Probably the most generous, intelligent & honorable sign of the Zodiac, the Pig possesses impeccable manners, taste & knowledge, and cares a great deal about friends & family. Helping others is a true pleasure for the Pig, as well as working hard to keep everyone in their lives happy.
The Year of the Pig is a year for love, friendship & career advancement through dedication & great team spirit.
1911, 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Thursday, December 21, 2006
MB's Ugandously Insipid Book List of 2006
Because I love books, love making lists, and love reading other people's reading lists, here's the list of books I've read (or recall reading at least one page) in 2006 ...
The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood. Interesting read, my first exposure to her writing. The tone - and plot - are slightly unsettling; but this definitely conveys the uneasy mood of the main characters. I'd rate it a 6.
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. A must read. Excellent. One of those rare books that the entire book club read and discussed at length. And my book club is not hard core. A contemporary classic that I'll reread.
Empire Falls by Richard Russo. A few friends love this author, and this novel, in particular. I enjoyed it, but it is slow paced and not nearly as funny as his novel Straight Man.
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Quite the page turner. I enjoyed the story within a story layers and the fact that it's the author's first novel, took her over ten years to write, and is rich in history, travel, mystery, and a father-daughter relationship. One of my favorites of the year.
The Plot Against America by Philip Roth. Fascinating. It takes a look at WW II, twists history ever so slightly to show us what might have happened. Another favorite of 2006.
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett. Sam Spade. Need I say more?
Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell. A book club book, I own it, but haven't yet finished it. Fully intend to, just probably not in 2006.
Moon Tide Dawn Clifton Tripp. Another book club book. I have it, but have yet to even start it. Along with a few others from this year's book club collection ...
Atonement by Ian McEwan. My first exposure to McEwan's writing. I've always heard others ooh and ahh when Ian McEwan is mentioned ... I liked it, but I don't feel the urge to gush about it.
Geek Love by Katherine Dunn. Horribly engaging, like watching a train wreck. I forced myself to continue reading it - thinking my pal Rache had actually read and loved it. (I was wrong) But, before I knew it, I was hooked. Freakishly fascinating. I might describe it as memorable like Ignatius J. Reilly in Confederacy of Dunces but with circus freaks.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John Le Carre. Good Cold War spy story. Unfortunately there are times in Le Carre's story where he lost me a little. Fortunately I found out that he is known for changing perspective/point of view which can be confusing to the reader - which was a bit of a relief. Felt less like a dumbass after learning this.
Random Family - Love, Drugs, Trouble and Coming of Age in the Bronx by Adrian Nicole Leblanc. I've had this book on my reading list since it was first published. Remember hearing an interview on NPR. It's an intimate look at a completely different socioeconomic group - as compared to white, middle class me. It follows four teens in the Bronx and gave me a better understanding - albeit disappointing - of the failures of the "system" and the vicious cycles that trap generations upon generations in repeating the past.
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. I've always thought of this as a "boy" story. But it is a great pirate tale. I read it after seeing Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean II. A classic worth reading & rereading. I'd also highly recommend The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, which can be read in one afternoon.
The Archivist by Martha Cooley. Got this recommendation from Left Bank Books. Fell in love with the premise - the fact that TS Eliot's friend/love interest sent all of his letters to her (against his wishes) to Princeton. These 1000+ letters over 20+ years are sequestered until 2020. After reading this I want to read all his work (including those tidbits I've read in high school English class) AND be first in line to read the letters he wrote to Emily Hale on January 1, 2020.
The Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri. Bought it awhile ago - on one of my many occasions of falling for the Borders "buy 3, get one free" impulse purchase. Didn't know it was a collection of short stories. So far have read three of them. Pretty good, all in all. Book club's January 2007 book is her novel, The Namesake which I'll read next!
The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood. Interesting read, my first exposure to her writing. The tone - and plot - are slightly unsettling; but this definitely conveys the uneasy mood of the main characters. I'd rate it a 6.
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. A must read. Excellent. One of those rare books that the entire book club read and discussed at length. And my book club is not hard core. A contemporary classic that I'll reread.
Empire Falls by Richard Russo. A few friends love this author, and this novel, in particular. I enjoyed it, but it is slow paced and not nearly as funny as his novel Straight Man.
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Quite the page turner. I enjoyed the story within a story layers and the fact that it's the author's first novel, took her over ten years to write, and is rich in history, travel, mystery, and a father-daughter relationship. One of my favorites of the year.
The Plot Against America by Philip Roth. Fascinating. It takes a look at WW II, twists history ever so slightly to show us what might have happened. Another favorite of 2006.
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett. Sam Spade. Need I say more?
Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell. A book club book, I own it, but haven't yet finished it. Fully intend to, just probably not in 2006.
Moon Tide Dawn Clifton Tripp. Another book club book. I have it, but have yet to even start it. Along with a few others from this year's book club collection ...
Atonement by Ian McEwan. My first exposure to McEwan's writing. I've always heard others ooh and ahh when Ian McEwan is mentioned ... I liked it, but I don't feel the urge to gush about it.
Geek Love by Katherine Dunn. Horribly engaging, like watching a train wreck. I forced myself to continue reading it - thinking my pal Rache had actually read and loved it. (I was wrong) But, before I knew it, I was hooked. Freakishly fascinating. I might describe it as memorable like Ignatius J. Reilly in Confederacy of Dunces but with circus freaks.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John Le Carre. Good Cold War spy story. Unfortunately there are times in Le Carre's story where he lost me a little. Fortunately I found out that he is known for changing perspective/point of view which can be confusing to the reader - which was a bit of a relief. Felt less like a dumbass after learning this.
Random Family - Love, Drugs, Trouble and Coming of Age in the Bronx by Adrian Nicole Leblanc. I've had this book on my reading list since it was first published. Remember hearing an interview on NPR. It's an intimate look at a completely different socioeconomic group - as compared to white, middle class me. It follows four teens in the Bronx and gave me a better understanding - albeit disappointing - of the failures of the "system" and the vicious cycles that trap generations upon generations in repeating the past.
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. I've always thought of this as a "boy" story. But it is a great pirate tale. I read it after seeing Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean II. A classic worth reading & rereading. I'd also highly recommend The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, which can be read in one afternoon.
The Archivist by Martha Cooley. Got this recommendation from Left Bank Books. Fell in love with the premise - the fact that TS Eliot's friend/love interest sent all of his letters to her (against his wishes) to Princeton. These 1000+ letters over 20+ years are sequestered until 2020. After reading this I want to read all his work (including those tidbits I've read in high school English class) AND be first in line to read the letters he wrote to Emily Hale on January 1, 2020.
The Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri. Bought it awhile ago - on one of my many occasions of falling for the Borders "buy 3, get one free" impulse purchase. Didn't know it was a collection of short stories. So far have read three of them. Pretty good, all in all. Book club's January 2007 book is her novel, The Namesake which I'll read next!
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