My 2020 Reading Challenge

Writing this retrospective of my challenge this year, I realized two things I hadn't anticipated (I don't prepare my reading list in advance, I choose books as I go).

The first is that I mostly immersed myself in (science-)fiction — could it be an attempt to cope with this year that has put us all through the wringer?

Maybe.

And the second is that I, unconsciously, favored reading great classics from different genres, whether Stephen Hawking, Mary Shelley, or Aldous Huxley — all of them marked their time and left a lasting mark on the world of literature.

A Brief History of Time

Stephen Hawking / Astrophysics

This book is an incredible mine of knowledge about the universe and the history of science, but I had a hard time finishing it, so grand is the density of things to understand within it, especially in the second half of the book.

Every book adds to my knowledge or my imagination, but there are certain books where a single sentence engraves something in me that I will keep forever, and that's the case for this one, in its introduction.

Stephen Hawking, whose physical condition you undoubtedly know, having spent a large part of his life with it, wrote this: "My (physical) disability has not been a serious handicap in my field, which is theoretical physics."

Hearing someone with the condition Stephen Hawking suffered from say that his illness was not "too handicapping" hits me like a hammer blow straight to the heart.

As for the book, I only recommend it if you already have a good foundation in physics and a certain understanding of how our universe works.

Play Matters

Miguel Sicart / Gamification

Despite a very interesting substance, the form of this book, which addresses the question "What does 'playing' really mean? And why do we play?" doesn't do it justice.

Much less pleasant to read than the other works in the "Playful Thinking" series, which I already talked about in my 2019 reading list, it remains a good book for someone seriously interested in game design.

I only recommend it if you're passionate about the subject, but I think there are other books on the topic that are more accessible and enjoyable to read.

Cervocomix

Jean-François Marmion, Monsieur B / Biology and neuroscience

A comic book, in the series of "Economix," "Quantix," and others, which addresses in a very accessible way how the brain works and its relationship with our body.

The content is very interesting, but the colorful characters may not appeal to everyone.

I recommend it, but read a few pages before buying it to see if the style of humor suits you.

Frankenstein

Mary Shelley / Science-fiction

Without a doubt one of my biggest literary shocks of my 2020. If, like me, you thought you knew Frankenstein's monster without ever having read the original novel, you're wrong.

I rediscovered this masterpiece and was stunned by the accuracy of the writing in this book, considered one of the forerunners of science fiction (first published in 1818).

I personally listened to it as an audiobook, and I have no regrets, because the narrator had a voice that could make you tremble even in broad daylight.

A must-read, or a must-listen, it's simply essential!

The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald / Fiction

I didn't really know what to expect from Gatsby, except that it's considered an unmissable classic work, and the only image I had in mind was Di Caprio's portrait in a white suit.

I'm not used to reading classic fiction works where you "simply" follow someone's life, their encounters, and their adventures, outside of any fantastical element, but I started Gatsby during the first lockdown, and I felt it was what I needed.

And I wasn't wrong — the immense mansion of this so mysterious man, the parties where hundreds of people rush every evening, allowed me to escape from our much more... confined situation.

I recommend it, without hesitation!

The Call of Cthulhu

H.P Lovecraft / Science-fiction

Who hasn't heard of Cthulhu? If you like science fiction, you've surely heard this name. The problem with works so famous that everyone knows the name is that you can quickly be disappointed.

And yet, that wasn't the case for me with this incredibly well-written short story. The description of places, facts, and mysteries shows tremendous mastery; you feel like you're literally seeing through the characters' eyes.

Unfortunately, it must be said that certain words used in the book strongly reflect the racism of the era, and notably that of Lovecraft himself, which makes reading it sometimes difficult today.

I'm not really a fan of "horror" literature, but I still recommend it.

Suspicious Minds (Stranger Things)

Gwenda Bond / Science-fiction

The Stranger Things series was one of my favorites, and revisiting the universe with a few (secondary) characters from the show appealed to me a lot.

Unfortunately, the writing is too imprecise, the characters' reactions are sometimes inconsistent while also being too predictable. I didn't have a bad time with this book, but I was glad to reach the end.

I don't recommend this book, except perhaps as a gift for a younger reader who wouldn't be bothered by the writing.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Jules Verne / Fantasy

A Fantasy of Doctor Ox

Jules Verne / Adventure

The style of this short story is very different from what Jules Verne usually offers. Here, you almost don't feel like you're reading a classic adventure work, but rather a theater play with comedic overtones.

All the characters are far-fetched, the backdrop isn't the most spectacular, but it's not a "bad" short story.

I don't recommend it, except for those who, like me, aim to read all of Jules Verne.

The Blockade Runners

Jules Verne / Adventure

This book was published about twenty years before R.L. Stevenson's "Treasure Island," and I like to think (even though there's no chance this is actually the case) that this book is the "spiritual father" of Stevenson's masterpiece — not for the treasure (since there isn't one), but for the way it tells the adventure that a ship voyage was at the time.

Reading such a book today won't knock you out of your chair with its narrative plot, but I find the writing of such an adventure perfect from a literary standpoint.

If you're looking to read a short adventure aboard a ship, then I recommend it!

Breaking Dawn (Twilight)

Stephenie Meyer / Fantasy

My completionist mind is very happy to be able to write these words in black and white today, because I started reading this book in 2013 — obviously this time I started over from the beginning.

Many people have trashed this work that is Twilight, for various understandable reasons. But for those who claim the writing is terrible (often without having read the book), I'd like to point out, for people who might want to start the series, that this isn't the case.

Sure, the writing is quite simple, but above all accessible. My impression is that the writing isn't there to have a particular style, but simply to carry the story, which it does very well.

I recommend it, if you're not allergic to sparkling vampires and romance.

Mortelle est la nuit & Chante-cloche

Isaac Asimov / Science-fiction

The master has struck again, and as with every new Asimov story I discover, it's another shock. A perfectly built universe, interesting characters, consistent even if sometimes a bit out there.

I find this is exactly the kind of short story that's perfect to read between the different collections of the Robot cycle.

Go for it!

Brave New World

Aldous Huxley / Science-fiction

This novel is the perfect representation of what, to me, is a literary frustration: a masterpiece with which I have a lot of trouble connecting.

I think the writing of this novel manages to make us enter such a dull dystopian future, devoid of all freedom, that I had trouble overcoming the ambient unease that runs through its pages.

Even though I probably didn't appreciate it at its true worth, I recommend it so you can form your own opinion!

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

J.K Rowling / Fantasy

The English version of these universally known works has a particular flavor for me: not only is it the first time I'm reading them (for the most part), but it's especially the occasion for a special moment with my daughter, with whom I read them aloud, notably during her naps in the baby wrap.

So it's a moment outside of time, and always the same pleasure of rediscovering all the characters and plots, even more authentic in the original version.

I recommend it, especially the English version if you want to improve your understanding of this language; these remain books for teenagers but very well written.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

J.K Rowling / Fantasy

What more can I say than for the previous book?

Nothing, it's still just as good, go for it!