Tom & Alissa

An exceptional month for books.

Moby-Dick - Herman Melville
You know why I read it. Frankly, though I was glad to put it down, this is really an amazing book - not in the life-changing way, but because it’s so insanely layered. I still don’t know what it means, but it’s worth reading, preferably with a biography of Melville or some kind of commentary in hand. [5/5]

Home - Marilynne Robinson
Not to succumb to hyperbole, but this is an amazing book. If you’ve liked Robinson’s earlier work (Housekeeping, Gilead), you’ll love this; if you found it a little hard to follow, you’ll love this one even more. It’s more narrative, but has some of the same characters from Gilead. Home comes out in September. Don’t miss it. [5/5]

It Still Moves: Lost Songs, Lost Highways, and the Search for the Next American Music - Amanda Petrusich
I am not much of a reader of music journalism, but I really enjoyed this book. Petrusich chased Americana’s history on a road trip and ended up with a highly engaging portrait of a country that continues to survive turmoil, change, and growth. If you’re into country, rock, blues, folk, or any of the alt-variations thereof, you’ll really enjoy this; even if you aren’t, I think you’ll still like it. [5/5]

Howards End - E.M. Forster
This is for my current class. Unfortunately, I read it in fragments on subway rides and didn’t appreciate it as much as I should have, though I recognize that it’s a great work. More when we discuss it in class next week. [4/5]

This month: a lot of reading for class, and not much else. It’s okay, they’re good books. I’m in the midst of The Secret Agent, by Joseph Conrad, right now.