A reading challenge!
Are you stuck in a reading rut? Can’t decide what to read next? Overwhelmed by choice? Join me in my reading challenge!
The challenge is simple - read the alphabet. Start by choosing an author whose surname begins with A, next book the surname begins with B and so on through the whole alphabet.
I did this a few years ago after having a baby, and in my sleep-deprived haze couldn’t make decisions easily. The library was too overwhelming and I needed to narrow down my options somehow!
I have additional rules for myself, like I try to prioritise female and POC writers as I find myself tending to read a lot of white men, but it isn’t a hard and fast rule for me - first and foremost it has to be a book I’m keen to read.
I propose organising the comments like this: top line comments will be the letter, replies to that will be the book you chose, plus a short summary or review (even just a rating out of 5 will do) to help others find books they might like, and then people can discuss the individual books under those comments if they like. This keeps everything in one post for people not interested to ignore, and hopefully builds up a nice reference of all sorts of books in one place.
Happy reading!
Edit: I guess there’s a limit on quick comments to avoid spam so we’ve just got the first few letters for now. I’ll come back to complete the alphabet when I can :)
A
Isaac Asimov - Nightfall
archive.org has a digitized copy of the original 1941 issue of Astounding Science Fiction where it was published (it starts on page 8)
it was expanded into a full-length novel in 1990 by Robert Silverberg
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
Edit: just noticed I'm supposed to provide a review.
This is a classic sci-fi comedy that plays on a lot of tropes from daily life, so being a sci-fi fan is not a requirement. It's fantastic and I highly recommend it.
Yes it’s much more of a commentary on the absurdity of human nature (particularly the English) that just happens to be in space. Great recommendation!
Leave the World Behind - Rumaan Alum
1/5 - an interesting premise about a mysterious blackout in NYC, leading to a family on holiday being stranded with strangers and no news. Unfortunately the flowery prose could not hide the lack of direction
For letter A, I will read one of these - would love feedback on which is best! -
Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart (1958). Most widely read book in modern African literature, this novel tells 2 overlapping stories, both centered around an Igbo warrior in Nigeria in the late 1800s - depicting pre-colonial life in southeast Nigeria and the invasion by Europeans.
Jeffrey Archer, Kane & Abel (1979). International best-seller about the son of a Boston millionaire and the son of a penniless Polish immigrant, their paths destined to cross in the ruthless struggle to build a fortune.
Kate Atkinson, Life After Life (2013). What if you could live again and again, until you got it right? Ursula lives and dies repeatedly. Does this give her the power to save the world from its inevitable destiny? And if she can -- will she?
Thanks for the Things Fall Apart mention as that will be my next book as soon as it gets to me; ordering it now.
I previewed it and really enjoyed the writing style as I'm not overly fond of prose or overly descriptive stuff.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.
My favourite book when I was a teen and I really like the name Aldous although I don't know why.
A review: eek! Well it's a dystopian cautionary sci-fi book written in 1932. Science is king, babies are grown in test tubes and pleasure and consumption are encouraged. You'll find parallels with life and society right now and leave feeling slightly horrified that a guy in the 30s could see this.
My mistake, you are correct.
Although to quote Adam Savage "I reject your reality and substitute it with my own." ;)
The nice and accurate prophecies of Agnes Nutter.
I know it's not a real book, but it had to be done 🤪.
Clemens G. Arvay - Biophilia in der Stadt: Wie wir die Heilkraft der Natur in unsere Städte bringen
I'm still reading this, but so far it's been interesting. A part of the description from the cover:
"The biologist shows how and why large cities designed to be close to nature have a positive effect on the health of individuals and on the well-being of society as a whole. The biophilic city of the future consists of a network of eco-corridors, guaranteeing improved air quality and offering nature experiences for everyone. With tips on how city dwellers can already efficiently use the healing power of nature."
This sounds really fascinating! I’d be interested in hearing your main takeaway once you’ve finished :)
Sure, I'll post something as soon as I'm done. But it'll take a while since my German isn't that great, yet.
Oh wow, I assumed you must be a native speaker to be taking on a weighty book. Go you!
Nah. I bought the book for 2.5€ last September in Berlin at the flea market. I figured it's too much of a bargain to pass. Also, with the temperature rising slowly but steadily I figured it'd be good to have the know-how what governments are doing wrong here (I mean, there's this weird fad to revitalise a place by putting more concerte there).
Also also, Biophilia easier read for me than "Der letzte Tag der Schöpfung", which is another German book I'm still reading xD
L
The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu
This is an excellent series about earth's first contact with an alien civilization!
A Sand County Almanac - Aldo Leopold
Written in 1949, a non-fiction compilation of intimate observations of the natural world + essays relating to conservation. While the latter essays especially are often credited with shaping the modern conservation movement, it's the short observations that I find particularly touching and calming; the author's deep understanding of and reverence for the natural world shine through the stories.
The Dispossessed - Ursula K. Le Guin
A classic sci-fi novel that explores social and political concepts through a compelling story that feels very human, even if the characters aren't technically 'humans'. A couple other books I recommended here specifically because they were weird and forced me to think. This one, despite its political commentary, I found very easy to take in and 'read' (I mostly listen to audiobooks these days).
B
Losing It - Moira Burke
Just picked up! Will come back and edit with a review when I’m done.
5/5 I read it in one day, almost in a single sitting. This is one of those books that I think will stay with me and influence me as a writer. It’s written as a stream of consciousness, but also in second person past tense which is very hard to pull off well and is done spectacularly here. It follows a teenage girls self destructive behaviour. I feel like I know her; I think I was her, a little, in my teens. I think a lot of people I know were. Brilliant
Anthony Bourdain - Kitchen Confidential
if you've never read anything by Bourdain, this is the place to start.
here's the New Yorker article (and archive link) if you want to get a taste of his writing style
Bill Bryson - In a Sunburned Country
A book about Brysons travels in Australia. It's funny and very interesting. One of my favorite books
I love Brysons books, he has so much heart and humour!
C
Rendezvous with Rama - Arthur Clarke
A fascinating look into an alien visitor passing through the solar system. This story is much more realistic in terms of physics, and focuses on exploring the alien ship without getting distracted by unnecessary drama. I'm proud to have one of the very earliest editions on my bookshelf.
The sequels are less good (Rendezvous with Drama).
New Boy - Tracy Chevalier
5/5. This book follows a single school day. From the moment Dee sees the new boy on the playground (black, in a school full of white kids) we are pulled into a runaway train of actions and consequences leading up to the final scene in the same playground after school has finished. A look at race, what it means to be new and different, and how our actions can be shaped by those around us. I desperately needed a few more chapters from this book!
D
Echolalia - Briohny Doyle
4.5/5. This was a great read, Doyle is fantastic at bringing characters to life - similar to the way Stephen King does it. A long slow build up to a dramatic event which splits the story into Before and After, which are told simultaneously. I only knocked it down half a star because I’m annoyed by how I keep picking up books with this theme, with no warning (I don’t want to say which because of spoilers and I don’t know how to do the drop down spoiler thing). A very vivid book, the scenery and settings really jumped out of the page.
E
LaRose - Louise Erdrich
A beautifully woven but heart-wrenching story about loss, grief, forgiveness, family. Since you mentioned POC, Erdrich is part Ojibwe, and indigenous identity/traditional beliefs features strongly in the novel.
(I will say, I personally was extremely moved by her novel "Future Home of the Living God" but I can understand why some people critique its writing style, and I'm not sure I'd recommend it as a starting point for this author)
How it Was - Janet Ellis
5/5 - Ellis writes in such a visceral way, so many times I had to read a line twice because I was so blown away by jealousy that I hadn’t written it. The book meanders from present to past and back again in a very skilful way, telling the story of a woman’s life, the choices she made and the devastating consequences. A brilliant book
F
I Liked my Life - Abby Fabiaschi
3/5. Not a bad book but not my usual genre (not much to choose from in my library under F!). This was a magical realism book in which we join a family immediately after the death of the mother, by suicide. She is able to watch and somewhat influence her remaining family (a husband and teenage daughter) to try and help them through their grief. Less sad than I feared it would be, and the characters were very well rounded and lifelike which I enjoyed.
G
William Gibson - arguably the father/populariser/pioneer of cyberpunk fiction (and, more recently following the progression of that theme, late capitalist and post industrial contemporary sci-fi) and written so many great books.
Start with this his first, Neuromancer, and just follow them in the order they were written.
Also wrote one of the best steampunk books with Bruce Sterling (another great cyberpunk author), The Difference Engine.
David Goggins - Can't Hurt Me
TW
Domestic violenceDinner Party - Sarah Gilmartin
3.5/5 - enjoyable enough read about the effects of a death in the family (I seem to keep picking up this genre of book without noticing!). Some nice prose in here but I found the resolution a little weak/rushed. I’m happy I read it, but I’m not sure I’d rush to recommend it to anyone else.
H
Tell Me an Ending - Jo Harkin
5/5 - very enjoyable read. Sci-fi but only slightly - this book imagines a world where it’s possible to delete a specific memory and the consequences of doing so. Well-fleshed-out characters and compelling story made this such a fun journey
Losing Face - George Haddad
4.5/5 - this book follows a Lebanese-Australian family told through the eyes of a son, Joey, and the grandmother Elaine, after Joey is involved in a violent crime. An interesting look at being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Always nice to read a book set in your city, too!
I
J
K
Braiding Sweetgrass - Robin Wall Kimmerer (edit: I probably should have placed this under W, in retrospect!)
A compilation of short essays through which the author weaves her academic knowledge and traditional indigenous knowledge about ecology/biology. I found her writing style to be both captivating and soothing (bonus: she reads her own audiobook and it's amazing). On a personal note, as someone (non-indigenous) whose scientific studies have shaped my worldview, I very much appreciated the author's approach and perspective.
M
Embassytown - China Miéville
I think Miéville gets recommended a lot, but I'm pretty new to his name so maybe this will spark someone else's interest. In the couple novels I've read so far, Embassytown probably ranks my fave. The world is weird, but it doesn't feel hamfisted or affected. I like the balance of story pace while also exploring concepts. As my only 'warning', I do find I have to focus especially hard in the first couple chapters (of any of his books) to build my mental image of the bizarre settings and terms, but I enjoy this challenge and it's well worth the effort.
Y
When Nietzsche Wept - Irvin Yalom
Historic fiction about Nietzsche and the grandfathers of psychoanalysis (Breuer and Freud). Even without an interest in philosophy it’s a touching novel about two men, struggling with existential problems, with these problems looked at through the lenses of psychoanalysis and Nietzsches philosophy.
Edit: I forgot to review it. For me, an aspiring alienist, it’s a 5/5.
P
Spare - Prince Harry (I know his surname is different but that’s how it is credited). I didn’t think I would read this but I randomly decided to get it and I’m really enjoying it, mainly because it’s so different from what I’m used to. I like to imagine Prince Harry is a fictional character when I read the book which gets rid of all the baggage around his name.
Is it trite to suggest Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, in a thread started by Agnes Nutter? Hopefully not, as it’s one of my top books ever and will surely accompany me to that proverbial desert island. It’s got it all: satanic nuns, a hellhound, the apocalypse, misplaced babies, angels, demons… a truly original and hilarious book.
Unsurprisingly one of my favourites as well! For anyone that likes audiobooks, the recent audible version with Micheal Sheen and David Tennant is a very very good rendition. And for people who don’t like books (to whom I must ask: why are you here?) the tv adaptation was one of the best I’ve seen. All 3 versions are up there in my favourites of their medium!
Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk 4/5
About a fashion model who has everything in life. But after a car accident, she becomes disfigured and loses it all, becoming an invisible monster. Want to say more about it, but I don't want to spoil anything. Let's just say it gets pretty dark, but also uplifting in a weird way.
N
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August - Claire North
Imagine if instead of reliving a single day, you relived your entire life. Now imagine you're not the only person going through this, and the others from the future tell you the world is ending. Great story.
Ooh seconding this one, I LOVED it. Fantastic read
O
Q
R
S
The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski 5/5
It's the first of the Witcher series, but I would recommend this book to anyone not interested in all of the books. It's a book of short stories that introduces you to the world and characters that show up once the narrative begins. Most of the stories are versions of the typical Grimm/Disney stories.
Quick summary is that the stories mostly follow Geralt of Rivia, a witcher by trade. He is paid to take care of monsters by kings and villages. Each short story follows a monster of the week style writing with him showing up in a new town to take care of whatever problems they're having.
I also recommend the other book of short stories, Sword of Destiny. 4/5
Jean Paul Sartre - "Nausea" :P
Seveneves / Neal Stephenson
Postapocalyptic scifi - what happens to humanity when the moon breaks in half? How will it survive and evolve in the near and distant future? Neal Stephenson in his brilliant and haunting writing describes the struggle build and control the space station that is the home for the last surviving members of the species.
T
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. Certainly one of the finest and funniest novels ever written, this story follows our antihero Ignatius Reilly (neckbeard extraordinaire) as he seeks employment in 1960s New Orleans. After finishing it the first time, I immediately read it again, which I’ve never done with another book.
U
V
Southern Reach Trilogy (a.k.a the Annihilation series) - Jeff VanderMeer
This series seems to be quite polarizing, but I thoroughly enjoyed them and am contemplating a re-read (well, listen via audiobook) once I'm through my backlog. I basked in the weirdness, feeling like I had no idea what was going on or what might happen next, and just the general wtf-ery of it all. Yes, I ended the series feeling like I had no real answers, but I didn't feel like getting answers was the point, and also enjoyed perusing fan theories!
Note: if you've seen the movie, the first book Annihilation does differ somewhat, but I do feel like they share common themes and ~ vibes ~
W
Cradle by Will Wight
A Progression Fantasy series available on Kindle unlimited, it follows the growth of the main character Lindon as he escapes his home and grows in power.
X
Z
If anyone actually makes it as far as Z..!
Roger Zelazny has written a lot of sci-fi and fantasy books, notably the Chronicles of Amber (a ten novel series starting with Nine Princes In Amber).
Most of his books have a similar theme - powerful beings, usually godlike, and their stories borrowing heavily from real world deity mythology from around the world as well as classic folklore fiction.
Start with his Amber books, at least the first two (or five if you want to complete the first story arc) and go from there checking on what "borrowed theme" (eg Hindu mythology, Egyptian etc) appeals the most.
I have his Lord of Light which seems to be a favourite of many users on reddit.
Every October I do a read along of A Night in the Lonesome October, reading each "day" in the book on the same day of the month. It's a fun little tradition that I would recommend trying at least once for anyone who likes autumn/spooky vibes.
Neat idea :)
Agreed. I feel like I'm over-contributing, but also hope it's helping to keeping the Tildes momentum going :)