Since the last couple posts about reading got some decent response, perhaps this will become a semi-regular topic: my reading list. Feel free to join my little book club or make fun of my choices in the comments.
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Author: Harriet Beecher Stowe
Genre: Fiction
Status: Finished
Notes: This novel is strong example of propaganda as art. Sometimes the message acts as a bludgeon and the language can get a bit melodramatic, but it's still clear why this is one of the most important books in American history.
Battle Cry of Freedom
Author: James McPherson
Genre: History
Status: 150-ish pages in
Notes: While the narrative of this tome is easy to read, it's still a slow read. I'm up to the events of "Bleeding Kansas." I love the quotations from the newspaper accounts of the time period. If only our news media were so eloquent!
Zero Girl
Author: Sam Kieth
Genre: Comic Book/Graphic Novel
Status: Finished
Notes: A five-issue miniseries from 2001, this story follows the exploits of a high school girl, Amy Smootster, who is tormented by squares. Her only protection are circles and the young guidance counselor with whom she falls in love.
Zero Girl: Full Circle
Author: Sam Kieth
Genre: Comic Book/Graphic Novel
Status: Issues 2/5 read
Notes: Another five-issue miniseries from 2003 that follows up on Amy Smootster 15 years after the events of the first Zero Girl storyline. I thought I had the whole series, but it turns out I'm missing No. 3. Rats!
Batman No. 11
Author: Scott Snyder (writer), Greg Capullo (artist)
Genre: Comic Book/Graphic Novel
Status: Finished
Notes: The new Batman series kicks ass. The art is reminiscent of Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns version of the character only with more realism, and the writing is solid. This issue wraps up the "Night of the Owls" arc.
Dial H Nos. 1-3
Author: China Mieville (writer), Mateus Santolouco (artist)
Genre: Comic Book/Graphic Novel
Status: Finished
Notes: This series is dark and whacky. There's this phone booth and an overweight guy who discovers its power to transform him into a hero. I picked up the third issue on a whim and had to catch up on the whole series.
Next up on my Civil War Reading List is Red Badge of Courage, which I'm planning to read on Mrs. Viper's Nook, as I can get a copy of the Stephen Crane novel for $1. I'll probably start that this weekend.
Today is "Comic Book Day." On my pickup list are the following: Saga No. 5 (Image), Daredevil No. 15 (Marvel), Dark Horse Presents No. 14 (Dark Horse), Justice League No. 11 (DC) and whatever else looks good.
What are you reading?
9 comments:
I'm pretty sure I read UTC in my American Lit class in college, but I can't remember a damn thing about it now. Sad. For fun, I'm currently reading A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin. The books in this series are all hella long which means they're rather bulky to carry on planes, etc. It's the only reason (besides work stuff) that I'm considering getting an e-reader.
The Nook is nice, but I still prefer the feel of a book. The wife, however, is almost a digital-only reader now.
I'm tempted to give the Game of Thrones books a try. Though I'm not sure it'll be my cup of tea.
I love paper books too much to go all digital. I'm not a big sci-fi/fantasy reader, but I enjoy historical fiction and Game of Thrones is pretty much that with some magic and dragons thrown in. I'm liking it so far, but then again I watched the show first and enjoyed it so that's not a surprise. If you've got time and want to fit in some arm strengthening sessions along the way, give the series a go.
The Self Illusion: How the Social Brain Creates Identity
by Bruce Hood
"I'm not what I think I am, and I'm not what you think I am. I am what I think you think I am."
40% completed
Uncle Tom's Cabin has been on the in-my-head-list-of-books-I-should-read for years, but somehow I've always delayed.
I take it you'd recommend I stop procrastinating and just read it?
I love Snyder's/Capullo's Batman as well; one of my must-reads each month. I'm pretty psyched about the next arc with The Joker, too.
If you like wacky comics, I'd recommend checking out Manhattan Projects...basically takes the real physicists (Oppenheimer, Einstein, Feynman, Fermi) and makes them aliens or from another dimension or multiple personalities. They contact aliens and parallel universes...yeah, pretty out there, and yet compelling. Good stuff.
That's quite the ecelectic mix! I'm reading 50 Shades of Gray. Category: porn. I'm about halfway through and I can say this: porn is meant to be handled in small doses. I'm kinda sick of it at this point.
Ha! My wife read 50 Shades. She said the writing is terrible. However, I admit I benefited from the more graphic scenes. Cheers!
Can't go wrong with any Sinclair Lewis, America's first Nobel in Lit winner. Of course, you've read and studied my profile so you know all about that.
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