Current mood:	busy
Current music:	Santana

Books I've Read in 2005
I used to do this every three months. I'm seriously slacking off . . .

Organized by theme rather than chronologically.

Richard Moe, The Last Full Measure. This is the story of the First Minnesota Volunteers, which fought in the Civil War and whose stand against the Confederates at Gettysburg may have made the difference in the battle. If you have any interest in the Civil War, or in military history, this is an excellent and very readable book that tells the story as much as possible using the diaries and letters of the men themselves – some of whom were highly literate; others’ writings were eloquent in their simplicity and honesty.

Michael Shaara, The Killer Angels. Fictional account of the Battle of Gettysburg. Told from multiple POVs, all different from the perspective of the First Minnesota. Good, but The Last Full Measure was better.

Azir Nafisi, Reading Lolita in Tehran. Another truly excellent book, recommended by many. Dr. Nafisi brilliantly intertwines the study of English literature with the history of the Iranian Revolution.

Henry James, Daisy Miller, Washington Square, and The Turn of the Screw. The first two were discussed by Dr. Nafisi in her book. I didn’t care much for The Turn of the Screw; I found it plodding and only finished it because it was so short. The others were good. I also began reading The Ambassadors, but haven’t finished it.

Vladimir Nabokov, Invitation to a Beheading. (also discussed by Dr. Nafisi) and The Secret Life of Sebastian Knight. I’ve never read a Nabokov book I didn’t like.

Agatha Christie, At Bertram’s Hotel and Murder on the Orient Express. I found the first one in my mom’s basement. First-time Christie reader.

Jasper Fforde, The Eyre Affair Lost in a Good Book, The Well of Lost Plots and Something Rotten, all great fun.

J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Read twice.

C.S. Lewis, The Magician’s Nephew. First-time read, in preparation for the Narnia film. Never got around to LWW, which I’d read only once before and very quickly.

Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice. Reread in anticipation of the P&P3 film. On this reread I particularly appreciated the wealth of comic characters.

Karen Joy Fowler, The Jane Austen Book Club. Good, but lightweight.

I’m sure I’ve read other books, but I just can’t remember them at this point. Bad recordkeeping, I guess. And, of course, I’ve left out all the contracts, case law, tax codes, regulations and other guidance that I’ve read. And the newspapers and magazines.

I resolve to read more nonfiction in 2006, as well as more books.