Books I'm about to read these upcoming months

I've been trying to read more lately, something everyone thinks at some point. I really enjoyed the hobby, but like all hobbies I just stopped doing it for a bit. While I did read a lot of non fiction to get better at programming as well as textbooks for class, I've come to learn that the classics are revered for a reason. I used to think that reading was just a way to flex and be performative, but I think a new way to see it is just the medium for the transaction of information of an era that may have been more enlightened than our world now. They did not doom scroll which I believe to be the greatest weakness of people now and I'm no exception. They thought about stuff and were overall pretty cool and had crazy attention spans that we couldn't fathom (Look at the Lincoln-Douglas debates). We could just attribute it to the fact there was nothing else to do lol, besides break your back on a feudal farm or something. I know all these ideas are trite and you've probably heard them from your parents, but arriving at the same truths as my parents and teachers made the advice finally stick. I saw a video posted online from my school's micro celebrity saying that bookmaxing is in for the year, and at the same time I revisited Pewdiepie on youtube and he also has his own book club of sorts. Those two inspired me to replace the downtime that I use to watch youtube with reading!!

So finally my list of things I want to read this year and some comments:

• Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
• The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
• Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
• Sun and Steel by Yukio Mishima
• The Republic by Plato
• Discourses by Epictetus
• Symposium by Plato
• In the Buddha's Words compiled by Bhikku Bodhi

same list but sullied with my comments now

• Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

Currently reading this one and I really enjoy Westerns. It's one of the most highly rated books from the author as well as the genre as a whole

• The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

I watched the movie first and it touched on themes that I found to be very touching and thought provoking. Made me shed a tear, just overall a beautiful story.

• Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

Read part of this as a wee lad and want to re read with my cool adult brain. Talked about it with my dad as well and have fond memories of that.

• Sun and Steel by Yukio Mishima

He seems like a real interesting guy and want to hear some new perspectives. Also, the idea of "bodybuilding and the mind" is covered I believe but written by someone who is very eloquent and not a tiktok influencer.

• The Republic by Plato

The goat of goats of thinking, read his stanford encyclopaedia article to get a sense of how much philosophers revere this man, was also trying to get into philosophy and this is the starting point that is recommended to me.

• Discourses by Epictetus

stoicism is a very cool thing, I'm not sure how I feel about it being made "popular". Life is hard man and we have to find a way to deal with it!

• Symposium by Plato

The goat again, just want to see what he thinks of beauty and love which I believe this covers

• In the Buddha's Words compiled by Bhikku Bodhi

Want to hear new ideas ofc, been raised in the christian american south ma whole life, never got the chance to hear these ideas