Operation Bookworm: Complete!

Well, I did it. Not only did I do it, I completed the project a full month ahead of schedule. My goal was to read 50 books this year, and somehow I did it. Don't ask me how, what with school breaking my brain this fall and watching all that Doctor Who. Nevertheless, I managed to read 50 books in less than 52 weeks. Here's a rundown:

1. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
   I read this book based on the recommendation from one of the numerous bloggers I read and having read Philippa Gregory's The Queen's Fool last year. I recently found out that the book is going to be made into a movie, so I'm curious how that will turn out.
   
   
2. Diary by Chuck Palahniuk (reread)
   Oh, Chuck. How I love you. And how well you hold up to multiple readings.
   
   
3. You're the One That I Want: A Gossip Girl Novel by Cecily von Ziegesar
   I...uh...OK, you know what? I never said it had to be a high class book or anything. Sometimes a girl needs to read fluff about snobby New York brats, their fabulous clothing, and sophisticated bitchery.
   
   
4. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris
   Oh god. Remember how I made an ASS out of myself when I met David Sedaris in October? Good times, y'all, good times.
   
   
5. Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood
   Hot damn, is Margret Atwood a good writer. I can't decide if this book or The Handmaid's Tale is my favorite by her. One thing I will say, is that Cat's Eye perfectly captures how vicious and rotten girls are to one another.
   
   
6. Macbeth by William Shakespeare (Witchcraft in Literature)
   OK, so Justine objected to Renee and I using books that we had to read for school in this project. Renee and I both essentially told her to kiss off. Tough. It's a book and it counts.
   
   
7. Secret Lives of Men and Women: A PostSecret Book compiled by Frank Warren
   
   
8. The Witch by Thomas Middleton (Witchcraft in Literature)
   Christ. Tolkien couldn't follow the plot of this play, there are so many ridiculous threads and characters.
   
   
9. The Witch of Edmonton by William Rowley, Thomas Dekker and John Ford (Witchcraft in Literature)
   
   
10. The Portable Dorothy Parker by Dorothy Parker
    Becky bought this for me and I devoured it in a weekend. I wish I was witty and clever and lived in the 1920s so I could be apart of the Algonquin Round Table.
    
    
11. Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne
    Snow, Glass, Apples by Neil Gaiman
    April Witch by Ray Bradbury (Witchcraft in Literature -- short stories, together I'm counting them as a "book")
    Ehhhh, a bit iffy here. I'm bending the rules with my definition of "book." But if you have a problem with it, I did some extra credit (see bottom of list).
    
    
12. Night by Elie Wiesel (Reread, for Creative Nonfiction)
    I forgot how devastating this book is in its simplicity. Killed me.
    
    
13. The Crucible by Arthur Miller (Witchcraft in Literature)
    
    
14. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris (Reread)
    "It was really cool getting to meet you!" I hate myself.
    
    
15. The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike (Witchcraft in Literature)
    Dear Mr. Updike: You don't understand women at all. Still an interesting read though.
    
    
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (Reread, Witchcraft in Literature)
    
    
17. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (Reread, Witchcraft in Literature)
    
    
18. Kathy's Story: A Childhood Hell Inside the Magdalen Laundries by Kathy O'Beirne
    Number 472 on the List of Bones I Have to Pick With The Catholic Church
    
    
19. Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins by Emma Donoghue (Witchcraft in Literature)
    I really really loved this one. Got me all interested in reading other works by Donoghue.
    
    
20. Charm School Book One: Magical Witch Girl Bunny by Elizabeth Watasin (Witchcraft in Literature)
    Graphic novels totally count.
    
    
21. Harry Potter and The Prisioner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (Reread, Witchcraft in Literature)
    
    
22. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (Reread, Witchcraft in Literature)
    
    
23. Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix by J.K. Rowling (Reread, Witchcraft in Literature)
    
    
24. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (Reread, Witchcraft in Literature)
    JESUS. I got a little burned out on Harry Potter, having to read it for school. I had thought that it would be all fun, and that I wouldn't have to reread for class. But then I became discussion leader for the books and I had to and read them in a completely different light. Truthfully, it was kind of hard.
    
    
25. Girl With A One-Track Mind by Abby Lee
    Pure smut. Awesome.
    
    
26. A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown
    So, disappointed by the lying antics of James Frey? Read this -- it's non-fiction, well written, AND 100% true.
    
    
27. The Cider House Rules by John Irving (Reread)
    
    
28. Drawing Down the Moon by Margo Adler
    I am well on my way to becoming a Pagan! I would like to point out that this book was impossible for me to read in a linear fashion. I have no idea why.
    
    
29. Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue
    
    
30. The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits by Emma Donoghue
    
    
31. Touchy Subjects by Emma Donoghue
    I've become quite the fan. Donoghue is one of my new favorite writers.
    
    
32. Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth (Irish Novel)
    
    
33. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (Irish Novel)
    I couldn't help but think of the KitH and Monty Python sketches while reading this.
    
    
34. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
    Aww. The end of an era, you guys.
    
    
35. Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce (Irish Novel)
    I had a deal with my Dad: If I had to read Joyce during the summer, so did he. He agreed. We shook hands and everything. Guess which one of us welched on the deal?
    
    
36. At Swim, Two Birds by Flann O'Brien (Irish Novel)
    Crazy, Post-modern, deconstructionist book. I hated it whilst reading it (my kingdom for a quotation mark!), but loved it given a few days distance. The book sticks with you and months later I find myself pondering passages.
    
    
37. The Commitments by Roddy Doyle (Irish Novel)
    Book is WAY better than the movie.
    
    
38. At Swim, Two Boys by Jamie O'Neil (Irish Novel)
    
    
39. In the Forest by Edna O'Brien (Irish Novel)
    
    
40. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
    
    
41. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
    
    
42. Ant Farm by Simon Rich
    
    
43. Bad Behavior by Mary Gaitskill
    
    
44. Only in Your Dreams: A Gossip Girl Novel by Cecily von Ziegesar
    They made a TV show out of it. So it can't be all bad.
    
    
45. Paula Spencer by Roddy Doyle
    
    
46. The Know-it-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become The Smartest Man in the World by A.J. Jacobs
    From a recommendation by Charlie McCormick
    
    
47. Pope Joan by Donna Cross
    
    
48. His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman
    Gee, thanks Stephanie. Because I needed ANOTHER dorky obsession.
    
    
49. His Dark Materials: The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman
    
    
50. Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud
    Based on a recommendation from Mikey Likes It and indirectly for my Visual Literacy Class.

EXTRA CREDIT
The Alphabet Versus The Goddess by Leonard Shlain (for Visual Literacy)
His Dark Materials: The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman
Doctor Who: The Sick Building by Paul Magrs
That Huge Honkin' Compilation of Philosophy I had to read for Critical Theory
Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella

You guys, I'm pooped. And curiously, on the lookout for new reads. Start recommendin'. 2008 is just around the corner.

Say hello to Finn MacCool and the Pooka for me

More and more I am beginning to think that, stereotypical though it may be, I need to be half lit to read some of these books we're assigned for my Irish Novel class. I'm loving the class and for the most part enjoying the reading we're doing, but something in the back of my brain is telling me they would go down a lot easier if I had a cold Harp in my left hand.

We just finished James Joyce, which despite all the Latin, I really enjoyed. I'm sort of seeing what the Big Deal about Joyce is because like it or not, man was artful in his use of words. I'm not about to rush out and nab Ulysses just yet or anything, but I'm developing an appreciation. Still, there were points where I felt like I could have gotten more out of the text had I had a healthy buzz going on.

Currently I'm reading At Swim, Two Birds and more than ever I feel like a I need a drink to get through it. It's a good book — cheeky and funny, artful too — but it's a frame story within a frame story within a frame story...within a frame story? And some of it deals with Irish Mythology. And...how do I say this? The bending of worlds? Like the Narrator of the story creates this character who creates other characters who then come to life, kind of, only he holds them hostage in the basement of a hotel. And seduces one of them. Or something?

See what I mean about needing a drink?

So I propose that we follow Dylan Thomas' suggestion. When asked for his opinion of At Swim, Two Birds, he said, "This is just the book to give your sister if she's a loud, dirty, boozy girl!" I'm starting a book club. Nature of the book club: We meet at the bar, get hammered, and read. Who's in?

The 50 Books Project

The Premise

I tried this back in 2006, and failed. In my defense, the second half of 2006 got VERY stressful and reading for pleasure just didn't figure in to my priorities, sadly. So we're trying this again. I’ve sort of stolen the premise from Doppelganger, but I’m going to leave the in-depth analysis of the books to her, because that’s what her blog is all about. I’m just going to list the books I read, for both my preservation and in case you’re interested in what I am reading. And surprisingly, many people are. I’m often asked about what I’m reading or what I’ve read lately, probably because it’s well known that I’m a nerd. When I was a kid, as a punishment my parents would take away my books, a fact that shocked my friend Nina.

"What kind of parents would deny their child reading?!"

Mine, I guess. They knew how it was the one thing I would be lost without. No phone? No problem. No TV? No worries. No books? I was bored out of my skull, and instantly rectified my behavior.
Anyway. The premise is simple. I have from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2007 to read 50 books. This seemed like such a better resolution than, say, loosing weight or drinking less, both things you and I know I won’t do. And, bonus, it helps me justify my library fines. I’ll add books to
the list as I complete them.

The 2007 List

1. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
   
2. Diary by Chuck Palahniuk (reread)
   
3. You're the One That I Want: A Gossip Girl Novel by Cecily von Ziegesar (Shut up. I never said these books had to be high class)
   
4. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris (Reread, thanks to the lovely Becky buying me my own copy)
   
5. Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood (awesome)
   
6. Macbeth by William Shakespeare (for Witchcraft in Literature)
   
7. Secret Lives of Men and Women: A PostSecret Book compiled by Frank Warren
   
8. The Witch by Thomas Middleton (For Witchcraft in Literature -- sucked, by the way)
   
9. The Witch of Edmonton by William Rowley, Thomas Dekker and John Ford (Witchcraft in Literature)
   
10. The Portable Dorothy Parker by Dorothy Parker (thanks, Becky!)
    
11. Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne
    Snow, Glass, Apples by Neil Gaiman
    April Witch by Ray Bradbury (Witchcraft in Literature -- short stories, together I'm counting them as a "book")
    
12. Night by Elie Wiesel (Reread, for Creative Nonfiction. I forgot how devastating this book is in its simplicity)
    
13. The Crucible by Arthur Miller (Witchcraft in Literature)
    
14. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris (Reread. Obviously, I'm going through a bit of a phase)
    
15. The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike (Witchcraft in Literature — Dear Mr. Updike: You don't understand women at all.)
    
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (Reread, Witchcraft in Literature)
    
17. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (Reread, Witchcraft in Literature)
    
18. Kathy's Story: A Childhood Hell Inside the Magdalen Laundries by Kathy O'Beirne (completely sad and totally horrifying)
    
19. Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins by Emma Donoghue (Witchcraft in Literature -- Really, really good, you guys)
    
20. Charm School Book One: Magical Witch Girl Bunny by Elizabeth Watasin (Witchcraft in Literature)
    
21. Harry Potter and The Prisioner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (Reread, Witchcraft in Literature)
    
22. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (Reread, Witchcraft in Literature)
    
23. Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix by J.K. Rowling (Reread, Witchcraft in Literature)
    
24. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (Reread, Witchcraft in Literature -- JEZUZ. I never thought I would be sick of Harry Potter, but now having to cram through it for school I kinda am)
    
25. Girl With A One-Track Mind by Abby Lee
    
26. A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown
    
27. The Cider House Rules by John Irving (Reread)
    
28. Drawing Down the Moon by Margo Adler (Okay okay, I didn't read the entire thing, but I read the majority of it, seeing as it's sort of an academic book, I skipped around a lot)
    
29. Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue (really, really good)
    
30. The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits by Emma Donoghue
    
31. Touchy Subjects by Emma Donoghue
    
32. Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth (Irish Novel)
    
33. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (Irish Novel)
    
34. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
    
35. Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce (Irish Novel)
    
36. At Swim, Two Birds by Flann O'Brien (Irish Novel)
    
37. The Commitments by Roddy Doyle (Irish Novel)
    
38. At Swim, Two Boys by Jamie O'Neil (Irish Novel)
    
39. In the Forest by Edna O'Brien (Irish Novel)
    
40. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
    
41. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
    
42. Ant Farm by Simon Rich
    
43. Bad Behavior by Mary Gaitskill
    
44. Only in Your Dreams: A Gossip Girl Novel by Cecily von Ziegesar (Shut up. It was end-of-the-summer trashy reading, OK? Lay off)
    
45. Paula Spencer by Roddy Doyle
    
46. The Know-it-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become The Smartest Man in the World by A.J. Jacobs
    
47. Pope Joan by Donna Cross
    
48. His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman
    
49. His Dark Materials: The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman

The 2006 List

1. Nerve’s Guide to Sex Etiquette by Em & Lo
   
2. Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer.
   
3. Good Bones and Simple Murders by Margaret Atwood
   
4. A Few Good Men by Aaron Sorkin (play version – I’m totally counting this)
   
5. Rule of the Bone by Russel Banks
   
6. Diary of a Mad Housewife by Sue Kaufman
   
7. The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. by Sandra Gulland
   
8. Drawing from Life: The Journal as Art by Jennifer New
   
9. Long Way Round: Chasing Shadows Across the World by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman
   
10. Black Hole by Charles Burns
    
11. Red Dragon by Thomas Harris (Reread -- I have library fines, surprise, surprise)
    
12. V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd
    
13. Adobe GoLive CS Tips and Tricks: The 200 Best by Adam Pratt and Lynn Grillo
    
14. Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe by Sandra Gulland (I am becoming such a fan of hers)
    
15. Found II compiled by Davy Rothbart
    
16. The Last Great Dance On Earth by Sandra Gulland (When I started The Many Lives... I was just a casual reader. By the third and final installment, I devoured the book within 24 hours. Highly addictive)
    
17. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Feilding (Reread, simply because I happened to catch the movie on cable one night and wanted to read it just so I could have an excuse to visualize Colin Firth in my head. Rowr.)
    
18. The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory (Perfect for summer -- slightly trashy historical fiction)
    
19. Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor (Everyone talked this up, including my mother who raved about sneaking this book back when she in high school. I was only "meh" about it, though. Not helping was the fact that it's SO LONG. After the first 500 pages I couldn't figure out what else could possibly happen to this girl.)
    
20. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry (Excellent)
    
21. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri (Also excellent)
    
22. City of Glass by Paul Auster (Graphic Novel edition)
    
23. Fried Green Tomatoes At the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg (It's certainly been a chick-lit filled summer)
    
24. Mama Makes Up Her Mind: And Other Dangers of Southern Living by Bailey White
    
25. Writing to Change the World by Mary Pipher (For class. A solid "Meh")
    
26. The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory
    
27. Psychic Junkie by Sarah Sarah Lassez
    
28. I Thought My Father Was God edited by Paul Auster (Fantastic)
    
29. My Secret: A PostSecret Book compiled by Frank Warren (Kelly's secret is in here!)
    
30. The Princess Bride by William Goldman (Reread, I was feeling nostalgic)
    
31. The Poet and the Murderer by Simon Worrall (Interesting, but took a while to get going)
    
32. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (Reread, obviously, and shut up. The trailer made me want to read it again)