Books I read in 2007
I just read this list, which states the most literate cities in America. It’s an interesting list because, with the exception of Pittsburgh (#9) and possibly St. Louis (#6), these are all cities I like and would look forward to visiting (including my own San Francisco, of course.) Nothing against Pittsburgh or St. Louis, of course, just not cities atop my favorites list.
I’ve long suspected that SF (#7) would be on this list; just take public transportation and note the huge percentage of people reading. It’s, as one might say, a good thing.
It’s a bit weak that – even though they are the Twin Cities – to count Minneapolis and St. Paul separately. (If they were consolidated, Cincinnati would slide into the 10th slot). Regardless, what happened in St. Louis this year? Going from 15th to 12th to 6th is interesting, assuming the same metrics are being consistently applied year to year.
But it also reminded me that I hadn’t put together a list of all the books I read in 2007, though I referred to it in an earlier post. Therefore, here are the books I read during 2007 with, mostly, a review for the ones I really liked. In case you have never visited the Books By Greebs page (shame!), here is the details of how to read this chart:
Books marked with blue are ones I really enjoyed.
Those marked in orange are titles I didn't even finish, for one reason or another.
Got it? OK, read on…
Book TitleAuthor Rating (out of 10.0)ThoughtsPerfect From Now On: How Indie Rock Saved My LifeJohn Sellers8.0A funny memoir detailing the author’s fascination with my own favorite genre of music.Citizen VinceJess Walter8.5A very compelling account of a former gangster, set amidst the 1980 election.The Echo MakerRichard Powers7.5ReviewCommittedMark St. Amant6.5Silly but fun read of an obsessed fantasy football fan. Ahem.A Spot of BotherMark Haddon6.0Disappointing follow-up to 'Curious Incident' but a decent story in and of itself.Dork WhoreIris BahrN/ADid Not FinishHard Boiled Wonderland And The End Of The WorldHaruki Murakami8.5Really good. Full review here.Killing PabloMark Bowden7.0Good, tight story of the hunt for Pablo Escobar.The Yiddish Policemen's UnionMichael Chabon5.5A disappointment. Full ReviewThe OverlookMichael Connelly5.5My least favorite Harry Bosch novel; unsurprised to read in the afterword that it originally was a serial of stories fo a magazine. Just felt that way in novel form.Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx Is BurningJonathan Mahler8.0Wholly entertaining account of New York in the late 1970s.Hard RevolutionGeorge Pelecanos6.0A bit of a letdown, more of a look back and generally not as interesting as his other novels.Soul CircusGeorge Pelecanos7.0Another good Pelecanos story.Harry Potter and the Deathly HallowsJ.K. Rowling9.0Suprisingly amazing. Didn't realize how attached I'd become to the series until the end of this totally satisfying, moving conclusion.Hell To PayGeorge Pelecanos7.0Solid, insightful crime novel by one of the writers of The Wire.Suite FrancaiseIrene Nemirovsky8.5ReviewThe Man of My DreamsCurtis Sittenfeld6.0ReviewThe Draft: A Year Inside The NFL's Search for TalentPete Williams6.5It claims to be the NFL version of Moneyball It ain't, but it's not terrible.The RoadCormac McCarthy9.5ReviewThe Man Who Ate EverythingJeffrey SteingartenN/ADid Not FinishJimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid On EarthChristopher Ware8.5ReviewThe Ghost MapSteven Johnson7.5ReviewThen We Came To The EndJoshua Ferris9.0Excellent!after the quakeHaruki Murakami7.0ReviewRandom Acts of BadnessDanny Bonaduce5.5Yeah, I read it. So what?The WishbonesTom Perotta7.5Good, but clearly an early effort.Y: The Last Man - UnmannedBrian K. Vaughan7.0Chuck Klosterman IVChuck Klosterman8.0American GodsNeil Gaiman7.5CompanyMax Barry8.0The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History in Four MealsMichael Pollan9.0ReviewTalking RightGeoffrey Nunberg7.0The Brief and Frightening Reign of PhilGeorge Saunders7.5The Story of My BaldnessMarek Van Der JagtN/ADid Not FinishTwo For The RoadJane & Michael Stern7.0Wait Till Next YearWilliam Goldman & Mike Lupica9.0ReviewBlood and Thunder (audio)Hampton SidesN/ADid Not FinishThe Mind of Bill JamesScott Gray6.5Love Is a Mix Tape (audio)Rob Sheffield6.5ReviewThe Nasty BitsAnthony Bourdain8.5ReviewThe RuinsScott Smith4.5ReviewShanks for Nothing (audio)Rick Reilly7.0ReviewThe Reach of a ChefMichael Ruhlman7.0Special Topics in Calamity PhysicsMarisha Pessl8.5The KeepJennifer Egan8.5ReviewCandyfreakSteve Almond6.5Hour Game (audio CD)David Baldacci6.0The CollectorsDavid BaldacciN/ADid Not FinishHousekeeping vs. The DirtNick Hornby7.5HeatBill Buford8.0Wild FireNelson DeMille7.0Echo ParkMichael Connelly7.5Julie and JuliaJulie Powell7.0Consider The Lobster: And Other EssaysDavid Foster Wallace8.0The Night GardenerGeorge Pelecanos8.5