Happy 2015!
As a kind of mental exercise, and out of curiosity borne of my inquiry as to what books others would recommend for New Year's reading, I decided to take stock of what I'd been dipping into this past year, and why...so here goes...in more-or-less reverse chronological order of when read, my reading list for 2014:
Fear and Loathing in America Hunter S. Thompson. I became a Thomson fan in college, reading Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail in the 70s, while they were hot off the press. Still a big fan of his work, and a voice which I think Dave Hickey has channeled into art criticism, this compillation of letters from the late 60s is not my favorite work, but has some great passages. Picked it up again when I finished the last books I was working on, and expect to finish it this time...
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius Dave Eggers. Somehow I'd managed to avoid reading any of Eggers' work until 2014 (was I living in a cave? Maybe...) but have rectified that situation. Eggers' autobiographical tale of raising his 7 year old brother as a 21 year old in Berkeley hit very close to home in some ways, particularly early chapters with graphic details of his mother's death from cancer. Enjoyed its black humor and youthful cynicism.
The Bean Trees
The Poisonwood Bible
Prodigal Summer
Pigs in Heaven all by Barbara Kingsolver.I picked up Pigs in Heaven at Solheim Lutheran Home in Eagle Rock one afternoon from the mouldering bookcase by the residents' elevator, eager for a new read and attracted by a cover that looked fresh, and an author's name I vaguely recognized. I was quickly captivated by her strong female characters and compelling narrative. These books all have a strong romantic undercurrent, particularly Prodigal Summer. I thought Pigs was my first Kingsolver read, then realized I'd read The Lacuna several years ago. (A gift from my sister, Kathy.) Enjoyed reading the exploits of Taylor and Turtle at Solheim, while at my mom's bedside, and back at the hotel as well. Obviously I've become a bit of a fan...
Infinite Jest David Foster Wallace. When interviewing a local artist for a catalog essay, he mentioned that one of the figures in his sculptures looked like a character “out of David Foster Wallace.” This jogged by memory as an author I'd been meaning to check out, and I jotted down the name. Several months later, I believe, I finally downloaded Infinite Jest onto my Nook. This was right before a yoga workshop at Ratna Ling with Nikki Estrada in 2013. I was still working my way through Infinite Jest at Ratna Ling in 2014. It's a lengthy, dense, convoluted and violent book, at times brilliant and at others maddeningly self-indulgent. It meshes themes of addiction, the professional tennis circuit, academia, and dysfunctional family dynamics. What's not to like?
Who Dies Steven Levine. One of a number of books on the topic of death and dying that I read/reread over the period while my 99 year old mom Kathryn was in a decline, eventually leading to her passing on June 16. Notably, I speed through Who Dies while Ralph did the driving as we returned to LA on Sunday, June 15. Reading Levine's Zen-inspired musings on how to be fully present and accepting in the face of death was a source of infinite comfort and strength as I soon faced that challenge.
The New Soft War on Women: How the Myth of Female Ascendance Is Hurting Women, Men—and Our Economy Caryl Rivers. I've been working up some curatorial proposals around feminist themes for a while, and hoped this book would be killer research material. While well-intentioned, I found it rather poorly written and repetitive. Nonetheless, the message bears repeating: the war against sexism has not been won...(more on this topic to come)
Game of Thrones George R. R. Michelson. Those familiar with the HBO mini-series will need no introduction to this book. For those who are not, it is a fairly entertaining saga meshing a Once and Future King heraldic vibe with Lord of The Rings fantasy realm, filtered through an R-rated lens of sex and violence. Julie recommended this one. It kind of grows on you, and like the series has it's moments, but not sure if it's compelling enough to tackle book two...
perhaps to be expanded upon...maybe will be 14 from 2014...