Reading in LA: A Year of living fearlessly and sans TV

Over the past year or so, I've had little or no access to Television. I must admit I missed The Office and Lost. I learned to rely on NPR for my news and entertainment. Many evenings, I would be sitting in my car to finish listening to certain programs. But certainly, I began to devour the written word like manna from heaven. For those of you who helped with recommendation, thank you. I, of course, blame you all because now that I have a TV, I never remember to switch it on. Instead, I'm compelled, driven and addicted to reading once again. Steve even thinks I love the books more than him! But, goodness who doesn't love a book they just can't put down? I'm still open for suggestions, btw…

These are a few of the titles from my Year of Reading Wildly:

The Lost Memories of Jane Austen by Syrie James

• This bored me at first. I got it at the airport because I forgot to bring a book. The first chapter was too slow and I had to get used to the style. I even put it down and read something else first. I picked it up to give it another try and surprise, I ended up reading it in two nights time. The neatest thing about this book is that the author in an attempt to create Jane's Memoirs and show a premise for her writing places foot-notes throughout the book referencing true events, etc.
  

The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Jay Fowler

The Lady and The Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier

Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier

The Dead Father's Club by Matt Haig

• A modern and funny retelling of Hamlet set in modern England. Enough Said – read it.
  

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

The Constant Princess by Phillippa Gregory

Winkie by Clifford Chase

• One of my favorite reads this year and bought on a whim at a buy 2 – get 1 free sale. The book follows the story of a forgotten teddy bear, who, sets out on his own. He creates a life, has a child, and is captured by Homeland Security. He then is accused of being a terrorist.
  

A trilogy by Stephanie Meyer: Twlight, New Moon & Eclipse

• This is something I picked up for my teenage niece and ended up loving. It is a Young Adult series about a girl who moves to a small town in Washington State to live with her dad. Her parents have been estranged for years it seems. She's only ever been to visit her dad for summers before. She starts High School only to meet and fall in love with a Vampire. It gets wilder in the next few books… There's a fourth book coming out in August. Right now, they are making the first book into a feature film.
  

Another trilogy (that became 4 books – don't ask me how!) this time by Scott Westerfield: Uglies, Pretties, Specials, & Extras

• Another pick for my niece. Wow, I loved these books. Great books about a society that expects you to conform in ways you won't believe and a group of kids who don't, then do, and then don't again…
  

The Lives and Loves of Daisy and Violet Hilton: A True Story of Conjoined Twins by Dean Jensen

• One of the most intriguing non-fiction bios I've read this year. I highly recommend. Gabba Gabba, Hey!
  

You Suck, Lamb, & A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore

Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

• I wondered why everyone was reading this backstage a few years ago. Now I know why…
  

The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold

The Professor and The Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford Dictionary by Simon Winchestor

• Wild but true story of the Oxford Dictionary's creation and the help of an insane American committed in an English asylum.
  

Battle Royale by Koushun Takami

• Cult novel. Cult manga. Cult movie.
  

Watchmen by Alan Moore

• Graphic novel that I guess most people read in college. I didn't! Same author as V for Vendetta. The film is coming out later this year.
  

Out by Natsuo Kirino

• Incredible Japanese novel about a women who kills her husband and the friends who help her cover it up.
  

Moving Pictures by Terry Pratchett

Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

• Another favorite and a must read!
  

I, Fatty by Jerry Stahl

• Moving and wonderful fictional look at Fatty Arbuckle's life and how it all went to hell.
  

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Austry

• I was staying over in Palm Springs for the evening on the way to my dad's. This book was on the bookshelf in my hotel room. Wow, what an awesome find. Set in India, the character's lives intersect and change each other forever.
  

Jesus Land by Julia Scheeres

Gatsby's Girl by Caroline Preston

• A fictional story of F. Scott's first and greatest love, Ginerva.
  

The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman

• A graphic novel that addresses the artist's father's survival of Hitler's Europe. Thru the use of Mice and Cats, Art portrays
  

Lipstick Jihad Lipstick Jihad by Azadeh Moaveni

The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman

She Got Up Off The Couch by Haven Kimmel

Flight by Sherman Alexie

Towelhead by Alicia Erian

Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi

In Search Of Fatima by Ghada Karmi

A trio of graphic novels by Marjane Satrapi: Persepolis I, Persepolis II, & Embroideries

Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow

• Incredible! Incredible! Incredible Sci-Fi read involving DisneyWorld and a crazy cracked-out future. By far, a must read discovery.
  

Flatland by Edwin Abbott Abbott

Spaceland by Rudy Rucker

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

• Good for a book I got in a give-away bag at a shopping event.
  

Goodnight, Steve McQueen by Louise Werner

The Frog King by Adam Davies

The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright

The KiteRunner by Khaled Hosseini

The Continuity Girl by Leah McLaren

The First Assistant by Mimi Hare

The Second Assistant by Mimi Hare

The Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night-Time by Mark Haddon

• What a wonderful story told through the voice of a 15 year-old autistic boy…
  

Less Than Zero – Bret Easton Ellis

The Informers – Bret Easton Ellis

Til We Have Face – C.S. Lewis

• The strangest, most surreal, and best book I have ever read by C.S. Lewis.
  

White Oleander – Janet Fitch

Hallucinating Foucault – Patricia Duncker

When We Were Grown-Ups – Anne Tyler

Where The Heart Is – Billie Letts

The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fritzgerald

A Spot Of Bother – Mark Haddon

Anansi Boys – Neil Gaiman

Stardust – Neil Gaiman

American Gods – Neil Gaiman

The Entire Dark Tower Series – Stephen King:

• The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger
  
• The Dark Tower II: The Drawing Of Three
  
• The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands
  
• The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass
  
• The Dark Tower V: Wolves Of Calla
  
• The Dark Tower VI: Song Of Susannah
  
• The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower
  

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows – J.K. Rowling

 

This is just Installment 1… More to come.