kosj's 100 in 2012
Forum100 Books in 2012 Challenge
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1kosj
Hello All! A bit slow on the take this year ( I blame George RR Martin...) But so far:
1. Under The Frog by Tibor Fischer 4/5
2. Pat the Zombie by Aaron Ximm 3.5/5
3. A storm of Swords by George RR Martin 4.5/5
4. A feast For Crows by George RR Martin 4/5
5. We by Yevgeny Zamyatin 4.2/5
1. Under The Frog by Tibor Fischer 4/5
2. Pat the Zombie by Aaron Ximm 3.5/5
3. A storm of Swords by George RR Martin 4.5/5
4. A feast For Crows by George RR Martin 4/5
5. We by Yevgeny Zamyatin 4.2/5
2wookiebender
Hello, and welcome back! George RR Martin is rather compelling, his books are a good place to lose yourself. :)
3iftyzaidi
Ooh, I must pull out my copy of We from my TBR mountain some time soon. I've been meaning to read it for a while.
4kosj
6. A Dance With Dragons by George RR Martin 3.9/5
A great series, but the last two books were definately my least favourite. I wasn't into the whole book 4 and 5 running parallel thing. I wish they had been one shorter volume and he had moved forward with the plot instead. The characters are still engaging but I'm afraid that the series could end up like Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time - a series that started off fantastically, then meandered for a number of volumes before getting interesting again. That being said, it's not like it wasn't good, maybe I'm worrying for nothing...
7. Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov 4/5
The story of a struggling writer who gets a job writing obituaries about people before they die. Then they start dying. He also lives with a manic-depressive penguin name Misha. Very dark, very funny.
A great series, but the last two books were definately my least favourite. I wasn't into the whole book 4 and 5 running parallel thing. I wish they had been one shorter volume and he had moved forward with the plot instead. The characters are still engaging but I'm afraid that the series could end up like Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time - a series that started off fantastically, then meandered for a number of volumes before getting interesting again. That being said, it's not like it wasn't good, maybe I'm worrying for nothing...
7. Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov 4/5
The story of a struggling writer who gets a job writing obituaries about people before they die. Then they start dying. He also lives with a manic-depressive penguin name Misha. Very dark, very funny.
5bryanoz
kosj I agree with your Dance With Dragons comments, such a long wait for not much advancement in plot or charaters.
I also found it disconcerting when I realized that much of Dance was running concurrently with Feast for Crows, published 5 years ago !?
still enjoy the saga but I agree it is losing steam.
I also found it disconcerting when I realized that much of Dance was running concurrently with Feast for Crows, published 5 years ago !?
still enjoy the saga but I agree it is losing steam.
6clfisha
oo I have Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov on my wishlist but I have seen mixed reviews, so its nice to see another review to help tip the balance!
7kosj
#6 - I love a lot of eastern european lit, so maybe I'm biased, but I thought it was a hoot. That being said, if you're not partial to that very dry (and occassionally macabre) kind of humour, it may not be your thing. There's a sequel too Penguin Lost which I'll definately grab the next time I see it...
8kosj
#5 -- I feel better knowing I'm not the only one! I don't like being critical of someone's artistic endeavours -- particularly one as herculean as Martin's -- but if it takes him, say, 3 years to finish the next volume, it will have been 8 years since the story has progressed. That is a heck of a lot of waiting to ask from your fans, and, sadly, I know more than a few people who gave up on the saga pre-Dance with Dragons as a result...
9kosj
8. Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson 4/5
Sword-toting mega-hacker Hiro Protagonist, who also happens to be a pizza delivery guy for the Mafia, takes on a billionaire capitalist/religious freak (part Rupert Murdoch, part L.Ron Hubbard) with the help of a 15-year-old skater punk. Steam Punk classic for fans of the genre..
9. Nana by Emile Zola 4.5/5
An incredible literary account of what seems a very modern phenomenom: being famous for being famous. Nana is a bad actress with a great body who captivates Paris. Her massive appetites destroy the reputations and bankrolls of a succession of men who cannot seem but to love her. But in all of this it is Zola's painstaking portrait of a women who simply wants to be free and loved for herself. It also contains, IMHO, one of the best scenes ever written about horse racing....
Sword-toting mega-hacker Hiro Protagonist, who also happens to be a pizza delivery guy for the Mafia, takes on a billionaire capitalist/religious freak (part Rupert Murdoch, part L.Ron Hubbard) with the help of a 15-year-old skater punk. Steam Punk classic for fans of the genre..
9. Nana by Emile Zola 4.5/5
An incredible literary account of what seems a very modern phenomenom: being famous for being famous. Nana is a bad actress with a great body who captivates Paris. Her massive appetites destroy the reputations and bankrolls of a succession of men who cannot seem but to love her. But in all of this it is Zola's painstaking portrait of a women who simply wants to be free and loved for herself. It also contains, IMHO, one of the best scenes ever written about horse racing....
10kosj
10. The Secret of Wilhelm Storitz by Jules Verne 3.9/5
Published early last year, this is the first english verision of one of Verne's "lost" novels, which had been previously published after his death but in a heavily edited/altered versions by Verne's son. This is Verne's "Invisible Man", the story of a spurned suitor who walks the line between science and the occult to turn himself invisible and get revenge upon his love interest, her fiancee and her family. Like with many of Verne's novels, what is perhaps most amazing is the author's ability to see future technology and its applications. That being said, it requires the reader to consider that this was written in 1895 to appreciate how forward looking it really is.
Published early last year, this is the first english verision of one of Verne's "lost" novels, which had been previously published after his death but in a heavily edited/altered versions by Verne's son. This is Verne's "Invisible Man", the story of a spurned suitor who walks the line between science and the occult to turn himself invisible and get revenge upon his love interest, her fiancee and her family. Like with many of Verne's novels, what is perhaps most amazing is the author's ability to see future technology and its applications. That being said, it requires the reader to consider that this was written in 1895 to appreciate how forward looking it really is.
11kosj
11. Bite Me: A Love Story by Christopher Moore 3.8/5
The third installment of Moore's vampire trilogy follows his zany cast as they fight a giant vampire cat name Chet...
12. The Master of Petersburg by J.M. Coetzee 4/5
Coetzee tries to explain the absurdity of sons and fathers, and his own personal struggle with the death of a child, through the lens of the writer Dostoyevsky who returns to St. Petersburg to bury his stepson.
The third installment of Moore's vampire trilogy follows his zany cast as they fight a giant vampire cat name Chet...
12. The Master of Petersburg by J.M. Coetzee 4/5
Coetzee tries to explain the absurdity of sons and fathers, and his own personal struggle with the death of a child, through the lens of the writer Dostoyevsky who returns to St. Petersburg to bury his stepson.
12kosj
13. Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard 3.9/5
Inspired by Ray Bradbury and Something Wicked This Way Comes, Howard follows a necromancer who hopes to win his soul back from Satan by tricking a hundred others into giving theirs up.
14. Woman in the Dunes by Kobo Abe 4.5/5
This was just a fantastic book in my opinion. A teacher and amateur entomologist is offered the hospitality of a small village after he misses his bus back home to the city. He's taken to a house that is built below the region's blowing sand dunes, climbing down a long ladder to spend the night in the care of a young widow. When he wakes, however, he finds the ladder has been pulled up and the village has pressed him into the nightly service of shovelling sand to keep the home from being swallowed up by the dunes. Hiroshi Teshigahara also made a really good adaptation of it in the 1960s if the movie sounds up your alley...
Inspired by Ray Bradbury and Something Wicked This Way Comes, Howard follows a necromancer who hopes to win his soul back from Satan by tricking a hundred others into giving theirs up.
14. Woman in the Dunes by Kobo Abe 4.5/5
This was just a fantastic book in my opinion. A teacher and amateur entomologist is offered the hospitality of a small village after he misses his bus back home to the city. He's taken to a house that is built below the region's blowing sand dunes, climbing down a long ladder to spend the night in the care of a young widow. When he wakes, however, he finds the ladder has been pulled up and the village has pressed him into the nightly service of shovelling sand to keep the home from being swallowed up by the dunes. Hiroshi Teshigahara also made a really good adaptation of it in the 1960s if the movie sounds up your alley...
13clfisha
I liked Woman In The Dunes too, which surprised me as its a slow, thoughtful book. Not usually my sort of thing.
15wookiebender
Ah, The Woman in the Dunes is on my wishlist! Must bump it up a bit...
17kosj
#16 -- It is a weird book. I don't know that it was good, but it was interesting. Maybe I'll do a proper review when I'm less conflicted about it ... :)
18kosj
17. Battle Royale by Koushun Takami 4.4/5
A class of 42 junior high school students are taken to an island and ordered to kill each other as part of a totalitarian government's annual "Program". This book is ultra-violent and was condemned by many when first released in Japan in 1999 for its take on the easy brutality of 15-year-olds (might be something to that...). It's been compared favourably to Lord of the Flies and some have suggested that author Suzanne Collins borrowed heavily from it for The Hunger Games, although she denies having ever read it (and I haven't read Hunger Games so I can't say...) I devoured all 600 pages on a lovely Sunday reading day ... highly recommend it if that kind of story is up your alley...
A class of 42 junior high school students are taken to an island and ordered to kill each other as part of a totalitarian government's annual "Program". This book is ultra-violent and was condemned by many when first released in Japan in 1999 for its take on the easy brutality of 15-year-olds (might be something to that...). It's been compared favourably to Lord of the Flies and some have suggested that author Suzanne Collins borrowed heavily from it for The Hunger Games, although she denies having ever read it (and I haven't read Hunger Games so I can't say...) I devoured all 600 pages on a lovely Sunday reading day ... highly recommend it if that kind of story is up your alley...
19kosj
18. The Fire gospel by Michel Faber 3.6/5
Part of The Myths series produced by publisher Canon Gate -- a series of myths from around the world re-told by prominent authors. In this case, the story of Prometheus is imagined in a modern day context after an Aramaic linguist discovers 9 ancient scrolls written by a witness to Jesus' crucifixion. This "fifth Gospel" predates the tellings of the New Testament and paints a much less mystical Jesus, something that shakes the faith, and raises the ire, of many.
Part of The Myths series produced by publisher Canon Gate -- a series of myths from around the world re-told by prominent authors. In this case, the story of Prometheus is imagined in a modern day context after an Aramaic linguist discovers 9 ancient scrolls written by a witness to Jesus' crucifixion. This "fifth Gospel" predates the tellings of the New Testament and paints a much less mystical Jesus, something that shakes the faith, and raises the ire, of many.
20kosj
19. The helmet of Horror by Viktor Pelevin 3.6/5
Also part of the Myths series, this one retells the tale of Theseus and the Minotaur. A group of people are abducted and placed in their own personal maze, each one communicating to the others through an internet chat room. It spends a lot of time discussing multiple levels of reality within the context of virtual space. Very complex, but interesting. Maybe better off as a philosophical text then a novel...
Also part of the Myths series, this one retells the tale of Theseus and the Minotaur. A group of people are abducted and placed in their own personal maze, each one communicating to the others through an internet chat room. It spends a lot of time discussing multiple levels of reality within the context of virtual space. Very complex, but interesting. Maybe better off as a philosophical text then a novel...
21kosj
20, Luka and the fire of life by Salman Rushdie 3.9/5
Sequel to Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Luka is also full of clever wordplay, mythology and magic.
Sequel to Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Luka is also full of clever wordplay, mythology and magic.
22kosj
21. Maus by Art Spiegelman 4.6/5
Just an amazing piece of art. Profound not only in its portrayal of the holocaust, but also in its brutal honesty about relationships and how our experiences shape us as people.
22. The Riddlemaster of Hed by Patricia McKillip 4/5
23. Heir of Sea and Fire by Patricia Mckillip 4/5
24. Harpist in the Wind by PAtricia McKillip 4/5
The Riddlemaster trilogy. A dark and literate quest-fantasy, with far more focus on the internal struggles of being the chosen one. I was particularly impressed with the strong female characters, which, let's be honest, often get thrown to the wayside while the boy goes out and saves the world ...
Just an amazing piece of art. Profound not only in its portrayal of the holocaust, but also in its brutal honesty about relationships and how our experiences shape us as people.
22. The Riddlemaster of Hed by Patricia McKillip 4/5
23. Heir of Sea and Fire by Patricia Mckillip 4/5
24. Harpist in the Wind by PAtricia McKillip 4/5
The Riddlemaster trilogy. A dark and literate quest-fantasy, with far more focus on the internal struggles of being the chosen one. I was particularly impressed with the strong female characters, which, let's be honest, often get thrown to the wayside while the boy goes out and saves the world ...
24kosj
27. Twelfth night by William Shakespeare 3.9/5
28. Watership Down by Richard Adams 4.4/5
29. Watchmen by Alan Moore 4.4/5
30. Hellboy: Weird Tales by John Cassaday 3.4/5
28. Watership Down by Richard Adams 4.4/5
29. Watchmen by Alan Moore 4.4/5
30. Hellboy: Weird Tales by John Cassaday 3.4/5
25kosj
31. The Tiger by John Vaillant 4.3/5
32. Ham on Rye by Charles Bukowski 4/5
33. The Magicians by Lev Grossman 3.8/5
32. Ham on Rye by Charles Bukowski 4/5
33. The Magicians by Lev Grossman 3.8/5
26wookiebender
Oh, I just finished The Magicians a couple of weeks ago! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did,
27kosj
Magicians wasn't quite what I expected, but it was a lot of fun. Had a certain melancholy to it ... I look forward to the sequel!
28kosj
Well, I'm definately not going to make it this year. I started my Masters degree this year and, alas, reading for anything but school kind of fell to the wayside. Ah, well. Here's the rest:
34. The Epic of Gilgamesh
35. The Old Testament
36. The Iliad
37. The Odyssey
38. Walking Dead Compendium One
39. Batman Volume 1: Court of Owls
40. Justice League Volume 1: Origin
41. Swamp Thing Volume 1: Raise Them Bones
42. Green LAntern Volume 1: Sinestro
43. Suicide Squad Volume 1: Kicked in the teeth
44. Aquaman Volume 1: The Trench
45. Catwoman Volume 1: The Game
46. Demon Knights Volume 1
47. Stormwatch Volume 1: The Dark Side
34. The Epic of Gilgamesh
35. The Old Testament
36. The Iliad
37. The Odyssey
38. Walking Dead Compendium One
39. Batman Volume 1: Court of Owls
40. Justice League Volume 1: Origin
41. Swamp Thing Volume 1: Raise Them Bones
42. Green LAntern Volume 1: Sinestro
43. Suicide Squad Volume 1: Kicked in the teeth
44. Aquaman Volume 1: The Trench
45. Catwoman Volume 1: The Game
46. Demon Knights Volume 1
47. Stormwatch Volume 1: The Dark Side
29clfisha
Oh good luck with your Masters degree. I am going to fall short this year and I have no such excuse :) Still its fun trying.
30kosj
Thanks clfisha! Appreciate it ... :) I guess I'll just have to enjoy the anticipation of the books I'll read once I'm done...
31wookiebender
Good luck with your Masters from me too! And congratulations on some of those classics, I'm never very good at reading anything classic.
32kosj
Thanks wookiebender, appreciate it! Here are a few more as the year ends:
48. The Analects by Confucious
49. Shijing by Various
50. Chuang-tzu by Chuang Chou
51. The Oresteia by Aeschylus
52. Antigone by Sophocles
48. The Analects by Confucious
49. Shijing by Various
50. Chuang-tzu by Chuang Chou
51. The Oresteia by Aeschylus
52. Antigone by Sophocles
