It’s about an optometrist who, as a result of exposure to a low-rate science fiction author in a psychiatric hospital, believes he has been abducted by aliens and can travel through time.
What’s it really about?
In perhaps the biggest disjoint between the first and second paragraphs of these blog posts, it’s about the cruel nature of war, in particular the experience of prisoners of war in Nazi Germany.
What? How did we get from there to here?
Unlike most works of science fiction, the science fiction element is almost irrelevant; it’s nothing but a scaffolding to construct the real story: what his experiences as a prisoner of war in Germany taught him about human nature. Although if you’ve read Game of Thrones and you can’t handle a supernatural narrative device used to recount the inhumanity of war, you should probably present yourself to the relevant authorities at first light.
What should I say to make people think I’ve read it?
“So it goes.”
What should I avoid saying when trying to convince people I’ve read it?
One of the many beautiful churches that dot the German landscape. This particular one was in Dresden, and has been there since the firebombing (though it was partially rebuilt).
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She is Sorry by Fredrik Backman
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
Lovely War by Julia Berry
The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
The Wayward Children Series by Seanan McGuire
The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Pride and Prejudice and Other Flavors Sonali Dev
The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets to the Universe Benjamin Alire Sáenz
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Warrior of the Light by Paulo Coelho
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
Emma by Jane Austen (Especially if you haven’t seen the movie yet)
The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
The Odyssey by Homer
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
A Moveable Fest by Ernest Hemingway
Non-Fiction:
Becoming Supernatural by Joe Dispenza
Material Girl, Mystical World by Ruth Warrington
Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
The Essence of Happiness by The Dalai Lama
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz
First We Make the Beast Beautiful: A New Journey Though Anxiety by Sarah Wilson
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari
21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari
For those who cannot buy books right now for whatever reason, Scribd (not sponsored) is an app I use a lot. They offer a 30 day free trial for first time users.
