ayyy yeah the structure was one of the most interesting/entertaining parts, along with the events that give him the revelation that makes him write that (un)true crime version of the events.

glad to hear that about UH, i’ll definitely pick that one up as my next book purchase. have you read Wolf in White Van? highly recommend that. just another pretty original and emotional story told in an interesting way.

I have Wolf in White Van on my shelf staring at me and I haven't picked my next book yet, maybe that'll be it. I'll let you know how I like it

I'm definitely gunna try out some Calvino soon

First book I read by him definitely wanna try out more. If you can write a book that's entirely descriptions of places and dialogue and make it a 5/5 you gotta be a f***ing genius

decent n quick, tho i felt like i took issue with the use of a few terms in this and the referenced texts

Demian by Hermann Hesse

I understand man, he simply is too good.
Another pretty simple story from the outside, however it evolves so much during the course of the book.
Hesse makes YOU Demian, and you simply feel like you lived his story.
Great book, glad I picked it up at this point in my life.

Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End Of The World by Haruki Murakami

I made a promise to myself that I was gonna relax on Murakami, I already read A Wild Sheep Chase this month, but I noticed this in my local bookstore and couldn't resist.

At the beginning, I honestly didn't think I'd enjoy this as the other stuff I've read from him, the concept of seemed a bit outlandish, however once the narrative picked up, I couldn't put it down.
The moment when you realize that the second story is his consciousness

The ending where he has the last 29 hours or so to live is some of the best Murakami I've read.

I can say with confidence that he is my favourite author.

Apparently this is responsible for popularising true crime as a genre so it's got a lot of s***e netflix documentaries to answer for, but it's good enough to almost forgive it for that.

It tells the story of the murder of the Clutter family by two young men in Kansas in 1959, with a particular focus on why it happened and how it impacted those involved. Capote worked extensively as a journalist on the case as it was unfolding, including interviews with locals and the killers themselves, so the level of detail is pretty astonishing.

One thing I think he does really well (where I think most modern true crime falls down) is that he paints the perpetrators as entirely, frighteningly human. He in no way absolves them of their crimes but challenges you as a reader to feel some kind of empathy towards them. Murderers (usually) aren't the cold, dead-eyed monsters that they're often portrayed as on screen, they're human beings with human emotions who have lived real lives. To try to understand their motivations is a far more useful way to look at horrific crimes than to just cast them aside as monsters, and Capote really allows you to see inside their souls here. Compelling stuff

okay im def picking this up cuz calvino's compilation of short stories in Cosmicomics is one of my favorites oat and for some reason i been sleeping on the rest of his works

Hard Boiled Wonderland if I remember correctly there's a spot at the end where the main character talks about what they think death will be like and it's one of the greatest things I've ever read

Slaughterhouse 5

8/10

Good read

Edit: Great read. This book has stayed with me for the past couple of days. The way it weaves in the tragedy of war and its toll on the human mind was . Also, I like that it's never made explicit if Billy has dementia or not, and how the book is anti war but digs beyond surface level "war is bad" fare.

time travel and aliens are real, he doesn’t have dimentia

The Way Of Kings

5/5

Amazing world building. Insane magic/fighting system. Really feels like Brandon Sanderson has spent years planning the whole series out. Can't wait to read the next one (already am).

4/5

Short read, finished it in one day lol. But it was good. An easy read with a nice bit of depth touching on the human condition thru sentient robots. I really liked the world she created and the way she wrote about the robots. The dialogue between Dex and Mosscap was very touching, especially at the end when they spoke of consciousness. A great book to read after finishing the non-fic of Waking Up by Sam Harris.

Going to start the next book shortly here.

Great book, can’t believe this guy was only 21 when this was published

very quick read, even more powerful. makes me wonder if i'll ever find a reason to pity myself ever again

5/5

Men Without Women – Haruki Murakami

Now, I see the appeal to Murakami’s novels. His prose is extremely face-value realism books seeped in trancey-dreamlike states which ramble to the point where you find yourself gently floating along the pages. That is, until, he ham-fistedly references a woman in his story. Because, invariably, that woman has cheated, will cheated, or is currently cheating right now. Or they’re weirdly deified in some other equally mysterious sexual one-dimensional demeanour. I love the ambience, and he really does hit the nail on the head in illustrating deep-seated thoughts on loneliness and melancholy. Kino was a standout – a phenomenal short story. It’s just a shame how divorced his writing on women actually is.

Man without woman, indeed.

2.5/5

Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebe

The most compelling thing about this novel is that it’s brutally honest. Achebe remains loyal to showing both the strengths and the flaws of 19th Century Nigeria – the rich aspects of the culture are celebrated, whilst concurrently highlighting the deeply flawed problematic traditions. Okonkwo is a deeply tragic protagonist who you struggle to resonate with as the novel progresses, but then the second act hits a tonal shift and becomes a colonial case study where his autonomy is taken. It’s a story equally perplexing as it is sad.

3.5/5

Nail on the head here, well said

Read this straight after Less Than Zero, love this one also. Didn’t really care about the Paul perspective tho, but the Sean character is so hilariously written that I forgive it.

Also crazy how I haven’t read a book in 3 months and now did 2 in 9 days or so. They kinda short books but still

Finally read The fall. Good read, Clamence was speaking directly to me at times and the humour felt cruel and authentic.

4/5

I'm definitely gonna have to read this one again cuz I'm not confident i received all i could from it.

books i finished this year so far (both started before 2023)

Don’t read much self help but i very much enjoyed this one and rec it to anyone, s*** playing a crucial role in my recent anxiety and that’s a great sign for the book on warning u to not waste ur 20s lol

finished this the other day loved it, his essay on Americanism and Fordism is one of the best explanation i seen on how the superstructure and base interact. Plus the the other things Gramsci gets praised for like hegemony and organic intellectual were great as well

Adulthood Rites by Octavia Butler

I like the direction this story is going. The questions that this story continues to present provoke deep thought and introspection that I don't think I can fully comprehend without taking more time to engage with it. Unfortunately, did not enjoy this one as much as the first. The aura of the new world and new beings has sort of worn off and the humans have become a lot more interesting than the aliens but also maybe that's the point.. 4/5