Invisible Man (1952) by Ralph Ellison

Maybe somewhat ironically, Invisible Man has been one elusive book to me. It was only last year did I learn that there was another Invisible Man besides H.G. Wells sci-fi lore. This one, by black author Ralph Ellison, is an exploration into American racism in 1920's New York.

Our man is black and unnamed, and seemingly loony when we first meet him. He has a story to tell though, and we go along for the ride because we've got nothing better to do (or have heard so much great stuff about the book). What follows is twisted fiction, impossibly surreal, and episodic almost. The first chapter is incredible, as it describes the sweat and blood from an animalistic battle royale where blacks are pitted against blacks for entertainment sake. This chapter, and the final hundred so pages, are riveting.

Beasts of No Nation (2005) by Uzodinma Iweala

As for the mediums I spend the most time with, movies has got to be it. Sure, the extended storytelling of television has its perks, and music is great when my eyes are sore. Books, however, are the weird medium. They're the ones I feel I neglect the most. I wish I read more instead of watching a seemingly endless amount of movies.

This year I told myself I would read more, and I have. I am in the back half of Ellison's seminal Invisible Man, and nearly finished with Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge. Recently, I read Beasts of No Nation, by Uzodinma Iweala (try saying that three times fast), yes, because of the Fukunaga movie that's coming on Netflix next month. However, Iweala's book is fantastic in it's own right, regardless of film association.