It's hard for me to believe that I've been doing this for six years and I've probably got enough books already stacked up to last for another six. Of course, a lot has changed in my life over all that time so I've had to adapt a bit and I've begun to try a few different genres. Anyway, here's what I've read this month.
Miscellaneous
Hocus Pocus - Kurt Vonnegut ($7.99/$.25, copyright 1990, 324 pages, Paperback)
This is the story of Eugene Debs Hartke, a Vietnam veteran, who - after leaving the Army - became a teacher at an upstate New York private school very close to a prison. After a prison break, he is mistaken for one of the ring leaders and ends up awaiting trial, dying of TB, contemplating his life and trying to count the number of women he has slept with. Vonnegut tells the story through small snippets supposedly written on random pieces of paper and has put together a beautiful satire of just about every aspect of American life, from the idiocy of Vietnam, the treatment of the vets when they got home, the sale of just about everything to the Japanese, and the ignorance of the majority of Americans. I enjoyed it.
Non-fiction
Thunderstruck - Erik Larson ($16.00/$.50, copyright 2006, 392 pages, Trade Paperback)
In 1910 a true, sensational story ran in newspapers around the world. An American physician living in London - Hawley Crippen - poisoned, flayed, deboned and buried his overbearing wife in the couple's basement for the love of a younger woman. He and his lover, who was disguised as a boy, were fleeing justice on an ocean liner from Antwerp to Quebec City. On another ship, the Scotland Yard inspector in charge of the second most notorious murder in British history (Jack the Ripper being the first) was speeding to overcome the suspects before their arrival in Canada. What made the difference between escape and capture was Guglielmo Marconi's invention - the Wireless radio. Larson uses the same process here that he used in "The Devil In The White City" - which I read a few years ago. He jumps back and forth between what was happening with each character and creates an interesting narrative. I have to admit, though, that I found a lot of the material Larson has compiled about Marconi to be kind of boring. It was OK.
Young Adult
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl ($6.99/$.50, copyright 1964, 155 pages, Paperback)
I'm guessing that you all know this. The reclusive candy maker who decides to open up his factory to a select few. The Golden Tickets. Charlie and his grandfather, along with the other child winners and their parents. The factory. The Oompa-Loompas. I've only seen the Gene Wilder version but they did stick pretty close to the book. Of course, there are things that don't appear in the movie and things that the movie plays up that aren't in the book, but it's a still a great way to spend a couple of hours. I enjoyed it.
Totals
It's been an interesting year for me. I'm now a Grandfather and - since September -I'm spending a lot of time babysitting. This has had an impact on my reading time and what I read. It will be interesting to see how much of an impact it will continue to have. Anyway, here are this years numbers.
Series - 12 books, $105.96 total cover price, $15.46 actual cost
Non-fiction - 6 books, $84.00 total cover price,$3.50 actual cost
Young Adult - 3 books, $24.97 total cover price, $1.75 actual cost
Miscellaneous - 10 books, $85.26 total cover price, $8.76 actual cost
Off The Shelf - 4 books, $9.95 total cover price, $9.95 actual cost.
Holmes - 1 book, $2.95 total cover price, $.25 actual cost.
This years totals are:
36 books, $323.09 total cover price, $39.67 actual cost.
Six year totals are:
264 book, $2,752.91 total cover price, $270.60 actual price.
Next month is December and it's gonna be my Granddaughter's First Christmas! I can't wait to see how she reacts to things, and I can't wait to introduce her to some of the true classics of literature. Till then ...
Keep Reading!
