Mid-September Book Haul

[@southerncountryboy8]

Robert, I find myself looking forward to your new posts more and more. Just settled in with a glass of bourbon and saw this post. A great evening already!

[@MattFausto]

Man, this channel is a true gem in its simplicity. Cup of tea in hand, autumn coming, hearing a history professor calmly talking about ancient history books. Is there anything better? I live 5 minutes away from one of the biggest roman archaeologic sites in Europe and 30 minutes from the Colosseum and you're making me want to go out and re-experience it all! By the way: did I catch a 221B tattoo? P.S. I want to live in a world where it isn't weird to think of poetry as "getting in touch with the real world"

[@RobertGReaderofBooks-r3p]

A sharp eye, Watson.

[@julienelson8162]

Thank you so very much for treating us every Saturday. I plan my Saturdays now to include your posts. My brain thanks you. My heart thanks you. My curiosity and my soul are fed by you. In these troubling times, you are the calming voice that pulls us back to sanity and civility. Again, thank you! ❤

[@RobertGReaderofBooks-r3p]

You are too kind. Thank you.

[@izaaclowery9316]

I would absolutely love to see a full book collection tour! I could listen to you talk about books for hours!

[@aryamel28]

Hello from the Dominican Republic ❤ This week has been hard but finding your channel felt like a hug. I’m glad to see some great nonfiction recommendations, thank you!

[@ishah4714]

Glad to find a thoughtful booktuber who reads mainly Non-Fiction. I tend to lean that way too, although I do have a deep love for Fiction.

[@AarontheBookBaron-i2f]

I used to read almost exclusively non-fiction, but in the last couple of years I have rediscovered my love of classic literature. Most of the non-fiction I read is history - my first great love.

[@jonathanbrewer7072]

Books are my ornaments. Love to be surrounded by them. Also love the tactile experience of a book.

[@paivishaw1163]

“I won’t buy any more books until I’ve read the ones I have”……..and then I watch Robert G Reader of books video….well I tried…..😂😂

[@jonathanbrewer7072]

Check out CS Lewis' A Grief Observed. Tells of his struggles with belief in a loving God. One of the most powerful books.

[@jennamakesbugs]

Robert, you read so over my head and I like it. Gives me some new avenues to explore.

[@cathy2142]

You do a great job explaining things❤. I read 100% non-fiction📚📚📚

[@TaeganJacobs]

Sir, you are a breath of fresh air! Thank you so much for the recommendations!!

[@AarontheBookBaron-i2f]

I also have the same problem of a never-ending TBR of books, to the point where I have stopped buying books and am trying to cull the collection that already exists! Self-discipline is hard.

[@pennyg156]

RobertG, such an interesting book haul. I'm in my seventies and have managed to fill two rooms with books. I sometimes think I should curtail my book buying but I have no doubt I will die with a box of books on my doorstep. I stubbornly prefer hard copy rather than digital as long as my eyes hold. I recently read The Darkening Age: The Christian Destruction of the classical World by Catherine Nixey. Interesting but felt like a bit of a rant rather than history, granted there was plenty to rant about. Enjoying your channel. Such an interesting and refreshing addition to the 'Bros' of booktube.

[@devildriverrule111]

So glad I am not the only one. Instead of buying 1 I always come out of a book store, or even an online buy, with 2-3 books minimum.

[@ihath]

Spending money on books is never a waste.

[@jonathanbrewer7072]

A learned man. Thank you 😊

[@JP-ik3hr]

Would love a video explaining some books you think everyone should read and why.

[@bellesiphone12]

the homeric hymns are so enticing!! i study molecular biology but took a classical mythology class last semester and we read a bunch of homeric hymns! i hope you enjoy!!

[@NZAnimeManga]

The Wild Iris is a great collection, enjoy!

[@Tricia747]

I used to get books from Book of the Month club but I was accumulating too many so I had to stop 😂 I have many books on Kindle to cut down on physical books. Some books I much prefer physical books, however.

[@anthonyruggier7029]

Ghost on the Throne is maybe one of my favorite books about Alexander/the Hellenistic period. Maybe I am seeing it through a nostalgia-filled lens, since it was my intro to the Successors. That aside, I am confident in my judgment that it is better than Robin Waterfield's Dividing the Spoils, which also covers that initial set of wars amongst the Successors. Romm's book on Seneca is also great.

[@severianthefool7233]

I don’t read a whole lot of non-fiction, but I do love Candace Millard’s books. Destiny of the Republic is very good.

[@JamesRuchala]

Louise Gluck has lots of Homer and Virgil references throughout her career. Averno probably has the most. Wild Iris is not as allusive but is delightful throughout.

[@LoveShannon]

I describe my physical TBR stack as less of a stack and more of a castle. If it were made of wood instead of books, multiple children could easily stand fully upright inside and create a magical space that adults of all ages would envy. 🤓 This has led me to create a system of buying that has worked really well for me and might work for you too. The quick version is in order to buy one, I must first read 2. The long version is, books that I hear about, regardless of where, go on a list. I prefer a beautiful notebook and lovely pen system, but the notes app on a phone or a Goodreads "want to read" list could work too. For example, as I watch your video, I will write down every book you mention whether I have it or have read it, and whatever I don't have will eventually be purchased. The list could be a page or many notebooks full. Doesn't matter. What does matter is that before I buy the first one on the list, I must read two I already own. Read two, buy one works for me and I look forward to/get excited for the reward of the special trip to the bookstore or whereever to pick up and cross off the next book at the top of my list. The only exception I make to this rule is the books that I need to pick up for a monthly bookclub I'm a member of are purchased as they are scheduled, but I read those on a schedule in addition to my normal reading, so some days my daily planner has time blocked out for both. I will also occasionally make an exception if I stumble across an extremely old or rare book that I would not be able to find just any old time. I'm a "where there is chaos create a system" kind of girl. Hence, the movies and music are in alphabetical order and I make an effort to wear all of my clothes, not just the same ones over and over since my money wasn’t inherited. 😄

[@buckeyestitcher3180]

Thanks for the sharing your haul, it was interesting to hear about some non fiction topics. I find that regardless of the hobby, buying supplies (i.e. books) for the hobby becomes its own hobby!

[@BobJacobs10]

I'm impressed your book buying bans last a week, haha. I'm usually done for after a couple of days! Excited for your new books. Loved studying the Homeric hyms. Also Weil and Nussbaum are great, great authors/ philosophers. And then you round it out with Glück, one of my fabourite modern poets! Very nice additions all around, I'd say. Also interesting to hear about your ratio fiction/ non-fiction, mine is the other way around. Though I might consider the Homeric hymns and Glück fiction, I think. Thank you for the stellar content, once again!

[@lolaphearse3688]

CriminOllie-Read what you own challenge-really does help halting book buying for a period of time!

[@TheGentlemanScholar]

I enjoy your channel because the Ancient World is a field of knowledge I know little about. So many thanks. 7:38

[@cheyenneguest4495]

It was nice to see Martha C. Nussbaum pop up here since I had to read another book of her's for a philosophy class I took for college a few years back and kept the book bc I liked her writing a lot even if I wasn't well versed in philosophy. I definitely recommend Cultivating Humanity by her if you hadn't read it yet since it talks about higher education and how it impacts a lot of groups in how they research/think about topics that effect them, especially in philosophy - and I really liked the one chapter that discusses how reading, regardless of genre/subject, can make a person more understanding of the world and the people around them.

[@joelharris4399]

My first foray into history's most famous Macedonian was Robin Lane Fox's Alexander the Great, upon which the 2004 Oliver Stone movie was based. I was struck by his command of the material, his judicious selection, use and criticism of sources (primary and secondary) and his treatment of details. "Ghost on the Throne" has been on my radar. I guess I wanted to explore different terrain🙂

[@renee_angelica]

Intimations of Christianity sounds very interesting! I just finished the Iliad for the first time and the Ancients are on my mind. There is an entire world that I am finally peeking into.

[@ASmile-xk1ef]

I bought the same exact poetry book this week. Not sure when I will read it. I have towers of my own to climb 😅.

[@betsymaher9489]

I don't feel so guilty about spending money on books even though I think I have about 100 I need to read. I'm not planning to buy anymore for a while. Sometimes I get books from the library too. My problem is my reading is slow and I'd really like to get to more of my books.

[@joanagomes5032]

You might be my favorite booktuber.

[@bfrench1299]

Really good videos! love from Japan

[@jonathanbrewer7072]

I like to ask writers for signed bookplates. Many generous.

[@severianthefool7233]

Don’t feel too bad, Robert! There are far worse things one can spend money on. And you’re supporting booksellers!

[@betsymaher9489]

You must know so much about ancient history. I came across another book tuber who's really into ancient history. His name is Michael Vaughn.

[@elelem123]

I don’t read much nonfiction so this is giving me some great ideas to expand in that area. The book by Simone Weil that you mentioned sounds like a topic I’d be very interested in so thank you!

[@TwoMinutesonBooks-bt8lg]

Very nice haul. I am an 80 to 85% nonfiction reader.

[@betsymaher9489]

Thank you for your comments on Trump and fascism. Most book tubers do not want to mention anything political but we're at too much of a crisis point to ignore the situation we're in.

[@RobertGReaderofBooks-r3p]

I would prefer to avoid the political, but I agree: we are too close to the Rubicon's edge.

[@Hadassahs-Holt]

The far left (which I believe is the other face of the far right) has been in charge of more censorship, rights-removal, and elimination of free speech than anything Trump ever dreamed of. Shame on you all for being herded into captivity because currently the walls of the corral are decorated with slogans you admire. Fascism wears all fashion, and it kills in whichever costume it wears. Be brave enough to call it what it is. Wake up.

[@TheGentlemanScholar]

Book pilgrimages are beyond our control, sir. When you feel it, you must act... 1:54

[@jeannedimon5284]

Read the screwtape letters by cs lewis

[@matiascordoba2716]

long live booktubers!!!

[@kaysuhdeeyuh]

These are great videos! Thanks from Texas!

[@mame-musing]

It’s MJ over at Reading This Life who just finished a read what you own 100 book challenge for 2023/2024. She’s about to embark on a new one starting in November. She has a video explaining it for any folks who may want to join in.

[@Readatrix]

"...towers of books. It almost looks like a skyline, and sometimes those towers seem to be getting higher and higher, almost approaching the ceiling. And I think to myself..." What a wonderful world? 😉 I'm not making much progress on my physical stacks, but I have purchased very few books this year, opting for digital library borrows. I'll pick the best of the (library) year and purchase those. I struggle with non-fiction, as much as I'm drawn to it, because I get it in my head I have to remember it all and understand every reference, especially with history. I know logically that if I read the understanding will accumulate over multiple books, but I'll consistently go on a research rabbit hole. I think I must commit to not doing non-fiction as a library borrow since I never finish under the wire. With your content, I wonder if you were aware of the Tiktok thread where women ask men how often they think of the Roman Empire, only to be shocked when the response indicates quite often. So, now, people say, "____ is my Roman Empire" to indicate an area of persistent interest/fascination.

[@RobertGReaderofBooks-r3p]

An embarrassment of riches.

[@VersesAndVolumes]

Your comment is such a treat.

[@ghostiegail7768]

any nonfiction recs for the upcoming halloween/"spooky" season? perhaps something with a touch (or more) of the macabre?

[@raneylee9617]

I’m Megan (hi Megan) and I am addicting to buying books.

[@dragonsbreath6860]

Great video! Keep it up Robert!

[@carolinesmercantile4290]

Robert, have you travelled? Have you been to Rome or Athens? I'd love to hear about it if so. I just went to Europe for the first time (as an adult) this year, and went to Greece through Vienna. It was great fun. I highly recommend going to Rhodes if you have never been! We also went to Santorini, and travelled our way across Crete. Greece has great history, the very best food, and is very very affordable!

[@RobertGReaderofBooks-r3p]

Yes, Italy mostly, but also France, England, and Ireland.

[@marnasorensen988]

Please let us know your thoughts on Weil.

[@RobertGReaderofBooks-r3p]

I think she''s deserving of a series of posts.

[@marnasorensen988]

@@RobertGReaderofBooks-r3p agree

[@noralg3081]

Enjoyed the haul . Do you have a favorite on the punix Wars ?

[@tigermirza25]

Hi, love your videos! I wanted to ask if you have read "Hearing Homers Song"? I found it to be a really interesting book

[@RobertGReaderofBooks-r3p]

I have not read it, though I have heard of it. Maybe I'll search out a copy during my next moratorium on book buying hahaha

[@LaughingStockfarm1]

The immanent god rather than the eminent god.

[@Ilovebooks-n3rd]

Hi!!! love your vids!! have you read "the troop" by nick cutter?

[@RobertGReaderofBooks-r3p]

No, I'm not familiar with the book nor the author.

[@Ilovebooks-n3rd]

@@RobertGReaderofBooks-r3p you should totally read it!! its so good, but its a horror so its spooky, lol😊

[@AProbablyPostman]

Gormenghast or Lord of the Rings?

[@RobertGReaderofBooks-r3p]

Tolkein.

[@CallmeTomorrow65]

Robert what is your view on book piracy ?

[@RobertGReaderofBooks-r3p]

I don't know enough about it, but it doesn't sound good,

[@AProbablyPostman]

My personal rule, is if the author is dead, go ahead. If the author says go ahead, go ahead. Otherwise buy the book.

[@RikkiestAndTikkiest]

Nice book haul, but you might want to take a break from the election for a while, it looks like it's intruding on your usually clear thinking. 🤍