Control Group ([info]control_group) wrote,
@ 2006-06-26 08:23:00
Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
"Book 'im, Danno" -or- "Totalling 3.06E-6 Libraries Of Congress"

This is the wrong time of year for this, I know, but I claim three extenuating circumstances:

  1. [info]bzoppa reminded me of it
  2. I have my list at work, and I can't guarantee it won't be left on/in/around my desk when I leave
  3. I feel like it

That being said, I proffer my list of books read so far this year. I went into the year shooting for 50, because that seems to be the going target number. I have since had to revise that to "50 books I haven't read previously." Anyway, as last year, I present two lists—one of the rereads, and one of the new reads. Here goes nothing.

The first timers

  • The Baroque Cycle - Neal Stephenson
    • System Of the World
  • Honor Harrington Series - David Weber
    • At All Costs
  • Ghost - John Ringo
  • The Council Wars - John Ringo
    • There Will Be Dragons
    • Emerald Sea
    • Against the Tide
    • East Of the Sun, West Of the Moon
  • Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman
  • Freakonomics - Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner
  • The Universe and the Teacup - K.C. Cole
  • Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell - Susanna Clarke
  • Lord Of the Isles - David Drake
    • Lord Of the Isles
    • Queen Of Demons
    • Servant Of the Dragon
    • Mistress Of the Catacombs
    • Goddess Of the Ice Realm
    • Master Of the Cauldron
    • The Fortress Of Glass
  • Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman - Dr. Richard Feynman
  • The Regiment Trilogy - John Dalmas
    • The Regiment
    • White Regiment
    • The Regiment's War
  • The Belisarius Saga - David Drake & Eric Flint
    • The Dance Of Time
  • Lt. Leary - David Drake
    • The Way To Glory
    • Some Golden Harbor
  • Redliners - David Drake
  • The Sword Of Truth - Terry Goodkind
    • Chainfire
  • Word vs. Void - Terry Brooks
    • Running With the Demon
    • A Knight Of the Word
    • Angel Fire East
  • Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn - Tad Williams
    • The Dragonbone Chair
    • The Stone Of Farewell

The rereads

  • Cryptonomicon - Neal Stephenson
  • Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson
  • Legacy Of the Alldenata - John Ringo
    • A Hymn Before Battle
    • Gust Front
    • Dancing With the Devil
    • Hell's Faire
  • Honor Harrington Series - David Weber
    • On Basilisk Station
  • Dahak Series - David Weber
    • Mutineer's Moon
  • The Apocalypse Troll - David Weber
  • The Lion Of Farside - John Dalmas
  • Assiti Shards - Eric Flint
    • 1632
    • 1633
  • The Belisarius Saga - David Drake & Eric Flint
    • An Oblique Approach
    • In the Heart Of Darkness
    • Destiny's Shield
    • Fortune's Stroke
    • The Tide Of Victory
  • Lt. Leary - David Drake
    • With the Lightnings
    • Lt. Leary, Commanding
    • The Far Side Of the Stars
  • Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman
  • Saga Of Recluce - L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
    • The Magic Of Recluce
    • The Death Of Chaos

So there you have it. The thirty-two on the former list count towards my total; the twenty-three on the latter do not. Some I would recommend to some of you, some I would recommend to all of you, some I wouldn't recommend if you paid me.

OK, that was a lie: if someone were willing to pay me, I'd probably recommend Mike Jeffries' Shadowlight trilogy—and those are the books that convinced me I should take up writing (if that rambling, inconsistent, nonsensical, trite, banal, poorly-written, ill-conceived crap can get published, I refuse to believe that I can't).


(Post a new comment)


[info]bzoppa
2006-06-26 02:10 pm UTC (link)
That's a pretty list. I think I'll try and adopt that format next time. I suspect the formatting is hella easier than my use of blockquotes.

And... Okay, you've nearly beaten me in 6 months, what I read in one year. Granted, it was kind of a crappy year in terms of reading, I really slacked for a lot of time on end. Even I was disappointed with my final number.

Also, I'm not the only one who nearly exclusively reads only fantasy/scifi. Excellent.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]control_group
2006-06-26 02:22 pm UTC (link)
You're not the only one by a long shot.

There are three non-fiction books on that list, and I'm proud of that number. That makes a total of four non-fiction works I've read in the last...five years, I think (Godel, Escher, Bach being the other). This is not exactly tearing up the pages of your local library, you know?

But I stopped being apologetic for that a long time ago. I'll read what I want to read, darn it. Anyone who criticizes me for not reading enough "serious" work can suck me sideways, then lose to me at Trivial Pursuit.

Not that I've got some kind of inferiority complex, or anything. ;)

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

[info]bzoppa
2006-06-26 02:26 pm UTC (link)
I actually hope to put a couple more "off the beaten path" ones in this year... but like you, I'm no longer going to be apologetic about it.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]iheartschnickle
2006-06-27 03:39 pm UTC (link)
Hi, I'm friends with [info]bzoppa. What did you think of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell? I read a great review of it so I bought it for [info]bzoppa, but she couldn't get in to it. If you like it, maybe I'll add it to my Summer Reading List and borrow it from her.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]control_group
2006-06-29 03:07 pm UTC (link)
I give it a resounding "so-so." Great concept, and right up my alley (what I refer to as contemporary fantasy: see Tim Powers, Shadowrun). Writing style, though, was only "meh." I know what she was going for, and she achieved it (to her credit), but that particular Victorian-esque approach isn't my cup of tea.

I can certainly understand, then, why someone could easily just not get into it. On the other hand, if the writing style isn't a problem for you, it's definitely worth reading.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]chairtomorrow
2006-07-27 05:30 am UTC (link)
Check this out...it seems that I will bne photographed for this book, and he told me to pass the info along.

http://www.armedamerica.org/

(Reply to this)

Create an Account
Forgot your login or password?
Login w/ OpenID
English • Español • Deutsch • Русский…