Thursday, December 28, 2006

Every Book I've Ever Read is Pretty Good

Wassup rockers!
A quick one today - but then I always think they'll be quick ones.
L-Boogie wondered why I didn't put little reviews or blurbs or something about the books I'm reading on my "100 Books" quest. Apparently she feels I'm "opinionated" or something, but what would you expect from someone who likes that godamn-awful "You're Beautiful" song? But she actually had a good point, and I thought about it for a second.
But then I realized I've thought every book I've ever read cover-to-cover was, at worst, not bad. And there is a simple reason for this, rockers - if it sucks, I don't finish it*. I think that's why I still look so awesome, is this lack of stress from feeling I have to finish reading crappy books. Stay young looking, don't force yourself to read Thomas Pynchon if it isn't doing it for you, that's my motto.
Hence, the best criticism I can give any book is whether it's "memorable-good" or "Yeah, I read that, it was OK, but I don't remember anything about it" good. Or, of course, "I didn't finish that piece of shit", but I'm (obviously) not including those on my 100 Books List. (Not to say there haven't been any - 2 so far. That would be a funny list after I'm done - Shitty Books I Didn't Finish While I Was Reading 100 Books in One Year. I'll keep you posted.)
So here's the updated list, with my little critique appended - an "O" for "Oh yeah, that was really good!" or an "H" for "Huh? That's right, I did read that. Don't ask me anything that happens, I forget. It was pretty good though."
TIMMY'S RETROACTIVE 100 BOOKS IN 1 YEAR LIST (NOW WITH GRADES!)
Begin: 10/30/2006
1. Blink by Malcolm Gladwell (O+)
2. Fantasyland by Sam Walker (O)
3. The Commitments by Roddy Doyle (H +)
4. The Snapper by Roddy Doyle (O)
5. The Van by Roddy Doyle (H)
6. Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing by Ted Conover (O)
7. Wonderland: A Year in the Life of an American High School by Michael Bamberger (O)
8. Whiteout: Lost in Aspen by Ted Conover (H+)
9. The Ruins by Scott Smith (O)
10. The Greatest Story Ever Sold: The Decline and Fall of Truth by Frank Rich (H)
11. The Ghost Writer by Philip Roth (current)

*The exceptions are shitty crime novels that are too easy not to finish, and books that are so awful each sentence is a revelation, i.e. The Bridges of Madison County or that one fake book about the kid who said his mother put him a toaster or something (note: Google reveals it to be called A Child Called It).

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