Books 2008

[tandu]

I've wanted to do one of these posts for a while. The problem is thinking back over everything I've read this year. I think I'll just start. Stars are how much I liked it. I might do commentary. Might not. It's long, so I'll cut it. Also, if you want to recommend books, I'm always looking for new stuff to read.

Fiction
Chabon, Michael -

• The Yiddish Policeman's Union CD, ****
  

Coehlo, Paulo

• By the River Piedra I sat Down and Wept ***** - A story about love, and the Divine Feminine, and a whole bunch of other things.
  

Coupland, Douglas -

• Microserfs ****
  

Danielewski, Mark Z. -

• House of Leaves **** It's keeping my attention, but it's truly, truly strange up, and a little darker than I like my fiction. Also, a little less straightforward.
  

Gaiman, Neil -

• American Gods ***
  
• Anansi Boys ***
  

Haddon, Mark -

• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, CD, ****

Harris, Robert -

• Imperium CD, ***
  
• Ghost CD, ***
  
• Pompeii CD, ***
  

Hartley, A.J -

• On the Fifth Day ** - Supposed to be a religious thriller, dealing with Religion, military conspiracies, and big ancient crocodiles. You'd think it would have been a little better with all of that in it. It was fine plane material, that's about all.
  

Palahnuik, Chuck

• Survivor ***
  
• Choke ****
  

Ringo, John -

• Into the Looking Glass ***
  
• Vorpal Blade ***
  
• A Deeper Blue**
  

Stirling, S. M. -

• The Peshawar Lancers *** I think I read this when it came out. It's not grabbing me like I thought it would. I think it bears similarities to the Wheel of Time series by David Weber.
  

Non Fiction

Brown, Raymond E -

• The Community of the Beloved Disciple **** Kind of a biggie for me, because it talks about Johannine theology in the 2nd century.
  

Duquette, Lon Milo -

• Enochian Vision Magick ***** Yes, 5 stars. It's the first book that I've read that makes Enochian Magic accessible and practical. It's the first book I've read that gives you a reason to want to try all this complicated and crazy stuff. It's amazing, written as only Lon can write it.
  
• The Key to Solomon's Key **** A great introduction to the uses and methods and reasoning behind the Goetia and other medieval magical stuff.
  

Ford, J. Massyngberde -

• Revelation: Anchor Bible Vol. 38 **** - a wonderful thesis about how the Revelation of St. John is from St. John the Baptist, and is therefore a Jewish Revelation, which was adapted to be a Christian one.
  

González-Wippler, Migene -

• Santeria: The Religion *** A good overview of Santeria, the religion, the rites, the issues facing it.
  

Kerouac, Jack

• On the Road ** I read some of it, and it wasn't that interesting. I guess I just don't get the Beats.
  

Runciman, Stephan -

• A History of the Crusades Vol 1: The First Crusade and the Foundations of the Kingdom of Jerusalem **
  

Skinner, E. Benjamin -

• A Crime so Monstrous: Face-to-face with Modern-day Slavery - Currently Reading
  

Teaching Company, The -

• Great Ideas in Philosophy, 2nd Edition CD ***** -I've only heard volumes 3 and part of 4, but so far it's been the most informative philosophy class I think I've ever been in. It's an overview, and it suggests lots of areas of further study.
  
• History of World Literature CD ***** I've only heard Volume 1, and am finding my urge to read epics reawakening, as well as having more interest and respect for Eastern literature.
  

Winchester, Simon

• The Professor and the Madman: A tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary CD, ***** Suprisingly, it was an amazing read, and full of very interesting ideas, especially for me, realizing how painstaking and time consuming the putting together of a project like that without computers would be.