My bookshelf, newly organized after my move!
Total Books Read in July & August: 38
Fiction: 30
Non-Fiction: 8
Audio: 30
Print: 2
EBook: 6
Pages: 2994
Hours: 370
- Most like a Nora Ephron movie: Wife 22 by Melanie Gideon, which is basically a better version of You’ve Got Mail
- Number of Stephen King books read: 8. I have an addiction.
- Other books read because of my Stephen King problem: Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finney, which was more enjoyable than expected; The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson , which I loved more than I thought possible and has amazing lesbian subtext that I want to discuss for hours; and I Am Legend by Richard Matheson, which I didn’t count as a book read because I didn’t read all of the short stories included.
- A FIRST EVER! Thing: I read absolutely no non-fiction in the month of August. I can’t even believe it.
- Most exciting review copy received and read: Gaga Feminism by J. Jack Halberstam (Beacon Press)!! So good.
- Book I liked so much more than the movie (all the while picturing the characters as the actors): About a Boy by Nick Hornby
- Most SWEEDISH: The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler
- Book I loved now and would have also loved in the fifth grade: The Freedom Maze by Delia Sherman, which features a young, ostensibly white southern girl in the 1960s who travels back in time to antebellum south. It has a lot in common with The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen, which was my very favorite book in fifth grade.
- Best audio of a Stephen King novel: Dolores Claiborne, narrated by Frances Sternahagen. The novel is written as a deposition Dolores is giving to the police, which makes it particularly suitable for audio. Sternahagen also manages to use an excellent Maine accent that I appreciated as someone who grew up surrounded by Maine accents.
- Book that most used the word “girl” as an adjective: Dare Me by Megan Abbott. The word ‘girl’ must have been used approximately 500,000,000 times in this novel.
- Almost totally awesome: Year Zero by Rob Reid. I loved the world building, the Backstreet Boy connections, and the music puns. But it suffered from an over-the-top argument against music licencing litigation and Microsoft.
- …And yet it has a totally awesome audio narration: Thanks to John Hodgman, who is fantastic.
- Book I spent the most time frowning and/or shouting out quotes to whoever was in the room with me while reading: The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
Wow, Jack Halberstam’s new book looks amazing! I’m excited to see your review of it!
Oh, it’s so good. Writing a review of any Halberstam book is always high pressure, but I am going to tryyyy.
I’m listening to It right now and loving the audio (it’s for #italong, if you haven’t read that one yet, you should…there’s still time!)
Sometime next year we’re going to do #shineon for The Shining. I think we just have an addiction to hashtags.
Glad you’re enjoying IT/it! (har har.) I actually finished IT like, the day before the #italong was announced and was totally bummed. Then I read The Shining… I keep jumping the gun! I’ve been keeping an eye on the twitter convos about the books, though.
You can still join us for the posting, though! Who cares if you’re two months ahead.
Oh! Oh! Oh! The New Jim Crow! Did you like? I’m so excited that you read it. Also, no non-fiction in a WHOLE MONTH? I didn’t know that was super possible actually. Impressive. Sounds like a fun summer. I’m waiting for the long review of The Haunting of Hill House btw
I thought it was really well written and eye-opening, definitely. I can’t say I LIKED it, though, since it was just like ughhhhh this is the worsttttttt.
I can’t believe I didn’t read any non-fiction either! It’s definitely a first in my whole life, ha.
Regarding a long review of The Haunting of Hill House….ummmm…baby steps, Amy, baby steps.
I love your bookshelf!
Thank you!