Saturday, January 2, 2016

Book Plans 2016 and Review of 2015

Since previous years' book challenges have provided me with lots of motivation to make progress in the ever-growing stack of unread books, I'm making plans for the new year. Here's the list of what I'd like to get read in 2016, divided semi-thematically. Some books could easily slip into other categories.

Women's studies
  • The Concept of Woman: The Aristotelian Revolution 750 B.C. - A.D. 1250 by Sister Prudence Allen
  • The Flight from Woman by Karl Stern
  • The Wisdom of Hildegard of Bingen compiled by Fiona Bowie
  • Medieval Women Mystics edited by Elizabeth Ruth Obbard
  • Heloise and Abelard by Etienne Gilson
  • Galileo's Daughter by Dava Sobel
English-themed non-fiction
  • English Catholic Heroines edited by Joanna Bogle
  • Newton and the Counterfeiters by Thomas Levenson
  • History of the Kings of Britain by Geoffrey of Monmouth 
  • Richard III by David Baldwin
  • Thomas More: A Portrait of Courage by Gerard B. Wegmer
  • The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer

Philosophy/theology
  • Art and Beauty in the Middle Ages by Umberto Eco
  • The Art of Praying by Romano Guardini
  • The Journey of the Mind to God by Bonaventure
  • A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge by George Berkeley
  • A Letter Concerning Toleration by John Locke
  • On the Advantage and Disadvantage of History for Life by Friedrich Nietzsche
Fiction
  • Two from Michael O'Brien's end time series--I didn't get to these last year, so I will try again.
  • Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr.--Why haven't I read this classic yet?
  • The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun by J. R. R. Tolkien--I've always been interested in the Ring Cycle so I hope this fills in some holes.
  • The Woodcutter by Kate Danley--a birthday present!
  • Chasing the Phoenix by Michael Swanwick--a Christmas present!
I'm signing up for the 2016 Graphic Novels and Manga Challenge for another 52 reviews. I'll probably start the Fables series or Morning Glories.

http://graphicnovelschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/2016-9th-annual-graphic-novelmanga.html

 Here's the results from last year:

Books of fiction:
  • Two from Michael O'Brien's end time series--I'm not sure which ones but I will list them.--Epic fail here, maybe in 2016.
  • Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman. Reviewed here! Lots of fun.
  • Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. Reviewed here! Lots of pretension.
  • In this House of Brede by Rumer Godden (which I started in 2014 over Christmas, so this will be the first to finish I'm sure--there's a discussion on A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast). Reviewed here! A great work, probably top ten or top twenty books of all time.
  • Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O'Connor (which will be discussed by A Good Story is Hard to Find in early January). Reviewed here! Can't go wrong with Flannery O'Connor!
  • The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. The trilogy is well-crafted and quite enjoyable.
    • Mistborn. Reviewed here!
    • Well of Ascension. Reviewed here!
    • Hero of Ages. Reviewed here!
  • City Beyond Time by John C. Wright--a Christmas present! Reviewed here!
  • Hell House by Richard Matheson--a birthday present! Reviewed here!

Books on theology/religion:

Books on philosophy and science:
  • The Meaning of Relativity by Albert Einstein--I'm dreading this a bit because it'll be tough and it may wind up a "read and donate" book.--I started this once and got bogged down in unfamiliar scientific terminology. I may try this again in a few years when I've forgotten how difficult it was.
  • Unpopular Essays by Bertrand Russell--also close to the "read and donate" pile. Reviewed here! And donated to a book drop in Indiana.
  • If Aristotle's Kid Had an Ipod by Connor Gallagher--intriguing idea for sure. Reviewed here! Well worth the read.
  • Two books by Mortimer Adler--Like O'Brien above, I've had these books for a while and been meaning to get them. Not sure which ones I will choose, probably the shortest ones!
    • Aristotle for Everybody. Reviewed here. An excellent book!
    • Adler's Philosophical Dictionary. Reviewed here. Ditto!
  • Two books by Josef Pieper--ditto above. 
    • Divine Madness. Reviewed here.
    • Only the Lover Sings. Reviewed here.
Book on writing:
Professional Blogging for Dummies--Leftover from last year, I keep meaning to up my game in blogging. Maybe without all the European wandering I can get caught up!--Still not caught up and getting dangerously close to being outdated. I should skim it this year but no guarantees.

So I didn't get to Michael O'Brien, Einstein, and the professional blogging book. Not bad for an ambitious list.

My other reading challenge was the Eighth Annual Graphic Novels and Manga Challenge 2015. I finished the Silver Age challenge, which is 52 books in a year, with room to spare. Here's my list:

  1. Wolverine: Old Man Logan--reviewed here.
  2. Saga Volume 2--reviewed here.
  3. Saga Volume 3--reviewed here.
  4. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise - Part One--reviewed here.
  5. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise - Part Two--reviewed here.
  6. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise - Part Three--reviewed here
  7. Serenity Volume 4: Leaves on the Wind--reviewed here
  8. The Last Airbender Prequel: Zuko's Story--reviewed here.
  9. Messiah: Origin--reviewed here
  10. Cartoon Guide to Economics: Vol. 1--reviewed here
  11. The Book of Genesis Illustrated--reviewed here.
  12. Anne Frank--reviewed here
  13. Megillat Esther--reviewed here
  14. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Search - Part One--reviewed here.
  15. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Search - Part Two--reviewed here.  
  16. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Search - Part Three--reviewed here
  17. Dr. Horrible and Other Horrible Stories--reviewed here
  18. Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: One Dead Spy--reviewed here
  19. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Rift - Part One--reviewed here.
  20. Free Comic Book Day issues--reviewed here!
  21. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Rift - Part Two--reviewed here.
  22. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Rift - Part Three--reviewed here.
  23. The Walking Dead TP 22--reviewed here.
  24. Green Lantern New 52 Volume 4--reviewed here.
  25. Itty Bitty Hellboy--reviewed here.
  26. Saga Volume 4--reviewed here.
  27. Usagi Yojimbo: Yokai--reviewed here.
  28. Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. 1952--reviewed here.
  29. Contract with God Trilogy--reviewed here.
  30. Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: Donner Dinner Party--reviewed here.
  31. Baltimore: Passing Stranger and Other Stories--reviewed here.
  32. Avengers: Rage of Ultron--reviewed here.
  33. The Walking Dead TP 23--reviewed here.
  34. The Best of The Spirit--reviewed here.
  35. Twilight Zone: Deaths-Head Revisited--reviewed here.
  36. Justice League: Trinity War--reviewed here
  37. Fray--reviewed here.
  38. Batman '66 Vol. 1--reviewed here.
  39. Pride of Baghdad--reviewed here.
  40. Animal Crackers--reviewed here
  41. The Black Island--reviewed here.
  42. Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: Big Bad Ironclad!--reviewed here.
  43. The Sword Vol. 1--reviewed here.
  44. The Sword Vol. 2--reviewed here.
  45. The Sword Vol. 3--reviewed here.
  46. The Sword Vol. 4--reviewed here.
  47. Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood--reviewed here.
  48. Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: The Underground Abductor--reviewed here.
  49. Batman: The Long Halloween--reviewed here.
  50. Avatar: Smoke and Shadow Part One--reviewed here.
  51. The Walking Dead TP 24--reviewed here.
  52. Secret Coders Vol. 1--reviewed here.
  53. Batman: Hush--reviewed here.
  54. Frankenstein Underground--reviewed here.
  55. The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl--reviewed here.

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