July '26 Reading Recap
Spoiler-Free Reviews
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July was a good reading month! Although I’m approaching the end of the summer and I haven’t read most of what I wanted to read this season, I made do with the books I have read and it was (mostly) great!
July Book Club Pick
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
For July, I asked my book club to recommend a summer reading book, a novel they read in summer in between high school. Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None won out and with it came my first foray into the mystery genre and first ever novel by Christie herself and the best thing I can say about it is that it’s fine.
I understand how Christie changed the mystery genre and I appreciate how this novel is different from the standard detective, procedural base storytelling. The writing is accessible, the mystery is compelling, and most of the characters are interesting. It’s a solid read and if you love the genre, I can see why one would enjoy this. I’m just not much of a mystery reader and felt rather indifferent to the book as a whole. I appreciate the club for making me read a book I wouldn’t otherwise read and I would still read a few more novels by Christie, but this was still a tepid read for me.
Personal Reads
The Odyssey by Homer (Translated by Robert Fagles)
Much like my experience with The Iliad, what I thought this epic poem is about, is but a small aspect to the whole story. The ‘adventure’ as sea that everyone knows about is but a small portion of this epic, and while fun and entertaining, they aren’t even the best parts of the book.
Fagles translation is poetic and a pretty easy read for an avid reader. I had the benefit of also listening to it, narrated by Ian McKellan who was fantastic and helped me with the immersion of the story. As good and popular as The Odyssey is, I think I give the slight edge to the Iliad, - it’s grander and the themes of honor and respect hit harder for me. The Odyssey is more camp (not derogatory) and that’s probably the main appeal that has made this so special and Odysseus is a great character of ancient times and his struggle to return home can be seen as relatable for men.
Life For Sale by Yukio Mishima
A fun, darkly comical misadventure of a man trying desperately to die, that slowly turns itself into a conspiracy thriller has become one of my favorite reads of the year.
Despite being written and published in the 60’s, it feels so modern and addresses a decent amount of todays societal problems, from depression, male loneliness, and dangerous conspiracy theorists, I see why this novel (and Mishima as well) have found new life in our current times. Mishima speaks to our anxieties through our main protagonist who somehow entertaining, despite being a bore.
Whether you are aware or not of Mishima’s questionable beliefs, I think there’s something to take away from this novel. Never thought I’d be interested in reading another novel by him but here we are!
The Skating Rink by Roberto Bolaño (Translated by Chris Andrews)
This is the second novel I’ve read by Bolaño, but this is his first published work and while not bad, it shows. It’s a stylized narrative where we read the accounts of 3 men as they talk about a murder in their small Spanish town. It’s an engrossing read with the prose/translation actually being excellent and I know his writing only gets better from here.
I do think the voice for 2 of the 3 characters sound the same, with the most corrupt, reprehensible character being the most fun to read (I almost wish it was entirely from his POV). And the main woman, who the plot seemingly revolves around, is barely a character, she’s just… kinda there. But overall, the novel is a solid read and offers a small glimpse at what I believe Bolaño will do later on in his career.
Currently Reading:
Nazi Literature in the Americas by Roberto Bolaño
The Aeneid by Virgil (Translated by Robert Fagles)
What did YOU read in July? Have you read any of the books I read? Let’s talk about it!
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I've been putting off reading your posts for too long now, so I'm kinda discovering your page.
It's a small detail, but I really like your catchphrase "Writing is a luxury, but it is still a form of labor."
It exactly hits the mark, I think.
I read "Anna Karenina" -- still wrapping up those last 100 pages; "Enigma Variations" by Andre Aciman (wrote about it on my page); and some select chapters of "Moby-Dick", because I'm always reading "Moby-Dick"