Bookish

I read a lot. Like a lot, alot. I had slowed down somewhat over the course of college but I've sincerely picked up the pace since summer started. Especially in the last 2 weeks. And since this is my blog I get to write whatever boring things I want, I'm compiling a list of the books I've read since the first of this month and a few comments on them.

I'm very willfull, making you read about books that I've read. It could be worse though, I could be doing more movie reviews. And I'm the worst movie reviewer in the history of the world (see: each of my previous attempts, all of which seem to contain the phrase "I liked it a lot."). So as it turns out, you should be thanking me for this. Rationalization is an awesome power, in my hands.

Song of Susannah (Dark Tower Book 6) by Stephen King
I am completely addicted to pulpy Steven King books and this series is the best example by far. I read all 5 before this one slowly and leasuirely over the course of 8 months, just loving how immersed I felt in the whole thing. I tore through this book in literally 3 days, reading over 350 pages in one Sunday. I'm not sure I agree with the whole meta let-me-insert-myself-into-my-work thing, but it worked pretty well. I just finally rationalized it enough to buy the seventh book, but it's on hold until I get through my current read. It's taking all of my will power, believe me.

The Lost World by Michael Crichton
I've read this many times, but I saw part of the movie on TV about a month ago and had to get the bad taste out of my mouth by reading the book again. Just like the one above, nothing satisfies like good old fashion trashy popular fiction. And I love all the evolutionary/extinction discussions in it. They're so delightfully dumbed down, I feel very superior to all the fictional characters.

Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
In terms of direct enjoyment, I may love this book more than any other. Yes, it is far too long, and yes some of the main characters are boring as all hell, and yes there are parts that I really feel compelled to just skim through, but seriously, there are sections that I love beyond all reason. How to eat Cap'n Crunch cereal? Sexual frustration as a linear equation? Inheritance items strewn across a parking lot as a function of value vs sentiment? Okay, maybe I'm just a math geek, but yeah, LOVE. I pretty much am continually reading this at all times.

The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
Had never read any of these books (it's a sci fi series about Discworld, which is exactly what it sounds like) but I got a copy for 50 cents back home and had heard good things. It was surprisingly excellent, just the right kind of funny for me. I haven't gone on to make the plunge into the rest of the series just because there are something like 37 more books. But I'll eventually get around to them.

Boy Culture by Matthew Rettenmund
We've already covered that I'm a whore for popular trashy fiction, but sadly it doesn't end there. I'm truly a whore for trashy gay-themed fiction. I read this book in under 24 hours (from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday). It's not a great read by any stretch but it sated my apetite for a couple of days. I mean, I understand autobiographic style rarely should go well, but in the end it's hopeful that you might like even one of the characters. Not so much in this book. Definitely not one for characterization junkies. Oh well.

Seventh Son / Ender's Game / First Meetings by Orson Scott Card
If there is such a thing as my favorite author, Card wins, hands down. (That sounds like a pun, but I don't think it is.) For some completely unknown reason, if I start reading an Orson Scott Card book, I cannot stop until I finish, often forgoing sleeping, eating, and watching TV to get through it. I've seriously read Ender's Game at least 10 times and that's an incredibly conservative estimate. I love how well Card can create characters you absolutely must root for and love in just a few short sentences. And by the time you've invested an entire book in them, you feel sad to see them go. He's not so great on plot, but perfect on writing characters and perfect dialogue. I read Ender's Game over 2 lunches last week when I forgot my current book at home (for some reason I have a copy in the truck of malfunction), I knocked out First Meetings during commercials of football games on Saturday, and read all of Seventh Son while waiting for my beer serving adventure at Texas Stadium to begin and end (there was a lot of waiting around going on). I do enjoy Seventh Son but the entire Alvin Maker series is my least favorite of Card's. Alternate histories are awesome (see the next entry) but some of the completely impractical elements sort of slow down the story for me. Not that it isn't completely awesome.

Okay, I've wasted a lot of time here and there's still more books to go, so I'll forgo them all except the one I'm currently on.

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel by Susanna Clarke
An alternate history of England, wherein there was a dedicated practice of English Magic. It's a strange premise, but if there's something I can't pass up it is a fully realized world, in any form. I love the Harry Potter books and can read through them all in a week and be ready to read them all again in a day, not necessarily for the prose or the story, but for the complete sense of atmosphere they create. I have the same thing with the Lord of The Rings series, only I draw out the experience as long as possible. I usually take at least a month to get through all six books, just because they're so comfortable and easy to pick up and read and set down and go on.

All that blathering just to say that I've been reading JS&MN for almost a month already and am barely halfway through. I really like it and it's possibly the first book that I've not felt the need to get through quickly. It's an excellent mix of history, funny, and interesting. Something everyone should read. I'm sure I'll have more to say once I actually get around to finishing it. Ath this rate, it'll be sometime next year.

Wow. Let's just look back and realize that I am a huge dork. And that wasn't even all the books. Crap. In contrast to the last post, we'll try and pick up the excitement factor next time.