Wow, we are just cruising along here. I read 9 books in July, including 3 audio books, bringing us to 60 for the year. And that means that I only have 40 books left to read this year to make it to 100. Only 40 books! The more I look at that number, the larger it seems. But I have 5 months left, so I just have to read 8 books each month and I'm there. We'll see.
I was thinking it might be fun some year to read 100 mysteries. I'll bet I could do that in 6 months if I worked at it. But it might get dull, too. No, that will not be my goal for next year -- maybe I'll do it when I'm in my 90s.
Here is the list:
52. The Commitment by Dan Savage. I found this in the bookcase at the apartment we stayed in when we spent 10 days in Los Altos. It's a kind of a memoir about a long-term gay couple deciding to get married. Or maybe I should say it's a book about the politics of gay marriage disguised as a memoir? Amusing but of course very thought-provoking.
53. Dry Ice by Stephen White (audio book). I like Stephen White's mysteries set in Boulder -- this was an especially good one, but really over the top. Great to listen to on nap-drives.
54. A Question of Upbringing by Anthony Powell. I decided this was the right year to read Powell's 12-novel cycle, "A Dance to the Music of Time." Barbara Pym, my favorite writer, liked Powell's books, so I thought I'd make the effort. This is the first book in the cycle and it was very hard to get through, but eventually I caught the rhythm and began to like it.
55. Monkeewrench by PJ Tracy. A pleasant, rather cozy mystery. I can't figure out how it's the beginning of a series, though. Will have to read more.
56. Dead Time by Stephen White (audio book). Not as good as Dry Ice, but still quite good for nap-drives. To my surprise, the climax took place in the Mojave Desert and a police officer from Randsburg helped catch the bad guy. I sincerely doubt whether Randsburg has police officers, I'm sure they just get visits from the sheriff. Also, the hero went to the emergency room in Tehachapi. Hello? I'm sure he should have gone to the ER in Ridgecrest!
57. All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy. I started listening to this on CD and gave up in despair, just couldn't stay awake (kind of a problem on nap-drives). But then I wanted to know what happened next, so I got the hardback book from the library. I really enjoyed and admired it, so I've decided to read more of McCarthy. I've got four more of his books on my mental to-read list, including the other two in the Border Trilogy of which this is the first.
58. A Buyer's Market by Anthony Powell. The second in the 12-book cycle.
59. The Acceptance World by Anthony Powell. The third in the 12-book cycle. I've got the fourth one on hold for me at the library.
60. S is for Silence by Sue Grafton (audio book). Terrible! I didn't like the woman who read it aloud, but I'm sure I wouldn't have liked reading the book by myself either. I haven't read a Sue Grafton mystery in years, but now I understand why people say her later books aren't very good.
Those who attended my birthday party may be questioning why none of my July reads came from the huge stack of books I received as gifts! Don't worry, I'm going to start in on that pile very soon -- I think I have one more library book to get through first. On we go to August, lots more hot weather, lots more to read.
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