This is the year of finally getting things right. I don't know guys maybe you should try acupuncture because I did last week and all of a sudden I feel great, like truly great in my soul. Here is my final book list from 2008:
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time by Mark Haddon
Naked by David Sedaris
Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The BFG by Roald Dahl
Junky by William S. Burroughs
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
How We Are Hungry by Dave Eggers
Learning to love you more by Harrell Fletcher and Miranda July
You get so alone at times that just makes sense by Charles Bukowski
This Boy's Life by Tobias Wolff
A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick
No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July
Little Girl Lost by Drew Barrymore
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
Tales of Ordinary Madness by Charles Bukowski
Another Bullshit Night in Suck City by Nick Flynn
Candy by Luke Davies
Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Keyson
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
Hot Water Music by Charles Bukowski
In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver
Cathedral by Raymond Carver
Meditations from a Moveable Chair by Andre Debus, Sr.
The Trouble With Poetry by Billy Collins
A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor
The Collected Stories of Amy Hempel
Now on to book list 2009! Hopefully I will read more this year, please leave some suggestions.
20 comments:
Happy New Year! :)
What an impressive book list. I noticed you read a Miranda July book, I quite like her "Learning to love you more". I recommend that one. Also Philip K Dick's VALIS, it's a bit more sci-fi though..
One book I read during 2008 you may also enjoy also is Sarah Turnbull's 'Almost French'. It's a true story about a young woman who travels to Europe and falls in love France. I like her impulsiveness.
Wishing you all the greatness to come in 2009!
Oh, I love the Miranda July book Learning to Love You More! All the little projects in it are so inspiring and adorable. Also I'm kind of into sci-fi if its done well so I'll definately check out VALIS, and Almost French too! Thanks so much and best wishes in 09 for you too.
That is one heck of a list.
you're the kind of woman i want to be like when i grow up :)
that's a great book list!
i hope your 2009 is wonderful and that Boston isn't too insufferable for you.
have you read 'Life, A User's Manual' by Georges Perec? it's about the lives of the inhabitants of a Parisian apartment building.
Happy new year!
Two books that had the most impact on me in 2008 were Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky and House of Mirth by Edith Wharton. I had to read them both twice they were so good.
My last book of 2008 was among the best: The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano. I moved back to Boston in August after 10 years away (mostly New York, and a year in London). I'm still trying to get used to it! On the plus side there are many, many people who like books and many interesting talks to go to (just wander through Harvard, MIT, BU, Tufts, you'll come across so many interesting events). On the downside, it takes so long to get to know people! Last night, I had dinner by myself at a restaurant near where I live. There was someone next to me reading the newspaper so I struck up a conversation. I could tell I was intruding and she quickly started the crossword. Somehow in New York, most people presume a friendly conversation with a stranger will be more interesting than doing the crossword, but not here in Boston!
BB
Happy new year to you too.
Im so happy you are back, I really love your blog. That is one impressive book list by the way.
If I had to recommend something for 2009, it would be the Savage Detectives by chilean writer roberto bolaño.
By the way - I see you have my old blog in your blog roll, im now blogging on this account in case you want to update it.
xx
I just realized that the person above me recommended the Savage Detectives as well!!
Erica: I haven't read it, but will put it on my library list.
Lola: Thanks for the book suggestions!
Bombay: I know, I really need to get on looking up events and talks around Boston and Cambridge. Do you know of any websites that list events like that?
Jimena: I am absolutely going to read Savage Detectives and I have updated my blogroll! Thanks for the reccomendation <3
Bright Shiny Morning by James Frey.
there's some great books on that list. I'd recommend anything by Siri Hustvedt and as always, The History Of Love By Nicole Krauss. Happy New Year!
milla: i have already read and loved a history of love! its one of my favorites but will have to check out siri hustvedt, anything in particular of hers you would reccomend for reading first?
I just dropped in, but I feel a need to share my favorite book from 2008, which was Junot Diaz's "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao." I've noticed that you've read quite a lot of Hemingway last year and think that this book will fit with you as Diaz's writing style has traces of Hemingway in it.
I also recommend "North & South" by Elizabeth Gaskill. (You should also watch the BBC miniseries of it if you get a chance.)
Ken ken. Man in high castle is my favorite dick book, since people seem to be talking about that. But my recommendation is "True Grit" by Charles Portis. Glad you have a good soul. See you in February.
Back again to read others suggestions and to say I read "What I Loved" by Siri Hustvedt and it was amazing. (Also adored The History of Love by Nicole Krauss and this one is epic in a similar vein). I'll be putting some of the books people have recommended on my list as well...
the handmaids tale, the time travelers wife, extremely loud and incredibly close, franny and zooey, what matters most is how well you walk through the fire
holly, i have read and loved all of those books except what matters most is how well you walk through the fire so i will get that from the library asap! thank you friend.
2666, Roberto Bolano. crunchy bar wrappers from what i can tell from the small amount i read youll love Roberto Bolano
great list! i'm trying to read more books in 2009 as well. a couple that i'd highly recommend from what i read in 2008:
The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
lovely blog by the way!
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