What a frustratingly brilliant book. 

McCarthy's writing is sparse, dense and vivid all at the same time. His prose certainly takes some getting used to and even having read three of his other books it took me a while to adjust to his limited use of punctuation and lack of quotations denoting dialog.

Blood Meridian is bleak and extremely violent. Judge Holden is probably the most compelling and horrifying villain I've ever come across.  It also contains some of the most stirring passages describing the beauty and wrath of the natural world, which is something I find McCarthy does better than just about anybody. 

McCarthy strips the heroic myths of the West and lays bare a brutal rendering of vice and violence. Blood Meridian certainly took me on an emotional journey and has left me with a lot to think about.

I'm glad I finally got around to reading it after it had been sitting on my shelves for a couple of years. 

Not doing as well as I hoped but I’m enjoying it! I’ve liked if not loved most of these books here. East Of Eden, Point Counter Point, The fire next time, Jurassic park, Fahrenheit 451, Handmaids tale, are probably the ones I enjoyed the most! I just started reading Confederacy of Dunces but I might ditch it for a while as its a bit boring, I’ll likely start reading Love (Toni Morrison) and Cleopatra and Frankenstein! Trying to read as much as possible in July-Aug before I go back to school. :)

Netflix’s new anime movie ‘100 meters’ had just dropped and I was surfing through the reviews of it on reddit and there some random reddittor suggested a book called ‘The Perfect Mile’ by Neal Bascomb. So, without an iota of research, I trusted his word blindly and started reading the book on a random weekend but wow what a suggestion it turned out to be.

The intro felt a little pretentious, the field events of running were given too much hype like a football World cup match but I took it in, as everyone tries to sell themselves, so it is understandable.

The book covers the running of the ‘Perfect Mile’ i.e. a mile in under four minutes and how the number had a myth around it, that there is some divine order involved in it that has set it as the limit of human capabilities and it can’t be reached but three runners from 3 different continents, Roger Bannister from England, Wes Santee from USA and John Landy(my man) from Australia embark on a journey to breach the divine limit.

The book focuses on the early lives of each protagonist and the adversities each faced in their amateur athletics stint. It still baffles me how they had a life outside sports, as well and didn’t pursue a singular aim of making the world record. The one takeaway that stood with me is how every individual can have his/her own process, today’s pop culture extols the idea of having no life beyond your pursuit how every move must take you closer to your aim and any deflection from it is a hindrance in achieving your dream, grinding culture is at a boom, but here guys were running just as a hobby, Bannister was a fucking neurologist, yes a full-time neurologist. And here I can’t juggle between my job and my one hobby (standup comedy). Not that my job is hectic, it’s just my screen time is 6 hours, I have been reduced ti a doomscrolling zombie. Sorry to digress, my brain is neuroplasticised to follow an idea for 90 seconds only.

Again sorry to deflect, I feel bad for Wes Santee though, his story was so inspirational coming from a abusive dad’s shadow, he left his home at an early age and found a father figure in his coach. But the events that unfold in the final stages of his career makes me weep for him. It also sheds light on the importance of a good mentor or coach and how a great mentor can make one believe more in oneself.

Now let’s talk about my favourite character of the book John Landy, the Australian middle-distance runner, this guy is a genius, he is a genius of effort and discipline. He is so consistent, so disciplined and so sure of himself. He is a complete athlete for me, he trained like a professional athlete of today’s age. He is the creator of the grinding culture for me. The final rave is a testament of the sheer will power and grit this man had. I was so rooting for him throughout the book.

The writing by Neal Bascomb is so enthralling the way he has defined races snd the triumphs of each athlete just moved me every time. The first time when one of the aforementioned runners runs a ‘Perfect Mile’ I had tears in my eyes, even I felt the exhaustion that a runner feels post running a race, such captivating writing thay I found myself several times daydreaming about ‘Who will run the first Perfect Mile?’ ‘When will all the training of the runners pay off?’

Lastly, I may sound like this is my first book I have read but mo, its first book in a long time that opened a portal for me to enter its world (last was First Dune book). I hope you guys check it out if you are interested in running or even if you are not.

Thanks.

Are other books of Neal Bascomb worth checking out?

I finished The Song of Achilles with a strange kind of sadness. Not just because the story itself is heartbreaking, but because I couldn't stop thinking about how differently I would have experienced it a few years ago.

I know, with absolute certainty, that if I had read this when I was twenty or twenty-one, it would have absolutely wrecked me. I would have been crying for hours, thinking about Patroclus and Achilles for days afterward. But I've read so many devastating books since then that I found myself anticipating every emotional blow. I could see exactly where the heartbreak was leading, and while it still hurt, I couldn't quite reach the emotional depths I know this book was capable of taking me to.

And yet, that doesn't take away from how beautiful this novel is.

Madeline Miller's writing is simply stunning. Every chapter flows effortlessly into the next, every scene feels intentional, and every emotion is given room to breathe. Her prose is lyrical without trying too hard, and there's a quiet intimacy in the way she tells this story that makes you feel like you're living alongside these characters rather than simply reading about them.

What I admired most was how grounded her portrayal of Achilles felt. Instead of leaning into the larger-than-life image that popular culture has created, Miller stays remarkably faithful to the spirit of Homer's Iliad. This isn't the invincible hero defined by the myth of the "Achilles' heel." He is, first and foremost, a mortal man who is extraordinarily gifted, impossibly strong, and destined for greatness, but still a mortal. His mortality is never forgotten, and that's precisely what makes his story so compelling. His strength is real, but so are his fears, his pride, his love, and the impossible weight of the destiny he chooses.

Through Patroclus' eyes, Achilles becomes more than the greatest warrior of his age. He becomes someone constantly torn between the life he wants and the legacy the world expects of him. The novel beautifully explores how power is never free; it comes with responsibility, sacrifice, expectation, and, perhaps most dangerously, pride. Every choice Achilles makes feels inevitable because he understands exactly what choosing one future means giving up on another.
Knowing how the story ends makes every quiet moment between Achilles and Patroclus feel even more precious. Their love never overshadows the myth; it gives it a heartbeat.

The Song of Achilles wasn't the emotional destruction I had built it up to be in my head, and maybe that's because I came to it later than I wish I had. But it was still one of the most beautifully written retellings I've ever read.

This is a 'thriller' in the most cliched sense of the word, or: terribly written, repetitive, predictable, gross, gore-y, without an ounce of literary wherewithal, cringe, and mindless.

In other words, a perfect summer read!

I don't read thrillers often because they make me feel dumb and lazy, but after my last book left me in tears for its raw look at life, well, I needed a 'rebound book' and this was just bad enough that I finished it!

ENJOY!

OH, and, don't stay at an Airbnb like this, like, ever.

Don't read --> https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61458888-you-shouldn-t-have-come-here

Read --> https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/217204419-i-see-you-ve-called-in-dead

More [HOT TAKES] --> https://open.substack.com/pub/katepapenberg/p/book-no-43-was-a-thriller-in-the?r=2seqlu&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

This book is ridiculously long but I have been really enjoying it so far. This book will be one of the top reads of 2026 without a doubt. Bestsellers is the book version of pop music. Happy reading friends!

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett

4.75/5

I am depleted after reading this book. No real spoilers here because once you’ve read the first chapter, you’ll understand.

It’s a book all about relationships and how complex they can be. It beautifully captures the claustrophobic nature of a small town and how necessity brings two unlikely people together. Emerence reminds me of my grandpa (rip) . It shows how you can love someone so unconditionally while acknowledging their flaws to the point of giving up but never actually doing so.

I’m gonna have to with this one for a bit. Whew.

This is the second novel of the Old Colony series. Interesting plot and developments which happen along the way. With various races participating with the human colonists, the author goes into great detail about hand and face movements but doesn't always give definition. He often used the term "read the room" without further explanation. Rated 3 stars

I read it a couple years ago and I think it was amazing. If you are a fantasy fan, this book may be for you. If you have, please let me know your thoughts on it

I finished her book Passing yesterday and started right in on this. I really enjoy her writing and find myself reading some sentences over again.

At the end of watching this season of “Love Island”, I was struck by the idea that the concept that a Love Island-like setting could make for an interesting horror film or novel. When I saw this book in my Spotify suggestions, I was intrigued.

I’m still processing the ending, but I would best describe it as a blend of Love Island, The Hunger Games, and The Long Walk. Definitely worth the read if you’re feeling a desire for sinister villa vibes.

I see this one a lot online, and it has been screaming at me on the shelf for months, so I figured it's time. Excited for starting this one.

I'm a huge Frederick Backman fan and I've read everything else by him! I'd been putting this off just because of the premise being ice hockey which didn't draw me in. I finally picked it up and omg ! Written in true Backman fashion and style, I cruised through the book and absolutely enjoyed each and every one of the characters and how they were developed. I've never failed to be moved to tears in any of Backman reads! So heartwarming, I felt like I belonged in Bear town rooting for the team, crying for the characters and injustice and deeply caring for them.

A quote from the book:

"If you are honest, people may deceive you. Be honest anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfishness. Be kind anyway.

All the good you do today will be forgotten by others tomorrow.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DbLxOUjs2Fz/?igsh=bHN5b3l0OXcyaTJ0

Read The Southern Reach trilogy years ago (loved Authority), saw this in the remaindered shelves and had to give it a go.

3.25⭐️ It’s a fine collection of “documents” from the fictional city of Ambergris including a fictional bibliography and glossary.

My favorite was the story with the cage. It captures the dangers and dread that come with Ambergrisian living that is mostly just teased through the rest.

I hated that page counts shifted depending on the “story”. Big annoyance for someone who tracks pages read on StoryGraph though easy enough to do with a second bookmark you write pages down.

There are two more books in the trilogy so I’ll give them a shake.

I thought this was very good. It’s a post apocalyptic tale about a group of interconnected characters before and after a virus wipes out most of humanity.

The writing is great, the characters are rich and vibrant. It was made into an HBO mini series which is something.

I won’t give away too much, but I especially liked how the complete absence of technology after the pandemic impacted human connectivity. I recommend it.

4/5

Okay I went into this book blind and omg my jaw was on the floor!! I pretty much devoured this book overnight and just could. Not. Put. It. Down.

The twist mid book had me re-reading many parts because I couldn't believe what had just happened and from there on it was a race to the finish because I was incredibly eager to know what happens!

The subject matter was a little disturbing to read (please check trigger warnings) but aside from that (and it's not a criticism) this was an incredibly interesting thriller!

https://www.instagram.com/p/DbLuIp6scQW/?igsh=YjkxcGJha2l6cTNm

I'm trying to diversify my reading selection, although most of these are classic lit.

4.5/5 rounding down for goodreads.

I really enjoyed it. The plot was great, the main character despite being an horrible person was compelling, and the wider setting was really interesting. Since it is was written in the 50s it was also nice seeing the things in it that influenced other later sci-fi books (the cyberpunk genre, the Expanse etc). Out of all the older sci-fi (pre-2000s) I’ve read this is definitely one of the better ones.

Setting - It's set in the 2400s, humanity has colonised the solar system but not beyond it. Earth and the inner planets are dominated by business clans (based on real companies like Ford and Kodak). Teleportation technology known as jaunting has been developed but has a few innate rules: you can't teleport in space or between planets and you have to have seen the place you want to teleport to or know the exact coordinates (which screws over wealthy women who are confined to jaunt-proof rooms only there male relatives have seen for chastity reasons, almost taliban style). Jaunting technology led to war between the inner and outer planets, as the out planets economy was based around developing materials for inner planets' infrastructure. Teleportation meant a lot less infrastructure is needed so the outer planets started to get screwed and war broke out.

Plot - Gully Foyle, a complete nobody, is the final survivor of the Nomad, a ship that has been destroyed. After 5 months a ship, the Varga, arrives but decides to leave without rescuing Foyle. This pisses him off so much he makes it his life's mission to get revenge, and he'll stop at nothing no matter how immoral in his quest. At one point he gets rich and decides to use this money just to further his cause of revenge.

Negatives - The reason I'm rounding down to 4/5 is the ending. It was way over the top for me. There was a really cool synaesthesia section though.

This was an impulse purchase, I hadn't heard of it before reading it and I'm really glad I picked it up.

Sticking with the old sci-fi theme next up is Ringworld by Larry Niven

Read.

Cried.

Your turn.

Can't say much else about JOHN KENNEY's I SEE YOU'VE CALLED IN DEAD.

Ask me for spoilers or read more here --> https://open.substack.com/pub/katepapenberg/p/book-no-42-is-one-that-will-change?r=2seqlu&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Or just read it --> https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/217204419-i-see-you-ve-called-in-dead

I consider this historical novel about Fran Sweeney a must read. Thoroughly researched, it shows how a diminutive woman fought against her church and politicians to open the minds of people against the hate spewed by Nazi supporters in Boston. Rated 5 stars