Thoughts of LoWriter

The Monthly Book List--January

All right, readers. (If I still have any. I sometimes seriously doubt that I do, but this is fun anyway.) Here is my attempt at a recurring article: These are the books I read last month.

Two years ago, my list of goals included getting a library card. I accomplished that goal. Not only did I accomplish that goal, but I read tons these days (although not as much as Ten). So this year I decided that I am going to keep track of the books that I read and listen to for the year (usually, I only listen to books on tape while at my second job). And I am passing them on to you.

Maskerade by Terry Pratchett (audio). This book is a spoof/satire/parody on/of/on The Phantom of the Opera. I laughed, but I don't know if I'll ever be able to listen to The Phantom of the Opera again without laughing. This book includes Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax, which may be two of the best reasons to start reading Pratchett if you haven't already.

Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett (audio). This book is all about a girl wizard. Girl wizards don't actually exist until the main character of this book comes along. This book also includes Granny Weatherwax. This will mean more to you when you've read some Terry Pratchett. It reminds me a bit of A Wizard of Earthsea but only very losely. And as always, Pratchett is hilarious.

Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott (audio). I returned to an old favorite here. This book is Anne Lamott's faith story, something I attempted (and failed miserably) to model for my Senior Seminar. I listened to it again because I want to re-do my Senior Sem project eventually, just for myself. I blew a huge opportunity with that final paper, and I want to set it right, even if it's just for me. So, while I listened to this, I listened with an ear tuned to two different things. The first was the technique, and I discovered that what I like about it is that she is honest and blunt but not brutal, which is an important distinction. The second was the actual spiritual content, and it was very moving for me. Sometimes I feel like me and God don't connect, but Anne Lamott's relationship with him reminds me that it's OK to be God's delinquent/troubled teen.

The Ground Beneath Her Feet (audio) by Salman Rushdie. AKA The Longest Book Ever. Seriously, when the cassette maintence guy came on to tell me to flip the tape over, I felt like he was about to say, "This concludes side one of cassette 17 of The Longest Book on Earth. To continue being bored out of your mind, please turn the cassette over, and continue from the same point." In all honesty, it starts to make sense at the end. But if I hadn't been bound and determined to finish this book, there is no way I would have made it through. (For some reason, I felt I needed to prove that I could still pay attention to something "literary" and "deep.") By the end, I was interested, but I didn't really feel satisfied by the actual ending, either. I enjoyed Haroun and the Sea of Stories much more. I would try that one over this.

Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett. Funny, but not really my favorite Pratchett book so far. It was more serious than his others, which I didn't mind, but it also had some parts that were really slow. I put the book down for days at a time. Worth the read, but don't begin reading Pratchett here.

The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett. This was a fabulous book. It must be close to the beginning of Terry Pratchett's "un-numbered" Discworld Series. It includes Rinsewind and The Luggage, which is fast becoming my favorite Pratchett character. The Luggage is a traveling trunk. Literally. It's luggage, but it follows its owner around (and protects its owner) by running around after him on 100 miniature legs. With feet. And also by swallowing all enemies whole. No one is quite sure where the people swallowed by The Luggage go, but no one is about to try to find out either.

Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett. In case you hadn't noticed, there is a theme to my reading these days. I am trying to read all of Terry Pratchett's novels. I think I will be able to read as many as I want for at least a year without running out. And then I intend to start over again. This novel follows Commander Vimes through mid-career. It involves a dragon and love. (Although not between Vimes and the dragon.) It's entertaining, but as far as Pratchett novels relating to the City Watch go, I prefer Night Watch. As always, it's pretty funny.

The Handmaid's Tale. I don't remember who wrote this. It's pretty good. It's set in an uber-religious future where the societal model is the Old Testament only twisted. It refers to Rachel and Leah a lot, but it strikes me more as Abraham's wife-esque stuff. At any rate, it's pretty interesting. It disturbed me a bit for awhile because I can see it happening if enough zealots for the wrong cause got into power. For the most part, it's an interesting social commentary work. I wouldn't take it too seriously, but I wouldn't completely disregard it either. The ending isn't completely satisfying, but she adds an interesting "transcript" piece to the end, which works well for the story.

All in all, January was a good month for reading. It was cold, and I worked a lot, so I had plenty of reading time. I hate winter. I'd rather stay inside and pretend it isn't happening to me. If you've read any of these books or plan to, feel free to comment here or email me with your thoughts. Stay tuned for February's picks.

Posted by LoWriter at February 8, 2005 04:12 PM