Category: Books

Dusted Off: 2009 Books

By

On January 5, 2010

In Books, Calendar Items, Currently Reading, News/Misc.

Last year I tracked the books I read like the movies I watched. I was quite disappointed by the total, I have to say. I have resolved to do better, and that’s probably a resolution I can keep (much to the chagrin of TLomL). Not only did I not read as much as I thought I should, I wrote about what I read far less than I should’ve. I make no promises in that regard–time will tell.

Going over the list this morning I had a really bad moment, I absolutely couldn’t recognize book #4 on the list (Sacred Cows by Karen E. Olson). I had to go to a couple of different websites before the thing clicked with me–worse yet, once I remembered the book, I recalled enjoying it. And there are 3 sequels! I actually feel guilty about not reading more of Ms. Olson’s work (and forgetting that which I did read). I’ll fix that as soon as I can.

Anyway, if you’re interested, here’s the list.

I had a hard time coming up with “best of” lists, my instinct was to go for the “most literary” or whatever, but that ended up leaving off most of the books that I enjoyed most, had the biggest impact on me, etc. So instead, I went with the books I most wanted to write about (one I actually did), most of which I at least have a draft post about.

Non-fiction:
3. Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog – John Grogan
22. Confessions of a She-Fan: The Course of True Love with the New York Yankees – Jane Heller
29. John Calvin–A Biography – T. H. L. Parker
49. In Living Color: Images of Christ and the Means of Grace – Danny R. Hyde
56. Meltdown: A Free-Market Look at Why the Stock Market Collapsed, the Economy Tanked, and Government Bailouts Will Make Things Worse – Thomas E. Woods Jr.
88. Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing – Elmore Leonard

Fiction:
26. Turn Coat – Jim Butcher
50. Spook Country – William Gibson
51. Dog on It: A Chet and Bernie Mystery – Spencer Quinn
55. The Name of the Wind – Patrick Rothfuss
69. This is Where I Leave You – Jonathan Tropper
75. The Sleeping God – Violette Malan
103. The Magicians – Lev Grossman

As far as the worst go…well, there’s the handful of books I didn’t bother finishing (poorly written, just offensive, couldn’t hold my interest…tho’ to be fair, some of those should get another shot from me) and then these, which for some reason I just finished.

20. Stalking the Unicorn – Mike Resnick
47. Chasing the Bear – Robert B. Parker
67. An Underachiever’s Diary – Benjamin Anastas 8/18/2009

104. Is This a Great Game, or What?: From A-Rod’s Heart to Zim’s Head–My 25 Years in Baseball – Tim Kurkjian (this was a fun read, just not a good book–a fine collection of brief anecdotes)
110. Bright-sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America – Barbara Ehrenreich

Dusted Off: In nomine pizza domine!

By

On April 13, 2009

In Authors, Books, Fiction, Harry Dresden, Jim Butcher, Urban Fantasy

a quick peak into my geekery:

*

Thanks to the virtual signing hosted by Dog Eared Books last week, I received my signed copy of the new Dresden Files novel, Turn Coat this weekend. This being the, I think, 6th signed book in my meager library,** this one is obviously being added to my “do not loan” list–honestly, not sure I’m going to let myself read it.

——

*The inscription, “In nomine pizza domine!” is the battle cry of Toot-Toot and his dewdrop faerie friends, as they attack the Summer Court in Summer Knight.

**I fully expect certain readers, like TLomL, will dispute the use of the word “meager.” On this, however, she is uncharacteristically wrong.

Dusted Off: Attack of the Spoilers

By

On February 3, 2009

In Books, News/Misc.

So, the instant I heard that Joe Torre had a book coming out about his time with the Yankees, I ordered it (even if he technically wrote nothing). Now I’m wondering if I wasted my money. The book comes out today, and it’s already been making news thanks to a copy that a couple of NY journalists got their hands on a week or so early.

The leaked portion of the book couldn’t be more than a few paragraphs, and yet hours of TV/radio time, gallons of ink, GB of internet traffic has been devoted to it. Now that the book is out, and we’ll get more than an isolated comment about A-Rod or a description of Cashman’s treatment of Torre toward the end. I can’t imagine that we’ll see less reporting.

Now, I’ll try to avoid as much of that as I can, but it won’t be enough. If I’m not careful, I’ll end up reading/hearing the whole book before my copy arrives on Thursday, and I really won’t have time to dig in to it until Saturday.

I understand our media culture is all about getting the story out before anyone else. But when it comes getting the details of a book–memoir or best-selling novel (how many leaks about the ending of Deathly Hallows were there?)–movie, TV series finale, etc. what’s the rush? Can’t we wait for the intended audience to get a crack at it before rushing to print? What’s the benefit to spilling the details/ending/spoilers?

Internet fan sites and whatnot have the decency to warn readers about spoilers, so we can avoid them. Can’t legitimate news groups (or reasonable facsimiles thereof) do the same?

just a little griping, I guess.

Dusted Off: Say it just like Toy Story’s Little Green Men… (link fixed)

By

On March 28, 2007

In Authors, Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling, News/Misc., YA/MG/Children's Books

“Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooohhhhhh!”

Deathly Hallows cover released (a wrap around!).

Click here for a full image, and non-US covers.

Dusted Off: Books

By

On October 6, 2006

In Books, News/Misc.

In the 50th anniversary edition, Christianity Today published their take on the top 50 books in evangelicalism’s last 50 years (H/T Ref21). I’ve read a decent-sized chunk of those. I’ve got my fingers on the pulse of evangelicalism, I guess. Some of those titles are frightening. Simply frightening (and I’ve read some of those I call that!)

Does it matter? Does anyone care what a movement considers important? What a magazine considers important? Yes. Tim Challies outdid himself today with his post, By Our Books Shall We Be Known. Challies quotes, Jay Parini’s essay “Other People’s Books” (which I clearly need to find):

What interests me about other people’s books is the nature of their collection. A personal library is an X-ray of the owner’s soul. It offers keys to a particular temperament, an intellectual disposition, a way of being in the world. Even how the books are arranged on the shelves deserves notice, even reflection. There is probably no such thing as complete chaos in such arrangements.

Other people’s books draw my attention, of course. They excite curiosity about their owners and the worlds they inhabit. But it’s finally my own books that matter, as they tell me about where I’ve been, and where I hope to go.

If that doesn’t describe my psyche, I don’t know what does. (other than a nasty coal mine…but that’s another post for another time)

The rest of the post is just as incisive. Other than the stuff about film, I like to think I’d have written the same thing–were I as talented as Challies, or took the time.

Dusted Off: Narnia Controversy

By

On October 31, 2005

In Books, Fantasy, Fiction, News/Misc., YA/MG/Children's Books

I’ve long thought that the idea of reading The Chronicles of Narnia in chronological order is plain silly. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was the first, and needs to be read first. Prequels, like The Magician’s Nephew, demand a knowledge of the “quels” they’re “pre-” to. As I’ve been reading the series with my kids over the last few months (we step into The Last Battle today), I’ve become even more convinced that Lewis told them in the right order when he wrote them, not when he talked about it later.

John Miller over at National Review Online makes the case wonderfully. Mostly by quoting the two books vying for first read. He’s right, it’s Wardrobe all the way.

Lewis put the matter more succinctly in a letter toward the end of his life: “An author doesn’t necessarily understand the meaning of his own story better than anyone else.”

Lewis of course understood the meaning of Narnia. But a wise expert is not the same thing as a final authority — and on the question of which Narnia book should come first, Lewis was utterly wrong.

Dusted Off: Found this quote today:

By

On March 17, 2005

In Books, Quotations

“Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore?” Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887)

My wife (happy birthday honey!) would testify that nothing could describe me better…

Dusted Off: Banned Book Week

By

On September 30, 2004

In Books, Calendar Items, News/Misc.

Ooh, it’s Banned Books Week–that time of the year when librarians can change their posters and make people think of all sorts of scary things that can happen if a book it stomped out. Now, to an extent, I see the point, and can share the concern. But frankly, I bet it’s publicity like this that helps keep people banning certain books.

Well, the Crusty Curmudgeon posted a list of Banned Books, and like him, I’m a sucker for these lists. So here’s the list with the ones I read in bold. I count 18, which means I’m just a little bit naughtier than Scott.

  • Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
  • Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
  • I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou–I think I started this one, but can’t say it for sure.
  • The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier–read this and a sequel or two as I recall…creepy, intense, but I loved it.
  • The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain–this one goes down as a “YOU MISSED THE FRIGGIN’ POINT OF THE BOOK IF YOU BANNED IT!!!” I love this book, and it grieves me no end that people trash it…
  • Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck–it was a nice book. Like it better than The Grapes of Wrath
  • Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling–yup, read ’em all at least twice (well, haven’t read the Order of the Phoenix twice yet…hmmm, know what I’m doing on semester break…)
  • Forever by Judy Blume
  • Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. Read it several times, don’t remember a think about it
  • Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
  • Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman–should probably read it just so I know what the fuss is all about
  • My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
  • The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger–should probably read it just so I know what the fuss is all about
  • The Giver by Lois Lowry
  • It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
  • Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine–looked dumb then, looks dumber now
  • A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
  • The Color Purple by Alice Walker
  • Sex by Madonna–oh my, can’t believe I’m admitting in public that I read this. What can I say? I was in college, curious, and my roommate had too much money. So he bought it, brought it back to the dorm and we read it…and got really bored (when we weren’t freaked out)
  • Earth’s Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
  • The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
  • A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle–read this and the sequels several times…don’t see why this would be banned (unless people don’t like Gnostics, which hey, I can relate to…)
  • Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
  • Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
  • In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
  • The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
  • The Witches by Roald Dahl–not my favorite Dahl, but as I recall it was okay
  • The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
  • Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
  • The Goats by Brock Cole
  • Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
  • Blubber by Judy Blume–I think it was this book that made me decide that only the books about boys by Blume should be read by boys.
  • Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
  • Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
  • We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
  • Final Exit by Derek Humphry
  • The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
  • Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
  • The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
  • What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
  • To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee–this falls into the same category as Huck Finn. YOU HAVE TO READ A BOOK BEFORE YOU BAN IT, IDIOTS!
  • Beloved by Toni Morrison
  • The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton–um, whatever. Didn’t really see the point of all the excitement about this one
  • The Pigman by Paul Zindel
  • Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
  • Deenie by Judy Blume
  • Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
  • Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
  • The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
  • Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz

  • A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
  • Brave New World by Aldous Huxley–been on my “to read” list for about 15 years
  • Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
  • Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
  • Cujo by Stephen King
  • James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl–wha? how is this on a banned book list? Did I miss something?
  • The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell–don’t own it, never made anything from it, never felt the slightest bit of interest in doing so
  • Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
  • Ordinary People by Judith Guest
  • American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
  • What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
  • Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume–tried it, remembered the lesson learned from Blubber and stopped
  • Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
  • Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
  • Fade by Robert Cormier
  • Guess What? by Mem Fox
  • The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
  • The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
  • Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
  • Lord of the Flies by William Golding–best literary example of Total Depravity, but hated the book
  • Native Son by Richard Wright
  • Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies by Nancy Friday
  • Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
  • Jack by A.M. Homes
  • Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya. Absolutely don’t see why this would be banned. Called over-rated? Sure. But it was a nice little story.
  • Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
  • Carrie by Stephen King
  • Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
  • On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
  • Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
  • Family Secrets by Norma Klein
  • Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
  • The Dead Zone by Stephen King
  • The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain–not even going to comment
  • Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
  • Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
  • Private Parts by Howard Stern
  • Where’s Waldo? by Martin Hanford–this has got to be a misprint
  • Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
  • Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
  • Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
  • Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
  • Sex Education by Jenny Davis
  • The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
  • Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
  • How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell–got to be banned by a petition from PETA
  • View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
  • The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
  • The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
  • Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

Man, my Amazon.com recommendations are gonna be messed up for weeks after me doing some searches to confirm what I remembered….

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