I have committed myself to (trying to) read 52 books in 2007. That’s one book a week. With a very few exceptions, these must all be books that I have not previously read (rereads are marked with green numbers), though beyond that my guidelines for myself are few, and audiobooks do count, and are noted with purple numbers. If you’d like to follow along you may; we may even end up with some kind of online book club. Or, if my suspicions are true, and the only person reading this cyber-rag is me, then at least I’ll have books to be my friends. If you’d like to suggest a book or – God help you – join me in this endeavor, you may email me. Now. Let’s get to reading.
It took me a little longer to finish this book than I would’ve liked, though that is only because I find myself wanting to devour and re-read every word. In Atlanta I sat in Ebenezer Baptist Church and listened to Dr. King’s recorded sermons. Those, like this book, had a profound impact upon me which is difficult to put into words, so I will just say that if you have not read this book, you absolutely should.
2 The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Taking me a bit longer to suss out what I think about this one – more to come.
3 The Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg
Deeply satisfying – a wonderful novel about grief, and the beauty and power of a moment. This is why Elizabeth Berg is one of my favorites.
I wanted perspective on the war, and I got it: we fucked up, and now we’re stuck, and there are no good solutions. Wonderful. Still, at least now I feel I have a right to express my opinion.
5 Another Bullshit Night in Suck City by Nick Flynn
A bit pretentious in places, and in the way that ended up really getting in the way of what could have been a much more honest, much more heartfelt memoir. As it is, I saw him as very distant from what he was seeing in the eyes of the homeless, especially his father. Overall an okay read, if not a bit detached.
6 Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss
I reread this one because I’ve been grading a lot of papers lately, and I was going a little nuts, reading so much bad grammar. I wanted to feel that I was not alone in my mental illness, and also to make sure I had the rules right before using up so much red ink marking papers wrong. What a wonderful book.
7 The Real T by Eddy Hampton Armani
One of those incredibly trashy celebrity biographies that wasn’t worth my time but was satisfying to the same part of me that loves Cheaters. I wasn’t planning to read it, but when I found a used copy I kinda had to. Besides, I never said all 52 books had to be good.
8 Why The Christian Right is Wrong by Robin Meyers
Don’t judge me for not having read my pastor’s book yet; the week I bought it someone borrowed it from me and never returned it. At any rate, the fact that I go to this guy’s church should tell you what I think about this book, AND that I think you should read it, too.
9 The Universe in a Single Atom by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
A wonderful book for anyone, of any faith, who has struggled to connect the pieces of reason, science and faith in any kind of a mature way. I swear I’d be a Buddhist if I wasn’t a Christian.
10 Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott
Anything by Anne Lamott is something I’m guaranteed to be crazy about. While I do wish she’d branch out a bit, her trilogy of pithy, heartwarming stories about faith is undoubtedly what she does best, and I’m enjoying it. Would that I could write this well.
11 The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
A wonderful, thrilling, dazzling bit of historical mystery centering around the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and Daniel H. Burnham, the man who made it happen, and H.H. Holmes, a serial killer masquerading as a doctor. I loved every second of this, especially the bits about how different cities got into competition to host the world’s fair that year, and what city life was like at the turn of the last century. I caught this on audiobook from audible.com
12 What To Eat by Marion Nestle
I picked this up hoping for a bit of clarification on questions I constantly have about food, because I am always feeling defeated in my attempts to eat healthfully – I pick up a banana, then someone tells me they’re full of fat. I eat All-Bran cereal, and someone says it’s got shards of metal in it. This book helped to clear some of that up, but also, it is largely informed by a very political agenda. While I do agree that one should be wary of the politics that go into food production, I was really just hoping for a book about health issues.
13 Christ the Lord Out of Egypt by Anne Rice
Meh. I really wanted this book to be good, because my religion major was comprised largely of classes dealing with New Testament history, and specifically the idea of the "Historical Jesus." But if that’s what’s fascinating to you, read Luke Timothy Johnson’s The Real Jesus or John P. Meier’s A Marginal Jew.
14 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
The first book in the series reads a little clunky, a little simple, much the way that first seasons of television shows sometimes betray their own styles and do things they never would later on. Still, it sets up a fascinating mystery, and I really enjoy peeking for clues and watching, childlike, as Rowling’s magical world unfolds once again. It’s made me even sadder that it’s coming to an end.
15 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
Everything a first sequel should be: similar enough to the original so that the reader is comfortable, but darker, twistier, scarier, bigger. Enough hints at what’s to come to keep us tantalized for a third, but enough like what has gone before to ground us. (Actually, despite having read it a couple times already, it kept me interested enough that I finished it in a day).
16 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
This was my favorite of the movies so far, and upon re-reading the book I can see why it translated so well to film. The story departs a little from the "formula" set up in the previous two installments, remaining just faithful enough to it so the reader doesn’t feel displaced. The twists, however, are the most devious and satisfying yet, the story darker, the mythology evolving more quickly here than ever, leading to a conclusion at once completely unexpected and perfectly delicious.
17 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
The formula changes at just the right time in this book, because the series might’ve stagnated had this story not happened where it did. A mystery rife with red herrings, a plot stuffed with obstacles, and an ending that turns the whole series on its ear.
18 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Probably the hardest of the books to get through, both because it’s the longest (870 pages) and because this is the one where, for Harry, adolescence becomes unbearable and he starts acting all petulant and put-upon like we all used to. Still, once again the ending satisfies with stunning revelations and painful sacrifices.
19 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
Easily my favorite of all the books so far (pre-DH), as even in the medium of fantasy Rowling manages to perfectly portray the social and sexual politics of the teenage world all while taking the overarching magical story to fascinating new heights and terrifying new lows. I cry every time I read "The White Tomb."
20 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
When you think about it, it couldn’t have ended any other way, but the fact is the story is beautiful, the ending is exactly what it needed to be, and Harry’s story will live in literature forever. I’m glad I was alive to see him come into the world. My favorite book in the series, hands-down.
21 The Wal-Mart Effect by Charles Fishman
Okay, yeah, so – read this. A lot. A fascinating look at the effects of Wal-Mart on global and local economies; most interesting? Studies show that opening a new Wal-Mart creates only six new jobs in an area over five years. Six. Yahoo.
22 How We Are Hungry by Dave Eggers
I liked this. I really did. But I worry that it’s not very accessible – nowhere near as accessible as his magnum opus, which I completely adored. This collection of short stories is at its best in the stories that are only a page or two long, because Dave Eggers is best at capturing moments, glimpses, but sometimes the longer narratives lag a bit, and it sometimes sounds as if his own artsiness is running away with him.
23 Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez
There’s not a whole lot of gay young-adult fiction out there, but that doesn’t mean gay publishing houses should print whatever comes their way. This book, for which I had high hopes, was ham-handed and horribly written. It gets an F.
24 On Bullshit by Harry G. Frankfurt
I found this completely fascinating; all the people who have been telling me to check it out for years were right. It’s a wonderful examination of what constitutes "bullshit" versus "lies" or "fiction." An enjoyable, compact little piece of philosophy that will leave you thinking about the way you talk to people.
My review is here.
You know, it’s easy to grow to hate Michael Crichton when his books are all you see in airports, but I’ve enjoyed a lot of what he’s written. This novel is no exception, as it deals with some truly fascinating scientific "what-ifs" while also remaining suspenseful and engaging. A great read.
27 Dark At The Roots by Sarah Thyre
David Sedaris she ain’t, but the woman that you probably remember as the gym teacher from Strangers With Candy spins some wonderful tales about growing up in the Midwest that are at once hilarious and oddly poignant.
28 The Partly Cloudy Patriot by Sarah Vowell
I love anything at all by Sarah Vowell, and not just because she’s a fellow Okie (from Muskogee – honest to God). Listening to this on audiobook was just a bonus, because I love her voice, and because it features Stephen Colbert, Seth Green and Conan O’Brien.
29 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
I should technically mark this as a re-read, since I read it for AP English in high school, but I read it after having gone 2-3 days without sleep, so I remember so very little of it. Even then my recall only lasted long enough for me to test out of Freshman Comp, so I’m reading it again this time for sheer joy. And that’s what it is – sheer joy.
30 Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx
Okay, so I know this is really a short story, but I read it, and I’m counting it, because I’d never read it before. It’s fucken sad, and way better than the movie.
31 Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World by Bill Clinton
I listened to Bill’s autobiography on audiobook, and loved hearing his voice telling a story.
32 The Complete Stories of Flannery O’Connor
I adore Flannery O’Connor. The woman invented subtlety, and also invented busting subtlety into a zillion pieces.
33 On The Road by Jack Kerouac
One of my three favorite books of all time turns 50 years old this month (September 2007). I used to read it once a year; it’s been about five years since I last opened it up, and it’s just as wonderful as I remember.
34 I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert
This book was funny, but not as funny as I’ve come to expect from Stephen Colbert. The best part of it – the audiobook anyway – were the other voice actors. The best part ever was Amy Sedaris as the "Crazy Cat Lady."
This is one of my new favorite books. Barbara Kingsolver’s family moved to a farm in the Appalachians and made a covenant with one another to eat only locally grown and produced foods, many of which they grew and/or raised themselves. Kingsolver herself provides most of the book’s content, while her husband, Stephen L. Hopp, provides side commentaries of the geopolitical and economic issues behind food production in modern America. Camille, their daughter, provides a short series of essays about her own experiences with food and a whole bunch of really excellent recipes.
36 A Briefer History of Time (Unabridged) by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow
This book makes my head explode. It’s fascinating, and I kept up a little bit better than I expected, but it still makes my head explode.
37 Pontoon by Garrison Keillor
I should probably preface by saying that I’m predisposed to love anything by Garrison Keillor, especially anything about Lake Wobegon. His writing style, funny and folksy, is so true to self that it’s almost as if he’s there with you, reading the book aloud. I loved it.
38 I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
I got this because I was thinking of seeing the movie. Now that I’ve read the book, I liked it so much that I’m terrified to see the film version. Nothing against Will Smith, really; it’s just that this was a really fantastic story, full of suspense and madness, with a completely insane ending, and I want to keep the version of it my imagination created from the words as true as I can.
39 The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta
God, I absolutely loved this book. Tom Perrotta not only captures a lot of the spirit of the so-called "Culture Wars," but he also manages to do it in a way that doesn’t write off any one viewpoint completely. He does a beautiful job of portraying the soul-crushing way of life in the suburbs. A wonderful novel.
40 History of Philosophy (Volume 1) by Frederick Copleston, S.J.
A wonderful, simple tome on the history of early Greek and Roman thought from the pre-Socratics, thorugh Plato and Aristotle and up to Plotinus. Loved it in college, love it now. If philosophy is a passion or just a passing interest, Father Copleston’s volumes will enlighten and assist.
41 The Final Solution by Michael Chabon
I’ve yet to completely get on board with Michael Chabon, but I have to say that this "story of detection" was fascinating. Chabon pays homage to the Sherlock Holmes stories he grew up reading by crafting a story where the identity of the main protagonist is only hinted at, the "final solution" much more mundane – yet more moving, charming and wrenching – than I’d have predicted.
42 The Rest is Noise by Alex Ross
A fascinating look at the music of the 20th century. My favorite section, about my favorite composer, Claude Debussy, was a delightful romp through the closest thing the early 20th century had to a mod scene. It’s exceedingly long, however, so if you dive in, stay in for the long haul; it’s well worth it.