The Bookshelf: 09.25

Welcome to my bookshelf, where I take you through the books I've read each month and my thoughts on them!

Disclaimer: Beware, I am much behind on my monthly posts, so expect a sudden influx of posts over the next few days as I attempt to catch up...

Stats
Cue Timothée Chalamet's "Statistics" video.(1) I love tracking various things in my reading, such as format, genre, rating, etc. However, I won't bore you with all that, I'll just share the most interesting bits :)
In September, I read three books, one epic poem, one play, and one graphic novel. I listened to about twenty audiobook hours this month (the cardigan was in fact finished(2) and a new project of a sweater was begun). No five star books this month, but I would say my favorite was Mockingjay. This was my first read of the Hunger Games series, and while I have not continued to Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes yet, I have plans to begin it soon. We had another DNF this month: The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges. This was gifted to me in the pile of random Christian self-help books I received from acquaintances at high school graduation, so there is little sadness at placing this book in the donate pile after giving it a good three chapter shot.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
★★★★☆
My first time listening to the audiobooks, mostly as I crocheted! Not much to say, as I was very much reading for vibes and it's my fifth or so reading of the series. Every autumn I try to watch the movies and pick up the books in some form. The first two are not my favorites, but I appreciate them for the childlike wonder of Harry discovering the wonder of a world he didn't know existed.

The Epic of Gilgamesh
★★★★☆
I have read this once before, but I enjoyed going through the epic poem with the guide of my world literature professor, though we did spend a good 2-3 weeks on it, which seemed excessive. It is fascinating to me that Gilgamesh does not receive immortality in the end, and makes me wonder how the ancients thought about immortality and the inevitability of death.

The Household and the War for the Cosmos by C.R. Wiley
★★★☆☆
I wanted this book to be so much more with a title like that! I was hoping for a nuanced and brilliant discussion in line with Lewis' The Discarded Image applied to family dynamics and Christian parenting. Instead, it felt like a few lectures that were better suited to oral media, like a podcast. Ultimately, I don't remember much from the book itself, though the premise was promising.

Mockingjay by Susanne Collins
★★★★☆
As my first time through the Hunger Games, to be honest I have been consistently underwhelmed. This installment finally provided some of the political and social commentary I have been looking for (and possibly missing) from the previous books. I somehow have avoided all spoilers from this series my entire life (other than the love triangle), so I was thoroughly on the edge of my seat while finishing the last 25% of the book as my housemates constantly checked on where I was in the final pages. It was also much more graphic than I would have expected, and I am glad I did not read these books in high school. I definitely always breeze through the books, and I am hoping the new prequels will add to the social commentary.

Garlic and the Vampire by Bree Paulsen
★★★★☆
A cute little graphic novel I read one night! I love the movie Hotel Transylvania, and it had a similar lightheartedness to the monsters being described. I found it hilarious that the possible cannibalism of the sentient vegetable gardeners was quickly dismissed. The art style was also enjoyable and autumnal.

Oedipus Rex by Sophocles
★★★★☆
I did not expect this ancient play to be so readable and enjoyable! While my world literature did beat this horse to death a bit as with Gilgamesh, it inspired me to go read more Sophocles (and at the time of writing this in October, I read Antigone). It does remain a mystery to my psych and literary self what the meaning of Oedipus by Matthew Thiessen & the Earthquakes is supposed to signify, though I've never let that hinder my enjoyment of the song and will continue not to ;)

Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy
★★★☆☆
I listened to this on audio, and it was definitely the right move. I enjoyed this imagination of Marilla's life, but honestly I was not very engaged. Overall, it was very alright and I don't remember many specific details worth noting.

(1) If you've never seen this, you're welcome.
(2) We will ignore the ends that are calling to me to be woven in...