Somehow I rarely managed to review books last year, and although I thought of doing a book review of the last one or two read in December, I instead opted to just start fresh with the new year. In early July I posted a list of the books I read in the first six months of the year, and I shall finish out now with books read in the final six months of 2010, with a few comments in lieu of reviews, as in the previous post, and links to the very few reviews.
31. Robert Ludlum, The Paris Option
32. John McPhee, Assembling California
33. David Byrne, Bicycle Diaries
34. Sue Grafton, B is for Burglar
35. Lee Child, Tripwire
36. David McCullough, John Adams
37. Arthur Krystal, A Company of Readers
38. Anna Quindlen, Every Last One
39. James Hollis, The Middle Passage (not a review as it was written when I was only partially through the book)
40. Jacqueline Novogratz, The Blue Sweater (thought provoking)
41. Allegra Goodman, The Cookbook Collector
42. David Cullen, Columbine (riviting, well written, disturbing and ultimately heartbreaking)
43. Peter Murphy, John the Revelator
44. Abigail Thomas, A Three Dog Life (hit surprisingly close to home in ways I did not expect).
45. Laura Munson, This is Not the Story You Think It Is
46. Kate Christensen, The Epicure's Lament (compelling. Spot on humor and good writing)
47. Clara Parkes, The Knitter's Book of Wool
48. Barbara Sher, I Could Do Anything if I Only Knew What It Was
49. Sam Wasson, Fifth Avenue, 5 AM (entertaining fluff but a let-down)
50. Tonya Plank, Swallow
51. Barbara Sher, Refuse to Choose (really helped me)
52. Betty Fussell, My Kitchen Wars (Fussell's journalistic prose is not up to the story, but her repetition of pat phrases really managed to capture something of the age and milieu)
53. Leslie Chang, Factory Girls. (eye-opening)
54. Christos Tsiolkas, The Slap. (interesting, well-written novel, mostly unlikeable characters who in the end have to decide what they want in life and where they wish to draw the line)
55. Marie Bostwick, A Thread So Thin
56. Dominique Browning, Slow Love
57. Margaux Tartarotti, The Fine Art of Dressing
58. Helen Garner, The Spare Room (unsentimental and beautiful novel about friendship and death)
59. Annie Dillard, The Maytrees (poetic. I need to read this again to truly form an opinion. It may be groundbreaking; it may be merely difficult, I remain uncertain as to my reaction as I was not focused enough when I read it. Dillard has an amazing talent for putting abstract feelings and those fleeting moments of emotional clarity into words)
60. Janie Bryant, The Fashion File
61. Elizabeth George, This Body of Death (very satisfying)
In the future I will subject you to only one master list, but also to more frequent reviews.
Comments
6 responses to “2010 Reading List, Part 2”
I look forward to your reviews this year Mardel.
I’m rereading most of the books I read during cancer and the after year or two. It’s new again, I don’t remember much of anything.
Oh, and yeah, the Annie Dillard works I’ve read always required repeat readings. I think her sometimes obtuse style is a part of how she brings those emotional intensities to life in us. I think I decided that I just needed to drink the kool aide
I’ll have to come back with a more considered comment about your last few posts and also spend more time perusing your reading list, gleaning titles for my own list — but I’m packing up for an early morning flight and running out of time. Wanted to stop by, though, to tell you how delightful it was to find 16 comments in my mailbox from you playing catch-up with my blog — I have to admit I laughed out loud with pleasure on realizing what was going on. Thanks for taking the time to comment on each and every blogpost — it’s so very appreciated, friend.
“The Maytrees” is in my top all time book list. It is not conventional in style or plot, and it has never left me.
Recently heard James Hollis lecture, terrific evening. Just finished his “The Eden Project”about relationships and will read “The Middle Passage” next.
Recently read “Great House” by Nicole Kraus and Bolano’s “2666”.
Thank you too for your comments!
Duchesse, Parts of The Maytrees still circulate through my mind and I am very intrigued by the form Annie Dillard used to convey the story. I think it is probably quite remarkable. Generally, I think needing or wanting to read a book again is a good sign. I also recognize that this was not perhaps the best time to pick up this rather reflective novel, during a time of much business and distraction in my life. The form perhaps requiring more attention that I was able to give.
James Hollis was new to me and I am now very intrigued. I would like to read more and will add The Eden Project to my list. 2666 is on my list for this coming year. Well, it was on my list for last year but I didn’t get to it.
Mater, hope you are having a lovely and warm trip.
Mary Beth, I do think that the desire and need for rereading is generally a good characteristic in a book. I’ve only read one other book by Dillard, and in retrospect, I needed to reread it as well.