Wrap-up OCTOBER 2019

#gonewiththebook
#NonfictionNovember

Books finished:

- God Emperor of Dune, by Frank Herbert
- On Elizabeth Bishop, by Colm Toibin
- The Future of an Illusion, by Sigmund Freud
- A Poetry Handbook, by Mary Oliver
- The Year of Magical Thinking, by Joan Didion
- Why I Read: The Serious Pleasure of Books, by Wendy Lesser

Books in-progress:

- The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution, by Richard Dawkins and Yan Wong
- The Origin of Species, by Charles Darwin
- An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness, by Kay Redfield Jamison

Books to-be-read:

- Psalm 44, by Danilo Kis
- The Battle for God: A History of Fundamentalism, by Karen Armstrong
- Nothing to Be Frightened Of, by Julian Barnes

If want to find me elsewhere:

[zangelique]

Two of my fave writers, Toibin and Didion. I liked the Bishop book a good bit, happily I got a very good Thom Gunn quote to use as an italic precede in my childhood memoir I'm working on. And the Didion is indeed great. No one writes like Didion. I miss her. I wish she would give us another book. Thanks for the very fine video!

[HannahsBooks]

Thanks for talking about the Lesser. Now waiting on my hold shelf at the library!

[BookishTexan]

Got to read more Didion. I always manage to forget.

[shawnbreathesbooks]

Stoked to dive in tomorrow! Hopefully our buddy read will move you from purgatory into a better, higher place! 🤪

[RaineyDayReads]

The Joan Didion book sounds really interesting. I agree with her that grief often makes you mourn for the lose of your own dreams and expectations, as well as for the person. I’ll have to pick it up.

[lindseyreads]

I’m starting Origin of Species tomorrow. I feel the same as you where I’ve read about it and it’s been referenced in several other books I’ve read. I’m glad to finally read it. I have a collection of Bishop on my tbr. Once I get through that, I’ll have to look up the biography.

[alldbooks]

Very interesting thoughts with Freud and religion.

[JuanReads]

The Year of Magical Thinking is one of the most powerful books I have ever read.

[marianryan]

I do love The Year of Magical Thinking, which I reread in June on a long flight. I feel like it's almost due another reread, and I rarely seem to reread. The Dawkins does sound fascinating. I might have to add it to my TBR. You and Shawn have also whetted my interest in Kiš.

[sharongoforth]

This is a great line-up of books, Lukas. I have the Joan Didion, and really should read it. An Unquiet Mind sounds very good as well. And how could I have forgotten about the mandatory reading of The Origin of Species?! Somehow I did - guess I’ll be digging out my copy this weekend and adding it to the pile!

[benjaminburgess]

Danilo Kis is repeatedly mentioned by Susan Sontag as one of her favorite writers, and when I read "The Tomb for Boris Davidovitch, " I was equally impressed. Penguin did a wrote little series called "Writers from the Other Europe" (that is, Eastern Europe) edited by Philip Roth. It displays some superb, under-read writers, including Geza Csath, Bruno Schultz, George Konrad, and Tadeusz Konwicki.

[lilliannieswender]

Hi Lukas. I agree, we never need an excuse to read non-fiction. I am certainly going to read the Elizabeth Bishop book, she is one of my favorite modern poets. If you ever get the chance you should read One Art: The Letters of Elizabeth Bishop edited by Robert Giroux. She was a great letter writer. I have read the Wendy Lesser book, and really liked it, although I am not quite the Henry James fan she is. Thanks Lukas.

[CherryBlossom]

I just bought The Year of Magical Thinking today! Have you read any of Joan Didion's other books? I'm reading Slouching Towards Bethlehem right now and I'm really enjoying it. I love her writing.

[faithbooks]

Do you hand write in your commonplace book? I used to keep one for a time.