2008 in Books
This year I bucked my usual trend of only reading two or three fictional books a year and used that five hour commute to good advantage.
The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
I thoroughly recommend starting the year with a sexy timetravelling romp like this one. The main character Clare reminded me of a red-headed goddess from a Klimt painting. Excellent for reading in a bath with a box of chocolates.
Making Money - Terry Pratchett
Praise be to Terry Pratchett for writing simple, entertaining books that talk about big ideas in surprising and silly ways.
Gang Leader for a Day - Sudhir Venkatesh
'As mentioned in Freakanomics.' Not a bad little plug for any book. I picked this one up expecting more of Freakanomics - simple socio-economic observations that made me think twice. What I got was a very different perspective of life in Chicago housing commissions. Sociologist Venkatesh wriggled his way into the gang community and observed the rise and fall of the gangleader, a community and the housing commission. The book is more the backstory of Venkatesh's thesis than his sociological conclusions but still an eye-opener for a spoilt little white working class girl like me.
Salem Falls - Jodi Picoult
She's a solid little writer is Picoult. Some of her novels might not stand out, the language may not be on par with Nabakov and she might fade into obscurity in the not to distant future but damnit, I enjoy them. There's always some observation about human relationships that catches my attention. Having said that, there were a lot of other better books read this year.
Picture Perfect - Jodi Picoult
Trash. Second mandarin never tastes as good as the first. But it was readable.
People of the Book: A Novel - Geraldine Brooks
Started well but dwindled so terribly in the middle that I was forced to put it down and move on to better things.
The Loved One - Evelyn Waugh
My first Evelyn Waugh novel. Not the last. In this one, Waugh is unremittingly nasty to his characters and about his characters. And it's delicious.
A River Town - Thomas Keneally
Languid and dry with a swig of Stone's Ginger Beer. Not a bad Australian novel.
Decline and Fall - Evelyn Waugh
Loved this one. Absurd, nasty, great language. Best sports carnival scenes I have ever read.
The Old Man and The Sea - Ernest Hemingway
Short and salty.
An archaeologist in the making: Six seasons in Iran - Clare Goff
This book came to me after several second-hand bookshop stops in Melbourne. Clare Goff, a very ambitious archaeologist, tells of her quest to excavate and research Luristan Bronzes in Iran during the 60's and 70's. With a subject matter like that, you're going to get an interesting read.
The World of Jeeves - PG Wodehouse
Fun in small doses, pip pip!
A Handful of Dust - Evelyn Waugh
Nastily good. Evelyn Waugh definitelty now a favourite author. Terrifying ending.
Ulysses - James Joyce
Too intellectual for me. Need a degree in James Joyce literature and a reader just to understand it. I spent the longest time on this book (something to do with the 700 pages perhaps...). Of those 700 pages I really only enjoyed the last four chapters. Still, I came away with a healthy appreciation for the depth and planning (and madness) that must have gone into its creation.
Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
If you have not read it, read it now. I mean it. It's a beautiful, exquisite novel full of complicated characters. It's funny and bitter and oh so good.
The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
Treasure chests. Poison. Revenge. Bitterness. Rollicking adventure. Filled with Mary-Sues. Definitely more of a kid's book. After bathing in the silken language of Lolita, reading Count of Monte Cristo was a bit like drying off with a towel made of sandpaper.
Scoop - Evelyn Waugh
My fourth Evelyn Waugh novel for the year. Funny as always but lacking the same degree of bite as Handful of Dust, The Loved One and Decline and Fall. Looking forward to my next Evelyn Waugh!
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
I enjoyed this one a lot more than my first reading of it. Great language. Under the Red White and Blue would have been a great title for it.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas was the last book I picked up in 2008. It was less trashy than Perfect Picture and the Count of Monte Cristo but sadly not as entertaining. Despite its Holocaust setting it was not as educational as Making Money by Terry Pratchett . I have nothing against a child's voice but I do have a problem with a German child making errors with Auschwitz (Out-with) and then using English rationalisation for these errors (out with the....). Very incongruous. The story was predictable which I suppose is acceptable in a kid's book. But unlike stories like Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, the child's voice did not give a novel or profound perspective on a terrible, terrible time. Twas a disappointing read.
And now, bringing in the New Year is:
Lady with the Little Dog and Other Stories - Anton Chekhov
Sometimes on family holidays you need a bit of quiet time. This was mine. Russian. Peasants. Ordinary Life. Love. Very interesting. Only 40 pages to go.
What next?
The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
I thoroughly recommend starting the year with a sexy timetravelling romp like this one. The main character Clare reminded me of a red-headed goddess from a Klimt painting. Excellent for reading in a bath with a box of chocolates.
Making Money - Terry Pratchett
Praise be to Terry Pratchett for writing simple, entertaining books that talk about big ideas in surprising and silly ways.
Gang Leader for a Day - Sudhir Venkatesh
'As mentioned in Freakanomics.' Not a bad little plug for any book. I picked this one up expecting more of Freakanomics - simple socio-economic observations that made me think twice. What I got was a very different perspective of life in Chicago housing commissions. Sociologist Venkatesh wriggled his way into the gang community and observed the rise and fall of the gangleader, a community and the housing commission. The book is more the backstory of Venkatesh's thesis than his sociological conclusions but still an eye-opener for a spoilt little white working class girl like me.
Salem Falls - Jodi Picoult
She's a solid little writer is Picoult. Some of her novels might not stand out, the language may not be on par with Nabakov and she might fade into obscurity in the not to distant future but damnit, I enjoy them. There's always some observation about human relationships that catches my attention. Having said that, there were a lot of other better books read this year.
Picture Perfect - Jodi Picoult
Trash. Second mandarin never tastes as good as the first. But it was readable.
People of the Book: A Novel - Geraldine Brooks
Started well but dwindled so terribly in the middle that I was forced to put it down and move on to better things.
The Loved One - Evelyn Waugh
My first Evelyn Waugh novel. Not the last. In this one, Waugh is unremittingly nasty to his characters and about his characters. And it's delicious.
A River Town - Thomas Keneally
Languid and dry with a swig of Stone's Ginger Beer. Not a bad Australian novel.
Decline and Fall - Evelyn Waugh
Loved this one. Absurd, nasty, great language. Best sports carnival scenes I have ever read.
The Old Man and The Sea - Ernest Hemingway
Short and salty.
An archaeologist in the making: Six seasons in Iran - Clare Goff
This book came to me after several second-hand bookshop stops in Melbourne. Clare Goff, a very ambitious archaeologist, tells of her quest to excavate and research Luristan Bronzes in Iran during the 60's and 70's. With a subject matter like that, you're going to get an interesting read.
The World of Jeeves - PG Wodehouse
Fun in small doses, pip pip!
A Handful of Dust - Evelyn Waugh
Nastily good. Evelyn Waugh definitelty now a favourite author. Terrifying ending.
Ulysses - James Joyce
Too intellectual for me. Need a degree in James Joyce literature and a reader just to understand it. I spent the longest time on this book (something to do with the 700 pages perhaps...). Of those 700 pages I really only enjoyed the last four chapters. Still, I came away with a healthy appreciation for the depth and planning (and madness) that must have gone into its creation.
Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
If you have not read it, read it now. I mean it. It's a beautiful, exquisite novel full of complicated characters. It's funny and bitter and oh so good.
The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
Treasure chests. Poison. Revenge. Bitterness. Rollicking adventure. Filled with Mary-Sues. Definitely more of a kid's book. After bathing in the silken language of Lolita, reading Count of Monte Cristo was a bit like drying off with a towel made of sandpaper.
Scoop - Evelyn Waugh
My fourth Evelyn Waugh novel for the year. Funny as always but lacking the same degree of bite as Handful of Dust, The Loved One and Decline and Fall. Looking forward to my next Evelyn Waugh!
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
I enjoyed this one a lot more than my first reading of it. Great language. Under the Red White and Blue would have been a great title for it.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas was the last book I picked up in 2008. It was less trashy than Perfect Picture and the Count of Monte Cristo but sadly not as entertaining. Despite its Holocaust setting it was not as educational as Making Money by Terry Pratchett . I have nothing against a child's voice but I do have a problem with a German child making errors with Auschwitz (Out-with) and then using English rationalisation for these errors (out with the....). Very incongruous. The story was predictable which I suppose is acceptable in a kid's book. But unlike stories like Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, the child's voice did not give a novel or profound perspective on a terrible, terrible time. Twas a disappointing read.
And now, bringing in the New Year is:
Lady with the Little Dog and Other Stories - Anton Chekhov
Sometimes on family holidays you need a bit of quiet time. This was mine. Russian. Peasants. Ordinary Life. Love. Very interesting. Only 40 pages to go.
What next?