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What can I say, I love to read. Whenever there's a legitimate reason to ask for presents, you'll always find a book title or two on my wishlist. I don't always find time to read all of them but I keep asking for more anyway. I know in my heart that one day, I will go through all of them. I really should stop collecting, at least for now simply because I move a lot and they're not the most convenient things to be hauling around. I probably should start getting into digital books. But for some reason, they just don't feel the same. Curling up with my laptop in bed to read an online book just doesn't sound or feel right. So until the day I can come to terms with that, I will need hard copies.

Below, I keep track of all the books I've read. From time to time, when I feel like it, I'll actually write my thoughts about the book.

The Player of Games (by Iain M. Banks)
2008-October
A friend couldn't get in to this book and decided to give it to me. I read most of it on the trip to Spain and back. It's kinda interesting though I'm not sure if I should have read something that introduces the Culture better, before reading this one. Maybe I would have "gotten it" more.
 
 
Anansi Boys (by Neil Gaiman)
2008-October
After reading American Gods, I thought this would make a good "sequel". Definitely pretty entertaining in parts, but I can't say it's as impressive as American Gods.
 
 
Life, The Universe, and Evertyhing (by Douglas Adams)
2008-April
As I said, this is the last one of the 5-part series I planned on reading and I've done it. It was a short one, but I really struggled to finish it. Just couldn't find it funny or enjoyable at all. It's probably just me....
 
 
American Gods (by Neil Gaiman)
2008-April
First book of NG's that I've read. And I loved it! Not sure if it was because it was that good, or because I just haven't read any of this particular genre (Fantasy/Americana) before and found it quite refreshing and different from all other books I've read in the recent past. Anyway, I got pretty pumped about this author so I'm definitely reading more of his work hopefully very soon. Although, if I wanna finish all the other books I'm reading right now first, I'm not sure how "soon" that will be.
 
 
Dead Souls (by Nikolai Gogol)
2008-April
I wouldn't have known about N. Gogol if not for Jhumpa Lahiri's Namesake. It's the sad and embarrassing truth. I happen to see this used book at the Boston Book Annex while shopping for a present for my BIL. For 2 bucks it was worth owning it despite the fact that this book is freely available (click on the title link above).
But anyway, I did enjoy reading this. Made me laugh at various points. Gogol was probably one of the more courageous writers who was openly critical about Mother Russia.
 
 
The Stolen Child (by Keith Donohue)
2008-February
Pretty neat 'faery' tale. Creeped me out at times when I was alone in the bedroom reading it at night.
 
 
Gilead (by Marilynne Robinson)
2008-January
 
 
The Known World (by Edward P. Jones)
2007-December
Bet you didn't know that before the Civil war, there were free black people who actually owned slaves. This book is what Jones imagined that world would have been like. Awesome book.
 
 
The Great Fire (by Shirley Hazzard)
2007-December
The plot isn't really complicated. But it's told so beautifully. I really enjoyed reading this. I would like to see if Hazzard's The Transit of Venus is any good.
 
 
The Road (by Cormac McCarthy)
2007-December
 
 
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