Tuesday, 28 December 2010
So, yesterday, my friend Ryan asked me (admitting that it was kind of a cliché) if I’d read any good books lately. This is always a tough question for me to answer on the spot, as my mind immediately goes to the books I’m currently reading, but as I talked with Ryan I came to realize that there were, in fact, a few good books I wanted to discuss with him. And, actually, now that we’re over 99% of the way done with this year, I thought I would provide all of my faithful readers (both of them) a list of the books I’ve read in 2010, especially considering the fact that I’m unlikely to finish anymore this year.
There are 35 books on my list, and increase of two over last year. 15 of them are fiction, which is an unusually high percentage, but you’ll recall that I decided to read the Little House series of books this year AND I took a college English course…so, you know, that skewed things a bit.
Here, then, is every book that I’ve finished reading between 01 January 2010 and today, along with some comments, where appropriate.
Almost an Evening (Coen, Ethan, 80 pages)
A play I read for class. I liked it so much I didn’t sell it back to the college book store.
The Atheist’s Introduction to the New Testament (Davis, Mike, 180 pages)
Atlas, Schmatlas: A Superior Atlas of the World (Robinson, Craig, 128 pages)
The Best American Short Stories 2009 (compilation, 348 pages)
Another book I read for class. Don’t let the title fool you: this book had one awesome story, two decent stories, and 17 shitty stories.
By the Shores of Silver Lake (Wilder, Laura Ingalls, 292 pages)
Disproving Christianity (McAfee, David G., 86 pages)
I received this book from the published with the intent that I write a review of it. Here’s the review.
Does Science Make Belief in God Obsolete? (compilation, 44 pages)
Earth (the Book): A Visitor’s Guide to the Human Race (compilation, 236 pages)
Funniest book I read all year. I couldn’t put it down. Have you read it yet?
Earthquakes and Volcanoes (Merrians, Deborah, 42 pages)
This is a book for kids. I read it to Owen. Yeah, it counts.
The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe (Gray, Theodore, 242 pages)
This book is an awesome achievement in non-fiction: informative, passionate text written by someone who’s done the first-hand research and awesome illustrations. Best book I read all year. I loved it.
Farmer Boy (Wilder, Laura Ingalls, 372 pages)
The First Four Years (Wilder, Laura Ingalls, 138 pages)
God Hates You, Hate Him Back (Werleman, CJ, 298 pages)
Here’s another book I was sent for review. My review hasn’t appeared online yet, so no link. Sorry.
The Grand Design (Hawking, Stephen / Mlodinow, Leonard, 208 pages)
Anticlimactic.
The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution (Dawkins, Richard, 470 pages)
Dawkins has the uncanny ability to sucker me in with a mesmerizing first chapter. He does it every time. I think he should take the first chapter of every book he’s ever written and put them into one book. It would be the best book he’s ever written.
The Heathen’s Guide to World Religions (Hopper, William, 232 pages)
Another book I was sent to review. Here’s a link to my review, which is more humorous and less error-filled than the book.
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk (1999 edition) (Faber, Adele / Mazlish, Elaine, 288 pages)
In Search of Christian Freedom (second edition) (Franz, Raymond, 756 pages)
I started reading this book about two years ago, but I finally finished it early this year. There are about 3 great chapters in this book, and about 600 booooring pages.
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster (Krakauer, John, 334 pages)
I won this book in the dice game last year, and began reading it the very next day. I love accounts of historical tragedies.
Jesus Lied: He Was Only Human (Werleman, CJ, 224 pages)
Yet another book I was sent to review. I haven’t yet.
John Adams (McCullough, David, 752 pages)
I listened to this book on cassette in my car. Yes, it counts.
Killing Yourself to Live (Klosterman, Chuck, 246 pages)
Lies Across America (Loewen, James, 480 pages)
Second-best book I read all year. Loewen is one of my personal heroes.
Little House in the Big Woods (Wilder, Laura Ingalls, 240 pages)
Little House on the Prairie (Wilder, Laura Ingalls, 338 pages)
Little Town on the Prairie (Wilder, Laura Ingalls, 308 pages)
Wow. Wilder is really over-represented here.
The Long Winter (Wilder, Laura Ingalls, 338 pages)
See what I mean?
The Lovely Bones (Sebold, Alice, 334 pages)
I read this book for class. For my essay, I was going to write “It sucked,” but I decided to shoot for a good grade instead. Did I mention the book sucked?
Night of the Living Trekkies (Anderson, Kevin / Stall, Sam, 256 pages)
Oh look! A work of fiction that was neither written by Laura Ingalls Wilder nor assigned in my class. Second-best fiction book I read all year.
North by Northwest (compilation, 238 pages)
On the Banks of Plum Creek (Wilder, Laura Ingalls, 340 pages)
Out From Boneville (Smith, Jeff, 140 pages)
This shit-storm of a graphic novel only made it’s way into my hands because of the piqued curiosity resulting FROM THIS. Does it suck? Yes. Should it be banned? No.
A Raisin in the Sun (Hansberry, Lorraine, 156 pages)
The fourth, and final, book I read for class. Actually, there was a fifth book assigned, but I didn’t read it cover-to-cover, so listing it here would be cheating. Did I mention that I still managed to get an A on the essay I wrote for that book? Oh yeah, I guess I did.
These Happy Golden Years (Wilder, Laura Ingalls, 292 pages)
Holy Crap, Laura! You keep rearing your head here. Hey, it was a fun collection of books. I plan to encourage my son to read them one day.
Under a Flaming Sky (Brown, Daniel James, 272 pages)
Coincidentally, both the last book alphabetically and the last book I finished reading this year – having just wrapped it up a few hours ago. Like I said, I’m a sucker for historical tragedies.