Books 2K6

Here is a (mostly complete) list of books I read in 2006. I don't include any comic collections which I may post later in a gigantic cloud of anal retention. Also, free of charge, a very very short review.

One Hundred Great Books In Haiku
David Bader

Not sure this counts. It's fine.


Does Anything Eat Wasps?: And 101 Other Questions
New Scientist

As above. Sinéad and I both bought each other this for Christmas. The sequel is out this Christmas, "Why don't penguins get cold feet?"


The Traveller
John Twelve Hawks

At last! A book! Enjoyed this crappy conspiracy drivel. John Twelve Hawks (The author) lives "off the grid" apparently. "Off the planet" may be a better description.


The Call Of The Weird
Louis Theroux

Hmm. Funny. Y'know, OK.


Bringing Down The House: How Six Students Took Vegas For Millions
Ben Mezrich

True story of those wacky kids in MIT screwing Vegas. Entertaining.


Atomised
Michel Houellebecq

Porny filth. Make sure that a nun isn't reading over your shoulder. Good Stuff.


The Sacred Stone
Clive Cussler

Bollocks. Absolute shit. Clive Cussler: The man who flushed his name down the toilet.


No1 Ladies Detective Agency
Alexander McCall Smith

Good Fun.


The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald

It's a classic, isn't it? Hated it in school, enjoyed it now.


Tears Of The Giraffe
Alexander McCall Smith

More of the same.


Silent Bob Speaks
Kevin Smith

Ok. Essays and stuff. Self indulgent, but expected that


Flow My Tears The Policemen Said
Philip K Dick

Mad obviously.


Morality For Beautiful Girls
Alexander McCall Smith

More o' the same.


Seven Ancient Wonders
Matthew Reilly

Ah Matt! Got to love this. Please don't read if you like: English, Physics, Plot, Originality or punctuation. Still, its a pleasure to read.


Hell Island
Matthew Reilly

Novella. Drivel. But it's Matt Reilly so that's OK.


Prisoner's Dilemma: John Von Neumann, Game Theory And The Puzzle Of The Bomb
William Poundstone

Eh? More real life stuff on game theory. Good stuff.


A Darkness More Than Night
Michael Connelly

Can't remember a word of this.


Polar Shift
Clive Cussler

Better then Sacred Stone, and better then the Clive and Son novels. That is a pretty low bar right there.


Otis Lee Crenshaw: I Blame Society
Rich Hall

Fun.


How To Lose Friends And Alienate People
Toby Young

Slight stuff, albeit a couple of real gems here.


A Study In Scarlett
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Brilliant.


The Sign Of Four
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Brilliant.


HP Lovecraft: Against the World Against Life
Michel Houellebecq

Uh, weird combination. Good all the same.


Dress Your Family In Corduroy And Denim
David Sedaris

Remember enjoying this. Please don't ask me what it was about.


Century Rain
Alastair Reynolds

Good Hard Sci-Fi.


The Well Of Lost Plots
Jasper Fforde

J Fforde is guilty of some serious literary wankiness. I really enjoy these books.


Something Rotten
Jasper Fforde

As Above.


Ubik
Philip K Dick

Another by Mad Mac McMad the Madman.


Breakfast Of Champions
Kurt Vonnegut

Yawn.


Modesty Blaise
Peter O'Donnell

Got this for a €1. It was great.


Northern Lights
Philip Pullman

The Subtle Knife
Philip Pullman

The Amber Spyglass
Philip Pullman

These books were brilliant. A must read. Hollywood are in the process of fucking it up.


The Best Thing That Can Happen To A Croissant
Pablo Tusset

Great. There is a movie of this in Spanish. Not sure there is a subtitled version. I'd like to see it, but would perfer not to have to learn spanish to do it.


Digital Fortress
Dan Brown

S-H-I-T. Avoid like the plague.


Porterhouse Blue
Tom Sharpe

Good dirty fun.


A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian
Marina Lewycka

Entertaining.


Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman
Haruki Murakami

I am biased here. Brilliant, obviously.


Haruki Murakami and The Music of Words
Jay Rubin

Dipped in and out of this. Unreadable unless your a fan of Murakami, then it has some amusing insights.


Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell
Suzanna Clarke

Great stuff. It is a real talent to write a 1,000 page novel where nothing much happens and make it capivating.


Dr. Bloodmoney
Philip K Dick

Lunacy.


Second Burial for a Black Prince
Andrew Nugent

Not bad.


Fragile Things
Neil Gaiman

Really enjoyed the first story: "A study in emerald." Some of the rest of it hit and miss. Above average.


N.B I haven't included "The Poe Shadow" by Matthew Pearl. I got halfway through and stopped. Talk about a book trying to put you off reading for ever.