Books 2008
Oh, and I've decided to actually make an effort at tracking what books i read this year. Since I have failed at the otehr attempts to do this, I will keep track on lj, since apparently I do keep track of htings better here... So, here goes. This post will be updated throughout the year, with book, author, pages, and date i finished it.
Briar's Book, Tamora Pierce, 258, 3 Jan 08
Holiday in Death, JD Robb, 306, 3 Jan 08
The Solitaire Mystery, Jostein Gaarder, 319, 6 Jan 08
Flatland, Edwin A. Abbott, 82, 8 Jan 08
The Lady of Shalott Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 22, 10 Jan 08
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone JK Rowling, 309, 14 Jan 08
The Memory Keeper's Daughter Kim Edwards, 513, 20 Jan 08
Creation in Death, JD Robb, 337, 27 Jan 08
Falling Up, Shel Silverstein, 171, 5 Feb 08
Leaving Microsoft to Change the World, John Wood, 260, 6 Feb 08
Three in Death, JD Robb, 336, 9 Feb 08
A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini, 367, 10 Feb 08
A Monstrous Regiment of Women, Laurie R King, 336, 16 Feb 08
The Realms of the Gods, Tamora Pierce, 336, 17 Feb 08
Stephen Decatur: American Naval Hero 1779-1820, Robert J Allison, 221, 17 Feb 08
Emperor Mage, Tamora Pierce, 294, 22 Feb 08
Wolf Speaker, Tamora Pierce, 281, 23 Feb 08
Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen, 331, 23 Feb 08
The Wizard's Map, Jane Yolen, 130, 23 Feb 08
Cold Fire, Tamora Pierce, 355, 28 Feb 08
The Will of the Empress, Tamora Pierce, 539, 1 Mar 08
And When She Opened the Closet, All the Clothes Were Polyester!, Bill Amend, 167, 1 Mar 08
Houston, You Have a Problem, Bill Amend, 128, 2 Mar 08
Strangers in Death, JD Robb, 356, 7 Mar 08
Jam-Packed Foxtrot, Bill Amend, 191, 7 Mar 08
The Worst Person in the World and 202 Strong Contenders, Keith Olbermann, 267, 8 Mar 08
Truth and Consequences, Keith Olbermann, 190, 13 Mar 08
A Great and Terrible Beauty, Libba Bray, 403, 14 Mar 08
Squire, Tamora Pierce, 390, 21 Mar 08
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Lisa See, 288, 22 Mar 08
Monty Python and Philosophy, Gary L. Hardcastle and George A. Reisch Ed., 288, 23 Mar 08
Alanna The First Adventure, Tamora Pierce, 274, 29 Mar 08
In The Hand Of The Goddess, Tamora Pierce, 264, 1 Apr 08
The Woman Who Rides Like A Man, Tamora Pierce, 284, 3 Apr 08
Maya, Jostein Gaarder, 344, 3 Apr 08
Lioness Rampant, Tamora Pierce, 384, 6 Apr 08
Taming Natasha, Nora Roberts, 221, 7 Apr 08
Luring a Lady, Nora Roberts, 214, 8 Apr 08
To Play the Fool, Laurie R. King, 286, 17 Apr 08
The Beekeeper's Apprentice, Laurie R. King, 405, 18 Apr 08
Frommer's Hong Kong, Beth Reiber, 320, 18 Apr 08
Abandoned Prayers, Gregg Olsen, 399, 25 Apr 08
Under the Banner of Heaven, Jon Krakauer, 377, 29 Apr 08
Rebel Angels, Libba Bray, 592, 29 Apr 08
To Play the Fool, Laurie R. King, 286, 16 May 08
The Sweet, Far Thing, Libba Bray, 819, 18 May 08
Imitation in Death, JD Robb, 342, 23 May 08
Touchstone, Laurie R. King, 548, 27 May 08
Creation in Death, JD Robb, 337, 29 May 08
Twilight, Stephanie Meyer, 498, 10 June 08
New Moon, Stephanie Meyer, 563, 13 June 08
Eclipse, Stephanie Meyer, 626, 15 June 08
A Grave Talent, Laurie R. King, 342, 17 June 08
The Vampire Of New York, Lee Hunt, 359, 17 June 08
Holiday in Death, JD Robb, 306, 20 June 08
Shatterglass, Tamora Pierce, 357, 22 June 08
Sandry's Book, Tamora Pierce, 252, 26 June 08
The Know-It-All, A.J. Jacobs, 369, 29 June 08
The Year of Living Biblically, A. J. Jacobs, 341, 2 July 08
Longitude The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time, Dava Sobel, 178, 4 July 08
The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors, James D Hornfisher, 444, 4 July 08
The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy, 340, 6 July 08
Visions in Death, JD Robb, 354, 11 July 08
Lady Knight, Tamora Pierce, 409, 13 July 08
Portrait in Death, JD Robb, 347, 13 July 08
Doctor Who The Encyclopedia, Gary Russell, 192, 14 July 08
Immortal in Death, JD Robb, 296, 16 July 08
Waiting for Nick, Nora Roberts, 216, 20 July 08
Interpreter of Maladies, Jhumpa Lahiri, 198, 23 July 08
Rapture in Death, JD Robb, 294, 23 July 08
Considering Kate, Nora Roberts, 205, 26 July 08
Another Day in the Frontal Lobe A Brain Surgeon Exposes Life on the Inside, Dr. Katrina Firlik, MD, 267, 26 July 08
Catching Genius, Kristy Kiernan, 370, 27 July 08
Nevada Rose, Jerome Preisler, 289, 29 July 08
The Virgin of Small Plains, Nancy Pickard, 336, 31 July 08
Falling for Rachel, Nora Roberts, 230, 31 July 08
Convincing Alex, Nora Roberts, 222, 31 July 08
Survivor in Death, JD Robb, 360, 2 Aug 08
Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyer, 754, 2 Aug 08
Better A Surgeon's Notes on Performance, Dr. Atul Gawande, MD, 257, 5 Aug 08
The Teahouse Fire, Ellis Avery, 465, 5 Aug 08
And When She Opened the Closet, All the Clothes Were Polyester!, Bill Amend, 167, 7 Aug
Esquire Presents: What it Feels Like: *To Walk on the Moon* *To Be Gored by a Bull*..., AJ Jacobs ED., 143, 8 Aug 08
Night Work, Laurie R. King, 386, 8 Aug 08
A Posse of Princesses, Sherwood Smith, 299, 10 Aug 08
Jam-Packed Foxtrot, Bill Amend, 191, 10 Aug 08
Lamb The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, Christopher Moore, 444, 13 Aug 08
Marked, P.C. and Kristin Cast, 306, 14 Aug 08
Vampire Academy, Richelle Mead, 332, 15 Aug 08
Betrayed, P.C. and Kristin Cast, 310, 16 Aug 08
A Curse Dark as Gold, Elizabeth C Bunce, 392, 16 Aug 08
Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi, 153, 18 Aug 08
Trickster's Choice, Tamora Pierce, 422, 20 Aug 08
Damia's Children, Anne McCaffrey, 325, 21 Aug 08
Thief With No Shadow, Emily Gee, 461, 23 Aug 08
Lady Knight, Tamora Pierce, 409, 29 Aug 08
Trickster's Queen, Tamora Pierce, 467, 30 Aug 08
Houston, You Have a Problem, Bill Amend, 128, 30 Aug 08
Princess Ben, Catherine Gilbert Murdock, 344, 31 Aug 08
My Point... And I Do Have One, Ellen DeGeneres, 211, 31 Aug 08
Mr. Darcy's Diary, Amanda Grange, 329, 2 Sep 08
The Red Scarf, Kate Furnivall, 470, 2 Sep 08
Sex With Kings, Eleanor Herman, 303, 5 Sep 08
Reflections, Nora Roberts, 208, 6 Sep 08
Dance of Dreams, Nora Roberts, 179, 6 Sep 08
The X Files: I Want to Believe, Max Allan Collins, 237, 6 Sep 08
The Blood of Flowers, Anita Amirrezvani, 441, 7 Sep 08
The Abortionist's Daughter, Elisabeth Hyde, 285, 8 Sep 08
If Wishes Were Horses, Anne McCaffrey, 114, 9 Sep 08
No One Noticed the Cat, Anne McCaffrey, 182, 12 Sep 08
Chosen, PC and Kristin Cast, 307, 13 Sep 08
Girl Walking Backwards, Bett Williams, 242, 13 Sep 08
Fluke Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings, Christopher Moore, 321, 15 Sep 08
His Majesty's Dragon, Naomi Novik, 356, 17 Sep 08
Sun & Moon, Ice & Snow, Jessica Day George, 323, 17 Sep 08
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen, 391, 19 Sep 08
Book of a Thousand Days, Shannon Hale, 308, 20 Sep 08
If Today Be Sweet, Thrity Umrigar, 312, 22 Sep 08
Empress of the World, Sara Ryan, 215, 23 Sep 08
Throne of Jade, Naomi Novik, 398,25 Sep 08
A Darker Place, Laurie R King, 379, 28 Sep 08
Hiroshima, John Hersey, 152, 29 Sep 08
A Message to Garcia, Elbert Hubbard, 32, 30 Sep 08
Sandry's Book, Tamora Pierce, 252, 30 Sep 08
Melting Stones, Tamora Pierce, 312, 30 Sep 08
Dragonflight, Anne McCaffrey, 204, 4 Oct 08
The Muslim Next Door, Sumbul Ali-Karamali, 278, 10 Oct 08
Dragon Slippers, Jessica Day George, 324, 12 Oct 08
The Will of the Empress, Tamora Pierce, 539, 16 Oct 08
Wicked The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, Gregory Maguire, 423, 19 Oct 08
Son of a Witch, Gregory Maguire, 337, 21 Oct 08
Royal Babylon, Karl Shaw, 322, 29 Oct 08
Mistress of the Vatican, Eleanor Herman, 438, 29 Oct 08
A Lion Among Men, Gregory Maguire, 312, 29 Oct 08
Sex With the Queen, Eleanor Herman, 339, 2 Nov 08
Chalice, Robin McKinley, 263, 5 Nov 08
Dragonsong, Anne McCaffrey, 192, 6 Nov 08
Dragonsinger, Anne McCaffrey, 277, 9 Nov 08
The Bell at Sealey Head, Patrcia A. McKillip, 277, 10 Nov 08
Salvation in Death, JD Robb, 353, 11 Nov 08
The Diary of Cozette, Amanda McIntyre, 423, 11 Nov 08
Dragondrums Anne McCaffrey, 243, 17 Nov 08
The Art of Detection, Laurie R. King, 358, 24 Nov 08
Graceling, Kristin Cashore, 472, 26 Nov 08
To Play the Fool, Laurie R. King, 286, 30 Nov 08
Island of Lost Girls, Jennifer McMahon, 255, 3 Dec 08
Promise Not to Tell, Jennifer McMahon, 250, 6 Dec 08
Dragon Flight, Jessica Day George, 262, 6 Dec 08
Skywatching, David H. Levy, 288, 9 Dec 08
Fantasy Lover, Sherrilyn Kenyon, 307, 10 Dec 08
Night Pleasures, Sherrilyn Kenyon, 309, 10 Dec 08
The Tales of Beedle the Bard, J.K. Rowling, 117, 11 Dec 08
Wild Magic, Tamora Pierce, 299, 14 Dec 08
A World Lit Only By Fire The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance, William Manchester, 322, 14 Dec 08
Conflict of Interest, Jae, 565, 17 Dec 08
Next of Kin, Jae, 653, 19 Dec 08
Backwards to Oregon, Jae, 529, 21 Dec 08
Stick to Drawing Comics, Monkey Brain!, Scott Adams, 386, 23 Dec 08
Lady Knight, LJ Baker, 323, 23 Dec 08
Sword of the Guardian, Merry Shannon, 381, 24 Dec 08
Jam-Packed Foxtrot, Bill Amend, 191, 27 Dec 08
Bloodhound, Tamora Pierce, 561, 28 Dec 08
The Yiddish Policemen's Union, Michael Chabon, 445, 31 Dec 08
The Spanish Pearl, Catherine Friend, 325, 31 Dec 08
Books: 164
Pages: 52,859
Random commentaries on random books...
Flatland was interesting.... it was a book dad got me for Xmas, originally published in 1884. It is a math book, about life in multiple dimensions (literally. a society where everyone/thing is varying points, another where its lines and shapes that can only be seen from the side (women are lines with pointy ends) and then our dimension. It was a strangely difficult read, and at one point the feminist in me wanted to smack the author. ok, several times, but i got over it enough to read. and it was interesting.
The Solitaire Mystery I loved, but I have discovered before a love for Jostein Gaarders work. I loved Sophie's World, which I read a few years ago (thank you Bad Girls!) I need to read the rest of his works now. And reread SW. And possibly watch BG again.
Realms of the Gods I just grabbed this morning on my way to work 'cause I figured I'd need something to read today. Since it's a Sunday duty day in the midst of a three day weekend, not much was expected, and indeed nothing was really accomplished by me today, besides reading this and the bio of Stephen Decatur (which also made for fascinating reading, truthfull). Anyway, back to TRotG, I realized while I was reading it that it's been probably close to 2, if not maybe even closer to 3 years, since I last read it. The TP books I've read in that time period, besides new ones, have been the Keladry books repeatedly. I didn't realize just how much I've missed Daine and Numair, I think partly because the Kel books somewhat satisfy my love of the Immortals major characters, since Alanna, and John, and Thayet, and Buri and the others show up. But Daine holds a special place in my heart, since it was Wild Magic that got me utterly hooked on this author almost 13 years ago. I really must go back and read the others again. I should have brought them with me today.
Water for Elephants is a book that Annie was reading a month or so ago, one that I'd been eyeing since I first saw it in stores but never got around to buying. I found a copy of it in the Robbie Stethem room last duty day and commandeered it, and read it this afternoon after I finished Wolf Speaker. It's a book that oh so quietly draws you in, so much that you actually have to take a break from it, but you rush back as quick as you can so you can dive right in. The author is so discriptive that you feel like you are there, on the trains or in the circus tents watching everything the main character is, and it is brilliantly written. I love the ending.
Truth and Consequences. It should come as no surprise to people who know me that I am liberal. VERY liberal. If that is a shocker, I must ask what rock you have been living under however long you've known me. but even then, I do disagree sometimes with other liberals, because it is not just the other side that can be stupid. Keith Olbermann is amazing to me because he voices the things I wish I could say. I held off on commenting on The Worst Person in the World because i was waiting to get/read his new book, which puts on paper his special commentaries about the political situation in this country. If you like Bush/think his administration is doing a good job, this is definately NOT the book for you. He does not hold back in his anger, and his analysis, for someone who spent the first part of his career in sposrtscasting, is some of hte best politcal commentary I've read. Certainly the most honest, even if it is moreo ften than not biased towards the left. What I love about him is that, even though he tends to criticize and question to conservatives, he is a bipartisan critic. If the democrats fuck up, he does call them on it as harshly as he does hte republicans. because as i said, its not just hte other guys who are stupid. I really miss watching his show for the full worst person of the day.
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan was such an incredibly tragic book in the end. The last 60 pages were just so terribly sad. But what stays with me hte most is what happens in the beginning. The authors description of hte footbinding process of 6 year old girls in a remote part of China is.... detailed. And told from the 7 year old girls perspective (most girls were 6), of how her feet were bound, and she was made to walk on them, and how over hte course of months she felt her toe bones and hten her foot bones break under her. It was so descriptive that I could almost feel it. But the tragedy doesn't happen til the end, though you can see it coming from the middle of the book.
The Stanislaski books, led on this list by Taming Natasha, have always been some of my favorite Nora Roberts books, and really the only non-JD Robb ones that I read. I dunno why, I just love the characters, and I wish she'd continued the books. I read Taming Natasha on board ship on a Sunday and it was lovely. It was a quick, easy read after Maya (Jostein Gaarder!) and Lioness Rampant, which I swear I never remember 3 of hte last four chapters of that book.
To Play The Fool is the first to make it on the list twice, a bizarre feat, in my mind. I kinda expected any of Tamora Pierce's books to make the honor, but ::shrug:: shows what I know. I love LRK's books, have since Kate first introduced me to the MRH books and I realized that I'd read A Grave Talent a few years before and enjoyed it, but forgotten it. I do love the Sherlock Holmes stories, and always will, but the Martenelli books do hold a special place in my heart, and not just because the main character is gay. I just love the way these books are written, they are such a pleasure to read, in a way that is different to my love of Tamora Pierce's books, which are more a wonderful escape than anything. Few authors draw me in the way LRK does.
The Vampire of New York was a huge disappointment, strange really because Amanda told me it kinda sucked ass. The plot by itself was interesting, Count Dracula flees Europe in 1863 to New York, assumes a new identity, is chased by Van Helsings daughter and is somehow involved in the murder of a sailor whose body is found in 2007 at a construction site. The story goes back and forth between 1863 and 2007, but not in a schizophrenic way, and it's a bit easy to ignore some of hte more outrageous uses of historical figures for hte book. But, the climax of hte book is in the last 5 pages, and the last page and a half are just.... fucking unbelieveble. Ridiculous and unbelieveble, even for a vampire story (which wasn't as much a horror story as I'd hoped).
There are so many books on this list that I have read numerous times before this year even started. AJ Jacobs books are just two of the newest ones. Tiff introduced me to The Know-it-all back in my youngster year at the academy, and I loved it. TYoLB is also a fantastic book. I was intrigued when I saw that what his next book, and curious but strangely not exactly eager to read it, but I've read it 6 times now since it came out, and it is a fantastically brilliant book. I recommend it to anyone.
With regards to Catching Genius, I wrote up a response to it here that has more to do with what it left me thinking about than the book itself. It can be found here and is the email I sent to my mom after I finished the book. It's rambling, but it is the way my thoughts were after I finished reading.
Now, despite the (bizarre to me) hoopla around the premiere of Breaking Dawn on Friday night (the books, though interesting in plot and characters, are not representative of the greatest writing in the world... in my opinion.... and not worthy of harry potteresque midnight parties....), I did find the book enjoyable. It consumed a good portion of my flight from LAX to Narita on Saturday/Sunday, and I was amused to find it in the bookstore at LAX. It was a good wrap up to Bella's side of the story, I thought. However, a few things bothered me. 1- the name of the baby. I'm not one of those people who enjoys the concept of naming a child after relatives (sorry, to those on my flist who are fans or were named after someone!). I'm just not. But, seriously.. Renesme? I wanted to gag when I read that... And 2- the ending? So fucking anti-climactic (though YAY for the return of Alice...). While the resolution was kinda cool, Alice finding other children like Nessie, I would have liked more vampire death than just Irina. What can I say... blood and gore is cool.
Just a note... My Point... And I Do Have One by Ellen DeGeneres makes for the 100th book I've read this year. Go me! It was a nice read, funny (appropos since she's a comedian) and a nice use of my day.
The Muslim Next Door... was a fantastic book, I recommend it to anyone and everyone. All we ever seem to see of Islam are the radicals, the extremists who use religion as the backbone of their violence. We then ignore the times when Christians, Jews, and whoever do the same thing. We don't get to see what the life is like for the average Muslim who devoutly follows her faith, a faith based on the rights of all people to believe as they would. It's in the Qu'ran in just that way. This book, written by a American Muslim woman of Indian descent (her parents were Indian Muslims who left India after partition) gives perhaps the best explanation/description I've seen of just why people follow this religion. Written by a WOMAN, about a religion that from the start proclaimed the rights of women were equal to those of men (even though what we see today is not what was written down by the Prophet Muhammed). This is the religion that I witnessed from Chiraz (a Tunisian woman who is an officer in the Tunisian Navy and went to the academy with me) and Moslem (Tunisian Officer in my class at the academy) and when I was in Egypt. I may not follow it, but I can appreciate it, and this is the image that people should be seeing about Islam, not what is a tiny minority that gets all the airtime.
It is so appropriate that book 130 is Wicked :)
I received Bloodhound as a Christmas gift from my sponsers. It hasn't been published yet (not due out 'til April), but Sylvia and Julia met Tamora at a conference in November, and I guess they got to telling her of me, and she signed three books (this one, an advanced readers copy, and the Trickster books) for me. I won't spoil this book, but it is very good. An amazing gift, truly.
Briar's Book, Tamora Pierce, 258, 3 Jan 08
Holiday in Death, JD Robb, 306, 3 Jan 08
The Solitaire Mystery, Jostein Gaarder, 319, 6 Jan 08
Flatland, Edwin A. Abbott, 82, 8 Jan 08
The Lady of Shalott Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 22, 10 Jan 08
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone JK Rowling, 309, 14 Jan 08
The Memory Keeper's Daughter Kim Edwards, 513, 20 Jan 08
Creation in Death, JD Robb, 337, 27 Jan 08
Falling Up, Shel Silverstein, 171, 5 Feb 08
Leaving Microsoft to Change the World, John Wood, 260, 6 Feb 08
Three in Death, JD Robb, 336, 9 Feb 08
A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini, 367, 10 Feb 08
A Monstrous Regiment of Women, Laurie R King, 336, 16 Feb 08
The Realms of the Gods, Tamora Pierce, 336, 17 Feb 08
Stephen Decatur: American Naval Hero 1779-1820, Robert J Allison, 221, 17 Feb 08
Emperor Mage, Tamora Pierce, 294, 22 Feb 08
Wolf Speaker, Tamora Pierce, 281, 23 Feb 08
Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen, 331, 23 Feb 08
The Wizard's Map, Jane Yolen, 130, 23 Feb 08
Cold Fire, Tamora Pierce, 355, 28 Feb 08
The Will of the Empress, Tamora Pierce, 539, 1 Mar 08
And When She Opened the Closet, All the Clothes Were Polyester!, Bill Amend, 167, 1 Mar 08
Houston, You Have a Problem, Bill Amend, 128, 2 Mar 08
Strangers in Death, JD Robb, 356, 7 Mar 08
Jam-Packed Foxtrot, Bill Amend, 191, 7 Mar 08
The Worst Person in the World and 202 Strong Contenders, Keith Olbermann, 267, 8 Mar 08
Truth and Consequences, Keith Olbermann, 190, 13 Mar 08
A Great and Terrible Beauty, Libba Bray, 403, 14 Mar 08
Squire, Tamora Pierce, 390, 21 Mar 08
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Lisa See, 288, 22 Mar 08
Monty Python and Philosophy, Gary L. Hardcastle and George A. Reisch Ed., 288, 23 Mar 08
Alanna The First Adventure, Tamora Pierce, 274, 29 Mar 08
In The Hand Of The Goddess, Tamora Pierce, 264, 1 Apr 08
The Woman Who Rides Like A Man, Tamora Pierce, 284, 3 Apr 08
Maya, Jostein Gaarder, 344, 3 Apr 08
Lioness Rampant, Tamora Pierce, 384, 6 Apr 08
Taming Natasha, Nora Roberts, 221, 7 Apr 08
Luring a Lady, Nora Roberts, 214, 8 Apr 08
To Play the Fool, Laurie R. King, 286, 17 Apr 08
The Beekeeper's Apprentice, Laurie R. King, 405, 18 Apr 08
Frommer's Hong Kong, Beth Reiber, 320, 18 Apr 08
Abandoned Prayers, Gregg Olsen, 399, 25 Apr 08
Under the Banner of Heaven, Jon Krakauer, 377, 29 Apr 08
Rebel Angels, Libba Bray, 592, 29 Apr 08
To Play the Fool, Laurie R. King, 286, 16 May 08
The Sweet, Far Thing, Libba Bray, 819, 18 May 08
Imitation in Death, JD Robb, 342, 23 May 08
Touchstone, Laurie R. King, 548, 27 May 08
Creation in Death, JD Robb, 337, 29 May 08
Twilight, Stephanie Meyer, 498, 10 June 08
New Moon, Stephanie Meyer, 563, 13 June 08
Eclipse, Stephanie Meyer, 626, 15 June 08
A Grave Talent, Laurie R. King, 342, 17 June 08
The Vampire Of New York, Lee Hunt, 359, 17 June 08
Holiday in Death, JD Robb, 306, 20 June 08
Shatterglass, Tamora Pierce, 357, 22 June 08
Sandry's Book, Tamora Pierce, 252, 26 June 08
The Know-It-All, A.J. Jacobs, 369, 29 June 08
The Year of Living Biblically, A. J. Jacobs, 341, 2 July 08
Longitude The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time, Dava Sobel, 178, 4 July 08
The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors, James D Hornfisher, 444, 4 July 08
The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy, 340, 6 July 08
Visions in Death, JD Robb, 354, 11 July 08
Lady Knight, Tamora Pierce, 409, 13 July 08
Portrait in Death, JD Robb, 347, 13 July 08
Doctor Who The Encyclopedia, Gary Russell, 192, 14 July 08
Immortal in Death, JD Robb, 296, 16 July 08
Waiting for Nick, Nora Roberts, 216, 20 July 08
Interpreter of Maladies, Jhumpa Lahiri, 198, 23 July 08
Rapture in Death, JD Robb, 294, 23 July 08
Considering Kate, Nora Roberts, 205, 26 July 08
Another Day in the Frontal Lobe A Brain Surgeon Exposes Life on the Inside, Dr. Katrina Firlik, MD, 267, 26 July 08
Catching Genius, Kristy Kiernan, 370, 27 July 08
Nevada Rose, Jerome Preisler, 289, 29 July 08
The Virgin of Small Plains, Nancy Pickard, 336, 31 July 08
Falling for Rachel, Nora Roberts, 230, 31 July 08
Convincing Alex, Nora Roberts, 222, 31 July 08
Survivor in Death, JD Robb, 360, 2 Aug 08
Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyer, 754, 2 Aug 08
Better A Surgeon's Notes on Performance, Dr. Atul Gawande, MD, 257, 5 Aug 08
The Teahouse Fire, Ellis Avery, 465, 5 Aug 08
And When She Opened the Closet, All the Clothes Were Polyester!, Bill Amend, 167, 7 Aug
Esquire Presents: What it Feels Like: *To Walk on the Moon* *To Be Gored by a Bull*..., AJ Jacobs ED., 143, 8 Aug 08
Night Work, Laurie R. King, 386, 8 Aug 08
A Posse of Princesses, Sherwood Smith, 299, 10 Aug 08
Jam-Packed Foxtrot, Bill Amend, 191, 10 Aug 08
Lamb The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, Christopher Moore, 444, 13 Aug 08
Marked, P.C. and Kristin Cast, 306, 14 Aug 08
Vampire Academy, Richelle Mead, 332, 15 Aug 08
Betrayed, P.C. and Kristin Cast, 310, 16 Aug 08
A Curse Dark as Gold, Elizabeth C Bunce, 392, 16 Aug 08
Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi, 153, 18 Aug 08
Trickster's Choice, Tamora Pierce, 422, 20 Aug 08
Damia's Children, Anne McCaffrey, 325, 21 Aug 08
Thief With No Shadow, Emily Gee, 461, 23 Aug 08
Lady Knight, Tamora Pierce, 409, 29 Aug 08
Trickster's Queen, Tamora Pierce, 467, 30 Aug 08
Houston, You Have a Problem, Bill Amend, 128, 30 Aug 08
Princess Ben, Catherine Gilbert Murdock, 344, 31 Aug 08
My Point... And I Do Have One, Ellen DeGeneres, 211, 31 Aug 08
Mr. Darcy's Diary, Amanda Grange, 329, 2 Sep 08
The Red Scarf, Kate Furnivall, 470, 2 Sep 08
Sex With Kings, Eleanor Herman, 303, 5 Sep 08
Reflections, Nora Roberts, 208, 6 Sep 08
Dance of Dreams, Nora Roberts, 179, 6 Sep 08
The X Files: I Want to Believe, Max Allan Collins, 237, 6 Sep 08
The Blood of Flowers, Anita Amirrezvani, 441, 7 Sep 08
The Abortionist's Daughter, Elisabeth Hyde, 285, 8 Sep 08
If Wishes Were Horses, Anne McCaffrey, 114, 9 Sep 08
No One Noticed the Cat, Anne McCaffrey, 182, 12 Sep 08
Chosen, PC and Kristin Cast, 307, 13 Sep 08
Girl Walking Backwards, Bett Williams, 242, 13 Sep 08
Fluke Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings, Christopher Moore, 321, 15 Sep 08
His Majesty's Dragon, Naomi Novik, 356, 17 Sep 08
Sun & Moon, Ice & Snow, Jessica Day George, 323, 17 Sep 08
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen, 391, 19 Sep 08
Book of a Thousand Days, Shannon Hale, 308, 20 Sep 08
If Today Be Sweet, Thrity Umrigar, 312, 22 Sep 08
Empress of the World, Sara Ryan, 215, 23 Sep 08
Throne of Jade, Naomi Novik, 398,25 Sep 08
A Darker Place, Laurie R King, 379, 28 Sep 08
Hiroshima, John Hersey, 152, 29 Sep 08
A Message to Garcia, Elbert Hubbard, 32, 30 Sep 08
Sandry's Book, Tamora Pierce, 252, 30 Sep 08
Melting Stones, Tamora Pierce, 312, 30 Sep 08
Dragonflight, Anne McCaffrey, 204, 4 Oct 08
The Muslim Next Door, Sumbul Ali-Karamali, 278, 10 Oct 08
Dragon Slippers, Jessica Day George, 324, 12 Oct 08
The Will of the Empress, Tamora Pierce, 539, 16 Oct 08
Wicked The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, Gregory Maguire, 423, 19 Oct 08
Son of a Witch, Gregory Maguire, 337, 21 Oct 08
Royal Babylon, Karl Shaw, 322, 29 Oct 08
Mistress of the Vatican, Eleanor Herman, 438, 29 Oct 08
A Lion Among Men, Gregory Maguire, 312, 29 Oct 08
Sex With the Queen, Eleanor Herman, 339, 2 Nov 08
Chalice, Robin McKinley, 263, 5 Nov 08
Dragonsong, Anne McCaffrey, 192, 6 Nov 08
Dragonsinger, Anne McCaffrey, 277, 9 Nov 08
The Bell at Sealey Head, Patrcia A. McKillip, 277, 10 Nov 08
Salvation in Death, JD Robb, 353, 11 Nov 08
The Diary of Cozette, Amanda McIntyre, 423, 11 Nov 08
Dragondrums Anne McCaffrey, 243, 17 Nov 08
The Art of Detection, Laurie R. King, 358, 24 Nov 08
Graceling, Kristin Cashore, 472, 26 Nov 08
To Play the Fool, Laurie R. King, 286, 30 Nov 08
Island of Lost Girls, Jennifer McMahon, 255, 3 Dec 08
Promise Not to Tell, Jennifer McMahon, 250, 6 Dec 08
Dragon Flight, Jessica Day George, 262, 6 Dec 08
Skywatching, David H. Levy, 288, 9 Dec 08
Fantasy Lover, Sherrilyn Kenyon, 307, 10 Dec 08
Night Pleasures, Sherrilyn Kenyon, 309, 10 Dec 08
The Tales of Beedle the Bard, J.K. Rowling, 117, 11 Dec 08
Wild Magic, Tamora Pierce, 299, 14 Dec 08
A World Lit Only By Fire The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance, William Manchester, 322, 14 Dec 08
Conflict of Interest, Jae, 565, 17 Dec 08
Next of Kin, Jae, 653, 19 Dec 08
Backwards to Oregon, Jae, 529, 21 Dec 08
Stick to Drawing Comics, Monkey Brain!, Scott Adams, 386, 23 Dec 08
Lady Knight, LJ Baker, 323, 23 Dec 08
Sword of the Guardian, Merry Shannon, 381, 24 Dec 08
Jam-Packed Foxtrot, Bill Amend, 191, 27 Dec 08
Bloodhound, Tamora Pierce, 561, 28 Dec 08
The Yiddish Policemen's Union, Michael Chabon, 445, 31 Dec 08
The Spanish Pearl, Catherine Friend, 325, 31 Dec 08
Books: 164
Pages: 52,859
Random commentaries on random books...
Flatland was interesting.... it was a book dad got me for Xmas, originally published in 1884. It is a math book, about life in multiple dimensions (literally. a society where everyone/thing is varying points, another where its lines and shapes that can only be seen from the side (women are lines with pointy ends) and then our dimension. It was a strangely difficult read, and at one point the feminist in me wanted to smack the author. ok, several times, but i got over it enough to read. and it was interesting.
The Solitaire Mystery I loved, but I have discovered before a love for Jostein Gaarders work. I loved Sophie's World, which I read a few years ago (thank you Bad Girls!) I need to read the rest of his works now. And reread SW. And possibly watch BG again.
Realms of the Gods I just grabbed this morning on my way to work 'cause I figured I'd need something to read today. Since it's a Sunday duty day in the midst of a three day weekend, not much was expected, and indeed nothing was really accomplished by me today, besides reading this and the bio of Stephen Decatur (which also made for fascinating reading, truthfull). Anyway, back to TRotG, I realized while I was reading it that it's been probably close to 2, if not maybe even closer to 3 years, since I last read it. The TP books I've read in that time period, besides new ones, have been the Keladry books repeatedly. I didn't realize just how much I've missed Daine and Numair, I think partly because the Kel books somewhat satisfy my love of the Immortals major characters, since Alanna, and John, and Thayet, and Buri and the others show up. But Daine holds a special place in my heart, since it was Wild Magic that got me utterly hooked on this author almost 13 years ago. I really must go back and read the others again. I should have brought them with me today.
Water for Elephants is a book that Annie was reading a month or so ago, one that I'd been eyeing since I first saw it in stores but never got around to buying. I found a copy of it in the Robbie Stethem room last duty day and commandeered it, and read it this afternoon after I finished Wolf Speaker. It's a book that oh so quietly draws you in, so much that you actually have to take a break from it, but you rush back as quick as you can so you can dive right in. The author is so discriptive that you feel like you are there, on the trains or in the circus tents watching everything the main character is, and it is brilliantly written. I love the ending.
Truth and Consequences. It should come as no surprise to people who know me that I am liberal. VERY liberal. If that is a shocker, I must ask what rock you have been living under however long you've known me. but even then, I do disagree sometimes with other liberals, because it is not just the other side that can be stupid. Keith Olbermann is amazing to me because he voices the things I wish I could say. I held off on commenting on The Worst Person in the World because i was waiting to get/read his new book, which puts on paper his special commentaries about the political situation in this country. If you like Bush/think his administration is doing a good job, this is definately NOT the book for you. He does not hold back in his anger, and his analysis, for someone who spent the first part of his career in sposrtscasting, is some of hte best politcal commentary I've read. Certainly the most honest, even if it is moreo ften than not biased towards the left. What I love about him is that, even though he tends to criticize and question to conservatives, he is a bipartisan critic. If the democrats fuck up, he does call them on it as harshly as he does hte republicans. because as i said, its not just hte other guys who are stupid. I really miss watching his show for the full worst person of the day.
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan was such an incredibly tragic book in the end. The last 60 pages were just so terribly sad. But what stays with me hte most is what happens in the beginning. The authors description of hte footbinding process of 6 year old girls in a remote part of China is.... detailed. And told from the 7 year old girls perspective (most girls were 6), of how her feet were bound, and she was made to walk on them, and how over hte course of months she felt her toe bones and hten her foot bones break under her. It was so descriptive that I could almost feel it. But the tragedy doesn't happen til the end, though you can see it coming from the middle of the book.
The Stanislaski books, led on this list by Taming Natasha, have always been some of my favorite Nora Roberts books, and really the only non-JD Robb ones that I read. I dunno why, I just love the characters, and I wish she'd continued the books. I read Taming Natasha on board ship on a Sunday and it was lovely. It was a quick, easy read after Maya (Jostein Gaarder!) and Lioness Rampant, which I swear I never remember 3 of hte last four chapters of that book.
To Play The Fool is the first to make it on the list twice, a bizarre feat, in my mind. I kinda expected any of Tamora Pierce's books to make the honor, but ::shrug:: shows what I know. I love LRK's books, have since Kate first introduced me to the MRH books and I realized that I'd read A Grave Talent a few years before and enjoyed it, but forgotten it. I do love the Sherlock Holmes stories, and always will, but the Martenelli books do hold a special place in my heart, and not just because the main character is gay. I just love the way these books are written, they are such a pleasure to read, in a way that is different to my love of Tamora Pierce's books, which are more a wonderful escape than anything. Few authors draw me in the way LRK does.
The Vampire of New York was a huge disappointment, strange really because Amanda told me it kinda sucked ass. The plot by itself was interesting, Count Dracula flees Europe in 1863 to New York, assumes a new identity, is chased by Van Helsings daughter and is somehow involved in the murder of a sailor whose body is found in 2007 at a construction site. The story goes back and forth between 1863 and 2007, but not in a schizophrenic way, and it's a bit easy to ignore some of hte more outrageous uses of historical figures for hte book. But, the climax of hte book is in the last 5 pages, and the last page and a half are just.... fucking unbelieveble. Ridiculous and unbelieveble, even for a vampire story (which wasn't as much a horror story as I'd hoped).
There are so many books on this list that I have read numerous times before this year even started. AJ Jacobs books are just two of the newest ones. Tiff introduced me to The Know-it-all back in my youngster year at the academy, and I loved it. TYoLB is also a fantastic book. I was intrigued when I saw that what his next book, and curious but strangely not exactly eager to read it, but I've read it 6 times now since it came out, and it is a fantastically brilliant book. I recommend it to anyone.
With regards to Catching Genius, I wrote up a response to it here that has more to do with what it left me thinking about than the book itself. It can be found here and is the email I sent to my mom after I finished the book. It's rambling, but it is the way my thoughts were after I finished reading.
Now, despite the (bizarre to me) hoopla around the premiere of Breaking Dawn on Friday night (the books, though interesting in plot and characters, are not representative of the greatest writing in the world... in my opinion.... and not worthy of harry potteresque midnight parties....), I did find the book enjoyable. It consumed a good portion of my flight from LAX to Narita on Saturday/Sunday, and I was amused to find it in the bookstore at LAX. It was a good wrap up to Bella's side of the story, I thought. However, a few things bothered me. 1- the name of the baby. I'm not one of those people who enjoys the concept of naming a child after relatives (sorry, to those on my flist who are fans or were named after someone!). I'm just not. But, seriously.. Renesme? I wanted to gag when I read that... And 2- the ending? So fucking anti-climactic (though YAY for the return of Alice...). While the resolution was kinda cool, Alice finding other children like Nessie, I would have liked more vampire death than just Irina. What can I say... blood and gore is cool.
Just a note... My Point... And I Do Have One by Ellen DeGeneres makes for the 100th book I've read this year. Go me! It was a nice read, funny (appropos since she's a comedian) and a nice use of my day.
The Muslim Next Door... was a fantastic book, I recommend it to anyone and everyone. All we ever seem to see of Islam are the radicals, the extremists who use religion as the backbone of their violence. We then ignore the times when Christians, Jews, and whoever do the same thing. We don't get to see what the life is like for the average Muslim who devoutly follows her faith, a faith based on the rights of all people to believe as they would. It's in the Qu'ran in just that way. This book, written by a American Muslim woman of Indian descent (her parents were Indian Muslims who left India after partition) gives perhaps the best explanation/description I've seen of just why people follow this religion. Written by a WOMAN, about a religion that from the start proclaimed the rights of women were equal to those of men (even though what we see today is not what was written down by the Prophet Muhammed). This is the religion that I witnessed from Chiraz (a Tunisian woman who is an officer in the Tunisian Navy and went to the academy with me) and Moslem (Tunisian Officer in my class at the academy) and when I was in Egypt. I may not follow it, but I can appreciate it, and this is the image that people should be seeing about Islam, not what is a tiny minority that gets all the airtime.
It is so appropriate that book 130 is Wicked :)
I received Bloodhound as a Christmas gift from my sponsers. It hasn't been published yet (not due out 'til April), but Sylvia and Julia met Tamora at a conference in November, and I guess they got to telling her of me, and she signed three books (this one, an advanced readers copy, and the Trickster books) for me. I won't spoil this book, but it is very good. An amazing gift, truly.