A List I Can Handle

So remember how I complained about the 1001 list while also wondering aloud (in writing) just who decides what ends up there in the first place? Well, the Book Maven (a PW blogger) had a blog yesterday linking to NeilB's list of the 100 Best Novels of the English Language, and he even explains how he generated the list! Plus, I don't look like the uncouth person that I really am, because I've actually read some of them. So, you can hit the link above and read for yourself how he came up with his list.

Of the list, the bold titles are the ones that I have read and the italicized titles are the ones that I plan to read. As an "avid" reader according to the Big Read report (someone who reads 50 books or more a year) I could probably finish the list in one year, but I have to admit that there are some on here that I just don't want to read.

1. Nineteen Eighty-Four George Orwell
2. The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald
3. The Grapes Of Wrath John Steinbeck
4. The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger
5. Catch-22 Joseph Heller
6. One Hundred Years Of Solitude Gabriel García Márquez
7. Gone with the Wind Margaret Mitchell
8. Ulysses James Joyce
9. On The Road Jack Kerouac
10. The Lord of the Rings J.R.R. Tolkien
11. To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee
12. Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen
13. Wuthering Heights Emily Brontë
14. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe C.S. Lewis
15. Great Expectations Charles Dickens
16. War and Peace Leo Tolstoy
17. Lolita Vladimir Nabokov
18. Animal Farm George Orwell
19. Crime And Punishment Fyodor Dostoyevsky
20. Anna Karenina Leo Tolstoy
21. Lord Of The Flies William Golding
22. Brideshead Revisited Evelyn Waugh
23. Midnight’s Children Salman Rushdie
24. Love In The Time Of Cholera Gabriel García Márquez
25. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams
26. Jane Eyre Charlotte Brontë
27. The Hobbit J.R.R. Tolkien
28. To the Lighthouse Virginia Woolf
29. Middlemarch George Eliot
30. Rebecca Daphne du Maurier
31. Dune Frank Herbert
32. Brave New World Aldous Huxley
33. A Prayer For Owen Meany John Irving
34. Watership Down Richard Adams
35. The Sound and the Fury William Faulkner
36. Little Women Louisa May Alcott
37. Invisible Man Ralph Ellison
38. Anne Of Green Gables LM Montgomery
39. Emma Jane Austen
40. Memoirs Of A Geisha Arthur Golden
41. Beloved Toni Morrison
42. Of Mice And Men John Steinbeck
43. The Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad
44. Les Miserables Victor Hugo
45. The Wind in the Willows Kenneth Grahame
46. The Da Vinci Code Dan Brown
47. Tess Of The D’Urbervilles Thomas Hardy
48. Winnie the Pooh A.A. Milne
49. Birdsong Sebastian Faulks
50. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin Louis de Bernieres
51. Slaughterhouse Five Kurt Vonnegut
52. Life of Pi Yann Martel
53. A Clockwork Orange Anthony Burgess
54. The Count Of Monte Cristo Alexandre Dumas
55. A Passage to India E.M. Forster
56. Moby Dick Herman Melville
57. A Suitable Boy Vikram Seth
58. The Stand Stephen King
59. Possession A.S. Byatt
60. Madame Bovary Gustave Flaubert
61. A Tale Of Two Cities Charles Dickens
62. The Trial Franz Kafka
63. I, Claudius Robert Graves
64. The Handmaid’s Tale Margaret Atwood
65. The Secret History Donna Tartt
66. His Dark Materials Philip Pullman
67. The Harry Potter Series J.K. Rowling
68. The Brothers Karamazov Fyodor Dostoyevsky
69. Don Quixote Miguel de Cervantes
70. Sons and Lovers D.H. Lawrence
71. The Pillars Of The Earth Ken Follett
72. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man James Joyce
73. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain
74. The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini
75. An American Tragedy Theodore Dreiser
76. Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland Lewis Carroll
77. Bleak House Charles Dickens
78. The Time Traveller’s Wife Audrey Niffenegger
79. A Fine Balance Rohinton Mistry
80. The Sun Also Rises Ernest Hemmingway
81. Nostromo Joseph Conrad
82. Under the Volcano Malcolm Lowry
83. The Golden Notebook Doris Lessing
84. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter Carson McCullers
85. The Stranger Albert Camus
86. Native Son Richard Wright
87. Gravity’s Rainbow Thomas Pynchon
88. The Poisonwood Bible Barbara Kingsolver
89. Perfume Patrick Süskind
90. Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe
91. David Copperfield Charles Dickens
92. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory Roald Dahl
93. Pale Fire Vladimir Nabokov
94. Persuasion Jane Austen
95. Atlas Shrugged Ayn Rand
96. The Tin Drum Gunter Grass
97. Vanity Fair William Makepeace Thackeray
98. Atonement Ian McEwan
99. Light in August William Faulkner
100. The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett

Spy-Fi?

I'm in the middle of the Jennifer Rardin's upcoming title, Bitten to Death, fourth in the Jaz Parks series. It appears that Rardin's series has now been dubbed Spy-Fi. I can't believe that I didn't come up with it first! When I try to tell people about this series, the best I can do (because it is a bit different from other urban fantasy/paranormal mystery series) is to say that this is what would have happened if Buffy and her fellow scoobies had grown up and gone to work for the CIA, a la Alias.

The books do need to be read in sequence, so here's some info about Rardin's debut title, Once Bitten Twice Shy.

On her last assignment as a Helsinger – a team of elite CIA agents charged with killing vampires – Jasmine Parks lost her fiancé, her sister-in-law, and her best friend in one fell swoop. Now, she suffers from frequent blackouts and has managed to disconnect herself emotionally from almost everyone around her. She’s also discovered that she can sense vampires.

Vayle, one of the Company’s most respected and important operatives has requested that Jaz be assigned as his partner, and the Company willingly agrees. Part of his request is due to her new-found talent as a Sensitive, another is due to the fact that she has a death wish that makes her a reckless but effective agent. The two have been sent to spy on a well-known plastic surgeon who is suspected of having terrorist links. While on assignment, they discover that Vayle, or possibly even Jaz, has been targeted. By whom, they aren’t quite sure, but this person – or vampire – is quite possibly one of their very own.

I love that Jaz is quirky, smart, and kick-ass all rolled into one. She's also a very sensitive character, something that comes through even more in subsequent books. And Vayl, the smoldering Romanian vamp is certainly an absorbing character whose own story is unfolding slightly more with each book. I'll have to let you discover the rest of the crew on your own because the group grows with each book and I don't want to give anything away.

The thing that makes this series so different for me is the fact that it is essentially a paranormal spy series. Jaz and crew all work for the CIA and are always being sent out on super secret CIA missions. They have cool gadgets and disguises that would make even James Bond jealous, too! Plus, they're up against creatures of the likes I've never seen before. Again, I wouldn't want to give anything away, so you'll have to just trust me, it's a damn cool series!

I'll be reviewing Bitten to Death this weekend for the bookbitch. You can also find reviews for books 2 and 3 (Another One Bites the Dust and Biting the Bullet) there as well. I'm going to finish my book now, and then sit in eager anticipation until number 5 comes out in January!

1001 Books

I had this idea that I would begin a serial post here with the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die. Then I really thought about it and I'm not sure how much I agree with the list. See, they have it broken up into century and I've never read any of the 2000's books. In fact, I question why some of them are on there and others aren't. I'm sure they have good reason for placing them on the list, and I'm sure that those reasons are thoroughly outlined in the book itself, but I've never been that much of a conformist when it comes to reading.

I can remember being in high school, working my way through James Ellroy's LA Confidential while I was waiting at the orthodontist's office (I was probably about 15 at the time). One of the assistants in the office happened to walk by me and make a comment to the effect that it was such a shame that "kids" my age weren't actually reading literature. 

I really wanted to ask her just what exactly she thought I should be reading, but would no doubt have been understood as the snotty and sarcastic kid that I was - yes, I perfected the art of rolling my eyes at adults by the age of 6! 

See, for the most part I was taught that as long as I was reading something, that was a good thing. I've read "literature" that I've enjoyed and some that I haven't. I understand that the tag is for the most part completely subjective. I also understand that the "literature" that we read in school is specifically chosen to illustrate certain aspects of writing and to be examples of defined periods of writing. When you get into "modern literature," however, the definition of the term becomes more fuzzy and gray. 

Since September of 2004, I have read 414 books. Granted, my pace fluctuates quite a bit and I'll beat my average of 103 this year (actually, I've already topped 10 this year) but by whose measure are absolutely 0 of those books worthy of being on the list? In fact, I have read books by authors who made the 2000's decade list. I actually own 5 of the 69 titles on the list. The 1 book, though, that I have attempted to read to date, I loathed for so many different reasons that my jaw dropped to see it on the list. I never finished it. In fact, neither did my other who attempted to read it as well. 

I guess I'm just a bit disillusioned by the whole list. There are some on there that I intend to read at some point in time, but as one who falls into the avid reader category (50 books, or more, per year - not kids books) it's a little sad to see that I've only actually read about 24 of the books that made the list. 

I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. I enjoy most of the books that I read and while I read a lot of fluff that allows me to truly get away from the hassles and stresses of my daily lives, I have read some books that I think deserve a spot on the list more than others. 

Again, the term literature is subjective. I like to read, I'm not going to criticize people who read things that I don't and I really don't think anyone should turn their noses up at anyone who reads for entertainment, regardless of what it is they choose to devote their time to. 

A Must Read for Psychological Suspense Fans

So Saturday I finished reading Stephenie Meyer's Eclipse. I did run out and buy Breaking Dawn, but I had to take a break and devote some time to my reviews. Sunday I wrapped up reading Lisa Black's debut, Takeover, and Amy MacKinnon's debut, Tethered.

Tethered was fantastic. I'll talk more about it later, but in the meantime I wanted to talk about another debut, this one from a few years ago. Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects was quite unlike anything else I have read in style and tone, Tethered is the first time that I have come across anything else like it, so I thought this was the perfect opportunity to recommend Sharp. The book is out in paperback, and if you have plenty of time to grab a copy before Tethered comes out next Tuesday. Here's my review from Bookbitch.com:

When a little girl goes missing in Wind Gap, Missouri, townspeople can't help but be reminded of disappearance of another young girl just one year ago. The first girl was found strangled with all her teeth missing. Camille Preaker, reporter for the Chicago Daily Post is sent to cover the story. She's perfect for the job, seeing as how she grew up in Wind Gap. It's been eight years since Camille last returned home, and for good reason. On her second day, Camille herself discovers the body of the missing child, propped up against a building. Again, all the teeth have been removed. Camille is unwillingly thrown into the investigation when her editor requests that she follow the story through to its chilling conclusion. What she will discover will reveal even more troubling secrets about her own past and threaten her own sanity. This is a shocking and brutal mystery - like a train wreck that you just can't turn away from. I loved everything about it. Really a magnificent read.

Again, I'll have more on Tethered later, and will be reviewing it this weekend for the BB. Both titles are very dark. They both deal with issues of abuse, but it's bearable even for a sensitive reader like me, and both main characters deal with their own emotional scars. Overall, Sharp Objects and Tethered are haunting and emotional reads. Highly recommended!

New Releases 8/5

New releases this week include:

The Smart One by Ellen Meister - a funny book about family and living up to your own expectations.

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson - one of the most talked-about books of fall

The White Mary by Kira Salak - another big buzz book this fall in which a journalist must make a harrowing journey to discover if her mentor is really dead. Great read!

Lie Down With the Devil by Linda Barnes - latest in the Carlotta Carlyle PI series, Barnes is never a letdown.

The Night Villa by Carol Goodman - another lyrical literary mystery set in Italy. Love it!

Train to Trieste by Domnica Radulescu

Schooled by Anisha Lakhani

Envy the Night by Michael Koryta

Assassin by Stephen Coonts - third Tommy Carmellini title

New On DVD:

The Counterfeiters 

Rogue another giant croc movie

New reviews up at Bookbitch.com:

Countdown by Michelle Maddox

Lie Down With the Devil

The White Mary

The Smart One

The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance

Only 4 More Days!

Just 4 days left to read Jason Pinter's The Mark for free! Remember, the widget expires on August 5th. Even if you don't read the whole thing here, you can at least get a taste and then run out and buy all three of the Henry Parker thrillers!

A Movie Post

Today is finally August 1. Not that I want the summer go by any quicker, but today is the release date for Midnight Meat Train, the movie based on Clive Barker's story of the same name (from Books of Blood) and starring Bradley Cooper. 

I love Bradley Cooper. He played Sidney's reporter bud who almost ruins everything by looking a little too deeply into her fiance's murder in Alias. He also played the lead character in the very short lived (thank you once again, FOX) but hilarious Kitchen Confidential.

I have been waiting to see this movie FOREVER. And guess what - I still get to wait FOREVER! At least until it hits DVD because thanks to the infinite wisdom of movie distributors and theater management, I can see Mamma Mia 20 freaking times a day and travel to every theater within a 30 mile radius to see the new Kevin Costner movie, but I can't go see the one movie that I really want to.

Make that two movies actually. Tell No One, the French movie based on Harlan Coben's book by the same name, is also not playing at any of the theaters near me. No. To see either one of these films, I have to drive into Denver. Frankly, I'm a little pissed.

It's not that I expected to be able to see Tell No One anywhere near here. We had an AMC that was playing some Indy and foreign films, but apparently they've decided it is more cost effective to run the same movie on 4 screens than to show a movie that might attract less of an audience. But, Midnight Meat Train, yeah laugh at the title, was one that I expected to be able to see.

This has been happening to me quite a bit lately and I am none too happy about it. I have to wait another 3-6 months after the theatrical release that I have been hearing about for the damn things to come out on dvd because they aren't Hancock.

I like blockbusters the same as everyone else. I saw Hellboy and Wanted and absolutely loved them. I also saw The Dark Knight and thought it was fantastic as well. I guess I could understand the distribution issues if I didn't have other films readily available to see that make me go, HUH?? Like Mamma Mia, c'mon is the move really that freaking popular that it's still running on multiple screens at every single area theater!? My movie doesn't deserve even one. Musical fans everywhere rate higher than horror fans? I don't think so. I'm fairly certain that the horror industry has yet to become the red-headed stepchild of the movie biz. So what's up with the lack of distribution on all things not Saw lately?

Anyway, I'm still mad but I'm off my high horse. We did see X-Files last weekend, opening night. I was super excited about it and it let me down big-time. I won't give anything away, but if you've seen it don't you agree that it was kind of a cop-out for X-Files last hurrah? It could have been an episode. I think it wouldn't have bothered me as much if the show was still running, but for what is probably the final x-file, the movie kinda sucked. It pains me to say that, too.