From My Bookshelf: Sense, Gospel, Epic, Tequila

I’m just now remembering that I did not do a From My Bookshelf post in December, so I’ll add an extra book to this one. The beginning of the year has been busy for me, which has reminded me of how motivated I become when I’m busy. I’m already on a great path for making my posts much more regular, which I believe to be the result of the aforementioned busy-ness and the need to distract myself from really anything going on in the world right now. BUT ANYWAYS, here are four books from my shelves:

The Sense of an Ending Julian Barnes

I read this novel in college. Or at least I remember it being assigned to be read. And by the existence of all the sticky notes on the pages, I did read it. There are some wonderful passages I marked, like this:

Does character develop over time? In novels, of course it does: otherwise there wouldn’t be much of a story. But in life? I sometimes wonder. Our attitudes and opinions change, we develop new habits and eccentricities; but that’s something different, more like decoration. Perhaps character resembles intelligence, except that character peaks a little later: between twenty and thirty, say. And after that, we’re just stuck with what we’ve got. We’re on our own. If so, that would explain a lot of lives, wouldn’t it? And also – if this isn’t too grand a word – our tragedy.

And now I remember it being filled with passages similar to this, and no real story that I was interested in. I’m going to have to read it again…

The Avian Gospels Adam Novy

This little gem (approximately 6″H x 3″W) is also a novel I read in college. The end-of-the-world hellscape that Adam Novy created is phenomenal (I love this book). Art, humanity, books, society – nothing is off limits or avoided; the book is designed in the same way as a bible, for example. Additionally, for the class I read this novel in, Adam Novy himself came in to talk to us about the book, and about life, of course. That was quite phenomenal, too.

Dune Frank Herbert

I tried reading this book when I was in middle school, and it was so complex right from the beginning that I couldn’t stay focused enough to enjoy it. And I want to at least give it a solid chance, since it’s “Science Fiction’s Supreme Masterpiece” – per everyone and the little line on the cover of this edition. I will reread this in 2017; I may count it as my novel over 500 words in my Reading Challenge.*

Tequila Mockingbird Tim Federle

This was a Christmas gift from a friend, and while I have yet to make a cocktail inspired by literary masterpieces,** I have loved reading through all the concoctions. There are even bonus food recipes and drinking games included!

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*Edited January 2018: Onto this year’s Reading Challenge, it goes (along with the others)!

**Edited January 2018: I’ve made a few of these since this post.