Slow start

 Hello, dear reader(s). Slow start to the year for yours truly. 

Hyperion, by Dan Simmons, was my choice for the family book club. This book is our oldest's favorite book and I can see why. (No spoilers.) Basically, the Canterbury Tales, but hundreds of years in our future. It was great and I loved the ending. Will I read the second? Not sure (I've yet to read anything after Dune, doesn't mean I don't think it's a phenomenal book). I especially loved it since I listened to it, and they used different actors for all the parts. Great read listen.

Anglo-Saxon Attitudes, by Angus Wilson. This book has been on my Campus novels list for a while. Managed to convince some others on Goodreads in the NYRB discussion group to all read it and discuss it, starting in Feb. Great book. You know I love Brit lit and this one hits it. One GR reader suggested the reader would not be able to follow the book if they don't understand British culture. Not sure that's true. I don't understand sh!t about cricket, but I love and can follow every PG Wodehouse novel in which cricket plays a role. Read this, you'll love it. 

I also read my friend's second novel, he asked me to edit it as he knows that is one of my possible post-post-retirement jobs. His first is Proportional Response which was good. This one will be good too, but it's still raw. Looking forward to reading the final product. Good luck Tim!

2023 in review

 Managed 83 books in 2023. Good reading year. Possible spoilers below, caveat lector.

Most disturbing:

• Tender is the Flesh, by Agustina Bazterrica. Yikes.
• American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis.
• The Unlimited Dream Company, by J.G. Ballard.

OK, can't pick just one. The first above, butchering humans for meat. Yuck. The Psycho one, equally gross murders. Ballard's, ejaculate flying all over the place. Gag.

Worst:

• Three Women in a Mirror, by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt. 
• The Stars My Destination, by Alfred Bester.  
• The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein.

The description of Three Women was so awesome, and it is a translation, so hits my challenge to read 10 translations. But oh, it was not good. No idea why Stars is a classic. So bad and didn't age well. Heinlein...not sure why I ever liked him. Will have to try his earlier ones, like maybe Starship Troopers.

Non-fiction best:

• 99 Novels, by Anthony Burgess.
• The Comfort Crisis, by Michael Easter. 

Can't decide between these two. Both great. Read 14 non-fictions in 2023.

Best foreign language read:

• La horo 25, by Constantin Virgil Gheorghiu. 

Read four books in a foreign language this year (3 x Esperanto, 1 x Russian). This one was by far the best. 

Best translation:

• Cursed Bunny, by Bora Chung.

This woman's stories are so good. Lots of good translations this year (excepting Three Women) but this one was heads over the rest. 

Best speculative fiction:

• The Sea of Tranquility, by Emily St. John Mandel
• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V.E. Schwab. 

Both are so great. Can't decide. Everything St. John Mandel writes is god.

Most of the same author:

• William Gibson

Five of Gibson. Love his world-building. 

Biggest surprise.

• Sharks in the Time of Saviors, by Kawai Strong Washburn

Wow. Want to read more from this author.

Best classic.

• The Naked and the Dead, by Norman Mailer.

The chow hall line scene is worth the entire novel.

Best overall.

• Earthly Powers, by Anthony Burgess. 

Best words. Best narrative. Best story. My new favorite author (sorry Waugh). 

December 2023

 Books read:

• The Unlimited Dream Company, by J.G. Ballard.
• Butcher's Crossing, by John Williams.
• Changing Places, by David Lodge.
• Arthur: The dog who crossed the jungle to find a home, by Mikael Lindnord.
• Piercing, by Ryu Murakami. Not that Murakami.
• The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, and six others, by Roald Dahl.
• The Mere Wife, by Maria Dahvana Headley.
• Destination: Void, by Frank Herbert.
• Pattern Recognition, by William Gibson.

Books bought:

• The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. For the family book club.
• Riding the Iron Rooster: By Train through China, by Paul Theroux. Two bucks! Trying to collect all his travel books.
• What Editors Do: The Art, Craft, and Business of Book Editing, by Peter Ginna. Still trying to figure out my post-retirement-retirement job.
• Hyperion, by Dan Simmons. My pick for the family book club. Our oldest's favorite book.

Didn't buy many books for myself in December. But did buy a bunch as gifts for family. 

Read 83 books in 2023 and will review my year in another post in the next few days.