Books 37-70 of 2010
This is ridiculous, if I can't post more often, I almost don't deserve a books read post. I'll put it all behind an lj-cut.
This time around, I'll only mention something when it sticks out to me just looking at the list, rather than copying and pasting 35 reviews.
37. Jesus' Son: Stories by Denis Johnson (133 pgs)
Clever, made me laugh.
38. When She Named Fire: An Anthology of Contemporary Poetry by American Women ed. by Andrea Hollander Budy (409 pgs)
39. Down the Nile: Alone in a Fisherman's Skiff by Rosemary Mahoney (304 pgs)
Had this on my to-read list forever, it was not what I expected, not very interesting.
40. Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters (248 pgs)
41. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway (235 pgs)
Beautifully written, heartbreaking setting.
42. Love Invents Us by Amy Bloom (205 pgs)
She is one of my favorite discoveries of this year. READ HER.
43. The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen (269 pgs)
Allen is Hoffman light, and some ideas in this seem blatantly borrowed from other authors. Still, I secretly enjoy it. Light reading.
44. The Girl with Glass Feet by Ali Shaw (287 pgs)
I remember picking this at the library because of the beautiful title and don't remember a thing about it.
45. The Complete Poems of Carl Sandburg, Revised and Expanded Ed. by Carl Sandburg (797 pgs)
There are some poems of Sandburg I love, truly. Sometimes it is a better idea to read selected works rather than everything. He wrote some crap!
46. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (391 pgs)
BEST YA book I've read in a long time. Dystopia + adventure + strong female character = win.
47. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (376 pgs) - reread
Still as good as the first time, if not better. Re-read for a book club, who I had to drag kicking and screaming into reading something that had even a twinge of science fiction. After which we had the best discussion in years.
48. Monsieur Pain by Robert Bolaño (134 pgs)
Not even close to as good as 2666.
49. The Future of Life by Edward O. Wilson (229 pgs)
Recommended by Atwood as a follow up to Oryx and Crake. Sciencey, overly optimistic, but still insightful.
50. The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova (565 pgs)
I loved and hated The Historian, but only loved this. There weren't any draggy slow parts like The Historian had, plus I loved the premise.
51. Muse and Reverie by Charles de Lint (350 pgs)
Ick. Faeries. Just so not my thing.
52. Bitter Seeds by Ian Tregillis (352 pgs)
Alternate history. Warlocks. Genetic engineering. Something for everyone! Apparently the first in a series. I'm not sure I'll bother.
53. Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (76 pgs)
Because I'd never read it, and it was free on iBooks. Creepy. His poor family. Eek.
54. The Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paolo Giordano (288 pgs)
A great story about two people who don't belong, who find each other. I wish I'd read it more slowly so I could have lived in it longer. READ THIS.
55. A Relative Stranger: Stories by Charles Baxter (223 pgs)
Better than I expected, but in no way as good as some of the other short stories I've read this year.
56. Husband and Wife by Leah Stewart (344 pgs)
Not nearly as good as The Myth of You and Me. Babbly and the woman drove me crazy.
57. The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon (268 pgs)
Harriet the Spy meets Courtesan meets LiveJournal. Classic, I enjoyed it much more than I expected to, it made me laugh and roll my eyes. I love anything with lists, actually.
58. A Memory of Wind by Rachel Swirsky (online only, no page #'s)
More of a novella, a retelling of a Greek myth.
59. Eros, Philia, Agape by Rachel Swirksy (online only, no page #'s)
Trying to remember this, I find I can't.
60. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest (416 pgs)
Nominated for the Hugo for best novel, otherwise I wouldn't have ever read a book about zombies. It was kind of steampunky too, but I'd say it was just okay, not great.
61. The Plunder Room by John Jeter (295 pgs)
Written by a local author and tries to be too many things at once. When we had book club, our conversation soon drifted to more interesting topics.
62. Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson (258 pgs)
Truly great. There is a gold mine in Scandinavian literature finally being translated into English.
64. The Comfort of Strangers by Ian McEwan (153 pgs)
A quick read, loved it, uncomfortable, almost hints of John Fowles in some ways.
65. A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood (186 pgs)
Much better than the movie, except for the absence of Colin Firth.
66. WWW:Wake by Robert J. Sawyer (356 pgs)
Another Hugo award nominee. The internet wakes up and starts talking to a blind girl. Interesting. In the first half the writing made me think of William Gibson mixed with David Mitchell but the second half was far more techie. First in a series.
67. Julian Comstock: A Story of 22nd-Century America by Robert Charles Wilson (413 pgs)
Another Hugo award nominee - a future alternate history, post-oil, where conservative Christianity is the new monarchy. I got what he was trying to do, but still don't think he really pulled it off.
68. The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie (529 pgs)
Fantasy, first in a series, read with Sword and Laser book club. Fun, quick, but not exactly memorable.
69. Brain Rules by John Medina (299 pgs)
Read for a cognitive learning reading group at work. Reductionist, sometimes arguable, and not a lot I didn't already know.
70. Palimpsest by Catherynne M. Valente (367 pgs)
Astoundingly good. I held my breath when I read it. The writing is like Neil Gaiman channeled through Jeanette Winterson. She is SO good with words and world building, I immediately went out in search of her other books and wrote her a fangirl e-mail. READ THIS.
71. Drown by Junot Diaz (208 pgs)
Short stories. Well written, but uncomfortable. :)
This time around, I'll only mention something when it sticks out to me just looking at the list, rather than copying and pasting 35 reviews.
37. Jesus' Son: Stories by Denis Johnson (133 pgs)
Clever, made me laugh.
38. When She Named Fire: An Anthology of Contemporary Poetry by American Women ed. by Andrea Hollander Budy (409 pgs)
39. Down the Nile: Alone in a Fisherman's Skiff by Rosemary Mahoney (304 pgs)
Had this on my to-read list forever, it was not what I expected, not very interesting.
40. Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters (248 pgs)
41. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway (235 pgs)
Beautifully written, heartbreaking setting.
42. Love Invents Us by Amy Bloom (205 pgs)
She is one of my favorite discoveries of this year. READ HER.
43. The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen (269 pgs)
Allen is Hoffman light, and some ideas in this seem blatantly borrowed from other authors. Still, I secretly enjoy it. Light reading.
44. The Girl with Glass Feet by Ali Shaw (287 pgs)
I remember picking this at the library because of the beautiful title and don't remember a thing about it.
45. The Complete Poems of Carl Sandburg, Revised and Expanded Ed. by Carl Sandburg (797 pgs)
There are some poems of Sandburg I love, truly. Sometimes it is a better idea to read selected works rather than everything. He wrote some crap!
46. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (391 pgs)
BEST YA book I've read in a long time. Dystopia + adventure + strong female character = win.
47. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (376 pgs) - reread
Still as good as the first time, if not better. Re-read for a book club, who I had to drag kicking and screaming into reading something that had even a twinge of science fiction. After which we had the best discussion in years.
48. Monsieur Pain by Robert Bolaño (134 pgs)
Not even close to as good as 2666.
49. The Future of Life by Edward O. Wilson (229 pgs)
Recommended by Atwood as a follow up to Oryx and Crake. Sciencey, overly optimistic, but still insightful.
50. The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova (565 pgs)
I loved and hated The Historian, but only loved this. There weren't any draggy slow parts like The Historian had, plus I loved the premise.
51. Muse and Reverie by Charles de Lint (350 pgs)
Ick. Faeries. Just so not my thing.
52. Bitter Seeds by Ian Tregillis (352 pgs)
Alternate history. Warlocks. Genetic engineering. Something for everyone! Apparently the first in a series. I'm not sure I'll bother.
53. Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (76 pgs)
Because I'd never read it, and it was free on iBooks. Creepy. His poor family. Eek.
54. The Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paolo Giordano (288 pgs)
A great story about two people who don't belong, who find each other. I wish I'd read it more slowly so I could have lived in it longer. READ THIS.
55. A Relative Stranger: Stories by Charles Baxter (223 pgs)
Better than I expected, but in no way as good as some of the other short stories I've read this year.
56. Husband and Wife by Leah Stewart (344 pgs)
Not nearly as good as The Myth of You and Me. Babbly and the woman drove me crazy.
57. The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon (268 pgs)
Harriet the Spy meets Courtesan meets LiveJournal. Classic, I enjoyed it much more than I expected to, it made me laugh and roll my eyes. I love anything with lists, actually.
58. A Memory of Wind by Rachel Swirsky (online only, no page #'s)
More of a novella, a retelling of a Greek myth.
59. Eros, Philia, Agape by Rachel Swirksy (online only, no page #'s)
Trying to remember this, I find I can't.
60. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest (416 pgs)
Nominated for the Hugo for best novel, otherwise I wouldn't have ever read a book about zombies. It was kind of steampunky too, but I'd say it was just okay, not great.
61. The Plunder Room by John Jeter (295 pgs)
Written by a local author and tries to be too many things at once. When we had book club, our conversation soon drifted to more interesting topics.
62. Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson (258 pgs)
Truly great. There is a gold mine in Scandinavian literature finally being translated into English.
64. The Comfort of Strangers by Ian McEwan (153 pgs)
A quick read, loved it, uncomfortable, almost hints of John Fowles in some ways.
65. A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood (186 pgs)
Much better than the movie, except for the absence of Colin Firth.
66. WWW:Wake by Robert J. Sawyer (356 pgs)
Another Hugo award nominee. The internet wakes up and starts talking to a blind girl. Interesting. In the first half the writing made me think of William Gibson mixed with David Mitchell but the second half was far more techie. First in a series.
67. Julian Comstock: A Story of 22nd-Century America by Robert Charles Wilson (413 pgs)
Another Hugo award nominee - a future alternate history, post-oil, where conservative Christianity is the new monarchy. I got what he was trying to do, but still don't think he really pulled it off.
68. The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie (529 pgs)
Fantasy, first in a series, read with Sword and Laser book club. Fun, quick, but not exactly memorable.
69. Brain Rules by John Medina (299 pgs)
Read for a cognitive learning reading group at work. Reductionist, sometimes arguable, and not a lot I didn't already know.
70. Palimpsest by Catherynne M. Valente (367 pgs)
Astoundingly good. I held my breath when I read it. The writing is like Neil Gaiman channeled through Jeanette Winterson. She is SO good with words and world building, I immediately went out in search of her other books and wrote her a fangirl e-mail. READ THIS.
71. Drown by Junot Diaz (208 pgs)
Short stories. Well written, but uncomfortable. :)