Book list 2004
Jan. 4th, 2004 08:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sageandseaThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain, 288 pgs
Decided to start off the new year with a classic that I hadn't ever read. A good choice!
Odd Girls & Twilight Lovers: A History of Lesbian Life in Twentieth-Century America, Lillian Faderman, 361 pgs
This was a hold-over from 2003; interesting scholarly work with a lot of emphasis on the Lesbian Nation/'70s movements. I'd have prefered to read more about the 40s/50s, but can get that other places.
Return to the Secret Garden, Susan Moody, 426 pgs.
The cover says "For everyone who grew up loving Mary, Dickon, and Colin...". I'd complete that by saying "...don't read this!". Unless, of course, you'd like your rememberance to be tainted by war, classism, a smattering of homophobia, and tortured romantic hearts. Bah.
The Water Babies, Charles Kingsley, 222 pgs.
I wish this were the unabridged version; I'm sure the references to "naughty Americans" would have been very funny. I haven't read this since I was six, so it was fun to read again from a different perspective.
P-Town Summer, Lisa Stocker, 276 pgs.
Lesbian soap opera. Nothing I'd read again, and certainly not an author I'm going to track down more books by.
Neverwhere, Neil Gaiman, 388 pgs.
I've tried to read this book at least 3 times now, and for some reason each time I set it aside ~ until now. This round, I was absolutely enchanted.
The Big Picture, A. Whitney Brown, 180 pgs.
This is a hold-over from last year. Dated essays; funny, but A. Whitney is funnier on SNL.
A Little Fear, Patricia Wrightson, 110 pgs.
A wonderful Young Adult book, pitting an old woman and a dog against a land-spirit in Australia. Yay for feisty old women!
Last Things, Jenny Offill, 264 pgs.
The last year of Grace Davitt's childhood. Disturbing, but good.
Running Out of Time, Margaret Peterson Haddix, 184 pgs.
Another YA title. What would happen if the people in a historical re-enactment village didn't know it was a re-enactment? What are the moral implications of genetic experimentation?
Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury, 190 pgs.
Another classic I hadn't read - lots of other Bradbury, Dandelion Wine is a old favorite, but not this. It's the 2004 book for Everybody Reads.
Creepy prescience on RB's part. The issues of censorship (via the people AND the government), television and sensory overload, and post-9/11 "why does everyone hate us" are all here. Definitely timely.
I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, Joanne Greenburg, 256 pages.
I read this when I was much much younger, probably 12 or so, so it barely counts as a re-read. I've noticed that a lot of books on my to-read pile and in this year's list so far have an underlying theme of sanity/insanity. Interesting.
The Lastborn of Elvinwood, Linda Haldeman, 224 pgs.
This has been on my to-read shelf for at least a year, picked up at a garage sale or something; I remembered the title from a recommendation off Tamson House. I wish I had read it sooner! I wish I had been reading it since I was young, I like it so much (if that makes any sense). Definitely a keeper and re-reader.
Dead Until Dark and Club Dead, Charlaine Harris, 260 & 258 pgs.
I skipped the second book because we haven't bought it yet, but it didn't seem to make a terrible difference in keeeping track. With this cold, this was just what I needed; light, fluffy vampire mystery/romance. No thinking required. If mom were alive, I'd send these to her - she just loved Bubba, and I think it would tickle her.
Witchdame, Kathleen Sky, 323 pgs.
More fantasy...yeah, I'll read something serious soon when I'm more able to concentrate.
Jade, Sally Watson, 270 pgs.
Another YA, this time about an untraditional girl who ends up pirating with Anne Bonney and Mary Read. Fun.
Tam Lin, Pamela Dean, 468 pages.
I know this is a favorite of a number of people...and I really wanted to like it. Unfortunately, I found myself waiting and waiting for the story, which didn't unfold until the last 50 or so pages; the rest was taken up with a lyrical description of college life. Since I never went to college, and I'm woefully unread of Classics, I felt my lack keenly here.
Let's Face the Music and Die and Gonna Take a Homicidal Journey, Sandra Scoppettone, 312 & 276 pgs.
Lauren Laurano, PI, lesbian, New Yorker. I always have these books figured out half way through, but they're still a fun read.
The Princess Bride, William Goldman, 283 pgs.
Wow. I'd never read this (I know, awful!), only seen the movie. It's so much better, in it's own way....the sidebars are alternately funny and very very sad, but the best part for me was knowing Inigo's backstory. I love Inigo. Of course, I could only see the actors in my head as I read, but since I like them all....no problem.
I Capture the Castle, Dodie Smith, 343 pgs.
Recommended highly by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
andromeda6, I did enjoy this very much, even the love tri...uh...quad...uh, no, quintangle. Doesn't it become a love rhombus at some point? The characters were very vivid, especially Topaz, Leda (for a very minor character) and Stephen. I especially would have liked to have known more about Stephen, but for the time and the class, it's not surprising.
Maybe the Moon, Armistead Maupin, 305 pgs.
I loved the little bit of Barbary Lane that snuck in, and I loved the story. Until the very end; the Director's Letter and the Screenwriter's Response were very depressing. Which was the point, I'm sure.
The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd, 302 pgs.
This is being passed around at work; when Debbie brought it over I glanced at the back - bees, the Virgin, sounds interesting, I'll read it. Oh my. I cried through the last 30 or so pages, sitting in my car at lunch.
I realized it for the first time in my life: there is nothing but mystery in the world, how it hides behind the fabric of our poor, browbeat days, shining brightly, and we don't even know it.
Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, Al Franken, 400 pgs.
Ok, the 400 pages is according to QPB because I listened instead of reading, but I'm counting them. What an amazing book; I will never listen to right-wing media the same way - without running to Google to search for the truth. And yeah, I do listen to right-wing media - it lets me know what the enemy is up to.
The Masterharper of Pern, Anne McCaffrey, 415 pgs.
My first comfort book of the year....I just couldn't help myself. I needed fluff and braincandy, dammit! And Masterharper is one that I haven't read so many times I practically have it memorized.
The Journals of Louisa May Alcott, edited by Joel Myerson & Daniel Shealy, Madeleine B. Ster, Associate Editor, 341 pgs.
Very interesting glimpse into the author's life. I felt bad when I worked my way half through and found that she would have been horrified - she wanted her journals destroyed, unpublished. It also makes me want to do more research into her life and cause of death.
The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom, 196 pgs.
I liked this book, but didn't find it as life-altering as some have. I was definitely hoping for more - maybe I should re-read at some time in the future to see if it changes. I certainly need, sometimes, to see that my life makes a difference; It's a Wonderful Life seems to fill that need for reflection.
Little Farm in the Ozarks, Roger Lea MacBride, 286 pgs (kid style).
I think this is the only not-LIW Little House book I've ever read, and it will probably be the last. Not that Rose isn't an interesting girl, it's just not the same.
The Diddakoi, Rumer Godden, 140 pgs (again, kid style).
Finally, an unabridged edition! I read this when I was fairly young out of a Reader's Digest edition, and never found a copy of my own until now. Absolutely a favorite, and it has held up very well. I think this is what originally sparked my interest in Romany culture.
Live From New York, James A. Miller, Tom Shales, 656 pgs.
An absolutely fantastic behind-the-scenes at SNL - who hated it (Tim Kaznurinski!), who loved whom, and "is Lorne Michaels Daddy??". I love the way it was edited - very little narrative other than that provided by the perfomers, writers, and people connected to the show.
Don't Know Much About History, Kenneth C. Davis, 678 pgs.
High school was a long time ago, and I didn't pay much attention then. Filling in the blanks with a little base, and now I can go in and fill in the big holes.
Oathbound, Oathbreakers, By the Sword, Mercedes Lackey, 318+302+492 pgs.
Fluff! Braincandy! Re-reads!
Ravens in Winter, Bernd Heinrich, 379 pgs.
Absolutely the opposite of fluff.
Venus Envy, Rita Mae Brown, 345 pgs.
Wow, does RMB need an editor. Every book sounds the same...I would have been really interested in the characters if I hadn't had to wade through pages of RMB's social commentary. And the ending! 50 pages of hallucination just so she can get in the celestial sex scenes!
The Dark is Rising, Susan Cooper, 300 pgs.
My annual MidWinter reading, on my second copy of the book since I read the first one to shreds.
Brightly Burning, Mercedes Lackey, 453 pgs.
Mmmmm, Valdemar candy!
(39)
Decided to start off the new year with a classic that I hadn't ever read. A good choice!
Odd Girls & Twilight Lovers: A History of Lesbian Life in Twentieth-Century America, Lillian Faderman, 361 pgs
This was a hold-over from 2003; interesting scholarly work with a lot of emphasis on the Lesbian Nation/'70s movements. I'd have prefered to read more about the 40s/50s, but can get that other places.
Return to the Secret Garden, Susan Moody, 426 pgs.
The cover says "For everyone who grew up loving Mary, Dickon, and Colin...". I'd complete that by saying "...don't read this!". Unless, of course, you'd like your rememberance to be tainted by war, classism, a smattering of homophobia, and tortured romantic hearts. Bah.
The Water Babies, Charles Kingsley, 222 pgs.
I wish this were the unabridged version; I'm sure the references to "naughty Americans" would have been very funny. I haven't read this since I was six, so it was fun to read again from a different perspective.
P-Town Summer, Lisa Stocker, 276 pgs.
Lesbian soap opera. Nothing I'd read again, and certainly not an author I'm going to track down more books by.
Neverwhere, Neil Gaiman, 388 pgs.
I've tried to read this book at least 3 times now, and for some reason each time I set it aside ~ until now. This round, I was absolutely enchanted.
The Big Picture, A. Whitney Brown, 180 pgs.
This is a hold-over from last year. Dated essays; funny, but A. Whitney is funnier on SNL.
A Little Fear, Patricia Wrightson, 110 pgs.
A wonderful Young Adult book, pitting an old woman and a dog against a land-spirit in Australia. Yay for feisty old women!
Last Things, Jenny Offill, 264 pgs.
The last year of Grace Davitt's childhood. Disturbing, but good.
Running Out of Time, Margaret Peterson Haddix, 184 pgs.
Another YA title. What would happen if the people in a historical re-enactment village didn't know it was a re-enactment? What are the moral implications of genetic experimentation?
Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury, 190 pgs.
Another classic I hadn't read - lots of other Bradbury, Dandelion Wine is a old favorite, but not this. It's the 2004 book for Everybody Reads.
Creepy prescience on RB's part. The issues of censorship (via the people AND the government), television and sensory overload, and post-9/11 "why does everyone hate us" are all here. Definitely timely.
I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, Joanne Greenburg, 256 pages.
I read this when I was much much younger, probably 12 or so, so it barely counts as a re-read. I've noticed that a lot of books on my to-read pile and in this year's list so far have an underlying theme of sanity/insanity. Interesting.
The Lastborn of Elvinwood, Linda Haldeman, 224 pgs.
This has been on my to-read shelf for at least a year, picked up at a garage sale or something; I remembered the title from a recommendation off Tamson House. I wish I had read it sooner! I wish I had been reading it since I was young, I like it so much (if that makes any sense). Definitely a keeper and re-reader.
Dead Until Dark and Club Dead, Charlaine Harris, 260 & 258 pgs.
I skipped the second book because we haven't bought it yet, but it didn't seem to make a terrible difference in keeeping track. With this cold, this was just what I needed; light, fluffy vampire mystery/romance. No thinking required. If mom were alive, I'd send these to her - she just loved Bubba, and I think it would tickle her.
Witchdame, Kathleen Sky, 323 pgs.
More fantasy...yeah, I'll read something serious soon when I'm more able to concentrate.
Jade, Sally Watson, 270 pgs.
Another YA, this time about an untraditional girl who ends up pirating with Anne Bonney and Mary Read. Fun.
Tam Lin, Pamela Dean, 468 pages.
I know this is a favorite of a number of people...and I really wanted to like it. Unfortunately, I found myself waiting and waiting for the story, which didn't unfold until the last 50 or so pages; the rest was taken up with a lyrical description of college life. Since I never went to college, and I'm woefully unread of Classics, I felt my lack keenly here.
Let's Face the Music and Die and Gonna Take a Homicidal Journey, Sandra Scoppettone, 312 & 276 pgs.
Lauren Laurano, PI, lesbian, New Yorker. I always have these books figured out half way through, but they're still a fun read.
The Princess Bride, William Goldman, 283 pgs.
Wow. I'd never read this (I know, awful!), only seen the movie. It's so much better, in it's own way....the sidebars are alternately funny and very very sad, but the best part for me was knowing Inigo's backstory. I love Inigo. Of course, I could only see the actors in my head as I read, but since I like them all....no problem.
I Capture the Castle, Dodie Smith, 343 pgs.
Recommended highly by
andromeda6, I did enjoy this very much, even the love tri...uh...quad...uh, no, quintangle. Doesn't it become a love rhombus at some point? The characters were very vivid, especially Topaz, Leda (for a very minor character) and Stephen. I especially would have liked to have known more about Stephen, but for the time and the class, it's not surprising. Maybe the Moon, Armistead Maupin, 305 pgs.
I loved the little bit of Barbary Lane that snuck in, and I loved the story. Until the very end; the Director's Letter and the Screenwriter's Response were very depressing. Which was the point, I'm sure.
The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd, 302 pgs.
This is being passed around at work; when Debbie brought it over I glanced at the back - bees, the Virgin, sounds interesting, I'll read it. Oh my. I cried through the last 30 or so pages, sitting in my car at lunch.
I realized it for the first time in my life: there is nothing but mystery in the world, how it hides behind the fabric of our poor, browbeat days, shining brightly, and we don't even know it.
Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, Al Franken, 400 pgs.
Ok, the 400 pages is according to QPB because I listened instead of reading, but I'm counting them. What an amazing book; I will never listen to right-wing media the same way - without running to Google to search for the truth. And yeah, I do listen to right-wing media - it lets me know what the enemy is up to.
The Masterharper of Pern, Anne McCaffrey, 415 pgs.
My first comfort book of the year....I just couldn't help myself. I needed fluff and braincandy, dammit! And Masterharper is one that I haven't read so many times I practically have it memorized.
The Journals of Louisa May Alcott, edited by Joel Myerson & Daniel Shealy, Madeleine B. Ster, Associate Editor, 341 pgs.
Very interesting glimpse into the author's life. I felt bad when I worked my way half through and found that she would have been horrified - she wanted her journals destroyed, unpublished. It also makes me want to do more research into her life and cause of death.
The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom, 196 pgs.
I liked this book, but didn't find it as life-altering as some have. I was definitely hoping for more - maybe I should re-read at some time in the future to see if it changes. I certainly need, sometimes, to see that my life makes a difference; It's a Wonderful Life seems to fill that need for reflection.
Little Farm in the Ozarks, Roger Lea MacBride, 286 pgs (kid style).
I think this is the only not-LIW Little House book I've ever read, and it will probably be the last. Not that Rose isn't an interesting girl, it's just not the same.
The Diddakoi, Rumer Godden, 140 pgs (again, kid style).
Finally, an unabridged edition! I read this when I was fairly young out of a Reader's Digest edition, and never found a copy of my own until now. Absolutely a favorite, and it has held up very well. I think this is what originally sparked my interest in Romany culture.
Live From New York, James A. Miller, Tom Shales, 656 pgs.
An absolutely fantastic behind-the-scenes at SNL - who hated it (Tim Kaznurinski!), who loved whom, and "is Lorne Michaels Daddy??". I love the way it was edited - very little narrative other than that provided by the perfomers, writers, and people connected to the show.
Don't Know Much About History, Kenneth C. Davis, 678 pgs.
High school was a long time ago, and I didn't pay much attention then. Filling in the blanks with a little base, and now I can go in and fill in the big holes.
Oathbound, Oathbreakers, By the Sword, Mercedes Lackey, 318+302+492 pgs.
Fluff! Braincandy! Re-reads!
Ravens in Winter, Bernd Heinrich, 379 pgs.
Absolutely the opposite of fluff.
Venus Envy, Rita Mae Brown, 345 pgs.
Wow, does RMB need an editor. Every book sounds the same...I would have been really interested in the characters if I hadn't had to wade through pages of RMB's social commentary. And the ending! 50 pages of hallucination just so she can get in the celestial sex scenes!
The Dark is Rising, Susan Cooper, 300 pgs.
My annual MidWinter reading, on my second copy of the book since I read the first one to shreds.
Brightly Burning, Mercedes Lackey, 453 pgs.
Mmmmm, Valdemar candy!
(39)
