books so far
I wish I had never made the decision to stop keeping track of the books I read. Foolish! Now, I'm trying to remember what I read, but I can't, which is a shame because I really ought to read stuff that's memorable enough to remember.
I'm trying to remember anyway, so here's a list with brief impressions (if I can think of any).
1. Fables 13: The Great Fables Crossover (graphic novel), Bill Willingham et. al. I am starting to grow tired of these.
2. Kingston by Starlight, Christopher John Farley. Picked up randomly out of Will's collection. It's about pirates - Ann Bonny, Mary Read, and Calico Jack Rackham - and it was entertaining and gripping, despite already knowing how all three came to their ends.
3. The Shipping News, Annie Proulx. Another one of Will's books. I had avoided reading this because Julia Roberts was in the movie, but since I read some of the Wyoming Stories and realized how awesome Annie Proulx is, I decided to give it a go. The characterizations were kind of amazing.
4. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. I loved the movie, and I thought this was even better. I know that this book is often criticized for the characters not talking/behaving like "normal" teenagers, but I don't really see that as a problem. They certainly talk/behave like teenagers I knew (and teenagers I was, a little). Plus, I'm predisposed to like any book/movie where all of the action occurs during one unusual night.
5. The Age of Wonder: The Romantic Generation and the Discovery of the Beauty and Terror of Science, Richard Holmes. I'd been wanting to read this forever, but I was a little disappointed. I thought that the author would go further in depth about the interplay of society, arts/literature, and science, but the focus was entirely on the science. It was an exciting age for science, but not the most exciting of reads.
6. Rose Sees Red, Cecil Castellucci. Another teenagers-out-all-night-in-Manhattan book (but set in the '80s), this got a little preachy, what with the kids going to a no nukes rally and everybody talking at great length about how the USSR and the USA should get along like the kids do (or something). I mean, it was okay, but if I'd read this as a teenager, I would've felt insulted by how dumbed-down and perfunctory the "deep point" is.
7. Room, Emma Donoghue. Fucking. Awesome. Wonderful, disturbing. I want to say more, but I can't quite manage.
8. The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession, Mark Obmascik. I came into this book (borrowed from bro-in-law Matt) knowing nothing about it. I thought, "A book about birding; I guess it'll do until my library books come in," but I ended up being really enthralled by the drama of the competitive birding scene. I can hardly believe it myself.
I took my time with The Age of Wonder and Shipping News, mostly because I didn't know what I was going to read next, but I devoured the rest.
I'm trying to remember anyway, so here's a list with brief impressions (if I can think of any).
1. Fables 13: The Great Fables Crossover (graphic novel), Bill Willingham et. al. I am starting to grow tired of these.
2. Kingston by Starlight, Christopher John Farley. Picked up randomly out of Will's collection. It's about pirates - Ann Bonny, Mary Read, and Calico Jack Rackham - and it was entertaining and gripping, despite already knowing how all three came to their ends.
3. The Shipping News, Annie Proulx. Another one of Will's books. I had avoided reading this because Julia Roberts was in the movie, but since I read some of the Wyoming Stories and realized how awesome Annie Proulx is, I decided to give it a go. The characterizations were kind of amazing.
4. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. I loved the movie, and I thought this was even better. I know that this book is often criticized for the characters not talking/behaving like "normal" teenagers, but I don't really see that as a problem. They certainly talk/behave like teenagers I knew (and teenagers I was, a little). Plus, I'm predisposed to like any book/movie where all of the action occurs during one unusual night.
5. The Age of Wonder: The Romantic Generation and the Discovery of the Beauty and Terror of Science, Richard Holmes. I'd been wanting to read this forever, but I was a little disappointed. I thought that the author would go further in depth about the interplay of society, arts/literature, and science, but the focus was entirely on the science. It was an exciting age for science, but not the most exciting of reads.
6. Rose Sees Red, Cecil Castellucci. Another teenagers-out-all-night-in-Manhattan book (but set in the '80s), this got a little preachy, what with the kids going to a no nukes rally and everybody talking at great length about how the USSR and the USA should get along like the kids do (or something). I mean, it was okay, but if I'd read this as a teenager, I would've felt insulted by how dumbed-down and perfunctory the "deep point" is.
7. Room, Emma Donoghue. Fucking. Awesome. Wonderful, disturbing. I want to say more, but I can't quite manage.
8. The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession, Mark Obmascik. I came into this book (borrowed from bro-in-law Matt) knowing nothing about it. I thought, "A book about birding; I guess it'll do until my library books come in," but I ended up being really enthralled by the drama of the competitive birding scene. I can hardly believe it myself.
I took my time with The Age of Wonder and Shipping News, mostly because I didn't know what I was going to read next, but I devoured the rest.