September’s Books

Books I read in September. I read four exciting and entertaining books I wanted to share with you.

Keats: A brief Life in Nine Poems and One Epitaph by Lucasta Miller

This book was suggested to me by a sibling. I greatly enjoyed this book. Miller does a wonderful job of describing and explaining Keats work and his inspirations. I enjoy learning more about the context behind the poems and how they are connected to his personal life. Keats is genius of poetics and lived a very short life. Keats did not live past twenty-five years of age; however, his language is vivid and full of life.

Miller’s ability to draw on nine poems he wrote in his short lifetime gives you a deeper understanding and almost spiritual sense of connecting with the writer’s soul. The writing style engaged me, and I wanted to learn more about John Keats’ struggle for identity and his artistic connection with his poetry. He is a poet who has touched millions of people from the English-speaking world with his vivid description of nature, love, desire, and human passion.

The Mysterious Correspondent: New Stories Marcel Proust, translated by Charlotte Mandell

If you are a fan of Proust, this little book is worth reading. The short stories are from his early writings in his literary career. Each tale shows his interest in human psychology. It plays out in his stories. The stories were pretty short and displayed his emerging talent as a writer.

This small volume of stories features. Proust’s short stories with small notes by the translator on their word choices and the cultural background of the stories. The volume is unique as his early work and stories are less well-known than his later works.

Turn Around Time: A Walking Poem for the Pacific Northwest by David Guterson

I really enjoyed reading Turn Around Time. This collection of poetry was found at my local library. I picked it up, opened it, and found that Guterson attended the University of Washington for his BA, and MFA, and the book was edited and published by local mountaineers’ books. I felt a connected to these poems because the writer was a Pacific northwestern like me and had been taught in a similar program at the University of Washington.

I loved the detailed poems that were mystical, funny, and creative. I enjoyed reading his descriptions of hiking through the Pacific Northwest. I could relate to the poet as I have hiked similar trails and seen similar sights. However, his descriptions gave me new insight and abilities to understand my surroundings. I highly recommend this small book of poetry if you are a nature lover and like reading poetry too.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

(Trigger warnings: abuse, sexual content and voilence)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was a gripping novel. I read it in less than two weeks. The downside of this thriller is that is very dark and has some triggering content about abuse, unhealthy sexual relationships, substance abuse, and graphic violence.

However, this plays into the overarching novel plot and mystery of the lost person and identity theft. The novel keeps me on my toes. When I read this novel, my hair was on end. The plotline takes many twists and turns, confusing because of the character’s deceptions about their true identities. The book is in some way not the typical good guy, bad guy plotline. The main characters are as morally ambiguous as the villains in the story. One thing about this novel is that no one is right or wrong. The series follows the life of Blomkvist, a journalist and private investigator, and his career in journalism at the Millennium. The main character’s exciting and action-packed lives are full of suspense and criminal activities. If you like thrillers, this is the book for you.

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