The 2012 Fifty Book Challenge

[Jeremy]

1. Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams - 229pp [ebook]
2. I Am Legend by Richard Matherson - 180pp [ebook]
3. The Drowned World by JG Ballard - 158pp [ebook]
4. Lord of the Flies by William Golding - 248pp [ebook]
5. Bad Science by Ben Goldacre - 338pp [ebook]
6. Galactic Human Handbook: Entering The New Time: Creating Planetary Groups by Sheldon Nidle and Jose Arguelles - 157pp
7. The Future Eaters by Tim Flannery - 407pp
8. Tasmania; A Natural History by William E. Davies Jr. - 236pp
9. Complexity: A guided tour by Melanie Mitchell - 368pg [ebook]
10. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams - 306pp [ebook]
11. A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle - 108pp [ebook]
12. Free Will by Sam Harris - 66pp
13. Australian Freshwater Ecology: Processes and management by Andrew Boulton and Margaret Brock - 244pp
14. Arguably by Christopher Hitchens - 800pp [ebook]
15. The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature by Matt Ridley - 405pp [ebook]
16. The Godfather by Mario Puzo - 447pp
17. Battle Royale by Koushun Takami - 624pp [ebook]
18. Paranormality: Why we see what isn't there by Richard Wiseman - 341pp [ebbok]
19. Freakonomics: A rouge economist explores the hidden side of everything - revised edition by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner - 242pp
20. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe - 209pp [ebook]
21. Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami - 467pp [ebook]
22. The Skeptical Environmentalist: Measuring the Real State of the World by Bjorn Lomborg - ~250pp

I was planning on writing a long review of this, but I slashed up one of my fingers with a bread knife last night, so will be briefer

The book is excellent. It's very well referenced, and nearly all the arguments are completely convincing. He demonstrates clearly that on most environmental issues the world isn't just getting better, it's the best it has been in the last 100 years (or longer). Overall the book is just over 500 pages, but half of those are references and notes (there are well over 2000 references). It took me months to read because I checked nearly all of them, mainly because I've read many criticisms of this book (before reading it). Some of the criticisms are fair points, but most are not, and the science the book is based on is fairly clear.

The section that is I think most deserving of criticism is the one on Global Warming. While his approach is mainly good, and some of what he says is good, he makes some fairly telling misunderstandings although I agree with him on two important points - 1. The worst case scenarios are very unlikely to occur, and the middle range scenarios are not catastrophic. 2. It's very unlikely we will keep relying on fossil fuels for energy through to the end of this century. Therefore models that are based on continued indefinite CO2 emissions are probably flawed, and it's also likely that human emissions end up at a net of 0 (or even a reduction from the atmosphere) by the end of the century (the question of "natural" feedbacks to our emissions remains though). I also agree that projections that assume no attempts at adaption by humans (especially in agriculture) will drastically over estimate the risk. On the other hand, I particularly disagree with the way he calculates everything in terms of human standards of living. While I think that's an important measure, there are a number of consequences that I think would be especially tragic, and worth spending money on that could be spent saving lives instead (the argument he puts forward for not spending that money). I also don't think he puts enough thought into the indirect effects of these consequences - the degradation of the Great Barrier Reef, for example, will have a significant impact on the economy in Australia (I think it's worth $4 billion a year) - which will have consequences in terms of money for increasing standards of living. He also doesn't address ocean acidification at all (perhaps because it wasn't well studied when he wrote the book).

Anyway I strongly recommend it, especially to people who are concerned about the environment, and are prepared to evaluate the evidence, rather than dismissing evidence that disagrees with their view (which is what I'd call being open minded).

[dp]

49. The Invisible Dragon: Essays on Beauty by Dave Hickey 123pg

First and only piece of art criticism I've read? There was some good stuff in there, but overall there was too much semiotics talk. And semiotics is boring.

[Zac Miley]

1. Letters Between Friends: Pierre Bonnard and Henri Matisse
2. Three Artemis Fowl books which I will count as one, Eoin Colfer
3. A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingway
4. The Road, Cormac McCarthy (reread)
5. Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, David Foster Wallace
6. Word Freak, Stefan Fatsis
7. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
8. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson
9. The Tradition of the New, Harold Rosenberg
10. The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway: Finca Vigia edition, Ernest Hemingway
11. Gerhard Richter: Portraits, Stefan Gronertis, Hubertus Butin
12. Working Space, Frank Stella
13. Caravaggio, no specified author
14. The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway
15. Labyrinths, Jorge Luis Borges
16. The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway
17. The Girl Who Played with Fire, Stieg Larsson
18. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Stieg Larsson
19. The Man Within, Graham Greene
20. The Complete Short Stories of Oscar Wilde, Oscar Wilde
21. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
22. A Wild Sheep Chase, Haruki Murakami
23. Garden of Eden, Ernest Hemingway
24. Kafka on the Shore, Haruki Murakami
25. Sirens of Titan, Kurt Vonnegut
26. Bluebeard, Kurt Vonnegut
27. The Myth of Sisyphus, Albert Camus
28. Norwegian Wood, Haruki Murakami
29. The Key, Junichiro Tanazaki
30. Diary of a Mad Old Man, Junichiro Tanazaki
31. Snow Country, Yasunari Kawabata (I read this one a while ago, forgot to add it to my list)
32. Franz Kafka: The Complete Stories, Franz Kafka (including metamorphosis, in the penal colony, etc.)
33. A Natural History of the Senses, Diane Ackerman

[dp]

1. Legs by William Kennedy 318pg
2. The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr 276pg
3. Kaputt by Curzio Malaparte 407pg
4. The Volga Rises in Europe by Curzio Malaparte 281pg
5. Kingdom of Fear by Hunter S. Thompson 354pg
6. Is Voting for Young People? by Martin P. Wattenberg 225pg
7. Genius in Disguise: Harold Ross of the New Yorker by Thomas Kunkel 497pg
8. Fear and Loathing: On The Campaign Trail '72 by Hunter S. Thompson 505pg
9. Eating the Dinosaur by Chuck Klosterman 245pg
10. The Skin by Curzio Malaparte 344pg
11. Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman 880pg
12. Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut 192pg
13. The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories by Ernest Hemingway 154pg
14. The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck 276pg
15. Leaving the Atocha Station by Ben Lerner 181pg
16. Life With Picasso by Francoise Gilot 350pg
17. Brief Interviews With Hideous Men by David Foster Wallace 321pg
18. Loving Picasso: The Private Journal of Fernande Olivier 296pg
19. All Is Forgotten, Nothing Is Lost by Lan Samantha Chang 208pg
20. Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself by David Lipsky 320pg
21. Snow by Orhan Pamuk 426pg
22. Everything and Nothing by Jorge Luis Borges 129pg
23. Open City by Teju Cole 259pg
24. The Avian Gospels: Book One by Adam Novy 275pg
25. The Pale King by David Foster Wallace 548pg
26. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery 325pg
27. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez 383pg
28. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell 479pg
29. Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin 694pg
30. A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin 1009pg
31. Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell 309pg
32. A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin 1177pg
33. Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell 232pg
34. A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin 1060pg
35. A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin 1016pg
36. Skylark by Deszo Kosztolanyi 222pg
37. Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell 213pg
38. The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell 232pg
39. The Stranger by Albert Camus 123pg
40. Hiroshima by John Hersey 152pg
41. The Pride and the Glory by Graham Greene 222pg
42. A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway 211pg
43. The Rum Diary by Hunter S. Thompson 204pg
44. Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse 218pg
45. 2666 by Roberto Bolaño 898pg
46. Phantoms on the Bookshelves by Jacques Bonnet 133pg
47. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami 296pg
48. The Penal Colony by Franz Kafka 317pg
49. The Invisible Dragon: Essays on Beauty by Dave Hickey 123pg
50. How Should a Person Be? by Sheila Heti 306pg

This is the 5th year I've kept track of my books in the 50 Book Challenge and first time I've reached 50! I'm really happy with what/how much I've read this year, and I've still got 4 more months.

[Jeremy]

Impressive, congrats!! Not enough reviews though

[Zac Miley]

Great job, Danny.


1. Letters Between Friends: Pierre Bonnard and Henri Matisse
2. Three Artemis Fowl books which I will count as one, Eoin Colfer
3. A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingway
4. The Road, Cormac McCarthy (reread)
5. Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, David Foster Wallace
6. Word Freak, Stefan Fatsis
7. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
8. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson
9. The Tradition of the New, Harold Rosenberg
10. The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway: Finca Vigia edition, Ernest Hemingway
11. Gerhard Richter: Portraits, Stefan Gronertis, Hubertus Butin
12. Working Space, Frank Stella
13. Caravaggio, no specified author
14. The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway
15. Labyrinths, Jorge Luis Borges
16. The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway
17. The Girl Who Played with Fire, Stieg Larsson
18. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Stieg Larsson
19. The Man Within, Graham Greene
20. The Complete Short Stories of Oscar Wilde, Oscar Wilde
21. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
22. A Wild Sheep Chase, Haruki Murakami
23. Garden of Eden, Ernest Hemingway
24. Kafka on the Shore, Haruki Murakami
25. Sirens of Titan, Kurt Vonnegut
26. Bluebeard, Kurt Vonnegut
27. The Myth of Sisyphus, Albert Camus
28. Norwegian Wood, Haruki Murakami
29. The Key, Junichiro Tanazaki
30. Diary of a Mad Old Man, Junichiro Tanazaki
31. Snow Country, Yasunari Kawabata
32. Franz Kafka: The Complete Stories, Franz Kafka
33. A Natural History of the Senses, Diane Ackerman
34. What is Art For?, Ellen Dissanayake

Jeremy, you may enjoy/hate this one - it attempts to make a Darwinian argument that art is necessary (has evolutionary advantages/is a constituent of human evolutionary fitness). I didn't really enjoy it, and thought the argument was fairly unnecessary. It was for a class.

[Jeremy]

I suspect hate , but it sounds interesting and I'm going to see if I can find a copy Thanks for the tip.

[dp]

51. The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini by Benvenuto Cellini 457pg

Benvenuto Cellini was a prominent goldsmith and sculptor in Italy and France in the 16th century. He was also an angry, quick-tempered braggart who murdered at least 2-3 people, had any number of illegitimate children, was close with a number of popes, kings, big name artists, and emperors. The book is pretty much him talking about his accomplishments half the time and complaining about all the people who have done him wrong the other half. He frequently quotes Michelangelo and a number of popes and dukes as giving him absolutely outrageous praise which they almost certainly never gave him. He also mentions certain times when he witnessed very important historical happenings, but almost every single time neglects to actually give any real information about it with the explanation that the book is about him dammit, and he's not gonna waste his time talking about irrelevant matters.

Over all it was pretty interesting.

[dp]

52. Ecological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion of Europe, 900-1900 by Alfred W. Crosby 368pg

I read this for a class I'm taking, American Environmental History, and it was pretty good. It seems to me that Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel, is just a rewrite of Ecological Imperialism that addresses a number of extra things, but in a not very interesting way, while 1491 and 1493 by Charles Mann takes the ideas of Ecological Imperialism, along with some other books and authors and builds on them in an interesting, engaging, journalistic manner.

If you are generally interested in the ecological implications of the Colombian Exchange and want to know more about the Indigenous population of the Americas pre-Columbus, 1491 by Charles Mann is my recommendation.

[bigdirtyfoot]

Congrats Danny on making it past 50 books! This is the year I've fallen behind the most. I *might* be able to catch up though. We'll see. Either way, very impressive! This is the kind of participation that Jeremy must've envisioned a few years ago when he started these threads.

Jeremy - I'm not sure what to say in response to your resources argument. I'm not too educated on that subject, although I do believe that certain resources are on the decline. We *do* have plenty of alternative, renewable resources to replace fossil fuel technology with (i.e. solar and wind, possibly others I don't know of) but of course if we go to those methods it will be hard for people to profit off of nature... I'm sure someone will come up with a way to do so, but I am opposed to charging money for something that the Earth or Universe provides naturally for us. Either way, the book was about how things are not truly scarce, which is what most people assume (and I think what you took from my review?) but that we actually have an abundant amount of resources, energy, creativity, etc. It's just that to tap into this we will have to find a different way to define value exchange. But like I said, most of this stuff is over my head - I have my own opinions that are constantly being formed on topics like this. I don't necessarily think capitalism is the root of the problem, but I do believe that using a debt-based economy structure and interest-bearing currency is a problem and that we would be better off using some of the alternative approaches to value exchange that I have been reading about lately.

Anyways, it's been a long while since I have completed a book - life has just been crazy lately. But finish one I did, so here we go:

26. Nine Stories, J.D. Salinger, 198 pg.

This is a collection of short stories written by J.D. Salinger. I really enjoyed at least seven of the stories, and the two that I didn't get into as much were alright but just didn't hold my attention. These stories were published between 1948 and 1953. It was a pretty quick read, although it took me a long time to get through due to life getting in the way. I'd like to reread this sometime when I can devote an entire weekend to it. It would make a great vacation book. Now I look forward to reading "Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction," and then I will be done with all of J.D. Salinger's books! I highly recommend reading some of his works. They are very well written, and the characters are fleshed out so well that it is easy to connect with them and understand who they really are. This was Salinger's strong suit, in my opinion.

[bigdirtyfoot]

27. The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys, James Fadiman, 336 pg.

I have absorbed a lot of information concerning psychedelic substances during the past few years. Some sources have taken a scientific approach, full of statistics, surveys, and other assorted data. Others have focused on the spiritual use of these substances, which include direction for practices like meditation, yoga, and breath work. There are also accounts of recreational use, which clearly illustrate the possibilities of both positive and negative outcomes of using and abusing these substances. These sources have included books, movies, podcasts, YouTube clips, and audio lectures. I also have my own experiences with several of these substances, and had already come to my personal opinion that they have the potential to awaken in me unexpected paths in my life, greater self-understanding, an ability to engage in self-healing, and a stronger connection with the Universe and the inhabitants of our planet that we call Earth. I have learned so much about psychedelics that I often come across a feeling of "Oh, I've learned that already" while reading a book or watching a documentary. However, James Fadiman's "The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys" is the first work in quite a while that had so many new things to teach me. This book covers many aspects concerning psychedelic use that I was previously unaware of, such as the concept of sub-perceptual dosing and the importance of listening to non-vocal music such as Classical during the beginning of a psychedelic experience.

I first heard of this book from Lorenzo Hagerty's "Psychedelic Salon," a podcast that I have listened to for the past six years. Fadiman is the guest on episode 302, during which Lorenzo interviews him about the book and his experience in the psychedelic research field. After hearing Fadiman speak about these things, I put the book on my "To-Read" list and purchased it a few months later. My intention when reading this book was to learn how to become a guide for others undergoing psychedelic experiences. I was pleasantly surprised by the wealth of information contained in the book afforded to those of us who wish to better integrate our psychedelic journeys into ordinary reality as well as learn to be a better guide to others. Following my reading of this book, I have already identified some aspects of my own psychedelic traditions that I would like to change in an effort to focus more on the therapeutic and spiritual uses of these substances, rather than my previous goal of having a good time. While I still believe that the recreational use of these substances can have a positive outcome, I am now sold on the concept of using them in a more intelligent manner.

This book does a great job of dispelling some of the myths about psychedelics, offers a practical and positive itinerary for a successful experience, introduces several important people in this field, and does so in a way that is unbiased and helpful. It is important for the psychedelic community to have truth on its side, and Fadiman does an excellent job of collecting both scientific and anecdotal evidence and arranging it in a way that is easily understood. I commend him on his work and look forward to more coming from him in the near future.

[bigdirtyfoot]

28. Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov, 319 pg.

Vladimir Nabokov's "Lolita" is a pretty twisted book! The narrator and protagonist is a man who goes by the pseudonym Humbert Humbert. He falls in love with a twelve year-old girl, Dolores Haze (he calls her Lolita) and begins an extended sexual relationship with her after becoming her stepfather. That's really all I knew before starting the book, and that's all of the plot that I'm going to discuss here, because I don't want to give anything away to potential readers.

The actual writing style is really well done and fairly unique. The style is very early-20th century. Similar to H.G. Wells, but with a more expansive vocabulary. The French language crops up from time to time, as several of the characters converse in French, which reminded me of the way that Cormac McCarthy uses Spanish occasionally in his Border Trilogy. I had never read a book that concerned this subject matter, nor had I ever intended to do so. But my book club chose this book for this month's reading, and after about 20 pages I knew that I was going to enjoy this one. The topic is taboo and the writing is haunting. And there are enough twists and turns toward the end of the book to give it a mystery sort of feel, which I enjoyed. Looking forward to watching the Stanley Kubrick movie adaptation of this sometime soon.

[lilo]

1. Agatha Christie - Miss Marple & Mystery (collection of short stories)
2. Kerry Greenwood - Urn Burial
3. Anna Stothard - The Pink Hotel
4. Kazuo Ishiguro - Never Let Me Go
5. Martina Cole - The Runaway
6. Agatha Christie - Detectives & Young Adventurers (collection of short stories)
7. Nancy Mitford - Love In A Cold Climate
8. Kate Morton - The Distant Hours
9. Sarah Waters - The Little Stranger
10. Benjamin Law - The Family Law
11. Kerry Greenwood - Blood & Circuses
12. Anonymous - A Woman In Berlin
13. Mulgray Twins - No Suspicious Circumstances
14. Jon Richardson - It's Not Me, It's You
15. Neville Shute - A Town Like Alice
16. Richard Llewellyn - How Green Was My Valley
17. Chloe Hooper - The Tall Man
18. Kate Grenville - The Secret River
19. John Ajvide Lindqvist - Let The Right One In
20. Dodie Smith - I Capture The Castle
21. Wilkie Collins - The Woman In White
22. Jane Austen - Northanger Abbey
23. Stella Tilyard - The Tides Of War
24. Jim Thompson - The Killer Inside Me
25. Mandy Sayer - Love In The Years Of Lunacy
26. Belinda McKeon - Solace
27. Karin Altenberg - Island Of Wings
28. Emma Donoghue - The Sealed Letter
29. Robert Frank - The Return Of The Economic Naturalist
30. Caitlin Moran - How To Be A Woman
31. Jonathan Coe - The Rotters' Club
32. Kate Grenville - Sarah Thornhill
33. Marieke Hardy - You'll Be Sorry When I'm Dead
34. Tina Fey - Bossypants
35. Georgina Harding - Painter Of Silence
36. Patrick de Witt - The Sisters Brothers
37. Peter May - The Black House
38. Rusty Young - Marching Powder
39. Penelope Lively - How It All Began
40. John Charalambous - Silent Parts
41. Ann Patchett - State Of Wonder
42. Kathryn Stockett - The Help
43. Ruth Park - The Harp In The South
44. Anna Funder - All That I Am
45. Emma Donoghue - Room
46. John Charalambous - Furies
47. John Christopher - The Death Of Grass
48. Tom Rob Smith - The Secret Speech
49. Richard Flanagan - Wanting
50. Tom Bissell - Chasing The Sea: Lost Among The Ghosts Of Empire In Central Asia

51. Madeline Miller - The Song Of Achilles
Very romantic and beautifully written, but a bit silly. The Iliad is one of my favourite stories, though, so I enjoyed this new take on it.

52. Craig Silvey - Jasper Jones

53. Christopher Hitchens - Mortality
Stolen from Jeremy, who will probably have a bit more to say on this one once he gets around to it. Beautifully written, of course, and I teared up in bits.

54. Sarah Winman - When God Was A Rabbit

55. Karen Thompson Walker - The Age Of Miracles
An interesting idea for a novel - the slowing-down of the Earth's turning, and what might happen as a result. Jeremy read a bit and pooh-poohed it, of course.

56. Chloe Hooper - The Engagement
A modern take on the gothic novel (think Wuthering Heights or Rebecca or Jane Eyre..), set in south western Victoria, where I'm from. She describes my homeland beautifully. This book is creepy, and you never know quite what's going on.

Some interesting things about the books I've read so far this year:

80% have been fiction.

Only 27% of the books I've read so far have been by Australian (OK, one was a New Zealander..) authors. This is fairly pitiful - I think next year's challenge will be to read only Australian books.

I described 19% as "silly". Definitely going to read less silly books next year... maybe.

[dp]

53. Every Love Story is a Ghost Story: A Life of David Foster Wallace by D.T. Max 368pg

I read the first 200-some pages in a 6-7 hour reading marathon that only stopped at 2 am because I had class at 8 am. It's difficult for me to judge exactly how good this book is because I love David Foster Wallace and found learning more about his life and the inspiration for his writing to be entirely hypnotizing. It was extremely well researched and he had the cooperation of DFW's closest friends and family. D.T. Max clearly loves DFW's work and admires his genius, but doesn't let that cloud his vision into what a deeply flawed man DFW was.

This should not be read until you've read (at least) Infinite Jest, and The Pale King.

[bigdirtyfoot]

29. Clans of the Alphane Moon, Philip K Dick, 251 pg.

The mentally ill patients from Earth have been sent away to an Alphane Moon to separate them from the sane inhabitants of Earth. Chuck Rittersdorf, the protagonist, is going through a divorce with his wife, Mary, that ends up sending them to Alpha III M2. Mary and Chuck get in the middle of a war between Terra and the Alphanes, Chuck and Terran TV figure, Bunny Hentman, and the politics between the separate clans of the moon. There are Pares - paranoid schizophrenics, Manses - manic depressives, Heebs - hebrephrenics, and a few other separate groups of ex-Terrans who have been labeled as mentally ill. And there are simulacra - non-humans that appear to be fully human that are operated by members of the CIA. Although this isn't the best book by PKD, it's still a really solid one. I definitely enjoyed it.

[dp]

54. The Damned Yard and Other Stories by Ivo Andric 219pg

I'm studying Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian language in school and am probably going to pick up a Slavic/Eastern European Minor so I picked up some more Andric recently from the library just on a whim. I read The Bridge on the Drina last year which I enjoyed overall. This collection of short stories and one Novella was kinda disappointing. Some of the stories packed a punch, but overall they were too similar to each other and his writing style became pretty boring by the end of it. I really had to use willpower to finish this one.

[Zac Miley]

1. Letters Between Friends: Pierre Bonnard and Henri Matisse
2. Three Artemis Fowl books which I will count as one, Eoin Colfer
3. A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingway
4. The Road, Cormac McCarthy (reread)
5. Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, David Foster Wallace
6. Word Freak, Stefan Fatsis
7. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
8. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson
9. The Tradition of the New, Harold Rosenberg
10. The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway: Finca Vigia edition, Ernest Hemingway
11. Gerhard Richter: Portraits, Stefan Gronertis, Hubertus Butin
12. Working Space, Frank Stella
13. Caravaggio, no specified author
14. The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway
15. Labyrinths, Jorge Luis Borges
16. The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway
17. The Girl Who Played with Fire, Stieg Larsson
18. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Stieg Larsson
19. The Man Within, Graham Greene
20. The Complete Short Stories of Oscar Wilde, Oscar Wilde
21. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
22. A Wild Sheep Chase, Haruki Murakami
23. Garden of Eden, Ernest Hemingway
24. Kafka on the Shore, Haruki Murakami
25. Sirens of Titan, Kurt Vonnegut
26. Bluebeard, Kurt Vonnegut
27. The Myth of Sisyphus, Albert Camus
28. Norwegian Wood, Haruki Murakami
29. The Key, Junichiro Tanazaki
30. Diary of a Mad Old Man, Junichiro Tanazaki
31. Snow Country, Yasunari Kawabata
32. Franz Kafka: The Complete Stories, Franz Kafka
33. A Natural History of the Senses, Diane Ackerman
34. What is Art For?, Ellen Dissanayake
35. The Housekeeper and the Professor, Yoko Ogawa
36. One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez

An incredible book.

[dp]

55. The Path to the Spiders' Nest by Italo Calvino 186pg

This book was written a few years after WW2 when Calvino was 23. He had been a teenage member of an anti-fascist partisan group during the war, and this book follows what it was like for a young teenager in a partisan group in Italy during the war. I'm pretty sure the main character is supposed to be him, and we see a very convincing of his thoughts and struggles to understand this big thing that he is part of.

The book really wasn't very good overall though, and Calvino has pretty much said as much. It wasn't a hard read, it just was clearly a book written by a 23 year old who hadn't written all that much before.

[dp]

*

[dp]

56. If on a winter's night a traveler by Italo Calvino 260pg

There was I think some degree of fate that led me to reading this book. I did not enjoy Invisible Cities or The Path to the Spiders' Nest much and yet for some reason I picked this up from the library. Then, when I started reading I was at my school library and read about 20 pages in and absolutely hated it. I was actually getting kind of furious. As I closed it, I decided I would return it at that very second and walk back to my apartment, but as I looked up it started to rain really hard and I didn't have an umbrella. So I sighed and picked the book up again thinking I'd wait out the rain. But then I ended up reading long past when the rain let up.

In the end I really loved this book. It's got some annoying postmodern bullshit in it, but overall it's full of things that are pleasurably frustrating, some really beautiful writing, some cool ideas, just a really great book I thought.