- Louise Gluck, from "The Wild Iris"
January 3, 2011
A list of the 74 books I read in 2010. I meant to read 75 but when I had finished up what I had believed was the 75th I discovered that I had counted one of my books twice. No big deal, I didn't expect to read as many books as I did, but still a little disappointing.
All the books are rated from 1-10. 1 being awful, 5 being not good but not too terrible either, 7 being good and any number higher than 7 means I loved it.
Pretty soon, I'll write a post about my favorite books from last year.
1. Junot Diaz. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. The 2008 Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction. 9
2. Malcom Gladwell. What the Dog Saw. Non-fiction. 9
3. Christopher Seitz. Figured Out. Non-fiction - theology. 3
4. Suzanne Collins. The Hunger Games. Fiction - Sci-Fi/Fantasy. 7
5. Suzanne Collins. Catching Fire. Fiction - Sci-Fi/Fantasy 6.5
6. David Sedaris. Me Talk Pretty One Day. Memoir - Hilarity. 8.5
7. Bernhard Schlink. The Reader. Fiction.8.5
8. Mark Haddon. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. Fiction. 7.5
9. Wendell Berry. Standing by Words. Non-fiction - Essays. 8
10. Cormac McCarthy. No Country for Old Men. Fiction. 9
11. - 17. C.S. Lewis. The Chronicles of Narnia. Fiction - Children. 7
18. C.S. Lewis. The Great Divorce. Fiction. 7.5
19. C.S. Lewis. Out of the Silent Planet. Fiction - Sci- Fi. 7
20. C.S. Lewis. Perelandra. Fiction - Sci-Fi. 8
21. C.S. Lewis. Till We Have Faces. Fiction.10
22. Ronald Takaki. A Different Mirror. Non-fiction-History. 8.5
23. Patricia Raybon. My First White Friend. Memoir. 7
24. A.J. Jacobs. The Know-It-All. Memoir. 8
25. Mary Doria Russell. The Sparrow. Fiction - Sci-Fi, Theological.7
26. W.S. Merwin. The Shadow of Sirius. The 2009 Pulitzer Prize winner for poetry. 9
27. Geraldine Brooks. March. The 2006 Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction. 6
28. H.G. Wells. War of the Worlds. Fiction - Classic. 7.5
29. J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Fiction. 10
30. Jhumpa Lahiri. Interpreter of Maladies. The 2000 Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction. 8.5
31. Philip Schultz. Failure. One of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize winner for poetry. 10
32. Rae Armantrout. Versed. The 2010 Pulitzer Prize winner for poetry. 6
33. Richard Russo. Empire Falls. The 2002 Pulitzer prize winner for fiction. 9
34. Jon Krakauer. Into the Wild. Non-fiction - biography. 7.5
35. Stephen Lawhead. Hood. Fiction - Fantasy. 6.5
36. Norman Ollestad. Crazy for the Storm. Memoir - Survival. 7
37. Lawrence Ferlinghetti. A Coney Island of the Mind. Poetry. 9
38. William Young. The Shack. Fiction - Theology. 2
39. Francis Fukuyama. Our Posthuman Future. Non-fiction - Bioethics. 8
40. Robert Hass. Time and Materials. One of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize winner for poetry. 7
41. Erich Maria Remarque. All Quiet on the Western Front. Fiction - Classic. 9.5
42. David Benioff. City of Thieves. Fiction. 8.5
43. C.K. Williams. Repair. The 2000 Pulitzer Prize winner for poetry. 9
44. T.S. Eliot. The Waste Land and Other Poems. Poetry. 6
45. Thomas Lewis, Fari Amini, Richard Lannon. A General Theory of Love. Psychology - Relationships. 9
46. Lisa Genova. Still Alice. Fiction. 10
47. Howard Dully. My Lobotomy. Memoir - Survival. 7
48. Harry Schaumburg. False Intimacy. Theology. 2
49. Claudia Emerson. Late Wife. The 2006 Pulitzer Prize winner for poetry. 7.5
50. Robert Jordan. The Wheel of Time: The Eye of the World. Fiction - Fantasy. 10.
51. Robert Jordan. The Wheel of Time: The Great Hunt. Fiction - Fantasy. 10
2. Malcom Gladwell. What the Dog Saw. Non-fiction. 9
3. Christopher Seitz. Figured Out. Non-fiction - theology. 3
4. Suzanne Collins. The Hunger Games. Fiction - Sci-Fi/Fantasy. 7
5. Suzanne Collins. Catching Fire. Fiction - Sci-Fi/Fantasy 6.5
6. David Sedaris. Me Talk Pretty One Day. Memoir - Hilarity. 8.5
7. Bernhard Schlink. The Reader. Fiction.8.5
8. Mark Haddon. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. Fiction. 7.5
9. Wendell Berry. Standing by Words. Non-fiction - Essays. 8
10. Cormac McCarthy. No Country for Old Men. Fiction. 9
11. - 17. C.S. Lewis. The Chronicles of Narnia. Fiction - Children. 7
18. C.S. Lewis. The Great Divorce. Fiction. 7.5
19. C.S. Lewis. Out of the Silent Planet. Fiction - Sci- Fi. 7
20. C.S. Lewis. Perelandra. Fiction - Sci-Fi. 8
21. C.S. Lewis. Till We Have Faces. Fiction.10
22. Ronald Takaki. A Different Mirror. Non-fiction-History. 8.5
23. Patricia Raybon. My First White Friend. Memoir. 7
24. A.J. Jacobs. The Know-It-All. Memoir. 8
25. Mary Doria Russell. The Sparrow. Fiction - Sci-Fi, Theological.7
26. W.S. Merwin. The Shadow of Sirius. The 2009 Pulitzer Prize winner for poetry. 9
27. Geraldine Brooks. March. The 2006 Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction. 6
28. H.G. Wells. War of the Worlds. Fiction - Classic. 7.5
29. J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Fiction. 10
30. Jhumpa Lahiri. Interpreter of Maladies. The 2000 Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction. 8.5
31. Philip Schultz. Failure. One of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize winner for poetry. 10
32. Rae Armantrout. Versed. The 2010 Pulitzer Prize winner for poetry. 6
33. Richard Russo. Empire Falls. The 2002 Pulitzer prize winner for fiction. 9
34. Jon Krakauer. Into the Wild. Non-fiction - biography. 7.5
35. Stephen Lawhead. Hood. Fiction - Fantasy. 6.5
36. Norman Ollestad. Crazy for the Storm. Memoir - Survival. 7
37. Lawrence Ferlinghetti. A Coney Island of the Mind. Poetry. 9
38. William Young. The Shack. Fiction - Theology. 2
39. Francis Fukuyama. Our Posthuman Future. Non-fiction - Bioethics. 8
40. Robert Hass. Time and Materials. One of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize winner for poetry. 7
41. Erich Maria Remarque. All Quiet on the Western Front. Fiction - Classic. 9.5
42. David Benioff. City of Thieves. Fiction. 8.5
43. C.K. Williams. Repair. The 2000 Pulitzer Prize winner for poetry. 9
44. T.S. Eliot. The Waste Land and Other Poems. Poetry. 6
45. Thomas Lewis, Fari Amini, Richard Lannon. A General Theory of Love. Psychology - Relationships. 9
46. Lisa Genova. Still Alice. Fiction. 10
47. Howard Dully. My Lobotomy. Memoir - Survival. 7
48. Harry Schaumburg. False Intimacy. Theology. 2
49. Claudia Emerson. Late Wife. The 2006 Pulitzer Prize winner for poetry. 7.5
50. Robert Jordan. The Wheel of Time: The Eye of the World. Fiction - Fantasy. 10.
51. Robert Jordan. The Wheel of Time: The Great Hunt. Fiction - Fantasy. 10
52. Robert Jordan. The Wheel of Time: The Dragon Reborn. Fiction - Fantasy.10
53. Robert Jordan. The Wheel of Time: The Shadow Rising. Fiction - Fantasy. 10
54. David Sedaris. When You are Engulfed in Flames. Non-Fiction - Biography. 7
55. Debbie Hindle and Marta Smith.Personality Development: A Psychoanalytic Perspective. Non-Fiction - Psychology. 8
56. Alice Sebold. The Lovely Bones. Fiction. 8
57. Cormac McCarthy. The Road. Fiction. 9
58. Italo Calvino. Invisible Cities. Fiction. 9.5
59. Markus Zusak. The Book Thief. Fiction. 7.5
60. Christopher Paolini. Eragon. Fiction - Fantasy. 8
61. Brandon Sanderson. The Stormlight Archive: The Way of Kings. Fiction - Fantasy.10
53. Robert Jordan. The Wheel of Time: The Shadow Rising. Fiction - Fantasy. 10
54. David Sedaris. When You are Engulfed in Flames. Non-Fiction - Biography. 7
55. Debbie Hindle and Marta Smith.Personality Development: A Psychoanalytic Perspective. Non-Fiction - Psychology. 8
56. Alice Sebold. The Lovely Bones. Fiction. 8
57. Cormac McCarthy. The Road. Fiction. 9
58. Italo Calvino. Invisible Cities. Fiction. 9.5
59. Markus Zusak. The Book Thief. Fiction. 7.5
60. Christopher Paolini. Eragon. Fiction - Fantasy. 8
61. Brandon Sanderson. The Stormlight Archive: The Way of Kings. Fiction - Fantasy.10
63. Mary Doria Russell. The Children of God. Fiction - Sci-fi. 7
64. J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Fiction - Fantasy. 8
65. Cormac McCarthy. All the Pretty Horses. Fiction 8
66. Kurt Vonnegut. A Man Without a Country. 6
67. Henri Nouwen. Return of the Prodigal Son. Theology. 5
68. Stephen Dunn. Different Hours. 2001 Pulitzer Prize winner for Poetry. 6.5
69. Elizabeth Strout. Olive Kitteridge. 2009 Pulitzer Prize winner for Fiction. 10
70. David Wallin. Attachment in Psychotherapy. Non-fiction - Psychology. 9
71. John Twelve Hawks. The Traveler. Fiction - Sci-fi. 6.5
72. Stephen Crane. The Red Badge of Courage. Fiction - Classic. 8
73. Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Starting from San Francisco. Poetry. 8.5
74. Ted Kooser. Delights and Shadows. 2005 Pulitzer Prize winner for Poetry. 9
WikiLeaks and The Matrix
If you haven't heard, WikiLeaks is the stirrer of shit storms. I vaguely heard about some documents or something about Iraq, but their most recent threat is to release a bunch more super secret stuff about U.S. relations with other nations. Over Thanksgiving, U.S. officials visited the countries that are supposed to be the most unhappy with these revelations, which include possibilities the U.S. backed a rebellion in Turkey (we're supposed to allies) and say nasty things about Russian politicians (the actual word used was "unflattering"). Seems like people are pretty pissed about this.
The director of WikiLeaks is Julian Assange, who's been arrested for computer hacking. And he has a codename: Mendax. With him releasing all these secrets, he's gotta be making some enemies. Like the kind of enemies who send ninjas to your home, or snipe you from inside a hotel room in a tall building as you drive to work. In fact, there is an Interpol warrant out for his arrest. And Wikipedia said "he is constantly on the move" which sounds suspiciously like, "he doesn't sleep in the same bed twice."
Sounds like something from The Matrix. All the good guys had codenames: Morpheus, Neo, Trinity, etc. They all wore dark colored suits and had stylish hair. They were all hackers. They all had warrants out for their arrest (I think in the beginning of The Matrix, Neo was looking at an article on an Interpol arrest warrant for Morpheus...)...stuff like that.
I'm not the first person to make the connection either. Here's an article from July of this year.
If this is all true and Mendax is our savior from the Matrix (and WikiLeaks is Zion), then that means he can fly. And dodge bullets. And fight agents (read: ninjas). He's got the right job, the right clothes and the right look. All he needs to do to convince me the Matrix is real is fly over my apartment in Capitol Hill.
October 31, 2010
"For me writing has always felt like praying, even when I wasn't writing prayers, as I was often enough. You feel that you are with someone. I feel I am with you now, whatever that can mean, considering that you're only a little fellow now and when you're a man you might find these letters of no interest. Or they might never reach you, for any of a number of reasons. Well, but how deeply I regret any sadness you have suffered and how grateful I am in anticipation of any good you have enjoyed. That is to say, I pray for you."
- Marilynne Robinson. Gilead
- Marilynne Robinson. Gilead
October 27, 2010
God Map project for Theology 1. The quotes are sections of poems from Whitman, Thomas, Plath, Schultz, Ferlinghetti, Hopkins, Hass, and one or two others. All poetry that has affected the way I see God and myself.
October 31, 2010
The next 10:52. Robert Jordan. The Wheel of Time: The Dragon Reborn. Fiction - Fantasy. I've already talked about The Wheel of Time a million times so I won't do it again. 10
53. Robert Jordan. The Wheel of Time: The Shadow Rising. Fiction - Fantasy. 10
54. David Sedaris. When You are Engulfed in Flames. Non-Fiction - Biography. Not as good as the Me Talk Pretty One Day, but still good. 7
55. Debbie Hindle and Marta Smith. Personality Development: A Psychoanalytic Perspective. Non-Fiction - Psychology. One of the texts for Psychopathology at Mars Hill. Enjoyed it, though. 8
56. Alice Sebold. The Lovely Bones. Fiction. 8
57. Cormac McCarthy. The Road. Fiction. 9
58. Italo Calvino. Invisible Cities. Fiction. Premise: Marco Polo tells Kublai Khan stories of the cities he has visited in his travels. The cities are as unique as they are imaginative. Calvino is a wonderful storyteller. I'm surprised more people don't know about this book. 9.5
59. Markus Zusak. The Book Thief. Fiction. Set in the second world war and told from the perspective of Death (you know, the Grim Reaper?). It's pretty good, but I saw it on a list of books that were the best of the last decade. I don't know if it deserves that much praise, but still good nonetheless. 7.5
60. Christopher Paolini. Eragon. Fiction - Fantasy. I read this in undergrad but I thought, hey, why not read it again? The movie blows by the way. 8
61. Brandon Sanderson. The Stormlight Archive: The Way of Kings. Fiction - Fantasy. This is the guy who is compiling the last three Wheel of Time books (since Robert Jordan is dead). This book just released this month and is the first in a series of ten. And it is good. Sanderson spent a whole decade building this world and the characters in it. Think about that. A decade working on a book. He created a world where hurricane-type storms regularly roll over the earth. As a result, grass retreats into the soil, cities are built against mountain ranges, and men worship a God called Stormfather.Fascinating work, especially where he explores leadership and the courage that makes men sacrifice for others. 10
October 9, 2010
The hard drive on my computer failed. Yeah...stupid HP. I swear, next time, if I have the dollars, I'm buying a Mac. But hey, I have it all under warranty (thanks to my mom, who insisted I have a 3 year warranty when I thought it totally unnecessary. Turns out PC's like to break. Who knew?) so my computer will have a brand new hard drive in a couple weeks.
I've read a few books since my last post but I don't know where I'm at. 60 or more. Looks like I'm gonna hit 75 books by the end of this year pretty easy.
One of the books I read recently was The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. It's a beautiful book if you can make it past the first chapter (if you've read it, you know what I mean). There is a dream-like, otherworldly quality to it that weaves in and out of the tragedy and beauty of lives shattered and remade by the death of Susie Salmon.
Another is The Road by Cormac McCarthy, the 2007 Pulitzer winner for fiction. I can confidently call myself a devoted fan, having read two of his books. Although I think No Country for Old Men was better.
I read an article about these trapped miners in Chile. 33 guys trapped under the earth for over 2 months. They just now reached them with a drill and are working on getting them out without any safety issues. They think they can have them out in a few more days if all goes well. I can't even imagine what that would be like. I'm a tad claustrophobic and being in a cave is like being in a tiny box. So by this time I would be foaming at the mouth. But hey, super glad they are getting these guys out. It's an emotional story for them and their families.
In a few more weeks, the 13th Wheel of Time hits the shelves. On November 2nd, bright and early in the morning, I will be waiting for the doors of the downtown Barnes and Noble to open. Then I will rush in, snatch the book off the shelf, buy it and probably alarm the sleepy-eyed employee who sells it to me. I imagine myself looking like an energetic squirrel holding a nut, hoping up and down on all four paws. Drooling a little. Then scampering off to my tree.
My only complaint about the Wheel of Time series are the illustrations on the cover. Please, oh please could you make it less embarrassing to be seen reading it in public?
Reading week is coming up. Where I will spend all my free time working on the four research papers due in November. Fuck.
I saw the God of Carnage last night. It's a play that won an award for awesomeness. It's hilarious. If you are in Seattle, I recommend seeing it.
That's all for now.
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