100+ Books in 2025 discussion
2010 Lists
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astrangerhere 2010 - 101 and counting
14. War and Peace - After 2 months, I have made it through the new translation! Having read it before, the story was not new to me, but the translation was simply wonderful. A great update to an old classic.15. Never Let Me Go - Came across this by way of a search of Japanese authors, though Ishiguro is for all intents and purposes British. Great read and a haunting tale of medical ethics and the lengths we might one day go to.
16. The African Queen - Another book that led to a wonderful classic film. Having now read it, Bogie was born to play the drunk captain Alnut.
17. Kitchen - part of my exploration of Japanese literature. Bar none, one of the best novellas I've read in a very long time.
18. The Big Sleep - Left this off my initial catch up list for January and February (oops). Book #1 of Raymond Chandler's Phillip Marlow stories was fantastic. Chandler did not invent crime noir, but he may have single-handedly created the genre into an art.
19. The Return of Sherlock Holmes - Part of my continued challenge to read all of Holmes this year. I must say, it is starting to show that Doyle wanted to stop writing Holmes with "His Last Bow," but was forced by finances to write more. There were perhaps two good stories out of this collection of six.
21. The Stars My Destination - A cyber-punk classic written before either term. This was a jewel of a novel from 1956 that should be much more well known than it is. It brings to mind listening to The Shadow or X-minus radio programs with the maturity of age and language that those shows lacked.
22. Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World - continuation of my self-challenge to read all of Murakami this year. An anime was later made out of half of this novel's content, give or take, and I think both brought out the best in one another.
23. N.P. - From the aferword: "I wanted to communicate the notion that such people should be able to live as they please, without interference from others. Anyone should." Continuation of my exploration of Japanese authors.
24. Inventing Japan: 1853-1964 - part of my continual study of Japan and Japanese history. Disappointing read.25. Shutter Island - read for The Next Best Book Club march book. I like Lehane generally and this book was no exception.
26. The Lady in the Lake - Continuation of exploration of noir. Not Chandler's best, perhaps because it was overshadowed by the 1943 draft ahead of American participation in WWII. Many characters mentioned it and there was an air of desperation to all the characters because of it.
28. The Picture of Dorian Gray - read this for The Next Best Book Club book for March. It was made a fabulous pair with Shutter Island as both are fascinating studies on what guilt can (and cannot) do to a person. Hadn't read it since college, and was glad to revisit an old title.
30. The Last Day the Dogbushes Bloomed - A Southern coming of age story that brings to mind To Kill a Mockingbird without the crime and trial going on in the background. This was Lee Smith's first novel and shines with the promise that her later works would have.
31. Tanglewood Tales - I've read most of Hawthorne's other stories and this was a disappointment. I was looking for something short before my copy of Tale of Genji gets here today, but felt like I wasted my time with this.
32. The Moviegoer a bit of good Southern fiction, set during the Catholic holy week. Seemed the right time to finish it up. The book ends on Ash Wednesday, and I finished it the day before.
34. The Tale of Genji: A Reader's Guide - read in preparation for starting The Tale of Genji. Part of my continuing study of Japanese literature.
35. The Elephant Vanishes: Stories - Part of my continued self-challenge to read all of Haruki Murakami's fiction.
36. The Last Dickens: A Novel - this was a random read in the midst of my self-challenges that has me considering reading (and re-reading) some other Dickens works.
37. Lemon by Kajii/Motojiro - Practicing my Japanese listening skills. Had this little book in audio form read by a resident of Yokohama. Delightful and peaceful read.
Making up for a month-long work required absence:39. The Big Nowhere and
40. L.A. Confidential - working on finishing up the LA Quartet.
41. The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon - more Japanese literature :)
42. Strange Fiction: Stories by H. G. Wells - Short stories on a whim. Did not make as much an impression on me as Wells best (The Food of the Gods), but still interesting. The best story was the the kingdom of the blind.
43. METAtropolis: The Dawn of Uncivilization - I don't reccomend it. I wanted a nice bit of post-apocolyptic fiction, and the entire time I was reading, I had the faint note of being preached at. Instant turn off.
44. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - I enjoyed the precocious little Flavia, though at times I was a bit incredulous of her knowledge. I figured out the mystery before she did, but that did not make her adventure any less fun to me.
45. Winter's Tale - I have been meaning to get around to this for years, and now that I have, it was a bit anti-climatic. The first half of the book was so good that I was disappointed in the last half.
47. Pride and Prejudice - Read for The Next Best Book Club's June read. It was a re-read and it was just as enjoyable as it was the first time. Austens' dialogue is still every bit as relevant and quite a bit smarter than alot of dialogue you find in novels of the same breed today.
48. Across the Nightingale Floor - A lovely mix of historical fiction with a tiny dash of the fantastical. I read this because it was set in Japan, but the voices of the narrators and the story itself were well worth the time, irrespective of its setting.
49. The Uncommon Reader - fantastic fictionalization of the Queen who discovers reading late in life. Funny and thought provoking, it was well worth the time it took for the little novella.
50. The Sound and the Fury - a re-read of one of his best. Faulkner has always fascinated me, and I always find that this particular novel always gives me something new, each time i pick it up.
51. Lady Susan - I am going through all of Austen in chronological order, and this was the top of the list. Great study in writing a novel through letters. I got the impression, near the end, that she grew bored with it, however and found a convenient way to cut it off and sum the story up. Either way, a fun, quick little read.
52. Book of Five Rings: The Classic Guide to Strategy - Great treatise on strategy and the samurai way. I enjoyed this far more than The Art of War.
53. The Haunted House - A fascinating little collection of stories bourne out of Dickens letting what was alleged to be a haunted house and having his friends come stay in it with him. He proposed that they all write a story while in the house, and this little book was the result. I enjoyed Adelaide Anne Procters long poem the best. This would be a great read for anyone looking for a halloween spirit.
54. The Touchstone: A Story - A fantastic portrait of a lost art. The story of a man who sells love letters after the object of his affection has died and the effect that it has on him. I think with a proper understanding of how correspondence was a part of life in the period of the novel (1890-1900), the book becomes much more moving.
55. Shinju - I was more interested in the setting that I was the story. I felt there were gaps and leaps here and there in the "way of the warrior" thread, but overall, a nice historical mystery. I might continue the series, though not immediately.
57. Black Coffee - Read in a single afternoon due to it being disablingly hot outside. I thought to read all of Agatha Christie last year but ran into a wall not being able to find this book at my library. Now I have every scrap Lady Agatha has ever written on my Nook and am ready to dive in again :)
58. A House to Let - Another collaborative work between Dickens, Wilkie Collins, Elizabeth Gaskell and Adelaide Anne Procter. I did not enjoy this quite as much as A Haunted House, but still I enjoy the bouncing about between authors. I'll now start attacking Dickens in earnest.
59. The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag - It was with great delight that I returned to the world of Flavia DeLuce and banished any fears I might have had of a sophomore slump from Bradley. This book was more tightly plotted and focused and again left me eager for Flavia's next adventure.
60. Sketches by Boz - I found myself much less engaged by the sketches as I do a normal Dicken's plot. The lack of a named character to really grasp hold of and follow through a narrative was lacking for me.
61. Peril at End House - a quick afternoon read while I was getting my car serviced. Continuation of the crashing through Christie!
62. Something Wicked This Way Comes - I'm not sure what I expected out of this book. But I will say it started off well, but then petered out pretty quickly. When the story was about the two boys and the life of summer, I found the writing eloquent and often painfully beautiful. But when it descended into the macabre carnival, the language and they story became convuluted and incoherent. While I enjoyed parts, I can't say I really appreciated the story as a whole.
63. The Little Sister - A bit more tawdry than Chandler's prior novels, but still a helluva noir ride. I have enjoyed this noir self-challenge immensely this year.
64. The Fall of Reach - Shockingly good sci-fi based on a game. My wife is a nut for the game, and I promised I'd read it for her since she liked it so much.
65. A Gun for Sale: An Entertainment - I've just recently gotten a complete set of Graham Greene's novels, and this is the first one i plowed into. It was a pleasing read, and I plan to read more.
66. The House of Mirth - Working my way through Wharton and this was up next. Having now finally gotten all the way through the book, i must see Gillian Anderson's portrayal of Lily Bart in the Masterpiece Theater version.
100+ Books in 2025
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Books for January and February
1. The Maltese Falcon - part of my exploration of noir and great classic films that were based on books.
2. After Dark - part of my challenge to read all of Murakami
3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - part of my attempt to read all of Holmes this year
4. Farewell, My Lovely - part of my exploration of noir
5. Swag - My first jaunt into Elmore Leonard. I will not be making a return trip.
6. The Pearl Diver - part of my exploration of fiction from and/or about Japan
7. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes - part of my attempt to read all of Holmes this year
8. The Titanic Murders - random braincrap book.
9. Spice and Wolf, Vol. 1 - part of my exploration of fiction from and/or about Japan
10. The Hound of the Baskervilles - part of my attempt to read all of Holmes this year
11. The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare - I've read most of Chesterton already, just picking up a straggler title here
12. Dune - a collegue said "you just have to read it." and so I did. I will not be reading more of the series.
13. After the Quake- part of my challenge to read all of Murakami