Books I Read 2012, Part I

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-- For those unfamiliar with the Books I Read feature on my blog, a little explanation: at the end of every year, Christian likes to look back on his reading material and write a post sharing his thoughts {which do not necessarily amount to a review, per se}. I love having him contribute to the blog, and I hope you enjoy! --

I guess at this point I am just going through the motions when it comes to writing this post. Perhaps this will be the last year I do this. Maybe I’ll switch to doing a summary at the conclusion of reading a book instead of doing it all at the end of the year. Then again, this is Mary’s blog and I don’t want to bore her readers with books that she didn’t even read. Either way, I have yet again produced the list of books I read during the last calendar year. Some were good, some were incredible, and a few were absolute clunkers. As always, feel free to make suggestions and I will, as always, do what I want. Without further ado, here is Part 1:

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien – In anticipation for the upcoming movie(s) and because Mary was constantly suggesting that I read the book, I started off 2012 with this classic fantasy novel. I have not seen the movie yet, but I cannot figure how this book will be broken into three movies. I can understand two, but not three. I did enjoy this book, so much so that I continued right along…

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien – I had never read these before either and it seems like I should have by now. I never really got into the fantasy genre when I was younger, but this trilogy surpasses the fantasy genre. The only way to describe this trilogy is epic. I, unlike my father-in-law, can appreciate the changes required to make these into movies. These books, straight-up as movies, would be pretty long and boring.

Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World by Michael Lewis – Michael Lewis writes a book and I read it. This is how it goes for a handful of writers. No matter what the topic, no matter how uninteresting it seems to me – in this case, the financial collapse of Greece and other areas in the EU. Even though this book was short, I slowly worked my way thought it since I was reading it at the same time as Return of the King. (Advantage: Aragorn II.)

Faith and Fear in Flushing by Greg W. Prince – I am a big Mets fan, though admittedly not was obsessed as I once was. The guy who wrote this book is crazy-obsessed. I don’t think it’s a bad thing. In fact, I rather enjoyed it. I could relate to much of what this guy went through. We share a common bond, though we have never met. The book did not live up to the description as being Fever Pitch for Mets fans.

Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace – This book is hard to describe. It was unlike anything else I have ever read. And it was amazing. The novel takes its name from a fictional movie that is so enjoyable, once people watch it, that is all they ever want to do again. Over and over and over, not eating, not sleeping, not talking, just watching it on an endless loop until they die from hunger/thirst/etc. And this is only a small fraction of the novel. Nothing I write here could properly do justice to the complexity and hilarity of this book.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay – I cannot go more than two years without reading this book. I feel as though this book were written specifically for me. Books like these are why I continue to read and why I feel like the best book is better than the best movie. Books can move me in ways that movies, no matter how much I love them, never can. It is a close, personal relationship that can only be attained through words on a page.

Catch 22 by Joseph Heller – A lot of what I said above also goes for this book. I read this for the fifth time. I will continue to re-read this and Kavalier and Clay for the rest of my life. Part of me is sad to think that when I die, I may not be able to read these books ever again. (Maybe that last part was a little much.)

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster – I last read this book when I was nine years old. Twenty years later, it is still as enjoyable as it was then. I can be creative at times, but what Juster does – and I know it is meant for kids – makes me realize that I could never, ever write a book if I wanted to. And I don’t.

That concludes Part 1. Come back later for the exciting conclusion to Books I Read 2012.

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