Friday, December 20, 2019

2019 Book List

I couldn't make it you guys. By my measurement, I couldn't finish reading 5 books this year. Well I guess I can if I want to rush the current book I'm reading, but since I have other useless stuff to do, I'd rather spread my time doing nothing equally. I had someone asked me how I like to fill my free time and when I said I like watching stuff, the lady was like stunned in the uselessness of it all :D She was like implying I should be doing better things with my time and here I am honestly feeling I actually don't have enough time to do the things I like to do :D Life, it's such a chore.

So anyways books read this year:

0. The Tattooist of Auschwitz - Heather Morris
1. The Luminaries - Eleanor Catton
2. Milkman - Anna Burns
3. The Overstory - Richard Powers
4. An Ice-Cream War - William Boyd

So that's kinda 5 books, but since I started The Tattooist of Auschwitz last year, I can't really count it in. The Luminaries took the longest to read - started in January and finished in May. It's the thickest. I didn't write about An Ice-Cream War when I finished reading it. It was surprisingly an interesting read and I like it a lot. I also learned a bit of history. It's about the stories of different people whose lives were changed when World War I broke. The interesting part is that this book tells the stories from the perspective of the war that was being waged in East Africa. When you talk about WWI, the one happened in Africa doesn't get talked about right? Like I never heard of it before this at all. At that time The British and German had occupied some areas in East Africa. The people didn't really have any animosity towards each other, but when the war broke in Europe, even though they're far away in Africa they had no choice but to fight each other. Though it's a war story with some sad heart-breaking moments, it's actually kinda funny and silly. One of the characters, an American, was like annoyed at the inconvenience the war caused him. Well everyone in the book would agree that the war was stupid, see no meaning to it, and would rather get it done and over it and get on with life. Unfortunately and frustratingly for everyone, the war which was supposed to be short went pretty long.

The book was published in the year I was born and when I started it I was a bit worried that the writing would feel Jane Austen old which would make it a difficult read, but it wasn't like that at all. It's easy to read. In the year I was born people couldn't conceive the concept of reality TV, but reading the book at this age gave me that feeling. It felt nice checking in on the different characters and seeing what they're doing. There were things that I would have liked to learn more, like what some characters thought about some things, but they weren't explored. Things like these always make me wonder why and how authors chose to disclose certain events or information. I just have to comfort myself with thinking that it's like life, we don't always get the answer.

So now, I'm reading There There by Tommy Orange. It tells the stories of American Indians in this modern age. Another thing that I don't have much knowledge about. Kinda nice to learn new things, for example I didn't know that there was an occupation of the Alcatraz by some Indians in the 1970s. It now makes sense of the graffiti that I saw there. I think the audio guide didn't mention any of this. It's very ignorant of me to only learn about this 4 years later.

So far the book is okay. I can't really say that I'm engrossed in it, maybe it'll get better? Of the books this year, hard to choose which one I like best. I know the ones I like more are: The Luminaries, The Overstory, and An Ice-Cream War. I thought about it and I really cannot choose which one I like best. It's weird that perhaps the funniest is the story about war.

On other subject, how have your end of the year been going? The usual me vacillate from being light due to the holidays to feeling dark due to the fact that the year is ending, a new one is beginning where I'm older and things seem very likely to be going the same way. It's like another year of this?!?! Aarrggh :( This is what all depressed people at this time of the year feel I guess. Anyways, Chinese New Year is early next year. I'm going home so that's one thing to look forward to. I also have a plan on what I want to do next year, but I don't know if I'll get to do it. Courage is what I need. For awhile there's only that one plan which made me think that maybe it's good that you don't have plan B so that you really will make that plan happen and work. However plan B suddenly presented itself as an alternative. Though I haven't fleshed it out, plan B is easier and requires less courage. I don't know, I feel like An Ice-Cream War is like a sign on what I need to do next, but I guess we also have to wait and see how things reveal themselves next year.

:) eKa @ 7:20:00 PM • 0 comments