what i've been reading for fall

[@ralphjenkins1507]

That kitty is so adorable 😍

[@Gunjan_g16]

Just gonna keep coming back for the kitty now!!

[@CallosumBooks]

don’t blame you 😂

[@KurtAnderson812]

I hope you understand that you are now obligated to share kitty updates in every video going forward. Sorry, I don’t make the rules. That’s just the way it works. 😊

[@CallosumBooks]

i won’t be able to help myself anyway 😂

[@bookstalgic]

Congratulations on your new kitten and finishing your PhD! What a huge relief that must be to finally be done 🎉. Now you can enjoy the little things in life again and seriously, what a wonderful achievement! Great wrap up of the books you’ve read. I’ve been wanting to try Ray Bradbury as I’ve never read anything from him. I have Something Wicked This Way Comes in my library holds so hopefully I’ll get to that one soon! I would also love to read We Have Always Lived in the Castle as well, but I am actually going to give The Haunting of Hill House to try next month as I already own that one. I’ve heard of Zadie Smith, but have never read anything by her. It will be great to hear your thoughts on everything when you’re done. 😊 Hope you have a wonderful reading month in October and I’m in the Northeast too so definitely feeling the fall vibes! 🍁🍁🍁

[@CallosumBooks]

thank you so much!! definitely such a relief haha let me know what you think of haunting of hill house! i hear it's great. and if you get the chance to read something wicked please do, it's just perfect for a northeast autumn read :)

[@CarolAttrux]

Coco is so cute! I have a Coco living at my house too but she is a little chihuahua! Fall is my favourite time of year. It’s about 70 degrees here. Lovely! Thanks for the book recs! 🎃🍁

[@CallosumBooks]

tell coco i say hi and give him some pets for me!!

[@tannerhachey1525]

I'm actually reading dandelion wine right now! First Bradbury book I've read/reading (140 pages in currently) and I have to say that I'm very much looking forward to reading more of his books! That guy just knew how to write! I also have "the haunting of the hill house" I just need to sit down with it and read it!

[@CallosumBooks]

he writes so beautifully haha, he could make a paragraph about watching paint dry sound poetic

[@NicolesBookishNook]

We Have Always Lived in the Castle is GREAT and I love that cover-that’s the one I own and it’s such a vibe for the story.

[@CallosumBooks]

it definitely fits the vibe perfectly haha

[@Sashenka-w8k]

Adorable kitten, you look cute together! Also reading Stoner this month.

[@jonebiboh]

I very much agree that there's so much that could be analyzed in We Have Always Lived In The Castle. It was not my most favorite read, but on discussion with a friend, there was much to appreciate. I own Slaughterhouse Five and know tha it's ts sort of an American modern classic so looking to read that. Love to see you back on here for sure.

[@Scarfknitter]

🐈‍⬛Your cat is the cutest thing 😍

[@suzannebousquet2710]

Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery " is very good. I absolutely love Dandelion Wine, it reminds me of my childhood growing up. That would be my choice. I need to reaD "Farewell Summer" which is a sequel, I believe to Dandelion Wine. I just purchased Stoner and am looking forward to reading it. I did hear that it resonates more with men than with women. Congratulations on your dissertation! Kitty is adorable!!!

[@CallosumBooks]

thank you! definitely will at least eventually be getting to dandelion wine, though i think right now i'm leaning towards the halloween tree (just getting too far into the fall mood at this point haha) and i have also heard about that with stoner, but either way i hope you enjoy it!

[@ameliareads589]

On Beauty is a modern book for sure, but it is based on Howard's End by E.M.Forster so that might add a certain twist to your approach of reading it. I love everything John Williams has written and Stoner is fantastic, but my favourite book by him is Augustus, which might be my most favourite book of all time.

[@CallosumBooks]

i had no idea! makes me more excited to read it. and that’s interesting! definitely the john williams novel i hear about the least. can’t wait to get into stoner

[@CARancourt]

Thank you Dr….Great video - recently read the Jackson story, and the authors shared phobia does add a nice bit of flavoring to the book. Now to add a few TBRs to the list.

[@AndriusReadsBooksSometimes]

Ooh, maybe I'll read The Halloween Tree as well this autumn. Dandelion Wine is the most consistently good book I've read from Bradbury so far (Something Wicked has higher highs, especially writing wise, but imo is also uneven in ways that Dandelion Wine isn't). It is very much a summer book though. I also read some Shirley Jackson recently -- The Lottery and Other Stories, which was very good. It's another one where it's tempting to read it as influenced by Jackson's agoraphobia and other anxieties. Either way, it's genuinely excellent how she can make a mundane scene and especially social interaction feel like a suffocating nightmare when nothing actually happens, if that makes sense. And yes, We Have Always Lived in the Castle is very good! I want to reread it some day. The first time I read it, my only other experience with Jackson had been The Haunting of Hill House, which is much more of a full on horror, so I went into Castle with the wrong expectations.

[@CallosumBooks]

okok this is the second comment saying it’s a summer book so i think ill do halloween tree! and man i LOVED something wicked. the first half was definitely better and i think the ending was definitely a little shallow compared to the rest of the book, but i also think it was a satisfying ending as it kinda fits the character development of the dad/the friends. oh man, that sounds like it’d be a great (and stressful) read haha. ill have to check it out. and ive heard that haunting of hill house is genuinely scary hahaha, it makes me want to read it!

[@AndriusReadsBooksSometimes]

@@CallosumBooks Yeah, I think it's fair to say the ending is a bit shallow, but I didn't mind it! I agree that it's still satisfying. My issue with Something Wicked was that while Bradbury was obviously super excited about the writing and the themes, it seemed like he didn't know what to do with the plot. I found the middle section kind of bland story wise, and then there's the part with the Dust Witch on the roof. Someone I talked to described it as a videogame bossfight inserted into a poetic novel, which felt apt to me. Very jarring and sort of hollow. I also found it a little frustrating that sometimes Bradbury will write a literally perfect passage (the autumn people passage comes to mind) -- and then keep going for 5 more sentences, so you end up with something that's still really pretty but doesn't have as much of a punch as it could have. Despite all that though, it's still one of the most memorable books I've read, and some of those gorgeous sentences I'm pretty sure are indelibly imprinted on my brain. Both Hill House and the short stories are def worth reading! Jackson really knew what she was doing with short stories.

[@LeeKempter]

So sleepy, what a doll baby !!! You folks are so lucky to be chosen by a lovely black kitten !!! Loved your book choices, I think I will start some Shakespeare in a week or so, I have a huge hole in my knowledge there and it needs to be fixed !! Funny that you are going to start Stoner, it came to the top of my TBR this last week ! I have been re-reading Peter Greens Iliad, slow going I'm afraid but obviously the best way. Happy Pumpkin Latte !!! Great to see you again and many congrat's on finishing the PhD !! phew

[@CallosumBooks]

isn’t he the cutest 😭 i’ve always wanted to have a little black kitten, so feel so blessed to have found him

[@lavenderlady7441]

okay so i watched this video,then i walked 2 miles to book store and purchased the book on beauty.had to have it since you described it,i dont regret it!!!!! 😊

[@CallosumBooks]

thats awesome!! let me know what you think of it!

[@jordonvh91]

I just started Stoner last night. I think it'll be right up your alley, definitely check out John Williams other works. Butchers Crossing and Augustus are both great.

[@CallosumBooks]

will do! i’m excited to get started, ive heard so much about stoner

[@TraumaticTomes]

Ray Bradbury is one of the greats! Halloween Tree next!!!

[@rowan3774]

Recently read Breakfast of Champions. Slaughterhouse-5 felt like one big bolt of energy but Champions was slower imo, could maybe have been a little shorter but still a fun read. Like most people here I greatly enjoyed Stoner

[@CallosumBooks]

definitely felt that BoC was a little too bloated at times, or could have gone through another round of trimming haha. still loved it though, had so much personality

[@JKC1138]

I skipped over your Breakfast of Champions discussion because I literally just picked it up today, hahah. I'm excited to get into it. Also, what are some of your scary movies to watch during spooky season?

[@CallosumBooks]

please let me know what you think! i think it’s up your alley and i have a tradition that on every halloween i watch the original halloween haha. but i also love movies like nightmare on elms street, the vvitch, hereditary, the grudge. i just love horror movies in general haha

[@LiteraryGladiators]

It was great to catch up with you and see how your fall has been coming along, even though fall has not technically started yet. Your kitten looks adorable! It kind of reminds me of a few kittens that we have had, only the one Jericho reminds me of had white on his chest, making him look a bit more like a Swiss Roll. I grew up in a household of dogs as well, but cats have grown on me and we primarily have cats at this point. I read based off of my mood. I like horror and speculative fiction, so I read it whenever I want. October does bring out the best of fall, though. I had The Haunting of Hill House back in 2019 and thought it was just okay. I do want to read We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Her short story, Charles, was very memorable. Ray Bradbury was a brilliant man and I love just about everything he writes. The remarkable thing about him is that his post-high school education was going into the UCLA library and reading in their basement. He was never an enthusiast for college. I thought Something Wicked This Way Comes was a good book, but my favorites are Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles. Everything he writes is so insightful. Something Wicked This Way Comes is more horror rather than science fiction, but it is speculative nonetheless and it very much made me think. I do want to reread it at some point, though. I definitely want to reread Dandelion Wine. What you had to say as far as nostalgia and a love of what feels like an everlasting summer was spot on. That is what I remember most about that book. I finished the sequel, Farewell Summer, in a day. I do need to read The Halloween Tree. The only Kurt Vonnegut book I read was Timequake and I did not like it at all. I can understand that he is experimental, but he presented such an interesting concept and dismissed it in favor of rambling about himself and what he was thinking. It has turned me off from reading anything else he has written, but he probably deserves a fair opportunity. Stoner was a great book! I think you will enjoy it, because Bill Stoner (the central character) is a college instructor and he goes through a lot despite longing to be a decent person that wants to find his meaning in life. The cover is actually a general painting, but NYRB (the publisher) felt it was fitting. B&N, I believe, used the same painting for their cover of Hunger by Knut Hamsun. Speaking of which, I do enjoy receiving B&N gift cards and perusing the store, though I am too involved to be able to do so with a beverage in my hand. I will be looking through the books and sometimes even on my hands and knees or squatting or sitting on the ground when applicable. I have often times went on their website, though, but still love to book shop at the independent stores, whether they sell new or used books. Macbeth is my favorite Shakespeare play! This year, however, I reread Romeo & Juliet and Julius Caesar. Thank you for sharing and I wish you all the best with your semester! -Josh

[@CallosumBooks]

thank you for such a lovely comment! as far as vonnegut, i think you should give him another chance… maybe try slaughterhouse 5, that one is pretty universally loved, is fun and poignant. and i had no idea about bradbury and the UCLA library! that is so so cool. i need to read more about (and from) him.

[@LiteraryGladiators]

It's my pleasure! Slaughterhouse Five will probably be my next Vonnegut. A friend of mine let me borrow it, but I never got around to reading it. I am not the best when it comes to reading what I borrow from others. After doing more reading, Bradbury's family could not afford to send him to college, but his beliefs were still firm and he would study at UCLA. He even wrote his draft of Fahrenheit 451 in the library basement. He is definitely worth reading about. He was amazing!

[@curtjarrell9710]

Hi Matt. The Halloween Tree and Dandelion Wine are both marvelous reading. If I had to choose one (cruel) I'd pick Dandelion Wine. I'm looking forward to reading more Shirley Jackson. I read a compilation of some of her short fiction a few years ago and enjoyed it. I also am looking forward to reading Stoner and Vonnegut. This summer I read To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, A Month in the Country by J L Carr and A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway. It was a good summer for my reading.

[@CallosumBooks]

that sounds like an excellent summer for reading! did you have a favorite which you read? And i think i’m going to go with halloween tree! seems perfect for october

[@curtjarrell9710]

@@CallosumBooks I'd not read Woolf before. Her modernist tale of a special family time and the aftermath was surprising and refreshing.

[@RovingReader]

I feel the same and it’s almost 90 here in Michigan!!!

[@CallosumBooks]

it’s been ridiculous these last couple days 😅

[@DrL_Reads]

Quite interesting reads!!

[@theresas709]

Dand. Wine is more a summer book but you do you. Love Coco

[@CallosumBooks]

oooh okok i’ll keep that in mind

[@subroy7123]

Kittttyyyyyy!!!!

[@1russodog]

Cats and books great company

[@MrNiceguyjin]

I need to read that Shirley Jackson one. But man… Stoner wrecked me. I lied on my bed for an hour after I read the last page, just contemplating my life. 😂

[@CallosumBooks]

hahahaha can’t wait to get to it

[@oOAngeloAmorimOo]

the shirley jackson is sooo fucking good man

[@CallosumBooks]

perfect to get into the fall mood haha. atmosphere and descriptions were so amazing

[@Unpotted]

Interested to know which city you live in. The closest Barnes & Noble to me is 45 minutes by car on the highway. Enjoy your new books! 😺✌️

[@CallosumBooks]

i’m in a pretty western and more urban part of long island haha, so i’m lucky to have multiple barnes and nobles/bookstores near me

[@Unpotted]

@@CallosumBooks I don’t like you anymore. 😛

[@joelharris4399]

Kudos on your dissertation defense👏👏

[@CallosumBooks]

thank you!

[@billyd10]

I posted this on the wrong video. I posted it here to match the video. Sorry for the duplicate message. I love your cat. Congratulations on being a new cat owner. Another great read by Shirley Jackson is the novel The Haunting of Hill House. And I am not sure if you have ever read her short story, The Lottery. An amazing read with a surprise ending. There have been two movies that are based on The Haunting of Hill House. By far the best of them is the black and white version from 1963 which has to be in my opinion one of the scariest movies I have ever seen. The black and white add to the atmosphere. And what is really scary is that you do not see anything. It is all done with sound and very skillful photography. Another classic scary book is The Woman in Black by Susan Hill. Another classic. There was a movie also made of it with Daniel Radcliff. Do not bother with the movie though. It does no justice to the book. Also, If you like Jame Baldwin you may want to get the Library of America volumes of his work. There are two volumes of his novels: The Early and The Later Novels. The first volume also contains another favorite novel of his besides Giovanni's Room, Go Tell It on the Mountain. This is a semi-autobiographical work about a boy growing up in Harlem. The Library of America editions can be a bit pricey but you get several novels in one volume. They are editions that are meant to last. And you can find them used at more reasonable prices.

[@CallosumBooks]

i love the library of america collections. though i’ve been tempted to buy the LoA collection of baldwins nonfiction and essays, i think lately i’ve been more interested in those. i’ve listened to a ton of his lectures and it makes me want to dive into his nonfiction. dude was a complete genius

[@gossamerabba]

Dunkins! points!

[@CallosumBooks]

hahaha dunkin for hot coffee, starbucks for cold coffee

[@gossamerabba]

@@CallosumBooks Dunkins for either here. 👍

[@CallosumBooks]

@@gossamerabba respectable 🤝

[@ninbin34]

hey kitty kitty hope you have a long life :)

[@roawr59]

What is the reason why you have no interest in reading "A Little Life"?

[@JessBookgirlTV]

Adorable cat! I am glad your partner rescued it. She has a good heart.

[@CallosumBooks]

she’s the best haha

[@daniel_barros]

first, you with beard is hotter. second oooon kitty kitty kitty, só gorgeus