January Reading Wrap-up
What I read during January 2024
Exploring the intersection of life and literature to understand how our life experiences influence what we read and how what we read influences our lives.
Books I read in January 2024…
Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck - the book that established Steinbeck’s fame in the literary scene. Check out the February edition of The Steinbeck Review for more details.
In Dubious Battle by John Steinbeck - Check out the February edition of The Steinbeck Review for more details.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck - Check out the February edition of The Steinbeck Review for more details.
Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather - Beautifully written story of the unsettled American West. A French missionary is sent to Arizona and New Mexico to minister to the people. Cather is well known for her works depicting frontier life in America. I will be doing a profile on her and her body of work in the coming months.
The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz - This small work of Toltec Wisdom is interesting. Some of the writing was more mystical than I prefer, but the general message the author is trying to convey is a positive one. He gives a guide to living that boils down to four concepts: Be Impeccable with Your Word, Don’t Take Anything Personally, Don’t Make Assumptions, and Always Do Your Best. Recommended if ancient wisdoms are of interest to you.
The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger - The author’s works are set in Minnesota and focus on the land and the people who make their home there. Like his others, this work is a crime novel on the surface. However, it is also a fantastic examination of human relationships with one another and the land. This is the third work of his I have read, and each has been an enjoyable read.
The Winners by Fredrik Backman - Final book in the Beartown trilogy. It’s a hockey story of sorts. It’s mostly a story of people and small towns and life. You should read it.
Books I am currently reading…
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (one chapter per day for the whole year)
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (slow read with Footnotes and Tangents)
The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday
American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House by Jon Meacham
Beowulf: A Verse Translation by Seamus Heaney (group read with John Halbrooks)
A Lost Lady by Willa Cather
The Long Valley by John Steinbeck
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (audiobook)
Let me know what you read this month that you enjoyed.
Wow, Matthew! You are a prolific reader, your reading list puts me to shame! :)
Bleak House and Howards End. Both great experiences. Dutch House good first half, but then I felt as if I was sometimes reading well written but uninteresting family updates like the kind people send out to their friends at the end of the year. Once the house was off stage, the book lost momentum.
I'm reading ahead in Wolf Hall until I find a worthy competitor. High bar!