Thursday, January 01, 2009

Books 2008

I started recording the big books I read in total to Eryn on my list this year (as well as a few magazines I read back to back that were heavy on text). Reading almost the entire Series of Unfortunate Events set pushed my total higher than at any point in my last 14 years of recording what I read, despite my end of year being pretty weak. 19,360 pages. 76 books, with an average of 254 pages and an average rating of 7.37. I am getting more discriminating as I get older. I have 191,840 pages recorded, so by next year I should break 200,000, and if I live another 60 years, I might break 1,000,000 if the numbers hold up. That's something to consider. If I only get to read another 800,000 pages in my lifetime, or approximately 2,300 books, what should those books be? Given that I gave a Clive Cussler book a 2.0 this year, those should be right off the list. My favorites from the year were a nice mixture of history, management, graphic novel, science fiction, fantasy and general fiction. I guess that reflects my scattershot approach to learning: Fifth Elephant, The (Discworld XXIII), Absurdistan, Android's Dream, The, Rape of Nanking, The: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II, Welcome to Tranquility, Practice of Management, The, Confederates In the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War.

12/16/2008Here Be Monsters! An Adventure Involving Magic, Trolls, and Other Creatures. The Ratbridge Chronicles Volume ISnow, Alan7.00
12/16/2008How to Win Friends & Influence PeopleCarnegie, Dale5.00
12/15/2008Welcome to Tranquility Book TwoSimone, Gail and Neil Googe6.00
12/10/2008PopcornElton, Ben5.00
12/1/2008Truth, The (Discworld XXIV)Pratchett, Terry8.50
11/24/2008Fifth Elephant, The (Discworld XXIII)Pratchett, Terry8.75
11/17/2008Slippery Slope, The: A Series of Unfortunate Events (X)Snicket, Lemony8.75
11/17/2008Axis (sequel to Spin)Wilson, Robert Charles8.00
11/10/2008Carpe JugulumPratchett, Terry8.00
11/4/2008Carnivorous Carnival, The: A Series of Unfortunate Events (IX)Snicket, Lemony8.50
11/4/2008Last Contintent, The (Discworld XXII)Pratchett, Terry7.00
10/27/2008Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your BonesSchwartz, Alvin6.00
10/25/2008Halloween: Stories and PoemsFeller Bauer, Caroline (editor)7.50
10/25/2008Pattern RecognitionGibson, William7.25
10/18/2008Last Colony, TheScalzi, John8.75
10/15/2008AbsurdistanShteyngart, Gary9.00
10/15/2008Hostile Hospital, The: A Series of Unfortunate Events (VIII)Snicket, Lemony8.50
9/30/2008Vile Village, The: A Series of Unfortunate Events (VII)Snicket, Lemony8.50
9/30/2008Harvard Business Review: September 2008 (Magazine)Various8.50
9/15/2008Ersatz Elevator, The:A Series of Unfortunate Events (VI)Snicket, Lemony8.50
9/8/2008Three Signs of a Miserable Job, TheLencioni, Patrick7.00
8/19/2008Confederates In the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil WarHorwitz, Tony9.25
8/19/2008Harvard Business Review: July/August 2008 (Magazine)Various8.75
8/13/2008Technology Review (MIT): July/August 2008 (Magazine)Various8.00
8/13/2008Austere Academy, The: A Series of Unfortunate Events (V)Snicket, Lemony8.50
8/8/2008Miserable Mill, The: A Series of Unfortunate Events (IV)Snicket, Lemony8.50
8/1/2008Wide Window, The: A Series of Unfortunate Events (III)Snicket, Lemony8.50
7/25/2008Ruins, TheSmith, Scott8.00
7/8/2008When Generations CollideLancaster, Lynne C. and David Stillman8.50
7/7/2008Books of Magic, TheGaiman, Neil6.50
7/3/2008MatterBanks, Iain M.8.50
6/30/2008Harvard Business Review: June 2008 (Magazine)Various8.50
6/30/2008Reptile Room, The: A Series of Unfortunate Events (II)Snicket, Lemony8.75
6/15/2008Bad Beginning, The: A Series of Unfortunate Events (I)Snicket, Lemony8.50
5/28/2008How to Speak Dragonese by Hiccup Horrdenous Haddock IIICowell, Cressida8.00
5/21/2008Billly the Kid's Old Timey OdditiesPowell, Eric & Kyle Hotz5.00
5/14/2008Money & Power: The History of BusinessMeans, Howard5.00
5/7/2008Art of the Start, TheKawaskai, Guy7.50
4/27/2008How to be a Pirate by Hiccup Horrendous Haddock IIICowell, Cressida8.00
4/25/2008Growing Great Employees: Turning Ordinary People Into Extraordinary PerformersAnderson, Erika2.00
4/24/2008Dumbest Moments in Business History, TheHorowitz, Adam (editor)7.00
4/22/2008Harvard Business Review: May 2008 (Magazine)Various8.50
4/18/2008Harvard Business Review: April 2008 (Magazine)Various8.50
4/15/2008How to Lie With StatisticsHuff, Darrell8.50
4/12/200812: The Elements of Great ManagingWagner, Rodd and James K. Harter, Ph.D.8.00
4/9/2008Mister B. GoneBarker, Clive8.50
4/5/2008Polar ShiftCussler, Clive with Paul Kemprecos2.00
4/1/2008Rainbow's EndVinge, Vernor8.00
3/30/2008Batman, Hush (Vol. 1)Loeb, Jeph, Jim Lee and Scott Williams7.00
3/29/2008Wolverine: OriginJemas, Quesada, Jenkins, Kubert, Isanove5.00
3/28/200830 Days of NightNiles, Steve and Ben Templesmith5.00
3/25/2008Oral Biography of Buster Casey, AnPalahniuk, Chuck7.00
3/21/2008Android's Dream, TheScalzi, John9.00
3/18/2008No Asshole Role, The: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’tSutton, Robert I , PhD8.00
3/16/2008First Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do DifferentlyBuckingham, Marcus and Curt Coffman8.00
3/14/2008How to Train Your Dragon (Heroic Misadventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III)Cowell, Cressida8.50
3/13/2008Rape of Nanking, The: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War IIChang, Iris9.00
3/10/2008Eclipse One: New Science Fiction and FantasyStrahan, Jonathan (Editor)8.00
3/7/2008Dark Delicacies: Original Tales of Terror and the Macabe by the World's Greatest Horror WritersHowison, Del and Jeff Gelb, Editors2.00
2/25/2008Practice of Management, TheDrucker, Peter F.9.25
2/22/2008Spook CountryGibson, William7.75
2/11/2008Gun Seller, TheLaurie, Hugh8.00
2/9/200810 Days to Faster ReadingPrinceton Language Institute, The and Abby Marks-Beale6.00
2/4/2008Chance in Hell ("Empress of the Universe" from Love and Rockets)Hernandez, Gilbert3.00
2/1/2008League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The: Volume IIMoore, Alan and Kevin O'Neill7.00
1/30/2008Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus: Volume OneKirby, Jack7.00
1/26/2008League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, TheMoore, Alan and Kevin O'Neill7.00
1/25/2008Maxwell StrangewellFillbach Brothers, The8.50
1/21/2008Welcome to TranquilitySimone, Gail and Neil Googe9.00
1/21/2008Strengthsfinder 2.0Rath, Tom6.00
1/20/2008Personality Code, TheBradberry, Travis8.00
1/19/2008Treasury of Victorian Murdrer, AGeary, Rick7.00
1/18/2008Philosopher Fish, The: Sturgeon, Caviar, and the Geography of DesireAdams Carey, Richard8.00
1/14/2008Execution Channel, TheMacLeod, Ken6.00
1/10/2008Sky HorizonBrin, David6.00
1/7/2008Book of Vice, The: Very Naughty Things (And How to Do Them)Sagal, Peter7.00

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