My November reading list
Time to revisit some old favorites
Last month, I set out to clear as much of the to-be-read shelf as possible. And, mostly, I succeeded. It’s down to just three - count 'em, three - books. Admittedly, those three total up to almost 2500 pages, so there’s still a fair amount of reading there, but I don’t think that’s happened since before I was a teenager. (Not including what’s on the Kindle. Sssh. We don’t talk about that. If they’re not on the actual shelf, they don’t count.)
This month, I’m re-reading a lot of old favorites. Some I haven’t read for nigh on forty years. Others are comfort reads that I go back to again and again. And, I notice, there are a lot of children’s books in there.
I think it’s part of the mental preparation for getting back into writing instead of just pontificating about writing, thinking about writing, and generally doing anything except actually writing. I’ve written next to nothing for months other than corporate stuff, and I’m really looking forward to spending less time working and more time being creative over the winter. But before I can write anything, I’ve got to get my head out of “AI systems designer”, “project manager” and “copywriter” mode, and into “storyteller” mode. That means immersing myself in familiar stories and remembering the pure joy of being transported to worlds that changed my life. At least, that’s what I’m telling myself.
My aim is that by the end of the month, I’ll be inspired to go back and revisit my early draft of The Thousandth Night, run through my notes for The Yellow Flowers, and finish outlining the two short stories that I dreamt up over the summer. Then by the time the snow falls, I’ll be ready to start writing. It’s a plan. It may work.
Anyway, here’s what’s on this month’s list. Will I get through them all? Maybe. I’ll possibly get through the first five or six this weekend if I don’t get sidetracked by yard work and house chores, so it’s entirely possible. Let’s see.
The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster. I’m not sure why I had a sudden call to re-read this. It probably means that there’s something in there I need to remind myself of. Probably something to do with not making excuses.
Howl’s Moving Castle, by Diana Wynn Jones. We saw the movie in the cinema a few weeks ago, and I figured I should re-read this for the first time in about 40 years. I’ve always wished that Christian Bale had sounded more Welsh - even though Bale is actually Welsh, he doesn’t have a Welsh accent. Because Howl is, of course, Hywel and he is, in the books, most definitely Welsh.
Mary Poppins, by P.L. Travers. I must confess, I’ve never read it. Time to put that right.
The Dualitists, by Bram Stoker. Many years ago,
reviewed this on Goodreads and I put a copy on my iPad, where it has languished ever since. I prefer the alternative title, The Death Doom of the Double Born.A Winter Amidst the Ice, by Jules Verne. A man hunts for his missing son in the Arctic.
A collection of Witcher graphic novels, by various authors. Okay, yes, I’m procrastinating a little before diving into the main arc. I keep telling myself I’m saving them for the winter.
The Death Ship, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The Cotton-Pickers and various essays and short works by B. Traven. I’ve read Sierra Madre before, and loved it almost as much as the movie (which is one of the few Bogey movies I really like, up there with African Queen). For some reason I was recently reading about Traven - about whom next to nothing is known, including his real name, nationality, or age - and found that he’d written quite a lot of other things.
The Magician of Tiger Castle, by Louis Sachar. See, I do read some contemporary books! A court magician has to make a love potion to force a princess into an arranged marriage. (And I can’t help hearing mawwiage in Peter Cook’s voice.)
Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey. My dad loved the Pern series. I read some of them, but never really got into them. I figured I’d try again - after all, they’re classics for a reason.
The Armageddon Rag, by George R.R. Martin. Occult rock’n’roll, filled with tongue in cheek Tolkien references. Much better than ASOIAF. A perennial favorite.
Habibi, by Craig Thompson. One of the finest graphic novels ever.
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, by Ocean Vuong. Book club selection. I know nothing about it, and it’s not really calling to me, but two of the librarians told me I really should read it, so I guess I will.
But that’s not all! I have a lot of things lined up on audio to keep me entertained while doing dishes, cooking, or prepping the house & yard for winter.
The Invisible Man, by H. G. Wells. I just finished making a model of this, and I wish I’d found the show earlier, so I could have listened to it while I worked.
The Invisible Girl, by Mary Shelley. I had no idea this existed.
Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Instead of watching the movie to go with the book, I figured I’d listen to a radio adaptation. (And then I’ll watch the movie for the umpteenth time, okay.)
Mary Poppins. BBC adaptation with Juliet Stevenson. It’ll be interesting to compare both the book and the movie with this version.
1984. 1955 Australian version with Vincent Price. Intriguing.
Achewillow, season 5. Cozy fantasy series set in a town on the US/Canada border that involves magical food, intelligent raccoons and spooks. One of the few podcasts I listen to that’s just a person narrating a story, rather than a full cast production.
Orphan Black, season 2. Continuing where the TV series left off.
More Doctor Who Big Finish stories. Although I didn’t much care for either Sylvester McCoy or Peter Davison on TV, they’re fantastic in the audio dramas.
The Man With The Golden Gun. Toby Stephens makes a great Bond, and the radio versions are relatively faithful to the books.
And there we have it. What’s on your reading/listening list?
What a great collection of books to read this month. Thumbs up to "Death Ship" by Traven. Excellent choice. You won't be disappointed.
I resonate with what you wrote about needing to shift from 'AI systems designer' mode to 'storyteller' mode. What if a deep understanding of narrative structures from classic literature could actually enhance ethical AI developement?