First of all, this month’s reading list is coming out late due to my earlier travel to London. Sorry about the lateness!
Next, readers will find this an unusual version of the monthly reading list. In preparation for his new novel, I re-read a lot of John Scalzi in the last couple of months. I’ve collected all that into October’s reading list.
Hope you enjoy!
S.E. Hinton – The Outsiders
This is a 1960s coming of age short novel set up as a conflict between teenage ‘Socs’ and ‘Greasers.’
Hinton tells a story of white urban gangs split along class lines. The Socs are made up of wealthier kid, while the Greasers are made up of working-class kids. Several violent conflicts erupt, with the Greaser main character learning a great deal about life and the troubles every kid faces.
Admittedly, the specific gangs and social contexts feel a bit remote. But even 60 years later, many of the lessons apply. I certainly see why it’s still considered an American classic.
John Scalzi – When the Moon Hits Your Eye
Scalzi builds this quick and breezy novel around the idea that the moon has turned to cheese! And in it, I think we find what some people love, and others hate, about Scalzi’s work.
It’s an entertaining and creative book. And in the way he sets it up – a series of short stories about the reactions of various people to the moon turning into cheese – he develops an impressive range of quirky characters. That’s the good.
At the same time, it’s all more than a little silly. This isn’t the kind of sci-fi novel that breaks new ground or deserves to be nominated for awards. It doesn’t challenge the reader. This upsets some readers.
But for my part, I enjoy these aspects of his work. However, even I have to admit that I prefer his more serious work. With that in mind…
John Scalzi – Old Man’s War series
Scalzi released a new book in his Old Man’s War series!
But before getting to that, I re-read the entire series from the beginning. It had been years since I’d read the novels – also since Scalzi wrote one – so I thought a revisit was in order.
To no surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed re-reading it! I found the first book especially compelling. In one moving scene, main character John Perry and several of his colleagues sit around talking about what they miss from their past lives, before signing up for the Colonial Defense Forces and fighting space aliens. In response, Perry speaks about the quiet moments of married life.
I’d miss those quiet moments at home with my partner, too.
As for the other novels, Scalzi moves characters in and out of the story. And at one point he even re-tells a story from a different perspective. Through it all, the reader gets a great sense of what this world is like – a world where elderly people sign up for the military, get sent out into space, and receive new bodies.
Readers should expect to see the new Scalzi novel in the November list.
