This page is a where I collected thoughts about the 26 books I chose to read in 2006. I read 24 full books last year, which is technically 2 short of my goal. But I also didn’t count any of the ongoing comic book series I read, which makes up for that and more. So it basically turned out to be 2 books per month, instead of one every 2 weeks as I originally thought. In any case, it’s the most books I’ve read in one year in my life, so I’m pretty darn happy with the results. Below is the list and portion of the original intro. To keep up with my ongoing reading project, check out the Open books page.
I started thinking in late 2005 that I only have one lifetime, and I began to wonder how many books I could possibly read in that lifetime. In 2005, I read probably 10 to 12 books, not counting all of my college texts. If I only maintain that rate and live another 60 years, that means I’ll only be able to read 600 to 700 more books, less than a 1,000 probably in my whole lifetime. This list will hopefully help my begin to improve those numbers.
This list is an outlet for me to externalize my thoughts on each book after I’ve read them. Nothing helps you retain what you’ve read like writing about it. And, by being published, this list will hopefully provide some impetus to keep me moving.
“Moving Mars” by Greg Bear[entry]“Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the World’s Greatest Outlaw” by Mark Bowden[entry]“Haunted” by Chuck Palahniuk[entry]“Fahrenheit 451″ by Ray Bradbury[entry]“The Eyes of Heisenberg” by Frank Herbert[entry]“Hell’s Angels” by Hunter S. Thompson[entry]“The Sparrow” by Mary Doria Russell[entry]“The Age of Spiritual Machines” by Ray Kurzweil[entry]“The Tesseract” by Alex Garland[entry]“Night Fisher” by R. Kikuo Johnson[entry]“The Merchant of Venice” by William Shakespeare[entry]“Twelfth Night” by William Shakespeare[entry]“Casino Royale” by Ian Fleming[entry]“The Colorado Kid” by Stephen King[entry]“Cat’s Cradle” by Kurt Vonnegut[entry]Y: The Last Man Vol. 1: Unmanned by Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra and Jr. Jose Marzan[entry]The Walking Dead Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore[entry]“V for Vendetta” by Alan Moore and David Lloyd[entry]“Cell” by Stephen King[entry]“Oleanna: A Play” by David Mamet[entry]“Pride of Baghdad” by Brian K. Vaughan[entry]“300″ by Frank Miller[entry]“Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic” by Alison Bechdel[entry]
Hi Andy,
It’s Lin. I’m just using Stephen’s computer and don’t want to bother logging out and back in. I enjoyed reading your book list for 2006, but I think you need to branch out a little. All the books on your list (besides Shakespeare and Russell) are so…Andy. Books I would pick up in a bookstore because they remind me of you. How many books about Cash can one person read? Hemingway, Thompson, Kerouac…they’re all so Andy.
My suggestion is that you add some books that you wouldn’t normally read. Broaden your genre. A lot of your list is American literature…try something else.
Just a suggestion. It was lovely to see you over break. I amaze my friends with GoogleEarth. Please say hi to Michelle and the cat.
Love,
Lin
My list mostly represents books on my shelf I’ve never read. Like it says, it’s not set in stone. That’s why there are 31 books on the list instead of 26. I could add or drop.
But I think it’s pretty diverse. It maybe leans a bit heavy on the sci-fi, but hey, I know what I like. I’ve got 16th century to 21st century; fiction and non-fiction; English and American (I was thinking of adding a Salman Rushdie book as well); straight text, plays and graphic novels; culturally important and obscure; and pulp stories and high literature.
And for the record, I’ve only read one other book about Johnny Cash. So neh.
Hey, Andy, how cool is it to find yourself in Bend, Oregon! Obviously not the most visually advanced paper, but what a swell environment!
A few years before I worked with Harris in Jersey, I also worked with Mark Klaas (sp?) who might still be at the Bend paper. REALLY sweet guy, with a lot more talent than ambition. Something I’ve come to think might be a VERY good thing! (Ask him about me; I’m certain he’ll remember me from the DR in Fairfield, California.)
After chasing an elusive “career” from one coast to the other, I finally married, and followed my husband back to South Dakota (his home state), where he is now a professor of Chemistry. Was initially fearful that I’d have no career outlet here on the plains. After a couple award-winning publications I designed for the local Foundation, the work has been so constant that I’ve had to turn jobs away. In fact, I’m now feeling awful to be enjoying small-scale organic gardening, while knowing that a growing local business is much in need of a web/marketing overhaul. I definitely have the ad/marketing experience to make it work, but not the time. Have done the 60-80 hr/week thing before; It’s not an option.
Though I’ve never seen your work, I’m guessing that if Harris hired you in Jersey, you’re probably damn good. Ordinarily, one would follow such a statement with some sort of job offer, or career recommendation. Sadly, I have neither. I do, however, have one small piece of advice. Find what REALLY matters to you, whether it be a vegetable garden, or simply the singing of cicadas in the summer, then find a way to make it happen.
Though I’ll always be thankful for a couple “lucky breaks” in the industry—Deb Withey saw my early work, and saw a talent–I ultimately worked too hard for too little. My ‘98 redesign of Cincinnati Magazine won national awards. But, in the end, it didn’t really matter. As we designers know, when you’ve accomplished something great, it looks easy!
Part of me contemplates not sending this message. And part of me wonders if perhaps I need to know this person who also finds a need to read!
Perhaps we’ll be able to discuss novels!
colleen lanchester-raynie