AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT….
Posted on: January 5, 2013
I did a lot of reading this year. You will note that my “tastes” run all over the place.
Due in large part to the stupefying election coverage that wavered between absolute stupidity and unchallenged lies, the need to “escape” was paramount to maintaining a degree of sanity that could only be found in losing myself in good book.
For no other reason I have compiled a list of those books that captured my imagination and offered hours of pleasure apart from the “noise” of pols and pundits who crowded the airwaves with a “whole lot of nothing”.
Novels:
1. The Middlesteins by Jami Attenberg
2. Dear Life: Stories by Alice Munro
3. Back to Blood by Tom Wolfe
4. The Child’s Child by Ruth Rendell (writing as Barbara Vine)
5. A Perfectly Good Family by Lionel Shriver
6. Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks
7. The Light Between Oceans by ML Stedman
8. The Watch by Joydeep Roy-Bhattacha
9. The Playdate by Louise Millar
10. The Racketeer by John Gresham
11. The Lighthouse by Alison Moore
12. The St. Zita Society by Ruth Rendell
13. Faith: A Novel by Jennifer Haigh
14. Alys, Always by Harriet Lane
15. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
16. A Friend of the Family by Lauren Grodstein
17. Annie Dunne by Sebastian Barry
18. Mission Flats by William Landay
19. We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
20. The Entire Insp. Banks Series by Peter Robinson
Memoirs:
1. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
2. In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson
3. Girl Walks Into a Bar by Rachel Dratch
4. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua
5. Unraveling Anne by Laurel Saville
Politics:
1. The Oath by Jeffrey Toobin
2. It’s Even Worse Than it Looks by Thomas Mann and Norm Ornstein
3. The Price of Politics by Bob Woodward
4. Drift by Rachel Maddow
5. Idiot America by Charles P. Pierce
6. The Obamas by Jodi Kantor
7. The New Deal by Michael Grunwald
Bios:
1. Hello Gorgeous by Wm. J. Mann (Barbara Streisand)
2. Untouchable by Randall Sullivan (Michael Jackson)
Having a Kindle has increased my reading habits for some reason. With almost immediate access to any book out there, plus having more time on my hands when I could be doing something more “productive”, makes it possible to go through a book or two weekly as a defense against the “reality” of watching the nation disintegrate under the current leadership.
Being a member of a monthly Book Club adds to the interest as we all make contributions for selecting a book that appeals to the group for discussion. Most of the time we manage to hit a “home run”. Occasionally we “strike out”.
Reading is and always has been my “escape”. It may be that I will find myself “escaping” more this next year judging from the mess in congress that seems to be offering more of the same.
Whatever. I have my Kindle and Amazon has my number.
It’s as good as it gets.
7 Responses to "AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT…."
January 5, 2013 at 12:12 pm
For me the book addressed both sides of the parental spectrum: the overachieving Mom v the “you are perfect in every respect” Mom that is basically American.
The Chinese Mom had some good points but some of her issues were rather severe in dealing with the two girls. One seemed to have adapted while the other rebelled.
It was a good read, offering insight into how another culture approaches parenting but I think in some instances Chua went a little too far as you pointed out. There should be a “happy medium” in raising kids but damned if I know where it begins.
January 5, 2013 at 2:13 pm
Pat I’m almost embarrassed of myself by the number of books you’ve read in a year. I used to be a voracious reader and somehow a number of years back, I got away from it. I think part of that was due to this little device I’m on now taking up so much of the “free time” I had. There are only “x” number of hours a day and when you spend so many of them on this thing, something will be put aside.
Oh and Pat, you have email when you can check it.
January 5, 2013 at 2:13 pm
Wow — what a list! I’m sure Amazon is quite happy with your Kindle purchase.
There are lots of good suggestions, thanks for the list.
Don’t you love Laura Hillenbrand’s writing style — so easy and fluid. While I’m also a fan of Jeffrey Toobin’s books, don’t you get the feeling as you are reading you could be arrested up for voyeurism?
January 5, 2013 at 2:19 pm
Prolix, the only thing I can offer as one who has never had the opportuntity to travel, I feel as if I have been all over the world in my imagination from reading oh these many years.
January 5, 2013 at 2:50 pm
Pat, with complete confidence, I would put your travel recommendations up against anything Fodor has to offer any day of the week.
January 5, 2013 at 2:59 pm
I got my Kindle a few years back and it has absolutely increased my reading. Whereas I used to listen to music on the subway (at least 1 hour travel to work, and then back again), after I got my Kindle I have done nothing but read during my commute. I think I have something like 400 unread (unread!) books on my Kindle, and I’m constantly adding more. Amazon’s daily deals (books for 1.99 on average) have some a-list titles on there. So the to be read list keeps growing.
Yesterday I finished Hilary Mantell’s “Wolf Hall.” It’s a historical novel, primarily about Thomas Cromwell’s rise to power in Henry VIII’s court. Cromwell comes across as extremely sympathetic, Henry as unpredictable, the Boleyn’s don’t come across as very nice at all. It is the first installment in a trilogy. The second book (already published) is about Anne Boleyn’s downfall. And the third book will be about Cromwell’s downfall. The story is, of course, fascinating and Mantell’s perspective on these historical people is somewhat unique. (Usually Anne Boleyn is the sympathetic one; not here!) I found Mantell’s writing to be a bit challenging and she can be annoyingly cute. But it’s a fascinating take on an old tale.
Can’t decide what to read next!
Comments are closed.
January 5, 2013 at 10:32 am
Hi Pat. I was wondering what you thought of “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother”. It was published, amidst much controversy, when my granddaughter was six months old. My daughter and I had some disucssions about it. My daughter, who was married to a Chinese Singaporean for seven years and lived with Chinese behavioral norms, understood the underlying values of long work hours and collectiveness, centered in the family, over our American individualism. Those parts have value and perhaps we could take a lesson from the Chinese in that respect.
I do think Chua crossed the line in making her three year old sit at the piano without supper until she played a scale correctly, and certain other episodes of that type. It reminded me of parochial school and the nuns.