Best of What I Read in 2008
My reading list is harder to compile than my movie list, partly because I did not read that many non-political books, and partly because I just activated the feature at my library account that maintains my checkout history (though the FBI probably has full checkout histories on everyone).
Much of what I read was political, mentioned here at Sense, and no longer of as much interest. The LBJ tape transcription book, "Taking Charge", was interesting for its hair down capture of the man and how he dealt with people and the issues of his time - civil rights, re-election, the Kenndy people and Vietnam. The second volume of transcriptions should be worth a read. After Watergate, Presidents supposedly stopped making tapes, which is a real loss to history. "Nixon and Mao" which I am just finishing, is well written by Margaret MacMillan, whose prize winning "1919" about the post WWI treaties is on my future list.
I have been picking up library sale books and spot reading them, which I have also been doing with some others I own, in diverse categories such as politics, zen, simple living. As a change, I enjoyed "The World in a Phrase", a short history of the aphorism, which was really a good short history of philosophy, "That Devil Forrest" an account of the Confederate Cavalry General whose battles I was studying because an ancestor fought in some, and "Truck: a Love Story", a memoir in which I read of the rare eye occlusion experience of the author just one week after I had the same misfortune.
My 2009 resolutions include, "Do more relaxing reading and less political." I am open to suggestions.
posted by Tom Blake | 9:57 AM
2 Comments:
Here are my favorite books from 2008 in no particular order:
American Gospel by John Meacham, a history of religion in American life. He explores the question so often raised whether our country was founded on religious principles, and, if so, which religion? I think he handles the matter brilliantly.
Dreams from my Father by Barack Obama. No description necessary on this blog.
1491: New revelations of the Americas before Columbus by Charles Mann. His thesis is that there were many many more people than we previously thought when Columbus "discovered" America, and the cultures of both North and South America were far more advanced that previously thought. He says our faulty history developed from the early traders and settlers who encountered Indian societies which had been already decimated by the diseases spread from the first explorers.
Waking Giant - America in the Age of Jackson by Donald Aida. This is especially good because it describes the culture of the people living during the time of Jackson, and does not restrict itself to the man himself. Huge cultural changes took place in the early 19th century that we rarely think or read about.
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini who also wrote The Kite Runner. It provides a good recent history of Afghanistan, and especially what the culture there does to bright young women.
Bread and Chocolate by Phillippa Gregory. A very well written collection of short stories about a TV chef and a monk who bakes bread in his monestary.
Summr by Edith Wharton. I like all her books that I have read, but I am restricted to the ones that are on CD's. She describes so well the upper class early 20th century culture in which she lived. This one is about an unmarried woman having an affair and what the consequences are for her at that time.
Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer who wrote Into the Wilderness and Into Thin Air. He is a great writer. This one is about a bloody murder by two fundamentalist Mormon brothers. It explores the mainstream and fundamentalist branches of that religion.
I am a Strange Loop by Douglas Hofstadter. This book I read as opposed to listening to an audio version. The author wrote Godel, Escher, Bach in 1979 and this book covers the same themes of self referential systems. He also describes the Incompleteness Theorem of Godel.
Unaccustomed Earth and Interpreter of Maladies, two books by Jhumpa Lahiri. The former is a novel and the latter is a collection short stories. They both deal with Bengalis living in the US. The characters are upper class, even wealthy people who have chosen to live in the US, and the culture shock they endure.
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski. This is a story about a mute boy and dogs and was recommended by Oprah. So I checked it out of the library for my wife because dogs and Oprah are two of her favorite things. As she talked about it I got interested and checked out the audio version for myself.
Homegrown Democrat by Garrison Keillor. No description need on this blog.
John from Phoenix
John, your mega work commute certainly gives you time for diverse audio book listening. The Keillor and Obama books are the only ones on your list that I have read. I have added a few of your others to my future reading list.
I saw the movie version of "the Kite Runner" and also "The Namesake" film from the Lahiri book. The Hofstadter book sounds intriguing, but I fear it might be too difficult for me to get through, especially at over 400 pages.
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