Reading percentages

I often get into discussions with people about what I'm reading, or what type of books I tend to read, I usually say that I read about 75% non-fiction. I got to wondering the other day if that was right, and decided to do a back-of-the-envelope calculation based on my lists of books I've been keeping since 2007. Here's how it came out:

2007: 45% non-fiction
2008: 72% non-fiction
2009: 62% non-fiction
2010 (so far): 64% non-fiction

Averaging 60.75% non-fiction. So in the future, I'll round it off and claim 60%.

A Hat Full of Sky

A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The second of terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching books takes us a little farther into the education on a young witch. A bit more familiar Discworld territory, here - Granny Weatherwax, a staple from earlier Discworld adventures, figures prominently.

View all my reviews >>

Gator A-go-go

Gator A-Go-Go: A Novel by Tim Dorsey


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Tim Dorsey does it again, with a Serge Storms novel of Florida. This one centers around a Witness Protection fiasco fifteen years in the past - and a Serge special Spring Break history tour in the present. Characters from Serge's past liven things up with cameos, and the madcap Florida adventure rolls on...

View all my reviews >>

Wee Free Men

The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The first of the Tiffany Aching series, this book introduces us to a corner of the Discworld we haven't yet seen. Tiffany A is a precocious farm girl who discovers a talent for "seeing what's really there", has some adventures and learns that she'll likely make a good witch. Terry Pratchett

View all my reviews >>

A Star Is Found

A Star Is Found: Our Adventures Casting Some of Hollywood's Biggest Movies by Janet Hirshenson


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A very candid and down-to-earth look at the way casting works in Hollywood, by two women who have been active the business for almost 30 years. They take us through the casting process, illustrated with anecdotes from their experiences from movies from The Outsiders to Harry Potter.

View all my reviews >>

How We Decide

How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A very interesting insight into how our brains help us (or force us) to make decisions. Despite all the jargon (amygdala, dopamine receptors, etc.) it didn't feel too technical, and was well illustrated with real world anecdotes. Unfortunately, 90% of the stories seemed very familiar, like they'd all been used before by Malcolm Gladwell or the Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything guys.

View all my reviews >>

Drink, Play, F@#K

Drink, Play, F@#k: One Man's Search for Anything Across Ireland, Las Vegas, and Thailand by Andrew Gottlieb


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Despite being a work of comedic fiction, this parody of Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat, Pray, Love" actually has some good things to say. The story of a recently divorced man who decides to spend a year reevaluating his life, it's basic message seems to be "Life throws you curveballs sometimes; hang on and enjoy the ride." Pretty funny stuff, too.

View all my reviews >>

The California Roll

The California Roll: A Novel by John Vorhaus


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Excellent, snappy novel about a L.A. based con artist who gets too wrapped up in his own "snuke." The language is wonderful - lingo and inside puns that sometimes don't catch up with you until the next line. Some passages feel like they should be accompanied by a brushed high hat. Bewilderingly twisted plot, as befits the subject, but not too hard to follow. I'll be looking for more from Vorhaus.

View all my reviews >>

Every Day In Tuscany

Every Day in Tuscany: Seasons of an Italian Life by Frances Mayes


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Frances Mayes third book about her life in Tuscany, Every Day feels a little patched-together but still gives great insight into how the life of an ex-pat can progress. She experiences a bit of xenophobia, travels around on the trail of her favorite painters, shares the area with her grandson, and always learns more about the Italian kitchen. Recipes included.

View all my reviews >>

Time Travelers Wife

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really can't find the words to review this book. I certainly didn't want to put it down. Thanks to all the people who recommended it to me.

View all my reviews >>

What the Dog Saw

What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures by Malcolm Gladwell


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love Malcolm Gladwell's writing, and this collection of essays culled mostly from the New Yorker contains some great examples of his work. The same slightly mind-twisting connections make you look at familiar topics in different ways; just in shorter, more easily digestible bits.

View all my reviews >>

Peter & Max

Peter & Max: A Fables Novel by Bill Willingham


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A retelling of some elements of the Pied Piper tale, that fits into the Fables graphic novel world created be Bill Willingham. Fun and well-done - not sure if it's enough to get me to start on the graphic novels, though.

View all my reviews >>

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Running low on books lately, I decided to reread some of Terry Pratchett's "other" Discworld books - this and the Tiffany Aching YA novels. Glad I did - I forgot what a simple joy these were. This follows the adventures of a tribe of suddenly self-aware rats, their talking cat manager, and the "piper" - a boy they picked up to complete their scam. Very fun.

View all my reviews >>

B is for Bad Poetry

B Is for Bad Poetry by Pamela August Russell


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Bad is in the eye of the beholder. I thought these were genius - melancholic, sarcastic genius, but genius nonetheless.

View all my reviews >>

Watchmen

Watchmen by Alan Moore


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Another graphic novel that I'd been meaning to get to, finally did, and was really impressed once I did. I can see why this was "One of Time Magazine's 100 best novels" - deep, nuanced plot, well illuminated by the illustrations. A bit dated now, with the Vietnam and Nixon references, but still valid. Graphic novels continue to surprise me.

View all my reviews >>

Lathe of Heaven

The Lathe Of Heaven: A Novel by Ursula K. Le Guin


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Classic sci-fi from Ursula LeGuin - with her particular voice. A mind-bending tale of the power of dreams, that'ss held up very well since it's writing 25 years ago.

View all my reviews >>

Swimming with Piranhas at Feeding Time

Swimming with Piranhas at Feeding Time: My Life Doing Dumb Stuff with Animals by Richard Conniff


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Richard Conniff's live has taken him around the world, reporting on animals and the people who study them. He's had some opportunities to do "dumb stuff" (as he puts it), like allowing himself to be bitten by fire ants or stung by jellyfish. But he also presents his experiences in a way that is not only entertaining, but gives us some of the fascinating science behind the creatures.

View all my reviews >>

Larry's Kidney

Larry's Kidney: (Being the Story of) How I Found Myself in China with My Black Sheep Cousin and His Mail-Order Bride, Breaking Chinese Law to Get Him a Transplant--and Save His Life by Daniel Asa Rose


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Daniel Rose's "black-sheep" cousin is dying of kidney failure, and wants to take advantage of "medical tourism" to jump the long line for one in the U.S. and find a kidney in China. Along the way, they confront the mushy ethics of the situation, some long buried familial issues, and the culture shock that awaits them in China. Interesting but bizarre; moving but confusing.

View all my reviews >>

Odd and the Frost Giants

Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Read this out loud on a car trip. Wonderful little story, with Gaiman's characteristic magical storytelling and lovable characters.

View all my reviews >>

The Orange Wire Problem

The Orange Wire Problem and Other Tales from the Doctor's Office by David Watts


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
David Watts is a gastroenterologist with the soul of a poet - well, actually he's a poet as well. In this series of essays, he tells the stories of triumphs and tragedies in his practice, but always with an eye open to the unexpected and the possibilities to learn. Made me respect the job doctors have to to.

View all my reviews >>