki Murakami
2. Skyward - Brandon Sanderson
3. Deadhouse Gates (Malazan #2) - Steven Erikson
4. The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs - Stephen Brusatte
5. Origin - Dan Brown
6. Stinger - Robert McCammon
7. The Border - Don Winslow
8. Dreamcatcher - Stephen King
9. The Fall of Hyperion (Hyperion #2) - Dan Simmons
10. No Country For Old Men - Cormac McCarthy
11. The Wonga Coup - Adam Roberts
12. Crossroads of Twilight (Wheel of Time #10) - Robert Jordan
13. The Gunslinger (Dark Tower #1)- Stephen King
14. The Drawing of the Three (Dark Tower #2) - Stephen King
15. Endymion (Hyperion Cantos #3) - Dan Simmons
16. The Poppy War (The Poppy War #1) - R.F. Kuang (currently reading)

Had a giant craving to re-read The Dark Tower so I'm doing it and trying not to think about how many books I own that I still haven't read. Also Endymion was awesome.

 

This quote is basically my life. I should update my list soon, but I'm a little more behind than I want to be so maybe I'll finish a few more books before doing so.

 

Yeah, trying to decide on a translator/edition can be challenging when it comes to the classics—on the one hand, for the most part it shouldn't matter too much, you're getting the same story and all that, but on the other hand, there are good translations, great translations, and a few bad translations out there that can really mess with someone's experience. I think it's worth it to shop around a little, like you did—but now that you've found a translator you like, I wouldn't bother going with a different one unless it's on a reread or something. For example, when I read Beowulf for the first time, I just picked a translation that was generally well liked and enjoyed by most people, and it was great. But since then, I've read a couple other translations, including Tolkien's, and have found certain pros and cons to different versions. But that didn't matter quite as much on the first reading.

Anyway, yeah, keep Fitzgerald in mind, but I'd say stick with your Robert F since his stuff's working. I wasn't sure what translation of The Aeneid I'd read originally, but I just looked it up and—surprise surprise—it was Fitzgerald. I had a university professor who taught Ancient Greek and a bunch of cultural classes in addition to the classics, and he recommended Fitzgerald because he liked the balance of old-sounding speech and poetry mixed with readable pacing and action. I agreed and stuck with his translations for the next couple classics I read. But yeah, I'd say keep him in mind but stick with what you've got working, I'm sure they're great editions.

As for what you said about low expectations of your own understanding—I definitely get that. I think it's common to have this view that these masterpieces of literature are also going to be incredibly dense and hard to follow. And sure, that can be true—some of Shakespeare's work can be confusing without good footnotes and such, as an example—but for the most part these works were meant to be read, understood, and enjoyed by the people of the time, so once you compensate for language and cultural issues, they should be just as enjoyable an experience for us today as a modern thriller or horror or fantasy or whatever. And that's largely been my experience once I got into the classics—Shakespeare, Homer, Ovid, Virgil, the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Mabinogion, Sophocles, Parzival, Aeschylus...the list just goes on of books and writers that I'd hold up right next to my list of favorite modern works for how gripping, exciting, and heart-wrenching they can be. (I would recommend all of those, by the way).

Well, that's a much longer comment than I'd intended. Glad you've been enjoying your latest reads of the classics! Hit me up whenever if you want suggestions, and I'm curious how you'd like the Odyssey after the Iliad. (I'm sure you'll love it.)

 

Hey tomorrow's over and you didn't do it yet.

 

Look at all those people who didn't remind me.

 

So, uh, I got a new job where I listen to audiobooks all day and manage a huge children's book project... I doubled my book number for the year in six weeks.

 

If you have any questions about any of them, I'll gladly answer but I didn't have time to start reviewing.

I will say this: if you're a parent/aunt/friend of a child under six, get them Dewey Bob and Snoozefest. They're exceptional. Big fan.

 

My son has been on a huge Mo Willems kick lately. Also I don't think I recognize any of those children's books haha.

 

We buy through a book distributor that gets us special deals on upcoming authors. So besides mo, most are unknown.

But seriously. Dewey Bob. Instant classic. I brought a copy home for my future kid’s library.

 

I'm gonna be runnin on this classics wave as long as I can so I'll be keeping those in mind. Thanks a lot.

 

dangit, are you me? I've been trying to resist it because I'm halfway through something and don't want to drop it but it's so difficult!

 

on a really good summer run, absolutely loved all of these. next i'm going for Jeff Tweedy's memoir and I might also start Whitehead's Underground Railroad since Nickel Boys was so good

 

shooting for 30 books this year -- which might be more books than I've read in my entire life up to this point. So far I'm on track with 16 read, and will probably end up reading more than 30.

Here's what I've read so far this year, feel free to ask for reviews or recs if anything seems interesting:

The Professional by W.C Heinz *
Tenth of December by George Saunders *
The North Water by Ian McGuire
The Outlaw Album by Daniel Woodrell
True Grit by Charles Portis
Only Killers and Thieves by Paul Howarth *
Train Dreams by Denis Johnson
God's Pocket by Pete Dexter
Horseman, Pass By by Larry McMurtry
The Winter King (Warlord Chronicles #1) by Bernard Cornwell
The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George V. Higgins *
The Getaway by Jim Thompson
Enemy of God (Warlord Chronicles #2) by Bernard Cornwell
The Quiet American by Graham Greene *
To Hell on a Fast Horse: Billy the Kid, Pat Garrrett, and the Epic Chase to Justice in the Old West by Mark Lee Gardner
Outer Dark by Cormac McCarthy

* = book I gave 5/5 stars

currently reading: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

 

we're very much on the same page lol. also hoping to do 30, currently at 16, and maybe reaching for Underground Railroad next

 

It's really really good. I'm almost done with it, and I can confidently say it's one of my favorites of what I've read this year. I'm probably diving right into his new one, The Nickel Boys, when I finish.

 

just finished Nickel Boys and loved it, the final 50 pages really hit hard

 

That Wild West book seems awesome

 

Highly recommend it if you're into Old west/outlaw lore. It's insanely researched but reads like a novel, because the story of Billy the Kid almost seems like fiction it's so crazy. The same author has a similar style book on Jesse James which I'm definitely gonna read soon.

 

I very much am and still remember alot about that time period from school because it's really the only part of history that I enjoy. Gonna add it to my read list immediately. Thanks for the rec!

 

Nine books in total for July.

The clear highlight of the month was finally reading Magpie Murders. My mum recommended it when it came out as she'd listened to the audiobook. It was as enjoyable as everyone has said that it was. I liked the way it was written and it kept me guessing. It was unique as well which was great for this murder mystery genre.

I would also highly recommend Naomi Wolf's book The Beauty Myth. It was written in 1990 but it was sad how much is still relevant (if not more relevant) in 2019. It's all about how women are subjected to the beauty myth that says that they must look a certain way and be 'beautiful' by the patriarchal systems that exist. Challenging and convicting. It was interesting to see how feminism has developed since 1990 (ie. this was before the internet explosion). I also think that companies have developed a form of this 'beauty myth' in the direction of men too, which was sad to realise.

My other recommendation would be Hilda Vaughan's Iron and Gold. I was on holiday in Wales so thought I'd find a book set in Wales. It's apparently a retelling of myth but the language is vivid and really brings to life the landscape. I felt like I was there (well, technically I was there, but you know what I mean). It's also a good look at marriage and social expectations as well. If you like this kind of well written book it might be something worth checking out.

I started rereading The Chronicles of Narnia at the end of the month and that has been fun. I'll finish that off in August.

 

I sense a British theme here haha.

I've been annoying people for a couple years about Magpie Murders. One of the most unique books I've ever read. Absolutely LOVED the execution of it(wish it was broken up a bit more though) and the mystery itself was so good!

Love love love Roald Dahl, read just about all of his stuff growing up.

 

Ha, that was totally unintentional but so very true! I love Roald Dahl too - my wife found an old copy of Matilda from when she was a child (complete with her cute school kid writing) and I thought "might as well give it a re-read". Haven't read anything from him since I was about 11 or 12 so it was quite fun. Such a good writer.