So, here we are again. The Bookstravaganza. I narrowed the extremely long 120 book to-be-read list down to ones listed below. I don’t know how many there are because I didn’t count.
Here’s what you’re to do: Vote in the comments for as many of the above listed books as you feel. Previous votes will count, but everyone can vote again or opt to change their votes. I’ve added a few notes about my feelings on these books and how the ended up on this list, so I hope you enjoy. If you want me to read something that’s not on my epic to-be-read list, you need to give it to me, as I cannot buy books for the calendar year 2011. Want to know what to buy me? I have an Amazon wish list.
Oryx and Crake (Fiction)
Margaret Atwood
Has been recommeneded to me by many people, including my friend Jana who doesn’t seem to vote for things on my blog cause she’s busy with having a life and a kid and going to school. Seriously, she should just sit around pining for my next blog entry. Like I know the rest of you do.
The Windup Girl (Fiction)
Paolo Bacigalupi
One of 2010′s most awarded science fiction novels. Won the Nebula in 2009 and the Hugo in 2010. My mom bought this for me for my birthday and she’ll be sad if you don’t vote for it. And we don’t want to make my Mom sad cause she’s a nice lady and buys me books even though it’s quite apparent I don’t really need any more.
The Wild Frontier (Non-Fiction)
Pierre Berton
Shut up, I’m a history nerd and this is my list so I can put boring history books on it. Pierre Berton is great. He’s the Carl Sagan of Canadian history. I bet at one point he dressed like him, too. However, I promise that I will never read a book about searching for the North-West passage again, because my goodness, it was boring. Like six hundred pages of not finding what you’re looking for.
World War Z (Fiction)
Max Brooks
Already voted on by Courtney and Erin. Zombies are apparently the new vampires. Alan read it and loved it. I don’t really love zombies. Or vampires even. Though I hear the next big thing will be robots, and robots are awesome. Hopefully the zombies are okay with this or we’re all in trouble.
And Then There Were None (Fiction)
Agatha Christie
I’ve wanted to read some Agatha Christie ever since that episode of Dr Who where she was a character and a giant annoying bee-human-preacher thing terrorized a 1920′s garden party. Also in that episode was MY doctor, David Tennant, with his amazing hair (and everything else to be quite honest), and the lovely Catherine Tate, the least annoying companion in the RTD years. Like seriously, what’s with the new guy’s hair?
A Tale of Two Cities (Fiction)
Charles Dickens
Remember that episode of Dr Who with Dickens? I do. Eve Myles, who went on to play Gwen Cooper was in it. I’ve already tried to read this once and I didn’t get through the first page, but someone said that I need to read this with a British accent and then everything would be better. Willing to give it a shot. Which brings me to a new rule: I don’t have to finish the book if I don’t want to. Life is too short to read horrible things.
Preludes and Nocturnes (Graphic Novel)
Neil Gaiman
Sandman #1. Now that we have our Sandman books back from Courtney, it’s time to get into this epic graphic novel series. If you so choose.
Burning Chrome (Fiction)
William Gibson
I just listened to Friday’s episode of Q with William Gibson and I now heart him. Voted onto the list by Kat.
Catch-22 (Fiction)
Joseph Heller
Recommended once upon a time by my sister in law. I have no idea what it’s about but she hasn’t steered me wrong yet. Except for The Left Hand Of Darkness, which I have to admit was a little meh.
No Logo (Fiction)
Naomi Klein
Seems like one of those hipster books but I want to read it anyways.
The Physics of Star Trek (Non-Fiction)
Lawrence M. Krauss
You know you want to read it too.
Watchmen (Graphic Novel)
Alan Moore
I hear there’s a big blue naked man in this.
Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World (Fiction)
Haruki Murakami
Haruki Murakami is awesome. Everyone should read Dance Dance Dance and Norwegian Wood. You know you want to. You know you want me to read this. Vote!
Cosmos (Non-Fiction)
Carl Sagan
Have you ever read Contact? No? Then you don’t get to vote. Ever dressed like Carl Sagan? OK, I guess you can vote again.
The Kraken Wakes (Fiction)
John Wyndham
Loved Day Of The Triffids. Seriously one of the best books I read last year. Liked the Chrysalids. Hope I like this one too!
Now vote! Vote like your blog-reading entertainment depends on it!
Catch-22 and A Tale of Two Cities. Classics.
Watchmen is pretty good – it’s the only “graphic novel” that I’ve read (it was a textbook in a class in university) – I was impressed mostly because of the details in the art… you can “read” it in a day or three, but getting all the nitty-gritty details in the pictures that are surprisingly important to understanding the story as a whole takes a long time.
Another that’s not on your list… but maybe it was on an earlier version? Neuromancer. It’s scary how much William Gibson saw coming with Internet culture…
Watchman was ….. slightly rather boring and none of the characters were likable.
I pick either World War Z (again) or The Physics of Star Trek.
definitely Oryx and Crake, Catch-22 is pretty good too
Court, you’re definitely right about none of the characters in Watchmen being likable – I despised the lot of them, but that’s part of what I found interesting about it…
Catch-22? Terrible book. My votes are for Cosmos (Yes I have read contact), since you can get the TV series that goes with it. Others being William Gibson (my sister highly recommends) and the Dickins. A Tale of Two cities is one of his good ones, more politics less not wanting to beat up that prat Oliver Twist.
A Tale of Two Cities was excellent. I don’t think you’ll hate it.
isn’t the left hand of darkness the only other book i’ve recommended (that you’ve read)..?? that pretty much puts me at recommending only meh books. if it counts for anything that was a pretty blind recommend, and based loosely on my reading ‘the word for the world is forest’ at the time, also by le guin.
heller, i am so sorry to have done you the great disservice of having thrown you in with meh.
its basically the story of this guy, yossarian, interacting with people on the ww2 base he’s on, and explaining how the people around him are all crazy, the gov’t is crazy, our constructions are crazy. the goodreads brief: “a microcosm of the twentieth-century world as it might look to someone dangerously sane.” its just a guy thinking outloud, not even a story really. stuff happens, but its in the background. that sounds really boring, but its a lot like the rambling speculations of of douglas adams.
Atwood and Christie. Physics of Star Trek I found so-so.