2012..in reading!

This year I decided to keep track of everything I read. I’m hoping to keep up this habit so I can properly challenge myself to discover new things and work through my seemingly endless list of books I need to read…

# of Things I read this year: 22

Reading Challenge for 2013: 35 novels/plays/graphic novels

General Reading (Novels and Plays)

Great Expectations – Charles Dickens

It took me forever to get through this, but when I finally got myself into a proper flow it was great. Pip’s a bit of a jerk..

Atonement – Ian McEwan

Enjoyable. Gets a 3 on the tear jerker scale I have just made up. The scale goes from 1-5. What’s a 5 you say? That would be Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, which left me a tear soaked mess for the entire last third of the book.

Surfacing – Margaret Atwood

Not one of my favourites, but still interesting.

Clash of Kings – George R. R. Martin

This book is long and awesome. Except for those accursed Sansa chapters. Goddamn…

Moral Disorder – Margaret Atwood

Great set of short stories. Highly recommend.

The Importance of Being Earnest – Oscar Wilde

Witty as fuck. Would I dare to expect anything less from this man?

The Best Laid Plans – Terry Fallis

This book was alright. The style of humour gets old fast, but it’s fun to see a book take place in the world of Canadian politics. Dull at first but picks up after the first half.

God No! Signs You May Already Be an Atheist and Other Magical Tales – Penn Jillette

Funny, filthy and at times horribly obnoxious. A perfect reflection of the author.

Brave New World – Aldous Huxley

Finally got around to reading this. I loved it, but then again, dystopian fiction is my cup of tea.

The Happiness Project – Gretchen Rubin

Really fascinating project which gave me a lot to think about. Boggles my mind that Rubin actually undertook this. I didn’t have a lot in common with her, so couldn’t connect to a lot of her stories/values, but I still found helpful advice.

The 7 Principles for Making Marriage Work – John Gottman

Holy shit, read this book. It doesn’t matter if you are in a romantic relationship or not, it will help you with any personal relationship you have (parents, friends, siblings). Ahh the power of communication and mutual respect.

Love in the Time of Cholera – Gabriel García Márquez

This is literally one of the best books I have ever read. I found it for a dollar in Value Village 2 years ago and finally dug it out of my bookshelf. Beautiful descriptors and solid characters.

Books Read for Vancouver Weekly Reviews:

The Second Wedding of Doctor Geneva Song – Robert N. Friedland

Awful and insulting. I had fun writing this review..

Secrets Kept, Secrets Told – Ben Nutall

Uneven writing, but a powerful story of intense personal pain.

Radio Belly – Buffy Cram

I loved this book. Great, quirky stories. Can’t wait to read more from Cram.

The Tower of Babble: Sins, Secrets and Successes Inside the CBC – Richard Stursberg

Insightful look into the CBC. This book is both entertaining and informative.

Letters to my Daughters – Fawzia Koofi

A powerful memoir from one of Afghanistan’s few female politicians.

Everything Under the Sun: A Brighter Future on a Small Blue Planet – David Suzuki and Ian Hanington

Easy to read and packed full of information about the world around us.

The Punjabis in British Columbia: Location, Labour, First Nations and Multiculturalism –  Kamala Elizabeth Nayar

Very in-depth look at the Punjabi immigrant experience in BC.

Marvel Comics: The Untold Story – Sean Howe

Overall, this is a great book. If you are a comics fan, it’s definitely a must read, though be warned, it may sully your perception of Stan Lee.

At the end of this year I also joined two book clubs thanks to Geek & Sundry. Yay!

Sword and Laser Book Club (Sci-Fi and Fantasy Novels):

The Hobbit – J. R. R. Tolkien

I tried reading this as a child, but never made it past the first chapter. Somehow I haven’t touched it since then, although I read the LOTR trilogy in high school. I really liked this book. It’s a cute, and snappy story. Debating on whether I want to see the film in theatre…

Vaginal Fantasy Book Club (Paranormal Romance Novels):

Succubus Blues – Richelle Mead

I really enjoyed this book. It’s a great piece of fluff with interesting characters, good humour and some hot smutty action. What more could I want?

Summer Wrap Up!

It’s September already and summer has just blown past. As I wave a tearful goodbye I am also taking stock of the dust this blog has begun to gather. I’m planning to remedy this, but before I start with some new content I figured I may as well share some of what I’ve been up to this summer. I’ve written a few reviews for Vancouver Weekly, the first being for Sarah Polley’s latest feature Take this Waltz. Although I really loved Polley’s first film, Away From Her, I really couldn’t get into this one.

I also watched a fantastic documentary about American musician, Sixto Rodriguez, called Searching For Sugar Man. This documentary is crazy powerful, and I heartily recommend it to anyone, particularly musicians and music lovers.

Finally, I watched another enlightening documentary about Chinese artist and social critic Ai Weiwei. The film Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, is an intimate look at Ai Weiwei’s history, art, and his current struggles for expression against a government that fights to silence those like him.

New Reviews!

I recently started contributing to a local online publication called Vancouver Weekly! So far, I have reviewed two films for them: Jess + Moss (dir. Clay Jeter), a beautiful and surprisingly unpretentious art film, and You All Are Captains(dir. Oliver Laxe), a mostly failed attempt at self-reflexive cinema.

Both of these films start playing at The Pacific Cinematheque here in Vancouver. You can catch Jess + Moss March 2-3, 8 and 12, and You All Are Captains March 5, 7 and 8.