Why Grizzly Bears Should Wear Underpants

why grizzly bears should wear underpants inman andrews mcmeel 2013Why Grizzly Bears Should Wear Underpants by Matthew Inman (aka The Oatmeal), 4/5

Recklessly funny, Inman doesn’t hold back at all in this collection of comics which tackles topics from commuting via polar bear to eating Play-Doh.  This book is definitely not for the sensitive soul–while he considerately pixelates most of the cartoon privates, the author does somehow manage to invent euphemisms that are more offensive than the real thing.

[Why I read it: I’m on an Inman binge.]

My Dog: The Paradox

my dog the paradox inman andrews mcmeel 2013My Dog: The Paradox: A Lovable Discourse about Man’s Best Friend, by Matthew Inman (aka The Oatmeal), 3/5

This book contains only one comic, so it is more of a novelty than anything.  However, it is still pretty cute and I recognise his cartoon dog’s infectious enthusiasm in my own mutt (though mine certainly uses fewer swearwords).

[Why I read it: ordered all of Inman’s stuff from the library at once, then read it in one sitting.]

How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You

how to tell if your cat is plotting to kill you inman andrews mcmeel 2012How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You by Matthew Inman (aka The Oatmeal), 4/5

A laugh-out-loud-funny collection of cat-themed comics from The Oatmeal.

[Why I read it: Reading Inman’s The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances reminded me that he has other hilarious books out there that I hadn’t read yet.]

The Dispossessed

dispossessed le guin harper perennial modern classics 2014The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin, 2/5

Le Guin’s exploration of that inherently contradictory concept, an anarchist society, felt pointless and unbelievable, probably because anarchy itself (even the idealized, fictional version portrayed in this book) seems ridiculously illogical, unrealistic and childish, as I understand it.  Is the government oppressive?  Get rid of all forms of authority!  Do the rich exploit the poor?  Get rid of all possessions!  Is anarchy failing?  Apply more anarchy!

My main problem is not necessarily with Le Guin’s portrayal of anarchy in the book (though I did find that pretty implausible) but that when it inevitably starts to unravel, she falls back on more anarchy as the answer.  It’s as if rebellion was a cause itself, not something to be employed in the service of a cause.  Her attempts to extract some sort of deep philosophical meaning from the simple fact that a society of rebels will inevitably become a regime to be rebelled against itself did not resonate with me at all.

Another reason I didn’t enjoy reading this book is that I dislike feeling preached-at and reading fiction that contains fake science and sexual themes, all of which are prominent features of The Dispossessed and annoyed me enough to ruin any chance of achieving suspension of disbelief.

[Why I read it: Jan from choir recommended Le Guin to me a couple years ago and my friend Sarah mentioned on Facebook that she’s a huge fan.]

The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances

terrible and wonderful reasons why i run long distances inman oatmeal andrews mcmeel 2014The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances by Matthew Inman (aka The Oatmeal), 5/5

Inman’s reasons for running may be much more terrible and wonderful than my own (just as his conception of “long distances” is much longer), but a lot of this hilarious book resonated with me.  On a side note: I’ve never read a collection of comics containing more illustrations of Nutella.

[Why I read it: I enjoy Inman’s webcomic, The Oatmeal, and this book came up in conversation with one of Dad’s coworkers.  I’d actually almost bought it in a store just a few days previous before remembering that 5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth was collecting dust on my shelf after being read just once.  I hit the library up instead, which I guess makes me a bad fan.]

The Child from the Sea

child from the sea goudge coward-mccann 1970The Child from the Sea by Elizabeth Goudge, 1/5

This tedious attempt to legitimize the relationship between King Charles II of England and Lucy Walter, one of his numerous mistresses, is painfully contrived.  The dialogue is stilted, the characters unlikeable, the romantic scenes unbearably sappy, and the whole thing suffers from a pervasive moral ambiguity that causes painful cognitive dissonance.  For example, Lucy and one of the king’s good friends have a one-night fling that results in pregnancy, but according to the author “both had the gift of a dedicated loyalty” and “were faithful to the core” (473).  I guess I’m just one of those who “would not have understood, if they could have seen it made visible, the quality of the integrity that despite their failures gave such distinction to Lucy and her lover” (473).  Integrity?!  Is this backwards day?

Despite constant attempts to make Lucy appear the victim of malicious gossip, the political climate of the times, and her own big-hearted, “Welsh” emotionalism, I felt that even the author no longer liked the main character by the end of the book.  And that was the romanticized, fictional version of her…

[Why I read it: my friend, Alison, passed it along to me, [rightly] thinking that I would enjoy the Welsh references.]

2015 Stats

In 2015 I read sixty-eight books, forty of which were nonfiction, twenty-seven fiction and one poetry.

I averaged 1.3 books a week, but the most books I read in a single month was nine (in November).

I read 2 books that were written before 0AD
1 book written in the 1400s
3 books written in the 1700s
4 books written in the 1800s
10 books written between 1900-1949
19 books written between 1950-1999
29 books written between 2000-2015

Books that I rated 1 star: 1 (~1%)
2 stars: 16 (~24%)
3 stars: 20 (~29%)
4 stars: 18 (~26%)
5 stars: 13 (~19%)

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

jonathan strange and mr norrell clarke bloomsbury 2015Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, 5/5

I knew that I was going to love this intimidatingly large novel as soon as I read the caption for the opening illustration (of a sour old man reading a book): “He hardly ever spoke of magic, and when he did it was like a history lesson and no one could bear to listen to him.”  Clarke somehow overcomes a contradiction in terms to tell a plausibly fantastic tale about the revival of “practical” magic in England.  The story flows well and is never boring, though it does wear thin near the end, perhaps because the author has a talent for humorous and clever descriptions but her observational style is not conducive to much psychological depth or character development.  However, I found it to be a charming read and quite possibly the best debut novel I’ve ever encountered.

[Why I read it: I saw a couple cool GIFs from the BBC miniseries version, but happily decided that I should give the book a chance first.]

Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe

complete stories and poems of edgar allan poe doubleday book club edition 1966Complete Stories and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe, 4/5

This book organises all of Poe’s writings into just a few convenient categories: Tales of Mystery and Horror, Humor and Satire, Flights and Fantasies, The Narrative of A. Gordon Pym of Nantucket, and The Poems.  Of these, I think the first contains the best examples of Poe’s genre-defining style, including one of the first detective stories ever written (predating the strikingly similar Sherlock Holmes stories by 46 years).  The scary tales tend to be short on plot but ooze with atmosphere–the effect is almost more pictorial than literary.  Overall, I didn’t enjoy this book very much and a lot of the stories felt pointless or tedious to read, but I respect Poe’s groundbreaking literary influence.

[Why I read it: I wanted to be familiar with more of Poe’s works than just The Raven.]

Grand Illusions

grand illusions lawton 1973 mcgraw-hillGrand Illusions by Richard Lawton, with a text by Hugo Leckey, 5/5

This collection of Hollywood portraits from the 1920s through 40s is full of mesmerisingly beautiful black and white images.  Famous actors and actresses, exquisite lighting, glamorous settings–this book is literally a feast for the eyes.

[Why I read it: it caught my eye in the thrift store.]