After A Month of Reading Rot in August, it seemed only natural to move on to “A Month of Misery” in September. Seven books this month, but don’t worry, not all were miserable.

I’ll let you know this up front: got my jabs yesterday and so we’ll make this quick. (This is definitely the easiest time I’ve had following Covid and flu vaccines, but there is still a tad bit of … misery.)

Book 1: The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

This was Hemingway’s first novel and was semi-autobiographical.

In this post-World War I setting, the characters are part of the feckless Lost Generation.

My biggest takeaway? I would never go to a bullfight. In fact, I will try my best to never even read about one again.

And yes, this book has been banned for a variety of reasons. The Nazis burned it in 1933, because it didn’t glorify war.

Book 2: Misery by Stephen King

How is it possible to get so much enjoyment out of such a horrifying tale?

The movie was great, but there’s something about knowing what protagonist Paul Sheldon was thinking while being “nursed” back to health by Annie Wilkes that enhanced the horror.

She was his number-one fan after all.

Book 3: That Librarian by Amanda Jones

Good heavens, people are so mean!

School librarian Amanda Jones spoke up at a meeting, encouraging the library board to follow its already adopted policy for challenging books.

And all hell broke loose on social media.

This happened just a few years ago – and technically is still ongoing in court. Amanda Jones learned the hard way that not everyone is her friend. I hope she gets continued therapy, as those bruises you can’t see take a long time – if ever – to heal.

Book 4: Not My Father’s Son by Alan Cumming

This memoir is wild! Actor Alan Cumming takes us from his childhood of misery to the point of being cast in a genealogy show to learn about his family tree.

As he recounts the family secrets uncovered by the show’s researchers, we learn the real reason behind the book’s title.

Book 5: One Woman’s Army by Charity Adams Earley

This memoir takes us back to the years of World War II and one woman’s experiences in the segregated Women’s Army Corps. She kicks those Army-issued brown shoes through more than one glass ceiling.

There’s a compelling movie about her experiences, The Six Triple Eight, as she and her battalion travel overseas to untangle the three-year backlog of mail and packages sent to soldiers.

Book 6: The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

This was Dame Agatha’s first detective novel, and it was thankfully just the beginning.

It was heartening to see Hercule Poirot introduced in this work, as he sorts his way through the first of many murder-by-poison mysteries.

Book 7: Hamlet by William Shakespeare

What better way to end a month of misery than with poor, dear Hamlet?

I’d forgotten how very quotable this play is:

• Something is rotten in the state of Denmark
• Brevity is the soul of wit
• The lady protests too much, methinks
• To be, or not to be, that is the question
• Neither a borrower nor a lender be

And my favorite:

The play’s the thing
Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the King

---

Please sign up to receive an email notice when there’s a new Too Much Brudders story: