Lord of the Rings plus Hobbit.

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle made me so crazy. I hated that I stuck with it to the end.

Gilgamesh. Not sure why, but because it’s old, Sumerian, it’s got a sort of moral or truth. Because it shines a light on that ancient time and yet speaks of friendship and the pain that comes with it. I’ve read several translations. I’m also proud of reading Homer but Gilgamesh is my favorite.

The Sword in the Stone.

The Swallows; those kids have so much fun with boats and camping. I wanted to do that stuff as a kid but got no opportunity.

Remember Conspiracy Theory? Mel had boxes of Catcher ion the Rye!

Various translations of Gilgamesh and Homer’s Odyssey- just to see the differences. Also Tao de Ching

I can’t use audiobooks. I don’t know if it’s ADHD or what but after the first few words my mind is onto other things. I tried on a long trip to see if it made a difference but it didn’t.

Joan Didion

In 2003, Didion’s daughter Quintana Roo Dunne developed pneumonia that progressed to septic shock and she was comatose in an intensive-care unit when Didion’s husband suddenly died of a heart attack on December 30. She wrote The Year of Magical Thinking, in response to all that.

So good though! I’ve been reading it and rereading since I was young. Good luck!

Gilgamesh

Count of Monte Cristo really disturbed me. Grapes of Wrath disturbed me too. The difference between the two, not that people may often think of them against each other; but for some reason I do…

I saw the suffering and revenge in The Count and totally ruining every life, every character suffered. Needlessly suffered.

In GoW the Characters suffered due to the economy, the dust bowl, factors out of their control. All the characters suffered (well not the bankers or sheriffs, maybe). And the Joads, who were bewildered, angry, and losing their family, one by one, could not refuse anyone who was needy. They offered kindness, comforting, shared their bread, gave rides, fixed cars…

I won’t forget either of these books.

Mrs Pollifax is my go to for stressful times. Also The Hobbit and then the whole of Harry Potter (with chocolate).

Astronomy

Huck Finn. It was the first book to teach me a lesson. No teachers or parents. Just reading it and seeing how confused Huck was about what he should about Jim. It was agonizing for me as a child reading it.

Judge Dee The Chinese Maze Murders, by Robert van Gulik. The magistrate Dee comes to his new post to find the town taken over by hoodlums. He has to solve many mysteries and get the town and government working correctly. Can you say ‘Marshall Dillon!!’ - this judge is shrewd and does not jump to conclusions.

OWEN MEANY!!!

When I was 15 I got Phillip Roth’s Portnoy’s Complaint from the library. I’m now 70 and still not old enough to read that! WTH

The stars, like dust, encircle me

In living mists of light;

And all of space I seem to see

In one vast burst of sight

Isaac Asimov

Somehow I confused The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton with The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I read the 7 1/2 Deaths until I was totally lost and later my niece asked me about the Seven Husbands which clued me in to where I went wrong. I never finished either one.