My humble reading list for July 2026
Faces Under Water – Tanith Lee This is a book I could find fault with and even nitpick to death, but that would be unfair. Because, in spite of the odd diction and forced feeling of the prose, what Tanith Lee is doing here speaks deeply to me. This is the first of The Secret Books of Venus, a series set in an imagined Venice that manages to convey the magic and mystique of the city, at least to me who has never seen the real place. I guess Venice is one of those places that is part of the collective imagination. And this book was set during a three-month carnival where everyone was wearing a mask, so that played into how the characters were presented. It took me some effort to follow the prose for a while, but I took it slow, rereading as necessary. Fact is, I love fantasy, but strongly dislike most actual fantasy books. This is one that more than makes up for any shortcomings.
Dear Sweet Filthy World – Caitlin R. Kiernan Kiernan is one of my favorite writers, yet somehow, I haven’t read more than half of what she’s written. I finally got to this one, and it might be the best collection of hers I’ve read yet, though the next one might be, too. But it seemed that this book contained many dense, illusive stories/pieces of prose, more than usual. One I read then reread immediately and was rewarded for doing so. Later I discovered that I was not the only one who had struggled with that piece. But those people did not reread it, which left me feeling faintly pleased with myself. There is much bizarre eroticism here, and that works for me. Dark, compelling, and wonderful.
Do What You Fear Most: The History of the Velvet Underground – Richie Unterberger My relationship with VU is problematic. I think the first album (with Nico) is a masterpiece, and I’ve been listening to it over the past 46 years. But even though I’ve always liked it, I like it even more now. And the second album is good, too. But the third? That’s when I start throwing things, since I am not a fan of Americana and the American aesthetic in music. So really, I like VU when John Cale was in the band, and I like what he did with Nico, who I like more than VU. All that said, I’m glad I read this book, since they are such an important part of Rock music. And the book is well researched, to the point of discussing each song of each live show that was recorded (bootlegs). That’s when I got bogged down some. Toward the end I did skip some of those pages, but otherwise I went all the way to the end.
Saint Fire – Tanith Lee This is the second of The Secret Books of Venus. I might have liked this one even better than the first. The prose was less affected, but it had a compelling character who was well conceived and executed (in prose). I will be reading the other two books, plus I have another of her series. But really, I might end up reading most all of her books. There’s something about her writing that does it for me.
In Viriconium – M. John Harrison I’ve been wanting to revisit this book for a while. I remember it being my favorite of the three Viriconium novels. My image of it was as being atmospheric and set in a decadent city. And it was. But it was also absurd, which I don’t remember from before. But there’s no denying that it is its own thing, its own book, demanding to be read on its own terms. After reading it, I read some reviews, and now I think I should read it again. It’s not long, just over 100 pages.
Stoner – John Williams This book was given to me by a friend, so I considered it a homework read. But it immediately pulled me into a world I have only fantasized about: the world of a college campus. This book is about teaching and the love of teaching for simply the love of the subject. And the subject was literature, something I’d have loved to have studied in such depth. But really, this features a character who is ordinary, who leaves no lasting impact, whose family and career were remarkably unremarkable. But isn’t this most of us? And how do we, individually, find the wherewithal to do, and continue to do, that which life demands of us and still find meaning? This is a sad, sad book, and I am happy I read it. This is the story of my life, and my life will likely end in such loneliness and isolation as is depicted here. Because each of us will die alone, even if we are surrounded by friends and family. Because we can’t take anyone with us. We are, ultimately, each of us, alone.
