September 27, 2013
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reading 2013
That’s kind of a lie. My reading year starts in September, so this is actually the stuff I’ve read since last fall… but there are some good things in here. If a title catches your eye, let me know and I’ll be happy to give a more detailed opinion of it, since I stopped doing reviews of everything I read.
* Marks the books I was recommended.
± Marks books I would like to get rid of (message me if any of them look interesting, since I might still have them and could send them to you)
#Marks my personal favourites from this batch1. Clockwork Princess – Cassandra Clare#
(steampunk and magic and a dash of Victorian-era romance)2. The Maze Runner – James Dashner*
(post-apocalyptic mysteries and experiments with kids)3. Celtic Myths and Legends – Peter Berresford Ellis#
(exactly that…very entertaining in places)4. Star Trek – Alan Dean Foster
(yes, I read a book based on a movie. wanted to murder one of the writers for passive grammar usage, but it wasn’t the worst thing ever.)5. Lord Brocktree – Brian Jacques
(wildcat pirates and bloodthirsty badger lords)6. Legend of Luke – Brian Jacques#
(mousketeers, for reals)7. Seagull Reader: Poetry – Ed. Joseph Kelly
(useless anthology from college)8. Seagull Reader: Stories – Ed. Joseph Kelly
(some stories were actually good…ask me if you need a list of short stories to hunt out)9. On Writing – Steven King
(he’s actually pretty entertaining in this)10. Desperation – Steven King
(dumb story, but some parts are so awesome even though I know they lead directly to letdowns…)11. Insomnia – Steven King
(middle portion is pretty interesting, then it gets dumb)12. Cell – Steven King#
(really dated, given how different smart phones are from the phones we had even five or so years ago…but the concepts are pretty horrifying and awesome)13. Irish Red – Jim Kjelgaard
(I still have a sort spot for dog stories)14. Outlaw Red – Jim Kjelgaard
(especially dog-survives-in-the-wild stories)15. Werewolves: The Occult Truth – Konstantinos
(interesting dissection of the belief in werewolves from someone who is part of the occult community)16. The Poetic Edda – Ed. Carolyne Larrington
(Norse mythology)17. The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo – Steig Larsson#
(violent and highly sexual crime and mystery…pretty intense read)18. Carmilla – J. Sheridan Le Fanu
(very old fashioned vampire story…before Dracula’s time)19. The Left Hand of Darkness – Ursula K. Le Guin#
(human in an alien society of androgynous people. lots of philosophy and human condition questions raised by plot.)20. Mere Christianity – C.S. Lewis
(Christian philosophy)21. The Screwtape Letters – C.S. Lewis
(demon writing advice letters to lesser demon on how to draw souls to hell)22. The Nightmare Factory – Thomas Ligotti#
(short stories with supernatural and nihilistic themes)23. Death Poems – Thomas Ligotti
(poems about death)24. Teatro Grottesco – Thomas Ligotti#
(more stories with supernatural and nihilistic themes)25. Noctuary – Thomas Ligotti
(ditto above)26. The Conspiracy Against The Human Race – Thomas Ligotti
(exposition of pessimistic philosophies…one of the darkest things I have ever read)
Comments (4)
I can see how Cell would be among your favorites. I really enjoyed the creepiness.
It was the first book I ever read by Steven King, so maybe that’s part of why I like it better, too…I hadn’t gotten to know his preferred modes and characters yet.
Right now, I’m reading his sequel to The Shining, Called Doctor SLeep. I just can’t put it down, lol. Me, I started with Four Past Midnight and then I read Insomnia, and I was hooked.
Idk…I really like his writing voice…but every time I read one of his books, I feel like I’ve been tricked. Like, the moments of understanding his characters have right before they rally against the monster or the situation…I hate those moments. I feel like they ruin something that would be otherwise terrifying.