Blog vol 3. 31. A year of books
This is my last blog for 2022. Good vision and seeing clearly is critical for reading. So many of my patients are readers and we have some great conversations about books, so I thought I would do a little reminiscing about the books that I read this year.
A really good series is from the pen of a British author, Richard Osman. It is called The Thursday Murder Club, and it is about a group of seniors who meet every Thursday to solve cold and not-so-cold murder cases. His love for humanity and the quirkiness of the main characters is really endearing. Please do not get on the wrong side of these “gentle” geriatric folk, for you will rue the day you did. There are three books in the series thus far, and I would read them in order. I am eagerly looking forward to his next release.
A science fiction series that came out in the 1950s called the Foundation was originally three books but the author, Isaac Asimov, wrote two prequels that follow the life of Harry Seldon and his final days (it also is quite autobiographical). These two did not disappoint; I always wanted to know more about this genius who could mathematically “predict” what the future would be. The whole series is a great testimony to Asimov’s breadth of knowledge and his understanding of history, politics, culture, and, of course, robots. I have yet to touch on his other many sci-fi stories and I cannot wait to delve in.
I also read two of John Steinbeck’s shorter works: Of Mice and Men and The Moon is Down. The first is about two migrant field workers, George and Lennie, during the Depression. Steinbeck does a great job of depicting the struggles of finding work and of having dreams and shooting for them. The Moon is Down I found fitting during a war between Ukraine and Russia as it is set during the Nazi occupation of WW II, where a village is trying to resist its occupiers. The main character tells the Nazi officer that they will not be able to hold their gains, the villagers will eventually prevail, really prescient in times of conflict (and over and over again).
The literary world was saddened by the death of Hilary Mantel in 2022. Her trilogy on the life of Thomas Cromwell was brilliant, a must-read for anyone interested in history, and also a well-written story. She wrote a book in 1988, Eight Months on Ghazzah Street, which is an insightful observation, from a Londoner’s perspective, of the Saudi regime and all its complexities. It is about a British engineer and his wife who work in Arabia and is based on the author’s real-life experience.
My final book is a history by Barry Strauss called The War that Made the Roman Empire. It is about the rise of Octavius after the death of Julius and describes the main players and the political and military manoeuvres that led up to and prevailed in the Battle of Actium. Strauss does a masterful job highlighting the main characters, especially Octavius, and his naval commander, Marcus Agrippa. When I first read this book I was not aware of all the intricacies involved or of how capable Octavius was at politics or the crucial importance of Agrippa’s leadership. I have other works by Strauss to read and eagerly await his next book.
These were some of my favorite reads from 2022. Would love to hear yours.
All of us at Burlington Eyecare wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and all the best for the New Year.
til next year,
the good doctor
