I like blogs. I'd like to keep this one more updated. Here's one of my current projects. I'm doing the book a week challenge for the year. At first, my original goal was to read every book from middle school and high school to reevaluate my feelings on them. See if they stand up to my adult mind. So I started with fantasy novels because I used to read a lot of those in high school. Because I was(am) a nerd.
But then I slightly changed my plan. I decided to give up my book choosing agency. And read any book that anyone suggested to me. So far this is the list of books I've read this year.
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Two Towers
Return of the King
I enjoyed these a lot more than the Hobbit. Weird stuff I didn't know about like Tom Bombadil. And Aragorn was not a torn character at all. From the beginning, he was like, "Oh, we need a king. I guess I'll just fight through countless hordes and dead people."
Bel Canto
Pedro Paramo
Dragons of Autumn Twilight
Dragons of Winter Night
Dragons of Spring Dawning
Time of the Twins
War of the Twins
Test of the Twins
Catcher in the Rye
A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again
A Confederacy of Dunces
Into Thin Air
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Two Towers
Return of the King
I enjoyed these a lot more than the Hobbit. Weird stuff I didn't know about like Tom Bombadil. And Aragorn was not a torn character at all. From the beginning, he was like, "Oh, we need a king. I guess I'll just fight through countless hordes and dead people."
Bel Canto
Favorite book I've read this year. Valerie and Candace, I know you've been telling me for years.
Pedro Paramo
Aaron suggested this and loaned it to me. The father of magical realism. I thought that magical realism would annoy me in a sort of meandering way but I found it refreshing and interesting.
Dragons of Autumn Twilight
Dragons of Winter Night
Dragons of Spring Dawning
Time of the Twins
War of the Twins
Test of the Twins
These are the books I read in middle school. No wonder I didn't have many friends then. I also read 50 Ways to Play Solitaire in 7th grade. I must have been lonely.
Catcher in the Rye
Oh, also my idea for the year was a dead author project. And Salinger had just died so.... Anyway, the book still holds up. I love it.
A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again
Dead author project. I loved the title essay. It's hilarious and unfailingly observant.
A Confederacy of Dunces
Dead author project and a recommendation by Darren forever ago. This book was hilarious and incredibly thoughtful. One of my favorite endings in bookdom as well.
Hunger Games
Catching Fire
Tyson Schenk suggested this as well as my friend Jennifer Grimes. This is the best young adult series I've read since Harry Potter.
Into Thin Air
A Valerie and Andy suggestion that I've been meaning to pick up for years. I'm glad I did. I missed a total of four subway stops because I was engrossed in this book.
Twilight
Ok, I read it. And I intend to put up my theories. Annie Howington wanted me to read this and then Allen said he would read it and so I borrowed it from Shiloh and boom. A couple of days later finished. A longer report forthcoming.
Right now, I'm reading Master Butchers Singing Club and Bulfinch's Mythology. I put both of them down to plow through Twilight and Catching Fire.
I'm a few books ahead. But then some of these books were pretty easy. I'll list the books I have ahead of me in another post. Still looking for more books too.
it makes me happy to see you blogging again. i have been looking for motivation to restart mine--its a shame to let years of documentation go to waste.
ReplyDeletethis is also an inspiring post, believe it or not. i don't do enough personal reading, and i recognize the differences that play out mentally when I am not engrossed in a good book of my own choosing.
and, if you are sincerely taking more book suggestions, i think you'd like Shalom Auslander's 'Foreskin's Lament,' if you haven't read this already. Probably the funniest/saddest book I have ever read--it is a little biting at times also, but it reads quickly and foregrounds some great man-god issues.
anyway--welcome back jims.
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ReplyDeleteI would like to suggest the Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis. As you may know I have not ever been much of a reader, but this one is worth the time.
ReplyDeleteAll I have to say is that the picture is about the cutest thing I have ever seen!
ReplyDeleteThis post made me incredibly excited for the fact that it's summer and I'm off-track and can read whatever the hell I want. For FIVE MONTHS.
ReplyDeleteWell, I stand corrected. This looks like a new blog.
ReplyDeleteAwesome post. Loved it. Now I have a new list of books to read. And I laughed out loud at that part about you reading that solitaire book. HA!
ReplyDeleteJoesy,
ReplyDeleteForeskin's Lament, eh? Sounds like my sort of awesome.
Yeah, I felt sort of removed from the blog and book reading world. Sometimes I get caught up in too many other things. Good to keep in touch with friends. Good to hear of your exploits. I hope we can see you in Idaho sometime.
Cool project...I can't wait to read your commentary after you've finished. :) Good luck!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I can't wait to hear what you have to say about Twilight. And did you just read that one, or the entire series??
ReplyDeletejames, i would like to suggest if you are still accepting. i am sure you have many suggestions already if not enough. but here is it:
ReplyDeleteWuthering Heights (likely my favorite book ever)
and
Pride & Prejudice
(a close second)
Funny thing is that the Bronte sisters thought Jane Austen was a crock, which I love.
John,
ReplyDeleteHey, I love the Narnia series. I've read them three or four times. Voyage of the Dawn Treader is probably my favorite. It's just so different from all the others.
Candice,
Do no be distracted by the picture! Read the words! The words!
Liz,
I think I have one of your suggestions in my queue. We'll talk.
Val,
Yeah. Suck it. You are corrected.
This is Dave. A friend recently suggested "Exteremly Loud and Incredibly Close." I guess it's a 9-11 book. I don't have time to read it. Would you please read it for me and tell me if I should read it? Also, would you get me a drink? Thx, babe.
ReplyDeleteNice. I love reading and try to read as often as I can, which, as a teacher, isn't as often as I'd like.
ReplyDeleteA few of recent favorites are: Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Water for Elephants, Curious Incident of a Dog in the Night-Time, and anything by Lisa See.
Hunger Games and the sequel were great. I still haven't read (or watched) Twilight, even though my students have BEGGED ME for years to read the series. I won't go into the rest, but I do need to say that YOU NEED www.goodreads.com in your life. WHEN you get an account, let me know. (I sound like a walking commercial. They should pay me to advertise.)
Glad you're back in the blogosphere. Impressive goal. It's just the sort of thing I'd fail miserably at as I've been reading A Farewell to Arms for the past three weeks.
ReplyDeleteWhy... Why Twilight? Even Emma was smart enough to throw the fourth one across the room and refuse to finish polluting her mind with its drivel. Seriously. Be big like a teenage smarty and just say no.
Good luck with the rest.
To add to Crystal's comment, 'Extremely Loud' was great. Also great: 'In the Bedroom' (Dubus), 'The Devil in the White City' (Larson), 'Boy's Life' (McCammon), and 'The Virgin Suicides' (Eugenides). Happy reading.
ReplyDelete