My June reading list
Many of my favorite films were based on books that I'm shocked to realize I haven't actually read. Time to fix that.
I didn’t do as much reading last month as I had hoped. Largely because - gasp! - I finally got back to writing. Not that I’ve actually written anything yet, mind you. But with the help of my new amanuensis, NotebookLM, I’ve been restructuring The Yellow Flowers, figuring out where the plot holes are and how to deal with them, rebuilding the world so it feels like a real place rather than a generic D&D module, and starting to realize just how much of the writing feels like it was written by someone who was more interested in showing off his vocabulary than telling a story. (And, in the process, finding that I’m slowly transitioning from a pantser to a plotter. But more on that next week.) I was expecting to do a quick rewrite, give it a last polish, and get it all wrapped up. Ain’t happening that way. Oh, well… it’s a learning experience.
Of the books I did read, I was hugely disappointed by the graphic novel adaptation of Earthsea. The story was fine, but the artwork was so dingy I couldn’t see what was going on. So I dug out a 1996 BBC radio adaptation of it, and that was much better. (It’s narrated by Judi Dench, and hearing that brought back memories of her reading it to me as a bedtime story when I was very young. To be honest, I’m not 100% sure that actually happened, but it’s entirely possible, and explains why I always hear it in her voice when I read it.) I think later in the year, I may well re-read a lot of Le Guin. And maybe as many of the Anne McCaffrey Dragonriders series as I can.
Anyway, here’s this month’s list. I’m not expecting to get through all of it, but let’s see how it goes. If I end up writing instead of reading, I’ll call that a big win.
The Assassination Bureau, Ltd, by Jack London & Robert L. Fish. This was one of the two books that sparked my desire to read as much Jack London as I could. (The other was The Star Rover or The Jacket, one of his SF stories.) I watched the movie as a kid, and I’ve always remembered a scene on a train where some guy blows brandy through his cigar to make an impromptu flamethrower. A few months ago, I accidentally came across it on Amazon (I think) and it was as fun as I remembered. When I realized it was a London story, it made me wonder what else he’d written that wasn’t about dogs or sailors.
The Prestige, by Christopher Priest. One of my favorite movies, but I’ve never read the book. Apparently it’s quite different, but Priest said he absolutely loved what Nolan did with it. I’d rate it as one of Nolan’s two best movies, alongside Memento, which is a masterpiece.
The Barnum Museum, by Stephen Millhouser. A collection of short stories which includes Eisenheim the Illusionist, which was the basis for - you guessed it, The Illusionist. (Weird observation: I always treat The Prestige and The Illusionist as a double bill. If I watch one, I have to watch the other within a few days. It’s the same with The Matrix and Dark City.)
The Mosquito Coast, by Paul Theroux. Astonishingly, even though Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren are two of my favorite actors, I’ve never seen this. Last month we watched the TV show (which was terrible), and the movie (which wasn’t), at which point I decided I should probably read the book.
The Butcher of the Forest, by Premee Mohamed. Fantasy set in a forest. Apparently it’s sort of like Holdstock’s Mythago Wood. That’s all I need to know.
The Vermont Extended Universe, by Chris Rodgers. Weird folklore and historical fiction set in a parallel Vermont: that’s about all I know about it. The author’s description intrigued me too: “The stories may feel familiar, only because Vermont is a place of magical realism.” Yup, okay, you got me.
Air-borne, by Carl Zimmer. My serious read for the month, which looks at air pollution and airborne diseases, and how our air quality affects our health and our cognition. I’m fortunate enough to live in a part of the US that has excellent air quality most of the time - at least by today’s standards. I’m sure that by the time I finish it, I won’t be quite so complacent.
Dawnshard, by Brandon Sanderson. I’m not even attempting to get through book 4 of Stormlight. A novella will suffice for this month. (I’m not attempting a Salman Rushdie this month either. I keep staring at Midnight’s Children and going nope. I may slip that one and go straight to Shame, about which I remember absolutely nothing.)
How To Read A Book, by Monica Wood (book club selection). Not sure whether I’ll actually read this one. A book about a book club seems a little… self-referential, I guess? I rarely like books where the main character is a writer or someone in the book trade: it usually feels like the author’s being lazy. However, the author is local and is coming to our library in June, so maybe I’ll give it a shot.
That’ll keep me busy for a few weeks. What’s on your bookshelf this month?
The Vermont Extended Universe interests me particularly, and comparing it to Binscombe (https://binscombetales.com ), Scarfolk and Hookland should highlight the differences between British and American fantasy styles. Oh, and thanks for the warning about The Mosquito Coast TV show -- I had been thinking of putting that on our viewing list, but it'll be better just to read the book.