Things What I Read, 2008
(Where f=fiction; nf=non-fiction; gn=graphic novel; p=poetry; ss=short stories; rec=recommended to me. And where "!!!" is a good thing.)
50., 51., 52. Quick and Dirty Reread of George R.R. Martin's series. f, reread
49. Lynne Kiele Bonasia. Some Assembly Required. f, ok but forgettable
48. Julian Gough. Juno and Juliet. f, pleasantly surprised!
47. Gerard Way. Umbrella Academy. gn, rec, !!!
46. Derek Kirk Kim. Same Difference. gn, :D
45. Asstd. Flight, vol. 1. gn, oh so pretty <3
44. Alexandra Robbins. Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities. nf, rec
43. Gail Giles. What Happened to Cass McBride? f, rec, terrifying but so cool
42. Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. f, rec
41. Jasper Fforde. Thursday Next: First Among Sequels. f, meh
40. Jasper Fforde. Something Rotten. f, meh
39. Meg Cabot. Every Boy's Got One. f, ok but forgettable
38. Neil Gaiman. Neverwhere. f, reread
37. Nick Hornby. How to be Good. f, umwhat
36. Jasper Fforde. Well of Lost Plots. f, meh
35. Willa Cather. Shadows on the Rock. f, reread
34. William Gibson again. Spook Country. f, eh
33. Crusie and Mayer again. Agnes and the Hitman. f, heh kinda cute
32. Helen Fisher. Why We Love. nf, woo
31. William Gibson. Idoru. f, eh
30. Jasper Fforde. Lost in a Good Book. f, heh
29. Umberto Eco. The Name of the Rose. f, KILL IT WITH FIRE
28. Levitt and Dubner. Freakonomics. nf, woo
27. Meg Cabot. The Princess Diaries. f, meh
26. Sharyn McCrumb. Zombies of the Gene Pool. f, heh
25. T.S. Eliot. The Waste Land and other poems. p, ooh
24. Banana Yoshimoto Lizard. ss, pleasantly surprised
23. Ma Jian. Red Dust. nf, !!!
22. Jennifer Weiner. Little Earthquakes. f, why did I do this
21. Stephenie Meyer. Eclipse. f, just don't
20. Stephenie Meyer. New Moon. f, ...
19. Helen Fielding. Bridget Jones's Diary. f, eh
18. Stephenie Meyer. Twilight. f, seriously?
17. Terry Pratchett. The Colour of Magic. f, ok but kinda forgettable
16. Soseki Natsume. Botchan. f, heh
15. Neal Stephenson. The Diamond Age. f, !!!, need a reread
14. Paul Auster. Travels in the Scriptorium. f, THIS TOO KILL WITH FIRE
13. Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer. Don't Look Down. f, meh
12. John Sutherland. Bestsellers: A Very Short Introduction. nf, eh
11. Douglas Coupland. Jpod. f, ok-ish then disappointing :|
10. Nick Hornby. The Complete Polysyllabic Spree. nf, disappointing
9. Mark Zusak. The Book Thief. f, !!!
8. Madeline L'Engle. A Wrinkle in Time. f, reread
7. Richard Dawkins. The God Delusion. nf, !!!
6. something or other Nesbitt. Geography of Thought. nf, booooooooring
5. Christopher Hitchens. God Is Not Great. nf, infuriating
4. Stephen Hawking. A Brief History of Time. nf, iamsodumb
3. James Sullivan. Jeans: a cultural history of an American icon. nf, cool
2. Neil Gaiman. Anansi Boys. f, also cool
1. Orson Scott Card. Past Watch. f, what the fuckity fuck >:|
Highlights of 2008...reading-wise: The God Delusion! The Book Thief! Red Dust!
Things that'll have to be absorbed better with a second (or third...or fourth) reread: The Diamond Age. Why We Love. The God Delusion. Twilight. HAHAHAH I KID.
While we're hiding back here, I'll confess: once upon a time I had all the best intentions of doing, like, thoughtful and thought-provoking reviews of what I read? And then I realized...other people do it lots better and I am inadequate. And so, I embrace the inadequacy and instead love on the single-word/phrase/punctuational review.
People should tell me what to read this year.
50., 51., 52. Quick and Dirty Reread of George R.R. Martin's series. f, reread
49. Lynne Kiele Bonasia. Some Assembly Required. f, ok but forgettable
48. Julian Gough. Juno and Juliet. f, pleasantly surprised!
47. Gerard Way. Umbrella Academy. gn, rec, !!!
46. Derek Kirk Kim. Same Difference. gn, :D
45. Asstd. Flight, vol. 1. gn, oh so pretty <3
44. Alexandra Robbins. Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities. nf, rec
43. Gail Giles. What Happened to Cass McBride? f, rec, terrifying but so cool
42. Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. f, rec
41. Jasper Fforde. Thursday Next: First Among Sequels. f, meh
40. Jasper Fforde. Something Rotten. f, meh
39. Meg Cabot. Every Boy's Got One. f, ok but forgettable
38. Neil Gaiman. Neverwhere. f, reread
37. Nick Hornby. How to be Good. f, umwhat
36. Jasper Fforde. Well of Lost Plots. f, meh
35. Willa Cather. Shadows on the Rock. f, reread
34. William Gibson again. Spook Country. f, eh
33. Crusie and Mayer again. Agnes and the Hitman. f, heh kinda cute
32. Helen Fisher. Why We Love. nf, woo
31. William Gibson. Idoru. f, eh
30. Jasper Fforde. Lost in a Good Book. f, heh
29. Umberto Eco. The Name of the Rose. f, KILL IT WITH FIRE
28. Levitt and Dubner. Freakonomics. nf, woo
27. Meg Cabot. The Princess Diaries. f, meh
26. Sharyn McCrumb. Zombies of the Gene Pool. f, heh
25. T.S. Eliot. The Waste Land and other poems. p, ooh
24. Banana Yoshimoto Lizard. ss, pleasantly surprised
23. Ma Jian. Red Dust. nf, !!!
22. Jennifer Weiner. Little Earthquakes. f, why did I do this
21. Stephenie Meyer. Eclipse. f, just don't
20. Stephenie Meyer. New Moon. f, ...
19. Helen Fielding. Bridget Jones's Diary. f, eh
18. Stephenie Meyer. Twilight. f, seriously?
17. Terry Pratchett. The Colour of Magic. f, ok but kinda forgettable
16. Soseki Natsume. Botchan. f, heh
15. Neal Stephenson. The Diamond Age. f, !!!, need a reread
14. Paul Auster. Travels in the Scriptorium. f, THIS TOO KILL WITH FIRE
13. Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer. Don't Look Down. f, meh
12. John Sutherland. Bestsellers: A Very Short Introduction. nf, eh
11. Douglas Coupland. Jpod. f, ok-ish then disappointing :|
10. Nick Hornby. The Complete Polysyllabic Spree. nf, disappointing
9. Mark Zusak. The Book Thief. f, !!!
8. Madeline L'Engle. A Wrinkle in Time. f, reread
7. Richard Dawkins. The God Delusion. nf, !!!
6. something or other Nesbitt. Geography of Thought. nf, booooooooring
5. Christopher Hitchens. God Is Not Great. nf, infuriating
4. Stephen Hawking. A Brief History of Time. nf, iamsodumb
3. James Sullivan. Jeans: a cultural history of an American icon. nf, cool
2. Neil Gaiman. Anansi Boys. f, also cool
1. Orson Scott Card. Past Watch. f, what the fuckity fuck >:|
Highlights of 2008...reading-wise: The God Delusion! The Book Thief! Red Dust!
Things that'll have to be absorbed better with a second (or third...or fourth) reread: The Diamond Age. Why We Love. The God Delusion. Twilight. HAHAHAH I KID.
While we're hiding back here, I'll confess: once upon a time I had all the best intentions of doing, like, thoughtful and thought-provoking reviews of what I read? And then I realized...other people do it lots better and I am inadequate. And so, I embrace the inadequacy and instead love on the single-word/phrase/punctuational review.
People should tell me what to read this year.