1. To a God Unknown
— John Steinbeck
Steinbeck at his best. An epic tale in just 250 pages. Magnificent. My book of the month. And it might well be my favorite Steinbeck, after East of Eden.
2. The Pastures of Heaven
— John Steinbeck
Very good, although many of the chapters feel like standalone outlines for entire novels.
3. The Wayward Bus
— John Steinbeck
A great post-war tale and a reminder — as if we needed one — that human nature does not change.
4. My Year of Rest and Relaxation
— Ottessa Moshfegh
My second book by Moshfegh. I didn’t enjoy her novella McGlue, but this I loved: the voice, the dark, raw humor and the psychiatrist, Dr Tuttle, who, in my head, was played throughout by Tracy Ullman.
5. Heart of Darkness
— Joseph Conrad
About time I read this. Not quite what I expected. Guess I should have taken the title more seriously. Tense, dark, disturbing; beautifully written.
6. Journey into the Past
— Stefan Zweig
By now I’m already a huge Zweig fan. I only wish this novella had been a novel. Poignant, poetic, perfect.
7. The Life Before Us
— Romain Gary
My first by this author. Bittersweet and funny. Loved it. The precocious young narrator’s malapropisms are especially hilarious. I’ll read Gary’s The Kites next.
8. The Mercy of Gods
— James S.A. Corey
From the authors of the incredibly entertaining 9-book The Expanse series this might be even better. Sci-fi space opera at its best. This instead of a blockbuster Hollywood movie any day! Purely in terms of entertainment value, this would be book of the month.
Remarkable Renaissance Books
My new book, Remarkable Renaissance Books, will be published October 24 and is now available for preorder:
