A Year of Reading: 2010 Favourites
Favourites - Fiction
*World War Z - Max Brooks
This is a really well-executed idea, and if you can buy the zombie thing, actually quite plausible. (And terrifying.) Maybe a little long, as I neared the last 50 pages I was ready for it to be over. I'm not sure I got all the tie-togethers of each story, but I am quite impressed by this book.
*Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry
One of my Dad's all-time favourites. I'm so glad I read this epic story. At 945 pages it is long but when I got to the end it wasn't long enough - I wanted to know What Happened Next. (I read plot summaries for the rest of the series online.) Great writing, great characters, and a great story that really stays with you. (Though quite a downer, not a lot of good stuff happens to anyone, ever!)
*Princess Academy - Shannon Hale
The title isn't the best, but I really liked the book. A good story, believable setting, interesting world-building and characters. A feminist retelling of several basic fairy tale ideas. Recommended. A Newbery Honor Book!
*Diary of a Provincial Lady - E.M. Delafield
This was really good, funny, and witty. The 'diary' of an English country lady. Lack of pronouns excellently done.
*The Hunger Games trilogy - Suzanne Collins
I really liked the first one, liked the second one, didn't really like the third one.
Favourites - Non-Fiction
*The Happiness Project - Gretchen Rubin
I really liked this book. I've been reading the author's blog for a while, and to have her journey laid out month to month was a format that worked well for me. This is about the author, her research into happiness, and her attempts to increase her personal happiness by changing things in various areas of her life (work, marriage, etc.) I learned a lot and I discovered some strategies that I think might work well for me in some stressful situations I find myself in regularly.
*The Big House: A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home - George Howe Colt
I was aware of this book and picked it up because it's written by Anne Fadiman's husband, but it's really good and I'm enjoying it. (Let's be honest, though, I'm enjoying the glimpses into Anne Fadiman's life a bit more more than I am the historical look-back.) Some of the stories were fascinating, though, and would make great books all on their own.
*Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman - Jon Krakauer
This is
-a biography of Pat Tillman (NFL star who joined the armed forces after the events of September 11th, 2001 and who was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in April 2004);
-a history of conflict in Afghanistan in the 20th century;
-a journalistic investigation of Tillman's death;
-a scathing look at the military and of public relations under the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld White House.
As in his other books, Krakauer is able to dissect complicated and confusing situations (firefights and battles) and explain what happened to who, where, and when. I learned how wrong I was in my assumptions about Pat Tillman - all I saw at the time was the PR spin. He was NOT a stereotypical "dumb jock" or a "rah rah" blindly-led patriot, and though he may have had impulse/anger control issues, he was also a very smart man who understood the reality of war and politics. People will still find it difficult to undertand Tillman's decision to leave the NFL and join the armed forces, but the cover-up of the circumstances of Tillman's death is infuriating and even cynics and pro-military readers will likely be angered by it.
*Lilibet: An Intimate Portrait of Elizabeth II - Carolly Ericson
A bit soapy, but still interesting. I know this sounds silly, but the queen has not changed much in my lifetime - and since I was not around or too young to understand the political-social situations of the 60s, 70s, and 80s, I learned a lot about that from reading this book. Incredible to me that she was celebrating her Silver Jubilee when I was not even two years old. Lots of interesting insight into the queen's grandparents, parents, uncles, husband, and children.
*The Man Who Lost Himself: The Terry Evershem Story - June Callwood
This is the true-life story of Terry Evanshen, a Canadian football player who was in a terrible car crash and lost all of his memories (he was 44 at the time) and most of his personality. This is a very good read, journalistic in its information (especially about brain injuries and brain processes) but also emotional as it tells the story of this family and their struggles. Really an excellent book.
Fiction - Honorable Mentions:
*Swann - Carol Shields
A book about academia, a farmwife poet, and four people whose lives end up focusing on her. The more sections I read and the more secrets I learned, the more fascinated I was. Unfortunately, I was ultimately unsatisfied with the ending and the screenplay formatting of the last section, but the first four sections of the book were so good that I can't say I didn't like it as a whole.
*Blackout - Connie Willis
This is half a book. I don't mean it's a bad-quality book, it's a high quality book - but it stops in the middle. (The second half will be published in the fall of 2010, entitled 'All Clear'.) I'm a bit afraid I'll lose track of the bits and pieces of this story by the time I get my hands on All Clear, but I will definitely be reading it! I liked some of the threads of this novel better that others (I prefer Polly to Eileen, for example) but overall I really enjoyed it. (I have the second part, All Clear as my first book of 2011, and skimmed the first chapter on the way home from the library - I remember NOTHING of Blackout, and there are no reminders/flashbacks/anything to bring me up to speed.
*Minding Frankie - Maeve Binchy
A lot of old favourite characters showed up, but the new characters were good too and they all fit together nicely. (It was VERY distracting having a character called Moira Tierney - all I could think of was the actress Maura Tierney.)
Non-Fiction - Honorable Mentions:
*The Children of Henry VIII - Alison Weir
The title is somewhat mis-leading, since at least one child of Henry VIII isn't mentioned at all (oh, Henry Fitzroy!) and one of the "children" featured on the cover is his grand-niece, Jane Gray. A solid four-stars for research and readability. Alison Weir tries to give people the benefit of the doubt but also calls them on their BS when it needs to be done. (You can't go blaming Phillip for Mary's burning of "heretics" - the blame is squarely on Mary for that.) The book ends as Elizabeth becomes queen, presumably because there are a bazillion biographies of "Elizabeth as queen".
*The Reluctant King: The Life and Reign of George VI, 1895-1952 - Sarah Bradford
Very interesting but some sections were a real slog. (The chapter 'The Year of Three Kings' was great, though.) A very detailed look at Albert 'Bertie', Prince of York who became King George VI - his childhood, early adulthood, married life, the abdication crisis, World War II, the loss of India and the building of the Commonwealth, and more. I think I have to agree with the general opinion, which was that he was not anyone's first choice for King, but damn if he didn't do a good job given what he had to deal with. (And the Duke of Windsor was a real prat.)
*Next Man Up: A Year Behind the Lines in Today's NFL - John Feinstein
Maybe a bit repetitive in parts (how many times did I need certain terms explained, or told how many players can be active on game day?) but an interesting look inside a season with an NFL team that probably could have been better than they were.
Started 162
Finished 137
Gave Up 14
Rereads 48
Library 77
Owned New and Read 34
Female 102
Male 57
Anthologies/Collections 5
Fiction 91
Non Fiction 75
I know the numbers don't add up, I am not sure why or how to fix it but the started/finished numbers are the most accurate - I'm really careful with those ones.
*World War Z - Max Brooks
This is a really well-executed idea, and if you can buy the zombie thing, actually quite plausible. (And terrifying.) Maybe a little long, as I neared the last 50 pages I was ready for it to be over. I'm not sure I got all the tie-togethers of each story, but I am quite impressed by this book.
*Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry
One of my Dad's all-time favourites. I'm so glad I read this epic story. At 945 pages it is long but when I got to the end it wasn't long enough - I wanted to know What Happened Next. (I read plot summaries for the rest of the series online.) Great writing, great characters, and a great story that really stays with you. (Though quite a downer, not a lot of good stuff happens to anyone, ever!)
*Princess Academy - Shannon Hale
The title isn't the best, but I really liked the book. A good story, believable setting, interesting world-building and characters. A feminist retelling of several basic fairy tale ideas. Recommended. A Newbery Honor Book!
*Diary of a Provincial Lady - E.M. Delafield
This was really good, funny, and witty. The 'diary' of an English country lady. Lack of pronouns excellently done.
*The Hunger Games trilogy - Suzanne Collins
I really liked the first one, liked the second one, didn't really like the third one.
Favourites - Non-Fiction
*The Happiness Project - Gretchen Rubin
I really liked this book. I've been reading the author's blog for a while, and to have her journey laid out month to month was a format that worked well for me. This is about the author, her research into happiness, and her attempts to increase her personal happiness by changing things in various areas of her life (work, marriage, etc.) I learned a lot and I discovered some strategies that I think might work well for me in some stressful situations I find myself in regularly.
*The Big House: A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home - George Howe Colt
I was aware of this book and picked it up because it's written by Anne Fadiman's husband, but it's really good and I'm enjoying it. (Let's be honest, though, I'm enjoying the glimpses into Anne Fadiman's life a bit more more than I am the historical look-back.) Some of the stories were fascinating, though, and would make great books all on their own.
*Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman - Jon Krakauer
This is
-a biography of Pat Tillman (NFL star who joined the armed forces after the events of September 11th, 2001 and who was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in April 2004);
-a history of conflict in Afghanistan in the 20th century;
-a journalistic investigation of Tillman's death;
-a scathing look at the military and of public relations under the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld White House.
As in his other books, Krakauer is able to dissect complicated and confusing situations (firefights and battles) and explain what happened to who, where, and when. I learned how wrong I was in my assumptions about Pat Tillman - all I saw at the time was the PR spin. He was NOT a stereotypical "dumb jock" or a "rah rah" blindly-led patriot, and though he may have had impulse/anger control issues, he was also a very smart man who understood the reality of war and politics. People will still find it difficult to undertand Tillman's decision to leave the NFL and join the armed forces, but the cover-up of the circumstances of Tillman's death is infuriating and even cynics and pro-military readers will likely be angered by it.
*Lilibet: An Intimate Portrait of Elizabeth II - Carolly Ericson
A bit soapy, but still interesting. I know this sounds silly, but the queen has not changed much in my lifetime - and since I was not around or too young to understand the political-social situations of the 60s, 70s, and 80s, I learned a lot about that from reading this book. Incredible to me that she was celebrating her Silver Jubilee when I was not even two years old. Lots of interesting insight into the queen's grandparents, parents, uncles, husband, and children.
*The Man Who Lost Himself: The Terry Evershem Story - June Callwood
This is the true-life story of Terry Evanshen, a Canadian football player who was in a terrible car crash and lost all of his memories (he was 44 at the time) and most of his personality. This is a very good read, journalistic in its information (especially about brain injuries and brain processes) but also emotional as it tells the story of this family and their struggles. Really an excellent book.
Fiction - Honorable Mentions:
*Swann - Carol Shields
A book about academia, a farmwife poet, and four people whose lives end up focusing on her. The more sections I read and the more secrets I learned, the more fascinated I was. Unfortunately, I was ultimately unsatisfied with the ending and the screenplay formatting of the last section, but the first four sections of the book were so good that I can't say I didn't like it as a whole.
*Blackout - Connie Willis
This is half a book. I don't mean it's a bad-quality book, it's a high quality book - but it stops in the middle. (The second half will be published in the fall of 2010, entitled 'All Clear'.) I'm a bit afraid I'll lose track of the bits and pieces of this story by the time I get my hands on All Clear, but I will definitely be reading it! I liked some of the threads of this novel better that others (I prefer Polly to Eileen, for example) but overall I really enjoyed it. (I have the second part, All Clear as my first book of 2011, and skimmed the first chapter on the way home from the library - I remember NOTHING of Blackout, and there are no reminders/flashbacks/anything to bring me up to speed.
*Minding Frankie - Maeve Binchy
A lot of old favourite characters showed up, but the new characters were good too and they all fit together nicely. (It was VERY distracting having a character called Moira Tierney - all I could think of was the actress Maura Tierney.)
Non-Fiction - Honorable Mentions:
*The Children of Henry VIII - Alison Weir
The title is somewhat mis-leading, since at least one child of Henry VIII isn't mentioned at all (oh, Henry Fitzroy!) and one of the "children" featured on the cover is his grand-niece, Jane Gray. A solid four-stars for research and readability. Alison Weir tries to give people the benefit of the doubt but also calls them on their BS when it needs to be done. (You can't go blaming Phillip for Mary's burning of "heretics" - the blame is squarely on Mary for that.) The book ends as Elizabeth becomes queen, presumably because there are a bazillion biographies of "Elizabeth as queen".
*The Reluctant King: The Life and Reign of George VI, 1895-1952 - Sarah Bradford
Very interesting but some sections were a real slog. (The chapter 'The Year of Three Kings' was great, though.) A very detailed look at Albert 'Bertie', Prince of York who became King George VI - his childhood, early adulthood, married life, the abdication crisis, World War II, the loss of India and the building of the Commonwealth, and more. I think I have to agree with the general opinion, which was that he was not anyone's first choice for King, but damn if he didn't do a good job given what he had to deal with. (And the Duke of Windsor was a real prat.)
*Next Man Up: A Year Behind the Lines in Today's NFL - John Feinstein
Maybe a bit repetitive in parts (how many times did I need certain terms explained, or told how many players can be active on game day?) but an interesting look inside a season with an NFL team that probably could have been better than they were.
Started 162
Finished 137
Gave Up 14
Rereads 48
Library 77
Owned New and Read 34
Female 102
Male 57
Anthologies/Collections 5
Fiction 91
Non Fiction 75
I know the numbers don't add up, I am not sure why or how to fix it but the started/finished numbers are the most accurate - I'm really careful with those ones.