New Decade, New Books -- Stricklerracing's 2010 50-Book List

I just made the 50-book mark two years ago and I'm going to see what I can do this year, so lets see just what happens.

Cheers

#1) A Christmas Story by Charles Dickens -- I finished this one a little late, but its always a great story and I always love reading it around Christmastime.

Good luck this year!!

I wish you luck.

Thanks guys!

2) Special Men by Dennis Foley - 352 pages - This is the account of a soldier in Vietnam who worked his way up the ranks from a private to a Lt. Colonel. He talks of his time in the Tiger Force, Rangers and Special Forces. This book shows what can happen when you really work your tail off. Foley is a great writer and I'm now going to have to check out a couple of fiction books that he has written.

3) The Man Called Noon by Louis L'Amour - 240 pages - Pretty much a western version of the Bourne Identity. A gunman bumps his head and can't remember anything. He used to be a bad guy, now he's a good guy trying to save the day (land of course the lady). A decent read but not one of L'Amour's best.

4) Up in the Air by Walter Kirn - 362 pages - This is a pretty decent novel for those who have ever done any frequent traveling. Its about a man who's goal is 1 million frequent flyer miles and the odd life surrounding his job as a man who is sent to companies to fire employees.

I like Kirn's writing style. Most of the time its whitty, but can progress to drivel, especially toward the end of the book.

5) Stephen Fry in America by Stephen Fry - 320 pages - I have no Idea how I got this book. It arrived on hold for me one day at the library, so I almost put it back, but it turned out to be one of the better books I've read in a while.

British comedian Stephen Fry visits all 50 states in order to see the people and places that you don't normally visit on your vacations. If you love Bill Bryson, then I would give this one a look. Both authors have similar writing styles.

6) Savannah: Or a Gift For Mr. Lincoln by John Jakes - 288 pages - A good book about General Sherman's occupation of Savannah, GA during the Christmas of 1864. It was my first time reading a book written by John Jakes and he has quickly risen to be one of my favorite authors of historical fiction.

His research was quite thorough with the city and time, although he seems to press it by mentioning street names numerous times. It was good for people who have been to Savannah a few times as I have, but for someone who has never visited the town, it can get kind of monotonous. Some parts of the book seem to read as a children's story at times, but that is mostly due to this being written as a Christmas story and not a war story as his other books.

Overall, I'd say its a good read and I will be moving on to one of his other books in the near future.

7) Sons and Brothers: The Days of Jack and Bobby Kennedy by Richard D. Mahoney -- 377 pages -- This is the story of JFK and RFK and their relationship between each other through their lives. It was good to read about how they interacted with each other and is really unlike any other book written on the pair. It brings their emotional sides to the table along with their political beliefs about certain issues and how they delt with them together. I would recommend for anyone who has always been interested in this subject.

You're doing great! And February's not even over yet!

8) Happiness is a Warm Puppy by Charles M. Schulz -- 72 pages -- This was the first book Peanuts book that was ever put together. Originally published in 1962, this was was a feel-good book which shows that happiness isn't money, power or possessions, but instead is the simple things in life like a warm puppy, a flat surface to skate on and pink, white, blue and red jellybeans, but no green ones.

9) The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis -- A pretty decent book about a poor black high school student who went to live with a rich white family and become a big (literally) football star. It was recently made into a movie, which is better if you're into the emotial side of the story. The book is mostly about the evolution of the left tackle in football, which is the position that Michael Oher played.

10) The Stationary Bike by Stephen King -- This is the story of Richard Sifkitz -- overweight middle-aged man. When Sifkitz sees the doctor about his high cholesterol, he is told a story comparing lipids to construction workers and how they just can't do the job on their own.

When Sifkitz gets home, he proceeds to draw his impression of the struggling workers and purchases his stationary bike to help them out. What he doesn't know is that these construction workers aren't too happy about his impeding on their ground.

11) A piano in the Pyrenees by Tony Hawks -- 352 pages -- By the author of Around Ireland with a Fridge, Tony Hawk tells of his adventures when he purchased a home near the Pyrenees mountains on a whim and his trials to get along with the locals. It is a good memoir depicting a small-town French town and was worth the time reading.

12) Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King -- The story that Shawshank Redemption (one of my favorite movies) was made after.

It is the tale of a man who was wrongly imprisoned and his life on the inside until he eventually breaks out.

Written from the perspective of fellow inmate, Red, this story is very well written and the narrative gives it an aire of legacy, fiction and fact which makes it all the more intriguing.

13) The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz -- A narrative of David Lebovitz's look at the City of Lights from an American turned Parisian. It gives good insights into the minds and attitudes of Parisians and is speckled throughout with recipes which he has created.

14) The Very First Easter by Paul L. Maier -- I read this just before Easter and it is a look into the days before Jesus' crucifixion. Taken from a historical point of view, it weeds out fact from fiction based on what was more probably given the laws of the day as to what happened and where it happened. It was originally written for juniors, but I think the content is much more suited towards an adult. Overall, a very good read.

15) Needful Things by Stephen King -- audiobook -- I love Stephen King's books. This one is no different.

A gentleman moves into the quiet town of Castle Rock with his new store "Needful Things." The townspeople flock to the store when they find that it has that one object they desire at a price that is too good to be true. Its a low price and a promise to play a harmless little "trick" on one of their fellow neighbors. But it turns out that sometimes the price can be higher than it seems.

16) Majesty of Savannah by Peter Beney -- Okay so I've read a few books since my last post, but have been lazy and can't remember what some of them are. This one is one I do remember.

It is a good book for those interested in the architecture of Savannah, GA. With photos and inscriptions of a lot of the homes it gives you a chance to see in some of the places that you wouldn't be able to go in otherwise.

I read this one a while ago, but can't remember the ones directly afterward, so I'll fill them in as I remember.

17) Don't remember the title or what is about, but I read it.

18) Ditto

19) Food Rules by Michael Pollan -- A book of advice for those looking to eat heathier. It explains about how we are in the infancy of health nutrition and just gives advice, not on what you should eat, but how you should eat. Pretty good.

20) Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes -- This is one of the best fictional Vietnam books I've read. Written by a decorated officer in that war, this tells the story of a Marine lieutenant who is part of a rifle company and everything he experiences. The books is pretty much historically accurate and made me think it was too short of a big even at almost 600 pages.

21) 12 Angry Men by Reginald Rose -- This is actually a play, but I'm counting it. This is the story of one man who tries to convence 11 other jurors that a teenager on trial for murder could actually be innocent. Some of it is far fetched as how he attempts to convince him, but its still a pretty good play.

22) For the Love of the Game by Michael Shaara -- A book about the final days in the life of a Hall of Fame pitcher's career. Written by the author of the famed Angels and Demons, this starts out a little slow and then crescendos in the end. Its not much more than his interactions with his girlfriend and his response to being traded. Its okay, but I probably wouldn't recommend.

23) Savannah Grey: A Tale of Antebellum Georgia by Jim Jordan -- I got this from the library because of my fascination with Savannah, GA. That is probably the only reason that I kept with it. The plot centers around a fictional family interacting with real historical characters in early to mid 1800s Savannah.

I don't mind historical fiction when the fictional characters are minor and create a better story as in Jeff Shaara's books, however, here the made-up characters actually influence the decisions and actions of some of the real individuals. One instance is when Andrew, the slave of the central subject, Joseph McBain, saves the life of the real-life individual Charles Lamar aboard the tragedy of the Pulaski sinking.

The dialog is shallow. The characters talk in the same manner when they are in their 40s that they did as young children, still putting their arms around each other saying "best friends forever."

The storyline finally picked up around page 300, but the ending was very odd. Some characters who had been introduced only briefly earlier in the story shoot Andrew as he is about to leave for Europe. When Andrew gets shot (ending giveaway, but you're not going to read it anyway), Joseph's response is: "Andrew, noooooo!" I'm not sure what would happen if my best friend was shot, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't say "Ben, nooooo!"

And then he says to himself that hes going to have to kill Charlie (based on the real-life Charles Lamar), a childhood friend that has absolutely no reason to have Andrew killed. What? The ending was left open with no closure, and not just happy, good-ending closure, but any kind of ending to make sense of the 500 pages I had just read.

On the plus side, I did learn some things about the history of Savannah that I hadn't learned before. I guess some things you just learn the hard way.

Almost halfway there! :)

24) The Wanderer: The Last American Slave Ship and the Conspiracy that Set Its Sails by Erik Calonius -- This is a wonderfully written book about the Wanderer, a luxury yacht which was converted to a slave ship and was the last ship to import slaves from Africa. It was an incident that caused a national stir and was one of the things which contributed to the Civil War.

Calonius centralized the book on the characters around the ship and the scandals that surrounded their trials when they returned. It was easy to read and I learned a lot about the trade and the history of the beginnings of the Civil War.

The only complaint I have, however, is that the books contain a lot of quotes between characters as well as true accounts and statements and it can be hard to differentiate between what is made up and what quotes were real. So much so, actually, that the book borders a thin line between historical fact and a historical fiction book.

Either way, the book is rich in history of Savannah, GA and is a great read for anyone interested in the Civil War and it's causes.

25) The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf -- Childrens book about a bull called Ferdinand that just like to sit and smell the flowers. Cute book. Yes I'm counting it :).

26) The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Barlett -- The story of John Gilkey, who was imprissoned numerous times for stealing rare books from all over the world. The author spent time interview him between jail sentences and writes about why he did it and the passions that come with book collecting. It is interesting on Gilkey's part that he never seems to learn his lesson from being arrested. Basically he believes that it is his right to have the things he can't afford and in a vicious cycle Gilkey steals more books in order to get back at authorities from being put in jail.

The book reveals some insight into the world of the collectors, but falls short despite the page-turning beginning. The story seems to plateau and there is not really an ending that you are looking forward to find out. Basically after half the book was read, I finished the other half just to get it done.

27) All My Friends are Dead by Avery Monsen -- A cute little book that is a little hard to explain. Not really worth buying, but if you see it in your local bookstore, give it a look. It takes about 2 minutes to read.

28) Skipingo Home by Jane Lyon and Karen Bailey -- A short little book about the foal Skipingo and his trials as a racehorse and his eventual trip back home to the woman who raised him. Great pictures.

29) The Farm by Wendell Berry -- Poem about Berry's feelings about living on a farm and in the country of his home state of Kentucky. I thought the prose really expresses what it is like to be in the country and wake up everyday to the land around you.

30) My Life with Charlie Brown by Charles M. Schulz -- I am a big peanuts fan and this book appealed to me greatly. It is a collection of different published and unpublished articles he wrote over the years about his drawings and how he felt being a cartoonist as well as advice to others looking to enter the industry.

I know you've read more books than this! ;)

31) It's a Book by Lane Smith -- A cute little children's story about a character who discovers the enjoyment of reading.

32) Under the Dome by Stephen King -- This is in the same realm as Lord of the Flies, about a city cut off from a dome which suddenly appears over their city. It exposes the depths which greed eventually turns the city into ruin and is a good play on how greed and want can ruin the real world as well. At over a thousand pages, its a little bit lengthy, but still worth the read.

33) Spookiest Stories Ever: Four Seasons of Kentucky Ghosts by Roberta Simpson Brown and Lonnie Brown -- A book of ghost tales from two pretty good story tellers. It tells of personal experiences as well as stories they have heard throughout the years about hauntings in Kentucky.

34) The Complete Peanuts 1963 - 1964 by Charles M. Schulz -- I am a big fan of the Peanuts comic strips. There is just something about them that are relaxing and funny. Every peanuts collection is a good read.

35) Ghosthunting Kentucky by Patti Starr -- A book about Patti Starr's ghosthunting trips in Kentucky. Even though the book is not particular well written, some of these are pretty good stories with good evidence. Some however, you can tell are filler to get the book done. The last place in the book she never actually goes into but declares it haunted based on what the owner tells her. Its better than some ghost books out there, but needs more evidence in a few of the stories.

36) Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson --Story of four people who live in a haunted house. One goes crazy and connects with the house spiritually. I rate it an "eh".

37) Horse Fables by Susan Richards - A cute little book combining morals and horse stories.

38) The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving -- The story of Icabod Crane, a local schoolmaster who meets the Headless Horsman.

39) The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe -- Probably the most famous story by Edgar Allan Poe. I should have read it before Halloween.

40) Brighty of the Grand Canyon by Marguerite Henry -- Another good book and a classic by Marguerite Henry. The book is based on Bright Angel, a burro which lived in the Grand Canyon. Its a great read for any horse lover, especially those fans of Henry.

41) Four Puppies by Anne Heathers -- Children's book about four puppies who experience the changing of the seaons. Yes I added it. No, I am not ashamed.

42) One Size Doesn't Fit All by John Madden -- A another book by my favorite football commentator. This talks about some of his travels as a CBS broadcaster and the people he meets along the way. A lot of it is kind of random and he never really settles on one subject, so probably the only fans would be those of John Madden. But since I am a fan, I sped through this one pretty quickly.

43) Garfield: Bigger and Better by Jim Davis -- A collection of Garfield comic strips.

44) 14 Cows for America by Carmen Agra Deedy -- The story of a member of a Kenyan tribe who comes home on break from his schooling in America to be a doctor. He is in America during the attacks of 9/11 and comes home to tell his story to his tribe, who reacts with an outpouring of love for the American people and those lost in the attacks. It is a moving story for all with great illustrations.

45) MASH by Richard Hooker -- The book that inspired the movie and started one of the most successful TV series of all time about a medical unit during the Korean War. If you've never seen the movie, you probably won't understand the characters as well (while both sets of characters get into their share of trouble, these are a lot more vulgar than Alan Alda ever was).

Its easy to see why this was able to be turned into a great movie and series, but there are parts when Hooker rushes the book. It would be a much better novel if it were a 100 pages or so longer.

46) The Christmas Train by David Baldacci -- a good read about a man who wants to forget all his troubles and takes a train ride to see his girlfriend in California, but in the process meets up with an old love and has his Christmas wish come true.

47) Selfish Pigs by Andy Riley -- a neat little book about pigs who do bad deeds. Okay, lets say its about pigs being *ssholes.

48) Amazing Peace by Maya Angelou -- a poem about the peace that Christmas brings and why we celebrate the season.

49) Christmas with Anne by L.M. Montgomery -- By the author of Anne of Green Gables, comes a tale of heartwarming holiday stories. Its got a lot of happy endings and is a great holiday read. Only one more to go!

Almost there - hooray!!! :)

50) The Very First Christmas by Paul L. Maier -- Maier uses history and science to tell about the Christmas Story. It is very well written and easy to read and is a very good book for those who would like to learn more about the story behind the first Christmas.

51) A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens -- A fantastic classic which epitomises the story of Christmas.

Congratulations!!! I'm so proud of you!! :)