.
I read a bunch of comics yesterday, largely because I'm sleeping on the couch as Lady Steed covids. I left all my books in our room and didn't want to disturb her. Otherwise, this list would probably end with the new Beowulf people are crazy in love with. We'll talk about that next year, I guess?
And brace yourself! I'll likely send the year-end movies list before bed (couch) tonight. See you then?
.
124) Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler, finished December 7
I loved this book so much.
It's been the car book for a while, but even longer it has been in the car. And I kept almost getting rid of it, but then the back copy or the cover art or the first couple paragraphs would change my mind and it would stay.
Finally, I finished some other car book and started Breathing Lessons and I am so glad I did. It's a beautiful, wonderful book. Officially it takes place over a single day, but the flashbacks take us through entire lives.
Maggie and Ira are going the funeral of Maggie's lifelong best friend's husband. As they travel to and fro, they meet people from their distant past, folks they've never met before and will never meet again, and people they dearly miss—people whose absence still tears at them.
By the end, you know Maggie and Ira so well they seem like friends you've had for decades. Or maybe even like you are they. And you hope for the happy ending the book is setting you up for—even though you know that happy ending is unlikely to last. You have so much hope for them. As much as you have for yourself and your own family.
But how often is hope, how often are good intentions, how often is love—enough?
Anyway, I own over a hundred copies of Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant and I am filled with so much regret that I've never read it. Anne Tyler is amazing.
UPDATE: I was thinking about this novel again twenty days later and I realized that for all their seeming "dysfunction," Maggie can read Ira's whistles in a way that strikes me as the sort of evidence of simpatico I fantasized about premarriage. So for all their silliness and misunderstandings, #relationshipgoals.
months, probably over a year, possibly more than two
125) Moroni: A Brief Theological Introduction by David. F. Holland, finished December 29, 2024
I hope future me, returning to this volume, doesn't think it's lesser because I made fewer pencil marks. I also hope future me isn't too upset at me for . . . subpar writeups, viz.: 1 Nephi, 2 Nephi, Jacob, EJO, Mosiah, Alma 1, Alma 2, Helaman, 3/4 Nephi, Mormon, Ether.
Anyway, I met my goal of reading all twelve volumes this year at roughly the pace of Come, Follow Me. Overall, these "briefs" added up to over a thousand pages of theology. And let me tell you: I feel edified.
(Incidentally, if you can make it to Provo in time, the Kershisnik show is awesome.)
One thing I appreciated about this volume is how Holland brings the Calvinist notion of determinism (which is also a modern notion) and makes it matter to a Latter-day Saint audience. That's the kind of broadening perspective I expect from book-publishing LDS theologians.
He also had great things to say about the shape of Moroni's book et cetera, but what I liked most was its unrelenting serious of proofs that Jesus is what matters. That's valuable stuff there. Thanks to Brother Holland for opening up Mormon and Moroni's manner of preaching.
Anyway, these were excellent. If the Maxwell Institute is on schedule, there should be a new D&C-centered series this year (I'd check to see if there's an announcement but, as I type this, their site is down; may you have better luck). Rosalynde Frandsen Welch (author of the Ether book) told me they're going by topics this year which makes sense in a way the Book of Mormon breakdown would not for the sort of book the Doctrine & Covenants is.
about a month
126) The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen—Century: 1910 by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill, finished December 30
Ends up it's the one I didn't like.
The funny thing is, although all the criticisms I make there are still fair, I liked it much better this time. Perhaps because I'm so far separated from the original amazing experience of discovering book one.
Maybe I should finish the Centuries series. Maybe not. I dunno. Give me the next one for free and you're on.
one too-long sitting
127–129) Madwoman of the Sacred Heart Vols 1–3: Madwoman of the Sacred Heart, The Trap of the Irrational, The Sorbonne's Madman by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Moebius, finished December 30
So if I understood these stories correctly, you take the most intellectual man available and he will fail to appreciate living through a sexual fantasy, fail to recognize encounters with the divine, and must shed the mind entirely to find happiness.
Only the coda goes against all that, so who knows.
a few midday hours
2007 = 2008 = 2009 = 2010 = 2011 = 2012 = 2013 = 2014 = 2015
2016 = 2017 = 2018 = 2019 = 2020 = 2021 = 2022 = 2023 = 2024
2024 × 10 = Bette Davis being Bette Davis
001) Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke, finished January 1
002) The Complete Peanuts: 1977 – 1978 by Charles M. Schulz , finished January 6
003) The Sandman: The Kindly Ones by Neil Gaiman et al, finished January 10
004) Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke, finished January 17
005) Touched by Walter Mosley, finished January 19
006) Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever by Matt Singer, finished January 20
007) Evergreen Ape: The Story of Bigfoot by David Norman Lewis, finished January 24
008) What Falls Away by Karin Anderson, finished February 1
009) Peanuts Jubilee: My Life and Art with Charlie Brown and Others by Charles M. Schulz, finished February 3
010) Legends of Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke, finished February 3
011) Roaming by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki, finished February 3
012) The Return of Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke, February 9
013) Things in the Basement by Ben Hatke, February 10
014) A Charlie Brown Religion: Exploring the Spiritual Life and Work of Charles M. Schulz by Stephen J. Lind, finished February 10
015) 1st Nephi: A Brief Theological Introduction by Joseph M. Spencer, finished February 10
016) Dendo by Brittany Long Olsen, finished February 11
017) The Ten Winners of the 2023 Whiting Awards, finished February 12
018) The Peanuts Papers: Writers and Cartoonists on Charlie Brown, Snoopy & the Gang, and the Meaning of Life edited by Andrew Blaune, finished February 17
019) Do Not Disturb Any Further by John Callahan, finished February 17
020) Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke, finished circa February 19
021) 2nd Nephi: A Brief Theological Introduction by Terryl Givens, February 24
Let's start with the untimely deaths
022) The Life and Death of King John by William Shakespeare, finished February 28
022) Mighty Jack and the Goblin King by Ben Hatke, finished February 29
023) Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel García Márquez, finished March 4
024) Millay by Edna St. Vincent Millay, finished March
025, 026) The Life and Death of King John by William Shakespeare, finished March 6, 8
027) Murder Book by Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell, finished March 11
028) A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
029) The Last Hero by Terry Pratchett and Paul Kidby, finished March 15
030) Karen's Roller Skates by Ann M. Martin and Katy Farina, finished March 18
Four comics could hardly be more different
031) The Sandman: The Wake by Neil Gaiman et al, finished March 18
032) The World of Edena by Mœbius, finished March 23
033) Three Rocks: The Story of Ernie Bushmiller, the Man Who Created Nancy by Bill Griffith, finished March 23
034) Mighty Jack and Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke, finished March 23
Jacob says be nice and read comics
035) Jacob: A Brief Theological Introduction by Deidre Nicole Green, finished March 24
036) Starter Villain by John Scalzi, finished March 27
037) Mister Invincible: Local Hero by Pascal Jousselin, finished March 30
038) The Toon Treasury of Classic Children's Comics, edited by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly, finished March 30
039) Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass by Mariko Tamaki and Steve Pugh, finished April 1
040) The Super Hero's Journey by Patrick McDonnell, finished April 5
041) The Stranger Beside Me: Updated Twentieth Anniversary Edition by Ann Rule, finished April 9
042) Huda F Are You? by Huda Fahmy, finished April 13
043) Enos, Jarom, Omni: a brief theological introduction by Sharon J. Harris, finished April 25
044) The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson, finished April 27
045,046,049) The Mysteries by Bill Watterson and John Kascht, finished April 29, 30; May 3
047) The Children's Bach by Helen Garner, finished April 30
048) No. 1 with a Bullet by Sehman/Corona/Hickman/Wands, finished May 2
050) Over Seventy by P. G. Wodehouse, finished May 7
051) The Happy Shop by Brittany Long Olsen, finished May 16
052) Shades of Fear, finished May 21
053) Love Poems in Quarantine by Sarah Ruhl, finished May 21
And a vibrator makes it five dozen.....
054) The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt, finished May 25
055) Mosiah: A Brief Theological Introduction by James E. Faulconer, finished May 26
056) Lives of the Monster Dogs by Kirstin Bakis
057) 100 Essays I Don't Have Time to Write: On Umbrellas and Sword Fights, Parades and Dogs, Fire Alarms, Children, and Theater by Sarah Ruhl, finished June 1
058) Our Malady: Lessons in Liberty from a Hospital Diary by Timothy Snyder, finished June 4
059) Dead Man's Cell Phone by Sarah Ruhl, finished June 6
060) The Next Room, or the vibrator play by Sarah Ruhl, finished June 8
And with Ursula, 69
061) The Robber Bridegroom by Eudora Welty, finished June 10
062) Blood of the Virgin by Sammy Harkham, finished June 11
063) Mulysses by Øyvind Torseter, finished June 11
064) Between the River and the Bridge by Craig Ferguson, finished June 12
065) Cranky Chicken by Katherine Battersby, finished June 12
066) Mile End Kids Stories by Isabelle Arsenault, finished June 12
067) Tiny Titans: Field Trippin' by author, finished June 14
068) Brief Theological Introductions: Alma 1–29 by Kylie Nielson Turley, finished June 16
069) Words Are My Matter: Writings on Life and Books by Ursula K. Le Guin, finished June 16
Numbers 70 through 75
070) Better Living Through Criticism: How to Think about Art, Pleasure, Beauty, and Truth by A. O. Scott, finished June 17
071) Alice, Let's Eat by Calvin Trillin, finished June 20
072) My Lovely Vigil Keeping by Carla Kelly, finished June 21
073) Dreamsnake by Vonda N. McIntyre, finished July 9
074) The Red House Mystery by A. A. Milne, finished July 11
075) Best. Movie. Year. Ever. How 1999 Blew Up the Big Screen by Brian Raftery, finished July 16
Comics soup and rice
076) I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001 by Lauren Tarshis and Corey Egbert (et al), finished July 16
077) Skull Cat and the Curious Castle by Norman Shurtliff, finished July 18
078) Epileptic by David B., finished July 19
079) Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld by Shannon and Dean Hale, and Asiah Fulmore; finished July 30
080) Fadeaway by E. B. Vickers, finished August 2
081) You're Dad by Liz Climo, finished August 4
082) Meanwhile...A Comic Shop Anthology, finished August 5
Lobsters are vermin you eat
084) Lobster Is the Best Medicine by Liz Climo, finished August 7
085) Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and Leuyen Pham, finished August 12
086) Alma 30–63: A Brief Theological Introduction by Mark A. Wrathall, finished August 18
087) The Pearl by John Steinbeck, August 20
088) The Woman in the Woods and Other North American Stories, finished August 20
089) Our Lady of Darkness by Fritz Leiber, finished August 23
090) Radiant Vermin by Philip Ridley
Six books closer to the end of all things.
091) After the Blast by Zoe Kazan, finished August 30
092) The Nether by Jennifer Haley, finished August 31
093) Mr Burns, a post-electric play by Anne Washburn, finished August 31
094) The Voynich Manuscript ed. by Raymond Clemens, finished September 4
095) Brass Sun by Ian Edgington and I. N. J. Culbard, finished September 5
096) Termush by Sven Holm, finished September 7
097) The Unwedding by Ally Condie, finished September 13
098) Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer, finished September 18
099) Helaman: A Brief Theological Introduction by Kimberly Matheson Berkey, finished September 21
The end of one century and the beginning of another
100) Motor Girl: Real Life by Terry Moore, finished October 2
101) The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare, finished October 5
The If-Dagwood-Was-Mormon Sandwich
102) 3rd, 4th Nephi: A Brief Theological Introduction by Daniel Becerra, finished October 6
103) My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix, finished October 10
104) The Moviegoer by Walker Percy, finished October 11
105) Bed-Knob and Broomstick by Mary Norton, finished October 12
106) Psycho II by Robert Bloch, finished October 17
107) Osamu Tezuka's Original Astro Boy: 3 by Osamu Tezuka, finished October 19
108, 109, 110) The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare, finished October 22, 22, 23
111) Here by Richard McGuire, finished October 23
112) Sequential Drawings: The New Yorker Series by Richard McGuire, finished October 25
113) Mormon: A Brief Theological Introduction by Adam S. Miller, finished October 26
Would you rather live on the Moon or in Rome?
114) Frankissstein by Jeanette Winterson, finished November 4
115) Motor Girl: No Man Left Behind by Terry Moore, finished November 4
116) Life on the Moon by Robert Grossman, finished November 10
117) The Griff by Christopher Moore and Ian Corson with Jennyson Rosero
118) Cato by Joseph Addison, finished November 16
Gimme a 1! Gimme a 2! Gimme a 3!
119) The Serial Killer's Guide to San Francisco by Michelle Chouinard, finished November 22
120) Magic Pen by Dylan Horrocks, finished November 23
121) One Step Enough by Carla Kelly, finished November 28
122) Ether: A Brief Theological Introduction by Rosalynde Frandsen Welch, finished November 29
123) The Big Clock by Kenneth Fearing, finished December 7
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