Awhile ago I posted my first 6 month summary where I had knocked 36 books out of the park. Today I went in and updated my recent reading, did a quick count and realized I was exactly at 52 books read, and I'm almost done with 53. Damn, ahead of schedule by a few months (and some cold/wintery locked in my apartment months at that!). I thought I'd have a big "woo-hoo" moment, but it was pretty anti-climactic actually. But since I'm done I wanted to put up the final list. I will probably keep listing them just to see at the end of the year how many I've read.
Quick Numbers:
Books Read: 52
Time: 8 months and 14 days, or 36 weeks (rounded down), or 258 days, or 6,192 hours, or...you get the idea.
Average per week: 1.4
Average per month: 6.1
Graphic Novels: 18, or 35%
July - 5
Wanted. By Mark Millar. Okay so technically I finished this one in June (June 29th to be exact) but I've already posted my first six month summary so this one is getting lumped in with July. It's a graphic novel, one of the set that my dad got my for April/Christmas and we can discuss the fuckedupedness of the fact that my father bought this for me in some other blog. Regardless of that, it's good. It's dark, violent, disturbing, and very very well done. So much darker than the movie it spawned that it makes that version look like something from Disney. The language is at times hard to take when one lives in a world where most of those terms are deemed unusable, but if you can get past it it is worth every page. I want to cut the last page out and frame it but then I'd have to probably stop inviting people over. Oh, and if you are into graphic novels and read this after this post, don't skip to the last page, trust me the wait is so worth it.
Heart of Darkness. By Joseph Conrad. I went on a date with a boy once who indicated this was one of his most favorite books. I no longer wonder why we didn't go out again. It's good, though I feel I missed a lot and will have to read it again as the years go by. I do want to now go watch Apocalypse Now again, I feel I will have a better appreciation of it.
Paula. By Isabel Allende. Heartbreaking. Wonderful. Amazing. I love her works of fiction and this story, a memoir of her daughter who died, was a beautiful look at her own life and the pain of losing a loved one.
The Walking Dead. By Robert Kirkman. Another graphic novel from the post Christmas pack from the dad. Great stuff, I think there are more out there that I might have to go buy now.
On the Job: Behind the stars of the Chicago Police Department. By Daniel P. Smith. Good, felt the history sections dragged a bit and were slightly unfocused at times. The pictures, while interesting, mostly distracted me but I think that is more about my reading habits. Liked the behind the scenes look at the individual officers, does help you remember these are men and women with lives, emotions, and memories each and every day. Still not sure that I trust the Chicago Police scene, but my eyes are a bit more open.
August - 9
Catch 22. By Joseph Heller. I was really skeptical to begin this book, everyone I knew who liked it said it took them a couple of times to get into it. I don't understand why, I was hooked from sentence number one. I loved it. I think everyone should read it.
Interworld. By Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves. One of Gaiman's YA books, actually quite good. Some of the stuff I wondered whether I would of understood it if I was, you know, an actual Young Adult in the literary sense, but none the less as a "adult" I still really liked it.
The Beekeeper's Apprentice. By Laurie King. Quite an interesting mystery actually, and mystery is not my usual thing. Got it from mom awhile back, finally picked it up. First in what looks to be a series around these characters - it's a Sherlock Homes thing, but with a lead female apprentice character, quite good. Never read any Conan Doyle Holmes, so nothing to compare it to.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Long Way Home. Season 8, Vol. 1. Joss Whedon. Oh Buffy. How addicted I am to you. Tore through the show on DVD and got this first volume of the comic that takes up where show ends for my birthday. Love it. Will have to go out and get vol. 2 though that's it till November I think. Hate reading things that are still being produced, but I think I'll try with this one.
Skinny Dip. By Carl Hiaasen. Received on a Friday for my birthday, started on Sunday, finished by Tuesday. Quite an entertaining read. Quick, slightly snarky, modern mystery feel to it. Except it's not a mystery, because you really know what's going on the whole time, so I guess mystery is the wrong word. Good stuff, will probably check out his other stuff.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: No Future for You. Season 8, Vol. 2. By Joss Whedon. Starting to lose a bit of the appeal but still am enjoying it. Sucks that I have to wait till November for the next installment but then I guess I will just re-read these first two so it won't be too bad.
Three cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time. By Greg Mortenson. Go out and read this book. Stop what you're doing, stop what you're reading. It's that good. I went out as soon as I was done and ordered a copy for my mom (and if you order through their site a percentage goes to them) and now she is loving it. It's a true story of one guys random mission to educate the girls of Pakistan and it's a beautiful story.
Walking Dead; Vol. 2-4. By Robert Kirkman. Still absolutely loving this series. It's a great look at what happens to people when faced with an entirely new way of life. The zombies, while entertaining, are just a back drop to the story which I think is one of the things I really like about it. From the Amazon description
..."An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe, causing the dead
to rise and feed on the living. In a matter of months, society has crumbled:
There is no government, no grocery stores, no mail delivery, no cable TV. Rick
Grimes finds himself one of the few survivors in this terrifying future. A
couple months ago he was a small town cop who had never fired a shot and only
ever saw one dead body. Separated from his family, he must now sort through all
the death and confusion to try and find his wife and son. In a world ruled by
the dead, we are forced to finally begin living. "
September: 2
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