It’s that listy time of year, and here’s one from the NYT: 100 Notable Books of the Year.
Of the list, I have only read two. I am not much of a “mainstream fiction” kind of guy, and rarely read brand new stuff anyway (too cheap to plunk down the cash for brandnew hardcovers, unless it is something I have really been looking forward to).
My two:
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE. By J. K. Rowling. Illustrated by Mary GrandPré. (Arthur A. Levine/ Scholastic, $29.99.) In this sixth volume of the epic series, the Dark Lord, Voldemort, is wreaking havoc throughout England and Harry, now 16, is more isolated than ever.
and
1776. By David McCullough. (Simon & Schuster, $32.) A lively work that skewers Washington’s pretensions and admires citizen soldiers.
Funny, I didn’t come away from 1776 feeling as if there was skewering, per se, of Washington–except the already well-establshed fact that he screwed up at New York and had to re-think his strategy against the British.
At any rate, I would recommend both.
Looking at the 2004 list, I note that I have read (actually amy just now finishing) only one book:
ALEXANDER HAMILTON. By Ron Chernow. (Penguin Press, $35.) A biography of the founder who created American capitalism and died in a duel with Aaron Burr.
From the more-than 100 in the 2003 list, I didn’t read a single one.
Unfortunately, I haven’t had the opportunity to read 1776 yet, but I have read many other books on the American Revolution and the key players.
While he was ambitious, I wouldn’t characterize Washington as pretentious, and he did have the virtue of “rethinking his strategy” as you put it.
Far too many people who claim they are our leaders do not, to our detriment. I believe it was Albert Einstein who said that repetition of the same behavior expecting different results is insane.
Comment by Jack — Saturday, November 26, 2024 @ 10:13 am
I’ve read Harry Potter. I don’t think I’ve read any of the others on any of the 3 lists, although I’ve been trying to get Freakonomics from the local library. Unfortunately, at AP Govt. and Economics teacher at the local high school, a very good teacher BTW, has “strongly encouraged” her students to read it, so it’s been continuously since August. I have, however, read 4 of the Jack Aubrey series of books by Patrick O’Brian in the past month; I just decided it was time to fill in the gaps of what I’d read in that series.
Comment by Harry — Saturday, November 26, 2024 @ 11:23 am