Friday, December 07, 2007

List of books I've read recently while traveling or at home. . .

H.M.S. Ulysses by Allistair MacLean
- Great book. The first one McLean every wrote. Unbelievably full of British technical jargon about military ships. The first in a long line of "heroic men brave unbelievable weather and traitorous actions to get the job done" stories.

Ice Station Zebra by Allistair Maclean
- (See the last sentence of the previous book description.) Falters a bit at the end as it turns into a Matlock wrapup. Very, very good up until then.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
- Inspired Lunacy. One of the funniest books ever written. Douglas Adams' gift for unique metaphors is unparalled.

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams
- Not quite as good as the first. But it comes close. A ton of great moments on it's own. Adams is so good at poking fun at religion without declaring which side he's on.

Life, the Universe, and Everything by Douglas Adams
- Good. But after reading it amidst the other three, I'm vague on what exactly happened. More searching for the meaning of life, I suppose. It must have been good, because I immediately wanted to go read the next one.

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams
- A strange diversion from the typical Adams' Hitchhiker book. This one is almost more of a character study of Arthur Dent as he finds the woman of his dreams. Very good. But very different. I still have to read the fifth book in the trilogy. (Not a misprint.)

The Innocent Man by John Grisham
- I didn't know this was non-fiction until I opened it and began to read. A bit slow in parts, as Grisham writes it like a typical non-fiction crime drama. So there's lots of repetition of evidence in court proceedings and witness recollections, but it was still a very good read, and made me very nervous about our justice system.

A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex by Chris Jericho
- I've read nearly every wrestling autobiography that's come down the line. (I tend not to read the ones put out by the actual wrestling companies, as they tend to distort the facts a bit.) I enjoy wrestling, but that's not the main reason I read them. They're stories about guys who spend a lot of time in cars, vans, planes, and hotels, traveling around the country, and sometimes the world. They get out, do their show, and get back in the car again. They're about staying busy, happy, sane, and occupied while traveling and performing. A lot of them are good. A few have been lousy. This one I would put up near the top. Maybe even better than my all time favorite written by Mick Foley.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Look at me, I'm a big man. I read books with chapters and clever titles.

Anonymous said...

I feel this post was lacking a distinct vision. Taylor's work has been better in his previous attempts and it seems as if he's peaked as a writer. I'd say he's in major need of some inspiration for his next effort or his career is in danger of being categorized as a flop.

Jason Taylor said...

Yes, anonymous, it was just another attempt at manly chest thumping by shouting about my free reading. Nothing says "big man" more than a long list of novels.

". . . in danger of . . .?" I think most people will verify that it flopped a very long time ago. Where have you been, dougy?

Unknown said...

Yeah, anonymous, how would you like it if Jason came to your blog and told you what an impressive, big man you are?

Anonymous said...

I am an impressive, big man.