2009: The Year in Books

I read a lot of books. Or at least I think I read a lot of books. Reading 28 books in one year is more than average but probably not by that many standard deviations. I might make it a resolution to read a book a week, which would be a fun challenge. Anyway, here are some of the 28 books that graced my nightstand this year with some comments.

(Oh and for those wondering I did not read a book on pro wrestling this year. Haven’t had that happen in a long time.)

Henry V by William Shakespeare: I have continued in my tradition of reading one Shakespeare play a year and have now completed the Henriad. I like this play, mainly because I like any play that features a lot of battles and patriotic speeches. Funny how I never recall hearing about King Henry threatening to rape and pillage a town if they did not surrender in some of my previous studies nor do I understand why half the play is in really bad French. If there is one thing that I am proud of it is the fact that I can read Shakespeare without needing to look at the notes every two seconds.

This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper: I started reading Tropper last year after hearing many comparisons to Nick Hornby. This is easily his best book about a family coming together after death and divorce and then splintering again. Funny and compelling and one that I recommend.

Generation A by Douglas Coupland: I’ve read pretty much everything that Douglas has ever written including a few really bad books. This one falls in the middle of the pack for him. The overarching story about bees disappearing from the Earth and how that is interrelated with anti-depressants and stories is rather interesting. The continual interlacing of short stories into the novel completely ruins the flow though.

Bro on the Go by Barney Stinson: Life lessons for today’s active bro. In a word: awesome.

Eating the Dinosaur by Chuck Klosterman: I’ve mentioned it many times before but it always bears repeating: I would really like to have Chuck Klosterman’s job. He just sits around and writes pieces examining pop culture from this detached, slightly cynical viewpoint. It would be like someone actually paying me to blog. Let’s face it, I could write long essays discussing the merits of Ralph Sampson and ABBA as well.

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane: Read the book before the movie comes out. This is a great thriller that actually keeps you guessing the entire time as to what reality really is. Occasionally it is nice to read a book that you just cannot put down and this is one of those books. Really highly recommended.

Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby: In what can be considered almost a companion to High Fidelity Nick delves once again into the world of music fandom. What does it mean to know everything about an artist? What does it say about me that I will speak for hours on end on the merits of Jeff Buckley and will go and see a band just because his former drummer is playing in it? Why are people drawn to defining their life via the creations of someone that they will never meet and who didn’t have them in mind during the process of creation? Great book.

And Another Thing by Eoin Colfer: The sixth book in the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy trilogy and the first written since the death of Douglas Adams. I had really mixed emotions about this book given that I copied most of my writing style from Douglas Adams. On the one hand, I was happy to see the characters one more time and appearing in a book with an actual plot for once. But it just didn’t have the same humor and pure joy of the absurd that Douglas’ work had and I really wasn’t a fan of the ending. Arthur Dent deserves a better fate in the universe.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer: Teaches you one important lesson: Do not go into the Alaskan wilderness alone. Ever. Especially if you’ve decided to change your last name to Supertramp.

Geek Love by Katherine Dunn: This book is about circus geeks as opposed to geeks like me. That almost amounts to false advertising. Any novel that has at its core a couple that ingests as many chemicals as possible in order to have children that could serve as circus geeks is bound to be interesting and this one is definitely unlike any other that I can recall. It’s not for everyone but I guarantee that you will never forget it.

Sexing the Cherry by Jeanette Winterson: Probably the best book I read all year due to some amazing language. The book is incredibly poetic and the words just seem to float from place to place as the characters drift through time. A hauntingly beautiful book that Kim introduced me to.

This is Water by David Foster Wallace: I miss DFW. His death cost my generation its most talented writer. He left us this, his graduation speech from a few years ago. Present it to your favorite graduate to make him think. Really, really think.

I Love You Beth Cooper by Larry Doyle: Yes, the movie sucked. But the book is surprisingly decent. Not great, but decent. Any resemblance between this novel and my high school years is purely coincidental. For one thing, I don’t recall Hayden Panniterrie attending my high school.

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson: I may have read this book for the title alone. It’s actually a very readable analysis of the broad issues of science from the beginnings of the universe and the structure of matter to evolution and what makes us who we are. It’s not technical and Bryson is a joy to read so if you want to find out more about this world that we find ourselves in this is a good place to start.

10th Best Album of the Decade: The New Pornographers “Challengers” (2007): You have to love Canadian supergroups made up of people from bands you have never heard of. Neko Case is the most popular person in the group and not too many people other than me know about her. They are simply the best power pop group around right now. No one can touch them. Plus, as this video shows, you just can’t match the cuteness that is Kathryn Calder.