Books in October, 2010

And I've done it. I've read 120 books this year. From now on it'll all just be icing on the cake. I honestly did not think I could do it, but here we are. This month I read 17 books, from 104 to 120.


1. Leave it to Psmith, PG Wodehouse
Leave it to Wodehouse really. Leave it to him to write this book. Did he have to draw maps of his characters relations to each other? Psmith had more awful pals, fake fiances, and common thievery then even your average Jeeves and Wooster book.


2. How the Heather Looks, Joan Bodger
A beautiful memoir of a family who travels to England to see the sights in children's books. From Wind in the Willows to House at Pooh Corner... it feeds Englandlust like none other.


3. Scott Pilgrim vs the Universe, Bryan Lee O'Malley
I've been reduced to begging, obviously. Please read these books. They will make your life better. Funnier books there have never been, but they are so sweet and genuine too.


4. Sunshine, Robin McKinley
What can I say about this book? It was beautifully written, captivating, romantic, hysterical, perfectly formed and filled with a host of crazy characters. If you were disappointed in the lost opportunities in Twilight then read Sunshine.


5. Fathers and Sons, Ivan Turgenev
Russian people are weird in such a lovely way. Maybe it's because my sister and one of my best friends are obsessed with Russians... but they always make me laugh.


6. A Glove Shop in Vienna and Other Stories, Eva Ibbotson
Only a few days after I finished this my friend told me Eva had died. She writes the most optimistic, darling stories set all around Europe. Magical.


7. Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour, Bryan Lee O'Malley
So if I say I actually cried while reading this would you think less of me? Perfect ending to a perfect series. Spread the Scott Pilgrim word!!


8. The Uses of Enchantment, Bruno Bettelheim
This was a glorious, fascinating book analyzing fairytales and fairy tale tropes. Anyone who ever loved fairytales needs to read this.


9. Scorpius: Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, Rockne O'Bannon
Oh my love. You are so lost without John. I can't wait till the next two come out in soft cover. I wait with bated breath.


10. All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque
I'm not a fan of war books but this was was really amazing. I guess that's why the back of it said, "The greatest war novel ever written!"


11. An Unwilling Guest, Grace Livingston Hill
Nothing like a good Christian romance novel. It's like a romance novel, plus some people getting saved! Really though I read it cause I'm a sucker for Edwardian.


12. Miniatures and Morals, Peter J Leithart
A interesting book of essays on Jane Austen's novels. I've always enjoyed her books but never really 'got' them and this book helped me with some historical context for one.


13. The Virginian, Owen Wister
This was just complete over-the-top, fan-service, cowboy, soap opera drama! With cowboys. And the prairie. And TAVERNS.


14. The Master and Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov
The most freaking weird book I've ever read. Sure, it was all religious-literary-foreign-fiction, etc, etc... but mostly it was just spooky and awesome.


15. The Lost Hero, Rick Riordan
Really my first thought upon finishing this was, "WAIT WHAT? I HAVE TO WAIT A WHOLE YEAR TILL MOAR PERCCYYY?" My second thought was, "Wow, that was awesome." If you like Roman mythos or Greek mythos or American landscapes or amusing teenagers... you'll like this.


16. The Rest is Noise, Alex Ross
Wow. This made me want to know more about music. It made me feel music. It's a beautiful non-fiction mix of stories about composers, historical commentary, and chilling descriptions of music.


17. The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka
I think I enjoyed this book a little too much. Then again I read it like a fantastical comedy, which I think it must have been written as. Because nothing else makes sense.

This is kinda 24 hours late because I decided that watching Bad Blood on Halloween was more important than blogging.