Books of 2009
I stole this idea from many other fine people who do the same thing: keeping track of the books I read (in order) throughout an entire year. Here is the list from 2009. I am very disappointed in it. There is practically nothing on there that was read later than November, because I got so busy, and the content of the list is, in my opinion, less than impressive (with a few exceptions). I'm hoping that 2010 will feature better books-although the first week has not resulted in anything more fruitful than a lot of articles on NYTimes.com, and texts from last night.
Despite the growing popularity of e-readers and e-books, and despite the fact that a very large proportion of my day-to-day reading is conducted on a computer rather than a page, I still firmly believe in the magic and importance of ink-and-paper books. I love their smell, their weight, their design, and the way the look lined up haphazardly on my shelf. A Firefox bookmarks folder will never give the same satisfaction. I hope to keep reminding myself of that by making an effort to read more this year; to go to the library more; to live up to my self-expressed dedication to books.
Books of 2009:
Beneath the Wheel - Hermann Hesse
*From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler - E.L. Konigsburg
*The Reptile Room - Lemony Snicket
Be Careful What You Wish For... - R.L. Stine
The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Siddartha - Hermann Hesse
Adventure in Diamonds - David E. Walker
Watchmen - Alan Moore
Transmetropolitan - Warren Ellis
Little Things - Jeffrey Brown
The Iron Heel - Jack London
The Case of the Missing Brontë - Robert Barnard
The Language of Bees - Laurie R. King
Among Other Things, I've Taken Up Smoking - Aoibheann Sweeney
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky
The Man In My Basement - Walter Mosley
*The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkein
*X-Wing: Rogue Squadron - Michael A. Stackpole
*X-Wing: Wedge's Gamble - Michael A. Stackpole
*X-Wing: The Krytos Trap - Michael A. Stackpole
*X-Wing: The Bacta War - Michael A. Stackpole
*I, Jedi - Michael A. Stackpole
Grammar Is A Gentle, Sweet Song - Erik Orsenna
The Dharma Bums - Jack Kerouac
Coraline - Neil Gaiman
Eragon - Christopher Paolini
Eldest - Christopher Paolini
*Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt
*Teacher Man - Frank McCourt
Unmanned: Y the Last Man Vol. 1 - Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra
The Road - Cormac McCarthy
The Artsy Smartsy Club - Daniel Pinkwater
Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction - J.D. Salinger
*East of Eden - John Steinbeck
The Gemini Contenders - Robert Ludlum
Cycles: Y the Last Man Vol. 2 - Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra
Feast of Love - Charles Baxter
* = re-read
I intend to keep the same list this year, although I think I'll add the date of completion to better track my reading.
Despite the growing popularity of e-readers and e-books, and despite the fact that a very large proportion of my day-to-day reading is conducted on a computer rather than a page, I still firmly believe in the magic and importance of ink-and-paper books. I love their smell, their weight, their design, and the way the look lined up haphazardly on my shelf. A Firefox bookmarks folder will never give the same satisfaction. I hope to keep reminding myself of that by making an effort to read more this year; to go to the library more; to live up to my self-expressed dedication to books.
Books of 2009:
Beneath the Wheel - Hermann Hesse
*From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler - E.L. Konigsburg
*The Reptile Room - Lemony Snicket
Be Careful What You Wish For... - R.L. Stine
The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Siddartha - Hermann Hesse
Adventure in Diamonds - David E. Walker
Watchmen - Alan Moore
Transmetropolitan - Warren Ellis
Little Things - Jeffrey Brown
The Iron Heel - Jack London
The Case of the Missing Brontë - Robert Barnard
The Language of Bees - Laurie R. King
Among Other Things, I've Taken Up Smoking - Aoibheann Sweeney
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky
The Man In My Basement - Walter Mosley
*The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkein
*X-Wing: Rogue Squadron - Michael A. Stackpole
*X-Wing: Wedge's Gamble - Michael A. Stackpole
*X-Wing: The Krytos Trap - Michael A. Stackpole
*X-Wing: The Bacta War - Michael A. Stackpole
*I, Jedi - Michael A. Stackpole
Grammar Is A Gentle, Sweet Song - Erik Orsenna
The Dharma Bums - Jack Kerouac
Coraline - Neil Gaiman
Eragon - Christopher Paolini
Eldest - Christopher Paolini
*Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt
*Teacher Man - Frank McCourt
Unmanned: Y the Last Man Vol. 1 - Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra
The Road - Cormac McCarthy
The Artsy Smartsy Club - Daniel Pinkwater
Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction - J.D. Salinger
*East of Eden - John Steinbeck
The Gemini Contenders - Robert Ludlum
Cycles: Y the Last Man Vol. 2 - Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra
Feast of Love - Charles Baxter
* = re-read
I intend to keep the same list this year, although I think I'll add the date of completion to better track my reading.