1. Percy Jackson and the Olympians(#5): The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
8/19: If you know you know, we really didn't know his character that well, but it still hurt.
8/24: I just re-realized that Nico and Bianca were stuck in the Lotus Hotel for 70 years. I just want Nico to find out what happened to his family. 8/30: I haven’t been able to read much since school started, but I NEED to know what this plan is.
9/30: I finally finished after taking huge gaps between school and work, but it was so worth it!!
2. Gorgias by Plato
"Taking the form of a dialogue between Socrates, Gorgias, Polus and Callicles, GORGIAS debates perennial questions about the nature of government and those who aspire to public office.
Are high moral standards essential or should we give our preference to the pragmatist who gets things done or negotiates successfully? Should individuals be motivated by a desire for personal power and prestige, or genuine concern for the moral betterment of the citizens?
These questions go to the heart of Athenian democratic principles and are more relevant than ever in today's political climate." (Synopsis via Goodreads)
3. The Iliad
"Selections from both Iliad and Odyssey, made with an eye for those episodes that figure most prominently in the study of mythology."
"Dating to the ninth century B.C., Homer’s timeless poem still vividly conveys the horror and heroism of men and gods wrestling with towering emotions and battling amidst devastation and destruction, as it moves inexorably to the wrenching, tragic conclusion of the Trojan War. Renowned classicist Bernard Knox observes in his superb introduction that although the violence of the Iliad is grim and relentless, it coexists with both images of civilized life and a poignant yearning for peace."(Synopsis via Goodreads)
4. Phaedrus by Plato
A dialogue between Socrates and Phaedrus focusing on rhetoric and the form of speeches in ancient Athens, beautifully translated with helpful footnotes and an appendix of Greek love poetry.
5. The Bhagavad Gita
"The Bhagavad Gitais an early epic poem that recounts the conversation between Arjuna the warrior and his charioteer Krishna, the manifestation of God. In the moments before a great battle, the dialogue sets out the important lessons Arjuna must learn to change the outcome of the war he is to fight, and culminates in Krishna revealing to the warrior his true cosmic form, counselling him to search for the universal perfection of life. Ranging from instructions on yoga postures to dense moral discussion, the Gita is one of the most important Hindu texts, as well as serving as a practical guide to living well." (Synopsis via Goodreads)
6. The Epic of Gilgamesh
"Miraculously preserved on clay tablets dating back as much as four thousand years, the poem of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, is the world’s oldest epic, predating Homer by many centuries. The story tells of Gilgamesh’s adventures with the wild man Enkidu, and of his arduous journey to the ends of the earth in quest of the Babylonian Noah and the secret of immortality. Alongside its themes of family, friendship and the duties of kings, the Epic of Gilgamesh is, above all, about mankind’s eternal struggle with the fear of death.
The Babylonian version has been known for over a century, but linguists are still deciphering new fragments in Akkadian and Sumerian." (Synopsis via Goodreads)