Let's Read Some Goddamned Books

My name is Rachael. I work at UCB and other places. i am reading 100 books this year. Chronicled here.

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Book #8 

Washington Square - Henry James

I enjoyed this book. A quick read, very dry humor and well drawn characters. Period pieces can really fray on my nerves sometimes, as I don't have the patience to get through the tedious manners and decorum that the era requires, but this was well-paced and enjoyable.

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Book #7

The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins

If this book had been 150 pages shorter I would have liked it. I figured out the “mystery” pretty early on and then found I had two thirds of the book left to go. Also, the end turns into a very “murderer saying cliche evil things and explaining the whole plot and the whole back story in a way that is not realistic and feels like this author has seen too many Murder She Wrote’s” way.

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Book #6

The Receptionist - Janet Groth

Hoo boy, this book. I was hoping for an insight into the workings of the New Yorker, or an insight into being a working woman in largely male institution, or a collection of witticisms by arcane writers. Instead, this book reads like a tedious diary: lists of lunched had, dresses worn, famous people met (but with no interesting stories or anecdotes attached). I would have stopped reading this a quarter way through if it were not for this challenge. 

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Book #5 

Of Mice & Men - John Steinbeck

Holy Jesus, this is maybe the most depressing book I have ever read in my life. We all know how this ends, but the whole thing is one long miserable look at the futility of life. East of Eden is probably my favorite book of all time and you see a lot of the groundwork for that book in this one which was interesting. It also deals with issues of race in a very head on way that surprised me and I found both touching and sad. For a book that clocks in at 107 pages, it sure packs a wallop. 

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Book #4 

Super Sad True Love Story - Gary Shteyngart

I love a dystopian future setting as much as the next person but I started zoning out about half way through this book and it took me over a week to finish it. The characters are all sad and confused and some of it felt clever for the sake of being clever. In conclusion: meh.

[letsreadsomegoddamnedbooks]

Book #3

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

I am pretty sure I read this in high school, but didn’t remember much about it. I often have a problem with these books of old where everyone seems to lounge around drinking cocktails and going from party to party, but this eventually becomes engaging. The thing that annoyed me initially, that Gatsby is sort of a non-person that everyone seems to think is so great, eventually pays off by the end. 

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Book #2

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

I loved this book. This easily could have been a self-indulgent piece of garbage, but she is a great writer and really taps into why people feel the need to make these pilgrimages. I cried at least five times while reading it.

[letsreadsomegoddamnedbooks]

Book #1

The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman

I am fan of the magical realism of Neil Gaiman. Quick, fun and engaging. Makes you think a bit about the nature of reality and after I read his books I always have a few days afterwards where I wonder if magic exists, which I think is a good thing.

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For 2016, I am going to read 100 books. Since I moved to Los Angeles, I read a LOT less. Who knew that the only way I ever read was whilst trapped on a subway? This is going to force me to read every single day, I hope. Books will be catalogued here. Follow along, or don’t. This blog is primarily for me to keep track of what the hell I am doing.