Jon Reading Books > Recent Status Updates

Hosea: Angry tones discussing literal and symbolic adultery, YHWH's unhappy relationship with his worshipers, who continually seem to turn to other deities.

Daniel: Jewish resistance to foreign tyranny. Egyptians and Babylonians mostly, seems a recurring them, one which again appears in Daniel. Interestingly, the bible inspires much of Western culture—itself including an innate anathema and fierce resistance to the encroachment of the tyranny of foreign powers.

I'm happy to see the emergence of history I'm familiar with; namely, Alexander of Macedon's conquest.

Cornwell is like comfort food to my tastes. He's one of two authors (the other being fantasy writer Joe Abercrombie) whose books I can pick up and be 95% sure I'll love them no matter the subject.

Ezekiel: Quite the scatterbrained book. A bit abstract; I found it difficult to keep track of the actual narrative. Humorously, they read like the ramblings of a mad prophet more than anything concrete or meaningful to non-believers.

I was unable to locate the famous quotation Jules makes in Tarantino's famous film Pulp Fiction, but I did find several Ezekiel passages which clearly inspired Tarantino's pen.

I'll be reading this new 2015 Oliver Ready translation alongside the classic Constance Garnett translation from 1914. I'll compare and contrast the two in a review when I finish the book(s).

Lamentations: A short poetic book centered on Jeremiah's sadness at the fall of Jerusalem. At face value, Jerusalem is destroyed—its people raped and tortured—all because of their failure in their covenant with their god. However, when looking at the book as a cry of misery after a sacking, it takes a significantly different shape from that which is present on paper.

Jeremiah: The story of a prophet whose warnings of destruction are ignored is a very compelling story. There remains a tone of hopefulness throughout but, as usual, this being a religious text renders most of its potential storytelling impact dry and unengaging to me—a non-Christian.

A tough read as a dog love, but I'm already engrossed by London's writing.

Zero interest in reading this right now. One day I'll push through, but not now.

"Work hard. Live modestly. Look at the big picture."

I was listening to this on audio but I'm putting it on hold until I get a paper copy because it's too dense and fantastical for me to fully grasp without actually reading.

Quintessential Murakami novel. Just a shame you have to read the prior 3 in series to fully appreciate it. Maybe the best novel of his I've read.

Why is every male character in this book a massive creep? I get that it's a dark story but this sort of polar characterization (surprise! Nearly every female character is kind and sympathetic) feels contrived and agenda-driven.

168

This is a tough read.

Really good.

I enjoy that Murakami is just going all-out with this one.

First Murakami book on audio 🎧

Beach reads loaded up and ready to go for vacation next week. 😎