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One of the resolutions I made was to read at least 150 books over the year. I decided that I could count books I have read previously (although I feel that at least three out of every four books should be new to me) and that I could not count any books, if any, that I read multiple times during the year, which I sometimes do.
I will update the blog occasionally about the books I’ve read. I will do this once or twice a month, depending on how many books I have gone through at the time. Since now is after Christmas and before school starts for me, I’ve been able to go through many books, so this one is coming a bit early. I will try to avoid spoilers (except for those that should already be widely known or are common knowledge).
1. Sleepwalk With Me, by Mike Birbiglia. Mike Birbiglia is a stand-up comic. I have two of his albums, Two-Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal Live (he has other CDs, but they are largely out-of-print), in addition to his DVD, What I Should Have Said Was Nothing. I also read his blog (also called My Secret Public Journal) and follow him on FaceBook and Twitter (actually, I just now started, after realizing I am not). So, I am a fan. The title of the book comes from the name of his off-Broadway play--and based on the fact that he is indeed a sleepwalker, so much that he ran out the window of a motel’s second story. That particular topic is brought up in the last chapter of the book and is to me the most powerful. I have to admit that I at first felt some apprehension as I realized that many of the tales in the book where ones he covered in his CDs (mainly My Secret Public Journal Live). However, these stories receive some expansion in the book, plus Birbiglia covers many topics that aren’t in his CDs. I recommend the book whether or not you have heard his stand-up. There is some interestingly poignant father-son dynamics that I was not prepared for based on is stand-up.
2. Last Words, by George Carlin. Carlin’s book is roughly the same length as Birbiglia’s (somewhat longer). Considering Birbiglia is in his early 30s, and this book covered Carlin’s entire life, I was somewhat disappointed by it. I would still recommend the book, as I find Carlin extremely funny and I like the insight into the man. He is candid about his failings as a husband and father (not to mention entertainer, airman, and more). I think if the book was only about his life up until his first few albums, it would have been a great work. Unfortunately, I feel that after the first few albums, the rest of his work is glossed over (although I can’t place much blame for those in the 1970s, as he admits there are several things he cannot remember during that time). Again, I still recommend this book, but I wish he had been able to be more analytical about his later works.
3. Full Dark, No Stars, by Stephen King. This is King’s third quartet of novellas. The gold standard is the first, Different Seasons. Four Past Midnight, the second was, to me, not as successful, but still contained one of my favorite of King’s works, “The Library Policeman”. I do not think this one equals the power of the first, but is still a great work. The first story in the book, “1922”, is well-written, but does not appear to cover more ground than Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” (there are many differences between the two works, but this is the first comparison I thought of when I read it). Although the cover notes suggest that “A Good Marriage” is the most disturbing of the novellas, I would say “Big Driver” is. It, like the other stories, is about retribution, and I wasn’t bothered by said retribution, but found myself thrown in the final part of the story by what the protagonist was going to do to herself. I haven’t decided if that makes the story a success or failure. “Fair Extension” is the shortest of the novellas. It’s an interesting read, but I kept waiting for the “moral”, which never came, which was probably the intention. “A Good Marriage” is the best of the works and likely the one I will most return to in later years. Just a great, great work. What if you had found the person you married had a secret? What if you sharing that secret would destroy you? Or your children? What would you do? I recommend the book, especially “A Good Marriage” and “Big Driver”.
4. The War for Late Night, by Bill Carter. I have never read The Late Shift and have only seen about five minutes of the movie, so I can’t judge that book against this one or how the people may have reacted differently in each book. I came into the book Team Coco and as a person who disliked Jay Leno (not funny, quasi-racist). I still enjoy Conan, even though the book displayed a darker side to him (of course, darker on Conan is essentially like getting a light tan). Leno comes off as less scheming than I supposed. He also comes off as less human. Today, Conan has his own show on TBS, where he is beginning to show some of the creativity that first delighted me (and which had been somewhat muted on the Tonight Show until the last few weeks), Jay Leno still works, The Tonight Show no longer has any luster on it, TV execs are still assholes. Recommended.
5. Pork Pie Hat, by Peter Straub. This is a short book I got from a grab bag from Cemetery Dance Publications. Harlan Ellison once wrote (and I am paraphrasing from memory here) that there is no story that needs to be written beyond short story length (he wrote this in reference to Stephen King, I believe). Pork Pie Hat works as the short work it is, but I actually think it could have been expanded to novel-length, and it would have been a richer work than it already is. Straub is a powerful, controlled writer, and it works well in this book. I read this one day while sitting first in a dentist’s office and then a doctor’s. I recommend the book (as well as Ghost Story, Shadowland, and the Blue Rose Trilogy) and also recommend, if you are a fan of horror, Cemetery Dance Publications.
6. The Talisman, by Stephen King and Peter Straub (re-read; audiobook). I have read this book before, probably five or six times over the last 25 years or so. This time I listened to it on audiobook (as I am doing now with its sequel, Black House), as read by Frank Muller. This book is a quest book. Many characters in the book, as I read it now, come across as one-dimensional, but the book is still very powerful. The book really picks up when Jack finds fellow travelers on his journey, first Wolf, and then Richard (who gets somewhat slighted, coming in after the beloved Wolf). I think Black House is a better work, but The Talisman is better loved. I just discovered today, as I was going to link to his site, that Frank Muller died in 2008 after complications from a 2001 motorcycle accident. Mr. Muller read many books, some of which you can find at Audible. I've only listened to him reading Stephen King books, but I can recommend any of them, especially The Green Mile or The Body. Recommended.
7. Monkey Love, by John Paul Allen. Up until this point I had read six books in January and felt that I could recommend all of them (although I knew that already with The Talisman). This is my first non-recommended. This is also my first “If you see this book, piss on it”. This book (which includes the title novella, as well as a short story) is roughly the same length as Pork Pie Hat. If Straub’s tale could have been expended to novel-length, Allen’s should have, at the very least, been reduced to short story length. Or better, forgotten after a drunken pub crawl. There are way too many words to culminate in what is essentially a misogynistic joke as told by a rejected frat boy. There are chapters wasted on characters who have no purpose except to place a camera. The short story is better. There is still a misogynistic tint to it, but it seems to at least have a purpose. I got this, too, in my Cemetery Dance grab bag, and I am very appreciative that I did not pay money individually for it.
8. Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk, by David Sedaris. Most of the tales in here are humorous. I thought “The Crow and the Lamb” sucked, but that was mainly because I have eye issues (and it includes illustrations). Two of the stories, “The Faithful Setter” and “The Grieving Owl” go beyond mere humor and are just great stories on their own (and unlike many of the other stories, they actually benefit from the characters in them being animals). I recommend the book, and most specifically those two stories.
9. The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr and E. B. White. Re-read. I highly recommend this book for anybody who has to write anything. Ever. Please, please read this. I have read this book roughly once a year for the last decade or so. Read it.
10. The Book of Dead Philosophers, by Simon Critchly. Critchly discusses philosophers, covering some of their theories and also the manner in which each died. Some of them are poignant, some of them are sad, many disgusting. If you didn’t know, some of the Greeks were freaks. One of the most interesting sections was those philosophers of German and Jewish descent who were alive during World War II. Recommend.
11. Columbine, by Dave Cullen. Cullen covers the Columbine High School Massacre, including the lead-up and after-math. It appears that on some occasions Cullen makes guesses, but for the most part this appears to be a well-researched and written book. Cullen appears to attempt to be fair to all participants in his writing, although there are some (including one victim’s father) who do not come out well. At the very least, I wonder what the world would be like if Dylan Klebold had not met Eric Harris. Recommended.
Okay, eleven books down, 139+ to go.
I will update the blog occasionally about the books I’ve read. I will do this once or twice a month, depending on how many books I have gone through at the time. Since now is after Christmas and before school starts for me, I’ve been able to go through many books, so this one is coming a bit early. I will try to avoid spoilers (except for those that should already be widely known or are common knowledge).
1. Sleepwalk With Me, by Mike Birbiglia. Mike Birbiglia is a stand-up comic. I have two of his albums, Two-Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal Live (he has other CDs, but they are largely out-of-print), in addition to his DVD, What I Should Have Said Was Nothing. I also read his blog (also called My Secret Public Journal) and follow him on FaceBook and Twitter (actually, I just now started, after realizing I am not). So, I am a fan. The title of the book comes from the name of his off-Broadway play--and based on the fact that he is indeed a sleepwalker, so much that he ran out the window of a motel’s second story. That particular topic is brought up in the last chapter of the book and is to me the most powerful. I have to admit that I at first felt some apprehension as I realized that many of the tales in the book where ones he covered in his CDs (mainly My Secret Public Journal Live). However, these stories receive some expansion in the book, plus Birbiglia covers many topics that aren’t in his CDs. I recommend the book whether or not you have heard his stand-up. There is some interestingly poignant father-son dynamics that I was not prepared for based on is stand-up.
2. Last Words, by George Carlin. Carlin’s book is roughly the same length as Birbiglia’s (somewhat longer). Considering Birbiglia is in his early 30s, and this book covered Carlin’s entire life, I was somewhat disappointed by it. I would still recommend the book, as I find Carlin extremely funny and I like the insight into the man. He is candid about his failings as a husband and father (not to mention entertainer, airman, and more). I think if the book was only about his life up until his first few albums, it would have been a great work. Unfortunately, I feel that after the first few albums, the rest of his work is glossed over (although I can’t place much blame for those in the 1970s, as he admits there are several things he cannot remember during that time). Again, I still recommend this book, but I wish he had been able to be more analytical about his later works.
3. Full Dark, No Stars, by Stephen King. This is King’s third quartet of novellas. The gold standard is the first, Different Seasons. Four Past Midnight, the second was, to me, not as successful, but still contained one of my favorite of King’s works, “The Library Policeman”. I do not think this one equals the power of the first, but is still a great work. The first story in the book, “1922”, is well-written, but does not appear to cover more ground than Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” (there are many differences between the two works, but this is the first comparison I thought of when I read it). Although the cover notes suggest that “A Good Marriage” is the most disturbing of the novellas, I would say “Big Driver” is. It, like the other stories, is about retribution, and I wasn’t bothered by said retribution, but found myself thrown in the final part of the story by what the protagonist was going to do to herself. I haven’t decided if that makes the story a success or failure. “Fair Extension” is the shortest of the novellas. It’s an interesting read, but I kept waiting for the “moral”, which never came, which was probably the intention. “A Good Marriage” is the best of the works and likely the one I will most return to in later years. Just a great, great work. What if you had found the person you married had a secret? What if you sharing that secret would destroy you? Or your children? What would you do? I recommend the book, especially “A Good Marriage” and “Big Driver”.
4. The War for Late Night, by Bill Carter. I have never read The Late Shift and have only seen about five minutes of the movie, so I can’t judge that book against this one or how the people may have reacted differently in each book. I came into the book Team Coco and as a person who disliked Jay Leno (not funny, quasi-racist). I still enjoy Conan, even though the book displayed a darker side to him (of course, darker on Conan is essentially like getting a light tan). Leno comes off as less scheming than I supposed. He also comes off as less human. Today, Conan has his own show on TBS, where he is beginning to show some of the creativity that first delighted me (and which had been somewhat muted on the Tonight Show until the last few weeks), Jay Leno still works, The Tonight Show no longer has any luster on it, TV execs are still assholes. Recommended.
5. Pork Pie Hat, by Peter Straub. This is a short book I got from a grab bag from Cemetery Dance Publications. Harlan Ellison once wrote (and I am paraphrasing from memory here) that there is no story that needs to be written beyond short story length (he wrote this in reference to Stephen King, I believe). Pork Pie Hat works as the short work it is, but I actually think it could have been expanded to novel-length, and it would have been a richer work than it already is. Straub is a powerful, controlled writer, and it works well in this book. I read this one day while sitting first in a dentist’s office and then a doctor’s. I recommend the book (as well as Ghost Story, Shadowland, and the Blue Rose Trilogy) and also recommend, if you are a fan of horror, Cemetery Dance Publications.
6. The Talisman, by Stephen King and Peter Straub (re-read; audiobook). I have read this book before, probably five or six times over the last 25 years or so. This time I listened to it on audiobook (as I am doing now with its sequel, Black House), as read by Frank Muller. This book is a quest book. Many characters in the book, as I read it now, come across as one-dimensional, but the book is still very powerful. The book really picks up when Jack finds fellow travelers on his journey, first Wolf, and then Richard (who gets somewhat slighted, coming in after the beloved Wolf). I think Black House is a better work, but The Talisman is better loved. I just discovered today, as I was going to link to his site, that Frank Muller died in 2008 after complications from a 2001 motorcycle accident. Mr. Muller read many books, some of which you can find at Audible. I've only listened to him reading Stephen King books, but I can recommend any of them, especially The Green Mile or The Body. Recommended.
7. Monkey Love, by John Paul Allen. Up until this point I had read six books in January and felt that I could recommend all of them (although I knew that already with The Talisman). This is my first non-recommended. This is also my first “If you see this book, piss on it”. This book (which includes the title novella, as well as a short story) is roughly the same length as Pork Pie Hat. If Straub’s tale could have been expended to novel-length, Allen’s should have, at the very least, been reduced to short story length. Or better, forgotten after a drunken pub crawl. There are way too many words to culminate in what is essentially a misogynistic joke as told by a rejected frat boy. There are chapters wasted on characters who have no purpose except to place a camera. The short story is better. There is still a misogynistic tint to it, but it seems to at least have a purpose. I got this, too, in my Cemetery Dance grab bag, and I am very appreciative that I did not pay money individually for it.
8. Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk, by David Sedaris. Most of the tales in here are humorous. I thought “The Crow and the Lamb” sucked, but that was mainly because I have eye issues (and it includes illustrations). Two of the stories, “The Faithful Setter” and “The Grieving Owl” go beyond mere humor and are just great stories on their own (and unlike many of the other stories, they actually benefit from the characters in them being animals). I recommend the book, and most specifically those two stories.
9. The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr and E. B. White. Re-read. I highly recommend this book for anybody who has to write anything. Ever. Please, please read this. I have read this book roughly once a year for the last decade or so. Read it.
10. The Book of Dead Philosophers, by Simon Critchly. Critchly discusses philosophers, covering some of their theories and also the manner in which each died. Some of them are poignant, some of them are sad, many disgusting. If you didn’t know, some of the Greeks were freaks. One of the most interesting sections was those philosophers of German and Jewish descent who were alive during World War II. Recommend.
11. Columbine, by Dave Cullen. Cullen covers the Columbine High School Massacre, including the lead-up and after-math. It appears that on some occasions Cullen makes guesses, but for the most part this appears to be a well-researched and written book. Cullen appears to attempt to be fair to all participants in his writing, although there are some (including one victim’s father) who do not come out well. At the very least, I wonder what the world would be like if Dylan Klebold had not met Eric Harris. Recommended.
Okay, eleven books down, 139+ to go.
I started Columbine last night, but fell asleep before I got far. I have to keep going back because I get mixed up on which boy is Eric and which is Dylan. Sadly, this is only my second book for the year.