January Reading

So much for updating "soon." Oh well. During January I read:

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Continuing on my mission to read every work by Jane Austen, I read Northanger Abbey, the shortest of the author's novels. Overall, NA was enjoyable. More of a mystery/gothic novel than Austen's usual romantic fare, this novel provided a bit more plot than the author's other books. Following this trend, the characters were also more melodramatic, less realistic than the characters from P&P or S&S (though not including Lydia Bennett, of course). The villainous scoundrels, Isabella and John Thorpe, were very aggravating indeed. Tinley is the type-cast hero, and Catherine is a good-enough heroine. The first half of the novel reads like a typical Austen romance with chance encounters and misunderstandings between our protagonists, and we do not arrive at the eponymous Northanger Abbey until halfway through the narrative. There the romance is subverted by mischief of a more gothic kind, including secret murders. In the end, of course, everything is put right, as is always expected in an Austen novel. NA was a very short and engaging read. It definitely tops Persuasion (what doesn't?), and for me, probably ties with Sense and Sensibility. Number 1 on my 2011 Free Choice Reading Challenge! (But probably the last one for a while)

Philosophy of Technology by Val Dusek

Read this for my class on human enhancement and bioethics. A good introduction to the history of philosophy of technology/science, which fits right into my interests in science fiction studies. A very good primer on the subject.

A Practical Companion to Ethics by Anthony Weston

Also read for my bioethics class. Not so much a history of ethics as an overview of the current state of things. For me, it was too didactic and relied to heavily on religious traditions and texts. Although, it did include a very nice chapter on creative problem solving. I wasn't quite sure how it fit in with the rest, but that chapter at least was applicable to my life.

Into the Unknown by Robert Philmus (which I can't find a picture for)

Read this as part of my independent research on the emergence of science fiction. It started off as very informative, with an analysis of early SF's links to utopian and satire writing. Then, however, it digressed to definitions of the field as well as close readings of certain texts. In the end, it was marginally helpful, but it wasn't really what I was looking for.

2010 Wrap Up

I know I'm really bad at updating. Sorry about that.

So, first of all: I completed my 2010 Challenge to read 20 books of my choice. Hooray!! But, I never finished my Harry Potter Reread Mini Challenge. I reread books 1-5, but haven't yet gotten to the 6th and 7th. I will read them before the last movie though. In the last few months, I've read:

Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

My goodness, this book was long. Heinously long. I'm sorry I made my book club read it. Seriously, you need quite a lot of stamina to get through this one. It is a perfect example of those "loose, baggy monsters" of Victorian fiction.

Regardless of its frequent tedium and digressions on contemporary politics, I enjoyed this book well enough. Thackeray can be very funny when he wants to be. Once the plot finally appeared, it kept me entertained. I loved Rawdon and Rawdon Jr. of course. I adored Dobbin, if only because in the BBC adaptation, he is played by Philip Glenister of Gene Hunt-fame. If only this book was 200 pages shorter, I could have enjoyed it a lot more.

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

This YA book came highly recommended from a friend, so I hate to say that it disappointed me. It could have been amazing, a little bit steampunky, a little bit urban fairytale, but instead it was just regular old YA fantasy trash. Rehashed tropes all over the place without innovative writing to help it along. It's the first piece in a series, but I won't be reading the rest of them.

The Difference Machine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling

Another book which I expected to blow my mind, but just left me kind of unsatisfied. I really don't like this trend. As the "definitive" steampunk novel, I was expecting a lot from this book. However, the steampunk aspect was the only good part of the novel, and even that was only half-way decent. I would have liked more description on all the steam-powered technology, but as the book that began the whole genre, I can let it slide.

However, the rest of the book was just too frustrating. The characters were boring, even though one was a prostitute and the other was an archaeologist, and I found myself struggling to care about anything that was happening to them. In addition, the plot just never really took off, and I still don't really understand what went on. There were just too many loose ends that were never tied up. And the big revelation at the end was a huge let down, especially since this book was structured as a mystery story. I was expecting something much bigger and significantly more exciting. In the end, this book was a let down, and I hate it when a book leaves me feeling that way.

So that's all for the 2010 wrap up. What are my resolutions for 2011? I'm going to repeat my free choice challenge, though maybe I'll up it to 21 books. I also want to blog a lot more. I've forgotten half the books I read this year, and that was the whole point of this blog. So I promise: I will update soon!

June Reading

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Read this for book club. So many people have praised it, it's won numerous awards, but for me, it was a total dud. Mostly boring, extremely pedantic (even the Bible doesn't have preface that says, "This story will make you believe in God"!), and unsatisfying. Martel is a wonderful writer who can create beautiful, evocative passages, which just makes this book even more disappointing. Martel's lyrical and descriptive writing style was tainted by the story and message of this novel. Number 12 on my challenge.

Unnatural History by Jonathan Green

I bought this book because it seemed like an awesome steampunk book that had everything I wanted: a 150 year old Queen Victoria kept alive by steam power, dinosaurs on display at the London Zoo, world-wide worship of Charles Darwin. Too bad the writing was deplorable. Cliche phrases EVERYWHERE, oddly choreographed fight scenes, long, boring descriptive passage about men's clothing. If the writing had been better, I would have LOVED this book. Too bad it wasn't. Number 13 on my challenge.



Mini Challenge - Harry Potter Reread
In two weeks, I will be in Orlando, Florida, standing inside the Hogwarts Castle, shaking and crying as all my dreams come true. To prepare for this life-culminating experience, I have rewatched all the Harry Potter movies and am now working my way through the book series. I've got until July 15 to reread the whole series. One book down already, and I'm halfway through HP&CoS. Look for new posts about this mini challenge.

What I've Read Since March

In other words, I'm really bad at updating, and now I'm making up for it with one giant post.

Everything Is Miscellaneous by David Weinberger
A really interesting study on the effect of digital storage on our perceptions about reality. Also taught me everything I'd ever need to know about bar codes.

Rumo and His Miraculous Adventures by Walter Moers
Number 6 on my challenge. Another wonderful book from Walter Moers, although this one was very different from The City of Dreaming Books. The beginning was a bit slow, but once the action started, it didn't stop. This was a true action-packed adventure story filled with sword fights, monsters that are born from blood, and evil mechanical villains. Moers is really successful at crafting characters that creep into your heart without you realizing it. Rumo, though he says little and kills a lot, turns out to be quite a lovable character. I've got another Moers book sitting on my shelf, waiting to be read.


The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut
Read for book club, but I'm still going to count it as #7 on my challenge. My first Vonnegut, and it was highly recommended, but I still have mixed feelings about this book. There were parts that I loved, but I had some problems with Vonnegut's writing style. It didn't leave me exhilarated, but overall, it was mostly enjoyable. I'm not itching to pick up another Vonnegut book in the near future though.

The Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan
These count as numbers 8-11 on my challenge. I read the first book in the series (The Lightning Thief) a couple months ago. I enjoyed the book enough to read the rest of the series this summer, and I'm glad I did. The second book (The Sea of Monsters) had some of the same problems that the first one did--a bit slow and predictable--but the last three were very fun. Really excited, more complicated, but still filled with all those modernized mythical characters that made the first book funny and entertaining. These books were really quick reads (I'm talking 2-3 hours each). I'd recommend them for both older children and adults.

Massive Update, aka Vacation = Reading

Oh, I so fail on updating.

Drift and Mastery by Walter Lippmann

We're all adrift in the churning sea of modernity, blah blah blah, more "Lost Generation" bullshit.

When America Was Great by Kevin Mattson

America was once great. Now it is not. You have the conservatives to thank for that. True facts.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Number 3 on my reading challenge. Overall, it was pretty enjoyable. It's not the "new Harry Potter" as everyone is touting it to be (I don't think anything ever will be.), but it was still a fun read. The characters were interesting, especially the "mythical" ones, and the plot was exciting. The writing wasn't very sophisticated, but hey, it was written for 11 year old boys. I also felt like it was too predictable; the plot twists weren't really surprises at all (at least, not for me). And I don't buy the argument that "it's a children's book." There's no reason why a book written for a young demographic can't be innovative and well-written. I most enjoyed Riordan's imaginative and modern rethinking of the gods and the things associated with them, especially Hades. The Lightning Thief was fun and light, so I plan on reading the rest of the series too.

Bonus critique: The movie sucked balls. I have no idea who wrote the script, but I know that they were on crack when they did so. Every element of the book was changed, even things as basic as the characters and the entire plot. It was a ridiculous, embarrassing adaptation. Although, I will say that the younger actors did well with what they had. I hope Riordan kicked the movie studio's ass.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Number 4 on my challenge. This novel is sheer, beautiful genius. It is well-praised and frequently-purchased for a reason. It is heartbreaking, terrifying, and thought-provoking all at once. McCarthy's prose feels more like poetry, and some passage just hit you in the gut, like this one: "Borrowed time and borrowed world and borrowed eyes with which to sorrow it."

Some people might be put off by the lack of "context" or an explanation about what freaking happened to the world and why people are eating each other. For me, however, it just added to the desolate mood of the whole novel. Since the characters have no future, they have no real past either, and even their present is a mere paltry sham of existence.

I embarrassed myself by reading the end of this novel in public. The guy in the airplane seat next to me was pretty freaked out when I almost started crying. I recommend this book to everyone, seriously--everyone. It is that good.

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters

Number 5 for my challenge. It's no secret that I LOVED Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I thought I would be equally pleased by the latest Quirk Classic, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. But it was not to be so.

Certainly, part of the reason I liked this less that P&P&Z is because I prefer the original Pride and Prejudice to the original Sense and Sensibility. However, I felt like Winters' adaptation went too far. P&P&Z was most definitely a Jane Austen novel with zombies plopped in, but Winters changed so many things about the original text that at times, it was unrecognizable as a work of Austen. Instead of being Jane Austen with some sea monsters thrown in, it became the Ben H. Winters' novel of sea monsters, pirates, island natives, and undersea adventures with a dash of Jane Austen thrown in.

I also feel like Seth Graeme-Smith had a much better understanding and appreciation of Austen's original work and characters than Winters. I mentioned in this blog post that the alterations in P&P&Z feel natural because Graeme-Smith has such a good grasp of the characters. That is definitely not the case with S&S&SM.

I really wish that this book turned out better, but I still intend to continue reading Quirk Classics. Dawn of the Dreadfuls looks awesome, and Android Karenina is supposed to be filled with steampunk. Yay!

Some more Liberalism, Homo Ludens, and Candide

Oh, man. Lots of stuff since I last updated.

Candide by Voltaire

Number two on my Reading For Fun Challenge. Short, witty, and pretty dirty if you squint the right way. Although it's sharp satirical edge has been blunted by the passage of time and subsequent changes in society, its central message still holds true: Stop complaining and do something about it! Maybe more people today should quit whining and read this book. Oh, if only El Dorado was a real place, I'd pack my bags today.

Critical Americans by Leslie Butler

Glaring oversights. Far too long for too little discussion. Apparently economic matters didn't concern Civil War-era liberal reformers.

Homo Ludens by J. Huizinga

Every aspect of our society is derived from play, even (especially) our law system. Huizinga's work is insightful, especially the opening chapters. His argument was radical about fifty years ago, but it is fairly integrated into our cultural mindset today. Still, its worth a quick look.

The Age of Reform by Richard Hofstadter

This well-known work details the various reform movements from the post-Civil War Era to the New Deal. I'm so not a historian, but his arguments seemed well-founded. A fairly easy read, considering it is basically a history textbook from the 1950's. I would have like more information about the New Deal. And man, do I hate Populists now.

Two Books on the American Revolution and Liberalism

I read the first book (with an enormously long title) for a class on the history
of liberalism. Joyce Appleby’s Liberalism and Republicanism in the Historical
Imagination (see, told you the title is long) was rather bland, and not a good place to start if you are just trying the get the basics about the historical ideological beginnings of liberalism and the American Revolution (which I was). It was not very coherent at all; it was more like a bunch of essays thrown together than a cohesive study. However, the analysis is well founded and easily readable.

I also read Steven M. Dworetz’s The Unvarnished Doctrine for the same class, and it was leaps and bounds above the Appleby book. This is such a weird thing to say, but it is a wonderfully edited book. A single line of coherency and consistency runs through every chapter, linking them together. I had no doubts about the overall argument of the entire work. The chapter on methodology was really interesting; I always enjoy seeing someone else’s research process, especially in a field I’m not familiar with, like history. This book is well written, and although it really focuses on the influence of Locke on the American Revolution, I feel like it also gives a well-rounded account of other ideological inspirations.