So, I mentioned in my last entry that I spent my summer reading a shitload of books. I decided to write down an inventory of every book that I read over the past four months or so - I started a simple list of titles, but then found myself jotting down little notes about each one. It was a fun way to remind myself what all I read, and what I liked (or didn't) about all those books. And since I went to all the trouble of writing it down, I figured I'd share it here (in what promises to be one of the longest posts EVER - so much so that I'm breaking it into two parts).
I should note that these thirty-odd titles are a motley bunch - my tastes in reading are pretty far-flung. A lot of these books were pure pleasure reading - not necessary with great literary value (some, indeed, are tantamount to guilty pleasures). No "Great Books" on this list - I've got plenty of Tolkien, Kundera, Vonnegut, Garcia-Marquez, Hemingway and more on my shelves already. This summer, I pretty much read whatever struck my fancy at the time. So, in no particular order:
My Summer Reading List - Part One
Map of Bones and Excavation by James Rollins
I was one of those people who enjoyed the concept of The DaVinci Code, but was put off by Dan Brown's hackneyed prose. So, when I read a notice that said Map of Bones was like DaVinci Code, but by someone who could actually write, I figured I'd check it out. While Rollins is not exactly Marcel Proust, it was a good historical mystery/literary thriller/secret brotherhood conspiracy story. I liked it enough that I may check out the sequel, Black Order (but not until it comes out in paperback). However, Excavation was less interesting - similar genre, but an earlier, less polished work that was a little hokey at times. Rollins has a number of other earlier novels, but I suspect they are similar.
A Season for the Dead by David Hewson
This one is more similar to Dan Brown's Angels & Demons. Again better-written than Brown, but covering much of the same ground - a series of murders in Rome, a potential Vatican cover-up, the use of real locations and pieces of art in the mystery. Not bad - this is another one that has a sequel or two lined up.
The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell & Dustin Thomason
This is the most recent book I read. In theory similar to DaVinci code in that plot centers around a mystery/conspiracy in the world of history and literature, this book is much better-written than the others, and is really more of an "intellectual suspense" novel, whose themes range from the nature of friendship and the search for identity as one faces the end of college life. Less action, but more soul.
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
After a couple of recent literary thriller/historical mysteries (some pretty good, but all more beach reads than great literature), I decided to check out the granddaddy of them all. I've been meaning to read The Name of the Rose ever since I saw the Sean Connery movie version back in high school, but never got around to it. It was worth it. Not an easy read at all - dense, theology, philosophy, and history-packed passages are interspersed with the plot's central mystery (involving a series of murders at an isolated monastery in 14th century Italy), but it's there for a reason, and you'll thank yourself for not skimming too much. I would recommend also getting the companion volume, The Key to the Name of the Rose - it puts the historical references in perspective, and also provides translations for the numerous (and frequently lengthy) passages in Latin that Eco leaves untranslated in the book.
Roman Blood and Arms of Nemesis by Steven Saylor
Inspired by The Name of the Rose, I checked out these, the first two in a series of mystery novels set in ancient Rome. Extremely well-researched and effectively plotted, these books are like I Claudius crossed with Sherlock Holmes. Great for history buffs.
A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
I've been a fan of Hornby's since High Fidelity, and this novel about 4 strangers who meet when they all coincidentally and for different reasons decide to attempt suicide in the same spot at the same time (by jumping off the same building) didn't disappoint. The 4-separate-narrator structure can take some getting used to, but in the end it was just as funny, wickedly smart, and heartfelt as his other books.
The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs by Irvine Welsh
This is the latest by the author of Trainspotting. I'm fascinated how Welsh is able to draw on his own wild past and experiences with addiction in each of his books, and in the different ways this manifests itself. Welsh uses the backdrop of his beloved, drink-and-drug fueled Edinburgh existentialism for a meditation on identity and family that combines elements of Faust and The Picture of Dorian Gray (it makes sense, trust me). Highly recommended.
The Sandman (complete series), Fragile Things: Short Fictions & Wonders,
and Harlequin Valentine by Neil Gaiman
I should probably confess that this is actually the third or fourth time I've made it through the complete, 2000 page, 10-volume graphic novel masterpiece that is The Sandman. Gaiman is probably my favorite living writer. While I'm not typically a comic book reader, there is no denying the greatness of this modern, mythical epic told in words and images. He writes prose, too - in addition to his novels and children's books, he's also a wonderful short-story writer. Fragile Things is his most recent collection of these, and it's a phantasmagorical delight. Imagine H. P. Lovecraft, R. A. Lafferty and Ray Bradbury mixed with Joseph Campbell and Clive Barker. (Harlequin Valentine is a short graphic novel of his that appears in prose form in the collection). I can't recommend any of Gaiman's books enough.
Ex-Libris by Ross King
Another historical mystery, this time set in Restoration-Era England. Mostly a well-written, well-researched story of a quest for a mysterious (and possibly dangerous) book, the dnouement seemed a little rushed and fractured, but still an enjoyable read.
The Ruins by Scott Smith
I liked A Simple Plan quite a bit, so I figured I'd give Smith's much-anticipated follow-up novel a shot. It's the story of four vacationing Americans who find themselves trapped by something deadly in a Mexican jungle - while I've heard some horror fans complain that it wasn't really scary enough, I was more impressed by the way Smith captured the very different psychological and emotional journeys of the protagonists, as they slowly (almost in real time) slide from panic to terror to despair. Perhaps not terrifying, but certainly chilling.
Stay tuned for part two, sometime later this week.
I should note that these thirty-odd titles are a motley bunch - my tastes in reading are pretty far-flung. A lot of these books were pure pleasure reading - not necessary with great literary value (some, indeed, are tantamount to guilty pleasures). No "Great Books" on this list - I've got plenty of Tolkien, Kundera, Vonnegut, Garcia-Marquez, Hemingway and more on my shelves already. This summer, I pretty much read whatever struck my fancy at the time. So, in no particular order:
My Summer Reading List - Part One
Map of Bones and Excavation by James Rollins
I was one of those people who enjoyed the concept of The DaVinci Code, but was put off by Dan Brown's hackneyed prose. So, when I read a notice that said Map of Bones was like DaVinci Code, but by someone who could actually write, I figured I'd check it out. While Rollins is not exactly Marcel Proust, it was a good historical mystery/literary thriller/secret brotherhood conspiracy story. I liked it enough that I may check out the sequel, Black Order (but not until it comes out in paperback). However, Excavation was less interesting - similar genre, but an earlier, less polished work that was a little hokey at times. Rollins has a number of other earlier novels, but I suspect they are similar.
A Season for the Dead by David Hewson
This one is more similar to Dan Brown's Angels & Demons. Again better-written than Brown, but covering much of the same ground - a series of murders in Rome, a potential Vatican cover-up, the use of real locations and pieces of art in the mystery. Not bad - this is another one that has a sequel or two lined up.
The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell & Dustin Thomason
This is the most recent book I read. In theory similar to DaVinci code in that plot centers around a mystery/conspiracy in the world of history and literature, this book is much better-written than the others, and is really more of an "intellectual suspense" novel, whose themes range from the nature of friendship and the search for identity as one faces the end of college life. Less action, but more soul.
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
After a couple of recent literary thriller/historical mysteries (some pretty good, but all more beach reads than great literature), I decided to check out the granddaddy of them all. I've been meaning to read The Name of the Rose ever since I saw the Sean Connery movie version back in high school, but never got around to it. It was worth it. Not an easy read at all - dense, theology, philosophy, and history-packed passages are interspersed with the plot's central mystery (involving a series of murders at an isolated monastery in 14th century Italy), but it's there for a reason, and you'll thank yourself for not skimming too much. I would recommend also getting the companion volume, The Key to the Name of the Rose - it puts the historical references in perspective, and also provides translations for the numerous (and frequently lengthy) passages in Latin that Eco leaves untranslated in the book.
Roman Blood and Arms of Nemesis by Steven Saylor
Inspired by The Name of the Rose, I checked out these, the first two in a series of mystery novels set in ancient Rome. Extremely well-researched and effectively plotted, these books are like I Claudius crossed with Sherlock Holmes. Great for history buffs.
A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
I've been a fan of Hornby's since High Fidelity, and this novel about 4 strangers who meet when they all coincidentally and for different reasons decide to attempt suicide in the same spot at the same time (by jumping off the same building) didn't disappoint. The 4-separate-narrator structure can take some getting used to, but in the end it was just as funny, wickedly smart, and heartfelt as his other books.
The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs by Irvine Welsh
This is the latest by the author of Trainspotting. I'm fascinated how Welsh is able to draw on his own wild past and experiences with addiction in each of his books, and in the different ways this manifests itself. Welsh uses the backdrop of his beloved, drink-and-drug fueled Edinburgh existentialism for a meditation on identity and family that combines elements of Faust and The Picture of Dorian Gray (it makes sense, trust me). Highly recommended.
The Sandman (complete series), Fragile Things: Short Fictions & Wonders,
and Harlequin Valentine by Neil Gaiman
I should probably confess that this is actually the third or fourth time I've made it through the complete, 2000 page, 10-volume graphic novel masterpiece that is The Sandman. Gaiman is probably my favorite living writer. While I'm not typically a comic book reader, there is no denying the greatness of this modern, mythical epic told in words and images. He writes prose, too - in addition to his novels and children's books, he's also a wonderful short-story writer. Fragile Things is his most recent collection of these, and it's a phantasmagorical delight. Imagine H. P. Lovecraft, R. A. Lafferty and Ray Bradbury mixed with Joseph Campbell and Clive Barker. (Harlequin Valentine is a short graphic novel of his that appears in prose form in the collection). I can't recommend any of Gaiman's books enough.
Ex-Libris by Ross King
Another historical mystery, this time set in Restoration-Era England. Mostly a well-written, well-researched story of a quest for a mysterious (and possibly dangerous) book, the dnouement seemed a little rushed and fractured, but still an enjoyable read.
The Ruins by Scott Smith
I liked A Simple Plan quite a bit, so I figured I'd give Smith's much-anticipated follow-up novel a shot. It's the story of four vacationing Americans who find themselves trapped by something deadly in a Mexican jungle - while I've heard some horror fans complain that it wasn't really scary enough, I was more impressed by the way Smith captured the very different psychological and emotional journeys of the protagonists, as they slowly (almost in real time) slide from panic to terror to despair. Perhaps not terrifying, but certainly chilling.
Stay tuned for part two, sometime later this week.
rys:
I love lists!!! You rock. My friends and I made our own list on the weekend. More morbid, but just as fun 
rys:
The Art of Dog Brainwashing; by Rys Farthing. A detailed journey of a girls relationship with a mindless whippet. A story of true love and manipulation. And a few dead possums along the way.