Not a bad way to start off 2009 - eleven books. Here we go with a minimum of commentary...
Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America (NF 2008) - Thomas L. Friedman
Interesting, thought-provoking, but a little long and a bit repetitive.
Last Evenings on Earth: Stories (2006 translation) - Roberto Bolano
Excellent short story collection by the late Chilean writer.
Mansfield Park (1814) - Jane Austen
You really should read Jane. Really.
The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death (2009) - Charlie Huston
Funny. Violent. Loaded with f-bombs. Good read.
The Hour I First Believed (2008) - Wally Lamb
Yes, it's a fictionalized account of the Columbine massacre, but it's much, much more. In fact, it was too much more, at least for me. I really wanted to love this novel... Maybe if it had been 200 pages less.
Ernest Hemingway on Writing (NF 1984) - Larry W. Phillips, ed.
Interesting, sometimes fascinating look at Hemingway's thoughts on writing. A slim volume you can read in one sitting.
The Truth About Celia (2003) - Kevin Brockmeier
My favorite read from last month. Talked about it a little bit in an earlier post.
Indemnity Only (1982) - Sara Paretsky
The first in the V.I. Warshawski series. Pretty good, but I thought it would be grittier.
Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch (1964) - Philip K. Dick
The one novel from this month that I'd most like to read again soon. A wild ride with lots to think about. Read the Amazon description. It's far too much to go into here.
What I Saw and How I Lied (YA 2008) - Judy Blundell
It's entirely possible that this novel could singlehandedly change teens' minds about reading historical fiction. Winner of the National Book Award, which I didn't discover until after I'd finished the book.
The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (YA 2007) - Sherman Alexie
Not a perfect novel, but one that really connected with me. Some find parts of it inappropriate for teens, but I loved it.
That's it for January. Now go and read something.
1 comment:
Hey. I read Sherman Alexie's YA book too. My response is on the blog.
I want to read more Alexie eventually, but I got the impression this wasn't his best effort. Have you read other works by him?
I am pretty sure Trent has.
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