Sorry for the long delay. (The uber-delay, if you will.) Here is the December book list for your reading pleasure.
Thud by Pratchett: Fantastic. It's a Watch book, so of course my favorite, Vimes, is the lead character. It's all about tension between the dwarves and the trolls and how Vimes has to fix it, or there'll be a war. It has some really good imagery.
A Monstrous Regiment by Pratchett: Also a good read. Vimes makes a cameo appearance, but other than that, not many of the previous Discworld characters are included. It's all about two little countries fighting with each other and women in the military.
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis: This book was an excellent little work of satire. It's set up as a correspondence between two demons: Wormwood and his uncle Screwtape. I especially enjoyed Screwtape's address to the demon college (I can't remember what it was called). On the whole, highly inappropriate in the extremely funny way that only satire can acheive.
Going Postal by Pratchett: Ahnk-Morpork gets a post office, which promptly goes into competition with the clacks (Discworld telegraph). Hillarity ensues.
Blankets by Craig Thompson: Excellent graphic novel. Somebody recommended this to me as a book about faith, and it definitely delves into the issues of losing your faith. I enjoyed it a great deal. Very beautifully done.
The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Sherlock returns from his supposed death, resulting in the re-birth of Watson's narrative regarding him. This book was once again a collection of short stories with each story revolving around a seperate case. Excellent read.
That's it for the books, kids. For those of you who are keeping track, this brings my yearly total to 91 books. Lots of candy reading, but I deserved it, I think. Feel free to share your own (and probably more intellectually stimulating) reads in the comments.
Posted by LoWriter at January 9, 2006 02:42 PMdamn,i was hoping you wouldnt get a chance to post your december books... what with moving and holidays, i didnt have much time at all to read. sucked really. january will definitely be better.
Ishmael by David Quinn
a philosophy book that delves into why the world seems to be being destroyed and what we can do about it. it's essentially an environmental book, but with a LOT of extra stuff to think about. it angered me at times... it helped me at times. it infuriated me as the ending is the same lame-ass as all other environmental propaganda - tell someone else, and tell them to tell someone else. this doesnt seemto be working for anything else (except celebrity gossip) so cant we come up with a fresher way of getting the info out?
The Creeping Man by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
audiobook sherlock holmes story i bummed off a friend for my new iPod. it was fun to listen to as it was enacted by a british troupe. why does your dog suddenly turn on you? could it be those gorilla hormones you're ingesting? hmmm...
yeah, short list. but overall, i've read 48 books this year, most of which were quality reads. i did indulge in quite a few audiobooks, and the Hitchhikers Guide series. but i'll defend audiobooks, and everyone needs a short story now and again.
on deck for jan: kornwolf by tristan egolf, the girl in the flammable skirt by Amiee bender, memoirs of a geisha, anne of green gables and a good solid start on the ground beneith her feet. i do believe Lo read the Rushdie book last year around this time... this is a fun list, Lo!
Posted by: dr gonzo at January 10, 2006 11:41 AM