Reading Recap: April 2026
Early Greek Philosophy • Plato • New Book Acquisitions
I set aside one post per month to highlight my reading life. Books of Titans is a reading project aimed at seeking the ancient paths by reading The Immortal Books by 200 authors chronologically over the next 15 40 years. Thank you for following my journey.
I’m not really a hit at get-togethers at the moment. When the discussion turns to current reads and I say early Greek philosophy, people assume I have a highly contagious disease and leave. I don’t mind. I’m having so much fun in my current rabbit trail of learning about the philosophers who influenced Plato and Aristotle. I’m amazed at the vastness of their questions, the theories generated in answer to those questions, and the ways in which these philosophers not only influenced each other, but the poets and politicians around them. As I close out my detour from Plato, I’m deeply thankful for the past two months of early Greek philosophers, Sophists, and thinkers.
April 2026 Reading
Early Greek Philosophy
I spent the majority of April reading the book on the left. It covers the Sophists Protagoras, Gorgias, Produces, Hippias, Antiphon, Thrasymachus, Critias, Alcidamas, and others. The Sophists live in infamy for teaching their students how to win any argument irrespective of the truth of that argument. They are lambasted in Greek Tragedies, Comedies, and by Plato. It was thought that the Sophists had set aside the early Greek philosopher’s search for truth in order to make money by teaching others to straddle truth and falsehood. Yes, they did that, but they also continued the philosophical tradition by asking and answering difficult questions.
The three green Loeb books in the middle were used for reference as Diogenes Laertius and Philostratus both wrote about the lives of the philosophers and Sophists I was reading about. These accounts were quite entertaining and would pull from a variety of often contradicting reports.
Last, I decided to try to set the book of II Timothy to memory during 2026 and used the book on the right for that purpose. It’s slow going and I’m seeing just how much I need to work on my memory skills.
May 2026 Reading Plan
Back to Plato
Last year, I read 9 dialogues in this Plato Complete Works before realizing that I needed to stop and read the philosophers Plato was referring to. My plan is to return to his complete works at the beginning of May. The question is whether I start at the beginning and read the 9 dialogues I’ve already read or start on the 10th dialogue. Your suggestions would be welcome.
We’ll be reading Euripides’ Medea for the May Short Great Books Reading Group selection. If you live near Franklin, TN, we’ll be meeting at Landmark Booksellers on Monday, May 4th at 7pm.
Recently Acquired
April Book Purchases
I purchased Philostratus’ Lives of the Sophists to learn more about each Sophist as I read about them in the Penguin Classics book. This was written between 231 and 237 AD.
During last month’s trip to Rome, I was learning about Seneca and had it in my mind to purchase this copy of Six Tragedies. This is in preparation for when I reach the Romans in my Immortal Books list.
Stoner by John Williams - I count it as a sign from God if I hear two or three people mention a book within a short timespan. I then purchase the book without hesitation. That’s what happened here.
Gilgamesh by Simon Armitage - this is a new translation of Gilgamesh that I had pre-ordered many months ago. I’m taking my summer break month (July) of reading this year to focus exclusively on The Epic of Gilgamesh. This will be one of the versions I read.
Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder - I remember a friend of mine reading this during college and loving it. I thought it’d be fun to reference as I’m working my way through philosophy. The more exposure to the overarching ideas, the better.
Bookish Adventures
I’m the business manager at Landmark Booksellers in Franklin, TN and here are 9 photos I took inside the store during April (as well as one from the Franklin Theatre for an event with Sally Lloyd-Jones). We’re on a continual quest to organize the store for the optimal, heavenly book experience:
I read Sophie’s World when the first German translation was published in 1993 and remember liking it a lot. However I cannot really recall any of the content apart from some very broad ideas. Your post has made me want to give it another go.
Sophie’s World is very well done. I bought it for my niece several years ago and got a copy for myself as well and enjoyed reading it.