When I chose this song for the title, I was trying to imply that each new book that I read is a revolution, an expanding of my mind and ideas, sometimes overthrowing old ideas. But then I realized the word also implies revolving, each book is a revolution in my reading world. Although I am not planning a revolution, my mind is revolving around new thoughts (and some old) and ideas.
Sunrise on the Reaping (#11)
Written by Suzanne Collins; published in 2025; BJ Score 3.5 (Great to Excellent)
When I saw that a favorite author had a new book in her Hunger Games series, I wanted to buy it at B&N. It was so popular, that I had to get on a waiting list. The next day they called and I went to the store to pick it up. It was a very good read.
Sunrise on the Reaping is a 2025 dystopian novel and the second prequel novel to the original The Hunger Games trilogy, following The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020), which I have not read. Set 24 years before the events of the first novel, and centers on the 50th Hunger Games, in which Haymitch Abernathy competed. The book was released on March 18, 2025.
A film adaptation was announced to be in production on June 6, 2024, and is set to be released by Lionsgate on November 20, 2026. I probably will go to the movie too.
Size: How It Explains the World (#12)
Written by Vaclav Smil; published in 2023; BJ Score 2.0 (Good)
Another non-fiction from the library. First, the Book does not mention me. You would think size matters, and this book shows that it does. It was a good read but he has a tendency to stress the same points over and over. There was some great Math which I liked and a lot of statistics. On average, I think I learned some new things, but it was not a true Gaussian (aka Normal) distribution. I would not recommend this book to most people, just those who have big egos like me...
East of Eden (#13)
Written by John Steinbeck; published in 1952; BJ Score 4.0 (Excellent)
Book #77 from my bucket list. It was recommended by my friend Rick Schumann. It is the fifth Steinbeck novel I have read, and they all have been great. This one is a retelling of the Cain and Abel story from the bible. Interesting, a character meets the author when he was a child, so I realize this may have some biographical roots of John Steinbeck and family.
I found myself with two Jehovah Witnesses on my porch this past weekend, and I think I convinced them to read the book. We ended up having a good discussion. The book explores themes of depravity, beneficence, love, the struggle for acceptance and greatness, the capacity for self-destruction, and of guilt and freedom. I highly recommend it if you have never read it.
The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat (#14)
Written by Oliver Sacks; published in 1985; BJ Score 3.0 (Great)
I have always wanted to read this book and saw it at B&N so I bought it. It was a great read with some interesting tales of people with psychological problems.
Very recently, my brother Tom dealt with some incoherency from swelling on his brain. His symptoms were very similar to some of the stories in the book.
There is a new TV series called Brilliant Minds, based loosely on Dr. Oliver Sacks.
B is for Burglar (#15)
Written by Sue Grafton; published in 1982; BJ Score 2.5 (Good to Great)
Add to Book #59 on my Bucket list, which includes all books about PI Kinsey Millhone. Another good read. I looked up Grifton's biography and found out that she died before she wrote the Z is for... novel.
The East of Eden's and other Classics are necessary for me to read, but they can be draining mentally. That is why I through in a few Non-fiction books and I love my Stephen King and John Grisham.
The original list was 100 books and I have read 65 of them. Since I created the list, I have read 42 of the 100 and 23 were books I had already read. That leaves 35 original left to read, but the list has grown to 267 books after finding other lists and taken recommendations from friends.
It is both a revolution and a revolution.
About Title
"Revolution" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. Three versions of the song were recorded and released in 1968, all during sessions for the Beatles' self-titled double album, also known as the "White Album": a slow, bluesy arrangement ("Revolution 1") included on the album; an abstract sound collage (titled "Revolution 9") that originated as the latter part of "Revolution 1" and appears on the same album; and the faster, hard rock version similar to "Revolution 1", released as the B-side of "Hey Jude". Although the single version was issued first, it was recorded several weeks after "Revolution 1", intended for release as a single. A music video for the song was shot using the backing track from the single version, their appearances reflecting the song's atmosphere, along with live-sung lyrics that more closely resemble the album version.
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Good recommendations on books to read, BJ!
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