Essential Reading: October

Posted by bennardfajardo on October 1, 2012 · 10 Comments 

For this month of October, my beloved book club will take on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and I instantly thought that this would be the perfect moment to read works created by female authors. I do not know why but my list of read books is lacking in works created by women. I do not want to think that I am sexist or anything because some of the works that I have immensely enjoyed were made by women (e.g. Nicole Krauss’ History of Love and Jennifer Egan’s A Visit from the Goon Squad) and I sincerely believe that female writers does not have that much difference with male writers and that there is no point in comparing them. Oh dear, have I become exceedingly defensive?

Anyway, before I continue with my essential reads for October, let us first see how my September went. Here are the books that I’ve read which are included in my September’s essential reads:

1. Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon (4/5)
2. The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon (4/5)
3. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (5/5)

If you noticed, I have not finished Jonathan Franzen’s The Corrections. That’s because I have decided to buddy read it with Angus in either November or December. In its place, I have decided to read another book by Franzen titled The Twenty-Seventh City. Sadly, I haven’t finished it yet. Anyhoo, here are the other books that I’ve finished in September that are not in my essential reads list:

1. Everyman by Philip Roth (3/5)
2. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan (4/5)

So, five books for the month of September. Not bad, I guess. So, without further ado, here is my essential reads for October:

1. Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan – This comes highly recommended by my girlfriend, Rhena. She says that it gives you a glimpse into the problems of the rich and it is about a girl trying to break up her father with his fiancé.
2. Le Bal and Snow in Autumn by Irène Némirovsky – Another book that is recommended by Rhena. This time, the book contains two stories about the Russian immigrant experience which is my kind of stories.
3. The Autograph Man by Zadie Smith – I have always been curious about the works of Zadie Smith ever since I’ve seen her on Granta’s 20 Best Young Authors list. The Autograph Man seems a nice introduction to her works.
4. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf – Another author that I’ve been meaning to read lately and, since I am reading works created by female authors this month, I might as well bump her up my to-read list.
5. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – My beautiful copy came from our moderator for the October F2F, DC. Since I’ve been provided a free copy for our October F2f and because I’ve been meaning to read Pride and Prejudice ever since I abandoned it in high school, I assumed that divine providence is telling me to read and finish it this time.

It looks like I will have an interesting month ahead of me. I hope I can finish early so that I can start TFG’s November read which is Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian. Clocking at 800+ pages, it is certainly a challenge to read and I hope to have a head start so that I can finish in time for our November F2F. Oh, by the way, my copy of the book came from Atty. Monique and I cannot stress my gratitude enough for her generosity. Ate Monique, if you are reading this, thank you again!:D

Well, there you have it. What do you have in store for your October?

 

 

 

Filed under Books, Reading List · Tagged with A Visit from the Goon Squad, Bonjour Tristesse, Books, Elizabeth Kostova, Essential Reading, Everyman, Françoise Sagan, Inherent Vice, Irène Némirovsky, Jane Austen, Jeffrey Eugenides, Jennifer Egan, Le Bal and Snow in Autumn, Michael Chabon, Middlesex, Mrs. Dalloway, Philip Roth, Pride and Prejudice, The Autograph Man, The Historian, The Yiddish Policemen's Union, Thomas Pynchon, Virginia Woolf, Zadie Smith