Doug's reading list

I was looking through some old blogs and found my “reading list” from last summer. I figured it might be a good time to go over some of the books I’ve read since then. At that time, this was on my plate to read:
Enduring Love by Ian McEwan
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
About a Boy by Nick Hornby
The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey
A Widow for One Year by John Irving
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Here are some of the books I’ve read, plus some comments. Some books I haven’t included, such as books I’ve re-read recently (such as Into Thin Air on the 10 year anniversary of the Everest disaster).

Enduring Love by Ian McEwan
McEwan has written one of the best books I’ve read in the past few years (Atonement), and while this one wasn’t as good, it had its moments. The movie version was definitely not as good as the book, either. Grade: B+

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
I really enjoyed this book, told from the point of view of a young autistic boy in England. Very quirky, and an interesting way to show what autistic people “see” every day. Grade: A-

About a Boy by Nick Hornby
What a great book! I just love Hornby (and not just because he’s an Arsenal fan), and this book is fantastic. Better than the movie, and I thought the movie version was one of the best films of the year when it came out.

A Widow for One Year by John Irving
This was my first foray into Irving, and I know it won’t be my last. He has a great voice (wow, what a corny thing to say!) and his storytelling really grabbed me. The movie version of the 1st 3rd of this book (The Door in the Floor) did a great job bringing Irving’s zany and troubled family to the screen, but the book’s 2nd half, showing Ruth as an adult still trying to come to grips with a mom who left her when she was only 5 years old, brings the story full circle and is well worth the time. Grade: A-

The Godfather by Mario Puzo
Here’s an example of a movie that I love that is MUCH better than the book. Puzo’s book reads like pulpy trash and is very forgettable the minute you finish reading it. Grade: B-

Life of Pi by Yann Martel
The story of a boy on a cast-away raft in the Pacific Ocean with a tiger, Life of Pi is an allegory concerning life, faith and religion. I found this book well-written, but at the end I didn’t think its “point” was that exciting. A bit disappointed. Grade: B

Saturday by Ian McEwan
It seems that every time I read a new McEwan book I get more and more disappointed. This novel takes place on 1 day in London and follows what happens when a neurosurgeon has a run-in with the wrong person on the street. I think the ending is a bit contrived, but he does have a great writing style, so points for that. Grade: B

The Valachi Papers by Peter Maas
This book was the first published to ever show the true story of the Italian mafia, and to show what it means to be “made” and how the cosa nostra worked. I’m sure when it came out, in the 60’s, that it was groundbreaking and remarkable, but now, with all the Godfather movies and The Sopranos re-writing the mob’s story, it just seems a bit dated and none-too-exciting now. Grade: B-

Deception Point by Dan Brown
I brought this book with me to Europe last Spring, and it delivered what I wanted: mindless storytelling with a plot that moves along at a brisk pace. I don’t even remember what the story was about (and I had actually written down the name as Decision Point, so it shows how well it stayed with me). Grade: C

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
Another fantastic Hornby book, this one about a young guy named Rob who runs a record store and can’t seem to stay in a relationship for long at all. Hilariously written, and smart as well. Grade: A-

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris
Sedaris is one of the funniest writers in America. He makes Sage laugh so hard I’ve seen her cry (literally, and in public too), and I’m not that far behind. This series of essays on his life and family has laughs, plus a few tears. Grade: A-


The Joy of Hiking by John McKinney
I read this while on our summer trip, and it did nothing to want me to hike more. Grade: C

A Wolverine is Eating My Leg by Tim Cahill
A collection of essays from the Outside and National Geographic Adventure writer showcases Cahill’s wit and adventure. Grade: B+

Lost in My Own Backyard by Tim Cahill
Another Cahill compilation, this one focused entirely on Yellowstone. I read this while in Yellowstone, and not only is it funny as always, it also put a lot of the park into perspective, historically and socially. My only problem with it was it was way too short: Grade: A-

How To Be Good by Nick Hornby
Maybe it was because I loved About a Boy and High Fidelity so much that I was extremely disappointed in this Hornby novel. He centers on a woman in a failing marriage whose life goes topsy-turvy when her husband decides to go all new-age religion on her. Not good. Grade: C+

Night of the Grizzlies by Jack Olsen
After spending time in Glacier National Park this summer, I wanted to read this book about the tragedy that took place in Glacier in the late 1960’s, when two women were killed on the same night by 2 different grizzly bears. Good story, but really poor writing. Grade: B-

Journal of the Dead by Jason Kersten
Could you kill your best friend, even if he was dying and begging you to do it? This is the story of just that, when two friends get lost in the New Mexico desert with no water and find themselves emasculated by the heat. The story was fascinating, and included entries that the two men made in a journal during their 3 days in the hot sun. Grade: A-

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
I don’t know if I can say enough great things about this book. I was simply amazed at the writing, the themes, the symbolism, and the power this book had over me. I also realized, after I finished it, that the story is similar to Atonement, my other favorite book of the past 10 years. A child makes a mistake, one that will haunt him/her for years, and their guilt tries to find a way at redemption. (Right around the time of reading this book we saw a French movie called Au Revoir, Les Enfants which also hits upon this theme, so maybe it's a thing with me.) Please, if you haven’t read this book, get it now and read it. Grade: A+

The Intelligencer by Leslie Silbert
This was recommended to me as a Da Vinci Code-esque novel of intrigue that goes between Elizabethan England and present day, concerning the murder of Christopher Marlowe. I had high hopes, but found the writing really poor, the characters more wooden than the Spruce Goose, and the story very thin. The foundation of a great book is here, but Silbert can’t find it. Grade: C-

Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk
Palahniuk, the writer of Fight Club, has a big following of his novels, but after reading Haunted, I’m afraid that following should be committed. I do have respect for what he tries to do with this book: a group of writers go on a retreat to write short stories, and end up being trapped by the seminar leader. Ridiculous happenings ensue. The story is interwoven with the writer’s short stories, but the result is a convoluted mess that is really sicker than anything else. Grade: D-

As you may notice, I did not read The Monkey Wrench Gang or One Hundred Years of Solitude. I tried The Monkey Wrench Gang, and while I love Ed Abbey's essays, I could not get into his fiction. I might try it again, but I think I'd just rather stay to his non-fiction. Marquez's seminal novel will wait some more; maybe for a long rainy weekend at my cabin in the woods. Once I get a cabin in the woods, I mean. Here’s what’s next in my to-read pile:

Fire by Sebastian Junger
Now I Can Die in Peace by Bill Simmons
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
The Exploration of the Colorado River and its Canyons by John Wesley Powell