Reading List

One thing you have to know about me is that I read. A lot. Voraciously (to use a word like that I would have to). One of the goals of this gap year is to read as many good books as possible, but since I can't remember everything I read last year, I'll just start with this year:

• The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. An interesting concept (that everyone can hear all animals' and Men's thoughts too), but I have to admit I was kind of disappointed wit the writing and the ending. Sure, it is the first of a series, but I do want some closure. Highlight was how Todd's dog, Manchee talked: "Todd. . . Poo Todd . . . Poo Poo Poo Todd." Yes, jeuvenile, but also funny.
• Dude, Where's My Country? by Michael Moore. Interesting, again, but not the best book. Its more of a conversation with him in which he reasons with the reader and gives them tips on how to convince others that he's right. Of course, I mostly agree with him, but its not good writing. My friend simply hates him, and couldn't get through the book, but the points about how Americans need to take control of their voting rights is BANG on.
• Mr Midshipman Hornblower by CS Forester. Ok, I'll admit that this was my guilty pleasure. I loved the TV series (simply entitled Hornblower), not to mention the guy . . . the one who was in Amazing Grace . . . And who's name currently escapes me is, my opinion, really cute. And he has an awesome accent . . . none of which has any impact on how the book was. It was ok, actually a bit disappointing, but maybe just because I already knew most of the episodes in it. Good writing, but not great.
• The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy was depressing. . . introduced to me as the one of the first novels to take into acount a character's ego, I found the ego somewhat lacking. I actually thought that the story should be over 30 pages in, but Hardy proved me wrong and spun a tale of despair and misery worthy of the twisted world we live in.
  
• Me Talk Pretty One Day By David Sedaris is a collection of essays, some of which are really quite funny. His sexual orientation is, however, quite openly displayed with little introduction, so this may not be for everyone. The book, however, displays Sedaris' ability to make connections and write a good essay without the academic weight found in many author's work that make it very inaccessible.

Which brings me to my current 'assignment, '

• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. I haven't got that far in the book, but thus far I'm not disappointed. Its actually a bit disconnected, though I probably shouldn't read that much into it, otherwise I'll be persecuted, baanished, shot, or perhaps all three. Still, it has a reputaion as the best book ever to live up to.

I haven't been reading as much as I've been meaning to because my current quest to find money for university is currently not going quite as well as I'd like it to . . . Fear not, lay people of the world, I shall never cease my reading!

Nats