October 2010

And here’s a belated “Stuff I’ve Been Reading” post.  While I’m sorry to sadden the blogosphere by my extended hiatus from posting and commenting, the reading has still gone on.

1. Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett.  Finally out in paperback, this newest Discworld novel does not disappoint.  The wizards of the Unseen University decide, for the purposes of maintaining a grant by which they purchase about 80% of their food, to play football.
2. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy.  For my Cormac McCarthy/Russell Banks class.
3. Writing/Teaching by Paul Kameen.  For my pedagogy class.
4. Divine Endurance by Gwenyth Jones.  This was quite a strange book; it seemed to be about two different stories, that of the girl Cho, an android/robot designed to grant wishes, and those of the rebels whom she meets.
5. The Affinity Bridge by George Mann (50%).  This book was supposed to be a funny, clever steampunk mystery.  It wasn’t.
6. Many Waters by Madeleine L’Engle.  Sandy and Dennys, Meg’s “normal” twin brothers, finally get their own book in the Time Quartet.  And the time they go to is not what you’d expect.
7. No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy.  For my Cormac McCarthy/Russell Banks class.
8. Cloudsplitter by Russell Banks (55%).  For my Cormac McCarthy/Russell Banks class.  Fortunately at the 55% point, this book was removed from the syllabus due to time constraints.  So I didn’t finish it, and don’t expect to.
9. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde.  Thursday Next makes me happy.  This is the beginning of my Thursday Next rereading campain.  Join me and conquer the world!
10. The Road by Cormac McCarthy.  For my Cormac McCarthy/Russell Banks class.
11. The Sense of Learning by Ann E. Berthoff.  For my pedagogy class.
12. Bryant & May off the Rails by Christopher Fowler.  More happy, zany mysteries.  Bryant and May Book 8.
13. Flight by Sherman Alexie.  I read this book before I went to hear Sherman Alexie speak.  The reading took exactly ninety minutes, as I’d predicted.

So I’m sorry that one fourth of my reading this semester was Cormac McCarthy and that just under half of it was for class.  On the other hand, Pratchett, L’Engle, Fforde, and Fowler made my reading month very happy, light, funny, and fun.  Thanks, you guys.