Tuesday 1 April 2008

the book I read...

Perhaps for the first time since he sang a song about some rabbits [warning - do not click this link unless you are prepared for tears], I have been somewhat inspired by Art Garfunkel. It turns out that Garfunkel has been keeping a list of all of the books that he has been reading since 1968. Book 1 was "The Confessions" by Jean-Jacques Rousseau and was finished in June 1968, and Book 1023, the most recent, was "The Magnificent Ambersons" by Booth Tarkington. Inbetween he's read all kinds of things, although most of them sound very serious indeed (Goethe, Jung, Darwin, Proust... stuff like that).

I'm going to start my own list.

I've already got a list of the gigs that I attend around here somewhere, which I originally started partly out of a sense of regret that I had long since thrown away the concert tickets that I had been collecting since I saw the Cult at Wembley Arena in about 1988. Those tickets provided solid, documentary evidence of all those ropey metal gigs I attended in my youth, and at some point I chucked them all away....

Anyway.

Keeping a list of the books that I read is something else that I've been meaning to do for ages and have never quite got round too (I've not found Shelfari terribly satisfactory in this regard). This isn't going to be the next Alphabeticon or anything like that, and I'm certainly not about to wander around my bookshelves detailing what I've read. This isn't going to be retrospective, it's simply going to be an ongoing list of the books that I've currently got on the boil.

I'm afraid it's not going to be as highbrow as Mr. Garfunkel's list by any stretch of the imagination, but I think my reading tastes may be as broad a church as my musical tastes.... perhaps broader.

So, here we go, listed by the date when I started them.

"+" next to the title means that I read it on the Kindle.


# Dates: Title: Author:Pub.










167September 2014Kafka on the Shore Haruki Murakami2002
166September  2014In One PersonJohn Irving2012
165August 2014The Princess BrideWilliam Goldman1973
164August 2014The SeaJohn Banville2005
163August 2014American GodsNeil Gaiman2001
162July 2014A Lot of Hard YakkaSimon Hughes1998
161July 2014Racing Through the Dark: the fall and Rise of David Millar+David Millar2011
160June 2014The Fell Sword+Miles Cameron2014
159June 2014The Red KnightMiles Cameron2012
158May 2014Erotic Lives of the SuperheroesMarco Mangassola2013
157April 2014Montague TerraceWarren & Gary Pleece2013
156March 2014The Goldfinch+Donna Tartt2013
155February 2014Born to Run+Christopher McDougall2010
154January 2014The Shadow Rising (Wheel of Time Book 4)+Robert Jordan1992
153Dec 2013A Compendium of Collective Nouns: from an Armory of Aardvarks to a Zeal of ZebraWoop Studios2013
152Dec 2013Cat Sense: the feline engima revealedJohn Bradshaw2013
151Dec 2013Man Belong Mrs Queen: adventures with the Philip WorshippersMatthew Baylis2013
150Aug 2013The Dragon Reborn (Wheel of Time Book 3)+Robert Jordan1991
149Aug 2013The Great Hunt (Wheel of Time Book 2)+Robert Jordan1990
148July 2013The Eye of the World (Wheel of Time Book 1)+Robert Jordan1990
147July 2013The Ocean at the End of the LaneNeil Gaiman2013
146July 2013Everywhere We Went+Ben Dirs2012
145July 2013The Secret RaceTyler Hamilton & Daniel Coyle2012
144June 2013Festival: the Glastonbury Novel+David Belbin2001
143March 2013Cloud AtlasDavid Mitchell2004
142March 2013The Okinawa DragonNicola Monaghan2011
141February 2013The CrossingCormac McCarthy1994
140February 2013All The Pretty HorsesCormac McCarthy1992
139January 2013The HunterJulia Leigh1999
138January 2013Student+David Belbin2012
??????inexplicable gap??????
137May 2012Something HappenedJoseph Heller1974
136April 2012Grimm Tales for Young & OldPhilip Pullman2012
135March 2012The Sun Also RisesErnest Hemingway1926
134February 2012Last Night In Twisted River+John Irving2009
133February 2012Dead Folk+Charlie Williams2004
132January 2012TravelsMichael Crichton1988
131January 2012The Great Train RobberyMichael Crichton1975
130January 2012I Am Legend+Richard Matheson1954
129January 2012Golden Boy: Kim Hughes and the Bad Old Days of Australian CricketChristian Ryan2010
128January 2012Ukulele for DummiesAlistair Wood2011
127December 2011What You Don't Know+David Belbin2012
126December 2012The Man With The Golden GunIan Fleming1965
125November 2011NextMichael Crichton2006
124October 2011CongoMichael Crichton1980
123October 2011The Lost WorldMichael Crichton1995
122September 2011Batman: Knightfall (vols 1, 2 & 3)Doug Moench, Chuck Nixon et al. 1993-4
121September 2011Great ExpectationsCharles Dickens1860
120September 2011Beware of the Dog: Rugby's Hard Man Reveals AllBrian Moore2009
119September 2011Jurassic ParkMichael Crichton1990
118September 2011King Solomon's MinesH. Ryder Haggard1885
117September 2011JawsPeter Benchley1974
116September 2011Well of DarknessMargaret Weis & Tracy Hickman2000
115August 2011Ultimates (vols 1 and 2)Mark Millar & Bryan Hitch2002
114August 2011Lost in a Good Book+Jasper Fforde2002
113August 2011The Eyre Affair+Jasper Fforde2001
112August 2011Justice (vols 1, 2 & 3)Alex Ross & Jim Krueger2005-7
111July 2011A Dance With Dragons+George R.R. Martin2011
110May 2011The Book of Illusions+Paul Auster2002
109May 2011Feast For Crows+George R.R. Martin2005
108May 2011Storm of Swords+George R.R. Martin2000
107May 2011Clash Of Kings+George R.R. Martin1998
106April 2011The Game of Thrones+George R.R. Martin1996
105April 2011The Good Fairies of New York+Martin Millar1992
104April 2011Thraxas+Martin Scott2000
103April 2011Harold LarwoodDuncan Hamilton2010
102March 2011A Last English SummerDuncan Hamilton2010
101March 2011The Club That Jack Built: Jack Walker and the Rise of Blackburn RoversCharles Lambert2001
100March 2011Ice Cream and SadnessKris Wilson, Rob DenBleyker, Matt Melvin, Dave McElfatrick2010
99March 2011TimbuktuPaul Auster1999
96-99February 2011The Death of Captain America, vols 1, 2 &3Ed Brubaker et al.2007/8
95February 2011Civil War: Captain AmericaEd Brubaker et al.2007
94February 2011Batman:R.I.P.Grant Morrison & Tony S. Daniel2008
93January 2011ChokeChuck Palahniuk2001
92January 2011Let The Right One In+John Ajvide Lindqvist2004
91December 2010Nikolai Dante: The Great GameRobbie Morrison2005
90December 2010Nikolai Dante: The Romanov DynastyRobbie Morrison2004
89December 2010The Ballad of Halo JonesAlan Moore & Ian Gibson2001
88November 2010Emma+Jane Austen1815
87November 2010The Fry Chronicles+Stephen Fry2010
86 October 2010Matterhorn+Karl Marlantes2010
85September 2010A Study in Scarlet+Sir Arthur Conan Doyle1887
84September 2010The Hobbit+J.R.R. Tolkien1937
83September 2010Unseen Academicals+Terry Pratchett2009
82August 2010David Copperfield+Charles Dickens1850
81July 2010The Siege of KrishnapurJ.G.Farrell1973
80June 2010You Only Live TwiceIan Fleming1964
79June 2010On Her Majesty's Secret ServiceIan Fleming 1963
78June 2010The PretenderDavid Belbin2008
77June 2010BlindnessJose Saramago1995
76May 2010The Average American MaleChad Kultgen2007
75May 2010The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's NestStieg Larsson 2009

74
April 2010The Girl Who Played With FireStieg Larsson2006
73April 2010The Spy Who Loved MeIan Fleming1962
72April 2010The Girl With the Dragon TattooStieg Larsson2005
71April 2010Extremely Loud & Incredibly CloseJonathan Safran Foer2005
70March 2010Little DorritCharles Dickensc.1856
69March 2010The Brooklyn FolliesPaul Auster2005
68February 2010The MagusJohn Fowles1965
67January 2010ThunderballIan Fleming1961
66January 2010For Your Eyes OnlyIan Fleming1960
65January 2010Exit MusicIan Rankin2007
64December 2009The Naming of the DeadIan Rankin2006
63December 2009Fleshmarket CloseIan Rankin2004
62November 2009God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons EverythingChristopher Hitchens2007
61November 2009A Question of BloodIan Rankin2003
60October 2009America UnchainedDave Gorman2008
59October 2009Resurrection MenIan Rankin2002
58September 2009The FallsIan Rankin2001
57September 2009Set in DarknessIan Rankin2000
56August 2009Last Seen WearingColin Dexter1976
55August 2009Last Bus To WoodstockColin Dexter1975
54July 2009Dead SoulsIan Rankin1999
53July 2009GoldfingerIan Fleming1959
52July 2009Beggar's BanquetIan Rankin2002
51June 2009The Hanging GardenIan Rankin1998
50June 2009Wisden 2009Scyld Berry (ed.)2009
49May 2009The God DelusionRichard Dawkins2006
48May 2009Black and BlueIan Rankin1997
47April 2009Let It BleedIan Rankin1996
46April 2009Dr NoIan Fleming1957
45March 2009Mortal CausesIan Rankin1994
44March 2009The Black BookIan Rankin1993
43March 2009Bad Vibes: Britpop and My Part In Its DownfallLuke Haines2009
42Feb 2009Provided You Don't Kiss Me: 20 Years with Brian CloughDuncan Hamilton2007
41Feb 2009Strip JackIan Rankin1992
40Feb 2009Tooth and NailIan Rankin1992
39Jan 2009Hide and SeekIan Rankin1991
38Jan 2009Knots and CrossesIan Rankin1987
37Dec 2008The Art of ConversationCatherine Blyth2008
36Dec 2008Britain in Revolution 1625-1660Austin Woolrych2002
35Nov 2008Wolverine: OriginsBill Jemas, Paul Jenkins, Joe Quesada2001-2
34Nov 2008The New Avengers 2: SentryBrian Michael Bendis2005
33Oct 2008The Graveyard BookNeil Gaiman2008
32Oct 2008Kingdom ComeMark Waid & Alex Ross1996
31Oct 2008The New Avengers 1Brian Michael Bendis2005
30Oct 2008Weapon XBarry Windsor-Smith1991
29Oct 2008Ultimate Marvel Team Up Ultimate EditionBrian Michael Bendis2001/2
28Oct 2008World War HulkGreg Pak, John Romita Jr2007
27Oct 2008Planet HulkGreg Pak2006
26Oct 2008SnuffChuck Palahniuk2008
25Sept 2008The Tenant of Wildfell HallAnne Brontë1848
24Sept 2008Quantum of Solace: The Complete James Bond Short StoriesIan Flemingvariously from 1960
23 Sept 2008 Sandman: Fables & Reflections Neil Gaiman 1991,92,93
22 Sept 2008 Sandman: A Game of You Neil Gaiman 1991/92
21 Sept 2008 Sandman: Seasons of Mists Neil Gaiman 1990/91
20 Sept 2008 Sandman: Dream Country Neil Gaiman 1990
19 Sept 2008 Sandman: The Dolls House Neil Gaiman 1989/90
18 Sept 2008 Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes Neil Gaiman 1988/9
17 August 2008 Batman: Dark Knight Returns Frank Miller & Klaus Janson & Lynn Varley 1986
16August 2008Civil War: Front Line (vols 1 & 2)Paul Jenkins2006/7
15August 2008Civil WarMark Millar2006/7
14 August 2008 Civil War: Road to Civil War Brian Michael Bendis & J. Michael Straczynski 2007
13 August 2008 Batman: Killing Joke Alan Moore & Brian Bolland 1986
12 August 2008 Batman: Dark Victory Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale 1999/2000
11 August 2008 Batman: Long Halloween Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale 1996/7
10 August 2008 Batman: Hush (vol 1 & 2) Jeph Loeb & Jim Lee 2003
9 August 2008 Daredevil: Yellow Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale 2002
8 July 2008 Batman: Year One Frank Miller & David Mazzuchelli 1987
7July 2008No Country for Old MenCormac McCarthy2005
6July 2008The RoadCormac McCarthy2006
5July 2008Once Upon a Time in the NorthPhilip Pullman2008
4June 2008You're Not the Only One
(you can buy it here - it's for Charity and everything)
Sarah J Peach (ed)2008
3May 2008Devil May CareSebastian Faulks as Ian Fleming2008
2April 2008Wisden 2008Scyld Berry (ed.)2008
1 March 2008 Life: A Users Manual Georges Perec1978


Um. And that's it for now. Nothing else to see here for now. I'll just add this to my sidebar and keep it updated, for my own entertainment if for nobody else's.

Excellent.

That's another pointless list started then.

6 comments:

  1. Could be worse...

    I created a database (to third normal form for any who care) that I use to keep track of the types of beer I've drank, and the breweries I've visited.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm currently reading The Fantastic Book of Everybody's Secrets by Sophie Hannah, which I didn't expect to like (it's short stories, which I normally find too bitty) but am very much enjoying.

    It's taking me back to my teens and Ray Bradbury for some reason, which is odd as they're nothing alike, but bringing back pleasant memories nonetheless.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Excellent. Do we get a review as well as a list?

    ReplyDelete
  4. That's a great idea! (Coughs, modestly.)

    ReplyDelete
  5. As a fan of your lists - what can I say, I'm an inveterate orderer and fan of lists - I adore the idea of your reading list on the sidebar.

    more reasons to read your blog: yeah!

    ReplyDelete