Whatcha Readin' Dec 2010 Edition

[twickster]

@AuntiePam

I’m re-reading The Deptford Trilogy by Robertson Davies. It’s been so long, I’ve forgotten everything. One of the benefits of a poor memory, I guess.

My favorite of his trilogies – I’m looking forward to rereading it myself in a couple of years, since I’ve also got that bad memory.

[Ian_D.Bergkamp]

@Sigmagirl

Charlie Chan: The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and His Rendezvous with American History by Yunte Huang, a Chinese-born American scholar who attended graduate school in Alabama and earned his Ph.D. at SUNY-Buffalo, taught American literature at Harvard and now is a professor of English at UC-Santa Barbara. It’s a fascinating perspective and very well written. I really like this guy.

That one’s definitely going on The List.

As for me, I’m close to finishing The Gates by John Connolly. It’s a dryly humorous story about a young boy named Samuel Johnson and his dog Boswell who stumble across a demon’s plan to open the gates of Hell and allow Satan to walk the earth. Very much in the style and tone of Good Omens, so fans of that book - of which there are many here - should love it.

[Chefguy]

@Chefguy

Finished the Bryson book. Now reading a trash novel called “Brimstone”. Not bad so far, but it was tough getting started, and some of the writing is a bit juvenile.

Jebus, what a pile of dreck that turned out to be. Over 700 pages of ridiculous plot, bad science, and unlikeable protagonists. Onward to another Bryson book!

[Malthus]

@twickster

My favorite of his trilogies – I’m looking forward to rereading it myself in a couple of years, since I’ve also got that bad memory.

I chiefly remember that trilogy for an epiphany I had in high school - it was when reading that, for school, that I first realized that “crap I was forced to read for school” could actually be really good.

[Gulo_gulo]

It’s been a while since I’ve been stupid-busy but I thought I’d dump the rest of my reads for 2010:

Completed:

The Colour by Rose Tremain
Spirit Gate (Crossroads, Book 1) by Kate Elliot
The Prodigal Mage (Fisherman’s Children) by Karen Miller
Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire
Shadow Gate (Crossroads, Book 2) by Kate Elliot
When Life Nearly Died: The Greatest Mass Extinction of All Time by Michael Benton
Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time, Book 1) by Robert Jordan ~ I picked up the first book by Brandon Sanderson & wanted to refresh the series in my mind again so I’ll burn through the older books before reading it. Hopefully it will all still be in my head when the latest comes out on paperback as well.
The Great Hunt (The Wheel of Time, Book 2) by Robert Jordan
The Quest for the Shaman: Shape-Shifters, Sorcerers and Spirit Healers in Ancient Europe by Miranda & Stephen Aldhouse-Green
The Dragon Reborn (The Wheel of Time, Book 3) by Robert Jordan

Reading:

Started Cloudsplitter by Russell Banks but it’s been put aside for a bit while I’m doing by Robert Jordan reread.

[Sigmagirl]

@Sigmagirl

Charlie Chan: The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and His Rendezvous with American History by Yunte Huang, a Chinese-born American scholar who attended graduate school in Alabama and earned his Ph.D. at SUNY-Buffalo, taught American literature at Harvard and now is a professor of English at UC-Santa Barbara. It’s a fascinating perspective and very well written. I really like this guy.

Sorry for the bump – this was just nominated for an Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America, in the category of Critical/Biographical. Most deserving!