A year of reading, 2009

So here is a recap of my reading from this year. 26 books total, 16 non-fiction and 10 fiction. That represents a change towards more fiction than I have been reading in the past few years. 26 is about usual for my reading, but I actually have a goal of reading less during 2010. I did not read enough of my school texts and literature this past year. Perhaps reading less for "pleasure" will make me read more of the school stuff.

One major achievement for me was finishing the entire Harry Potter series in Spanish. The first few took me months and months to read because I would only read a page or two at a time. Over the previous years I would be reading several books plus the Harry Potter, but this year I just read the Harry Potter in Spanish like a normal fiction book. I devoured them!! I really got to the point where I was reading at normal speed with great comprehension, though some words and phrases slipped past me. I miss them actually...now that I am done with them. It is easy reading, all things considered.

Everyone should read: In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan

This book gives such a good understanding that the "Western" diet of processed grains and especially sugar is just plain horrible for the human body. But part of the blame for our bad eating habits is because we don't have a standard and binding food culture that makes us eat small portions, or combine foods that are appropriate. This was a Everyone Reading The Same Book deal in Fayetteville this past year, and for good reason. Please...read this...all of you..

Biggest Disappointment: The War Within, Bob Woodward
This book just went on and on about nothing. I wanted to try to read a Woodward about something contemporary so that I would know something about it, but this book just sucked. Sorry Bob...I know you did some other great stuff...I just picked the wrong book.

Best Read, Fiction: The Reader, Bernhard Schlink
Wow. The movie amazed me so I went back to read the book. Evidently it is very typical of post-war German literature. I recognized it immediately and loved it.

Best Read, Non-fiction: The Shock Doctrine, Naomi Klein
You may very well lose all faith in America's odd form of capitalistic "diplomacy" after reading this book. The American government has supported radical overthrows of popular, though more socialistic, economic systems in many countries to the detriment of their citizens and the enrichment of American and multi-national corporations. Some of the economic "miracles" are hardly such when looked at critically, especially considering most could only be accomplished by denying civil rights to huge portions of those countries. Well worth the read.

The reading list. Those bolded I highly recommend.

The Children of Men - P.D. James
Plan B, 3.0 - Lester Brown
The Way to the West - Elliot West
The New American Poverty - Michael Harrington
The Shock Doctrine - Naomi Klein
Leisureville - Andrew Blechman
In Defense of Food - Michael Pollan
The Ecology of Invasions by Animals and Plants - Charles S. Elton
Hot, Flat, and Crowded - Thomas L. Friedman
Harry Potter y la orden del fenix - J. K. Rowling
Americanism - David Gelernter
The Divine Right of Capital - Marjorie Kelly
The Five Most Important Questions - Peter F. Drucker, Jim Collins
The Wrecking Crew - Thomas Frank
The War Within - Bob Woodward
Harry Potter y el misterio del principe - J. K. Rowling
The Negro in the Making of America - Benjamin Quarles
The Tales of Beedle the Bard - J. K. Rowling
Son of a Witch - Gregory Maguire
The Hampton Affair - Vincent Lardo
The Predator State - James K. Galbraith
A Lion Among Men - Gregory Maguire
Harry Potter y las Reliquias del Muerte - J. K. Rowling
The Reader - Bernhard Schlink
Holidays on Ice - David Sedaris
Stealing Democracy - Spencer Overton