It was so controversial back then haha. My mum wouldn’t let me read it.
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I got the norwegian translation of Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone about one year before I could read properly and about two years before I saw the movie. I only ended up reading the book in its entirety after watching the movie. The norwegian translator Torstein Bugge is absolutely incredible, so much so that I rate it as equal to JK’s original words. Although battered and bruised, it is actually first edition. 
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I thought I was having a brain aneurysm with “Philosopher’s Stone”.
The “too academic for American kids” gave me a hearty chuckle.
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I just finished up the Old Man and the Sea, and a Farewell to Arms by Hemingway. I haven’t read him before, his writing is simple and approachable, but can also be very thought provoking.
I’m planning to read all he’s written, novels anyways.
I’m already more or less on a classics kick, will probably stay here a while.
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I’ll have to revisit old man and the sea. It was part of the curriculum as a kid and the most boring book I can remember reading. Maybe it’ll be a better read as an adult.
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I was thinking as I read through it, if I read this as a kid I’d think “Wow, a whole book about an old guy going fishing”.
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I’m so glad you’re reading Wheel of Time! I wasn’t sure if I was going to commit to the whole series before reading but after finishing Eye of the World, I knew I was definitely going to read them all.
@Vertemes I own up to volume 13 of Vinland Saga which I think is in the 160s as far as chapters. After I read that, I read what else was available at the time. I know that it’s finished now so I need to do a reread and see how it ends! If you liked Vinland Saga I would highly recommend Vagabond. It’s another historical fiction manga with absolutely insane artwork.
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The War of Art - Steven Pressfield
Tribe - Sebastian Junger
Digital Minimalism - Cal Newport
Discourses - Epictetus
Meditations - Marcus Aurelius
Millionaire Next Door - Thomas Stanley & William Danko
Mindfulness - Mark Williams & Danny Penman
Skulduggery Pleasant (I’ve read 7 or so.) - Derek Landy
Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk
Survivor - Chuck Palahniuk
The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
LotR (All) - JRR Tolkien
The Silmarillion - JRR Tolkien
Did I miss any other self-aware white guy trying to be a better person books?
Genuinely recommend all, but don’t like that some of them have fallen to the “alpha male” grindset book list. With some of them, that’s definitely missing the point.
The War of Art is a huge recommendation for anyone who has a creative hobby (or profession). Any form.
Digital Minimalism opened my eyes (more) to just how truly cooked our trajectory is with digital and social media dependency. Tribe highlights how the decay of community is pushing us as a society towards this (and what you can do for yourself about it.)
The philosophers speak for themselves. Nuggets of stoic wisdom (and solidarity throughout the ages) in abundance. Read these if you feel like you’re struggling with something, and take comfort that the world has already been through it (yes, even that.)
Fight Club although cliché really helped me as an angsty and violent young man, to gradually understand my discomfort with the world and expectations of consumerism, masculinity, and finding purposeful meaning that doesn’t cause harm. To this day the number of people that watched the film and missed the point hurts me, but that’s also very meta. Truly a fantastic book.
Survivor was just a good albeit dark read. I never want to be famous.
Millionaire Next Door was a recommendation from none other than smpratte in a video, but as someone already inclined to financial prudence, it was a good read that highlights how different mindsets can really be make-or-break for financial health.
Mindfulness was incredibly helpful to me within a few pages. Again, people have been through what you have. Believe in their advice.
Skulduggery Pleasant series I read in my early teens, but I still like them! A cool and edgier take on the “what if magic” theme. Talking sassy skeleton, what’s not to like? Grown away from wanting to read them as I’ve gotten older but know my kids will enjoy.
I have nothing to say about JRR Tolkien that hasn’t already been said, but there is a Hobbiton in my mind that I visit when necessary.
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Haha, this is also why I mentioned:
in my post when I mentioned Harry Potter. I always thought those minor differences between the original UK and ‘translated’ US version were funny ever since I first heard about the Philosopher’s vs Sorcerer’s title change. 
Greetz,
Quuador
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I binge the podcast Legends of the Old West and have been wanting to read this book among others. Great podcast if you haven’t stumbled on it yet.
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Couple of books I’m reading and some that are on the to read list:
Great books/series:
Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames: I loved this fantasy story that mixes fantasy and comedy really well. I was afraid the comedy would take me out of the fantasy immersion but the Author did it so well that it had me hooked the whole time.
Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson: One of my favorite fantasy series that I around half way through so far. The first 2 or 3 books are incredible.
Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant: Currently reading this as I have taken a big interest in the American Civil War over the last year or two.
Dead Reckoning by Dick Lehr: The crazy story of the Americans during WWII intercepting Japanese flight itinerary of Admiral Yamamoto and going on a mission blind hoping to run into his squadron.
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this is such an intriguing list!! to me the “self-aware white guy trying to be a better person” poster boy is david foster wallace, have you read any of his stuff? his non-fiction-ish pieces especially, i discovered him (like many probably did) through “this is water” but i fell in love with him through “consider the lobster” and “a supposedly fun thing i’ll never do again”.
i’ve only ever seen fight club the movie, never read it. maybe this is the sign that i should start it!!
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Reading the card explains the card
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woah, my mom just pulled that out of an old box that a friend gave her many many years ago. I guess its a sign, I should read it.
I need to start going through the books I have already on my shelf. I keep picking things up from the used book store and not reading them.
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Never read any of his stuff but may look into it! The film is fantastic in its own right, don’t get me wrong, it’s just that many people overlooked the whole “trading one extreme for another is not good” thing.
That said, in a controlled and safe environment, I’m all for punching and getting punched in the face, so I do feel like there’s some truth to combat sports being good for men!
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Funnily enough, the author of Fight Club likes the movie more than his book
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if you’re open to listening, “this is water” is actually available on youtube narrated by the man himself, since it was originally delivered as a commencement speech. it’s short and sweet and can give you an idea of whether you find him intriguing or insufferable lol.
i’ll take your word for it RE: men needing to punch and be punched lol. but i remember thinking the movie sort of endorsed the nihilism and i was turned off by that.
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lmao so the opposite of starship troopers then?
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Very good book! Easy read, and gives a nice perspective that I think we could all use more of in the modern world It is definitely a sign 
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