But, there is some to recommend it, for one thing the characterizations of the gods are a lot of fun. As far the descriptions of the magic tricks that are Shadow’s head-clearing nervous habit. I’ve never wanted to learn magic tricks more. I also enjoyed the constant characterization of America as being a land that is bad for gods. However, it sort of annoyed me that the gods didn’t evolve as their people did. (I might not perform blood rites, but I certainly knew where Easter comes from.) So, I guess if this were a paper and I were grading it, I’d give it a B+. It is good, but quite frankly I expected a little more from half of the team that brought us Good Omens and the author that brought us Coraline.

1. I read this in Italian back when I was actively pursuing Italian-reading skills. I don’t remember finding the wooden boy to be such an irritant that time around. Although, admittedly, it is probably hard to be irritated by the characters when one is staring at a sentence and asking oneself, “Is that the subjunctive? I think it is the subjunctive. Why is that in the subjunctive??”

2. This edition has a lovely forward by Umberto Eco in which he argues that Pinocchio is loved by all and translated into everything because as a story it is hard to pin-down. I disagree. Maybe this is just where I am in my life, but I feel like Collodi, with his annoying little wooden boy, has beaten me over the head with his tale of morality. In case you were curious or didn’t already know this, people, its right action and not intention that matters. As the old saying goes, The Road to Hell (and/or jackass-ville) is paved with good intentions.

3. I hate Pinocchio. He’s Carrie Bradshaw, Meredith Grey and Bella Swann all rolled up into one. I didn’t think the bar could slip that low.

Normally, I recommend both reading Classics and finishing books (especially short books) but I just couldn’t do it. Time is at a premium (especially now that its the last few weeks of the semester). Maybe I will return to this translation of this classic after the semester is over, but I doubt Pinocchio is going to get anymore endearing.

Up for April previously had been Aimée & Jaguar: A Love Story, Berlin 1943 by Erica Fischer but it has changed to Toby Young’s How to Lose Friends and Alienate People. For some reason, I think this is going to be my cup of tea.

Anderson does an excellent job of portraying the tension created by the feelings Melinda is having (or trying not to have) and the image she is trying to project to the world. This book was heartbreaking but it was beautiful. And, the climax… well, it was thrilling and a little frightening. This was a wonderful book and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

So, this year I have decided that I will not fall down on the job! I will succeed! So, I’ve added a number of things that have been recommended to me in the past year (along with a number of things that my book group has selected) to last year’s list in order to come up with this year’s list. There is only one change I am making. Last year, Ivanhoe was on the list because I thought that was something I already owned. Turns out, what I own by Sir Walter Scott is actually Rob Roy.
It will be replacing Ivanhoe on the list this year.

So, starting with Last year’s books first:

• Silas Marner by George Eliot
• Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
• Compassionate Carnivore by Catherine Friend
• On the Wealth of Nations by P.J. O’Rourke
• Sexing the Cherry by Jeanette Winterson
• Break, Blow, Burn by Camille Paglia
• The Eight By Katherine Neville
• Begin Anywhere by Frank Gianpietro
• The Horse, The Wheel and Language by David Anthony
• How Language Works by David Crystal
• The Ode Less Traveled by Stephen Fry
• The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper
• The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Farber

And, then adding:

• Alphabet Juice by Roy Blount Jr.
• The Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
• Ibid by Mark Dunne
• The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
• The Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan
• The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
• Speak by Laura Halse Anderson
• Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
• Jaws by Peter Benchley
• Aimée & Jaguar: A Love Story, Berlin 1943 by Erica Fischer
• Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
• Grave Peril by Jim Butcher
• Written on the Body by Jeanette Winterson
• Rob Roy by Sir Walter Scott
• In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower by Marcel Proust
• The Stuff of Thought by Stephen Pinker

And, four more books to be determined. So, the rules are as they’ve always been. I can read whatever I want, on the list or not. But, I am challenged to make it through at least these 30 books. (Which, yes, I still realize, includes Ivanhoe.)