Finished Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.

Started: The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller. I went to the bookstore to pick up Circe but couldn't find it, so I picked this up to see if I'd be interested. Three chapters later I decided to buy it. Loving it so far!

Put aside: The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories, by H.P. Lovecraft. This book was going very slowly for me and I was finding that I wasn't excited to pick it back up every day. I enjoyed a few stories but most I didn't like. The racism is also a little tough to get through. I'm still interested in a few stories left in the book so I'm putting it aside for now and will explore it again in the future I think.

Finished:

Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - it was an easy read. I flew through the pages. I was interested and engaged with the surroundings and the characters. I enjoyed it.

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead - I should have loved this book but I didn't. Much like The Wind Up Bird Chronicles by Murakami, it just left me cold. Great idea though.

Transatlantic by Colum McCann - I would have given this poor marks for the first half but the second half tied it together and made even the first half more interesting in retrospect. I ended up really liking it.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides - it got me. I scoffed and thought I had it figured out and then I didn't. Quick, easy and interesting and the ending makes it.

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Started:

Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James

The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller

Currently just over halfway through. It's an interesting take on a famous story, even though everyone knows how it ends I think it's a pretty good read so far. I can already tell I am going to be getting back into mythology after this if anyone has good suggestions.

I finished:

Dubliners, by James Joyce -- 4/5. I feel like this could easily be a 5 star read though once I read it again, and this definitely deserves a second read through. Some of the stories are better than others, but about halfway through I finally started to see what Joyce was doing with the collection as a whole. In order to appreciate this better, I want to learn a bit more about Irish politics in the 1890s because I definitely missed some references in that regard. Joyce's prose is of course masterful, though something about his diction does lull me to sleep a little bit. On the stories I found a bit more boring (ex: Ivy Day in the Committee Room) I nodded off a bit, but it was merely soothing in other chapters, like The Dead. Overall I really liked it and I'm glad I gave Joyce a chance again. I wasn't super into his writing after reading some excerpts from Ulysses in high school, but his short stories are much more my speed.

The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller -- 4.5/5. I've been chewing on this for a couple days now, might bump it up to a 5 star read. It's definitely kept me interesting in revisiting Greek mythology as a whole, which I haven't given much thought since high school and a reading from Ovid's Metamorphoses in college. There's something I dearly love about how Miller has recreated this story faithfully, while also striving to give agency to Patroclus and the female characters in the story. I don't know that many other authors would have though to give so much care to Briseis, Deidameia, or Thetis. The prose was gorgeous, but sparse in a way I thought was appropriate. It's just a really excellent book; I loved it so much.

I'm currently reading:

Circe, by Madeline Miller -- I'm going to finish this up today hopefully. I wanted to get through both of Miller's books over the long weekend. I'm actually loving this a little more than TSOA so far in some respects though. I think Circe is a frustratingly relatable character, even more so than Patroclus. It makes me bitterly sad for her and sometimes it's just too much. If anything's bringing my enjoyment of the book down, it's that I think the gods are too cruel and harsh towards her. I'm about halfway through and excited to get to the parts with Odysseus.

Finished:

The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History, by Robert M. Edsel and Bret Witter

Interesting story about a military unit charged with finding and saving great works of art stolen and hoarded by the Nazis during World War 2. Remarkable. I wanted to read this before seeing the movie.

Started:

The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller

Not far into it yet. The prose is excellent.

Continuing:

Cleopatra: A Life, by Stacy Schiff

I thought it would be interesting to see who Cleopatra really was. The level of detail makes this biography a little slow going. Still worth it.

Finished The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller.

Reading:

Finished:

The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller

Started slow, and I just didn't understand the fuss. Once it got to the Trojan War, it became cracking good and I couldn't put it down. Now I undersstand the fuss. Excellent.

Started:

Salvage the Bones, by Jesmyn Ward

Powerful and wrenching look at rural poverty. Ward's writing is vivid and muscular.

Annals of the Former World, by John McPhee

This is a monster of a book. It's actually the compilation of 5 books that describe the geology of the United States through McPhee's travels across the continent in the company of noted geologists. I have wanted to read this for a while, but it's so huge that I was intimidated. I found a hardcopy sitting on the ongoing used book sale rack at my library for $2 and I took it as a sign that it's time to start. It is extremely well written and far more engaging than you might expect for a book so rich in information.

Listening:

I've made 5 hour round trips to the mountains for camping and hiking each of the past 2 weekends, which gave me some quality listening time

Finished:

The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World, by Stephen Brusatte

Loaded with the latest scientific information on dinosaurs. Very good.

Started:

Lab Girl, Hope Jahren

This book is extraordinary. It's made all the better by the fact that it's read by Jahren herself. Jahren somehow manages to teach us some arcane details of plant biology and evolution while sharing intimate details of her life, relationships, and path to becoming a renowned scientist. It is a perfect example of what a memoir can be. I'm nearing the end, and I will miss listening to it.

I had a few books going that I finally finished this past week! Caraval, by Stephanie Garber was a fun YA book that took less than a day to fly through. Then I finished Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller and really enjoyed it, looking forward to her new book that just came out. Then finished up another YA book, Red Queen that was so bad I won't even go into it here. Then onto Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore, by Robin Sloan, which I LOVED. Now I'm about halfway through Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer. It's okay, but I'm looking forward to some of his other work more than this particular book.

I’m still reading Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller and Circe, by Madeline Miller. I just graduated (yay!) so hopefully I can finally finish them this week!

Aaa a graduation gift, I bought Not That Bad, by Roxane Gay and I am super excited to read that! Gay is one of my favorite authors.

Started:

The Silence of the Girls, by Pat Barker

- I never got into her Regeneration Trilogy as a teenager (a book for a bit later in life perhaps), but the cover of this book was what caught my eye in the store (sad, yes) and the story seemed like a nice counterpart to Madeline Millers' Circe which I didn't really enjoy reading..

A Game of Thrones, by GRR Martin

- Re-reading this for the 2nd time after a disappointing end to the television series.. the book is brilliant

Reading:

Call me by your name, by Andre Aciman

Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller

Rivers of London, by Ben Aaronovitch

The Iron King, by Maurice Durais

Overstory, by Richard Powers

Twelveth Night, by Will Shakespeare

Somewhat abandoned:

Lincoln in the Bardo, by George Saunders

The Magicians Land, by Lev Grossman

Hopefully not perpetually abandoned :

Ulysses, by James Joyce

- Will Self assured me that this would change my life after I "got" it after a 3rd or 4th reading .. I remain optimistic

Finished:

None of the above for the reason that I have the attention span of a goldfish.

The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller

This is a book I've been meaning to read for a few years now but was finally spurred into doing so from seeing all of the fantastic reviews Circe was getting. I'm not too far into it yet but I'm liking what I've read a lot so far and the book is really, really making me want to go ahead and write my own idea for a retelling of my favorite Greek myth, that of Daedalus and Icarus.

The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller

Worked my way through:

Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Gran.

Getting started on:

Circe by Madeline Miller

Watership Down by Richard Adams

Stray City by Chelsey Johnson, which is our book club pick for September.

Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller

I mistakenly thought this was a SEQUEL to Circe. So I bought it before even thinking about touching Circe ... but the book is really good and I'm definitely enjoying it. Gonna be honest, it was a little awkward (slight spoiler) >!wondering if Achilles and Patroclus were like ... INTO each other like that (bc I had NO clue that was coming), but after it happened, I wasnt in that weird limbo are they/arent they phase.!< Currently listening. The narrator is fantastic and british. I know I'd be messing up the names if I were reading this from a book.

This Is Me: Loving the Person You Are Today, by Chrissy Metz

Not familiar with the actress because I have not seen This is Us, but I'm about halfway through the book and it is quite the enjoyable read! I saw a lot of positive ratings on amazon and thought I'd give the book a try when I saw it at the library. She goes through some tough things growing up, but you're still happy and feel good reading her story because she finds the bright spots. I find myself laughing and breezing through this one

Finished

The Regulars, by Georgia Clark - look this is a great premise, shoddily delivered.

Girls Burn Brighter, by Shobha Rao - this book DESTROYED ME. I burned through it in a day, I couldn't put it down. It's horrific while never being horribly graphic in a way I cannot explain. It calmly, without ever feeling like it's trying for shock value, tells the tale of women in lesser known parts of the world and the crimes comitted against them, with a constant, sweeping tale of female friendship at it's very core. It was beautiful, it was moving, it made me cry it made me feel, and it made me want to reach out to all my girlfriends and hold them close.

Next Up

The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller

Finished: The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller and wow was this one of my favorite books of the year. If you have any interest in Greek mythology, the Iliad, or just fantastic writing I would highly recommend this!

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Starting today: East of Eden, by John Steinbeck. It's a daunting task, but I've heard so many good things and it's been on my list for some time. Excited to finally give it a go.

Norwegian Wood, by Haruki Murakami Finished and really enjoyed it. Not as good as Kafka, but still a good coming of age story with some interesting outlooks on death. I plan on reading Wind-up next.

The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller Finished this and I liked it but not as much as Circe. The narrator is less likable in this.

The End of the Affair, by Graham Greene Finished. The first 100 pages of this were great and then it just fizzled out for me. Too much about some weird religious awakening one of the characters has that just didn't really make a lot of sense.

The Library Book, by Susan Orlean Finished. I enjoyed it for it's history of the library, wish it wasn't just mostly about the LA library though. I would recommend if you work in a library though.

Finished:

The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller Not entirely what I expected. Beautiful writing, a beautiful old romance, and enjoyable story though.

Still working on a couple others and started and close to finishing Foundation, by Isaac Asimov.

This week I finished Hello World: How to be Human in the Age of the Machine, by Hannah Fry and The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller. Both enjoyable.

This week on the Drunk Guys Book Club Podcast we read (for Easter) Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, by Christopher Moore. Next week, The Mueller Report.

I finished The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller which I really enjoyed, though it was a quick read. I've heard good things about Circe, so I'll be trying that one soon.

I've now started The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern. Everyone and their mother has told me this book was good, so I'm excited to get into it.

I'm also still reading The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien . My boyfriend and I have been reading it to each other, which is fun!

Finished:
Dune, by Frank Herbert

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Started:
The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller

I just started Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.

Just started Ramp Hollow: The Ordeal of Appalachia, by Steven Stoll yesterday, so not much of an opinion has developed yet. It is right up my alley, though, as I love to read about my home region.

Maybe a little less than a quarter through my fiction book The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller and am eager to dig further into the story.

Finished: Tiamat's Wrath, by James S.A. Corey

Started: The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller

Finished 1493, by Charles C. Mann and started The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller.

Crazy Rich Asians, by Kevin Kwan

I'm a fan of the movie, and I can't help but feel that I have started the book too soon because my mind is still reeling from the differences between novel and movie. Most likely going to read something else, then go back to it later when the movie isn't so fresh in my mind.

The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller

I've reached as far as what Kindle sample has shown me and have just recently purchased the book. Looking forward to read Patroclus' new life after exile! :O

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Finished: The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller

Starting: The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil, by Philip Zimbardo

Finished:

The Reluctant Queen, by Sarah Beth Durst and The Queen of Sorrow, by Sarah Beth Durst I went on a binger to finish the trilogy since I liked book one so much. These two weren't as good, but still enjoyable.

The Ingenious, by Darius Hinks This one had a somber tone, the lead going in and out of fugue-like states as she dealt with addiction while still trying to live up to heavy expectations. Really liked it!

Still Reading:

Noir, by Christopher Moore and The Golem and the Jinni

Started:

The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller Read Circe last year and liked it, so now getting to Miller's first book.

Binti: Home, by Nnedi Okorafor A short novella. Slim, so it's easier to carry around.

The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller

Finished: The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller - Fantastic book. Loved it from start to end. Also Patrochilles

Started: Circe, by Madeline Miller - I've heard a lot of great things about this book and judging from her last I'm sure it won't disappoint.

Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller. I had heard this and it's follow-up Circe were good, so I thought I would start with this one. It's okay but so far not that great. It is just kind of boring.

Finished:

The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton - I really struggled how to rate this book. The writing was beautiful, the characters vividly drawn, the setting unique and the story interesting. I loved how the ending explained the beginning. That being said - I had a hard time pushing through the middle and I read this book slower than most.

Weirdo by Cathi Unsworth - I needed an easier read after The Luminaries. I liked this book. It was a good genre read and I was actually surprised at who the victim was even though the rest of it was fairly predictable. As a 80's music fan I especially appreciated the chapters being named after awesome New-Wave songs.

The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwon - a beautiful little book. I couldn't relate to the loss of faith parts personally so it all seemed a little overwrought to me but the writing was good and the story interesting. Will was an obsessive creep but I find flawed characters interesting.

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Started:

Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - I am about halfway done. It is wonderfully written and I am flying through it even though I don't really want to.

If you're enjoying Circe, you might enjoy The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller as well.

Finished:

The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller

I am Legend, by Richard Matheson

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Started:

The Winter of the Witch, by Katherine Arden

Finished: The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller

Started: Red, White & Royal Blue, by Casey McQuiston

Finished

The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee

An amazing book that expands the Avatar the Last Airbender lore. I really loved learning and going through this adventure with Avatar Kyoshi and seeing her struggles and journey.

Started

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Adorable book, I’m really enjoying it so far.

Did manage to finish The Anubis Gates before I had to return it. Still working on East of Eden on audiobook. Started The Widows of Malabar by Sujata Massey--it's fascinating. Also started Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Jury's out on it.

I finished The Songs of Achilles by Madeline Miller and started reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I enjoyed The Songs of Achilles last so much that I ordered a box-set of The Iliad and The Odyssey (Fagle translation).

Just finished The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller. It a wonderful book that makes a familiar ancient myth feel alive, human, and new. I also highly recommend her other, more recent book, Circe.

Finished

Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

We Have Always Lived in a Castle, by Shirley Jackson

Started

The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller