Reading some superb books this month. So I thought I’d put together a little show-and-tell.
I particularly want to show you the pictures inside the first two books. So check out the video below, then let me know what you’re reading this month.
Essays on writing, reading, and life
Hi Ben, I thought it would be good to get some input going by readers on this wonderful and inspirational website of yours. I’ve been really motivated by your recent posts including the one on creating a targeted reading plan. So as this July is the first month of programmed reading, I’m sharing my list to both inspire and gather encouragement to complete it.
• Brothers Karzamov – Dostoevsky – My biggie of the month
• Apocalypse Never – Michael Shellenberger – published 30 June. I’m so looking forward to this one. It’s a hot topic on social media – “On behalf of environmentalists everywhere, I would like to formally apologise for the climate scare we created over the past 30 years,” wrote Shellenberger in his 1,700-word article. Reuters deleted it but it is saved here> https://environmentalprogress.org/big-news/2020/6/29/on-behalf-of-environmentalists-i-apologize-for-the-climate-scare
• A Gentleman in Moscow – Amor Towles. Completed – A wonderful complement to Frankel’s “Man’s search for Meaning” which I’m part way through.
• The Good Son – You-Jeong Jeong. My favourite Crime/Thriller genre
• Man’s Search for Meaning – Viktor E. Frankl. Inspired by the video on this site.
• Serengeti Rules: Sean B. Carroll – Ecology/Africa – applying the principles of Ecology – Non-fiction. As an ecologist I like to keep my hand in.
• Cloud Atlas: A Novel – David Stephen Mitchell – one of your recommended books.
• Play: A Doll’s House -Henrik Ibsen (Reread)
That’s my list for now. Thank you again for your inspiration and getting me back into reading. Andy
Hi Andy!
Thank you for sharing your reading plan. Very inspiring, exciting stuff. I’ve got The Brothers Karamazov a few volumes away on my own biggie list too. If I might make a recommendation, I think the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation (rather than the Constance Garnett one), might be the best. I have a soft spot for this couple translator team, who are now both approaching 80, and revolutionised the world of Russian translation, really capturing the spirit and voices of writers like Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, and Chekhov. The rest of the choices all look superb to me, and I can’t wait to hear your reviews on them. I’m very happy to see you’re going for one of my favourite volumes – Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning – and hope you enjoy the narrative styles of Cloud Atlas. Also great to see a reread thrown in there! I’ve realised recently that rereading is perhaps the most important part of reading.
Happy reading, Andy!