Friday, January 02, 2009

Literature | Year in Review













It's finally time for the Literature Year in Review. This year, I did much better than I did in 2007 but didn't get to my two books a month goal. However, I did read a few larger novels this year for the book club.

2008
Coetzee, J.M. Disgrace
Conrad, Joseph. The Return
Gladwell, Malcolm. The Tipping Point
Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
Hardy, Thomas. Tess of the D'Ubervilles
Hardy, Thomas. The Mayor of Casterbridge
Hemingway, Ernest. The First Forty-Nine (short-stories)
Hemingway, Ernest. True at First Light
Hosseini, Khalid. A Thousand Splendid Suns
Levitt, Steven D. and Stephen J. Dubnar. Freakonomics
Nabokov, Vladimir. Lolita
Rushdie, Salman. The Satanic Verses
Salinger, J.D. Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters AND Seymour An Introduction
Steinbeck, John. East of Eden
Steinbeck, John. The Winter of Our Discontent
Steinbeck, John. Travels With Charley
Stendhal. The Red and the Black
Stevenson, R.L. Other Stories (9)
Thackeray, William. Vanity Fair
Vonnegut, Kurt. The Galapagos

Best books of 2008:
Hardy, Thomas. Tess of the D'Ubervilles
Nabokov, Vladimir. Lolita
Steinbeck, John. East of Eden

Worst book of 2008:
Coetzee, J.M. Disgrace

Biggest Disappointments of 2008:
Rushdie, Salman. The Satanic Verses
Salinger, J.D. Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters AND Seymour An Introduction

2007
Adams, Richard. Watership Down
Bergen, David. The Time in Between
Card, Orson Scott. Shadow of the Giant
Chaon, Dan. You Remind Me of Me
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Last Tycoon
Gladwell, Malcom. Blink
Golding, William. Darkness Visible
Golding, William. The Paper Men
Hemingway, Ernest. To Have and Have Not
Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner
Irving, John. A Prayer for Owen Meany
Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis
Koestler, Arthur. Darkness at Noon
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein
Thompson, Hunter S. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Best books of 2007:
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Last Tycoon
Irving, John. A Prayer for Owen Meany
Koestler, Arthur. Darkness at Noon

Worst books of 2007:
Chaon, Dan. You Remind Me of Me
Golding, William. Darkness Visible
Golding, William. The Paper Men

Biggest Disappointment of 2007:
Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Excellent review, you've certainly read a varied, and large, selection of novels. As always I'm surprised how much our likes and dislikes jive. I'm surprised you didn't have Watership Down more highly rated ;)

Eclectic Indulgence said...

If you remember, we both didn't like Watership Down that much - we both gave it 3 stars. It's only later that you find that Hrudu's and Silflay become part of your daily vocabulary. ;)