63 Books

For as long as I can remember, I have loved to read. Fiction, nonfiction, history, poetry. While my classmates spent their fifth-grade recess breaks playing tetherball and tag, I could be found in the library, poring through every book, comic strip, or magazine that caught my eye. This childhood passion slowly declined over time, until by college I stopped reading for pleasure entirely. As I approached the end of university, I was struck with a desire to rekindle the reading flame.

And so, in the weeks following my graduation, I resolved to finish as many books as I could from then onward. To motivate myself to stick with it, I began a list, numbering each book I read and making a note the month and year I finished it. And, it worked. Four years later, I’ve completed sixty-three books, all through two full-time jobs and now being a full-time student.

Which brings me to the purpose of this piece. In the list below, I’ve written out each of the books I’ve read in this time, in the order in which I finished them, with a brief overview of each one and my experience of it. As you might tell, this is a long one; for those of you who only have time to read a handful of entries, I have listed below my six favorite from the list (three fiction and three nonfiction) and have noted what number they appear as in the list. For those looking for recommendations but are not sure where to start, I suggest reading these six entries– each of those books have impacted my life in some way.

Undertaking this project has been immensely rewarding. Amidst the drudgery of work and life, a reading habit can offer a light of inspiration, adding color to what can sometimes be a drab daily existence. I sincerely hope you find this list to be a helpful reference, and perhaps even a catalyst to re-start your own reading habit. Without further ado, here it is:

Top Three Fiction Books:

1) East of Eden, by John Steinbeck (#16)

2) The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (#13)

3) The Persian Boy, by Mary Renault (#39)

Top Three Non-Fiction Books:

1) The Farthest Field, by Raghu Karnad (#48)

2) The World As It Is, by Ben Rhodes (#22)

3) Why Buddhism is True, by Robert Wright (#21)

The List

1) Existentialism is a Humanism, by Jean-Paul Sartre

A major figurehead of the Existentialist movement, Jean-Paul Sartre has authored a wide range of books and essays. Existentialism is a Humanism is a succinct summary of his philosophy, and of Existentialism as whole. It is short, engaging, and thought-provoking, a must read for anyone interested in philosophy.

2) Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Dostoyevsky’s most famous novel, Crime and Punishment is a compelling narrative, populated with formidable characters and presented through a plot rich with intrigue, suspense, and complexity. Despite its brutal subject matter and dark themes, it is a deeply moralistic and optimistic story.

3) Man’s Search for Meaning, by Victor Frankl

The iconic memoir of a Holocaust survivor, Man’s Search for Meaning is about as harrowing as you’d expect. But concurrent with the account of this man’s horrific experiences is a philosophical and psychological essay, in which Frankl lays out his worldview. His concept of “logotherapy,” which he built upon in great detail in his subsequent career as a renowned psychologist, is a fascinating philosophy which we can all learn something from.

4) Baghavad Gita

An episode from the ancient Indian war epic, The Mahabharat, the Gita recounts Prince Arjuna’s discourse with his divine charioteer before a great battle. Arjuna confides that he feels sick at the prospect of fighting and killing his friends and cousins on the enemy side, and wants nothing more than to lay down his arms. The dialectic that follows articulates the foundations of Hindu ethics. This is another must read for any student of philosophy.

5) Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse

In the early 1900s, Buddhist and Hindu philosophy experienced a surge of interest among European intellectuals. Siddhartha was a product of this trend. In this short novel, German author and poet Herman Hesse recounts the story of a young man named Siddhartha, who leaves his family to pursue a spiritual journey which bears resemblance to the real Siddhartha, the Buddha. Though not nearly as profound as it’s made out to be, Siddhartha is an enjoyable and well-written coming of age story.

6) The Gambler, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

As a novelist, Dostoyevsky is most famous for writing intricate and heart-wrenching stories about morality, will, and human suffering. The Gambler is not one of those stories. Rather, it’s a somewhat interesting novella about a man with a gambling addiction whose life gradually falls apart. Well-written, but not memorable.

7) The Death of Ivan Ilyich, by Leo Tolstoy

In contrast to The Gambler, here is a short novella by a legendary Russian author which is memorable. On his deathbed, the wealthy but aloof Ivan Ilyich reflects on his life, and watches the grief of those around him. In the span of only a few pages, Tolstoy manages to elicit deep emotions of sorrow, regret, and hopefulness, while also getting across important life lessons. This is a concise, magnificent gut-punch.

8) How to be a Stoic, by Massimo Pigliucci

Pigliucci, a neuroscientist and philosopher, synthesizes the teachings of the ancient Stoics and presents them through a modern lens, incorporating modern ethics, biology, and logic. This is an excellent, easy read for anyone interested in Stoicism.

9) Dune, by Frank Herbert

Dune is a sci-fi classic, but it’s also much more than that. Herbert has weaved in ecology, philosophy, intrigue, and economics into his story. This book is dense and can be difficult to get into — the reader is thrown into the story and left to find the context for themselves — but it is an immensely rewarding read.

10) The Plague, by Albert Camus

The Plague is an unfortunately timely story of a town in North Africa that deals with an outbreak of the bubonic plague, and the yearlong quarantine and lockdown it causes. The book is an inspiring story of the fight against hopelessness in the face of adversity. If The Stranger is Camus’s most popular book, The Plague is the one which most accurately demonstrates his actual philosophy. There is also a line in here which I’ve thought about a lot in the last year and a half: “To state quite simply what we learn in time of pestilence: that there are more things to admire in men than to despise.”

11) The Power of Myth, by Joseph Campbell

In The Power of Myth, mythologist and scholar Joseph Campbell explores mythology, humanity’s oldest form of literature. The book, which is actually the transcript from an interview between Campbell and Bill Moyers, explores the psychology and sociology of mythology, and why it is still relevant for us today.

12) The Lessons of History, by Ariel and Will Durant

The Lessons of History is a short and easy history book by two famous 20th century historians. Though perhaps not written with the academic rigor that would stand up to modern historical criticism, it is nonetheless a worthwhile and entertaining read.

13) The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

If Crime and Punishment is Dostoyevsky’s most famous work, The Brothers Karamazov is his best one. This is an ambitious narrative that recounts the tale of three brothers from a town in 19th-century Russia. It explores the sorrows, joys, hopes, and trials that these three brothers face as they try to figure out their place in the world and navigate their relationship with their domineering and immoral father. Through our journey with the characters of Alyosha, Ivan, and Dmitri, we find elements of ourselves — good and bad — in each. There are moments here that make you think deeply, that make you laugh, that make you cry, and that put you at the edge of your seat. The Brothers Karamazov is an outstanding book, and reading it has enriched my life.

14) Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman takes on a retelling of the Norse tales from the Edda in this book, presenting them in a modern and accessible form. This is a fun and entertaining book with great storytelling and vibrant imagery that is down-to-Earth without losing the dreamlike feel which makes mythology so captivating.

15) The Hero with a Thousand Faces, by Joseph Campbell

In The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell lays out the theory of the hero’s journey, and how this archetypal tale has defined stories across cultures and throughout time. He focuses on the psychospiritual transformations that a hero undergoes in his or her journey, and how that journey is one we each take in our own lives. This book is an engrossing meta-analysis rich with mythological stories from every corner of humanity.

16) East of Eden, by John Steinbeck

East of Eden is my favorite book of all time, and has had a deep impact on my life. Reading it helped me discover truths about myself that I had never before considered, and it has changed my outlook and my behavior in a way I never thought a novel could. On its surface, it is a multigenerational story of two families, one from New England and one from California, set from the mid-1800s through World War I. But East of Eden goes far deeper than its setting; it is a universal story in the most complete sense.

This book has many themes: jealousy, hatred, resilience, fraternity, hopelessness, cruelty. But at its core lies one central idea around which the whole novel revolves: Goodness. It asks the following questions of the reader. What does it mean to be Good? What motivates us to be Good? And, most important of all; What are the consequences if we fail to be Good? The characters of East of Eden struggle and grapple with these questions, often hopelessly. And in the process of reading their stories and struggling alongside them, we ourselves become a little more Good.

17) Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari

Sapiens, Harari’s history of humanity, has by now become so ubiquitous that recommending it will most likely be redundant. The lack of nuance or underlying data in the book is disappointing, but it is a worthwhile read all the same; Harari weaves together history and anthropology well, and he writes simply and eloquently.

18) The Winter of our Discontent, by John Steinbeck

Steinbeck’s novel of a once-wealthy family struggling with its finances in 20th century America is a decent social commentary, though perhaps not as relevant today. Where East of Eden was a timeless masterpiece, this is stuck firmly in the 1960s. A decent book, but quite forgettable.

19) Lord of Light, by Roger Zelazny

Zelazny, a renown fantasy author, forayed into science fiction in Lord of Light. He weaves a magnificent tale of mortals who have used technology to ascend to godhood (adopting the personas of the Hindu pantheon) and rule over a world in which souls are preserved and reuploaded to new bodies in a cycle of reincarnation. That Zelazny packed such rich worldbuilding into such a short novel is a spectacular achievement.

20) Dubliners, by James Joyce

Dubliners is a collection of short stories set in Ireland in the early 20th century. Joyce recounts the seemingly mundane events of Dubliners’ everyday lives. I wrote my first piece of this series on Dubliners, which you can read again here.

21) Why Buddhism is True, by Robert Wright

Robert Wright lays out simply, eloquently, and comprehensively the link between Buddhist mindfulness practice and neuroscience. Utilizing a wealth of research and data, Why Buddhism is True breaks down what meditation is and how it strengthens the mind. At its core, the book recasts our conventional understanding of our mind as a chariot, and us as the charioteer controlling our thoughts through willpower. Instead, Wright reveals a much more nuanced reality, in which our mind is a combination of personalities and modules that arise and cease, determining our actions and our thoughts. Why Buddhism is True has influenced the way I see the world and augmented my own personal meditation practice.

22) The World As It Is, by Ben Rhodes

Ben Rhodes, President Obama’s speechwriter and Deputy National Security advisor, recounts his eight years in the West Wing in The World As it Is. I read this book in 2018, when this country’s foreign policy was being directed by a cynical, isolationist, and nihilistic administration. Rhodes’s powerful defense of internationalism, multilateralism, and humanitarianism gave me hope and inspiration. At the heart of this memoir is the resounding message that a life in public service can be both impactful and rewarding. In a time when populist nationalism remains in vogue, The World As It Is teaches us a vital lesson about the sort of international system we ought to fight for.

23) Mythos, by Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry forays into mythology in Mythos, a modern retelling of the Greek myths. There’s not much to say about this book other than that it is engaging, witty, and filled with well-crafted imagery. Well worth a read.

24) 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, by Yuval Noah Harari

In 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, Harari shows the same strengths and the same weaknesses of Sapiens. Once again, there are generalizations and over-simplifications aplenty, and a baffling lack of supporting data. At the same time, Harari does manage to provide a decent framework through which we can look at the issues facing modern society, and his unflinching defense of globalism and multilateralism is worth the price of the book all by itself.

25) The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemmingway

An understated story of an old man in pursuit of a large fish, The Old Man and the Sea puts forth its straightforward message efficiently. Though a decent enough story, it’s the weakest of Hemmingway’s books I’ve read. For those interested in his better works, For Whom the Bell Tolls, A Farewell to Arms, and the short story The Short and Happy Life of Francis Macomber are all outstanding.

26) A New Foreign Policy, by Jeffrey Sachs

Jeffrey Sachs, the famous scholar of economic development, offers his take on geopolitics in A New Foreign Policy. His defense of a cooperation-first foreign policy is interesting to consider, and the book is short and easy.

27) Hadji Murat, by Leo Tolstoy

In Hadji Murat, Tolstoy recounts the last days of an Avar freedom fighter in Chechnya in the 19th century. Through the eyes of both Russian and rebel soldiers, we see plain the brutality of a war that is largely forgotten in much of the world. Hadji Murat is not an uplifting read, but it is a powerful one.

28) The Undoing Project, by Michael Lewis

Michael Lewis’s part-biography and part-pop psychology story of Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky recounts the founding and growth of the field of behavioral economics. The book is longer than it needs to be, as it almost always is for these kinds of books (looking at you, Malcolm Gladwell), but it is an interesting read nonetheless. I recommend it to anyone interested in microeconomics or psychology.

29) How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, by Donald Robertson

Of all the books about Stoicism on this list, How to Think Like a Roman Emperor is the best, despite its ridiculous title. Robertson recounts the life of Roman philosopher and emperor Marcus Aurelius, and weaves that biography into a concurrent crash-course on cognitive behavioral therapy and the philosophy of Stoicism. An easy and educational read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

30) Phaedo, by Plato

Plato’s Phaedo is a dialectic on the nature of the soul. Though I was excited to read it, I left a little disappointed. Whether due to the fact that I listened to the audiobook to and from work (I abandoned my brief audiobook experiment after this experience), or because I just lack the ability to understand Plato without taking a class on him, I could not follow most of the arguments. Phaedo was not for me, but may resonate with others.

31) Spartan, by Valerio Massimo Manfredi

Spartan is a fun historical fiction novel about a Spartan boy born a cripple and abandoned as an infant who then grows up to fight for the freedom of the serfs who adopted him. Manfredi’s imagery is poetic and vivid, and is the highlight of the book. His pacing, however, is uneven and at times baffling. Overall, Spartan is no masterpiece, but it is still a great read for fans of historical fiction or Ancient Greek history.

32) Leviathan Wakes, by James Corey

The science fiction novel on which the TV series The Expanse is based on, Leviathan Wakes offers a fresh balance between mystery, action, adventure, and the exploring of ideas characteristic to classic sci-fi. The prose and writing style is nothing special, but the storytelling is excellent. I recommend this book to any fan of the genres I listed above.

33) Istanbul, by Orhan Pamuk

This memoir of Orhan Pamuk’s adolescent years in Istanbul is a slow burn, but fascinating nonetheless. Pamuk writes beautifully about art and melancholy, and of the historic city itself. Despite being a memoir, Istanbul reads more like a series of short essays and reflections; for those who like that style, this is well worth a read.

34) Philosophy as a Way of Life, by Pierre Hadot

In Philosophy as a Way of Life, Pierre Hadot gives a comprehensive summary of the spiritual roots of classical Western philosophy. Criticizing the modern focus on semantics in philosophical circles, Hadot stresses that at its core, philosophy serves to help us lead better, more virtuous lives through constant psychological and spiritual practice. I loved this book, and anyone interested in philosophy should give it a read. I particularly liked his chapters on Neoplatonism, Stoicism, and Epicureanism.

35) Homo Deus, by Yuval Noah Harari

While I feel that Sapiens and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century are worth reading despite their flaws, I am less convinced by Homo Deus. Here, Harari delves into futurism and dataism to predict that humanity will soon be able to harness technology to gain the ability to live almost as gods. He raises some interesting points (his theory about how the psychological states of humans from different cultures differ is fascinating), but overall I would not call this a must-read except for those particularly interested in the topic.

36) Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley

Huxley’s classic from the 1930s has been dissected and analyzed a million times since its publication, so I won’t go into it too deeply here. All I’ll say is that I found it interesting, insightful, and at times prophetic. Everyone should read this.

37) The Noble Eightfold Path, by Bhikkhu Bodhi

Bhikkhu Bodhi, a renown American Buddhist monk of the Theravada tradition, lays out the Buddha’s Eightfold Path in detail in this short book that is really more of a long essay. It is primarily a philosophical text, and as such is technical. The Noble Eightfold Path is useful for those interested in Buddhism, but less so for everyone else.

38) Mythology, by Edith Hamilton

Edith Hamilton recounts the ancient Greek and Norse Germanic mythological tales in Mythology. Though Hamilton does not write as eloquently as Stephen Fry in his Mythos, her academic knowledge of the myths themselves are clearly deeper. Hamilton offers not only a retelling of the stories, but a detailed account of what specific ancient poems and stories she drew them from. I rate Hamilton’s book higher than Fry’s for this reason.

39) The Persian Boy, by Mary Renault

Mary Renault’s The Persian Boy is a story of Alexander the Great’s eunuch Persian lover Bagoas. It follows Alexander’s conquest of Persia, his campaigns in Transoxiana and India, and ends with his death in Babylon. Renault weaves the compelling story of Bagoas’s life, and the great historical moments he witnessed, with vivid imagery and beautiful prose. In doing so, she has written one of the great historical fiction novels ever published, and possibly one of the greatest war novels and romance novels as well. I cannot recommend this enough.

40) Caliban’s War, by James Corey

This the sequel to Leviathan Wakes, and proves a solid follow-up. It is more action-heavy than its predecessor, though not quite as interesting. Nonetheless, it is a good expansion of the world and story.

41) The Narrow Road to the Deep North, by Richard Flannagan

The Narrow Road to the Deep North is a harrowing account of Australian PoWs during the Second World War. It is profoundly sad and hopeless on every level, and I did not take any value out of reading it. Despite the excellent writing, I do not recommend this book.

42) The Third Pillar, by Raghuram Rajan

Raghuram Rajan is a renowned economist at the University of Chicago who served at the IMF and then later as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. In The Third Pillar, he lays out his case for why community engagement is vital to economic growth and development, and how the community can be better integrated into politics and markets. I gained a lot of value from this book, and anyone interested in development economics should give it a read.

43) The Secret History, by Donna Tartt

Tartt’s story of a group of Classics students obsessed with Ancient Greece studying at a New England liberal arts college evokes a sense of intrigue, mystery, and creeping dread. This novel is filled with allusions to ancient literature and culture, all in the context of a murder story. I highly recommend The Secret History.

44) Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

This medieval poem encapsulates all that is great about Arthurian mythology. It is a story of bravery, chivalry, and adventure which is simultaneously wholesome and bizarre. This is a fun and easy read that anyone can pick up. It has also recently been adapted into a film, The Green Knight, which is masterfully done and a must-watch.

45) The Lost Army, by Valerio Massimo Manfredi

The Lost Army is Manfredi’s historical fiction tale about the fraught journey of 10,000 Greek mercenaries returning home from Persia after a military defeat. Like Spartan, it is nothing spectacular, but still a fun and action-packed historical fiction novel with nicely written imagery.

46) The Crocodile, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

This book was nothing like anything else I’ve read from Dostoyevsky. It is a bizarre political satire of a bureaucrat swallowed by a crocodile. I did not get much out of it, but I’m sure it would have been hilarious in 1860s Russia.

47) The Enchantress of Florence, by Salman Rushdie

Rushdie’s The Enchantress of Florence is unlike any historical fiction I’ve read. It tells two concurrent tales: one of young Italian man’s journey to the court of the Mughal Emperor Akbar; and the other the story of three young boys in Renaissance Florence (including Machiavelli), and the journeys of their life. The scope and ambition of this story is astounding, and it’s a thoroughly entertaining and well-written novel to boot.

48) The Farthest Field, by Raghu Karnad

The Farthest Field recounts the story of three young Indian officers in the Second World War. By poring through letters, official documents, and interviews, Karnad brings to life the ambitions, hopes, and struggles of these three men — Bobby, Ganny, and Manek. In following their journeys, we are taken to the airfields of Afghanistan, the war-torn jungles of Assam and Myanmar, and the deserts of North Africa. Their tale is one of courage, adventure, and loss, and is told in beautiful prose.

Though this is an outstanding book in its own right, for me it holds an even deeper importance. Popular media has always held a fascination for World War II and the men who fought in it, and has produced a plethora of films and series that have mythologized that conflict. Though I’ve enjoyed many of those films, I identified with none of them. The Farthest Field gave me something that every other work about the war has lacked; it honors the millions of men who looked like me, who gave their lives in the fight against Fascism abroad as their countrymen and women fought for freedom at home. The Indian soldiers who fought in the war have been forgotten, and it is about time they were properly recognized.

49) And the Mountains Echoed, by Khaled Hosseini

Through a series of short stories, Hosseini weaves a multi-generational tale of an Afghan family that stretches from the 1950s to present day. Like his other books, Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, And the Mountains Echoed is a tear-jerker brimming with pathos. One of the most sad and beautiful works of fiction I’ve ever read.

50) Talking to Strangers, by Malcolm Gladwell

Gladwell’s Talking to Strangers is an interesting analysis of what drives humans’ predisposition to trust others, and why we must recognize that predisposition while also making sure we do not overcorrect for it. Gladwell offers some useful information, but could have easily gotten his point across in an article rather than a book; Talking to Strangers is far too long for what it actually has to say.

51) Lives of the Stoics, by Ryan Holiday

Ryan Holiday’s series of spotlights on the ancient Stoics has interesting tidbits about the lesser-known Stoics, but reads more like self-help than philosophy or history. Holiday’s other book about Stoicism, The Obstacle is the Way, is better.

52) The Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursula Le Guin

Ursula Le Guin is a masterful writer, maybe the best I’ve ever come across. There were times reading this book when I just could not believe how she was able to write with such eloquence. In addition to the stunning prose, The Left Hand of Darkness is also an engaging story with a unique premise. This book is classic sci-fi at its best, and I recommend it to everyone.

53) A Promised Land, by Barack Obama

This presidential memoir is worth reading for its historical value alone. Obama recounts with surprising candor the events of and leading up to his presidency. A Promised Land is at its best when it details the behind-the-scenes of historic foreign policy events and the intricate considerations of domestic legislation. Obama also writes about his youth and upbringing; these sections are interesting, but can be skipped without losing much. Throughout all its parts, however, it is a skillfully written and enjoyable read.

54) Gardens of the Moon, by Steven Erikson

The first installment of Steven Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen series is an excellent novel that introduces the greatest fantasy world I have ever been immersed in. Though it is the weakest book of the series — it offers limited exposition and the characters are not as explored as they are in latter books — it is nonetheless a unique and exciting story.

55) Deadhouse Gates, by Steven Erikson

The second book in Malazan, Deadhouse Gates introduces the reader to another continent within the world, a desert realm pocked with city-states built atop ancient fallen empires. This is a dark and gritty war story, filled with sorrow and violence but also resoundingly hopeful. Deadhouse Gates is a massive step up from Gardens of the Moon.

56) Memories of Ice, by Steven Erikson

Memories of Ice is the best fantasy novel, and one of the best novels period, that I have ever read. Erikson strikes the perfect balance between the adventurous first book and dark second book to create a story that is gripping, heart-wrenching, exciting, funny, and epic in scope. The characters are vivid and memorable, the prose is masterful, and the themes are powerful. The Malazan series is worth reading to get to Memories of Ice alone.

57) The Ages of Globalization, by Jeffrey Sachs

Jeffrey Sachs chronicles the five ages of globalization, from the origin of human civilization to the present day. This is a fantastic overview, and strikes a good balance between history and economics. It is well-researched, engaging, and easy to read.

58) House of Chains, by Steven Erikson

Erikson’s fourth entry in the Malazan series is not as strong as its second and third. It is still wonderfully written, complex, and explores important themes with subtlety. However, the storytelling and pacing felt inferior to the preceding three. That said, it is still an excellent fantasy novel.

59) Midnight Tides, by Steven Erikson

The fifth entry of Malazan introduces the reader to a completely new storyline. It is the tightest book of the series and has its share of unforgettable moments. Better than the first and fourth books, but not as strong as the second and third.

60) Who We Are and How we Got Here, by David Reich

David Reich, an archeological geneticist, writes about how he uses DNA data to chart the history of human migration and evolution. In addition, he explores the origins of modern human populations today, where their ancestors came from, and how we as a society should respond to these findings. This is an excellent book, and anyone interested in early human history and human ancestry should pick it up.

61) The Bonehunters, by Steven Erikson

The sixth entry of Malazan is another masterpiece, second only to Memories of Ice. Erikson brings many of the divergent storylines and character arcs into convergence, and does so against the backdrop of an epic war involving empires, gods, and plagues. The themes that this book explores — especially those regarding the nature of godhood and worship — are unique and fascinating. This is an outstanding book.

62) Reaper’s Gale, by Steven Erikson

Erikson’s seventh entry into the Malazan series is another good one, though not as strong as the third or sixth. Its plot, over-filled with characters and threads, trudges along up until the final quarter of the book, which is sublime and masterful.

63) The Iliad, by Homer

As I delve back into fantasy books, I felt it fitting to read one of the genre’s oldest works, Homer’s The Iliad. This is a story we all know well; of Achilles and the Mycenaeans’ war against the Troy of Priam and Hector. The original text (translated by Robert Fagles) is written in beautiful verse that evokes vivid imagery through a liberal use of extended metaphors. The storytelling itself is dated; the middle half of the book is an endless account of bloody battle after bloody battle, with nothing much happening in terms of plot. The poem recovers its luster at its final act, however, and it is there that we remember why The Iliad is such a great classic.