The Sandydog1 2012 Summary

Last year I read more than ever, and focused on a lot of very entertaining nonfiction.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/106474

This year, 'more of the same! To get to 100, I'll just have to again, list everything, short essays, audiobooks, etc. I'm looking forward to this reading year!

1 With My Face to the Enemy ****
'Not an anthology, not a collection; a sampler. The essays (or parts of chapters or articles or whatever they are) stand alone, but are arranged and do cover, the duration of the Civil War. Subjects include Lincoln's beginning strategies and Fort Sumter, Southern strategies, the Battle of Mulvern Hill, George Thomas and the war record of the Confederate Navy's Shenandoah. Each work inspires one to read further on the topic.

Hiya! Looking forward to reading about your reading. :)

Welcome ! I'll be very interested to see what you are reading.

Thanks for the welcomes, Bryan, and fellow Salonista, 'Pieces!

2. Fury ***1/2
I'm not a fan of modern, magical realism, but this quirky, American-culture bashing story was ok. Were Rushdie and Dennis Miller separated at birth?

3. Outwitting History ****
I'm a huge lover of books about books, and first read about Mr. Lansky from Nicholas Basbanes. This was a real heart-warmer. Yiddish literature wasn't some tiny, obscure scrap of culture. It is amazing how it was saved, and begs the question: How many other cultures and languages are we loosing?

4. A Sea In Flames ***
The View from Lazy Point was one of my all-time favorites last year. But this hurried work was, er, quite a surprise. An angry, fragmented diatribe, full of the author's "facts", as well as other "facts" from such peer-reviewed scientific powerhouses as AP, CNN, local newspapers, Fox, etc. Then there's the insulting, derogatory name-calling: "Captain Coon-ass", "Thadmiral" Allen, et al. I guess this is the best one could do, in order to churn out and deliver a hard-cover, 300-page book almost immediately after a horrific natural disaster. The unbelievably tragic event turned a naturalist author into some kind of angry, ranting Jimmy Hoffa.

His tone changes abruptly and refreshingly in the very last chapter, full of explanations, and including a brief interview with USCG's retired Admiral Thad Allen.

This was an informative book, but the angry writing - necessary to describe the disastrous screw-up at Deepwater Horizon - was just a bit over the top.

5. The Greatest Show on Earth ****
Dense; reminded me of On the Origin of Species, sans the Victorian prose.

6: Do I really need another book about evolution? Do I really need another book by Richard Dawkins? Sigh. Yes, I do.

LOL!

Hey, then you can read the entire canon of St. Christopher Hitchins!

Late to the party here, but welcome back, Sandydog1!

Keep on hearing good things about Outwitting History, and I think the library has a copy...

I'm not actually so wild about Dawkins on religion, think he's rather more emotional than scientific about a concept that he does not clearly define, but he has redeeming qualities, and I find his writing, even when I disagree, entertaining, and evolution is cool. Hitchens, well, he's not high on the priority list.

6. 1776 ****
An interesting year indeed. I was concurrently listening to an audio version by the author. McCullough's low, slightly gravelly voice is so reminiscent of wonderful PBS documentaries.

I just started 1776 yesterday!!!

Enjoy! I wish there was a 1777, and a 1778!

7. The Plot Against America ***1/2
The bizarre, naive, historical, fearful, paranoid, childlike, digressing, mishuganah, Plot Against America. Interesting "historical imagining" story of a child (Philip Roth) growing up during 1940-1942, when the anti Semitic, isolationist Charles Lindberg (not Roosevelt) is President.

8. What I talk About When I Talk About Running ***1/2
A simple memoir about writing, discipline, persistence, jogging, marathons, triathalons.

I've yet to read any of his extremely popular novels. If he is such an easy-read, perhaps I'll start.

9. The Wind and the Willows ***
Ok, I'm about 40-45 years late on reading this, but I was curious. The first few chapters were slow.... How could this charming (ie, boring) childrens book compete in the modern world, with the likes of Captain Underpants or Pendragon?

But the stories of the bipolar, megalomaniacal, sociopathic Mr. Toad changed those impressions.

A literary rival to the characters of say, George Orwell or Doesteyevsky?

Oh, I love Mr Toad. He's a wonderful character.

And, somehow, a Murakami (to me) should not be classified as an easy read, so I think maybe What I Talk About When I Talk About Running isn't indicative of his fiction. Not to scare you off Murakami, I think he's a great writer.

Orwell or Dostoyevsky? Really? *interested*

No, not really. Typical canine hyperbole...

Guess I should've asked how you felt about either of those, first. :)

I love George Orwell's works! I was trying to compare Mr. Toad to that bad guy (U Po Kyin) in Burmese Days. A stretch.

10. The Corrections ****1/2
The Lamberts are America's first family of dysfunction. Another favorite Christmas story.

11. Kill or Be Killed: A World War II Oral History Interview with Vern Schmidt ***

A simple series of recorded interviews of Vern Schmidt's experiences with the 90th Infantry Division during the post "Bulge" war in Germany. Interesting accounts and plenty of America and apple pie patriotism. 2 Audible/Amazon CDs (1 hour, 50 minutes).

12. A Man Without a Country ****
Bitterly, simply sarcastic. Too short.

Another favorite Christmas story

This made me laugh out loud. That family made me want to punch someone.

I'm with Jennifer, that was a brilliant description of The Corrections. Can't say I wanted to punch anyone, but I did want to scream with frustration at them a lot. (But I cracked up at the mother on the cruise ship. That whole scene was funny, and so black.)

23, 24

Do you mean ALL families aren't like that?

(Bows head and slowly backs off and out of the discussion...)

13. $20 Per Gallon ***

Meh. Average. Read Hot Flat and Crowded instead.

14. Irish History **1/2
Poor editing and a poor presentation of a 5-star topic. Photos, portraits and paintings were often used 2 or 3 times each. Yech. How hard is it to find a second and third image of a thatch-roofed Irish farm house?

15. Shut up, Stop Whining, and Get a Life ***1/2

I had to pick up this audiobook from the library; I was smply intrigued with the title. This was brainless and a lot of fun. Winget sounded like an amalgam of Donald Trump, Lewis Black, Wayne Dyer and Rush Limbaugh. Oh, and this guy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3sJa_qJYgM

16. Eureka! What Archimedes Really Meant ***
It took me a long time to get through this one. I decided to read Wikipedia articles on a few of this book's 81 topics and found that those were essentially similar.

17. After the Quake ***1/2

Interesting, dreamy, sometimes surreal stories about relationships, only loosely tied to the 1995 Kobe earthquake.

29: Teehee.

18. The History of Science ***1/2

This is the extremely brief treatment of science from prehistory to present, by Whitfield. ('Just thought I'd mention that since the title is popular and these touchstones can be sketchy).

19. Ethan Frome ***

Not sure why this is considered one of her weaker works. I've read a couple others and this seemed to be the same-o story of failed love.

Although a novella, it plodded like an old sorrel, through the hoary, biting whisps of evening snow on an inky country road...

I do like Edith Wharton (usually), but Ethan Frome was just so over-the-top for me. I think I ended up giggling at the overwrought ending.

Been a while since I read her better stuff, must dust them off and re-read them...

I hear ya loud and clear.

Sledding? Really??

My son has a school assignment. He has to re-write the ending. I say, the love-birds take a train to Fort Lauderdale. Maybe the ol' lady marries a young Austrian Jew by the name of Freud and becomes a Doctor.

Anyone have any other suggestions?

I think it'd be hard to better your suggestion. :)

Does it have to be in the style of Edith Wharton, or could one have an alien abduction in order to spice things up a bit? (The awful wife gets to go off and enjoy a series of space operatic adventures...)

20. Dining with Al-Qaeda ****
30 years of WSJ reporter "Hue Bob's" (as pronounced by Arabs) travels through every country in the Middle East. The British reporter describes the complexities of the region's people's, the general ingnorance of the US, and his attempts to get his complicated stories printed.

21. The Pine Barrens ****
Short, idyllic and most certainly out-of-date description of the history, peoples, ecology and future of this fascinating, massive, south central New Jersey ecosystem. I've many of McPhee's books; time to knock off a few more.

That McPhee can really write, no? An update on what is happening in the Barrens would be good.

True that, syb; it makes me want to head down to Wharton State Park.

22. Hitch-22 ****

Long, rambling, intellectually challenging, fascinating...

23. The Book of Questions ***1/2

Ok, I said I'd log everything. This campy 1980s pop psycho book could be finished in 15 minutes, or refered to, and revisited, for hours on end. Bring this to a party. It beats the snot out of "Twister".

24. The Rules of Work ****
Stop being neurotic and realize that you are at work, all the time. Most tips are spot-on. Many are a bit insincere, disingenuous, perfidious, but oh so true.

25. The World's First Superpower ***1/2
Nice overview of British Imperial actions in Ireland, North America, "British" North America, India, Africa, Egypt.

26. Good Boss, Bad Boss ****

A good solid, common sense business self-help treatment of how to avoid being a bad boss. Reading it made me very interested in its prequel, which dealt with assh*les encountered in the business environment.

27. The Magic Mountain ***1/2

Whew...

I started this in late 2011 and tried, tried, tried to finish. I finally made it, 'finally summited. Even that Irish monster Ulysses was easier; perhaps because of the widely available critical reviews and summaries.

Herr Mann, in an afterward of the H T Lowe-Porter translation, encourages the reader to re-read MM. I promise, I shall return. I expect my rating will go up as a result. 'But not before reviewing my crisp copy of A Companion to Thomas Mann's Magic Mountian.

I ended up loving The Magic Mountain - so much I did read several others, but it did take time to get into it.

I don't know if I loved it, my dear sib, but I damn well respected and appreciated it. When I'm old(er) and gray(er) I shall read it again.

I am slowww...ly getting through The Tin Drum. With regards to these selections of German and Eastern European door stops, I've turned into a total masochist.

I enjoyed The Tin Drum less than TMM...... I could see re-reading the latter but not the former.....

28. The Tin Drum ***
Strange, redundant, long. I agree Sib, I doubt that I would read this again.

29. A Companion to Thomas Mann's Magic Mountain ****
This is a wonderful compilation of eleven essays about the MM. I wish I had read it prior to reading that beast. Topics cover comedy, anti-semitism (especially among German Jews), sexual (ie, homosexual) themes, the impending war and political climate, and of course ending with an amazing description of the precocious high school student Susan Sontag visiting Mann at his California home.

30. 101 Places Not to See Before You Die ***1/2
Some of these are obvious (Euro Disney), some are actually events (New Years at Times Square) and some are purely fictional destinations (Hell, Jupiter's moon, Io). All are sophmorically funny. One can easily burn through this silly, cynical page turner, in a night.

31. Sailing from Byzantium ***1/2

Even though this book is short, it was a bit overwhelming. Comprehension was complicated by the lack of clear chronology and the amazing number of historical figures, each with a very long Latin, Greek or name Slavic name. 'Not a Rocco, Tony, Paulie, Frankie, or Nico - in the bunch!

32. Dinosaur Hunters ***1/2
The subtitle of David Spalding's work is, "Eccentric Amateurs and Obsessed Professionals". But at 300 pages, there are few attempts to flesh-out either the dozens of paleontologists or the hundreds of species that comprise the paleontologists' "quarry". There are many chapters about the Europe North Amerca, but only room for one on Africa and one to treat all of India, South America, Australia, Antarctica and New Zealand.

In spite of the dizzying number of paleontolgists and genus/species names, it was a nice overview, and encouraged me to jump online to seek more information about a particular species, museum or expedition.

33. Connecticut Walk Book West ****
This is not the type of book one would typically read, cover-to-cover. But I've read virtually all the wonderful trail descriptions, eligible to count it. The maps are perfect. This is a real professional work; so much better than previous crude editions.

34. Thus Spoke Zarathustra ***
Whew, now THAT was a long one. Although it is one of Nietzche's earlier works - that describes the "overman", nihilism, the will to power and other philosophical ideas - I've read that latter works are a bit more easier understood.

35. Stoner *****
A touching, melancholic story of a stoic, heroic, Midwestern English professor. I don't think I have read a better novel.

36. The hour of the Star ****
I've not much to say about this poetic, short novella of a defeatist, simple, poverty-stricken, unattractive Brazillian girl.

37. In Patagonia ****
This had a whirlwind of Chilean and Argentine characters scattered about 97 chapters, and only 199 pages.

38. The House on Mango Street ***
Apparently a YA favorite. My son had to read it for school, so I read it as well. In some ways, it was similar to The Hour of the Star, but it of course lacked any lyrical sophistication.

39. The Bird Man and the Lap Dancer ****

I'm a sucker for fluffy, smart-aleck, 3-star travel memoirs, but this one was different. These stories (as the subtitle "Close Encounters with Strangers" suggests), are all about a diverse crowd of incredibly fascinating characters.

The title story was a wonderful study of the natural history of exotic dancers, "...you can't expect to mix money, men, naked women and alcohol and expect to have an easy time." It fell short on ornithology however. Through some shoddy note-taking or editing, the author mentions the main character's trip to Maine, in search of specialties like Colima Warbler and Harris' Hawk. Those are SW desert specialties. Stick to the strippers, Mr. Hanson.

Many stories were predictable, but all were gems, from the nostagic "Life at the Grand Hotel", to the sad ghost story, "Three Nights on the Mountain".

Speaking of Ghosts, it was "The Ghost Wind" an underdog racing story, that brought a tear to my eye. 150 karoke-screaming cadets on the decrepit Indonesian tall ship beating Japan's "King of the Sea" in a wind-less race to LA. Great stuff. Great people.

40. The 2,548 Best Things Anybody Said **1/2

I laughed - at perhaps a dozen or so. The Victorian illustrations were rather cutesy. Mindless fun for an ostentatious title..

41. Paradise Lost ***

A tough slog, although the format was very well established by previous epics. 'Shoulda cheated and found a modern English translation. English is such a tough language! I'm glad I got through this misogynistic Biblical epic.

Hey wait a minute - Gilgamesh, The Illiad, The Odyssey, The Aeneid - I guess they're all misogynistic!

You betcha!

42. Encounters with the Archdruid ****1/2

This book is JUST as pertinent today, as it was over 40 years ago. A real conservation classic.

43. Life Lessons from the Great Books ****1/2

This is an unusual TC lecture series. It is actually extremely light on analysis. Each lecture is a summary of a great book, as described, and often acted out, by Prof. Fears. The lecturer has many popularity awards from students. He's enthusiatic, dramatic, and, well, he's a total ham. Cicero, Erasmus, Orwell, Shakespeare, Milton, T.E. Lawrence, Euripides - each of the dozens of lectures was pure entertainment.

44. Nonsense Botany & Nonsense Alphabets **1/2

I impulsively bought a beat up 1927 copy at a huge library book sale. Silly stuff, but it ain't Gorey. Some of the illustrations are fun and whimsical.

45. Tristram Shandy unrated
This was a SEVERELY abridged (only 4 CD) Naxos recording by John Moffatt (who was terrific). I listened during my commutes. Maybe it will inspire me to try the whole thing, soon. I'd like to find a heavily annotated edition - any suggestions?

46. The Man Who Loved Books too Much ***1/2
Light, interesting account of a sociopathic book thief, and a book seller's efforts to put the guy behind bars. The "collector" amassed a huge collection of rare books from credit card scams. The story glossess-over how resource-consuming and difficult it is, to convict anyone. Who says crime doesn't pay?

47. The Turn of the Screw ***
A little novel about a dear little boy and a dear little girl, who are plagued by ghosts of their previous caretakers, who may or may not have taken part in little perversions. The angelic little children live in a mansion full of little rooms, run by a governess who may be a little crazy. The plot suffers from a little bit of ambiguity.

I guess it's time to read a dozen little critical essays on this classic. Until then, 3 - more than a little generous - stars.

#41 I got this book so long ago, um around 1987 or so... I remember having fun with it with my friends (at that time) boy we were young then.

#68 Sounds interesting, though my first thought at the title, (which I am sure was the point) was Oliver Sacks book.

Such a wide mix of books so far.... I must start picking up more non-fiction to read. I did read quite a few last year, but it is always a small proportion of my total reading (excluding magazines.)

Hi Zef! Wow, the title caught my interest too, but I think I have to emphasize that Bartlett is no Sacks! The thief in that book story was just a 2-bit sociopath. The book didn't even emphasize his interest in actually reading any books. The thrill had to do with posssessing books and the presumed prestige associated with ownership. Very sad.

And yeah, that's my middle name: Sandy Eclectic Dawg.

48. Mother Tongue the English Language ***1/2
Yes, the touchstone is correct. There are a couple subtle changes in titles.

A fascinating review of the history and quirks of the English language. The first few chapters (especially history and origins of words) were particularly interesting. Classic, funny, wonderful ol' Bill Bryson.

I don't remember now if was news or fiction but I remember reading about a man who stole maps from rare books in libraries. That book made me think of that.

Hmm Mother Tongue sounds interesting, especially since I was an English major, long ago. About all I remember now from linguistics class is that there was the great vowel shift :)

Ah, Zef, The Island of Lost Maps, 'hadn't read it, yet.

You know, everybody seems to be so far ahead of me on this thread, this year. This is really cheating. Oh, what the frig. I am so damn busy this 2012, I have like zero time in which to relax and read!

49. When the Fly Flew In ***
I was fed up with work, so Friday afternon I took 4 hours of my huge amounts of vacation, ran some errands and then ended up elbow deep in multiple plastic troughs of books at a Goodwill Outlet Store. I grabbed a stack of great books (for, get this, $2.40) after wallowing for an eternity (ie, a blissfull hour).

During this time I re-read a wonderul Mercer Meyer book about Nightmares and this short little, ditty. It took me about oh... 2 minutes!

Nicholas Basbanes' A Gentle Madness also has an interesting discussion of a book thief. Too long since I last read it though, can't remember details!

Sandy Eclectic Dog, so long as you're having fun reading, that's all that matters. Numbers are irrelevant.

There have been so, so many, Forbes Smiley, Daniel Spiegelman; I think Basbanes featured Stephen Blumberg.

Yeah, #49 was my attempt at a joke!

50. Carpe Diem: Put a Little Latin in Your Life ***1/2

Now this book was full of cupiditas. Its goal is to serve as a primer for the noobs, as well as serve as a review for the dwindling number of grown-up school children who had studied Latin. It's full of corny anecdotes and examples as well has some expected, mind-numbing grammar. The lazy (like me) can skip the various figures of speech and simply enjoy all the clever examples of Latin words/phrases still in use today. Well worth a future re-reading.

51. The Hard Way *****
Have you ever read any travel/adventure and thought, "Wow this would be amazing if half of it were true!" I mean no disrespect to the author; this book is that good (and all true, I'm sure). It is macho, maudlin, sappy, gutsy, inspirational and exciting.

The stories start out slowly (the chapter on hitchhiking however, was particularly good) and seem to pick up in intensity. Then the last story involves the author taking children (some barely past toddler stage) rock climbing. Upon interview, they come up with some sage advice: Go fast. Don't whine. Do your best.

Great advice.

52. The Road to Wigan Pier ****

This book isn't just about coal miners, the working poor and the unemployed. That's only the first half. Then ol' George is on a tear, and writing brilliantly about class differences, socialism, socialists, socialist literature, food, personal hygiene, unemployment, imperialism, automation, war, fascism, vegetarians, people who wear sandals, "fruit juice drinkers", etc.

He's Mark Twain with a lot more eloquence and a lot less hyperbole.

How often do you read a foreward that is actually a rebuttal by the publisher? If you start by reading the Left Book Club foreward, read it afterwards as well.

You're going to howl and wince once and a while, but the book is damn entertaining, and Orwell can write.

#73 Ohh, I'd have to put that on my list. #74 I probably did read about it in A Gentle Madness I read that years ago, its sitting in one of a couple of tall bookcases still to be cataloged.

Wow #78 ... mostly i associate him with Animal Farm and 1984 this sounds interesting though.

As for numbers, its not the destination that counts, but the journey! I found that having a fixed destination in mind though, has made me read more this year than usual, letting me come across more interesting things, (and also find things others are reading) don't plan on stopping at 100, if I finish early ... couldn't at this point, but might slow down a little.

I am a big fan of Orwell and his eminently readable style. I recommend Down and Out in Paris and London, another of his book in same vein.

Adding both Road to Wigan Pier and Down and Out in Paris and London to my TBR pile. They sound really interesting.

I agree, Down and Out in Paris and London is just as good. Now THERE's a book that will make you stop visiting restaurants, for a few days!

53. Logavina Street ****

Barbara Demick is no Orwell, but her simple magazine-article prose is a pleasure to read. I loved Nothing to Envy.

This was an absolutely harrowing story of the siege of Sarajevo. (It also provides a simple review of ths war, and the latest edition has an interesting update on the neighborhood cast and characters).

The diverse Sarajevo citizenship lived among one another in harmony, were "racially" all the same, celebrated one another's holidays, inter-married, and for the most part, not really religious. And then the Serbs surrounded the city and starve them and shoot at them (men, women, children), for years, through bitter cold winters, as the Clinton Administration and International community does very little. The stress among these neighbors must have been unbearable. The similarities to WW II and the Warsaw Ghetto, are amazing.

And speaking of Nazi soldiers, while reading this book, I couldn't help but thinking about the other side. This question is well beyond the story of a small besieged Sarajevo neighborhood. What motivates someone to join an army and attack a city and kill innocent civilians? (Serbian General Divjak does help his fellow Bosnian citizens, and becomes a bit distrusted by Bosnians and a hated enemy among Serbians.) But how does a father, a son, a worker, just leave his family and go kill citizens? It is unfathomable. But it happens way too often.

54. Apathy and other Small Victories ****

I don't want to get flagged, but one of the testimonies on the cover is by Neal Pollack, and he makes a reference to this being as if Camus and Bukowski got together and wrote a combination of A Confederacy of Dunces and the Office Space screenplay.

That's just about it. It's Lewis Black and Christopher Moore writing Crime and Punishment. It's Ron White writing a combination of Fight Club, Catcher in the Rye. and Inherent Vice. There were parts - sentences - where I burst out laughing, suddenly and uncontrollably, in little spurts, before I gathered myself together. I was on a crowded airplane at the time. I had it at 3 1/2 stars, but that elicitation of uncontrolled laughter is an extreme rarity for me, and worth another 1/2 star.

The plot is a bit choppy and like some of the novels mentioned above, the jokes can get a bit tedious. But if, at 14, you thought Mad Magazine was the most sophisticated literature in the world, you will love this short, fast-paced farce.

And I don't think you have to be an angsty. sociopathic do-nothing, self-centered, alcoholic, beta male, under-achiever to enjoy it, either.

(But it may probably help).

55. Joining the United States Army ***

Psst...don't tell anyone. I actually clicked on this Early Reviewer selection by mistake and was subsequently awarded this copy. It was interesting, though.

This is indeed a handbook and a very useful one for any young adult considering enlisting in the Army. The first chapter is excellent, mandatory, and revealing, and covers most of the questions one should ask before enlistng, (eg., "I am a Conciencious Objector". Then, it probably isn't a good idea to join.).

Other checklist items are omitted: "I don't mind suffering and dying for causes I may not support," or, "I am willing to inflict pain on other individuals if I am ordered to do so". It breezily mentions the possibility of going to war. It would have been interesting to see what kind of fatality rates or other probablility data is out there. A teenager should really try to understand these risks.

This book covers all of the basics: the visit to the MEPs, taking the ASVAB, joining the DEP, excercising in preparation of joining the FTC. (The process actually doesn't seem all that complicated and hey, if you're not comfortable with acronyms, then why are you joining the Army?). There's also a really good series of references for preparing (physically, mentally, and yes, I think, intellectually) for entering the Army.

This book is written by a teen librarian whose only apparent experience is that she grew up in a military family. She has written a fine overview.

You've been reading such interesting books - just so many from the McPhee to the Orwells - wonderful stuff. Tristram Shandy is one of my all-time favorite books. The 18th century was so bawdy and bold fiction-wise - people are intimidated by it all, but really Smollett and Fielding, Sterne and Defoe - above all they are FUN to read and very funny, insightful and exciting.

Sib, you have officially inspired me to renew from the library, a beautiful (fairly large print - yeah!) Everyman's Library edition of Tristram Shandy.

Wish me luck!

56. Yes!: 50 secrets from the science of persuasion ***

It was ok, I guess. I frequently grab these mindless mind-candy business books (CDs), often chock full of "scientific studies" and "studies have shown", for the commute. Most of the 50 examples are common sense and, although the author tries to provide examples, have little practical applicability to the real world.

Oh, I have a copy of Tristram Shandy somewhere too... Sigh, too many books...

It is a tad long and wordy, Wook. But, I guess it's like training for a marathon, you have to put the time into it.

57. As Far as the Eye Can See ****

It's of course a bit dated (it covers the 1979 Appalachian Trail season). But that just gives it some character. I love these AT memoirs. I may hit the Trail some day. One can dream!

I started Tristram Shandy, but saw this at the local library, got totally side-tracked and read this one straight through:

58. Sh*t My Dad Says ***1/2
This author is a lot younger than me. Wait a minute. It's not possible that we had the same father?

This one is fast and hilarious.

59. How Doctors Think ****

Or, how new residents, internists, radiologists, surgeons, general practitioners, pediatricians, etc, make decisions including wrong decisions, in life and death situations. The early anecdote of the author being alone in a ward, with nothing but a stack of 3X5 cards, is chilling. It just shows how amazingly brave one has to be, to simply be a doctor.

The book goes on and on with complicated case descriptions that show potential decision errors in bias, influence of training, and even drug and medical product marketing.

I'm sure concepts described here could be carried over to Chemical Safety Board and FAA investigators, auto mechanics, vetinarians and many different trades. Stay with this one. It is long and technical, but you will learn a great deal of interesting medicine along the way.

60. The Thin Man ****
I hate mysteries. I Love Nick and Nora.

61. The World of Byzantium ****

'Knocked off parts I and II of this Teaching Company history classic. Great stuff.

62. Consider the Lobster and Other Essays ****

63. Eat & Run ***1/2

Very simplistic writing (presumably by Steve Friedman), trite and repetitive. But it is worth reading. Pay attention to the running motivation guidance or the recipes, or both.

#92> Nick and Nora are quite delightful!

And don't forget Asta!

Ah, the banter! I have to see the movie again, very soon...

Speaking of books and movies I have a copy of the book Mr. Roberts somewhere around here.

Too many books and I am so busy because I am still employed. Sigh....

64. The Pillars of Hercules *** 1/2
... by Paul Theroux. I've been reading this door-stop for ages, and have finally finished. One "plus" about Theroux's travelogues is that he's constantly mentioning what he's reading, and in the case of this Mediterranean journey, the authors he's visiting. Groan, 'more books for the TBR pile!

65. The Stargazing Year ***1/2

I really enjoy these "natural year" style books. You can always refer to them throughout the year, ie, "hey, it's October; maybe I should re-read the chapter on October". This one is on a topic that I am not really familiar with - a big plus. But there seemed to be an awful lot of content about Home Depot (the author spent the year building a backyard observatory).

Hmm. I think I'll be adding How Doctors Think to Mt. TBR.

Chunk it in around Camp 4 'Pieces, it was a good one.

66. Leaves of Grass **1/2

Americana, homoerotica, militaria, industrialana, nautica, pastoralia, familia, dementia, lists, lists, lists...lists...lists....

It was like a Victorian William Burroughs wrote Song of Songs.

I'm just tickled I actually read this whole phone book cover-to-cover. It's got great reviews on LT, not my cup o' tea, I guess.

Best be gettin' back to Tristram Shandy...

Was so glad to hear I am not the only one who didn't find this my cuppa tea. I read it for Banned Book Week and like you I am glad I finished.

67. Get Organized the Clear & Simple Way **1/2

When I'm low on Library audio choices I often grab a business and/or self-help book to listen to in the car.

This one is relatively new (2006) but it just reeks of the 80s, plenty of warm, fuzzy "I'm wonderful" psycho babble. I could almost see the shoulder pads and smell the hair spray. I can't think of any titles off-hand, but I'm sure that I've read better ones on this subject.

2/3 to this capricious and arbitrary 2012 goal. I guess I better kick it up a notch...

68. AWOL on the Appalachian Trail ***1/2
A nice journal-style account of a computer programmer who quits his job (temporarily), and leaves his family (temporarily) to thru-hike the AT. It won't win any writing awards but it was fun to read.

I have a soft spot for Leaves of Grass because many years ago, in my choir days, I sang "Dona Nobis Pacem" by Ralph Vaughan Williams and it was one of my favourite pieces we did. And some of the lyrics were from "Leaves of Grass".

A random YouTube version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlYen5oEaFY (the Whitman kicks in at 2:55; and they take it far faster than we did, from memory :).

Having said that, I own a copy of the book, but have never actually read it. :)

Glad you enjoyed Sh*t My Dad Says. When I mentioned reading it over on the thread I inhabit, no one even acknowledged I'd read it. I sensed a slight hum of disapproval, even. My father wasn't like that Dad at all, sadly, so all my pleasure in it was vicarious.

There are lists and then there are lists. Many of the writers I adore are great listers. (Pynchon, Joyce etc.) but I know what you mean about Whitman. The greatest lists are both not obvious and exactly right. Or something like that. Somehow revelatory. Perhaps Whitman's once were and aren't so much now?

Thanks for posting, Wook and Sib! I know Whitman is our great American Poet. He's an acquired taste, I guess.

And speaking of low-brow Sib, here's my next:

69. The Book of Totally Useless Information **1/2
Have you ever felt you've read a book before? An ok fast read, I guess. Also, this one was dated, had a smattering of egregious errors and now that Mr. Gore has since invented the Internet, the content is well, available elsewhere.

70. LIFE: The Greatest Adventures of All Time ***
It's a news stand magazine, it's not going to win any literary awards, but it was a substantial and fun read. Covered all the more famous 20th and 21st century adventurers, organized by sea, land and air.

71. Collected Short Stories of Saki (Wordsworth Classics) ****

I recently started reading some S.J. Perelman, promptly put it down and picked this up instead. I was not disappointed. There is a big difference between corn, and wit. These stories are sometimes repetitive, always end in a twist or punchline, are frequently very short, often require some concentration, and are almost always hilarious.

That and Book 2 of Totally Useless were my daughter's (known as the Little Darling, LD) bibles from 5th-7th grade - yeah - I've got my own little geek in the making. Another huge favorite was one about gross things, thankfully the title has escaped me.....

That was, of course, before she was allowed to spend all the time she wanted on her computer.

Saki is terrific. Perelman is dated, now, sadly.

That makes me the biggest, oldest 6th Grade Geek in the world! Speaking of Geekdom...

72. The Emperor of All Maladies ****
Fascinating overview on the "topic of Cancer". Cancer is ubiquitous, so everyone should read this book. Cancer is a genetic reality within our bodies. The war of cancer may be considered won, if cancers can be delayed long enough so that patients can lead a normal life.

73. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight ***1/2

This is actually a Naxos recording of a "new verse translation", by Benedict Flynn. I am sure it is not an accurate translation at all. I understood every word of it!

Someone on LT once told me about someone saying, "Too bad Shakespeare was English - if he wasn't, there would be great translations available."

Or something like that.

74. The Bible: A Biography *****

A short, concise, but extremely comprehensive account of the history of the Bible, and how scholars have changed it over the past 2500 years or so. Academically fascinating, and well-worth a careful read or a re-read.

Definitely the best nonfiction I've read, this year.

A real five star nonfiction effort. The only possible shortfall is the use of the word Exogenous, ad nauseum.

75. Strange Encounters ***

I consider this a 5-star subject (essays about an ecologist's career), but I don't think it was very well written.

You've been busy! Irony about Will being that he invented half the English language, eh?

Oh Sib, I've been trying to get respectably close to 100. I don't know how you folks do it! So many books, so little time.

Bill Bryson certainly must have mentioned something about the number of Bill Shakespeare's new words. But alas, I read that one so long ago!

76. Offshore ***
The Booker committee called this nearly flawless. I first felt this short character study was just flawlessly boring. But it did begin to grow on me, towards the end. The two precocious little river-dwelling daughters were terrific!

I have been interested in reading Offshore. Perhaps I won't be in too much of a hurry now!

77. Stress and Your Body ****1/2
Another outstanding Teaching Company Course. If you've any interest in psychology, you'll enjoy this large series of lectures by the author of Why Zebras don't get ulcers. This was Volume I and I haven't located the next 24 lectures. So, now I've learned in excruciating detail all about stress, and haven't yet heard about what to do about it! ;)

BTW, ya gotta check out the author photo for this neurologist/primatologist. Priceless!

http://www.librarything.com/author/sapolskyrobertm

78. Wild Nights: Nature Returns to the City ***
One would think from the subtitle, that this book is about (nocturnal) surveys of increasing urban wildlife. There's some of that in the beginning chapters. The remainder is a rambling series of essays concerning city planning, open space, NYC history, Santa Cruz island ecology, global warming, Mayan culture, NYC geology and glaciation, Penn Station debris, archaeological digs in Wiltshire - this book is all over the place. Most is mildly interesting.

Catching up on your list. Lots of great reading - the cancer book has been on my TBR for awhile now. I should just go ahead and read it.

79. The Picture of Dorian Gray ****
Great, clever writing. I alternated between a 1973 Dell paperback and 1996 CDs; a Brilliance Audio Library edition. The reader- Michael Page - was excellent. He took great pains to develop a unique voice for each of the characters.

80. A Field Guide to the Familiar ***
A simple "natural year" style nature book. 'A little too simple for my tastes. Dozens of 2-page essays.

81. E=mc2: A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation
by David Bodanis ****

(@#!^%$ touchstones...)

Excellent. The first chapters actually pertain to the equation components E, "equals sign", m, C and yes, "squared". The remainder is comprised of the history of relativity and atomic theory, with plenty of real lives drama among the various scientists (Einstein's life comprises only a small portion of this). The description of the Hiroshima bomb and the eventual demise of the sun, are awe-inspiring. I still don't know what the darn equation means but it was a heck of an entertaining book.

82. Lost Antarctica ****1/2
There are a lot of great natural history/"environment" authors out there, and Mr. McClintock's Antarctica effort, is right up there with the works of Wilson, Dawkins, McPhee, Heinrich, Gould and Weiner. It explains discoveries of incredible interrelationships of Antarctic organisms (ie, with their environment/climate). McClintock covers the remarkable diversity and value (including obligatory descriptions of medicinal chemicals found in Antarctic biota) while describing his career and research. A great book for anyone interested in oceanography, marine biology and of course that very real elephant seal in the living room - Global Warming.

83. The Meaning of Life *1/2
Everybody else read it; it was laying around. I just had to as well. What can I say about this mindless fun that should probably remain on the shelf of a Hallmark store? At least I didn't pick up Twilight or The Hunger Games, instead.

By the way, I'm a huge bug-'n-bunnies fan, but I just couldn't groove on the animal photos. Maybe people photos would have been much better.

Speaking of angst, I'm currently reading Notes from Underground.

84. Zen to Go ***1/2
What a great oxymoron-esque (oxymoronic?) title! 'The perfect short serenity book for the impatient. Great quotes from Buddhists and non-Buddhist alike, including of course the Zen master Yogi Berra.

Well, if you want angst, Notes from Underground is the way to go.

85. Maus ***1/2
I only had the first volume of this graphic novel classic and Pulitzer-winner. (I'm still looking for Part II of those Teaching Company Stress lectures, as well!)

86. Vice Dos & Don'ts 2 *1/2

I laughed at about 4 of the thousand photo captions. That's like finding a quarter gram of gold in a million cubic meters of Amazonian mud. 'And the whole mess failing the total characteristic leaching procedure for mercury, as a result.

87. Notes from Underground ****1/2
A stunning novel about a social outcast with some serious anterior cingulate cortex issues.

I am sure I will revisit this masterpiece.

88. I Run, Therefore I Am Still Nuts **

Recently, I mentioned that I has started reading the American humorist, S. J. Perelman. I quickly threw it down out of boredom, discovered a volume of Saki, and devoured that instead. Again, there's a difference between corn and wit.

This book of running essays, is as corny as it gets. For example, I haven't seen so many ditties "sung to the tune of " - since reading Mad Magazine. Nor is Schwartz's 42-essay collection very informative about running and running culture. This may be a good selection for a pre-teen, male, interested in running. But I'm not sure it would hold the interest of any others interested in the sport.

Congratulations on reading Dostoevsky. The Russians still scare me somewhat.

Merry christmas!

Dostoevsky is a lot tougher (scarier) than, say Tolstoy.

89. The Consolation of Philosophy ****1/2

I had received not 1 but 3, fine recommendations for this book. First, was from Ignatius J. Reilly c/o John Kennedy Toole of course. Second, was from my sister, who obtained her BA in Philosophy many years ago. Third was from the late great Professor J. Rufus Fears, via a Teaching Company lecture dealing with life-changing books.

It is not well known today but was an extremely popular treatise from the early Medieval times onward and it greatly influenced western thought. I particularly enjoyed the lyrical sections interspersed between the dialogues between Philosophy and her student, the imprisoned Boethius.

90. Delavier's Anatomy for Bigger, Stronger Arms ****

This exercise book is another early reviewer volume. It is detailed and comprehensive, with excellent illustrations, photos and diagrams. It begins with FAQs ("20 questions") and then covers weak areas/injuries, beginning/advanced exercises, and ends with workout suggestions for every goal or sport. Free weights, bands and other types of easily obtainable equipment are emphasized. Very highly recommended for beginners, advanced weight trainers and also for anyone who wants a handy reference guide available.

91. The Lexicon of Stupidity **1/2

The usual fare (sports announcers, Press Officers, Military, law enforcement, actors, defendants, News copy) of screw ups, quips and just plain dumb sayings. A harmless, fun book worthy of a scan and resulting in an occasional chuckle.

92. Jesus' Son ***1/2
Gritty, gritty, gritty, gritty, gritty.

(I'm on vacation and on a reading tear. Could I make 100 by year's end, after all?)

Hope you can !!

Good luck with the last minute rush! I'm on book #100, but I'm not sure if I'll get it finished!

93. Put Out More Flags ***1/2
A comedy taking place during England's "phony war" of 1939. Not one of Waugh's most popular, but certainly very funny. The wicked Bertie Seal is a hilarious character, whether he is turning his friends in as Fascists (for minor political gain) or extorting money from landlords (for minor financial gain).

94. Hamlet ****

4 stars? Really? I feel mighty sheepish, rating Shakespeare!

This was a BBC Audiobooks America (Ark Angel Productions, 2003) dramatization; I also spent considerable time referring to summaries and critical reviews.

95. Brush Up Your Shakespeare! ***1/2
I first read every entry related to Hamlet, as part of my preparation for that tragedy. But this book was so much fun, I read all the other entries as well. 'Better than "Googling" each and every phrase.

Well, it is done, it was a lofty goal which I did not attain. And, I've started Infinite Jest along with the Jesters' Group Read. I'd like to continue with Shakespeare and other door-stops. So I've very low ambitions for at least the first calendar quarter of 2013.

So after much deliberation,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3rn2GQxcDo

I've jumped back over to the 75 Book Challenge for 2013. Thanks for all the kind words, suggestions and wonderful threads. I'll come back and visit often!

Sorry you won't be with us in 2013! I'd better go and track down your thread in the 75ers.

I was tempted by the Jester's group read, but I think I've just committed to A Dance to the Music of Time, and there are only so many door stoppers one can read. :)

Wook,

You and I are both truly masochists.

I shall keep in touch. After March, 2013. Or April, (I'm on page 37).