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Reading this feels like having all of my interests squeezed and juiced into one volume of divinely inspired psychedelic poetry. WHERE HAS THIS BOOK BEEN ALL MY LIFE?? Just inject it into my veins, please. Ancient religious rites, cross cultural references spanning thousands of years of belief systems, and History: with all the flavour and none of the bone dry academia. This is what Poetry is all about. Fuck yeah.

Oh man, what a mean-spirited little book. I was promised deliciously Dark Academia, a secretive, twisty plot and some good old fashioned escapism. Instead, I've got a thumping head-ache from R.F. Kuang berating me with this hateful diatribe on post-colonialism masquerading as pop lit. She has all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. There are some interesting bits about translation, but not enough to suture the venom.

After about a month of reading this, slowly but surely and in concise bites, I’ve arrived at the famous ‘Grand Inquisitor’ chapter. Good God, Dostoevsky does not pull any punches. Through Ivan’s diatribes he forces you to see the brutal depravity, the inhumane violence and monstrous acts committed by humans. Alyosha offers some light, but this is a dark and brooding tale full of horrors. Now hooked…

Just wow. Chapter 1 and already I’m hooked. A stunning display of master storytelling mixed flawlessly with incisive historical analysis. This is, imho, how history should be written. Free from academic babble and an over preoccupation with historiography, the narrative flows like a river, like the passage of time itself.

Almost time to part ways with Byron’s cheeky wit and his somewhat hapless Hero Don Juan. I picked this up a couple of months ago after being treated to an impromptu reading with an English teacher colleague of mine en route home from school. The language is the centrepiece here: ottava rima stanzas reminiscent of ancient epics, but quintessentially romantic-era English. No one is safe from Byron’s pen!

Far heavier and more philosophical than expected, but also insightful and downright genius. Not an invigorating read always, but it does reward your patience and perseverance. Looks like the West is screwed, however this is a natural part of a society’s organic life cycle. Pessimistic, yet comforting.

Fearsome. So brutal it requires an aversion of the eye to its many horrors. A classical, biblical examination of timeless, nameless evil all presided over by the ethereal Judge Holden. Sensationally good writing.

Shelved for now. There are some great ideas in here, and Shannon has nothing but noble intentions; an epic feminist fantasy sounds great. It doesn’t half draaaaaag on and on ad nauseum, though. Gie’s a break!

Christ almighty, this is tough going. I'm so close to giving up, only kept going by the fact DeLillo seems so universally admired.

Don't get me wrong, the quality of the writing is superb, and there are lines on almost every page which resonate with insight and poetry, dissecting America's dark heart, centred on trendy TV Execs in NY.

To be frank, I just find it boring and pretentious. Let's see if it picks up...