Now that the dust has settled from that strange voyage through 2012, let's see what I actually read:
26 fiction books and 26 non-fiction books
14 recommendations and 38 non-recommendations
33 print books and 19 e-books
In a little more detail, here's an online version of the spreadsheet I updated all through last year. It shows exactly when I read what, although there is a little liberty taken with the scheduled dates. The legend to the right reads as follows:
N for non-fiction / F for fiction
R for recommendation
E for e-book
with running totals of N/F/R/(R)/E/(E) afterward, (R) meaning not recommended and (E) meaning a print book.
Some stats that will likely only interest those who are as big lit nerds as I am:
3 of the first 6 books I read were recommendations - only 11 of the remaining 44 were. If you recommend me a book wondering if I honestly intend to read it anytime soon, hopefully that should answer you pretty definitely.
I read 8 fiction recommendations and 6 non-fiction recommendations.
11 of the first 14 books I read were non-fiction. 9 of the next 12 books I read were fiction, leaving me at an at least somewhat balanced 14 non-fiction to 12 fiction after the first half of the year. The difference between non-fiction and fiction never exceeded three books after that, which it only did once (24 non-fiction to 21 fiction after 45 books).
After reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (completed August 8th), I'd read 16 fiction books and 15 non-fiction books. That was the only time all year I'd read more fiction than non-fiction.
My move halfway across the continent made it prohibitively difficult to drag all my print books with me. It worked nicely for e-books, though. Before the move, which took place on August 30th, I'd only read 8 e-books out of 34 total. After that, I read 11 e-books out of 18 total, including the print book I took with me on the plane.
September 30th-October 6th's Secrets from the Vinyl Café was the last print book I own that I read. The print books I read after it all came from the library. I have a couple print books lying around that may surface soon for Book a Month 2013, though...
To anyone looking for read a book a week for an entire year, whatever motivation you may hold, any of the ones on that spreadsheet are good picks. Certain books aren't meant for busier weeks (like the immensely difficult In the Days of the Comet, the immensely long Wizard's First Rule, or the combination of those two phenomena in Bleak House) but that's what variety can do.
This was definitely a one-off experience. It was a great time and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Monday, January 14, 2013
www.willvanengen.com
http://www.willvanengen.com/
His pictures are really interesting. They span the globe, from Afghanistan, to Southeast Asia, to right back home in Canada. His accolades are pretty impressive too.
(Shout out to a friend, of course.)
His pictures are really interesting. They span the globe, from Afghanistan, to Southeast Asia, to right back home in Canada. His accolades are pretty impressive too.
(Shout out to a friend, of course.)
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Book a Month 2013
In order to focus on writing fiction, as well as the rest of life, I'm looking at reading and writing on a book each month in 2013. This is something I could hypothetically continue indefinitely as long as I live. The same variety of old and new, fiction and non-fiction, and the rest still applies. This'll also allow me to read longer books, which were with few exceptions not an option for Book a Week.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
This Week's Book: Stranger in a Strange Land
This finishes Book a Week 2012! It's been a fun ride. Watch for how things'll change a little around here in 2013.
December 23-29: Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
Science Fiction (1961 - 655 pp.)
This is the original edition, packed with 60,000 more words than the already decently long first pressing.
The premise of the book is incredibly interesting. If a human born and raised by a highly intelligent race of Martians came to Earth, how would he react to his surroundings? Valentine Michael Smith wakes up in Bethesda Hospital under military watch facing exactly this problem. His subsequent adventures are highly interesting in that Heinlein explores the world as a Martian might consider it, like the understandably insatiable attraction to water. The ability to levitate objects feels excessive but it adds enough sci-fi camp to be worthwhile. The libertarian, rational egoistic philosophy of the early part of the book plays off of the power-driven obsession various powerful parties have with possessing the Martian and his parents' sizable bank accounts.
My chief qualms with Stranger in a Strange Land are its length and its overbearing armchair philosophy. Neither seem like necessary additions to what was a perfectly fine book. The last quarter or so felt unnecessary - I felt like the book had in all meaningful ways ended by then. Once the possibilities of how Michael could react to Earth were more or less exhausted, whether obvious (like not understanding money) or outlandish (whether he would be considered sovereign of Mars), there was nothing left to say. The creation of the Church of All Worlds feels more like a strangely inserted authorial fantasy than any short logical leap from a Martian landing on Earth. Stranger in a Strange Land is very successful at being science fiction. There it should stay.
Ease of Reading: 9
Educational Content: 3
December 23-29: Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
Science Fiction (1961 - 655 pp.)
This is the original edition, packed with 60,000 more words than the already decently long first pressing.
The premise of the book is incredibly interesting. If a human born and raised by a highly intelligent race of Martians came to Earth, how would he react to his surroundings? Valentine Michael Smith wakes up in Bethesda Hospital under military watch facing exactly this problem. His subsequent adventures are highly interesting in that Heinlein explores the world as a Martian might consider it, like the understandably insatiable attraction to water. The ability to levitate objects feels excessive but it adds enough sci-fi camp to be worthwhile. The libertarian, rational egoistic philosophy of the early part of the book plays off of the power-driven obsession various powerful parties have with possessing the Martian and his parents' sizable bank accounts.
My chief qualms with Stranger in a Strange Land are its length and its overbearing armchair philosophy. Neither seem like necessary additions to what was a perfectly fine book. The last quarter or so felt unnecessary - I felt like the book had in all meaningful ways ended by then. Once the possibilities of how Michael could react to Earth were more or less exhausted, whether obvious (like not understanding money) or outlandish (whether he would be considered sovereign of Mars), there was nothing left to say. The creation of the Church of All Worlds feels more like a strangely inserted authorial fantasy than any short logical leap from a Martian landing on Earth. Stranger in a Strange Land is very successful at being science fiction. There it should stay.
Ease of Reading: 9
Educational Content: 3
Sunday, December 23, 2012
This Week's Book: Aesop's Fables
Another collection of things, which is working nicely. How many of us read these stories as children? Now, looking back, how many of us really knew what we were reading?
December 16-22: Aesop's Fables translated by George Fyler Townsend
Literature (1871)
Aesop's fables were a staple of my childhood. I owned an illustrated copy of many of the fables, which my parents gave me so early into my young life I don't recall ever not owning it. Like then, the fox is my favourite animal to pop up in the stories. Unlike then, I've now read a copy with an introduction detailing what a fable is, a brief biography of what we know of Aesop, and a history of where and when the fables have popped up in European lore. In short, the craft of a fable is a cross between the storytelling of a tale and the didacticism of a parable.
As with anything over 2000 years old yet so universal in the lessons it teaches, some of these fables are extremely applicable to the present day, others are utterly horrifying, and most lie somewhere on the vast continuum between. Still others have applications or ramifications Aesop could never have anticipated. In this last curious category, "The Ass and the Grasshopper" is a lesson in corporate strategy (i.e. that homegrown strategies can be more effective than benchmarking); "The Prophet" and "The Quack Frog" taken in a modern context appear to question the wisdom of social science professors (a famous example being a psychologist who is the expert in the psychology of money yet is not super-rich), "Jupiter, Neptune, Minerva and Momus" seems oddly pro-trailer park (the sin of the poor house being that it lacks wheels), and "The Widow and the Sheep" feels like an Econ 101 lesson in profit maximization. "The Fisherman and the Fish" and "The Lion and the Hare", applied today, are virulently anti-stock market.
The best and worst messages range from heartwarming to horrifying respectively. "The Lioness"'s message of quality over quantity is well taken in almost any context, "The Fir-Tree and the Bramble" is a reminder that a wealthy life is not necessarily easier or more desirable, and "The Traveler and Fortune" scolds anyone who wants to blame, or credit, everything on luck. "The Fox and the Mask", one of my favourites since I was about two feet tall, is a reminder that style is useless without substance. "The Rose and the Amaranth", my other favourite, is a reminder that lasting beauty is often the best kind. Less happily, "The Man and His Sweethearts" supposes that a woman should feel ashamed of being courted by a younger man (but then how do we have Cougar Town?), "The Three Tradesmen" advocates a social isolationism mind-boggling to any modern person, and "The Mother and the Wolf" reproaches anyone foolish enough to listen to a woman.
Other fables reflect the Victorian society George Fyler Townsend inhabited. "The Oxen and the Axle-Trees" is stoicism incarnate. "The Crab and the Fox" hearkens back to the old belief that every person had his or her place in the world and to defy that would be foolish. Those of us with ambition look back unkindly on that particular strain of Victorian thought. "The Astronomer", "The Wolf and the Lion" and "The Monkey and the Camel" send the horrible message of telling people not to think beyond one's immediate surroundings or to learn uncharacteristically new skills. The days of women learning to ride bicycles have since eroded this belief.
Still other fables have either been grossly misinterpreted or were hazy to begin with. "The Swallow and the Crow"'s contribution of the phrase "fair weather friend" refers to friends who are unable, rather than unwilling, to help when times are difficult. The eponymous character of "The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" is attempting to find shelter, not to become a danger (although there are apparently alternate versions of this fable that state otherwise). "The Oaks and Jupiter" and "The Oak and the Woodcutters" are clear instances of victim-blaming. "The Huntsman and the Fisherman"'s moral does not at all match its story; the story describes the ability of the characters to engage in trade with each other, whereas the moral reads "Abstain and enjoy". The moral of this entry, were it to have one, would be that Aesop's Fables is a cultural construct, of Ancient Greece in its original form and also of Victorian England in this translation. Many of the lessons persist over time yet others are quaint relics of earlier days.
NOTE: With these types of books, page count is an estimate at best. The particular copy I read is one for Kindle for my laptop. There are doubtless many others out there. The fables are all so short and so easily available that to refer to any of the ones I mention here, a few seconds' search should yield what you need.
Ease of Reading: 9
Educational Content: 5
December 16-22: Aesop's Fables translated by George Fyler Townsend
Literature (1871)
Aesop's fables were a staple of my childhood. I owned an illustrated copy of many of the fables, which my parents gave me so early into my young life I don't recall ever not owning it. Like then, the fox is my favourite animal to pop up in the stories. Unlike then, I've now read a copy with an introduction detailing what a fable is, a brief biography of what we know of Aesop, and a history of where and when the fables have popped up in European lore. In short, the craft of a fable is a cross between the storytelling of a tale and the didacticism of a parable.
As with anything over 2000 years old yet so universal in the lessons it teaches, some of these fables are extremely applicable to the present day, others are utterly horrifying, and most lie somewhere on the vast continuum between. Still others have applications or ramifications Aesop could never have anticipated. In this last curious category, "The Ass and the Grasshopper" is a lesson in corporate strategy (i.e. that homegrown strategies can be more effective than benchmarking); "The Prophet" and "The Quack Frog" taken in a modern context appear to question the wisdom of social science professors (a famous example being a psychologist who is the expert in the psychology of money yet is not super-rich), "Jupiter, Neptune, Minerva and Momus" seems oddly pro-trailer park (the sin of the poor house being that it lacks wheels), and "The Widow and the Sheep" feels like an Econ 101 lesson in profit maximization. "The Fisherman and the Fish" and "The Lion and the Hare", applied today, are virulently anti-stock market.
The best and worst messages range from heartwarming to horrifying respectively. "The Lioness"'s message of quality over quantity is well taken in almost any context, "The Fir-Tree and the Bramble" is a reminder that a wealthy life is not necessarily easier or more desirable, and "The Traveler and Fortune" scolds anyone who wants to blame, or credit, everything on luck. "The Fox and the Mask", one of my favourites since I was about two feet tall, is a reminder that style is useless without substance. "The Rose and the Amaranth", my other favourite, is a reminder that lasting beauty is often the best kind. Less happily, "The Man and His Sweethearts" supposes that a woman should feel ashamed of being courted by a younger man (but then how do we have Cougar Town?), "The Three Tradesmen" advocates a social isolationism mind-boggling to any modern person, and "The Mother and the Wolf" reproaches anyone foolish enough to listen to a woman.
Other fables reflect the Victorian society George Fyler Townsend inhabited. "The Oxen and the Axle-Trees" is stoicism incarnate. "The Crab and the Fox" hearkens back to the old belief that every person had his or her place in the world and to defy that would be foolish. Those of us with ambition look back unkindly on that particular strain of Victorian thought. "The Astronomer", "The Wolf and the Lion" and "The Monkey and the Camel" send the horrible message of telling people not to think beyond one's immediate surroundings or to learn uncharacteristically new skills. The days of women learning to ride bicycles have since eroded this belief.
Still other fables have either been grossly misinterpreted or were hazy to begin with. "The Swallow and the Crow"'s contribution of the phrase "fair weather friend" refers to friends who are unable, rather than unwilling, to help when times are difficult. The eponymous character of "The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" is attempting to find shelter, not to become a danger (although there are apparently alternate versions of this fable that state otherwise). "The Oaks and Jupiter" and "The Oak and the Woodcutters" are clear instances of victim-blaming. "The Huntsman and the Fisherman"'s moral does not at all match its story; the story describes the ability of the characters to engage in trade with each other, whereas the moral reads "Abstain and enjoy". The moral of this entry, were it to have one, would be that Aesop's Fables is a cultural construct, of Ancient Greece in its original form and also of Victorian England in this translation. Many of the lessons persist over time yet others are quaint relics of earlier days.
NOTE: With these types of books, page count is an estimate at best. The particular copy I read is one for Kindle for my laptop. There are doubtless many others out there. The fables are all so short and so easily available that to refer to any of the ones I mention here, a few seconds' search should yield what you need.
Ease of Reading: 9
Educational Content: 5
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
This Christmas...
Today, at my favourite local coffee shop, I overheard a man say in a conversation that the upcoming alleged apocalypse of December 21st, 2012 "won't be the end of the world, just the end of time." I turned to the barista, whom I happen to know quite well, and said, "If that's the case, this Christmas will be timeless." He smiled.
Hope everyone has a wonderful final week of Advent en route to a timeless Christmas.
Hope everyone has a wonderful final week of Advent en route to a timeless Christmas.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)