While I appreciate a good movie or show, few things make life better than falling in love with the world of a novel, the sort of book that while you’re reading it, you’re dimly aware that with every page you turn, you’re hastening the end of your love affair with the story.
David, so glad to hear how much you enjoyed The Calamity Club. I’ve been lugging my copy from place to place this summer, somehow not starting to read it. Now I will! I just finished Maggie O’Farrell’s LAND, set in post-famine Ireland. Immersive, rich, layered, wonderful — you and your Debbie might like it.
Thanks for sharing this, David. I was going to ask you how you selected the books, and when you revealed it was Claude I experienced a mixture of disappointment (not sure why) and thinking, "How sensible!". I read several novels a year or so ago, but this year I've been focusing on short stories and non-fiction. I love fiction, though, and now that I have finally (finally!) sorted out my bookshelves I am looking forward to reading or re-reading much older books, ie the classics: Emma, Bleak House, Barchester Towers etc etc!
Days Without End is the one book I found through Claude. I find Claude most useful to me for coming up with lists and aggregating reviews. Bleak House is my favorite of the Dickens novels I’ve read. I hd a few false starts over the years, but recently I made it to a tipping point where the novel became addictive.
I rarely read fiction any more. It was always one of the greatest pleasures of my life, but I find myself too restless with worry lately. It’s silly of me—everything is going to stay as it is whether or not I take time off to read a book!! Because I feel kinship with you and trust in your opinion, I’m going to try one of these. “Knowing” me, which should I pick?? And THANKS so much for the mention of my “Pitt” writing.
I think Calamity Club because it deals mostly with the treatment of women back then. And I know how passionate you are about calling out misogyny from all sides.
Don’t you live in New York, a city with great public libraries and presumably great librarians? Why ask an LLM what to read instead of seeking the personalized advice of a real life human? I’m sure they would have even offered suggestions over the phone if physically going to the library was a barrier.
It’s efficient, and I’d rather rely on multiple reviewers as a first pass. That said, most of the books I read come from other sources. Trusted friends, reviews I see, and so forth. When I asked Claude for well reviewed historical novels since 2000 (as I recall) I’d read most of the list (Cromwell Trilogy was one) but had never heard of Barry’s book.
Quibbling over the use of Claude to make book / film / TV suggestions seems a bit naive in 2026! The question at this point is not whether an intelligent person should use AI, but how best to use it. Putting creative endeavors aside, there are a myriad of uses: travel itineraries, historical research, summarizing transcripts of interviews, etc. etc. The challenge is learning how to “prompt” to get useful answers!
I read The Rest of Our Lives recently and enjoyed it, although I was anxious the whole time about the diagnosis, which I knew was coming. I didn't realize that wouldn't happen until the end of the book!
I always appreciate your book recs! I just started reading Returning and am really enjoying it. If you’re ever looking for short stories I highly recommend The History of Sound by Ben Shattuck - it’s a series of vignettes about all kinds of relationships set in the same locations in New England over the past 200 years or so.
Sebastian Barry--why have I never read him? I'm a huge fan (typically) of the long- and short-listed and winning Booker books. Thanks for moving Barry up the TBR ranks for me!
David, so glad to hear how much you enjoyed The Calamity Club. I’ve been lugging my copy from place to place this summer, somehow not starting to read it. Now I will! I just finished Maggie O’Farrell’s LAND, set in post-famine Ireland. Immersive, rich, layered, wonderful — you and your Debbie might like it.
Thanks for sharing this, David. I was going to ask you how you selected the books, and when you revealed it was Claude I experienced a mixture of disappointment (not sure why) and thinking, "How sensible!". I read several novels a year or so ago, but this year I've been focusing on short stories and non-fiction. I love fiction, though, and now that I have finally (finally!) sorted out my bookshelves I am looking forward to reading or re-reading much older books, ie the classics: Emma, Bleak House, Barchester Towers etc etc!
Days Without End is the one book I found through Claude. I find Claude most useful to me for coming up with lists and aggregating reviews. Bleak House is my favorite of the Dickens novels I’ve read. I hd a few false starts over the years, but recently I made it to a tipping point where the novel became addictive.
ditto re Bleak House. My favourite Dickens novel, or part thereof, is Hard Times. Must finish that!
Your opening paragraph describes the experience well.
I rarely read fiction any more. It was always one of the greatest pleasures of my life, but I find myself too restless with worry lately. It’s silly of me—everything is going to stay as it is whether or not I take time off to read a book!! Because I feel kinship with you and trust in your opinion, I’m going to try one of these. “Knowing” me, which should I pick?? And THANKS so much for the mention of my “Pitt” writing.
I think Calamity Club because it deals mostly with the treatment of women back then. And I know how passionate you are about calling out misogyny from all sides.
Don’t you live in New York, a city with great public libraries and presumably great librarians? Why ask an LLM what to read instead of seeking the personalized advice of a real life human? I’m sure they would have even offered suggestions over the phone if physically going to the library was a barrier.
It’s efficient, and I’d rather rely on multiple reviewers as a first pass. That said, most of the books I read come from other sources. Trusted friends, reviews I see, and so forth. When I asked Claude for well reviewed historical novels since 2000 (as I recall) I’d read most of the list (Cromwell Trilogy was one) but had never heard of Barry’s book.
Quibbling over the use of Claude to make book / film / TV suggestions seems a bit naive in 2026! The question at this point is not whether an intelligent person should use AI, but how best to use it. Putting creative endeavors aside, there are a myriad of uses: travel itineraries, historical research, summarizing transcripts of interviews, etc. etc. The challenge is learning how to “prompt” to get useful answers!
I read The Rest of Our Lives recently and enjoyed it, although I was anxious the whole time about the diagnosis, which I knew was coming. I didn't realize that wouldn't happen until the end of the book!
I always appreciate your book recs! I just started reading Returning and am really enjoying it. If you’re ever looking for short stories I highly recommend The History of Sound by Ben Shattuck - it’s a series of vignettes about all kinds of relationships set in the same locations in New England over the past 200 years or so.
Sebastian Barry--why have I never read him? I'm a huge fan (typically) of the long- and short-listed and winning Booker books. Thanks for moving Barry up the TBR ranks for me!