Sigh… been in another writing slump. Too bad, because there have been thoughts I wanted to write about as I read many of these books, but the backlog is hanging over me so I’m going to catch up with batches of brief listings. I keep telling myself that just a list of what I’ve read is more than I ever did before I started this blog. And who’s reading it, aside from people who think I’m Hilary Duff? I am going to try putting at least a brief comment on each title; 2x better than nothing!
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\nWatership Down<\/i> – Richard Adams, 1972. Still holds up; a true epic. Notes I made: “his face…was a mask of blood, foam, vomit, and earth…” No no no! Rabbits are physically incapable of vomiting, which is why hairballs are a problem for them. Adams relied on R.M. Lockley’s The Private Life of the Rabbit<\/i> for his research (which I read many years ago), and it must not have mentioned that. I marked another page, but I don’t remember why. The climactic moment when Bigwig tells General Woundwort that his Chief Rabbit has told him to defend the run still gives me the thrill it did when I was eleven.<\/p>\n
The Look of Architecture<\/i> – Witold Rybczynski, 2001. I like Rybczynski as a writer, but parts of this book reflect what I think is wrong with modern architecture. He seems blind to the truths Christopher Alexander<\/a> recognizes and shares.<\/p>\n Gifts<\/i> – Ursula K. Le Guin, 2004. Brilliant. I want to re-read this anyway & will write about it then, I hope.<\/p>\n Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell<\/i>, Susanna Clarke, 2004. As others have said, slow going to get into, then grabs you. A wonderful book. Captures the eerie, scary, not-at-all-cute true meaning of “fairy” like nothing else I’ve read. Beautiful and haunting; scenes I will never forget, like the stone statues in York Cathedral talking, and the ships made of rain.<\/p>\n A Calculated Risk<\/i> – Katherine Neville, 1992. Not-very-good thriller with lots of unbelievable stuff about “teckies” (one of the reasons I read it), although the author supposedly was a systems consultant for IBM, Honeywell, etc. The heroine goes from a “computer ignoramus” to a “full-blown technocrat” in one weekend. If only!<\/p>\n The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference<\/i> – Malcolm Gladwell, 2000. Believe the hype–this is a fascinating book. I can’t wait to read Blink<\/i>. My favorite kind of book, full of amazing tidbits to talk about. I need to read it again!<\/p>\n