Books to Check Out: September 2020 Reads

It’s time for another month of book picks! I had another diverse group this month, and I’m happy to say they were all intriguing for different reasons. Whether it be for the plot, information, or style, take a look at the books that made my month better.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

I’m a fan of people reading what they want to read. I don’t think anyone has to read “the classics” to be considered a literary buff. That being said, I’m still someone who’s interested in a lot of older, classic lit to see what it has to offer. Enter Monte Cristo.

This is a mammoth of a book, I won’t lie. It was a 46 hour audiobook for me, and I had to renew it online to finish it. Despite the enormous size and scope of this novel, facts are facts. The Count of Monte Cristo is AWESOME. I love every second of this book, from hour one to hour 46. Things that were set up in the very beginning paid off beautifully in the end, and it was every bit as thrilling for me as Gone Girl.

I’ll give a brief overview of the plot. Edmond Dantes is a young, ambitious man set up for greatness. He’s set to marry the woman of his dreams, get a nice promotion, and overall be regarded as an accomplished figure in French society. However, three jealous “friends” frame him for political crimes and get him sent to prison for years. When he escapes, the long road to revenge gets set in motion.

Fair warning, there’s a lot of down time in this novel. I like a lot of that “old European society” verbal dueling that goes on, so the middle portion of the book was still exciting for me. That might not be everyone’s cup of tea, so I have to caution you about the slow pacing the book has. For me, it balances itself well. The plot starts almost immediately, and then has this unbelievable build to Monte Cristo’s eventual revenge. For a classic book, this one has lots of fascinating characters and interesting twists. If you’re feeling up for reading

Death by Black Hole by Neil deGrasse Tyson

My non-fiction pick for this month is another science book, this one about space and all the astrophysics goodness we’ve come to expect from Neil deGrasse Tyson. This book covers a lot of ground, from bits of history about the development of scientific theories, to of course, the fascinating idea of black holes and the way that Earth may someday end.

If you want some interesting facts just for fun, this book is great. You can pick out tons of information from here, and it’s all presented in a way that’s easy to take in. I’ve watched Tyson’s Cosmos series a few years ago, and read his Pluto Files book, so I’ve come to realize his style of conveying information is one of a kind. He’s able to inject a humor and nonchalance into such mind-blowing facts, that it makes the writing memorable. He makes it poetic, so you can really appreciate what’s being told to you. For example, I have sticky notes on my desk right now with quotes from the book including, “The universe is the color of a latte” and “I’m drinking water from comets that hit Earth!”

It feels as if the general population doesn’t read enough science non-fiction, and this would be a great place to start. You can educate yourself a little bit while having fun doing it.

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

This was by far the darkest book I’ve read all month. This is a Korean book, translated to English. It’s also a short book, so it comes in fast and hits you hard. There is some truly grotesque details Kang puts in here that dials up the discomfort and horror up to eleven. From the very beginning when the narrator’s wife throws meat on the floor, I felt a pit in my stomach. I don’t want to spoil anything though, because it would completely ruin the experience of reading this one.

To give you a brief synopsis, this is the story of our male narrator and the events following his wife’s sudden and adamant turn to vegetarianism. Again, I can’t say much, because each incident is shocking and brutal in different ways, but if you’re into intense reads, this is perfect for you. Honestly, there were a few moments when I just put the book down, and sat there on my bed with my head in my hands from what was going on. It’s dark and disturbing, and if you don’t like graphic depictions of human anatomy, this may not be for you. I’m someone who doesn’t really enjoy hearing the names of certain body parts, so this one got a little rough for me, but I have to admit it’s very well written. The straightforward, direct style is really effective in describing the action and emotions going on. It makes for a concise and powerful story.

These are my three books for the month, and I think they’re different enough to offer some options that you may not have considered reading before. They all have their own merits, so I would recommend trying at least one of them.