Books 27-35 of 2009
27. Hothouse by Brian Aldiss (309 pgs)
Giant plants and bugs, spiderwebs that stretch between the earth and moon, and morels that outsmart humans. Hilarious. (I don't think it is supposed to be!)
28. Watchmen by Alan Moore (416 pgs)
Truly great, lives up to the hype. Just had to read it before I went to see the movie (because I can never go back and read the book after seeing the film!).
29. Something to Answer For by P.H. Newby (285 pgs)
Townrow might be the most unreliable narrator I have come across - it is impossible to distinguish what is actually happening and what is fantasy in his head. I do think he might actually be in Egypt, but whether or not people are dead or alive, whether the British are attacking the Suez canal or not, and whether he is good or bad is a complete mystery. This is the first recipient of the Booker prize, and to be honest that is a bit of a mystery to me as well.
30. The Sandman, v. 3 - Dream Country (160 pgs)
Not my favorite volume of The Sandman so far, but I did like seeing the original script for Calliope at the end, to catch a glimpse into how a graphic novel starts out.
31. A Columbus of Space by Garrett P. Serviss (298 pgs)
This is one of those classic science fiction stories, and in fact when I got my copy through inter-library loan, it had a slip on it that showed it had been put in a library annex, stuck away in some vault of off-site storage because it never gets checked out. Well, more is the shame. The basic story is set in the nineteenth century, where a man asks his friends if they want to see something he has been working on and they all end up taking a trip to Venus, where there are different societies depending on if you live on the sun side or the no-sun side of the planet, where all you need as a human to survive is a fur coat and a pistol, and the people have tapped into the higher powers of the brain for communication. I loved the descriptions of speech, color, light, and music - music that is "unheard."
32. Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank (323 pgs)
Published in 1959, when nuclear war seemed inevitable, this book tells the story of one of the few towns to survive after the United States is attacked. In the first 100 pages, they are worried about it, but not worried enough to do smart planning. Perhaps we just know more about the basic necessities for survival these days, but to me things like not having electricity seem obvious. Mental note: stock up on salt.
33. The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles (366 pgs)
On one level this is a book about love and lust in 19th century England, as Victorian morality is starting to fade and Darwinism is on the rise. But the author keeps jumping in and talking about how he doesn't know what his characters will do, and in fact provides the reader with three potential endings. Kind of like an old-school choose your own adventure. It felt kind of gimmicky.
34. Borderline (Anna Pigeon Mysteries) by Nevada Barr (399 pgs)
Anna Pigeon is on "vacation" after the traumatic events in Isle Royale, but still manages to run into danger in Big Bend National Park (along the border of Texas and Mexico) - rising water, stray cows, shootings, and a driven political candidate. It is very current, with mention of John Edwards and his recent political nosedive, border closings post-9/11, and issues of immigration and racism.
I had read the first few books of this series, enjoying what I would learn about the national parks along the way. I had stopped because of the increase in explicit descriptions of violence - dead bodies, killings, just not my thing.
But then I won this through the FirstReads program over on GoodReads, which is cool. Who doesn't love free books that you get to read before everyone else can even buy them? But I almost feel like the author should have skipped this chapter of Anna's life. It is painful, she needs therapy, and should not have been in another situation where she was in danger so soon. I know it is fiction, but how could anyone not fall apart under similar circumstances? Just unrealistic enough to make me think, oh please.
35. What the Best College Teachers Do by Ken Bain (207 pgs)
Great stuff to think about as I work on developing a course. Basic message - focus on the students.
Abandoned: Twilight World by Poul Anderson. It was on my post-apocalyptic book list but I just couldn't get past the really bad science.
Giant plants and bugs, spiderwebs that stretch between the earth and moon, and morels that outsmart humans. Hilarious. (I don't think it is supposed to be!)
28. Watchmen by Alan Moore (416 pgs)
Truly great, lives up to the hype. Just had to read it before I went to see the movie (because I can never go back and read the book after seeing the film!).
29. Something to Answer For by P.H. Newby (285 pgs)
Townrow might be the most unreliable narrator I have come across - it is impossible to distinguish what is actually happening and what is fantasy in his head. I do think he might actually be in Egypt, but whether or not people are dead or alive, whether the British are attacking the Suez canal or not, and whether he is good or bad is a complete mystery. This is the first recipient of the Booker prize, and to be honest that is a bit of a mystery to me as well.
30. The Sandman, v. 3 - Dream Country (160 pgs)
Not my favorite volume of The Sandman so far, but I did like seeing the original script for Calliope at the end, to catch a glimpse into how a graphic novel starts out.
31. A Columbus of Space by Garrett P. Serviss (298 pgs)
This is one of those classic science fiction stories, and in fact when I got my copy through inter-library loan, it had a slip on it that showed it had been put in a library annex, stuck away in some vault of off-site storage because it never gets checked out. Well, more is the shame. The basic story is set in the nineteenth century, where a man asks his friends if they want to see something he has been working on and they all end up taking a trip to Venus, where there are different societies depending on if you live on the sun side or the no-sun side of the planet, where all you need as a human to survive is a fur coat and a pistol, and the people have tapped into the higher powers of the brain for communication. I loved the descriptions of speech, color, light, and music - music that is "unheard."
32. Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank (323 pgs)
Published in 1959, when nuclear war seemed inevitable, this book tells the story of one of the few towns to survive after the United States is attacked. In the first 100 pages, they are worried about it, but not worried enough to do smart planning. Perhaps we just know more about the basic necessities for survival these days, but to me things like not having electricity seem obvious. Mental note: stock up on salt.
33. The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles (366 pgs)
On one level this is a book about love and lust in 19th century England, as Victorian morality is starting to fade and Darwinism is on the rise. But the author keeps jumping in and talking about how he doesn't know what his characters will do, and in fact provides the reader with three potential endings. Kind of like an old-school choose your own adventure. It felt kind of gimmicky.
34. Borderline (Anna Pigeon Mysteries) by Nevada Barr (399 pgs)
Anna Pigeon is on "vacation" after the traumatic events in Isle Royale, but still manages to run into danger in Big Bend National Park (along the border of Texas and Mexico) - rising water, stray cows, shootings, and a driven political candidate. It is very current, with mention of John Edwards and his recent political nosedive, border closings post-9/11, and issues of immigration and racism.
I had read the first few books of this series, enjoying what I would learn about the national parks along the way. I had stopped because of the increase in explicit descriptions of violence - dead bodies, killings, just not my thing.
But then I won this through the FirstReads program over on GoodReads, which is cool. Who doesn't love free books that you get to read before everyone else can even buy them? But I almost feel like the author should have skipped this chapter of Anna's life. It is painful, she needs therapy, and should not have been in another situation where she was in danger so soon. I know it is fiction, but how could anyone not fall apart under similar circumstances? Just unrealistic enough to make me think, oh please.
35. What the Best College Teachers Do by Ken Bain (207 pgs)
Great stuff to think about as I work on developing a course. Basic message - focus on the students.
Abandoned: Twilight World by Poul Anderson. It was on my post-apocalyptic book list but I just couldn't get past the really bad science.