Norwegian Wood is a book that I finished a month ago and have since changed my goodreads review from 4 stars to 5 stars because of how powerful and shocking it was, highly recommend
Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng These books are both about the complex ways that history shapes us. I think you'd really enjoy the first since you're reading historical fiction. It's about the Cultural Revolution in China except it's about so much more than that. The second one is a family drama about the lies we tell each other out of love. The novel opens with the discovery of the eldest daughter's death and traces how the family got there and the way they are wounded and try to heal. The end had me sobbing in public. I should reread it.
Thank you for sharing. This is my first video of yours, from the algorithm. Honestly, I’m so happy to see the subscriber count yet your style is so clean and simple like a smaller channel. Don’t change. Thanks for the recommendations, especially from a Kingsnorth/Byzantine philosophical/fantastical interest that I share.
I play most videos at 1.5 speed, saw this on Recommended, clicked it, then almost knocked my tablet over to put the speed to normal. Your videos are always concise and thought provoking, so I need the time to think lol 0:15
You know it's a good video if I come out of it with more books on my reading list! I've read quite a few short books recently, but the two that have stuck with me so far have been Herman Hesse's Steppenwolf and Siddhartha. There's something really captivating in the esoteric prose, that deep, introspective search for oneness and the many obstacles, self-imposed, societal or otherwise. They've been a very unique experience in that respect. And again, great video, Jared!
Agreed, "Digital Minimalism" is one of the very few self-help books that were worth the read. I would add "Make Time" by Zeratsky and Knapp to the (very) short list.
I would say that David Goggins' Can't Break Me is very good too, both from a motivation (developing an instinctual liking and appreciation for working hard) and a how-to standpoint. Gary Vaynerchuk's Twelve and a Half is also pretty good on both those standpoints, especially the real-life scenarios list in the second half of the book.
I finished Anna Karenina a couple months back. It's always a little scary reading a hugely famous super long classic, because you never know if it will have been overhyped, but Karenina was amazing, super excited to read War and Peace eventually. Jared if you are interested in Byzantium you should look up John Julius Norwhich, he is a historian of the eastern Meditearrean and wrote a super well respected 3 volume history of the Byzantine Empire.
I think the most interesting and unusual book I’ve read recently is ‘Rental Person Who Does Nothing’. It’s a non-fiction book about a man who ‘rents’ himself out to people to do nothing with them. Some people just want someone to walk with them someplace new, some need a person present to move forward on a project…it’s really interesting the kinds of requests he gets. He is very much a tennis-shoe philosopher with his ponderings about how we value humans, time, work. A quick read. 😁 Realizing I knew little about The Communist Manifesto other than how bothered people get about it, I’ve started reading an annotated version edited by Phil Gaspar, who does a nice job of setting the document within its context.
The Warlord Chronicles also deeply emotionally affected me-and Lancelot was indeed so hatable!!!! I just read and loved my first Kay book with a Song for Arbonne, and I can’t wait to try the Sarantine Mosaic!!
I've recently finished a collection of Sherlock Holmes stories, the Franklin Library Great Cases of Sherlock Holmes. I had been meaning to read it for a while since I read Hound of the Baskervilles over a decade ago, when I was in U.S. high school, and grew up watching mystery TV shows and movies with my family, including some based on Sherlock Holmes. I'd say it lived up to my expectations. Him and other characters generally match up to what I know of them from TV representations, although he isn't a socially inept borderline sociopath as in the Sherlock series, which is nice. The stories go fast enough you don't get bored but the writing is still just descriptive enough you can generally see the settings in your head (it can help to already have some conception in your head though as I suppose a lot of people would anyways), and I generally like the dialogue. There's some off-hand things Sherlock says that seem like genuinely good advice about reasoning about the world. I almost never guessed the end exactly, and I watched a RU-vid video (can't remember by who) that suggested we're not really supposed to so we can marvel at Holmes' genius, which makes sense. This may sound cheap but with Sherlock's explanations I still felt the twists made sense and weren't cheap. There was one story where I felt I should've guessed the ending once it came about, but the story did a good job of leading in the wrong direction. The particular collection I read did have most of the big characters I was hoping to read about (Irene Adler, Moriarty, Charles Augustus Milverton, Lestrade, though unfortunately much Mycroft at all). I'm taking a break from Holmes now but I now have a book of the complete short stories so plan to read all the ones I missed with this collection.
I've had a wonderful reading year so far: I finished A Canticle for Leibowitz and loved it, as well as enjoyed some mid-century Italian fiction by Ginzburg and Pavese, Pereira Maintains by Tabucchi was a phenomenal short read, and now I've just recently finished East of Eden which is going down as an all-time favourite!
Great recommendations. I love The Last Kingdom series by Bernard Cornwell, it's so much fun. Nothing insanely complicated or anything but it's got excellent action, great characters, absolutely hilarious moments and intriguing plot twists; plus the usual historical accuracy.
What’d you make of it? I had to read it for my degree and, agree or disagree with the analyses, more than any other book I’ve ever read, I feel it forced me to become a better thinker.
@@tonys.5029 I don’t know about becoming a better thinker but it is a great exercise indeed, and it provides a coherent foundation to many convictions that otherwise would be dismissed on a book as self evident. I did post a recent video called ‘The Phenomenology of Spirit Concludes’ where I summed up my thoughts a bit more in depth if you’re interested. But in order to have a solid opinion about it, I definitely need to let it sink in for a bit longer, it is still too recent.
Have you tried A. A. Attanasio's take on Arthur? It begins with 'The Dragon and the Unicorn'. I would describe Attanasio as highly intelligent; his style as mildly 'wild & unruly'... very entertaining.
If you like Arthurian Myth and are a fan of Gene Wolfe then “The Wizard Knight” is a must read. It is a lot more straightforward than The Book of the New Sun but in many ways it is much for difficult , oblique and deep. Wolfe seems to be performing tricks that I am unable to catch painting entire scenes in a few words with hidden tragedy and beauty just off the page. It have about 25 percent to go but I am enjoying every minute of this read. I have the Wolf Hall trilogy on my shelf and I need to crack those open soon. Thank you for your recommendations ! I would also recommend finishing the rest of the Solar Cycle - since you have already finished BOTNS. Urth , Long and Short Sun are modern masterpieces that belong alongside the classics.
Many years ago I read John Steinbeck's book on King Arthur. Almost no memory of it. I believe it was published after his death, so it may not be as he had intended it to be finished.
Thanks for the recommendations! I read something by Guy Gavriel Kay a long, long time ago, when I was a teenager I think, and I loved it, but somehow I forgot entirely about him until last year when I came across The Lions of Al-Rassan at the public library. Gobbled it up and remembered. So I've been wondering ever since which Kay books to read next. You're the second person I've heard endorse The Sarantine Mosaic, so I guess my question is answered.
I would highly recommend Stand out of our light by James Williams as another book on our relationship to technology, how to improve it and better, more accurate ways of framing the deeply insidious nature of certain types of tech. Helped me really get to the level of alarm at how technology was manipulating me that I needed. And it really goes into the ethics of the situation deeply. It's primary focus is the ethics of these new technologies, for us personally and society more broadly.
I loved this video because I normally read a lot but recently have taken a bit of a break from reading (been watching lots of Doctor Who for the first time and playing Suzerain the video game). This video has helped inspire me to get back in, and I am currently reading a nice novel called Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa. Happy reading to Jared and everyone else!
Warlord Chronicles elicits a surprisingly wide emotional range. I love that trilogy! I'm reading Tigana next month and Sarantine Mosaic later this year. Wishing you many more great reads!
I loved Kay's two Sarantine novels. I was really sad when I finished because I didn't want to leave the world he created. After reading a significant work like that I have to read a light-hearted novel, so I choose one of the Jim Butcher Dresden Files series. By the time I finished that I'm ready to go to something a bit deeper again, so now I'm reading Kay's A Song for Arbonne. As I'm reading it I realise that it is another work where the author to some extent is mirroring history, in this case Occitania, Eleanor of Aquitaine and I'm a bit worried that it might merge the Albigensian Crusade into it, because that was an especially evil part of history. That is of course the problem with novels, you don't want anything bad to happen to your favourite characters, but if nothing did, the story would be boring😀
Thanks so much for the recommendations. I have also been reading historical fiction recently and I started with the Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett. Now I’m reading the second book in the Kingsbridge series, The Pillars of the Earth. They are fantastic books.
We Appy Few is a great piece of historical fiction. Its the story of a hundred year old man recounting his time during the battle of Agincourt to a young Henry 8th. It delas with the nature of history, truth and language. Worth a read.
I love Cal Newport, his systems have been helpful when I'm making my own plans, and I've found a lot of good books by reading his bibliographies. His new book is on my stack! I've been rereading Discworld, my absolute favourite series, and I just got done with the Tiffany Aching books which are my faves within my fave. The way Pratchett weaves language and character and worldbuilding is immaculate, he was such a legend and gone too soon.
First, I love the Warlord Chronicles, and I’m starting Tigana soon. Wolf Hall is on my TBR 😊 As for a recent read, I loved The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim. It was a re-read and I think I loved it even more. Also just finished Solaris but I think I need time for it to percolate in my mind.
Lately I have been back to reading Stephen King beginning with a reread of the unabridged version of The Stand, and now am reading Lisey's Story which is a fun book to read for me. After that I am going to tackle The Count of Monte Cristo and someday will read War and Peace. For biographies I read Napoleon: A Life; and Caesar : Life of Colossus both real good biographies. Also read a short biography of Captain James Cook called Farther Than any Man which was OK but I was disappointed in how Cook changed as he became older leading finally to his death in Hawaii. I added a few of your books here to my wish list which eventually becomes my future reading list. Thanks
Digital minimalisim really helped me become more mindful of the technology I use, definitely recommend it to people who want to learn how to become more mindful of the technology we use.
I've read books from saxon stories, sharpes, and warlord. They are all good. Some of my favorite novels and cornwell may be one of my fav authors. Also, hello from a fellow austinite!
Hello Jared, hope you’re doing well. I would love for you to read the Legendborn series, it is unfinished as of right now but the first two books are amazing in my humble opinion. It deals with grief and it is a King Arthur retelling. It is YA but I think it is beautifully done and maybe you’ll enjoy it. Have a wonderful day, love your videos!💛💛💛
Two recommendations for Japanese historical fiction (with English translations) are "Taiko" and "Musashi," by Yoshikawa Eiji. Both are excellent, as is Yoshikawa's autobiography of growing up in war-torn post WWII Japan. Taiko centers on Toyotomi Hideyoshi, rising from peasant to general under the iconic Nobunaga Oda, unifying (conquering) Japan, only to have his son lose to Tokugawa Ieyasu at the famous Battle of Sekigahara (1600). This a great all-in-one book to learn about Japan's Sengoku period and these three monumental figures of world history. "Musashi" covers the life of famous Musashi Miyamoto, said to have invented two-handed sword fighting. It begins in the aftermath of Sekigahara, and ends with the undefeated Musashi retiring to paint and write "The Book of Five Rings."
Great video, as always. I read Winter King and loved it; need to get back to the mysterious 6th century England. Bernard Cornwell is the master of the historical fiction.
The Wolf Hall series is one of my favorite books ever. I recommend Hild and Menewood by Nicola Griffith. Set in 7th century Britain, about Hild, daughter of a murdered king who’s raised to be a seer.
I love Wolf Hall too! The use of language really gets you into Cromwell's head. I enjoyed it so much that I read the two other books in the series too. Did you watch the BBC drama adaptation of Wolf Hall?
Yes I have wolf hall and its sequel in my book case. And I love Arthurian tales. Excalibur is my partner and I’s fav movie. It’s such a shame about the tv series.
Hi Jared, I have recently started to recollect my interest in philosophy and I have started reading Marcus Aurelius’s meditations. But I also want to know about or learn about logical thinking and logic itself, so it would be very helpful if you could recommend some books to learn logic and logical thinking. I have been watching your videos for a while now great work man keep going…✌️
I’ve just reread Anna Karenina - I’m 28 now and first time was at 14, so half lifetime ago..) and it’s still as mesmerising as it was back then..) even though now it’s a little harder to read through all the moralist-Tolstoy parts, but the artist-Tolstoy parts are worth it. Btw it would be amazing to see your compilation and thoughts about all the Arthurian works that you’ve read and to know more)
thank you for the recs! if you're looking for more byzantine empire historical fiction, I recommend William Havelock's series - it follows a eunuch boy as a servant for Justin I and also covers Justinian & Theodora's reign :) Also! the Death in Byzantium series by ME Mayer is very good!!
Hi Jared. On your suggestion, I picked up "Savage Gods." I'm about a quarter of the way through, but I've thoroughly enjoyed it thus far and wanted to thank you for the recommendation. By chance, do you have a list of books that you've read/are reading (say, a Goodreads account)? In any case, thank you again for your videos--I always get a lot of enjoyment out of them. Cheers.
Digital Minimalism: Cal Newport Savage Gods: Paul Kingsnorth (fiction) Wolf Hall: Hilary Mantel (historical fiction) The Need for Roots: Simone Weil Warlord Chronicles (Book 1): Bernard Cornwell Sarantine Mosaic (Book 1): Guy Gavriel Kay
I just recently finished The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov. I have mixed feelings. Loved it at parts, didn’t at others. It had a Terry Pratchett feel which kept my nose in it. Have you read The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón? Easily one of my all time favorites, and part of maybe my favorite series. (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books) Highly recommend.
It was just so good to listen and add some books to my goodreads endless to read list. I am firmly on the quest to read more this year. I am unexpectedly happy to know that you loved Wolfhall, I read it a couple of years ago and it was a highlight of the year for sure. I read with a book club and while we discussed the book, we were joined by 2 women who were translators of this book into Russian. It was so interesting to talk with them about the process of conveying Mantell's style into another language. The recent books that impressed me a lot are both non fiction - The body keeps the score by Bessel van der Kolk about trauma and how messed up everything is. And another is A night of stone: death and memory in Russia in 20 century by Catherine Merridale - this one is also about hard stuff and well death and generational trauma. These were heavy lifting for me, so now I try to do a bit of a lighter fiction read.
My recent favourite is ‘Infinity Gate’ by M. R. Carey. An incredible sci-fi, engaging from the start, and sustained my interest for the full 499 pages (which is hard for my relatively short attention span, so it was refreshing). Starts by focusing on one character by the name of Hadiz Tambuwal who is a scientist trying to save her dying version of Earth (climate apocalypse mixed with clashes of civilizations) by researching interdimensional travel to alternate Earths. It is a gripping read, and I HIGHLY recommend it.
I've been To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf with a friend. Working slowly through it. Also li listening to Ringworld on Audible and reading The City by Clifford D Simak.
Like you, I dislike self help books in general. If they worked, it wouldn't be such a thriving industry, right? But, also like you, I really enjoyed Digital Minimalism, and I did the 30-day digital fast. His book changed my relationship with the Internet, but probably not as much as Newport would have liked.
“The roots constitute the identity of a person as long as they are not like those of a pumpkin, with no horizon other than the parcel where it is raised” Manuel Vicent (Spanish writer) *free translation*
One book that I return to over and over is Hebrew Thought Compared to Greek, by Thorleif Boman. I wish every Christian, and especially ever Christian student of philosophy, would read this book. It's addicting. I was reading Poetic Diction by Owen Barfield, another great book, and Barfield praises Boman's book in an appendix. Anyway I have been listening to your podcasts for a long time and I heard you say you live in Austin. I have lived here since 1984. Do you ever get together with poeple and discuss books in person? I would be great to meet you. All the best to you and your young family. My wife and I had five kids and we have fourteen grandkids with two more on the way! Thanks for you great insight into literary things.
Every book I've read by Kay has been good. I've recently read A Private Venus by Giorgio Scerbanenco, which is 1960 Italian noir, and working my way through my Box of Paperbacks project on my channel.
Cal Newport is great. Even with stuff like Deep Work and So Good They Can’t Ignore You, he’s the only productivity guru-type I’ve ever found worth reading exactly because of what you said at the start of that section; his writing doesn’t ever veer into narcissistic hustle culture self-optimization but is actually interested in helping you do work you enjoy, written by acknowledging the context you do that work in. Whether that’s working norms, the attention economy, or whatever. It’s never blame-y or like oh you’re just distracted a bunch and a piece of shit and only my book and podcast and online course can help you
I thought Guy Gavriel Kay's writing too derivative of Tolkien and not that great. I am currently reading the series The Ballad of Sir Benfro by JD Oswald and am enjoying it.
If you're interested in Arthuriana, I recommend a video on a RU-vid channel _Library Ladder._ He just put out a video about Arthurian tales and their influence in modern fantasy.
One of my favorite sci-fi/fantasy stories is "Sailing to Byzantium" by Robert Silverberg, which won a Nebula award in 1986. I wonder if Kay's first book shown here is a nod to that one, or maybe just coincidence.
Great books that I've read recently: "The Baron in the Trees" - by Italo Calvino "Abel Sánchez: A Story of Passion" - by Miguel de Unamuno "Moominpappa at Sea" - by Tove Jansson, not a children's book actually, more like melancholy in a book.
OMG. You are the best of the booktubers I have seen. No Crap here. I just finished Powers and Thrones by Dan Jones. I read a lot of history . Just because you have a PHD doesn't mean you can write. Dan Jones Is very readable and fun.
Do you enjoy any Math or Science books? Flatland is pretty amazing but I also look forward to reading Fertams Last Theorem as it is also highly regarded by many readers. Thanks for the insightful content as I hope to begin a small library.
jared, i really think you should check out Super-Infinite by Katherine Rundell. seems like something you would enjoy. just finished it and thought it was lovely!
I can never get into Cal Newport's books. I recognize the value of what he writes but I can't get myself to read his books. I found Adam Alter, Tim Wu and Jacob Desforges to be more interesting reading on similar topics.
first two recommendations: I completely hate this type of book, because it's deplorable and miserable for these books to even exist, and they are the bane of my existence. Here's an exception. 🤣 lol
I have to say I HATED digital minimalism. There are so many unnecessary parts. Many annoying "inspirational" personal stories. I also hated the pseudo-philosophical parts. The relevant parts of the book that are of real use could be a blog post and not a book.
The irony of talking about self-help books promoting narcissism when in the subtle art of not giving an f, one of the books you showed as an example of being unhelpful, has a chapter dedicated to narcissism and how to overcome it. Makes it seem as if you didn’t even read it. Just because it’s in the category of self-help, does not necessarily make it unhelpful.
lol I mean look at the kind of people that read that mass produced book , any kind of self help book that is so popular and appeals to such a wide audience, has to be deeply flawed - and the people that read this stuff are usually people who are deeply involved in the culture of naval gazing already. And I haven’t even gotten into what the title of the book reveals , but let’s just say that Jared’s instincts are consistent with the implications of the title.
