Read in 2002
Submitted by jim on Wed, 07/17/2002 - 10:04
Tags:
- December
- Stupid White Men by Michael Moore ... Great book, even if the style of the introduction put me off and I am skeptical of some of his claims. Ire-raising nonetheless, and often quite funny too.
- The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold ... A 13-year-old girl is raped and murdered. She follows her family and her killer from heaven. Very well-written and compelling (stayed up too late finishing it) but I wasn't particularly pleased with the ending.
- Fuzzy Math by Paul Krugman ... Fascinating dismantling of the Bush tax cut. Required reading if you suspect you're being lied to, but want to know how.
- Galileo's Daughter by Dava Sobel ... An interesting history of Galileo and a view into cloistered life in the 1600s. I'm glad I read it, but I found it a bit dry.
- November
- Running Injury-Free by Joe Ellis and Explosive Running by Michael Yessis ... Trying to fix my shin splints and get into better shape for the 2003 Ultimate Frisbee season. Both very good books. Of course it's much easier for me to read about running than actually do it.
- Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks ... I've liked some of our book club books, but this one is the first I'd call a "page turner." Excellent portrait of humanity under strain and fairly thought-provoking from a religious perspective.
- September
- Ishmael by Daniel Quinn ... Interesting philosophical long view of how humanity came to its current state, environmentally. Not sure I agree with all of it, but it's compelling in parts, and has some real good point-of-view reimaginings of some bible stories to boot.
- The Fan Man by William Kotzwinkle ... Crazy psychodelic stream-of-consciousness from an amusing drugged-out scumbag. I was surprised at my liking it.
- Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett ... See below.
- Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett ... A vacation book. One of the "Witches" Discworld books, and a pretty good one. The "Witches" books are rapidly approaching the "Watch" books in my personal estimation.
- August
- Soul Music by Terry Pratchett ... I've been on a bit of a Discworld kick. This one was pretty good - it was one of the "Death" books, as I call 'em. In that sub-series, I probably didn't like it quite as much as Hogfather or Reaper Man, but I preferred it slightly to Mort.
- Bad News by Donald Westlake ... Another enjoyable Dortmunder caper. The first chapter was fantastic, and it was lots of fun to watch a band of con men get in over their heads when Dortmunder and pals don't turn out to be quite the expendable chumps they thought they'd be.
- July
- Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer ... Recommended by some pre-teen friends (and their Mom). It's no Harry Potter in that the characters aren't as engaging, but the plot is a goodly page turner, and kept me up a little later than it should have a couple nights.
- Maskerade by Terry Pratchett ... See below. My favorite of the "Witches" Discworld books.
- The Truth by Terry Pratchett ... A Discworld book, and a pretty good one. I have to imagine it's hard to be as prolific AND as consistently enjoyable as TP is, but he makes it seem effortless.
- Silas Marner by George Eliot ... A book club selection. 19th century. My wife would rather read Jane Austen. My opinion is not so informed.
Author Comments:
New entries are highlighted. I was thinking I'd structure this list similarly my Seen in 2002 movie list, but I find book reviews take more words, time, and energy and I'm lacking at least two of the three. So they'll be brief, but I'd be happy to discuss any of the books listed in more depth if anybody asks.
Add to this a steady diet of National Geographic, World Press Review, Family Handyman, This Old House, and a bunch of web sites, and that's my reading in a nutshell.
Coming Soon - by John Barth?
How was it? As far as Mr. Barth goes, I've only read about half of The Sot-Weed Factor. I need to finish it up one day - I liked what I read.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs (yeah, I'm just joshing with ya!)
:-) The only Barth *I think* I've read is Lost in the Funhouse but that was years ago and I can't remember a thing about it. Made quite an impression, apparently.
This list is no longer "coming soon"; it has arrived in rather unimpressive fashion.
SWM managed to piss me off a lot while I was reading it as well. I had momentary urges to go run for office. Any office. Those passed, and yes I agree that I don't necessarily believe all of it, but I bet enough of it is true to be really scary.
Well, I'm sorry the urges passed! :-)
I'm not. I hate speaking to audiences. Public office would be a bad thing. I'll just wait a couple of years and become a subversive librarian instead.
I picked up a copy of The Lovely Bones at the bookstore the other day and read through a few chapters. I was impressed, and now seeing your comments, I know I will probably have to check it out from the library and / or buy it when it arrives in paperback.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Of course I'd love to hear your thoughts when you do read it! Speaking of trading recommendations, did you see that Andrei Rublev recently flew over my head?
Ah... I have now.
I'm still doing a bit of catching up from being out of town for a spell.
Ya win some, ya lose some... I'm glad you gave it a shot. I've noticed that even most people who do not care for much of the film still like that closing episode. I think the rest of the film drives the emotional ending home and sets up many of the themes that find resolution in the bell incident, so I really can't separate that last story from the rest of the film. But that's just me.
Oh, yes, and I see you opening that best vs. favorite debate again, but I'm holding back because I really don't have much to add, except to say that that article on Salon makes art (sorry, Art) sound way too much like spinach one should eat with one's meal for its healthy attributes rather than anything to be enjoyed, which I couldn't really agree with less. He also seems to believe that complexity and skill make art great, and I'm afraid that a bit too limited of a view for my taste.
Sorry you didn't enjoy Andrei as much as I did!
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Well it wasn't a complete loss. There was quite a bit that impressed me, and if I'm right that it's going to take me five viewings to fully appreciate the movie, at least I have one under my belt. :-)