Steve (scvlad) 2013

This is my third year with this group. And let me be honest: I'm not a great conversationalist; I don't post great reviews; I don't have any great insights. But I like reading, and I like keeping track, and I like seeing what other people are reading. So drop by if you like.

My grading scale looks like this:
- Just say no
- Some might like it, but it's not my thing
- I don't regret reading it, but once was probably enough
- A good solid book, well worth the time; might read again
- Great book; I'm likely to read it again

I've also decided that this year I'm going to keep track of what genres I'm reading. So:
n = nonfiction
f = fiction
p = plays and poetry
g = graphic novels and comics
{X} = the number of words read (not including indeces, etc. - fiction and non-fiction only)

Thus, an entry should look something like this:
01. n01. A Nonfiction Book of Some Kind by An Author {50240}

I'll keep a big list in the next post, with monthly lists and ratings in the posts following.

To get you started, here are a few of my highlights from 2012:

The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins - I thought the series was very well written and didn't talk down to young adults.
Soul Made Flesh by Carl Zimmer - a spectacular study of medicine in 17th century England.
Farthing by Jo Walton - a unique take on the post-WWII English mystery.
Road to Perdition by Max Allan Collins - really good graphic novel.
Get a Life by Philippe Dupuy and Charles Berberian - another great graphic novel, even though it's French.
The Unfolding of Language by Guy Deutscher - a second read for me, and well worth it. A great study of language and how it develops.
Broken Harbor by Tana French - Man, she writes good psychological thrillers!
Questionable Content by Jeph Jacques - a really fun web comic. Go see!
America's Constitution: A Biography by Akhil Reed Amar - Everything you wanted to know about the Constitution and then some.
The Signal and the Noise by Nate Silver - a great study of prediction and how to do it.
And also the Spenser Novels which I'm really glad I finally discovered; and the Sugawara Akitada Novels.

THE COMPLETE 2013 BOOK LIST

JANUARY
01. n01. Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard {100,000}
02. f01. The Hell Screen by I. J. Parker {140,000}
03. f02. The Judas Goat by Robert B. Parker {62,000}
04. f03. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams {77,000}
05. f04. The Convict's Sword by I. J. Parker {173,000}

FEBRURARY
06. f05. Looking for Rachel Wallace by Robert B. Parker {65,000}
07. f06. The Masuda Affair by I. J. Parker {104,000}
08. f07. The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams {79,000}
09. f08. The Fires of the Gods by I. J. Parker {103,000}
10. g01. Pogo: The Complete Daily & Sunday Comic Strips, Vol. 1 by Walt Kelly
11. g02. The Best of the Rejection Collection compiled by Matthew Diffee
12. f09. Early Autumn by Robert B. Parker {65,000}

MARCH
13. g03. Identity Crisis by Brad Meltzer and others
14. g04. Fairest: Wide Awake by Bill Willingham and others
15. f10. Death on an Autumn River by I. J. Parker {100,000(?)}
16. f11. Soulless by Gail Carriger {96,000}
17. f12. A Savage Place by Robert B. Parker {51,000}
18. g05. Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader by Neil Gaiman and others
19. g06. The Finder Library, Volume 1 by Carla Speed McNeil
20. f13. Changeless by Gail Carriger {97,000}
21. f14. Blameless by Gail Carriger {94,000}

APRIL
22. f15. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin {325,000}
23. f16. Ceremony by Robert B. Parker {54,000}
24. n02. America's Unwritten Constitution by Akhil Reed Amar {234,000}
25. f17. Heartless by Gail Carriger {100,000}
26. p01. Sonata Mulattica by Rita Dove
27. f18. The Emperor's Woman by I. J. Parker {95,000(?)}
28. f19. A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin {355,000}

MAY
29. f20. The Widening Gyre by Robert B. Parker {59,000}
30. f21. The Pericles Commission by Gary Corby {115,000}

JUNE
31. n03. The Rise of American Democracy by Sean Wilentz {500,000}
32. f22. Timeless by Gail Carriger {108,000}
33. f23. The Ionia Sanction by Gary Corby {91,000}
34. g07. Asterix Omnibus 5 (Asterix and the Cauldron, Asterix in Spain, and Asterix and the Roman Agent) by Goscinny and Uderzo
35. f24. A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin {468,000}
36. f25. The Ides of April by Lindsey Davis {127,000}
37. f26. Lexicon by Max Barry {137,000}

JULY
38. n04. The World of the Shining Prince by Ivan Morris {128,000}
39. g08. xkcd: volume 0 by Randall Munroe
40. n05. Bunker Hill by Nathaniel Philbrick {125,000}
41. f27. Sacred Games by Gary Corby {129,000}
42. g09. Signal to Noise by Neil Gaiman and others
43. f28. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest {132,000}
44. g10. Asterix Omnibus 6 (Asterix in Switzerland, The Mansions of the Gods, and Asterix and the Laurel Wreath) by Goscinny and Uderzo

AUGUST
45. n06. The Man Who Saved the Union by H. W. Brands {273,000}
46. f29. The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln by Stephen L. Carter {210,000}

SEPTEMBER
47. n07. The Sleepwalkers by Christopher Clark {245,000}
48. f20. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith {177,000}
49. n08. A World Undone by C. J. Mayer {285,000}

OCTOBER
50. f31. The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon {150,000}
51. n09. The Medici by Franco Cesati {41,000}
52. n10. Dark Tide by Stephen Puleo {101,000}
53. g11. Fairest: The Hidden Kingdom by Bill Willingham and others

NOVEMBER
54. g12. Le Avventure di Tintin, Volume 5 by Hergé (Il Tesoro di Rackham il Rosso / Le Sette Sfere di Cristallo / Il Tempio del Sole)
55. g13. Batwoman: Elegy by Greg Rucka and others
56. n11. Giacomo Puccini: Tosca by Mosco Carner
57. g14. Batman: City of Owls by Scott Snyder and others
58. n12. Tosca's Rome by Susan Vandiver Nicassio {142,000}
59. f32. A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin {312,000}

DECEMBER
60. f33. A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin {413,000}
61. n13. Brunelleschi's Dome by Ross King {60,000}
62. f34. Roman Blood by Steven Saylor {150,000}
63. g15. Fairest: In All the Land by Bill Willingham and others

Abandoned Without Prejudice
The Best American Mystery Stories 2011 (Feb)
The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps (Feb)
Outliers (Mar)
The Raven King (Apr)
Japan: A Concise History (July)

BOOKS BY GENRE

NONFICTION
n01. Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard {100,000}
n02. America's Unwritten Constitution by Akhil Reed Amar {234,000}
n03. The Rise of American Democracy by Sean Wilentz {500,000}
n04. The World of the Shining Prince by Ivan Morris {128,000}
n05. Bunker Hill by Nathaniel Philbrick {125,000}
n06. The Man Who Saved the Union by H. W. Brands {273,000}
n07. The Sleepwalkers by Christopher Clark {245,000}
n08. A World Undone by C. J. Mayer {285,000}
n09. The Medici by Franco Cesati {41,000}
n10. Dark Tide by Stephen Puleo {101,000}
n11. Giacomo Puccini: Tosca by Mosco Carner
n12. Tosca's Rome by Susan Vandiver Nicassio {142,000}
n13. Brunelleschi's Dome by Ross King {60,000}

FICTION
f01. The Hell Screen by I. J. Parker {140,000}
f02. The Judas Goat by Robert B. Parker {62,000}
f03. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams {77,000}
f04. The Convict's Sword by I. J. Parker {173,000}
f05. Looking for Rachel Wallace by Robert B. Parker {65,000}
f06. The Masuda Affair by I. J. Parker {104,000}
f07. The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams {79,000}
f08. The Fires of the Gods by I. J. Parker {103,000}
f09. Early Autumn by Robert B. Parker {65,000}
f10. Death on an Autumn River by I. J. Parker {100,000(?)}
f11. Soulless by Gail Carriger {96,000}
f12. A Savage Place by Robert B. Parker {51,000}
f13. Changeless by Gail Carriger {97,000}
f14. Blameless by Gail Carriger {94,000}
f15. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin {325,000}
f16. Ceremony by Robert B. Parker {54,000}
f17. Heartless by Gail Carriger {100,000}
f18. The Emperor's Woman by I. J. Parker {95,000(?)}
f19. A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin {355,000}
f20. The Widening Gyre by Robert B. Parker {59,000}
f21. The Pericles Commission by Gary Corby {115,000}
f22. Timeless by Gail Carriger {108,000}
f23. The Ionia Sanction by Gary Corby {91,000}
f24. A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin {468,000}
f25. The Ides of April by Lindsey Davis {127,000}
f26. Lexicon by Max Barry {137,000}
f27. Sacred Games by Gary Corby {129,000}
f28. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest {132,000}
f29. The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln by Stephen L. Carter {210,000}
f20. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith {177,000}
f31. The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon {150,000}
f32. A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin {312,000}
f33. A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin {413,000}
f34. Roman Blood by Steven Saylor {150,000}

PLAYS AND POETRY
p01. Sonata Mulattica by Rita Dove

GRAPHIC NOVELS AND COMICS
g01. Pogo: The Complete Daily & Sunday Comic Strips, Vol. 1 by Walt Kelly
g02. The Best of the Rejection Collection compiled by Matthew Diffee
g03. Identity Crisis by Brad Meltzer and others
g04. Fairest: Wide Awake by Bill Willingham and others
g05. Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader by Neil Gaiman and others
g06. The Finder Library, Volume 1 by Carla Speed McNeil
g07. Asterix Omnibus 5 (Asterix and the Cauldron, Asterix in Spain, and Asterix and the Roman Agent) by Goscinny and Uderzo
g08. xkcd: volume 0 by Randall Munroe
g09. Signal to Noise by Neil Gaiman and others
g10. Asterix Omnibus 6 (Asterix in Switzerland, The Mansions of the Gods, and Asterix and the Laurel Wreath) by Goscinny and Uderzo
g11. Fairest: The Hidden Kingdom by Bill Willingham and others
g12. Le Avventure di Tintin, Volume 5 by Hergé (Il Tesoro di Rackham il Rosso / Le Sette Sfere di Cristallo / Il Tempio del Sole)
g13. Batwoman: Elegy by Greg Rucka and others
g14. Batman: City of Owls by Scott Snyder and others
g15. Fairest: In All the Land by Bill Willingham and others

JANUARY
01. n01. Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard {100,000}
02. f01. The Hell Screen by I. J. Parker {140,000}
03. f02. The Judas Goat by Robert B. Parker {62,000}
04. f03. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams {77,000}
05. f04. The Convict's Sword by I. J. Parker {173,000}

Total = 552,000 words ≈ 1380 pages (@ 400 words per page)

FEBRUARY
06. f05. Looking for Rachel Wallace by Robert B. Parker {65,000}
07. f06. The Masuda Affair by I. J. Parker {104,000}
08. f07. The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams {79,000}
09. f08. The Fires of the Gods by I. J. Parker {103,000}
10. g01. Pogo: The Complete Daily & Sunday Comic Strips, Vol. 1 by Walt Kelly
11. g02. The Best of the Rejection Collection compiled by Matthew Diffee
12. f09. Early Autumn by Robert B. Parker {65,000}

Total = 416,000 words ≈ 1040 pages (@ 400 words per page)
plus some graphic novels ...

MARCH

13. g03. Identity Crisis by Brad Meltzer and others
14. g04. Fairest: Wide Awake by Bill Willingham and others
15. f10. Death on an Autumn River by I. J. Parker {100,000(?)}
16. f11. Soulless by Gail Carriger {96,000}
17. f12. A Savage Place by Robert B. Parker {51,000}
18. g05. Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader by Neil Gaiman and others
19. g06. The Finder Library, Volume 1 by Carla Speed McNeil
20. f13. Changeless by Gail Carriger {97,000}
21. f14. Blameless by Gail Carriger {94,000}

Total = 438,000 words = 1095 pages (@ 400 words per page)
plus some graphic novels ...

APRIL

22. f15. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin {325,000}
23. f16. Ceremony by Robert B. Parker {54,000}
24. n02. America's Unwritten Constitution by Akhil Reed Amar {234,000}
25. f17. Heartless by Gail Carriger {100,000}
26. p01. Sonata Mulattica by Rita Dove
27. f18. The Emperor's Woman by I. J. Parker {95,000(?)}
28. f19. A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin {355,000}

Total = 1,163,000 words = 2907 pages (@ 400 words per page)
plus poetry ...

MAY

29. f20. The Widening Gyre by Robert B. Parker {59,000}
30. f21. The Pericles Commission by Gary Corby {115,000}

Total = 174,000 words = 435 pages (@ 400 words per page)

JUNE

31. n03. The Rise of American Democracy by Sean Wilentz {500,000}
32. f22. Timeless by Gail Carriger {108,000}
33. f23. The Ionia Sanction by Gary Corby {91,000}
34. g07. Asterix Omnibus 5 (Asterix and the Cauldron, Asterix in Spain, and Asterix and the Roman Agent) by Goscinny and Uderzo
35. f24. A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin {468,000}
36. f25. The Ides of April by Lindsey Davis {127,000}
37. f26. Lexicon by Max Barry {137,000}

Total = 1,431,000 words = 3577 pages (@ 400 words per page)
plus graphic novels ...

JULY

38. n04. The World of the Shining Prince by Ivan Morris {128,000}
39. g08. xkcd: volume 0 by Randall Munroe
40. n05. Bunker Hill by Nathaniel Philbrick {125,000}
41. f27. Sacred Games by Gary Corby {129,000}
42. g09. Signal to Noise by Neil Gaiman and others
43. f28. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest {132,000}
44. g10. Asterix Omnibus 6 (Asterix in Switzerland, The Mansions of the Gods, and Asterix and the Laurel Wreath) by Goscinny and Uderzo

Total = 514,000 words = 1285 pages (@ 400 words per page)
plus graphic novels ...

AUGUST

45. n06. The Man Who Saved the Union by H. W. Brands {273,000}
46. f29. The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln by Stephen L. Carter {210,000}

Total = 483,000 = 1207 pages (@ 400 words per page)

SEPTEMBER

47. n07. The Sleepwalkers by Christopher Clark {245,000}
48. f20. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith {177,000}
49. n08. A World Undone by C. J. Mayer {285,000}

Total = 707,000 = 1767 pages (@ 400 words per page)

OCTOBER
50. f31. The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon {150,000}
51. n09. The Medici by Franco Cesati {41,000}
52. n10. Dark Tide by Stephen Puleo {101,000}
53. g11. Fairest: The Hidden Kingdom by Bill Willingham and others

Total = 292,000 = 730 pages (@ 400 words per page)
plus graphic novels ...

NOVEMBER
54. g12. Le Avventure di Tintin, Volume 5 by Hergé (Il Tesoro di Rackham il Rosso / Le Sette Sfere di Cristallo / Il Tempio del Sole)
55. g13. Batwoman: Elegy by Greg Rucka and others
56. n11. Giacomo Puccini: Tosca by Mosco Carner
57. g14. Batman: City of Owls by Scott Snyder and others
58. n12. Tosca's Rome by Susan Vandiver Nicassio {142,000}
59. f32. A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin {312,000}

Total = 454,000 = 1135 pages (@ 400 words per page)
plus graphic novels ...

DECEMBER
60. f33. A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin {413,000}
61. n13. Brunelleschi's Dome by Ross King {60,000}
62. f34. Roman Blood by Steven Saylor {150,000}
63. g15. Fairest: In All the Land by Bill Willingham and others

Total = 623,000 = 1558 pages (@ 400 words per page)

I don't think I've ever been first to a thread! :)

I'll be following along...

Tina, I should ban you for early posting!! ;-)

Welcome back!

I admire your succinctness. Can't emulate it, but I do admire it.

Hej Steve, does the grumpy tie in with 'Medical research' or more likely with 'Thread'?
Paul.Librarian.Flue.In bed

I was a little abrupt this year wasn't I. Maybe I'll go back and do some editing since I'm not quite so grumpy now ...

short and to the point :)

Your introduction cracked me up, so of course I had to check out your thread! Don't edit it - it's perfect! I've got you starred, so I'll be following along...

Mamie. 40s. Mom of four. Loves to laugh.

20> Paul, grumpy is just a natural character trait that applies to me all the time. Maybe 'curmudgeonly' would be better ...

'curmudgeonly' ? I am lost. cur = why, Mudge = Mudge boy, only = only ?

(starred!)

Glad to have you back, oh succinct one :)

Happy New Year!

Paul, you're funny. Look it up!

Steve, I'm looking forward to following your reading adventures in 2013!

Nice to see you back again, Steve! :)

Huh, for a grumpy guy who isn't much of a conversationalist, you sure do have a lot of posts already. :)

Yeah, go figure. Just when you least expect it ...

Isn't that always the way?

Hej Steve
I looked, clicked and found:

E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.

Curmud’geon (3 syl.).

A grasping, miserly churl. Dr. Johnson gives the derivation of this word thus, “cœur mechant, unknown correspondent.” Dr. Ash, in his dictionary, says, “cœur, unknown; mechant, correspondent,” a blunder only paralleled by the schoolboy translation of the Greek, me genoito, by (God) εoo (forbid) (Luke xx. 6).

Paul, you are a very literal person! I'm not sure this is the modern definition. Now it would seem to suggest someone a little cranky and cynical, but unlike you, I am going too lazy and will not try to find a definition! That is because I am a curmudgeon!

Paul, in the modern, more general sense a "curmudgeon" is a bad-tempered person. People who are surly or even just grumpy and stubborn are called curmudgeons.

Hmm, that rings some bells... :)

Hej Steve and Sarah - thanks for the explanations; my vocabulary is really being enlarged here at LT. So my Eselsbrücke (crib, pony) would be: a heart (coeur) stuck in mud is the simple psychologial form (geon) of grumpy - I guess, it's too late at night, I better go to sleep (it's almost midnight here).
I even found a Curmudgeon's Cookbook and The autobiography of a curmudgeon. Tomorrow I'll be hunting for these books, maybe they are available here in Switzerland...

I'm glad my temperament has found you something new to read ... :(

Aww, poor picked on Steve. I don't think you're a curmudgeon. Although a good bit of etymology always fascinates me so I peeked at the OED. They cite Johnson's definition but also include the following etymology:

"Derivation unknown.
The occurrence in Holland's Livy, 1600, of cornmudgin n. (q.v.) has led to a suggestion that this was the original form, with the meaning ‘concealer or hoarder of corn’, mudgin being associated with Middle English much-en, mich-en to pilfer, steal, or muchier, Norman form of Old French mucier, musser to conceal, hide away. But examination of the evidence shows that curmudgeon was in use a quarter of a century before Holland's date, and that cornmudgin is apparently merely a nonce-word of Holland's, a play upon corn and curmudgeon. The suggestion that the first syllable is cur, the dog, is perhaps worthy of note; but that of Dr. Johnson's ‘unknown correspondent’, cœur méchant for French méchant cœur, ‘evil or malicious heart’, is noticeable only as an ingenious specimen of pre-scientific ‘etymology’, and as having been retailed by Ash in the form, ‘from the French cœur unknown, and mechant a correspondent’!"

That really is rather fascinating. Though in the end, perhaps, not so illuminating. Or maybe that's just my curmudgeonliness showing ...

No, you're right. It's just basically a long paragraph of "it could have come from this... but it didn't." :)

Starred.

The first book of the year at last! I was too busy playing with my new iPad ...

01. n01. Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard

?

First off, this was a SantaThing book. Good job Santa!

I worry with a lot of popular history these days; it seems like authors often now try to take a couple of not-very-connected events that happened at roughly the same time and tie them together (a la Devil in the White City, which admittedly was done very well) even though the connection is at best tentative; or else they do the 'this event changed everything' approach.

I'm glad to say that Millard didn't do either. She does bring Alexander Graham Bell into the story of the assassination of Garfield, but he was in fact there, so it works. The little bits about Lister, who was most decidedly NOT there, were reasonable and relevant. And the story of this now pretty much forgotten president and his murder was well told.

The essential premise is that Garfield was shot by a nut but, amazingly enough, not killed. What killed him were his doctors. Even though Lister's antiseptic techniques were gaining ground in Europe, they were essentially ignored in the States at this time and were certainly ignored by the morons (sorry, I just can't generate much sympathy for them) who cared for Garfield. As I often like to say, 'fucking doctors'. (I'm allowed to say that; I am one.) They think they know more than they do, they think they're always right, and they ignore any evidence to the contrary.

Hence, Garfield was killed by his physicians' contant prodding of his wound and introduction of an infection. And that wasn't the only way they found to torture him ...

Anyway, it was well written and I'm glad that I finally learned something about this laudable and apparently very good man died before his time.

Steve, I loved Destiny of the Republic when I read it last year. I was amazed at how little I knew about Garfield before that. Millard did a great job of making his assassination seem like a real loss of a potentially great President.

Agreed!

Congratuöation to your first read - and it seems to be a real trophy ... I don't anything about Garfield (apart from the cat). I have to look if there is anything in our libraries here to fill my innocence (or ask Uncle Google).

02. f01. The Hell Screen by I. J. Parker



I like this series a lot. Akitada is a very appealing character. He's at heart a nice guy, but he's far from perfect. Sometimes he's a little too aware of his rank, sometimes he's too hot tempered, but he's still a nice guy. That shows a lot in this book, where a good chunk of it is really about his family and family issues. Parker pulls this off really nicely. Not to say there isn't a mystery in here. Or rather 3 mysteries, because if you have ever read Parker you know that she almost overdoes it on this score; there's often more than one thing going on a once and they're not necessarily connected. But that's OK, because she does a nice job. I have to admit, that in this book I had all three mysteries figured out well before their respective resolutions, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book, because at heart the book was about people and how they interact. And in many ways, that trumps the mystery(s) every time.

I'm hooked, going to have to read the Millard.

I wrote some stuff about midwifery a while back and when I was researching I found that, during the transitional period when doctors and hospitals were getting seriously into the maternity biz and there were some cockamamie ideas coming from France about germs and handwashing.......there were doctors who believed that 'gentlemen' didn't have to wash their hands. Midwives, nurses, etc.ok sure but not their exalted selves. I was reading this in one of the rooms at the central branch of the Philadelphia Free Library and I snorted so loud that everyone in the room (not that small) stopped and stared at me.

One of David McCullough's lesser books does exactly what you describe - over a twenty or so year period he simply examines Americans in Paris between about 1830 -1850. Why they were there, what they got out of it - as diverse people as young men studying to be doctors (totally the best part of this book, in my view, as France was in the vanguard by miles at that time) to Wild Bill Hickok and his Indian show, to various painters and writers. I didn't know, for example, that James Fennimore Cooper spent so much time there. And many of them did meet and interconnect in interesting ways, although mostly they did not. Samuel Morse is another interesting one - started out as a painter and was a great friend of Coopers.....

43: I caught the end of her talk at the National Book Festival, when she described Garfield’s hair falling out of an envelope... Have you read The River of Doubt?

48: I have two copies if you want one. LT only prevents me from buying duplicates if I keep up with cataloging.

Never heard of I. J. Parker, so that sounds like worthwhile looking for that author. Thanks for bringing her up.

48: The famous example in epidemiology is Semmelweis. He was doing studies in Austria comparing maternity wards. One was run by midwifes and nurses, and the other was run by doctors and medical students. He found that the death rate in the doctor run ward was about 10 times that of the nurse run ward. He finally figured out that it was because the students and doctors would come directly from dissection to deliver babies. Hence, many of the mothers ended up with puerperal fever. The solution of course, was that the doctors should wash their hands. Of course they completely ignored Semmelweis for decades ...

49: I have never read the River of Doubt. What is it about? If it is as well-written as this was, I may have to look into it.

50: Definitely look into Parker. The first book published was Rashomon Gate. But confusingly, it's not the first one chronologically ...

51: Theodore Roosevelt in the Amazon.

I guess I could have looked that up on my own ...

*doh!*

03. f02. The Judas Goat by Robert B. Parker



The more I read of Spenser, the more I like him. He gets less and less 'Philip Marlowe light" and more and more himself. In this one, Spenser is out of Boston for the first time to try to track down some terrorists who've killed a man's family. A good read.

Is that the one where he goes to London? I am terrible at connecting plots and book titles. :-)

That's the one.

I was just musing on the names 'Marlowe' and 'Spenser'. Think there is a connection? Of course there is ...

Oh, I hadn't made that connection, Steve! Well done. Parker was pretty clearly a big fan of Raymond Chandler's work, even finishing the unfinished manuscript of 'Poodle Springs'. I would never have made that connection between the two characters' names, though.

04. f03. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams



Good, though not Adams' best work. But it's a fun read. If you've never read Adams before, I probably would not start here; read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. But if you like Adams, this is a fun read.

Yes, either you love Adams or it's just too silly. I fall in the former category.

Me too. I would argue it's more than just silly. I think a lot of the humor is really well done and original. But I'm biased ...

05. f04. The Convict's Sword by I. J. Parker



Another good chapter in the continuing saga of Sugawara Akitada. I like him as a character; he's clearly a good guy who is so far from perfect, especially when it comes to dealing with his wife! You just want to slap him and tell him to quit being such a putz!

In this one, Akitada takes up an old mystery from 2 or 3 books back. There is a little more family conflict in this one, and a little more darkness in the resolution, but still well worth a read.

A couple of books Abandoned Without Prejudice.





Both were perfectly fine. The first was a library ebook that I'm simply not renewing. The stories were fine but I was testing my ereader more than I was really interested in reading the whole thing. The second I have been slowly working my way through over years. The stories are a mix of really good, and really kind of silly, but historically they are a lot of fun. There is a decent chance I will return to both of them one day, especially the second.

I just read the first Dirk Gently book in December and really enjoyed it. Of course, I've read the Hitchhiker series forever, so it wasn't my first exposure to Douglas Adams.

Hey Roni. I just picked up the sequel, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul. Pretty sure I read it years ago, but I remember nothing, and it's got the best title!

06. f05. Looking for Rachel Wallace by Robert B. Parker



Another good Spenser novel. Maybe I'll say more later, but for now, just that it was good.

07. f06. The Masuda Affair by I. J. Parker



I still like this series a lot. But I just learned that Ms. Parker lost her publisher over a year ago and is now self publishing her stuff on Amazon. I have to say that I find that strange. I think her stuff is quite good.

Anyway, new mystery here but it picks up Akitada's story where the last book leaves off and in that respect ends on a much happier note.

08. f07. The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams



I really wish I liked this more than I did. It was fine, but it just didn't meet the level of others of Adam's works. If you're an Adams fan, of course don't miss it. If not, this is not the book to get you started.

I am going to have to check out the Sugawara Akitada series. Thanks for the recommendation, Steve.

I am going to second the recommendation of River of Doubt. It is terrific!

Hej Steve, I wish a quiet weekend ahead

09. f08. The Fires of the Gods by I. J. Parker



Another Akitada novel. Perhaps not the best, but certainly not bad.

10. g01. Pogo: The Complete Daily & Sunday Comic Strips, Vol. 1 by Walt Kelly



Pogo is one of the great comic strips and this is a really nice edition of the stip's first year and a half. I am sorely, sorely tempted to buy this and the next volume. Kelly's art work is really fine and his humor is great. And he's a great satirist.

11. g02. The Best of the Rejection Collection compiled by Matthew Diffee



I mean, they're New Yorker cartoon that are dirty or gross! What's not too love? What really amazed me is the number than involve grabbing boobs. And almost all of those were by women ...

12. f09. Early Autumn by Robert B. Parker



What I like about Parker's writing is that he's not overly predictable. Anything could happen in his books; there is not always going to be a happy ending. And Spenser, though a 'good' man, is not a knight in shining armor. For him, the ends certainly justify the means. And therefore, he can surprise; he does not necessarily do the 'right' thing all the time.

In this one, he gets himself involved with a kid whose parents don't give a rat's ass about him, and you just get the sense that it's not going to end well. I won't tell you the ending. And by the way, not really any mystery here. Just a story.

That's one of my favorite Spenser novels, Steve. As you say, a good story that doesn't get overly caught up in a mystery plot.

13. g03. Identity Crisis by Brad Meltzer and others



I'm reserving judgment on this one. It was better than some of the other DC stories I've read, but I just haven't decided ...

14. g04. Fairest: Wide Awake by Bill Willingham



A spin off of the Fables world. Good. Not great, but good.

15. f10. Death on an Autumn River by I. J. Parker



I wish I could say that I liked this more. It was fine, just not her best. And because I read a Kindle edition I can't figure out how many words it was...

AWP: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell



Actually, abandoned with minor prejudice. Two chapters in and I'm just not convinced that he has anything meaningful to say. His 'evidence' seems to be based on not particularly interesting social science experiments, and anecdote. I've had enough. On to some good fiction...

16. f11. Soulless by Gail Garriger



I've seen this around on LT so much that I figured it was finally time to read it. It was good fun. More later maybe ...

If you do continue with them Steve, be warned that you'll probably want to read 2 and 3 close together.

I've heard this elsewhere! Thanks for the repeat reminder. I actually have the second, but the third was out of the library, so maybe I'll delay until it's available...

Thanks Mick.

17. f12. A Savage Place by Robert B. Parker



Perhaps not the best Spencer, but a good Spencer. He's in LA helping a reporter who's gotten herself into some trouble ...

Actually what I find amazing is that Parker is a consistently sold writer. Nine novels into this series and there really hasn't' been a clunker yet.

18. g05. Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? by Neil Gaiman and others



I like it. It's a nice take on Batman (my favorite comic character) and what he's all about. What happens when Batman dies?

19. g06. The Finder Library, Volume 1 by Carla Speed McNeil



Well, I'm just not sure what I think about this. In some ways it was quite riveting. In others, it was very opaque and difficult. The art is decent enough and the characters are certainly complex. I think I'm going to reserve judgement for now, but since there's a very good chance I will come back to it and read it again a little more slowly, it gets 4 stars by definition.

20. f13. Changeless by Gail Carriger



Carriger writes fun books. Not perfect - I have read better structured books - but fun. I read a few warnings that this left off with a cliff hanger. I didn't find it all that 'hangy' but I guess I see what people meant. Anyway, Carriger has good wit and writes well, so if you're into steampunk, you'll be in good shape with this series.

21. f14 Blameless by Gail Carriger



Another fun romp in this particular universe. Still pretty funny and definitely easy to read.

Glad you're still enjoying the Carriger novels, Steve. :)

I am indeed. But I am also taking a break. My number just came up for A Game of Thrones, so I'm digging into that.

I've been avoiding it. Large epic fantasies are not my thing. But I may be sucked in eventually. Maybe. Not likely. ;)

22. f15. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin



So I'm glad to say that I was NOT disappointed with this first volume of this very long saga. Nor was I blow away by it. It's well written with good plotting and good characters. The first 2/3 or so was a little slow, but still interesting enough, and the last 1/3 is, if not riveting, at least a good read.

From other reviews of this book I was expecting something much less conventional, but didn't find it. Much of the plot is pretty predictable to those who are widely read, but there are enough unexpected plot twists and false leads to keep you reading.

SPOILER

For instance, I was expecting all the prophesies of Daenery's child to essentially come true and figured his growth would be an important part of future books. When he ended up not being born, I was a little surprised and am interested to see where Martin will go with this.

On the other hand, Eddard's death was totally predictable. But Robb's proclamation as King of the North was not.

END SPOILER

The characters are good, but the star in this respect is Tyrion the dwarf. He's interesting: unpredictable and self-serving, yet oddly likable. I look forward to seeing how he's going to develop and what role he is ultimately going to play in this story.

So is Martin 'the American Tolkien'? I don't think so. It's like comparing apples with skyscrapers. They're very different writers. Martin is good, but in my opinion he doesn't stack up to Tolkien. JRRT had a feeling for language that Martin does not. But, he's good enough that I'll certainly keep reading, and good enough that I went ahead and bought the rest of the books.

23. f16. Ceremony by Robert B. Parker



Ah, Spenser, how we love you. Youth, prostitution, and the Combat Zone. What more could you want?

24. n02. America's Unwritten Constitution by Akhil Reed Amar



Boy that took a while. I've been dipping into this chapter by chapter for almost 3 months. Not because it's not worth reading, but just because I've been more focused on the 2 or 3 fictional series I've been involved in and other things outside of reading. This IS a work well worth reading.

It's a follow-up to his America's Constitution which focused on the written text, how it came about, and what it means. This work focuses on what's NOT in the text, but is none-the-less implied BY the text, or is extant in America's governmental structure DESPITE the fact that it is nowhere found in the text (the 12-person jury size is the example that comes to mind, as do various features of Presidential power). He does a very nice job in explaining it all. One gets a much better sense of how the federal government functions, and why any idea of 'originalism' a la Justice Scalia is simply misinformed.

Recommended to all those interested in US government and how it functions, though I think I'd recommend reading America's Constitution (a favorite of mine) first.

Phew! April's going to look like a good reading month! I'm already up over 600,000 words! Of course, one of those books I started last month, and the other I started in January ...

I've put 'America's Constitution' on my wishlist, Steve. Sounds right up my alley.

>94 rosalita:. Excellent! Let me know what you think!

25. f17. Heartless by Gail Carriger



One of the better of this series I think? Alexia is pregnant and someone wants to kill the queen...

26. p01. Sonata Mulattica by Rita Dove



This was a SantaThing book from 2012, and represents what I like about SantaThing; I would never have bought this book on my own, and yet it was a very good reading experience. A historical novel in poetry! And it works.

Beethoven wrote the 'Kreutzer' violin sonata in 1803 for a mulatto violinist by the name of George Augustus Polgreen Bridgetower. Born of an African/Caribbean father and a Polish/German mother, he learned the violin, apparently, at the hands of Papa Haydn himself in Esterházy. A child prodigy, he toured England and when his father left him became the future George IV's first violinist. He met Beethoven in Vienna in 1803, and B. immediately stopped writing his 3rd symphony to compose a sonata expressly for him and they premiered it (B. at the piano) soon after the meeting. Unfortunately, it appears that Bridgetower then made the mistake of making advances towards a women of no particular consequence, but in doing so he greatly offended the stickly Beethoven who immediately 'unfriended' him and re-dedicated the sonata to Kreutzer. Bridgetower fell into obscurity.

The story is told more or less as a novel, but in a series of 1-3 page poems written from different vantage points: Bridgetower, Beethoven, Haydn, spectators, even George IV. And it works. There's not enough information about this story (I don't think) for Dove to have written an honest-to-god biography, nor would it necessarily have been a great historical novel. But as a series of short vignettes in verse it works very nicely. The poems are all very different from each other.

I'm not a great reader of poetry so I probably am not judging this as well I others could, but I thought that for the most part this was varied, mellifluous, and quite easy to read; even if only read as prose it works well. So if you're interested in the intersection between music, history, fiction, biography, and verse, then this would be great book for you.

Review

Thumbed your review, Steve. I'm not one for books in verse but you almost tempted me with this one. Which is pretty darn impressive. :)

Grazie mille signore!

27. f18. The Emperor's Woman by I. J. Parker



The last (for now) of the Sugawara Akitada series, I wish I felt better about it. I still like the characters for the most part, but I feel like they have become more predictable and less well written. The plots are also starting to feel more predictable. Anyway, I'm still glad I read it and I will probably still read others in the future if she continues to publish.

Hi all. Still here and still reading. Working on Song of Ice and Fire book 2. And it's also been a little hectic here in the Boston area. You might have seen something about it in the news. Luckily, I don't run. Anyhow, book news to follow in the not TOO distant future ...

28. f19. A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin



I like it. Better than the first I think but definitely not a complete novel in itself. This is all one great big long tale. More characters than you can shake a stick at though! You really do need a character list to keep track ...

Oh and the best character by far is still Tyrion the dwarf though there are some other good ones that are more developed now as well.

AWP The Raven King by Marcus Tanner



I'm honestly not sure if I'm going to get back to this one. The subject is interesting: Matthias Corvinus, a very important historical figure in the 15th century, 'king' of Hungary, and his library. But the first chapter turned me off. Too all-over-the-place. How about a nice focused, chronological story? Anyway, enough for now.

Too bad about The Raven King. The subject matter does sound interesting. Too bad the treatment does not live up to it.

You know, it might be OK. I may just not be in the mood for this particular style. Hence, abandoned without prejudice. My father read it and enjoyed it. Maybe I'll do the same at some point.

Gonna be a while before I post another book. I started in on Wilentz's The Rise of American Democracy which is an 800 page behemoth. This seems to be about the time of year that I tackle big history books. Good for another 400,000 words when I'm done though, which will make it the longest book of the year so far (unless you count the Song of Ice and Fire as one book ...).

Hmm, I tend to tackle chunksters in the fall and winter. Spring and summer is always about fluffy reading for me. Interesting to see the contrast in everyone's reading behaviours. :)

I'm not sure what I think about that comment Mick. After all you did read the complete works of Shakespeare last year!

29. f20. The Widening Gyre by Robert B. Parker



Now that Andrew Jackson's been elected (see #106 above), I thought it would be a good time for a short break. Hence, back to Spenser. Blackmail is again the subject. That and love. Well, that's Parker for you!

So, back to Wilentz now, and I also have to start thinking about going back to some Italian. The wife and I finally have dates and are making plans to go. If I have any brain, I'll stop reading quite so much and spend some time trying to learn the bloody language. We'll see ...

I just had to take a moment to comment on The Rise of American Democracy again. I'm enjoying it very much. It is an unabashed political history which I really like. Social history is important and valuable, but let's face it: it can also be really boring!

I just finished the section about Jackson's veto of the second US Bank and it was great. Wilentz is convincing me that Jackson was a much more deft politician than he is often made out to be and much more principled and reasoned than he is often made out. I'm actually starting to be convinced that the bank really DID deserve to be vetoed! And that Henry Clay was not all he is sometimes cracked up to be, Lincoln's good opinion notwithstanding. Good stuff.

And ditto on Jackson's record on Indian removal. In some ways he's justifiably pilloried about this, but Wilentz points out that Jackson personally adopted an Indian child and was not particularly hostile to them. And he evidently really believed that the Federal government would be in a much better position to protect native rights and persons if they were on Federal land, rather than in an already formed State (Georgia). This was not just a federal problem; Georgia was being very aggressive in trying to remove its natives, was clearly violating treaties, and was clearly willing to have a possibly violent showdown with the Federal government over this issue. Jackson is not exonerated - he was certainly paternalistic towards the natives - but the situation was clearly more subtle and nuanced than often portrayed.

Hi there,

I arrived late to the group only about a month or so ago and only just now came across your thread. Nice reading selection so far! I would be really keen to read both Akhil Reed Amar's books on the USA Constitution. And I also really need to get into A Clash of Kings as I've told my girlfriend we are not allowed to watch season 2 of Game of Thrones until I have read it!

On a side note, I really like your characterisation of the Five Star rating system, and with your permission might borrow from it to slightly amend my own!

Cheers,
Charles

Hi Charles! Nice to have you! Amar is very good. Start with the first book though.

Hey Charles! give me a link to your thread; I'm having trouble finding it!

{Never mind. Found it.}

Yes, I accidently forgot to follow the advice given when starting your thread to include your LT moniker in the subject, and then discovered you couldn't edit the title after you had created it!

Just in case, here is the link: http://www.librarything.com/topic/152063

Thanks for checking out my thread. : )

>108 scvlad: True, but that was a year-long project. The individual plays themselves aren't so chunky. :)

30. f21. The Pericles Commission by Gary Corby



Picked this up on a whim and used it as a break for Wilentz (which is taking me longer to finish than I anticipated! - Polk is elected, the Mexican War is started though not yet won, Calhoun is stirring up trouble as always.) I figured it would probably be a cheap imitation of Lindsey Davis's Falco books and in some ways it is, but it's better than that. Though clearly in a similar mode, and perhaps a little pedantic at least in this first book of the series, it's fairly well written and put together and I enjoyed it well enough that I'll probably read the rest of the series; at least what there is of it so far.

Similar how? Well a wise-cracking main character (though not quite as smart-assed), a strong female lead, a mixing in of contemporary politics, and trying to paint a picture of the time. It's the latter that is not quite up to Davis's standard, at least yet. Falco's Rome feels more real than Corby's Athens at this point. But we'll see how things go ...

31. n03. The Rise of American Democracy by Sean Wilentz



Well that was quite a haul, but worth it.

Wilentz essentially covers political history from the adoption of the Constitution to the Civil War and does an admirable job. The main focus is how federal and state governments became more democratic and inclusive from the founding until the presidency of Jackson, and then how what democracy meant split in the views of the north and south: The north developed a more expansive view, while the south developed the idea of what Wilentz calls 'Master Race' democracy, that all white men are created equal.

I learned a lot. My understanding of the post-Jeffersonian Democratic party is much enhanced and I've learned to have more respect for Jackson and other pre-war Democrats. I can't recommend it highly enough.

32. f22. Timeless by Gail Carriger



The final book in the series. It held my attention and was a good read, but I feel like it's time this series was done.

Evidently the author agrees with you! ;-)

Another one for the wishlist with the 'American Democracy' book. Thanks, Steve. I think. :-)

>118 scvlad: I don't know what your tolerance for YA is like, Steve, but you may want to give Etiquette & Espionage a try. :)

Hey Mick. We'll see. She apparently might have another adult one coming out soon too. But I might. Many other things to read first though ...

33. f23. The Ionia Sanction by Gary Corby



The second in the series about Nicolaos, the Pericles-era Athenian 'agent', and his love interest and sidekick Diotima. It's better than than the first book in the series, with more interesting characters, a better plot, and a better integration of setting and story. I quite enjoyed it. Still somewhat Falco-esque, but starting to feel more like it's own.

34. g07. Asterix Omnibus 5 by Goscinny and Uderzo



This volume contains Asterix and the Cauldron, Asterix in Spain, and Asterix and the Roman Agent, the 13th, 14th, and 15th stories of the series. These are classic Asterix stories, when the writing and artwork are in their prime. By the end of this volume, all the characters, primary and secondary, are in place and pretty well developed. And so are many of the tropes that will continue in all the following volume (the fish fight being the prime example). In this volume you also get a classic travel story, and a classic 'village' story. In fact, if you've never read Asterix before, this would be a great volume to start with.

I just read the third of Gary Corby's books, and it's the best yet.

Susanna, that's good to know. The second was definitely better than the first so it sounds like he just keeps getting better. Unfortunately, my library does not yet have it, leaving me with the dilemma of buying it, or being patient.

Tyrion is a marvel - but the Lannisters as a whole are an interesting lot - Jamie (or however his name is spelled). The sister who goes off to train as a mage/assassin and Jon Snow also continue to grip me - I haven't read the two most recent though - and it's been so long I may have to start all over - I was waiting, hoping he would FINISH, but now I realize that could be a very long wait.

I don't know why everyone feels so obliged to compare other good fantasy writers to Tolkien - it is supremely irritating besides being meaningless. Most of the industry is so condescending and ignorant of fantasy anyway (and sf) that it's a 'safe' thing to say, I suppose?

sibyx, if this was Facebook I would totally 'like' your post. Yeah, who knows whether this will ever finish. But he writes a good story (storIES) and I'll stick with it.

As I've said before, the Tolkien comparison also doesn't make sense to me. There is so little in common. It's different fantasy with different goals. It's just good on its own.

And thank you for commenting. I'd lost track of your thread! But now I've found it again ...

35. f24. A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin



Alternative title: Four Weddings and a Whole Bunch of Funerals

So this is the third in the Song of Ice and Fire and I like the series more and more with each book I read. It's becoming quite clear that Martin is a master of plot. Seemingly small threads from the first book get tied up in this one and clearly show that he was thinking far ahead. The weave of tapestry is dense.

And the characters are excellent. These are all real people with real faults and quirks. It's surprising how likable many of them are; even the 'bad guys'.

Oh, and best surprise ending ever. Never saw it coming.

So at this point I'm going to make some predictions:

1) This is the end of Part I. There's going to be a gap between this book and the next, and the next three books will be Part II, in which destiny will be fulfilled. It's possible that there is a part III, but I kind of doubt it.

SPOILERS AHEAD
Don't read if you haven't read the first three books!
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2) My very vague predictions for some characters for when this whole series finally ends, starting with the Starks:

Rickon - likely to end up being the next lord of Winterfell, but not king

Bran - magician of some kind, key role in overthrowing the Others

Arya - to be a fighter/assassin/something. Probably will never take her name back. Will run into Daenerys in some way in the future

Sansa - ultimately doomed, but has a key role to fill first

Jon - he'll be around for a long time to come and will be leading the big battle

Other Starks - I keep mum on this one

Daenerys - the ultimate heroine/conqueror and to be the rescuer of the world, but something interesting will happen to her at the end

Stannis - ultimately doomed; not the prophesied one. Will have an important role though

Tyrion - to the East, and will return at some point. Ultimately doomed but will play some important role. Will run into Daenerys at some point

Jaime - ultimately doomed but will redeem himself.

Cersei - the evil one. Ultimately doomed.

Tommen - not sure. Could be doomed. Could somehow unite the thrones. Marries Daenerys?

The Cleganes - will kill each other

Petyr - the hardest one of all. Hard to know where he's going to go in the end. Likely to die, but not sure how.

Davos - no idea.

3) Plot predictions: Daenerys rules in the East for a while but not forever. Likely to run into some other characters there, maybe get one or two more important followers, or at least allies. Will ultimately return to save the world. The Lannisters will ultimately die, but in a good way. Any remaining Starks will not be kings/queens. Melisandre is backing the wrong horse but doesn't know it yet. She'll be interesting in books to come.

SPOLERS END
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Anyway, I enjoyed it greatly and look forward to reading the coming books.

36. f25. The Ides of April by Lindsey Davis



Davis is back in ancient Rome, this time in Domitian's reign, with a new detective (or 'informer'): Flavia Albia, adopted daughter of our old friend Didius Falco. In this first book, Albia is already an established informer with lots of experience, in mid-career. We don't see Falco characters except by reference, which is probably the right move. But we do hear a little about how times have changed ...

This first book in the series is not the best of her novels. The plot is surprisingly predictable and experienced readers will know whodunnit early on. But Davis is a nice writer and a pleasure to read so I think it's still worth it. I look forward to future books in the series.

37. f26. Lexicon by Max Barry



This is a newly published book that I picked up on a whim. I think I read about it in the New York Times and it sounded interesting, so I ordered it from the library. I'm well satisifed.

Wil is an Australian who is kidnapped from an airport, and then finds himself running and fighting for his life. Sounds like a thriller, right? And it is, but with a twist. The enemy are not just powerful, they are masters of words. Meaning that they know how to twist words to persuade pretty much anyone of anything.

Emily is a street child who runs con games. She's successful, party because she reads people well and can persuade them to do things. Get the idea? Yes, Emily is about to be recruited and trained as a 'poet', one with the power to use words to persuade. You can bet there's a connection to Wil can't you?

This is an easy book to like: well-written, complex plot with lots of plot questions that only get answered in the last few pages, appealing characters, lots of tension. A great summer read.

Lexicon sounds super interesting!

I just finished Lexicon also! I agree, it was a fun fast read.

Onto the list it goes!

Re Lexicon: the more I think about it, the more I like it. I think I'm going to have to read it again. It's a pretty easy read so that shouldn't be hard. But I want to go back and see how the pieces fit together now that I know the whole story.

38. n04. The World of the Shining Prince by Ivan Morris



This is a classic work documenting life in 10th and 11th century Japan during the Heian period, when the capital was Heian Kyo, roughly modern Kyoto. It was a fascinating period of history, representing a long period of stability in Japan, preceding several centuries of unrest and civil war. The aristocracy was very much focused on literature and arts and produced some of the earliest Japanese novels and literature.

It's a detailed study whose primary purpose is to help the modern reader understand one of the great works of Japanese literature, The Tale of Genji (Genji monogatari) by Murasaki Shikibu, and other literature of the time. In that, it is a great success. It has certainly (re-)stimulated by interest in Japanese history and literature.

AWP Japan: A Concise History by Milton W. Meyer



Well, abandoned with a little prejudice. It's obviously a text written for students and is not very detailed. Also not horribly well written, in my opinion, and just too shallow for my purposes.

39. g08. xkcd: volume 0 by Randall Munroe



I don't really have anything to say. xkcd is one of the most innovative web comics out there. If you know and like it, you'll like the book. If not, well ... you'll probably just be confused ...

40. n05. Bunker Hill by Nathaniel Philbrick



Excellent.

Inappropriately named though, as it's not just about the Battle of Bunker Hill. It is in fact about the events that led directly to the onset of hostilities between Boston / New England and the British, including events in Boston in 74-75, the 'Battles' of Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, and the siege of Boston until the evacuation of the city by the British.

We Americans have heard a lot about Minute Men, Patriots, Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, etc, etc., but I'm willing to be that most of us don't really have a good understanding of the events of 1774-75 in the area around Boston. This book remedies that nicely. In it, we learn that the early 'patriots' were, in many ways, not so admirable, often resorting to mob violence and manipulation to attain their means. We also learn about some of the key figures in the events of the time, including John Hancock, Sam Adams, and especially Joseph Warren, president of the (Massachusetts) Provincial Congress and the most prominent early casualty of the war. Interestingly, almost none of these persons played much of a role subsequently, probably because most of them were hot-heads and trouble-makers, and not the kind of people who do well in a real government.

In fact, one of Philbrick's points is that there was a vast difference between the rebels and militia who started the conflict in Massachusetts and the Continental Army formed by Washington that fought the rest of the war and won it. The former was a rabble, made of independent men who shunned orders, while the latter was a disciplined body of soldiers who obeyed them.

The description of the Battle of Bunker Hill itself only takes up two chapters and is admirably clear. You get a very nice feeling for why events happened as they did, and why the British, despite 'winning', suddenly realized that they were in for a much longer and severe fight than they expected.

Worth reading.

41. f27. Sacred Games by Gary Corby



I liked this a lot and agree with at least one other reviewer that this is the best one of this series yet. At first the series felt derivative of Lindsey Davis's Falco series but it's feeling less and less so as the series goes on.

This one is set at the 80th Olympic Games and presents what's probably a very realistic look at them (of course it's impossible to really know). It incorporates contemporary politics as well and we meet a lot of the main characters of the time.

The murder is a good one, and the mystery a good classic 'solvable' one that you could put together yourself if you wanted. I look forward to the next one in this series.

42. g09. Signal to Noise by Neil Gaiman and others



Yeah, I didn't like it. Sorry, just didn't.

43. f28. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest



Pretty mixed feelings about this one. First, it's pure steampunk. Second, it has zombies. I liked the first, the second less so; it felt a bit like an artificial add-on. But the world Priest created was kind of fun. The characters are fine, the story/plot also fine though perhaps a little loosey-goosey; I'm not sure we quite needed all of the characters we got. I haven't decided whether I'm going to read any more of her works. The world interests me...

AWP An Italian Education by Tim Parks



It's perfectly fine. I just don't read a lot of travel writing and there are just other things I'd rather read right now.

44. g10. Asterix Omnibus 06 by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo



Contains Asterix in Switzerland, The Mansions of the Gods, and Asterix and the Laurel Wreath (numbers 16, 17, and 18). I think it is safe to say at this point that we're into 'mature' Asterix. The stories are still fun, the humor very good, the art work lovely.

Musical Instruments (MFA Highlights)



I'm not taking credit for reading this, but I did glance through it and bought it for my iPad. It's quite delightful. It has the history of many of the items in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts collection, and since it's digital, its supplemented by audio and video recordings of the instruments being played. That's what makes it special. It's wonderful to be able to see the item AND hear it!

45. n06. The Man Who Saved the Union by H. W. Brands



I always find it kind of hard to comment on biographies. It can be hard to distinguish the subject from the writing for me. But here's my shot:

First, the subject. U. S. Grant was a great man. A great general, an honest and honorable president. If not the greatest of presidents, certainly one of the good ones, and one who faced difficulties greater than any of those who served in the office except during wars. He deserves a higher place in American perception than he currently holds. He was the only president until after WWII who showed any significant compassion towards African and Native Americans, and the only one who intervened in any way on their behalf until LBJ. He was the only one who publicly acknowledged their civil rights and tried to enforce them in the 19th century. Never forget that the 15th Amendment passed on his watch. For all these things and others he deserves our profound respect.

Second, the book. Decent. A good, easily readable one volume history. What it lacks in depth in some parts it makes up for in clarity. I would not have made some of the decisions the author did, for instance in devoting considerable space to Sherman and quoting numerous participants at length when recounting battles: these were not main points and I felt we lost focus on the subject. But still, worth reading. I might have rated it higher but by my own system, I suspect I'll never pick it up again so it can't get 4 stars. However, I would love to read a more detailed examination of Grant's presidency and post-war life in general, and I'll certainly be picking up the Autobiography sometime soon.

46. f29. The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln by Stephen L. Carter



First of all, Mr. Carter has a lot of cheek taking on one of the big what ifs of American history: what if Lincoln had not been assassinated in April 1865? How would subsequent history have changed? Actually, I'm not all that fussed that he did this; it's fun to explore the possibilities, but I have to admit I'm a little unsatisfied with Mr. Carter's conclusions: essentially that not much would have changed. He may very easily be right (could any one person really have made a big difference in how Reconstruction progressed over the next 12 years?) but if you're going to write a work of alternative history, go the whole hog, man!

So the story centers on the idea that Lincoln lived, Johnson did not, and that Lincoln basically had the same problems with the Radicals in Congress that Johnson actually did - or at least similar problems. And that therefore the Radicals tried to remove him because he was usurping their prerogatives.

That's the history anyway. The story centers on Abigail, a very bright 'negress' and daughter of free blacks in the Washington area, who wants to be a lawyer and comes to be employed by the law firm defending Lincoln. Along the way, a murder or two or three occurs, and Abigail and her 'sidekick' Johnathan, a young white gentleman born to the New England business class who is a clerk in the firm, must figure out what happened, who is involved in the conspiracy to remove the president, and how to keep him in office.

I don't want to give away too much, but like the history, I was not completely satisfied with the story. It was complex; fine, that's appropriate - political machinations should be. But I just found myself dissatisfied with how the characters interacted and how everything wrapped up. I can't even say I'm completely sure why.

But anyway, it was a reasonably fun read and great for those with a historical bent. I should also mention that this was my final SantaThing book from last year. Thanks again Santa; great choices.

Hi Steve... Delurking to say that you've done some really great reading lately. I just may have to read the Game of Thrones series one day!

Thanks Tina. I feels like I've read very little lately. Actually, the problem is I've been reading too many things at once. But here is something new ...

47. n07. The Sleepwalkers by Christopher Clark



I picked this up on a whim and don't think I realized what I was getting into. That doesn't mean it was bad, it just felt huge and it certainly took me while to complete. It wasn't any longer than the Grant biography I recently read, but it felt like it was. (Of course I was also away at a conference for a while, and had guests, etc. etc. and that probably contributed to the feeling of neverendingness.)

It's a detailed look at late 19th and early 20th century European politics and the events that led to WWI. The events are very complex, and the motivations and decisions behind the actual events even more so. But Clark does a very good job of putting everything in place and making it comprehensible.

The central argument? That no one country or person can be blamed for leading Europe into this massive war. That doesn't mean no one was to blame, but rather that pretty much everyone was to blame. The French were too obsessed with Germany; the Russians too convinced that they had to support Serbian Slavs; the Austrians too hell bent on protecting their honor and status as a world power; the Germans too locked into what they thought were the military necessities and unable to be flexible. And the English too confused and waffling, and too unsure of what they wanted to be effective.

It's really quite depressing. There were so many points at which war could have been prevented if just one or a few people could have thought 'outside the box'. But they couldn't.

48. f30. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith



Well, we all know who Mr. Galbraith is don't we?

Anyway, this is a very serviceable mystery. Like the author's other writings, the plot is deftly done and everything adds up very nicely at the end. If anything, it suffers from over-complexity. There seem to be an awful lot of coincidences and twists that just happen to fit together very nicely in the last few pages. But, I enjoyed it. If Mr. Galbraith writes more of this series I'll probably read them.

You should follow up book 47 with Fall of Giants now that you have the history behind it.

Deedle, thanks for the rec. It just so happens that I am following up. Am currently in the middle of A World Undone which is a very readable one volume history of WWI. But I'll look at your rec too!

49. n08. A World Undone by G. J. Meyer



Snuck in one more before the end of the month.

Reading about the First World War is a frustrating experience. It's a long chain of stupidity, incompetence, and waste. It was a dumb war to start with, the generals were, in general, awful, and the end was sure fire certain to make sure another war happened in the future. Crap all around.

The book, however, is pretty good. Reading it's first few chapters, I was worried that it was going to be too simplistic. But of course I'd just finished reading an in-depth account of the event that led to war so maybe that was to be expected. But it ended up being very readable. It's mostly a military history, a little lacking in depth to make sure it fits in one volume, but it hits the highlights well and gives a good broad picture. Interpolated 'background' chapters ,which I thought were going to be quite annoying, were actually quite informative, detailing bits of local history, biography, or other minor items that help understanding.

A good introduction to WWI.

By the way, my link to WWI is my grandfather who was a doctor in the Austro-Hungarian army. I'm told he was at Caporetto, in Galicia, and back in the Balkans at the war's end. I believe it was on the way back home to Transylvania (then part of Hungary (kind of), soon to be part of Romania, which is why this Romanian ended up serving in the 'Hungarian' army) that he met my grandmother.

50. f31. The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon



I quite enjoyed this.

The setting is an alternative world (in the future too) where spirits and the 'aether' are a reality.

I'll write more about it here in a little bit.

OK, so my flight is delayed three hours. Luckily I saw the email before we left home and so we get to wait around in comfortable surroundings instead of an airport. And yes, my wife and I are going on a 2 week vacation, our longest vacation together ever, to Italy. So probably not much posting going to be happening for a while.

But some more comments on the Bone Season since I have unexpected time: I read a bunch of negative reviews after finishing it. A lot of critics found it 'derivative', presumably of Harry Potter and the Hunger Games. It shares a few superficial similarities to each, but I suspect that the critics found it 'derivative' simply because they're not very widely read in fantasy, alternative history, and dystopian novels. Therefore, if it's any of the above, it must be compared to HP or HG.

I think that's nonsense. This young author (she's 22) creates an interesting alternative history. In the late 19th century the world is made aware of all those who can access the aether through various means. Basically, she's explaining 'pseudoscience' but in this world it's real. Those who possess these abilities are shunned as 'unnatural' and an authoritarian government has developed in England to 'combat' the unnaturals.

Paige is one of them. She's in the local gang in one of the London territories. Then she does something bad and gets caught. Kind of. And that's the premise. There is more going on here than meets the eye.

The characters, aside from Paige, are not super-developed, but nor would I call them two dimensional. But the world is well developed, her plot moves forward nicely, and the book serves as a nice set up for a series of 6 more. I will certainly be keeping my eyes open for them.

And it's really nothing like Harry Potter or the Hunger Games.

Have a fabulous time in Italy, Steve! Eat all the food! :)

Hope you are enjoying yourselves hugely!

What part of Italy are you visiting? Florence is one of my favorite places!

Enjoy Italy! I spent a week there last month, and it was lovely (of course).

51. n09. The Medici by Franco Cesati



So I'm back from my trip and this was what I mostly read on the way. I bought a whole bunch of touristy books too that I can look and remember with.

This is a short overview of the Medici Family from its roots to its end. It's lavishly illustrated with photos of works of art which is a nice feature. It's a survey so is not very in depth, but it's reasonably well written and gets the basics. It was a good time passer while sitting in the piazza with a cup of coffee after a long day's walk.

Shall I mention a tad more about my Italy trip? We spent about 3.5 days in Rome which was great. It's a very walkable city (at least in the tourist areas) and we saw lots of good historical stuff. It was great to finally stand in the forum romanorum and try to imagine what it might have looked like.

Then we spent a solid 5 days in Florence which was lovely. Such an old and well preserved city. And so much stuffed into such a small place! We made a day trip with some friends to Pisa and Lucca, both of which are amazing in their own ways. The former has the wonderful Romanesque church, baptistry, and of course the tower; and the latter has intact walls and a great deal of charm. If I was ever to go back to Tuscany I think I'd use Lucca as my base.

The number of tourists in both Rome and Florence (and Pisa for that matter) could, however, get a little overwhelming at times. We solved that problem by going to Chianti. We based ourselves in Greve which is a charming town that has made itself the 'wine capital' of the region. Loads of stores, big and small, dedicated to chianti wine and wine tasting. We made a day trip out to San Gimignano which is almost solid stone in the town center with seven(!) towers, and to Voterra which is another old walled city built on a huge hill with great views. It also houses an Etruscan archaeological site and a 2nd C BC Roman Amphitheater. Good stuff.

And then home for a day of getting organized and re-settled before starting work ...

Sounds like a wonderful trip, Steve! I've only been to Italy once, and spent most of the time in Rome, where the history around every corner was almost overwhelming. I only took a day trip to Florence so I'd love to go back and explore that area in more depth. Also a day trip to Naples and Pompeii, which was also amazing.

I went in March which was a good time because there were much fewer tourists. The weather was quite decent, in the 50s and 60s, perfect for walking around. The only thing I didn't like about Rome was the traffic — seriously, those people are crazy.

1) I can't imagine Rome in the summer. It must be so horribly hot.

2) Roam drivers are absolutely crazy. Even walking requires a lot of attention.

Some great reading you have been doing this year, Steve! I have added several to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendations!

Glad you liked some of them Al. I may not hit 75 this year, but it's been pretty good in other ways.

52. n10. Dark Tide by Stephen Puleo



The story of the great molasses flood of 1919 in Boston. Yes, molasses. 2.3 million gallons unleashed very suddenly on Boston's North End from a tank by the river. 20 killed, many more injured, millions of dollars in damages. The history is fascinating.

Unfortunately, I find the book to be overwritten. 260 pages on my iPad, I suspect the story could have been told more succinctly in 150. But worth it none-the-less.

>169 scvlad: That's one of those absurd historical anecdotes that made me love my history minor so much during undergrad.

Sounds like a sticky situation!

Somebody had to say it... :)

Oy!

53. g11. Fairest: Hidden Kingdom by Bill Willingham and others



One more to round out October. An easy and good read. Not the best of the series, but not a bad one either.

54. g12. Le Avventure di Tintin, Volume 5 by Hergé (Il Tesoro di Rackham il Rosso / Le Sette Sfere di Cristallo / Il Tempio del Sole)



Tintin is good in any language. In this case, it's Italian. I've aborted my French studies - because I hate French - and gone back to Italian. Of course, the recent trip to Italy was a major inducement. I think the next step is to go through the whole volume again and make a vocabulary list ...

It looks increasingly unlikely that I'm going to make it to 75 this year. Oh well ...

This time I lost you, so my bad. I hear that the Autobio of Grant is a great great read. Let me know when you get around to reading it.

I have such mixed feelings about 'What If' alternative histories.....

It's quite horrible, really, to think of getting caught up in a tide of molasses, but I can't imagine an entire book about it.

Vive Tin Tin!!!!!

55. g13. Batwoman: Elegy by Greg Rucka and others



I liked it. Good, strong, realistic (well, you know what I mean) woman as the lead character. Her 'gay-ness' works in the context of her character (not just an add-on). I'd read more ...

56. n11. Giacomo Puccini: Tosca by Mosco Carner



I'm taking credit for this even though I admit I did not read every word, or even all of the chapters. But I read a large chunk. I won't, however, try to figure out how many words I read ...

It goes into the opera in depth, examines it's history and structure, and adds in some other stuff. A nice study if not a super study. But I certainly learned some things about this very excellent opera...

57. g14 Batman: The City of Owls by Scott Snyder and others



Good. That's all.

58. n12. Tosca's Rome by Susan Vandiver Nicassio



Rounding out my studies of Puccini's Tosca (for now) is this book, which puts the opera in its historical perspective; i.e. the end of the 19th century when it was adapted from the play and written, and the later 18th century when the play and opera are set. It's quite interesting and I quite enjoyed it. Don't bother reading it unless you know the opera fairly well.

59. f32. A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin



I can see why some might find this less good than the other books in the story. As I suspected, this book is about development, less about action. Yet more characters are added, and yet more viewpoints. I still liked it.

60. f33. A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin



And so I'm up to date. Left hanging on a cliff, but up to date.

The story continues and it's still a good story. One or two surprises in this one I must admit.

So my predictions (after book 3) were not perfect though not completely off. No delay in time, which surprises me, but events are now clearly developing so as to move towards the second big climax. Arya is developing very nicely and remains my favorite character and favorite sub-plot. I did not expect the addition of major new characters, especially one who would not live through the book, but there they are. The biggest surprise, of course, is the apparent death of Jon. That's one I did not expect. But I also expect that something is not as it seems. My guess is that he is either just gravely injured, or is going to somehow be 'resurrected' a la Catelyn. And of course, what's up with Jaime and Brienne and the resurrected Catelyn? I find it hard to believe that George is going to kill off Jaime. He still needs to redeem himself somehow. And is Stannis really dead? That would not surprise me too much, but it leaves Melisandre hanging. Hmm.

But I am not expecting any of the major 'viewpoint' characters to die or stay dead a la Ned at this point. That would seem to be a waste of an awful lot of writing. I know the author wants us to think that anything could happen, but I don't buy it. Some of them may end up dead in the end, but they've clearly got bigger roles to fill first. And I think that includes Jon.

Well anyway, I hope it's not 10 years till the next 2 books. I might not live that long. More to the point, George may not live that long and if he dies before giving us a final resolution I'm going to be pretty bummed out!

61. n13. Brunelleschi's Dome by Ross King



This is a classic of popular history. It's the story of Filippo Brunelleschi's completion of the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore (Il Duomo) in Florence in the early 1400s. It's also a mini biography of 'Pippo'. It's assets are its conciseness, easy readability, and good focus on the time and the area in which the events take place. Lots of good information including the history, arts, architecture, mechanics of the time. An absolutely fascinating place at a fascinating period of history.

I visited Florence a few months ago and we chose to climb the campanile rather than climb the dome, because we wanted to be able to get a good look at it. Now I kind of wish we'd gone into the dome itself. On the other hand, I wouldn't want to have bothered without reading this book first. Just to know what you were looking at as you climbed between the shells would have been worse the time and effort.

Oh, that one about Brunelleschi's Dome is on my 2014 reading list already, Steve, but I'm glad to see you liked it. Like you, I would have loved to have read it before visiting Florence (in my case, that was 15+ years ago). I guess we'll just have to go back, eh?

I'll mete you there! ;-)

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow



Been a long time since I abandoned a book 60 pages in. Way too preachy, even though I agree with the general sentiment (giving up too much freedom for "security" is a bad thing). But I want a good story. This was not it.

Wish you a blessed Christmas, Steve

Grazie mille, signore. E a te!

>185 scvlad: Yeah, I liked that one fine enough but it wasn't my favourite. However, I have had the pleasure of hearing Cory Doctorow speak in person and he is very dynamic (if a little terrifying with some of the anecdotes he shares).

>185 scvlad: Though I finished that one, I agree about the preachiness.

62. f34. Roman Blood by Steven Saylor



And I suspect that that was my last one for the year. This was a whim, I book I knew about but didn't know anything about. It's set in Republican Rome at the end of the dictatorship of Sulla and the beginning of Cicero's career. Cicero features prominently though he's not the main character; that would be Gordianus the finder. I won't go into detail about the story except to say that it concerns the case that started Cicero on his long career (pro Sexto Roscio Amerino) and that Saylor does a nice job using it as the starting point for this series. I'll probably read further books in the series.

All right, so assuming that was the last book of the year, let's add things up:

Total words read over the year = 7,247,000.

I'm going to take off 5% for maps, blank pages, over-estimates, etc. Therefore, revised total = 6,884,650.

This is approximately equal to 17,212 pages (assuming 400 words per page).

Further assuming that a book is 300 pages long, this equals 57 books. Add on 15 graphic novels and works of poetry and that equals 72. Still not quite 75, but hey, who's counting. ;-)

Also, of the 62 (actual) titles read:
34 were fiction
14 were graphic novels or comics
13 were non-fiction
1 was a work of poetry

Unless I read something else pretty quickly, see you next year!

Excellent stats, sir. See you in the 2014 group!

Well done, Steve, with your 2013 reading! Seven million words is pretty amazing.

63. g15. Fairest: In All the Land by Bill Willingham and others



Well look at that. I managed to sneak another one in after all!

The only problems with Willingham's 'Fables' stories is that it's too hard to keep track of what went on in all the previous ones. This was a reasonably good story, but I sure wished I could remember what happened before. Anyway, gotta love Cinderella as a secret agent / spy right?

Cool! I was hoping to do the same, but I don't think so...

>194 scvlad: I really need to try Fables sooner rather than later. I have the first volume on The List so maybe it will shuffle to the top in 2014. :)

The 2014 thread is now open for business here.

Happy new year!