Reading List

It is complete! Sort of. After asking for suggestions from a bunch of my friends, consulting a random professor's list and going over my own course work from undergrad, I have have made a Reading List. Though saying that it is complete is no more accurate than saying that when you finish reading a book you're done with the story.

So what was the purpose of this list? When I first started compiling the list, it was because I was experiencing a longing for academia. I go through bouts of this, where every once-in-a-while I realize just how much I miss the environment of learning I had experienced when I was pursuing my undergrad. Perhaps it was brought on by my most recent reading endeavor. So, with my goal of this blog in mind, I began searching for a reading list, and found one a professor from Rutgers had posted. But not wanting to solely go with some canonical books, I started asking friends to add on. Any fiction, poetry or nonfiction that they felt would be worth giving a chance. Then with a lot of formatting later (Excel does not translate easily onto Blogger), and the addition of the new Pages widget, the list is now online.

Are the books on this list the only ones I'll be reading? No. I'd be lying if I said that I believed that I could stick to this list and these books alone. Someone will suggest something new, I'll hear buzz about some new release, or re-release, and I'll deviate. Though as far as I'm concerned, it won't be deviating as much as it will be adding on. The list is not something there to restrict myself by, but to provide some guidance along the way. My plan is that I'll link the books on the list to whatever entries I write about them. And of course, I'll add on whatever new book or authors I do read. However, my starting point will be to start off with this list. I began this wanting to add some more "serious" literature in my life, and I won't be losing sight of that goal. But time has taught me, to quote a friend, "sometimes you need a little listless reading in your life."

Feel free to look through the list and suggest anything else you think I should add.

Comes in Threes

Three weeks since my last update. But I can happily report that those three weeks were filled with lots and lots of reading. Whether or not what I read was worth it I cannot say, but I am glad to say that the majority of that time was spent hitting "Next Page" on my Kindle, and sneaking away weekend mornings to a room where I could be left alone to get a few locations* under my belt before the day went on its usual way.

So what have I been reading? What outstanding piece of literature is it that has me so enthralled that I was able to swallow three installments whole in less than 22 days (yes, I am aware that that puts me at only a little under a book a week, but I'm a bit out of practice). I felt like Editor Byron Dobell "suck[ing] [books] like a giant mongoose". It had a faint echo of what it was like to read another book from a simialr genre, but that story will have to be held for some point in the future--or not. (The shame is too great!)

The Southern Vampire Mysteries, aka The Sookie Stackhouse Novels, aka the basis of True Blood. I know, how underwhelming. But, wanting to see how a series I've come to enjoy was developed out of the book series, drove me to at least see the beginning of the series (there are currently 9 books) off. My friend asked that I make my way through the first four, but by the end of the third, my brain was begging for a little more heavy. So I'll try and do a quick treatment of each one of the books below.

Dead Until Dark The first in the series, the book introduces all of the major players in the series. Being a first person narration, and one that does not shift who is doing that narration, there is little character development outside of Sookie. Unless she is reading someone's mind or that person if talking to her, you don't know much about the other characters. This caught me a bit off guard at first, since the television series kept so close to this book, and yet, it was obvious how necessary it was for the script writers to develop their own story lines for the other characters in the series. Overall, the book was alright, though it felt very much life a first. Whether that is a first in a series or first time book, I won't label. But as I read, I felt almost inclined to grant leniency on this basis. Whether or not that is a good thing, I will not go on to say.

Living Dead in Dallas The writing was better in the second installment. Though unlike in the television series (I apologize for those of you who do not find the small-screen comparisons worthwhile, but they were my original introduction to the series) I felt that the "back-at-home" storyline was a bit poor and unnecessary. I would have simply of preferred for the adventures in Dallas to be the end of the story. No need to throw in any extra Greek mythology. Without better tying in the characters to the second plot line (again, as it was done in the series) I cannot say that I was content with it. Either cut the story down, or lengthen the trip to Texas, but don't add in a orgy for the soft-core factor that is already rampant in the series. Less is more.

Club Dead I have no comparison for the series to make, aside that I'm looking forward to see what they will do with it. Poor Sookie has just been beat up one time too many. I couldn't help but wonder if she is going to get some sort of an upgrade where she learns to fight or do something to defend herself. At this point her face bones must be cracked and shift, she'd have scaring in large gashes in her back and in a circle on her abdomen where she was staked. Not to mention puncture wounds from being bitten by vampires all over (regardless of if they are in less visible areas...). There were definitely certain types of character development in both the second and third novel that weren't actually seen or explained properly in either book.

Overall, I can't say that I'm in love with the series, but I'll didn't feel as dirty as I did after the previous guilty pleasure reading (mentioned above). Perhaps I've been dulled to it? I'll probably continue reading them, but I'm not sure if I'd get any actual reading satisfaction out of them, aside from finishing a book.

I'll be holding off from the fourth book until I've gotten some non-vampire literature underneath my belt. I'm almost (hopefully) done with my reading list, which will determine a good amount of my reading for the rest of the year. If I stick to it of course.

Anyone else have any thoughts on the Southern Vampire Series? I'd look forward to reading about it.

Minor note: The leading competitors name of the synthetic blood has changed about three times.

* Instead of page numbers, the Kindle uses "locations" to determine what part of a book you are up to.