I made a list of books I read this year; the list was alarmingly short. I suppose (hm, know) this is a direct result of Hulu and Netflix and my fascination with catching up on TV shows I have never been able to watch due to lack of cable or my inability to remember what night shows come on (breathe). My coworker said that this decrease/increase is probably okay if there are documentaries involved. Two seasons of Vampire Diaries fit that, right?
Anyway. Top 5 (ish) books:
1. Game of Thrones (Books 1-4)*, George R.R. Martin. A shocking oversight that I never read these in my youth, I suppose, so I hopped on the HBO-inspired bandwagon this year and read four of the five existing GOT tomes/doorstops/weights. I don't mean to imply they were not entertaining-- rather, they rhythmically kept you interested, hopping from one character to the next, often in dire situations, so that you had to keep reading to make sure they survived. (Admission: I periodically scanned chapter names all the way to the end of the book to make sure they appeared again). I haven't read the fifth book yet, but intend to. I needed a break from all the violence and viking porn and strange suckling dragons; it was beginning to affect the way I thought. Also, where the hell is Rickon?
2. Two Lipsticks and a Lover (UK title), Helena Frith-Powell. A femininity game changer, Two Lipsticks... is a transplanted English Woman's attempt at understanding the mysterious and alluring vibe of French women. Long story short? Matching underwear sets, lipstick, and an empowering view of self. It's a highly entertaining read and while I didn't agree with everything, I enjoyed reading a different perspective and gleaned some amazing tips. I wish I had read this... ten years ago. So many more years of matching undie sets!
3. All Clear, Connie Willis. I love Connie Willis. In fact, this is more a favorite author discovery rather than favorite book. Somehow, she manages to blend Victoria writing and Science Fiction in a way that maybe only I love. Reading her writing, always makes me thing of Joni Mitchell's, "I could drink a case of you..." All Clear is the sequel to Blackout, which is also the sequel to the Doomsday Clock. All three novels are about historians from the future who travel back in time to observe the past for their dissertation studies. A one-two punch of historical fiction and the threat of paradox! Come on!
*Taking the liberty of letting the GOT books count for multiple top five entries. They took long enough to read.
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