I had lots of trouble completing my 888 challenge, but I do love lists and structures. Is it any surprise that the 999 kept calling out "sign up for meee"? Here are the categories, much more flexible than last year's (and yes, I may be using 9 overlaps.) ** As of March 10, category 8 is "Prize Winners," not "Tiny Books." (Some of them are tiny, anyway.)

1. On the "New Fiction" shelf
2. Reading Globally Theme Reads
3. Female Authors
4. Class Assignments (category completed 9/09)
5. History/Historical Fiction
6. Auf Deutsch (Books about Germany/translated from German)
7. Free! (Part of Mt. TBR, or borrowed from a friend)
8. Prize Winners (Nobel laureates, Booker Prize & shortlist, Nat'l Book Award, etc...)
9. Guilty Pleasures (re-reads and books I'm ashamed to be seen with in public)
10. (Super bonus category!) Texts for my Big-Ass Paper




Ratings:
**** = Excellent
*** = Very good
** = Decent
* = Meh
x_x = Possibly even worse than Johnny Tremain

Message edited by its author, Sep 10, 2009, 10:18pm.

1. On the "New Fiction" shelf - For some reason, these displays at my local library always seem to go untouched! More for me, I suppose...

1. The Unpossessed City, John Fasman (completed 12/28/08) *
2. The Heretic's Daughter, Kathleen Kent (completed 2/05/09) **
3. Feathered Serpent, Xu Xiaobin (completed 6/26/09) *
4. All the Sad Young Literary Men, Keith Gessen (completed 9/3/09) **
5. Between the Assassinations, Aravind Adiga
6.
7.
8.
9.

Message edited by its author, Oct 29, 2009, 4:17pm.

2. Reading Globally Theme Reads

1. All She Was Worth, Miyuki Miyabe (January: Japan) (completed 1/06/09) ***
2. Disgrace, J.M. Coetzee (February: Africa) (completed 3/03/09) ***
3. Los Premios, Julio Cortazar (March: Argentina) (completed 3/23/09) **
4. Quo Vadis, Henryk Sienkiewicz (May: Poland) (completed 6/11/09) ***
5. The Master and Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov (June: The Arts) (completed 6/29/09) ****
6. The Worst Journey in the World, Apsley Cherry-Garrard (July: Polar Regions) (completed 8/04/09) **
7. Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe (August: Aboriginal/first peoples literature) (completed 8/29/09) ***
8. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth (November: India)
9. TBD (December: Translated lit)

Message edited by its author, Oct 30, 2009, 1:35pm.

3. Female Authors - I tend to read more works by male authors. Most of the female authors I've read, though, were excellent, so I don't know why this happens. Here's a step towards a little more gender equality :)

1. Unaccustomed Earth, Jhumpa Lahiri (completed 1/12/09) **
2. In the Woods, Tana French (completed 1/07/09) ***
3. The Likeness, Tana French (completed 1/27/09) ****
4. Three Bags Full, Leonie Swann (completed 3/16/2009) **
5. The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, Kate Summerscale (completed 4/26/09) ***
6. Notes on a Scandal, Zoe Heller (completed 9/11/09) ***
7. We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson (completed 9/7/09) ***
8. The Awakening, Kate Chopin (completed 10/25/09) *
9.

Message edited by its author, Oct 30, 2009, 1:39pm.

4. Class Assignments - Perhaps it's "cheating," but assigned books do make up a large percentage of my yearly total. Some of them are even interesting!

1. The Quest for El Cid, Richard Fletcher (completed 2/04/09) ***
2. The MacGregor Brides, Nora Roberts (completed 2/09/09) x_x
3. Curious Wine, Katherine V. Forrest (completed 2/18/09) ***
4. Lucrecia's Dreams, Richard Kagan (completed 3/02/09) **
5. Assata: An Autobiography, Assata Shakur (completed 3/25/09) **
6. Fun Home, Alison Bechdel (completed 4/13/09) ****
7. If Beale Street Could Talk, James Baldwin (completed 4/21/09) *
8. Franco, Sheelagh Ellwood (completed 4/22/09) **
9. Daisy Miller, Henry James (completed 9/9/09) **

Message edited by its author, Sep 10, 2009, 10:13pm.

5. History and Historical Fiction - May later be expanded to two categories, depending on how well the others come along.

1. Shogun, James Clavell
2. The Last Queen: A Novel of Juana La Loca, C. W. Gortner (completed 12/30/08) **
3. The Royal Physician's Visit, Per Olov Enquist
4. Coffee: A Dark History, Antony Wild (completed 1/16/09) **
5. The Mad King: The Life and Times of Ludwig II of Bavaria, Greg King (completed 4/01/09) *
6. Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Pierre Choderlos de Laclos (completed 5/27/09) ****
7. The Warrior Queens, Antonia Fraser (completed 7/09/09) ***
8. Katherine, Anya Seton (completed 8/23/09) *
9. The King's Trial, David P. Jordan (completed 2/18/09) ***

Message edited by its author, Oct 29, 2009, 4:15pm.

6. Auf Deutsch - My fall semester will be spent in Germany, so I'd like to learn as much about the country as possible. This category includes books about Germans or translated from German, as well as anything I might pick up while I'm there.

1. Iron Kingdom: The Rise and Downfall of Prussia, Christopher Clark
2. The Sorrows of Young Werther, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
3. March Violets, Philip Kerr (completed 2/09/09) ***
4. The Pale Criminal, Philip Kerr (completed 2/11/09) **
5. A German Requiem, Philip Kerr (completed 2/20/09) **
6. The Reader, Bernhard Schlink (completed 4/21/09) ***
7. The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum, Heinrich Böll (completed 10/29/09) ***
8. On War, Carl von Clausewitz (completed 9/17/09) x_x
9.

Message edited by its author, Oct 29, 2009, 4:12pm.

7. Free Books! - Books previously owned by me, borrowed from a friend, or checked out from the library. Basically any method of acquisition that does not involve handing over cash.

1. How To Read Novels Like A Professor, Thomas C. Foster (completed 1/04/09) **
2. Heyday, Kurt Andersen (completed 8/15/09) **
3. The Best American Short Stories 2008, ed. Salman Rushdie (completed 4/11/09) ***
4. Physics of the Impossible, Michio Kaku
5. Jar City, Arnaldur Indridason (completed 1/18/09) **
6. The Indian Bride, Karin Fossum (completed 4/6/09) **
7.
8.
9.

Message edited by its author, Aug 15, 2009, 11:44am.

8. Prize Winners - Nobel laureates, Booker Prize (winners and shortlisters), Nat'l Book Award, Orange Prize, and anything else I may care to add.

1. A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry (Booker shortlist 1996) (completed 1/25/09) ****
2. The Sound and the Fury, William Faulkner (Nobel laureate 1949) (completed 3/09/09) ****
3. Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie (Booker Prize 1981) (completed 5/19/09) ****
4. Tree of Smoke, Denis Johnson (National Book Award 2007)
5. Catherine, Called Birdy, Karen Cushman (Newbery Medal 1995) (completed 7/20/09) ****
6. The Scarlet Gang of Asakusa, Yasunari Kawabata (Nobel laureate 1968) (completed 9/21/09) **
7. A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers, Xiaolu Guo (Orange shortlist 2007) (completed 9/26/09) ***
8.
9.

Message edited by its author, Sep 27, 2009, 12:08pm.

9. Guilty Pleasures - I foresee homesickness while I'm in Berlin, and I will probably want to re-read my old favorites for comfort. Also, books I will have to read in the privacy of my own apartment due to embarrassment (expect Tony Bourdain's books to feature prominently.)

1. The Jungle, Upton Sinclair
2. The Shining, Stephen King
3. Kitchen Confidential, Anthony Bourdain (completed 1/31/09) **
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling (reread 5/01/09) ***
5. Heart-Shaped Box, Joe Hill (completed 5/20/09) ***
6. The Stranger Beside Me, Ann Rule (reread 8/18/09) ***
7. The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien (reread 9/30/09) ***
8. The Two Towers, J.R.R. Tolkien (reread 10/10/09) **
9. The Return of the King, J.R.R. Tolkien

Message edited by its author, Oct 29, 2009, 4:14pm.

Now that I've finished some books, time for reviews ^^

1. The Unpossessed City, John Fasman (category 1) *
I love the "New Fiction" shelves (especially when I recognize a title from one of the book-cover-design blogs I frequent!,) but they can be hit-or-miss. I liked the cover and hadn't read about Russia since my unsuccessful attempt at Crime and Punishment, so I thought "why not?" It did make me want to read some Russian lit, but other than that this book was an entertaining diversion and nothing more. I enjoyed the first section, where the narrator interviews former political prisoners, but when he discovers his work is a front for shady government dealings, the story went downhill quickly. I don't usually pick out books with action movie-style government intrigue because the suspension of disbelief is too great. I found it difficult to believe anyone would be trying to murder the narrator--surely he could not be that important? Fasman isn't a bad writer, but he's much more entertaining when he's not trying to make his characters into James Bond.

Message edited by its author, Jan 28, 2009, 5:26pm.

2. The Last Queen: A Novel of Juana La Loca, C. W. Gortner (category 5) **
Normally I shun anything "girly" but I do love reading about European queens. (Next up is Catherine the Great!) This time, though, I was looking for something more historically accurate. I think I confused Gortner's novel with a non-fiction book about Juana and requested the wrong one from the library, hehehe. But I happily read it anyway. Juana, like most heroines in historical fiction, is far pluckier and modern-minded than most women of the time, but there were other touches to her personality that I really liked. For example, Gortner shows how easily Juana's actions could be construed as "mad" when really, many people would have reacted the same way in those circumstances. She does seem slightly unhinged at times, but is obviously exhausted from extensive traveling, child-bearing, and thwarting her enemies at every turn. It was sad to see how easily a less intelligent woman in her situation could be manipulated. I also really liked her conflicting feelings about her husband upon his death--she hated him for his infidelities and cruelty to her in recent years, but they had been happy once. That ambivalence felt realistic, which made his deathbed scene quite touching. Not the best historical fiction I've read, but I would like to compare it to a non-fiction account to see how it matches up.

Message edited by its author, Jan 28, 2009, 5:25pm.

3. How To Read Novels Like A Professor, Thomas C. Foster (category 7) **
A fun and very readable how-to about the "serious novel." For his examples, Foster sticks mostly to classics one would expect to read in high school or college classes, with some notable exceptions like Harry Potter. Each of the 22 chapters had a theme, such as opening lines, anti-heroes, etc. I was surprised, though, that he didn't write about common symbols in literature--there was one chapter about it, but a lot more could be said on the matter. Perhaps that information is in his previous book. I suppose I'll have to read that one too, now *grin*
What Foster does really well is make fusty old classic works attractive to a new audience. For example, I never would have picked up Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway, but I now plan to read it for the 999. Vanity Fair is also back on my to-be-read list (though maybe for next year.) He has a good sense of humor and pokes fun at the authors, but is protective of the books he obviously loves. There were not many big spoilers, either, which I thought was quite a feat.

Message edited by its author, Mar 10, 2009, 10:57pm.

4. All She Was Worth, Miyuki Miyabe (category 2) ***
2009 is turning into the Year of Exceptional Mysteries for me. I've always liked a good whodunnit--possibly because I get so absorbed in the story that I miss the clues, always making the ending a surprise! However, finding good, original mysteries was something of a task, at least before LT!
I'll be short because I'll be discussing it elsewhere, but this was an absorbing mystery despite the culprit being uncovered about halfway through. The plot revolves around an identity theft--and it's pretty clear a murder was committed to cover it up, maybe two--but more important is the question of how a normal, responsible person in today's world could be driven to commit such acts. The culprit had, arguably, no other options, and Miyabe evokes a certain amount of sympathy for her. But what of the victim? She didn't deserve to be killed, even to give her murderer a new life. I loved that the book made me keep thinking and questioning even after the plot points were resolved--I really wasn't expecting it. I wonder if Miyabe's other releases are as good... since she's a female author, I can work her into my 999 challenge if I really want to find out! ;)

Message edited by its author, Jan 28, 2009, 5:27pm.

5. In the Woods, Tana French (category 3) ***
Every once in a while I'll find a book that is so absorbing, I don't want to pick up anything else for a while because it can't compete. (This happened after the 7th Harry Potter, I didn't read anything for a month afterwards!) In the Woods was one of those for me. Possibly because I sat down and read most of its 429 pages in one stretch, which I only rarely get to do.
The mystery of the narrator's past is somewhat convulated, and is never resolved. Personally, I found it distracting and it didn't really add anything to the story. The modern-day disappearance the narrator & his partner are working on is much more interesting. Aside from that, the friendship the two main characters have was refreshing to read about and, I thought, quite cute. I was really rooting for them, so I got a nasty, twisty feeling in my stomach when their friendship started disintegrating--I had to call my boyfriend when I was done reading to make sure he felt appreciated! French's debut novel was well-plotted and involving, and I've already picked up her second book.

Thanks for your thoughts on In the Woods; I think it goes from the woods to the reading pile!

6. Unaccustomed Earth, Jhumpa Lahiri (category 3) **
I bought this last year when it was first released and quickly misplaced it. Somehow it surfaced when I was packing to go home for Christmas, so I read it. I've read Lahiri's two other books and loved them, so it was a little disappointing that I didn't love this. Nothing seems to have changed about her style, but I think that may be why I'm ambivalent about it. It seems Lahiri is just writing the same thing over and over. I liked the last three sections, which are linked narratives--maybe I'd be more intrigued if she wrote another novel, instead of a story collection? Although the tales evoke a strong sense of place, which is nice, there are only so many times one can read descriptions of Indian cooking without simply wanting to abandon the book in favor of a take-out menu.

Definitely read it LisaMorr! I really enjoyed it. I was happy the book was long-ish, because I was able to savor the story despite the quick-moving plot.

Ha - I looked up How To Read Novels Like A Professor at my libray and with a chapter title like "Men (and women) made out of words, or, My pip ain't like your pip" - I have to reserve this!

I haven't read Thomas Foster before, so I believe I'll bump someone from my haven't read before category for this one!

:)

Your books you'd be embarrassed to be seen reading is an interesting category. I don't think I'd be mortified about anything but did realize that one of the books on my Chicago list is: Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys, and the Battle for America’s Soul by Karen Abbott.

I'm sure that'll be a conversation-starter if anyone should see me reading it publicly.

If you will be traveling to Bavaria, you might want to read something on Ludwig. I found Christopher McIntosh's The Swan King to be a quick, readable introduction to his life and times.

If you are interested in contemporary history, I was captivated by Against the Stream: Growing up Where Hitler Used to Live, written by a woman born in 1960 who forces her hometown of Passau to confront its Nazi past. The book is not polished (and in my opinion needed a better editor or translator), but the story itself was fascinating and gave me a lot of respect for the German people and the way the museums in Nuremberg and Berchtesgaden confront the legacy of National Socialsm head on.

Tracyfox--what a coincidence! I was actually looking for books about Ludwig yesterday, and wondered which one would be the best choice. Strange how that works... Will definitely add The Swan King to my list.
As far as traveling, I don't know yet if I can visit Bavaria because money will be quite tight while I'm there. My family's Bavarian though so I definitely want to learn more about its history.

7. Coffee: A Dark History, Antony Wild (category 5) **
I'm a barista, so this is one of the two things I can read at work without getting chewed out (the other being the newspaper.) I mostly read this for information to pass on to my customers. (Perhaps a waste of time, but I like being good at my job, even a temporary one!) So in that respect, I got something out of the book. I now know where the term "mocha" originated, and the names of the coffees I sell make a lot more sense. Furthermore, the author evoked true concern for today's growers of coffee and their vanishing system of subsistence. I applaud him for that.
What I did not enjoy was Wild's ruminating about the state of coffee today. The man is truly a snob--although he probably came by it honestly, as the back cover credits him with "introducing specialty coffees to Britain." Yeah, I don't care for Starbucks' business model either, and I too prefer the taste of good coffee to a ridiculous sugar-filled frozen drink. But really, if a person enjoys a mocha latte, let them have it! Not everyone has the time or patience to brew a pot in the morning, either, so what's the harm of instant coffee? Cheaper to buy, too. Geez. His judgments made the book much harder to "swallow" (haha).

Message edited by its author, Feb 2, 2009, 7:39pm.

8. Jar City, Arnaldur Indridason (category 7) **
I just can't get enough of the mystery genre right now, it seems. I'll have to wean myself off slowly... anyway, Jar City was not quite as good as my previous three mystery picks of the year. I think it's because there's much less character development than I like, so the main character Erlendur Sveinsson was hard to sympathize with. So was the murder victim he was investigating. The rape victim, however, was different and once her trauma was discovered the story became a lot more interesting. Does Holberg even deserve justice, since he ruined the lives of so many good people? How could the kind, innocent woman Holberg assaulted have her life destroyed, when Erlendur's destructive daughter Eva Lind gets off basically scot-free? The author raises all sorts of moral quandaries like this without beating us over the head with them. Still, though, needs more character development.
Indridason's way of telling a story was quite disconcerting. He has a habit of skipping from scene to scene with each chapter, often with no transitions or unifying elements. At first it was hard to keep track of the storyline, but I grew to enjoy it. Keeps one on their toes, a nice touch for a thriller. I might try another Indridason book, but not right away--I don't think my library has any others...

Message edited by its author, Mar 10, 2009, 10:57pm.

9. A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry (category 8) ****
What can I say about this book, other than "it was excellent"? Both the story and the way in which it's told are difficult to explain. Essentially, it's about four people from different walks of life living together in an unnamed Indian city during the "Emergency" of 1975. Each of the four characters also has a very interesting history before they meet, which we get to hear over the course of the novel. Omprakash & Ishvar's story could fill a book on its own! Although the four are originally separated by class boundaries, as they live and work together an unlikely sort of family is formed. Of course, their tranquility cannot last as they are beset from all sides by those who mean to break them up--all of whom are also just trying to better their own lives.
The "balance" of the title is the major theme, and Mistry's writing constantly reminds us how everyone is connected. In that, the book reminded me of the magical realism I've read, particularly Allende and Marquez. There was no magical realism in the book of course, but the themes and method of storytelling were similar, I suppose. Mistry is very talented and I plan to read more of his work in the future--although not right away, his books are doorstops!

Message edited by its author, Mar 10, 2009, 10:57pm.

10. The Likeness, Tana French (category 3) ****
French's first book In the Woods was really captivating, and The Likeness even more so. This time we follow Cassie Maddox (the other half of the friendly partnership we witnessed in the first book) as she tries to solve the murder of her doppelganger--who was found dead bearing identification as Lexie Madison, Cassie's old undercover identity. This coincidence gives her a unique opportunity to infiltrate Lexie's old group of friends and attempt to find her killer. As Cassie lives with "her" best friends--and probable conspirators in the murder--she begin getting dangerously involved in the suspicious group and losing her sense of objectivity. And of course, she hasn't quite recovered from the case from In the Woods...
I just can't put down French's books! She can write a real page-turner, but still give plenty of character development and pretty descriptions to flesh out the book. I was able to fully envision Cassie's environment and felt like I personally knew the house that figures largely in the development of the story. These qualities are quite rare for a mystery writer, at least ones that I've read. I was strongly reminded of Donna Tartt's The Secret History in the construction of group dynamics--an isolated narrator and four icy, impenetrable and somewhat socially inept "friends". (I hesitate to say more for fear of spoilers!) I can't wait until French releases her next book.

11. Kitchen Confidential, Anthony Bourdain (category 9) **
Good old Tony never fails to amuse and entertain. I prefer his observations on No Reservations, because traveling is much more interesting than work, but Kitchen Confidential was a good escape when I was trying to write a paper on the Diamond Necklace Affair. I really don't know why people seemed to find it "shocking", though--really, is there anyone who doesn't expect some less-than-sanitary conditions in restaurant kitchens?

27>when I was trying to write a paper on the Diamond Necklace Affair

Ooh, and is your reading list for the paper going to be added to your 999 list? (She asked hopefully, a little fuzzy on the timing but thinking this is French history roundabout the 18th century. :-)

You'd be correct ReneeMarie, the Affair was 1785-1786. Won't have any reading for the assignment on my list, though--the main text we used was an article by Sarah Maza, which must have been printed somewhere but I couldn't tell you where. I do remember reading about it in Antonia Fraser's excellent Marie Antoinette: The Journey, though.

10. Super Bonus Category!: Texts for my Big-Ass Paper - This category will include any of the materials I'm using to research my paper on Napoleon in exile, including books, magazine articles, microfiche, etc. I won't be rating them, because I did not read them for entertainment.

1. The Escape from Elba, Norman Mackenzie (completed 3/01/09)
2. Napoleon After Waterloo: England and the St Helena Decision, Michael John Thornton (completed 3/26/09)
3. Letters written on board His Majesty’s ship the Northumberland, and at St. Helena..., William Warden (completed 4/01/09)
4. The New Regime, Isser Woloch (completed 4/08/09)
5. Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte, (completed 4/09/09)
6. To Befriend an Emperor, Betsy Balcombe (completed 4/15/09)
7. A narrative of the events which have taken place in France from the landing of Napoleon Bonaparte...till the restoration of Louis XVIII, Helen Maria Williams (completed sometime)

Message edited by its author, May 15, 2009, 3:54pm.

12. The Quest for El Cid, Richard Fletcher (category 4) ***
Assigned for Spanish & Portuguese History. Thankfully I had read Poema de Mio Cid (translated to English, naturally) for medieval history many semesters ago, because Quest would've seemed quite dull without knowing the legend. Even with a working knowledge of the Cid, I was not particularly intrigued by the book--Spanish history is simply not a favorite area of mine. However, Fletcher explains the convoluted history and politics of the area very deftly. The conglomeration of Christian and Muslim kingdoms was much easier to keep track of than I expected; he devotes the entire first half of the book to them. The second half is a chronicle of Rodrigo Díaz, better known to us as El Cid. I liked his idea to divide the book into two sections, but he didn't commit to it as well as I hoped. He continued going off onto historical tangents during the flow of the Cid's exploits, which was distracting. Why devote half the book to historical background if you're not going to put all of it there? Nevertheless, it was a fine non-fiction account of the real man behind the popular myth.

Message edited by its author, Mar 4, 2009, 12:09pm.

13. The Heretic's Daughter, Kathleen Kent (category 1) **
When I registered my completion of this book on LT immediately after reading it, I awarded it 3 stars. Now I think that rating was a little exuberant, a few weeks after finishing I can't really remember what I liked about it. Unusually, I read it nearly straight through (with a break for my French Rev class in the middle...) and maybe that's what had such an effect on me. It's rare that I can afford to read something straight through and what I really enjoyed, instead of the book itself, was the hours of free reading time! :D Rating converted to 2 stars; enjoyable enough, but a little too predictable. Kent's writing didn't bring the setting alive for me, and the prison scenes got a little repetitive.

14, 16, 17. Berlin Noir, Philip Kerr (category 6) ** overall
I have March Violets, The Pale Criminal, and A German Requiem as one giant compilation; should I count it as one book or three? I've listed it as three (because I like seeing a bigger number on my ticker! hehehe) but hopefully I'll read enough that I can reduce it towards the end of the year.
If you've been following my thread you'll know I've been reading a disproportionate number of detective novels this year. It's purely accidental, but I'm reminded of why I liked them in the first place--I'm not one of those people who can see the twist coming a mile off, so I'm surprised every time. Makes me really excited to read. The first in the trilogy, March Violets, did surprise and entertain. Aside from that, the atmosphere of pre-WWII Berlin seemed authentically tense and electric, and Bernie's paramour Inge was a dynamic, fun character. That's why the first book of the trilogy got a higher rating. Later on, Bernie's ladies were more like cardboard cutouts placed conveniently in scenes. As he got older, it seemed less & less likely that he'd attract appealing young ladies. The books went downhill a bit when he started using real people, like Himmler, as characters. That just seems... I don't know, disrespectful? March Violets was a lot more believable.

Message edited by its author, Mar 5, 2009, 8:11am.

15. The MacGregor Brides, Nora Roberts (category 4) x_x
I mean no offense at all to those who enjoy them, but I hate romance novels and would never, ever read one on purpose. Well-written romances in stories with a plot are fine, but sappiness for the sake of sappiness bores me. I only read MacGregor Brides because it was an assignment for Gender in Literature. That said, MacGregor Brides was one of the dullest, most poorly-characterized books I've ever read and it would be a gift to the literary world if Nora Roberts crawled under a rock, never to be seen (or heard from) again.

LOL I enjoy your comment above on romance books with no plot, and would have to agree.

18. Curious Wine, Katherine V. Forrest (category 4) ***
My second assignment for Gender in Literature, the cover touts this as being "the most popular lesbian romance novel of all time." Well I wouldn't know, since I've never read any other lesbian romances, but it was significantly better than MacGregor Brides. My classmates all expressed relief that this slim novel actually had character development! There aren't many important characters, but the protagonists at least were well-defined; Diana's struggle with her sexuality was realistic (to a certain point.) The tale ended pretty ideally, the two women deciding to live together despite what anyone might say, but I suppose warm fuzzies are par for the course in romance novels. There was too much explicit sex in the book for my taste, but again, I think that's probably normal for the type of book it is. I'm surprised, but it made me want to read some earlier lesbian literature to see how it's evolved.

19. The King's Trial, David Jordan (category 5) ***
Another assignment (for my French Rev class) but one I enjoyed. I've read plenty about Marie Antoinette but never about her husband, Louis XVI. That's pretty sad because he's definitely the more historically important of the two, lol. I loved Jordan's portrayal of him as a devout, intelligent family man who had good intentions but simply should not have been king. It's hard to make characters come alive in a history book, but he does it well. No wonder the Convention felt conflicted about executing him! Of course, other characters like Saint-Just must necessarily be cast as villains for leading the charge against Louis, but he always seemed like a pretty rotten fellow anyway. His characterizations seemed spot-on from what we know about the main characters of the conflict. The King's Trial not only explained a complicated episode of French history, but preserved Louis' legacy.

Message edited by its author, Sep 10, 2009, 10:16pm.

20. Lucrecia's Dreams, Richard Kagan (category 4) **
Prof Cutter picks some weird books for his class. The Quest for El Cid seemed appropriate at least, but I can't quite figure out what he was trying to teach us with Lucrecia's Dreams. Something about the Spanish Inquisition, probably, but only in the last few chapters does Lucrecia interact with the inquisitors. There's much more discussion of sixteenth-century dream theory and background of minor characters like Alonso de Mendoza. I'm all for learning about important females in history, but um, Lucrecia de León doesn't exactly qualify for me. That said, Kagan's book was well-researched and edited. My favorite part of it was reading Lucrecia's prophecies themselves. There were standard predictions of doom & gloom for the Iberian peninsula, but also multiple episodes of swapping insults with King Philip II. I must admit, I lol'ed.

Message edited by its author, Mar 6, 2009, 11:38am.

21. Disgrace, J.M. Coetzee (category 2) ***
I don't know what to say about Disgrace. I see it's won the Booker Prize and Coetzee has won a Nobel. Obviously it's an "important work" so I hesitate to say negative things--maybe I just didn't get it. (Although rather short, it took me a few weeks to read it because I had so many other books to attend to for class. I wouldn't be surprised if I failed to connect to the story because of that.) The book is well-written in kind of a spare, unembellished style, but the characters--David Lurie and his daughter Lucy--failed to inspire sympathy in me. David is frankly a pig and thinks way too highly of himself. Lucy is more likable, but her decisions following her attack just made me want to shake some sense into her. I couldn't relate to either character, which detracted from my enjoyment of the novel. Coetzee is clearly writing about Important Things, but I really prefer when themes don't get in the way of the plot. I rated it three stars, because the book was good. I just wish Coetzee had given us more information about David & Lucy, to make them seem more human.

22. The Sound and the Fury, William Faulkner (category 8) ****
I've wanted to try some Faulkner since reading Thomas Foster's analysis of his writing in How to Read Novels Like A Professor; why did I wait so long? Some of it was hard going (I'm beginning to think Benjy made more sense than either of his brothers!) but the payoff was so worth it. A sad story, but told beautifully. According to Wikipedia (heehee), Absalom, Absalom! is also narrated by Quentin I, my favorite character from the novel. I must get my hands on it! Maybe when I come back from spring break... I think something a bit lighter is in order for a beach read, hmm?

Message edited by its author, Mar 9, 2009, 5:46pm.

Just want to say I've been enjoying your comments! :-) I notice you have Shogun in one of your categories. That would definitely qualify as a good beach read.

I'm considering it :) It has a lot of pages, but my edition is still pretty compact--easy enough to fit in a beach tote.

It's totally historical-ROMANCE! Have fun!

Romance?? Oh no! :O I'll have to give it a shot anyway since I already own it, lol.

HaHa! Well, you learn a bit about the history and culture of another country as well, but I can never be quite sure that I'm not reading a bunch of stereotyping, or what's fact vs. fiction in books like these. I can't remember now whether I liked Shogun or Taipan best and it's been awhile with lots of books between. They're on my list of books that I categorize as "Comfort Foods" which often means a good beach read as well, so take it! :-)

23. Three Bags Full, Leonie Swann (category 3) **
This was adorable! Who wouldn't love sheepy narration? Swann's characters are easy to like and relate to, despite not being humans--actually, most of the people come off quite poorly. ;) I found the sheeps' observations really cute. Many of the customs we have must appear odd to the uninformed observer. I giggled quite a lot when Othello thought the town graveyard was a giant garden, and the Father (who the sheep all think is named God) was planting dead people! I often found myself calling my boyfriend over and reading him funny bits. The rating of two stars is only due to its fluffy nature, and the slightly confusing solution to the mystery. It was great for a beach read. Oh, I wish I was still on vacation...

34 - I just can't imagine assigning The MacGregor Brides as homework! Too funny!

For your Poland read, I really enjoyed The Zookeeper's Wife last year. It is set in Warsaw during World War II.

47-- I was surprised at that assignment, too! It was for my Gender in Lit class and I suppose my prof wanted to explore a genre that is really appealing to lots of female readers. We did get some productive discussion out of it, no matter how bad the book was. :)
Thanks for the Poland rec, too, I had no idea what I was going to read for that one!

24. Los Premios, Julio Cortazar (category 2) **
Tracking down Los Premios was a chore :P I wish the public library was bigger. Finally bought a used copy on Amazon, but I don't know if it was worth it. The premise was great; a group of lottery winners boards a cruise with no hint of their final destination, only to find that they are confined to a small area and fishy doings abound. I was really excited to read it and didn't want to wait until March to do so (it arrived in January.) And Cortazar can really write. His descriptions are excellent. However, the book seemed to drag on after the group boarded the Malcolm. Perhaps it was the authors' intention to mirror their restlessness with a plodding storyline, but for me all it served to do was annoy. I liked Claudia and Jorge, but spending time with the other characters, especially Persio, was unfulfilling. Raul and Paula, particularly, were so self-centered and supercilious that I wanted to hear no more about them--I mean, no-one talks the way they do in real life. Completely unrealistic. Other characters, like Don Galo, were so rarely mentioned that I wondered why they were included at all. And we are never given a satisfactory explanation as to the crew's behavior--the typhus story is implausible both to the characters and myself. I think Cortazar purposely left the end open so his audience could decide for themselves who were the heroes & villains of the work. Were Medrano, Artilio, and Lopez doing the right thing by trying to break through the draconian restrictions imposed on them by the mysterious crew? Or was there a good reason behind these rules, and a simple miscommunication was to blame? Should they have just shut up and enjoyed the cruise? Cortazar skillfully leaves it open for interpretation. It's a great book to discuss, but not one to read, I think. The ending was wholly unsatisfying if reading for pleasure, which I was.

I hope I have better luck with Disgrace than you did - I have it checked out from the Library. Although I am glad that I'm listening to my gut and giving myself some books between it after Revolutionary Road and a few others. I got the feeling after reading the flap that I need to get a book or two with some characters that I like in before I read this one. :)

I would agree that more positive books would help wash down Disgrace :) It wasn't bad by any means, but the characters were entirely unsympathetic--I guess the euthanized dogs were the most likable.

25. Assata: An Autobiography, Assata Shakur (category 4) **
Assata Shakur is a black woman, a member of the Black Panthers, and (now) a citizen of Cuba. She is also wanted as a terrorist by the state of New Jersey for allegedly murdering a police officer and participating in other unsavory activities with her political group. In her autobiography, Assata details her upbringing, introduction into the Black Panthers, and subsequent arrest and trials.
Her tale of childhood is well-drawn, thoughtful, but shocking. She ran away after a fight with her parents to work as a bar girl, get involved in a fake prostitution scam, and live with a drag queen. She finally went home after nearly being gang-raped--a situation she handled with courage and aplomb. During this section I assumed she was 17, 18 years old--no, she was THIRTEEN when this happened. Unbelievable! I don't know how accurate her depiction of the Black Panthers is, since I know next to nothing about them, but her journey of political discovery was earnest and involving. I found myself agreeing with her on many points, and wanted so badly to root for her.
The problem with the book is that it is a tool of politics, and not in standard biographical format. She doesn't tell us about the shoot-out that led to her arrest, or her escape from prison. Now really, those are too important to leave out! I found myself doubting the rest of her story because of the reluctance to describe situations that may implicate her. She's fairly safe in Cuba now, so I don't know why she would continue to fear the US government. She also tends to glamorize repressive regimes simply because they are socialist--she seems to think favorably of Mao, for instance. That's just not on! Nonetheless, she wrote a fascinating--but flawed--biography that made me want to know more.

26. The Mad King: The Life and Times of Ludwig II of Bavaria, Greg King (category 5) *
A while back Tracyfox suggested The Swan King, another biography of Ludwig II, for a Bavaria read. Unfortunately my library doesn't have it and I didn't want to mess with ILL, so I checked out this alternative. As I came to the end, I found I still knew very little about Ludwig and may have to seek out the second book. :( The writing and style of King's book were inoffensive, but in many chapters it read more as a bio of Richard Wagner than anything else! I realize the two men had a close friendship and their careers influenced one another, but come on. If I wanted to know about Wagner (and I don't) I'd pick up a book about him. What information there was about Ludwig was intriguing. I for one never knew he had given the crown to Kaiser Wilhelm I, just that the offer had come from Bavaria. I also never knew about his curious relations with Otto von Bismarck. My book also had picture insets--Ludwig was very handsome in his younger days *giggle* I want to know more! Unfortunately, most of King's book discusses opera or building projects instead of politics or Ludwig's personal life. The author blames shame over his homosexuality for his retreat from court, but does not discuss it in any detail. I was unsure which of his "friends" were lovers and which were actually just friends. And really, isn't the scandal the juiciest part to read about in a biography? For those reasons, I gave the book just one star, although the writing itself was fine. I'm still looking for a copy of The Swan King...

Message edited by its author, Apr 2, 2009, 7:56am.

I'd like to read more about the Black Panthers from an insider's point of view, so the biography of Assata Shakur sounds intriguing. The U.S. has gone into other countries to extradite criminals or alleged criminals, so I could imagine why she might still be afraid of being grabbed, especially if she ever goes to another country.

Well, I know there's always the threat of being extradited, but I guess I just assumed it wouldn't happen to her because US-Cuban relations aren't tip-top. Definitely read it, though, if you want an inside look at the Black Panther party. She writes a lot about the split between the East & West coast factions.

Message edited by its author, Apr 16, 2009, 8:05am.

If you can find The Swan King, the two books together will probably be a good match. The Swan King didn't go into too much detail on the building projects or Wagner ... it was tightly focused on Ludwig. You may, however, be disappointed in the fact that it doesn't name names of Ludwig's lovers either. I'm a bit fuzzy on the details, but I believe that after Ludwig's death a diary was found full of Ludwig's self-loathing about his homosexuality and was only recently made available to the public. I recall being very moved by the pain his inability to live openly obviously caused him.

Yes, King included a few excerpts from the diaries you mention, but they were hard to make sense of because of the flowery language and euphemisms he used. Although I suppose there was a need to be secretive even in his diaries, lest anyone at court uncover them... Poor Ludwig :( At least Wagner got to spend part of his life with his own "forbidden love"!

27. The Indian Bride, Karin Fossum (category 7) **
Why am I reading so many mysteries all of a sudden? I only read two last year. Maybe I should alter my categories, although surely it's a bit late for that? Anyway, The Indian Bride falls strictly in the "middling" category for this year's mystery reads. Better than Jar City or The Unpossessed City but not nearly as absorbing as The Likeness. One aspect I really liked was the narration in the first few chapters. Instead of showing Poona's murder from the perspective of the detective or her killer, Fossum has Poona's husband give us the backstory. This isn't a device I've seen used very often in detective books (although admittedly, I haven't read all that many) and it added some emotional heft to a fairly straightforward story. Poona was a more realized character than the typical victim, because we got to see her in action before the murder. I also liked that Fossum left the ending ambiguous--Sejer probably arrested the right man, but would the town ever know for sure? The dubious confession also raised some prickly moral issues. However, I didn't find Inspector Sejer to be a particularly attractive character--Gunder was more sympathetic and I'd rather have heard the whole book from his point of view. Sejer seemed like such a cardboard character, it really soured me on reading any more Fossum.

28. The Best American Short Stories 2008, ed. Salman Rushdie (category 7) ***
This year's collection was a lot better than '07's. Of course one could also argue Rushdie is a more qualified editor than Stephen King, but we won't get into that. :) There was only one story, "The Wizard of West Orange," that I found difficult to get through. (This may be because I was reading it on a highly uncomfortable step-stool at work.) More stories made me smile than did not. I'll be buying next year's edition, as well investigating full-length works from the authors I liked here (Karen Brown, A.M. Homes, Alice Munro, Christine Sneed, and Mark Wisniewski.)

29. Fun Home, Alison Bechdel (category 4) ****
Since I ceased my high school-era manga escapades, I've avoided graphic novels wholesale. Not that I don't think they're worth reading, I'd just be embarrassed for someone to see me with anything resembling a comic book. This one, though, I had an excuse for! :D It was an assignment, but a highly enjoyable one. Once I forced myself to slow down and take in the artwork instead of skipping through the narration, it became much more fulfilling. Bechdel doesn't waste an inch of space. To read the book without absorbing the accompanying imagery is to miss half of it. I find myself inspired to try some other acclaimed graphic novels now. Think I'll start with Maus...

#59, that's what I like about this series; the flavor of the stories chosen do reflect the authors' tastes. Glad to hear you think this year's is better.

30. If Beale Street Could Talk, James Baldwin (category 4) *
"Meh," indeed truly sums up this book. My classmates all seemed to love it, though--many said it was their favorite we had read this semester. But for me, it couldn't compare to our last reading, Fun Home.
Baldwin's narration is precisely phrased and evocative, and it's quite a feat for him to pull off a female character's voice so well. I don't know if I've ever seen a male author write a female so well before. He emphasizes Tish's emotions and connection with her mother and sister without going overboard with it. The one instance where he loses his character is the sex scene--obviously written by a man! (Or Nora Roberts.) So overall, the writing was quite good. It just didn't have much of a plot. In the beginning, Fonny is in jail, and later--whoops--he's still in jail. Tish's mom goes to Puerto Rico, but accomplishes nothing. This book reads like the first half of an infinitely more interesting long novel.

31. The Reader, Bernhard Schlink (category 6) ***
You know, I really dislike carrying around books that scream "OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB!!!" from the cover. I feel like I should cover them with a brown paper sack, a la moonshine. She usually picks good books, I just don't see why some subscribe so rabidly to all of her suggestions. So anyway, The Reader. I enjoyed the book very much, even knowing Hanna's big secret before I started. I just don't have anything else to say about it that hasn't already been covered more eloquently by someone who reviews books well. The DVD isn't due back at Blockbuster for a few more days, so hopefully I can get that watched and compare the two. I'm trying to convince my boyfriend to watch it with me by telling him Kate Winslet is naked in it (right?) but so far he's not going for it...

32. Franco, Sheilagh Ellwood (category 4) **
Another one of Cutter's picks, and unlike Lucrecia's Dreams this one seems appropriate... I knew nothing about the Spanish Civil War, barring what I'd picked up from watching Pan's Labyrinth and playing Republican Spain in Hearts of Iron II. (I won, as well! :D) Most of my classmates were also unfamiliar with it. Franco doesn't cover the major battles or anything from the Republican side, but at least now we know the causes of the civil war and its consequences.
Ellwood has done exhaustive research, and was well-positioned for an insider's take on the situation; she's a foreigner, but was living in Spain when Franco died. Her story flows clearly and not once did I have trouble understanding her. My main problem is her opinions of Franco. She seems to really hate him, which is understandable, and has no qualms stating just that. Now, I do the same thing when I write. However, she indicates with several phrasing choices that she thinks he was not a very intelligent man and his decisions reflect that. But to me (and many of my classmates,) Franco seems quite shrewd and crafty. Anyone who manages a dictatorship for forty years must have some kind of intelligence--it seems like she's confusing "college-educated" with "smart." Not only is her point of view questionable, she failed to convince us of her theory. But her research is sound, the book is informative, and she writes very nicely.

33. The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, Kate Summerscale (category 3) ***
Finally! I'd been wanting to read this for months. The Ivy Tech library has a copy that is seemingly never checked out, but I'm not driving all the way over there to get it! Gas costs money! :P But TCPL finally got a copy, which I requisitioned.
The murder mystery has much in common with Turn of the Screw and other nineteenth-century detective novels. The creepy country house, an eccentric family, malicious children, a governess in way over her head... Summerscale notes all of this and demonstrates the case's influence on fiction of the late 1800's. I thought I would find this suspect, but the parallels are clear. Furthermore, the literary analysis fleshes out a story that, while fascinating, can't stand on its own. There is just not enough information to bring Whicher to life on the page, nor re-create the Kent family dynamics. The first chapter--covering Saville's disappearence and discovery--reads just like a modern novel, and the characters (particularly Elizabeth Gough) are relatable. It's just that after that fine introduction, Summerscale switches to Whicher's point of view and, being outside the crime scene, cannot describe the aftermath of the murder and the investigation's effect on the family. But is there really any better way? Imagining Constance's actions and thoughts on the days following the crime would take this account right into the realm of historical fiction, and that is not what Summerscale is trying to do. Although I wanted to spend more time at the scene of the crime, I love a good police procedural, and this one didn't disappoint!

RE: Graphic Novels. I must admit over the last few years, I started getting back into them again - and I'd left mostly for the same reasons. I was out of school and I didn't want to be "caught" reading them. Frankly, there's so much out there, it's impossible to classify it all as one thing - and I'm not even sure what folks are going to assume it is when they're going to make fun.

Luckily, I fell in with friends that read them and I also realized half the people that mock them don't really read anything for fun anyway. Of course, they'll all go see the movies based on them like it was no big deal...but read them - oh, that would be terrible for some reason.

Yeah, I don't get it either. Now I just read what I want. :)

34. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling (category 9) ***
Naturally I read (and loved) this when it came out in July '07. But I saw the HBP trailer the other day, and was inspired to give the last book of the series another whirl--I've read all of the other six at least twice, but the last installment just once, and not very carefully. (I was hurrying to the conclusion!) It didn't disappoint, and now, of course, I'm very excited for July 17 when the sixth movie is released!

35. Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie (category 8) ****
I probably should not have started this during finals, as it took me about three weeks to finish because of that. Although I really enjoyed the prize-winning novel, stretching it out over several weeks lessened its impact a bit. The story is very dense, with multiple twists and turns that were probably supposed to be guessed before they happened, but I had forgotten some of the clues. (Augh, writing feverishly about Napoleon will do that to you.) I was all set up to add Midnight's Children to my list of favorite books. However, after a certain debilitating incident (I won't say what,) main character Saleem becomes a completely different person, one whose story I was not interested in following. The chapters "Buddha" and "In the Sundarbans" dragged on and on, and frankly had almost nothing to do with the rest of the book--maybe I'm missing something, but it seems to me they could be excised with no negative impact on the plot. The story recovers--barely--and limps to a conclusion, which redeems the few tedious chapters somewhat.
What saved the book, for me, was Rushdie's clever use of language. I found myself underlining particularly interesting passages (which I probably should not have done, since it was a library book.) For example; "The film was an Eastern western." What fun! It tells you everything you need to know about the film Saleem is watching, while slyly entertaining the reader and hinting at the changes yet to come for the traditional order of things. Where else but India could you say that?

Message edited by its author, May 28, 2009, 11:35am.

36. Heart-Shaped Box, Joe Hill (category 9) ***
I love horror and ghost stories (no vampires though, plz,) but it's so difficult to put a fresh spin on traditionally terrifying things. It's hard to find new things to watch or read that truly give me the shivers. Knowing Joe Hill was the son of Stephen King--who wrote my favorite horror story of all time, The Shining--motivated me to pick up his first novel. (I also love the Nirvana song of the same name.) The premise is something I had never read about before--an aging rocker buys a ghost over the internet! I worried that it would be hokey, but eBay-related mischief is a very small part of the story. What Hill has created is a very competent, exciting southern ghost story, not a manifesto against online auction sites. ;) It also gave me no small amount of glee to imagine Poison's Bret Michaels as the main character. If only we could sic vengeful ghosts on the cast of Rock of Love...

Message edited by its author, May 27, 2009, 6:25pm.

I've seen some buzz on Midnight's Children. If I've never read a Rushdie before, would you suggest I start with that one?

70--I don't know, it's the only Rushdie I've ever read. I'd definitely recommend reading it, but if you do, don't stretch it out over a few weeks like I did :)

37. Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Pierre Choderlos de Laclos (category 5) ****
I suppose this is cheating, it's not really historical fiction if it was current when written. However... there was nowhere else to put it in my categories! ;) Prof Walton, from my French Rev class, got me onto this one when she recommended it as typical of the ancien régime. I was surprised, however, to learn that there was very little about the social milieu and all of that was related second-hand. The focus was definitely the love (or lust?) story. A series of letters between the womanizing Vicomte de Valmont and seemingly upstanding Marquise de Merteuil, the book describes Valmont's efforts to seduce and abandon the virtuous Presidente de Tourvel. There are plenty of amusing asides--especially stories of the writers' former conquests--but overall I found it quite depressing, since Tourvel, the only character I liked, was fairly doomed from the beginning. Actually, I guess events did not turn out well for anyone. Nevertheless, an excellent pick to distract me from my May Reading Globally read, which I am not enjoying.

Message edited by its author, May 29, 2009, 11:47am.

38. Quo Vadis, Henryk Sienkiewicz (category 2) ***
Perhaps the pool of translated Polish lit is richer than I'm imagining, but my local library's selection was rather sparse. I was limited to this, and a much shorter book by up-and-coming author Dorota Maslowska, Snow White and Russian Red. That book had much better cover art, so I chose it and read the first few pages in the parking lot of a Greek restaurant. I'm sure the ambience didn't add much to my enjoyment of the story, but I immediately knew it wasn't the book for me--she seemed bound and determined to cram as much drug use, swearing, and sleaze into the first few pages as possible. Not that I mind those things in moderation :), but it just seemed unnecessary and reeked of trying too hard to be cool. Pah! Give me historical fiction any day! I switched to Quo Vadis which, despite including just as much (if not more) substance abuse and whoring, was ultimately read-worthy. Of course, it was about 400 pages longer to boot, which is why I finished it about two weeks after May ended...
I've read about life under the Roman emperors before (I, Claudius is a favorite,) but never about the persecution of the Christians. Quo Vadis was quite eye-opening in that regard, because for me it's hard to imagine a time when Christianity was not a major religion and worshippers had to gather in secret. It's also hard to imagine the devout group of followers portrayed in this book spawning the absurdity of the Reformation-era church, but that's a discussion for another time and place. Sienkiewicz goes a little overboard in portraying the Christians as saint-like--nobody is perfect all of the time, regardless of religion, but I suppose it serves his purpose, particularly if reading it as an allegory of Russia's treatment of Poland.

Message edited by its author, Oct 29, 2009, 4:45pm.

39. Feathered Serpent, Xu Xiaobin (category 1) *
Ugh, my first category picks have not gone very well so far. Maybe my next one, Noir, will be better. Anyway, I'm so pleased to be rid of this book finally that I don't even want to talk about it. Suffice to say the plot synopsis on the jacket led me to believe the book contained a very different story. Xiaobin clearly has talent, but I was unable to empathize with her listless main character, Yu. Frankly I understood why everyone in her life treated her so badly! It's good that I didn't care for her, though, for if I had the ending would have been even more unsatisfying. I will also say that it was extremely sad to me that the only women who prospered in her novel were dependent on men for their well-being.

Message edited by its author, Jun 26, 2009, 10:55am.

40. The Master and Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov (category 2) ****
This was nutty! The only Russian lit I'd read before was Notes from Underground and was expecting something equally bleak and angry. Imagine my surprise at how whimsically Bulgakov wrote (writes?), especially since one of his main characters is the devil incarnate. I suppose the Ball of the Undead was a little gruesome, but overall the witchery and black magic was quite comical. Turn the nosy neighbor into a pig? Why not! Smash up the apartment of your lover's mortal enemy? Oh, go ahead! I liked that Margarita's decision to make a pact with the devil was completely free of moral quandary, and that she emerged from the whole affair basically consequence-free. Very subversive :) Undoubtedly there are symbols or allusions at work that I do not understand, or wasn't reading critically enough to catch (it's summer reading, give me a break!,) but at a very basic level I did enjoy it. I think it's time to try some more Russians though--a shocking lapse in my literary education!

41. The Warrior Queens, Antonia Fraser (category 5) ***
Ah, library book sales--is there anything they can't do? I consistently manage to find four or five things from my TBR list, and usually something else besides. Who knew people here had good taste? Antonia Fraser has been a favorite of mine for a few years now, since I read her book on Marie Antoinette, but I hadn't seen this particular title at any bookstores in town and was quite surprised it popped up at the library sale.
Fraser's writing style did not let me down--educational, but still entertaining. Her picks of historically valiant women were well-chosen, I thought, and ranged from the infamous to the obscure. For each woman, a convincing case was made for their lasting impact upon both the story of their civilization and the history of the region. The only thing niggling at me throughout the book was her tendency to relate each successive Warrior Queen back to Boadicea, the Iceni queen who led the early British in revolt against the Romans. The life and legend of Boadicea is obviously the thrust of Fraser's research, as quite a few more pages are devoted to her than anyone else. She is also the earliest Warrior Queen Fraser discusses. But frankly I felt some of the comparisons to later Queens were just not warranted. It makes sense to discuss how Elizabeth I or Margaret Thatcher were influenced by the shadow of Boadicea, because they're ruling the same area. But other ancient Queens, like Zenobia, seemed so different from Boadicea both in personality and ruling style that the only quality connecting the two was womanhood. I found it especially odd that Fraser would comment on Boadicea's relation to queens before the sixteenth century, because nobody was aware of her existence then! The author herself points this out, so obviously she is aware of this discrepancy.

42. Catherine, Called Birdy, Karen Cushman (category 8) ****
I've been looking for this for years! It was my favorite book in elementary school, and I pored over my copy so many times the cover is shredded. Mysteriously, though, it disappeared around the time I started reading Young Adult stuff. I happened across it when I was cleaning out my bedroom at my parent's house, all sorts of warm fuzzies enveloped me, and I knew I had to re-read it immediately. Although now I can recognize some of the anachronisms, Birdy's diary is just as engrossing as I found it before and her observations still make me laugh. Particularly I like her explanations of saints at the beginning of each entry--those seem even sillier now! Although I almost never read children's books, this one will always be a treasured part of my library.

43. The Worst Journey in the World, Apsley Cherry-Garrard (category 2) **
I spilled coffee on this book and the library charged me fifteen bucks. I'm not faulting them for doing so (totally my fault), but it wasn't worth it. Cherry-Garrard's account is based mostly on diary entries (his and others,) but also information from supply logs, scientific articles later published by the team, and so on. His sources made the book extremely informative but unfortunately not always interesting to read. It's accurate but dry, despite being touted as a great "adventure story." Perhaps some of the problem is Cherry-Garrard's tendency to downplay his own troubles. There's no doubt the Antarctic journey was a tremendously difficult, frustrating endeavor, but rather than just talk about his problems, the author relies on bald facts such as miles hauled to illustrate hardship. His very "stiff upper lip" way of looking at things just rubbed me the wrong way. The tale was at its best, I felt, when Cherry-Garrard does describe the feelings of the crew. The sense of tremendous loss, both personal and professional, at the passing of Scott was palpable. Some parts were almost too sad to read. The few pages he spends recounting the discovery of Scott's last camp give us a better picture of Cherry-Garrard as a man than everything else he writes, and I wish he'd chosen to share more with us.

44. Heyday, Kurt Andersen (category 7) **
A likeable and fun romp through late 1840's Europe and America that suffers from the inclusion of too many ideas. I could've done without the anachronisms and arbitrary appearances of historical figures, although the musically flatulent Charles Darwin had me giggling. I'd probably read more by Andersen, but I can't rate this particular effort too highly.

Message edited by its author, Aug 30, 2009, 4:32pm.

45. The Stranger Beside Me, Ann Rule (category 9) ***
Have I mentioned that true crime is something of a guilty pleasure for me? I must get it from my aunt Joyce. About once or twice a year she sends me a bag full of trashy mass-market crime paperbacks that she's finished, so there's always one waiting for me when I get the urge for some literary junk food. Anyway, Ann Rule is by far my favorite in the genre because her books provide the vicarious thrills one expects from a true crime story, but her research is meticulous and she seems to truly care about the victims and their families. The Stranger Beside Me is probably her most well-known book, and in my opinion her best. Her casual friendship with notorious subject Ted Bundy gives her a really unique perspective on the case, and because she's able to quote him and accurately describe his private demeanor, it reads much like a fictional novel. We learn all about his personal life before the murders, his political views, even his thoughts on Volkswagons. Silly little things like his penchant for wearing wigs and learning Chinese make Bundy a well-rounded character. Unfortunately, most of his victims don't get such thorough treatment--there's just not enough information available. Still, Rule does her best to make Bundy's victims more than just names. It's this attention to detail that will keep me reading and re-reading her books, because most of the genre just can't compete.

Message edited by its author, Oct 29, 2009, 4:49pm.

46. Katherine, Anya Seton (category 5) *
Although I'm a history major, the lack of accuracy in historical fiction doesn't cause me to foam at the mouth. Rather, I try to weave in what I do know about the period and the people to make the book more vivid. In many cases that helps to enhance my enjoyment of the book. However, my previous knowledge of the characters in Katherine just made me want to re-read Richard II, which probably would've been a better idea. The Katherine Swynford portrayed here was dull and cliched, and John of Gaunt rather wooden. No thanks. Give me a flawed yet interesting portrayal of a historical figure, like Graves' Emperor Claudius, over these dullards any day. In fact many of Seton's other characters--even Katherine's sour sister Philippa--would have made a more realistic heroine. Seton's writing is fine, if bland, but it really suffers from an uninspired leading lady. I won't be revisiting Katherine Swynford anytime soon.

Message edited by its author, Sep 1, 2009, 3:38pm.

47. Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe (category 2) ***
There's not much else I can say about this Nigerian classic that hasn't been discussed more eloquently by someone else. I'm happy I finally read it because African authors are a group that I've neglected too long. Reading Globally has prompted me to greatly expand my horizons--though I'm not "officially" a member, I like to follow the theme reads. You should all go join :) Endorsements aside, Achebe's work is ostensibly about the social upheaval following the entry of white missionaries into central Africa, but I preferred to think of it as a Shakespearean tragedy, with Okonkwo as the flawed hero. Very sparely written, but that fit Okonkwo's strong and inscrutable nature. For myself, though, I prefer something with more depth of description--Achebe's minor characters were so wooden as to be completely unimportant.

Message edited by its author, Sep 20, 2009, 4:35pm.

48. All the Sad Young Literary Men, Keith Gessen (category 1) **
Hmm, my "New Fiction" category has been something of a dud this year--which makes me even less likely to want to finish it. I've found some great picks at that display before, but it's hit-or-miss because if a newly released book is any good, someone else is likely to have snapped it up already. (Fiends!) That, and the selection is somewhat thin--about half the shelves are devoted to romances and cheesy thrillers. Those aren't even real books. All the Sad Young Literary Men is one of the better selections from this category, but it doesn't have much competition--rarely have I read anything as promising but ultimately unsatisfying as Feathered Serpent!
I love sad young literary men but there are few to be found 'round these parts, and I must content myself by merely reading about them. But it seems author Gessen just uses "sad" to indicate "pathetic." The book is narrated by three youngish gentlemen, Sam, Mark, and Keith. Each is a highly educated but unmotivated college grad who is unable to progress in life, be it romantically, professionally, emotionally, or all three. That's common but also extremely unsympathetic, and by the novel's end no one has noticeably improved his lot. Boohoo..? Gessen's writing style was likeable, and I laughed when he arbitrarily inserted a photo of one of the real-life figures appearing in the novel--as if we don't know what Al Gore looks like! However, he is not so talented at creating intriguing characters. The book jacket's summary is also misleading. It promises pornography in Mark's sections, but I recall none! It would certainly have livened Mark up a bit. I'm not sure if Gessen has any control over the jacket, though.

49. We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson (category 3) ***
A great and creepy little novella. Mary Katherine Blackwood lives with her sister Constance and elderly Uncle Julian in the spooky old family home, largely confined to the house and its grounds by suspicious townspeople--who, it transpires, have every right to be wary. As the story develops, Merricat and Constance's sheltered but happy life crumbles around them as an old tragedy is finally confronted. Merricat's voice is fanciful but the girl is clearly unhinged--I felt so sorry for poor Constance. This would be an appropriate read for Halloween next month, but since I've finished it already I'll pick up her Haunting of Hill House instead--sure to be as satisfying a read as this one.

Message edited by its author, Sep 20, 2009, 5:21pm.

50. Daisy Miller, Henry James (category 4) **
Quite a contrast to The Turn of the Screw, and I know which one I preferred. (Not this one.) I generally find books concerning a conflict of manners horribly dull, which is one of the reasons I've never read Jane Austen and never intend to, but for class I will read anything. Daisy Miller was fairly engaging if frivolous (much like the girl herself,) but my prof's screeching Jersey-accented critique completely ruined it for me. I'd be happy to read some more James, though.

Message edited by its author, Sep 20, 2009, 5:32pm.

51. Notes on a Scandal, Zoe Heller (category 3) ***
An interesting account of a teacher/student affair which keeps well away from the realm of the tawdry due to its stiff and uncompromising narrator. Thought-provoking and engaging, but doesn't cover any new territory.

Message edited by its author, Nov 2, 2009, 6:50pm.

52. On War, Carl von Clausewitz (category 6) x_x
NEVER AGAIN.

Message edited by its author, Sep 20, 2009, 6:12pm.

53. The Scarlet Gang of Asakusa, Yasunari Kawabata (category 8) **
From what's written in the introduction to Scarlet Gang, I gather it's not representative of Kawabata's work as a whole. Only his second book, he was experimenting with different structural and stylistic methods. (The ever-handy Wikipedia describes it as "art for art's sake," and I would agree.) Now usually, anything that screams to me "I AM ART" will immediately be relegated to the bin, but Kawabata's book did not provoke such a knee-jerk reaction. I gave it a sporting chance and ended up finishing it, due mostly to the powerful sense of place he evokes. (It is also short.) Furthermore he has some charming characters to work with, another reason I was willing to suspend my irritation. But was it a successful experiment? For me, yes. I'd like to read more of his books, and it was a profitable way to spend a few hours. However, a re-read of this is not in the cards, a problem which Kawabata himself seemed to realize and address by not publishing anything else in this style.

Message edited by its author, Nov 2, 2009, 7:04pm.

54. A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary For Lovers, Xiaolu Guo (category 8) ***
Like Kawabata above, Guo approaches her novel quite creatively, in a way I've never seen before. The native Chinese narrator (forget the name) travels to England for a year to study, and records her experiences using what English she knows. The first chapters read as someone making fun of Asian speech patterns, while by the end of the year she is able to articulate complex ideas and discuss the broad linguistic differences of English and Chinese. Oh yes, and she travels Europe and has an affair with an Englishman. :) Her English adventure reads just like any other modern bildungsroman, which is fine since I like that sort of thing, but Guo's linguistic endeavors put the book on a different level and, I think, made it entirely qualified for the Booker shortlist.

Message edited by its author, Nov 2, 2009, 7:15pm.

55. The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R Tolkien (category 9) ***
Too many German military history books = re-reads of cozy old favorites. It didn't disappoint, although I find it odd that Fellowship is my favorite book of the trilogy, but my least favorite of the movies. Hmm...

Message edited by its author, Nov 2, 2009, 7:17pm.

What did you hate about Clausewitz?

Well, it was an assignment and not something I would have picked up for myself. It was written very dryly, although I didn't expect otherwise, and I would have put it down for that reason alone if I were not going to be tested on it. And military history just doesn't do it for me, generally. Clausewitz has sound advice and good observations which became clearer to me upon discussion, and reading it can only help my studies, but it was the dullest thing I've read in quite some time.

Message edited by its author, Oct 2, 2009, 8:27am.

56. The Two Towers, J.R.R. Tolkien (category 9) **
See above; I was bogged down with assigned reads and wanted something familiar and not challenging. I wish my paperback didn't have the movie actors on the cover.

Message edited by its author, Nov 2, 2009, 7:19pm.

57. The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum, Heinrich Böll (category 6) ***
After studying Böll briefly in my German class, I was motivated to add him to my list of to-be-read German authors. He seems to be less well-known in the U.S. than Goethe or Mann or even Grass, which is surprising because he's more accessible than two of those. (Dunno about Grass... he's on the GA-TBR list too!) Katharina Blum was a fairly straightforward account of the investigation of a woman suspected to have criminal sympathies. Much attention is devoted to the newspaper reports surrounding her interrogation (reports that later do lead her to commit a crime,) and that dry-yet-opinionated style favored by journalists is exactly what Böll uses here. He does play with perspective a bit though, using a journalistic tone to describe intimate conversations and events that he couldn't possibly have access to. Ultimately the story wasn't my favorite, but I like the way he writes and would like to give his short stories a go sometime soon--preferably in the original German.

Message edited by its author, Nov 2, 2009, 7:46pm.

58. The Awakening, Kate Chopin (category 3) *
Zzz... oh wait, it's called "The Awakening," not "The Nodding-Off Time." (Zing!)
This is considered sort of a classic of "womens' literature" and exactly the sort of thing I thought I should read when I created this category. It's a feminist work written to question the traditional, limited role of the American wife and mother in a patriarchal world. There's no debate about the importance of that sort of text. What is debated (by me at least) is whether or not that genre is entertaining. Enriching one's self is one of the reasons we read, of course, but a certain amount of enjoyment has to factor in as well, and I certainly did not enjoy this. There is a place for stories that question established norms, but I think the "women's question" is becoming less relevant all the time, at least the specific problems addressed in Chopin's book. Its appeal is evident, but personally I just can't agree that a female's personal issues have to differ in any significant way from a male's. Edna Pontellier's problems do not resonate with me, although they no doubt did to women of the time and are primarily why this work has achieved its status. Frankly, it hasn't aged well. I will return to reading "good books that happen to be written by women" to the exclusion of "books that are only important because they are written by women."

Message edited by its author, Nov 2, 2009, 8:09pm.