This must be “the book corner” of the house. In fact, it is not as in shadows as it seems. When taking shots with Polaroid, if the background is brighter, the foreground appears darker. And while I am being prudent while saying that, I should not be ashamed to admit that I took the same shot three times until I got the one I wanted. A great example showing the careless use of resources.
I think this chair, the view and the coffee table that I used to stretch my feet accompanied all the books I read this year. I finished my last book this week. As I am stay under the influence of the books I have finished for some time, I do not think that I will be able to finish another book by the end of the year. So I decided to devote this time to looking back at some of the books I read this year.
I do not think I have made such an yearly reflection before. I have just discovered the importance of keeping track of what I have done. Goodreads helped me do this in terms of books. I also have to thank my friend Saime for encouraging me to use this site.
Origins and Lies
The first book I finished this year was Scott Lynch’s The Lies of Locke Lamora. It is a precious example of the fantasy genre about the experiences of a gang of thieves living in a city-state called Camorr. The main character of the book, Locke Lamora, has my favorite character traits to be featured in stories. He is a cunning, ingenious liar, someone we cannot guess what he’s thinking. Therefore, the harmony of the title of the book with the content always brings a smile to my face.
January 25, 2020. The book I finished is Kelile and Dimne, one of the oldest collection of stories, tales and fables in human history. I heard the title of the book for the first time in a conference I attended. Someone from the audience said, “Whichever language Kelile and Dimne was translated into in human history, we witnessed the rise of the state that was using that language on the stage of history. I can say it was an interesting book. As I embrace the theory that the essence of all stories written and told around the world are similar, I tried to read this book as the “starting point” of all stories. Was it the starting point? I don’t know, if I can convince myself enough, why not?
Nearly Unfinished Ones
Ah, I saw the following books on the list: The Maltese Falcon, The Celestine Prophecy and The Parrot’s Theorem. I was barely able to finish them. I actually want to talk about how I came to learn about these books, that part is definitely more interesting. It was a student of mine who suggested me to read The Parrot’s Theorem. I added The Maltese Falcon on my reading list years ago. I started to read it after an the writing techniques used in the book were praised a lot by different authors. Although the story contains historical elements and twists that I love, the “noir” genre is not for me at all. It was entirely by chance that I met The Celestine Prophecy. I think this book was the best selling book on my birthday. Maybe it was something else, I’m not sure. Okay, the philosophy the book was trying to explain was interesting indeed, but the author’s language was not convincing at all.
Comics and Science
This year, comics entered my reading list for the first time. 120, rue de la Gare, Ordinary Victories and Tepe. All three were interesting comics with their own unique style. It would have been better if I haven’t neglected this genre until now. I gifted the books to my friends. I guess when I have an amazing experience, I just want to share it with them.
Another book on the list is Thinking: Fast and Slow. The theories in this book about thinking, which made me think about thinking, actually made me think how little I thought about my own thinking. I can say that this book didn’t teach me things I do not know, but it showed me how little I made use of what I thought I knew. This was actually the main promise of the book. I just think they didn’t have to tell it in 500 pages because, towards the end, it almost entered my “Almost Unfinished Books” list.
Curtain Call
It was actually nice to close the year I started with fantastic literature with the same genre. I finished the year with three books of Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series. Were the books very good in terms of language usage? No. However, I can say that I read a series that left its mark in me thanks to its detailed world, the dilemmas the characters fell into and its plot twists. It was over 1300 pages in total. I must have been so annoyed by the pressure of work that I read 1000 pages in just three weeks. Finishing the stories of the characters I got used to during this time was like being separated from someone you know very well. I haven’t experienced that before.
When I think about the question of which is the best book I’ve read this year, I find the answer within a few seconds. Pedro Paramo. I have read it for the second time this year, and writer Juan Rulfo led me through an amazing new interpretations. Along with One Hundred Years of Solitude by Marquez, which is actually inspired by this book, it is on the top of “my favorite books” list.
I have read a few more books, but there is no need to extend this already long post by writing about them. The rest are in my Goodreads account. If you want to talk about the books, I’ll be in “the book corner” of house, sitting in my chair.