2016 Books

I finished my Goodreads challenge! I read 30 books in 2016!

The last time I completed one was 2013, so I had not reached 30 books in any challenge, so go me!

Of course, this is largely due to audiobooks. I find my mind wanders sometimes when my hands are bored, so I like to sit at my table and work on a puzzle while listening to a book. In fact, I associate some books with certain puzzles, and sometimes it is a satisfying combination.

I wanted to share my list with you and keep it handy for me as well, to process some of what I read or listened to, and share a few thoughts and where the idea came from to read it. 

Marine One, James W. Huston
Straight from an Audible sale, this sounded like an easy government bad guy thriller, and it was. Pure candy, but fun.

The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien
The Two Towers, J.R.R. Tolkien
The Return of the King, J.R.R. Tolkien
I have to lump these together because I listened to them that way and have no reference for what happens where if the movies were wrong. I still prefer to watch those, because they are beautiful and full of lots of sweaty men, but it was nice to hear how the story actually goes, though that (never)end(ing) section about the customs of Hobbits just about killed me.

My Planet: Finding Humor in the Oddest Places, Mary Roach
I felt bad not liking this, but humor is like that for me. I'm either cracking up or not having any of it. Sometimes it's the reader- they can have a patronizing or annoying voice, and it can ruin the whole thing.

The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
I wanted to read this again. Tracy and I are part of the population growing agitated while waiting for the next book in the series, and we send the first two back and forth so that we're primed and ready when that damn book comes out.

Just What Kind of Mother Are You?, Paula Daly
Another Audible sale, and this one was entertaining enough to finish quickly, but I haven't retained much.

The Night of the Gun, David Carr
This is horrible, and not nearly as fascinating as the blurb made it sound. I have since heard someone reference this book as if it's some kind of touchstone, but I found it indulgent, uninsightful, and anticlimactic.

The Alchemist, Paolo Coelho
This was recommended to me by one of my SAW students. I liked it a lot, but not as much as I wanted to. I thought this would be the touchstone- some old story with a wealth of meaning. I did find a lot of value, but in parts rather than the whole.

Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town, Jon Krakauer
I didn't enjoy this at all, and not just because of the subject. Into Thin Air is one of my very favorite books, and I found the breakdown of that story helpful and extremely compelling. Here, I didn't feel that same pull- it just felt like a heavily researched paper.

The Art of War, Sun Tzu
I always wondered if I should read this despite wanting to distance myself from anything related to war, and the answer was yes. I want to listen to this a few more times, because I found surprising relevance. I believe that's a cliché with this book, but one that is rightfully earned.

The Day of the Jackal, Frederick Forsyth
It was suggested to me by a fellow Audible addict to listen to anything read by Simon Prebble or Wil Wheaton. Simon read this one, and it seemed like a well known story, so I bought it in a sale. This was also entertaining enough, and yes, he is a great reader.

The Postman Always Rings Twice, James M. Cain
This was a print copy I found in a thrift store and was living on one of my many To Read shelves. It seemed like a quick read, but it took me forever. There was a callousness that made me wonder how I would like The Catcher in the Rye now. Ugh. I'd rather read a Walter Mosley to capture the feeling of finding trouble on a summer night.

Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Incident, Donnie Eichar
Books like these make me consider only reading ones Shannon gives me, because I know they'll be good. I heard about this story somewhere, went looking for what happened, and came across this book. Spoiler alert: nobody actually knows what happened to these highly experienced campers. It felt like punishment to get through the entire book and the process of disproving all the crazy theories, but they FINALLY offered a seriously plausible explanation for what happened, which was completely fascinating. Then I realized why they needed to explain why the other theories were stupid, but I still think it was unnecessary to tie in his own experiences. Go look up the Dyatlov Incident- it's one of those real mysteries that's truly stranger than fiction.

Ready Player One, Ernest Cline
Wil Wheaton reads this one, and I was promised the best book ever, but by some fandom reviewer. It's complete geek culture, which is a name I think is unfair, but seems to be embraced. I did not love this book, wherein a geek goes on a geek culture scavenger hunt. Early on, I noticed a serious shortage of love for female authors, musicians, directors, etc., and it started to make me mad to see women largely excluded, like classic rock does. Maybe you would argue reasons for that, and maybe some would have merit, but it's hard to preach equality while a white male leads a small assortment of obligatory diverse followers in a circle jerk of love for accomplishments made by white men. It's OLD. And if that's how it is, at least acknowledge it.

The Princess Bride, William Goldman
Shannon told me I needed to read this, and of course, she was right. It was funny and silly and had all the heart and swashbuckly adventures we know and love, but different enough from the movie to make you glad you know both. And don't point to that debacle above. This one is timeless because it acknowledges the beauty in tropes while not allowing them to be taken seriously.

The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue, Michael Tougias
I definitely wanted to read this before seeing the movie, because this is my kind of story- true and dangerous and dramatic! The story really is impressive, and the book did a good if dogged job of explaining the situation. I was hoping the movie would help illustrate the story for me like Everest did, but instead it felt kind of cartoony. That's too bad, because this is one hell of a rescue.

The Dawn Patrol, Don Winslow
This thriller is a little bit gross old guy, but it has so many references to legitimate Southern California surfing history that I think Dad would enjoy it. I liked it a lot, silly as it was.

A Man Called Ove, Fredrik Backman
I heard this is getting a movie, and I hope they get the feeling right. Shannon sent me this, and it was lovely. It's no literary feat, but it made me smile and cry and feel like a human. This was this year's Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.

The Prince of Tides, Pat Conroy
I haven't read this since high school, and wanted to remember the story. It is so layered, and these are characters that I believe, which I rarely find in fiction. I knew these people, and loved them fiercely. This book was famous for very good reasons.

Whistling Past the Graveyard, Susan Crandall
This was a Shannon suggestion, but I did not love it. It felt like a bad luck version of Forrest Gump.

Find the Good: Unexpected Life Lessons from a Small-Town Obituary Writer, Heather Lende
I wanted to like this.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky
This might be the same deal as The Catcher in the Rye, that you have to read it in high school. It was fine, I just didn't find it as profound as a lot of people seem to. Does that make me sound like I'm acting superior? I hope not, but it is 4am, and I may have no patience left for a more cautious review.

The Earth Moved: On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms, Amy Stewart
Once again, the reading matters. I almost quit several times, even though I was waiting to hear why worms come up in the rain. This book referred to Darwin's book on worms so often that I wished I'd just bought his instead. 

Freak the Mighty, Rodman Philbrik
This was a recommendation from a friend, and while it was a little fantastical, it was still moving and reminded me a bit of Sherman Alexie. If I had known about it when Ant was younger, I would have given him this book.

A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire, George R.R. Martin
I'm trying to convince Tracy to read this, even though it's bloody. It's very bloody, but so good! It's nice not to know what's coming.

Farenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
Here is one I should have read in high school, but no one assigned it.

Gilgamesh: A New English Version, Stephen Mitchell
Now, here is the story I thought The Alchemist would be. I had never read this, and as much as I enjoyed the story, the essay about the story was interesting. I love that the oldest story we've ever found is actually the antithesis of the hero's journey, as the writer of this version points out. There are so many beautiful and insightful parts to this story that I intend to listen again and again and again.

Tricky Business, Dave Barry
This one is my favorite for the year. I was so excited to find another Dave Barry fiction book, because I enjoyed another one so much. There was lots of silliness, but a fun story as well, and the best ending out of all of them. Nice work.

On Fire, Larry Brown
This is another I read in high school, and missed a lot. Upon rereading, I found that this is the style I've been after, probably since then. It's clean, honest, and detailed. He writes a lot of fiction, but this is memoirs of his time working for the fire department. There are a lot of hard things to read- so much that I wondered how I'd loved it that much as a teenager. I read it all again and saw the same matter of fact perspective that conveys truth and experience and thought if those things have to be present, I'd prefer to hear them in that way.

I finished this last book tonight- I was late to the New Year's Eve party because I was so close, but how could I stop at 29.5?

Happy, happy new year, friends.