What I've read so far, in 2007, what about you?

I know This Much is True by Wally Lamb. Probably the best book of the last century, written about 1998, I think. I looked at the length and thought, "no way," but started reading and couldn't put it down. Honestly, not ONE page was boring. It just kept going and going, like the energizer bunny. I can't imagine one word being cut. Something like 900 pages but brilliant and heartbreaking.

Success by Martin Amis. Great writing, but probably al little wordy for some. Amis is not huge on plots and his books don't hold together the way Lamb's do, but the writing is imaginative.

Katzenjammer by Jackson Tippett McCrae. Totally original in its conception and execution. Starts out in a mental hospital and ends up there, but what's in between will knock you out. Really funny passages, reminding me of some stand up comics. Well constructed plot revolving around movies and paranoid motives. Short chapters, easy to read, and a lot of fun. Irreverant and edgy, the way I like it. Haven't read the author's other works but will deinitely be looking for them.

the Time Quartet by Madeleine L'engle. Its a YA series, butits one of those that really any age can enjoy reading. L'engle wrote the series back in the 60's and 70's, and she integrates a lot of experimental physics into the story, along with a significant amount of mythical and religious elements.

Middlesex was the first thing I read this year. Eugenides. Then read Post Office by Bukowskiwhich came recommended to me via a neighbor. Strange stuff. Also read Katzenjammer and loved it, though it's not for everybody. Anyone read The Secret yet?

This is what I have read so far this year.

The Satanic Gases: Clearing the air about Global Warming by Patrick J. Michaels
White Fang by Jack London
The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal 1870-1914 by David McCullough
Flyboys: A True Story of Courage by James Bradley
Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser
Death in Venice by Thomas Mann

Bill

Next Michael Crichton
1824: The Arkansas War Eric Flint
Man in the Middle Brian Haig
True Detective Max Allan Collins
The Dark Wing Walter H. Hunt
The Hunters W.E.B. Griffin
The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers Lilian Jackson Braun
The Girl With the Long Green Heart Lawrence Block
The Lasko Tangent Richard North Patterson
Planet of the Hairless Beach Apes Jim Toomey
Capitalism and Freedom Milton Friedman
Kiss Her Goodbye Allan Guthrie
High Profile Robert B. Parker
Sledge Hammer Walter Wager

So far in no particular order -

Lisey's Story by S. King
Mr. White's Confession by Robert Clark
The Kills by Linda Fairstein
Promise Me by Harlan Coben
The Tenth Justice by Brad Metzler
The Empty Chair by Jeffery Deaver
Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides
Hannibal Rising by Tom Clancy
Shadow Prey by John Sandford
Secretary of Dreams by Stephen King
The Final Cut by Pam Chais

Touchstones appear baffled by much on this...

Here's mine, with my little rating system in place:

War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy (8)
Rising Stars Vol. 3 - Joe Straczynski (8)
Mr. Punch - Neil Gaiman (10)
Summer for the Gods - Edward J. Larson (8)
The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul - Douglas Adams (9)
The Book that Changed My Life - Diane Osen (10)
Evelina - Fanny Burney (6)
The Talisman - Stephen King & Peter Straub (10)
The Red Thread - Nicholas Jose (8)
The List - Tara Ison (9)
The Arcanum - Janet Gleeson (9)
The Fifth Child - Doris Lessing (9)
The Hostile Hospital - Lemony Snicket (8)

"The Peshawar Lancers" by S.M. Stirling, one of the best steampunk novels I've put my hands on in a long time.

"The Rover" by Mel Odom. A fantasy novel about a hobbit-like character who's a librarian in a world where such knowledge is sacred. He gets himself kidnapped by pirates, who aren't as dumb as they look, and need his help to find something legendary.

"Mazeway" by Jack Williamson. He's done better, IMHO. Light reading, at best.

So far, not in a particular order:
The crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham
Everyman's rules for scientific living by Carrie Tiffany
Ex Libris: confessions of a common reader by Anne Fadiman
Ghost stories by Edith Wharton
The ivy tree by Mary Stewart
Pursuit of love and Love in a cold climate by Nancy Mitford
Q's legacy by Helene Hanff
The secret history of the Pink Carnation and The masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig
Mermaid singing by Charmian Clift
The secret city by Fred Goodman

**Touchstones do not seem to work (or, better, they did up to the second book I listed).

I've just read The Bark of the Dogwood by McCrae which I thought was one of the best books ever written. Really made me think. Funny, too. The premise is great: a writer sent to write articles about Southern Homes and Gardens decides instead to write about the homes he grew up in. Dark and funny, like Wally Lamb meets David Sedaris meets Flannery O'Connor.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. Nice, but nothing earth-shattering. Simple story and was well written.

Eighty-Sixed by David B. Feinberg. Will only appeal to those who are either gay or really into the gay culture. A bit graphic and a great description of NYC in the 80s and pre and post AIDS America. Short and funny in places

Yea, on the touchstone thing, they work sometimes, sometimes not. Sorry

If you are really interested I've tagged them all @2007 @2007&searchButton=Search&uniqueID=14mQ73yOEhpqroLUTtuzWoUo0b1a5ucu" rel="nofollow" target="_top"> HERE

Apparently 26 books so far, mostly Grafton's A-S. Highlights Forty signs of rain Cherryh's the collected short Fiction of C.J. Cherryh and Trudi Canavan

Seems I've exceeded my touchstone quota. they were workign fine an hour ago.
Edit - and they are fine now.

So far this year, I have read:

*Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
Redwall by Brian Jacques
Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle
An Acceptable Time by Madeleine L'Engle
*Conrad's Fate by Diana Wynne Jones
*The Grand Tour by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer
Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce
Trickster's Queen by Tamora Pierce
Sunshine by Robin McKinley
*Earth by David Brin
...
...
*Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi
Spindle's End by Robin McKinley
*Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich

Actually, I've read more than that, but I didn't feel like listing them all. I've read 22 books, including one online and one audiobook. The shortest book so far is 163 pages and the longest is 652 pages. The whole list, plus comments, can be found here, where I'm keeping track on 50 book challenge.

* asterisks indicate books I'd never read before