2.
Title: English After the Fall
Author: Robert E. Scholes
Pages: 176
Genre: Nonfiction, Literary Criticism
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Early Review Copy
Date Completed: January 1, 2012
Rating: ***

LibraryThing user dekesolomon's review of English After the Fall is succinct and accurate - unlike Scholes' own treatise on the evolution of English studies. The premise of Robert Scholes's text is one I certainly agree with - he identifies a need for English department to evolve, both for their own survival and for the benefit of students. As one of the "lowly" adjuncts both Scholes and Deke identify, I have very strong opinions about the state of compositional studies, and some specific ideas about how to change things for the good of all; I do not think Scholes would agree with many of my assessments.

Scholes suggests that the way to extend the life of English departments is to look beyond the traditional canon and recognize other genres as texts worthy of study. This would likely have been a radical idea twenty years ago, but my own experiences as a student suggest that Scholes is behind the curve; I, for example, took courses on Japanese theatre, contemporary fiction, American travel narratives, and a host of other genres that are traditionally "nonliterary" as an undergraduate, and continue to use "nonliterary" sources in my own courses. Much of Scholes' arguments are lost in his enthusiasm for specific texts, and for a reader unfamiliar with the operas and films on which he fixates, his text as a whole loses its power.

Whiles Scholes certainly identifies many of the problems now facing English departments, his "solution" seems to aggravate many of the current difficulties of teaching the subject by continuing to present material that undergraduates will not find compelling (i.e. opera), as opposed to addressing some of the most immediate concerns: a need for students to learn how to communicate effectively, whether or not they pursue English courses beyond the requirements of Freshman Composition.

1.
Title: Mockingjay
Author: Suzanne Collins
Pages: 400
Genre: Dystopian
Medium: Kindle E-book
Acquisition: Final in the trilogy
Date Completed: January 1, 2012
Rating: *****

Mockingjay is a captivating and satisfying conclusion to Suzanne Collins's dystopian trilogy. Never one to fear a body count, Collins is unrelenting in the series of tragedies, and her characters are remarkably human, adding to the chill of the premise of the series.

List of Books Read in 2011 - By Date

List of Books Read in 2011

1. Expecting 411 by Michele Hakakha and Ari Brown. 1.1.11. ***
2. Mr. Monster by Dan Wells. 1.4.11. ****1/2
3. Home for a Spell by Madelyn Alt. 1.6.11. ****
4. Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson. 1.7.11. *****
5. The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter. 1.8.11. ***1/2
6. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. 1.12.11. ****
7. The Darkest Kiss by Gena Showalter. 1.13.11. **1/2
8. Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy by Abigail Reynolds. 1.15.11. ****1/2
9. Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny. 1.18.11. *****
10. Trifles by Susan Glaspell. 1.28.11.

11. Murder on Astor Place by Victoria Thompson. 2.5.11. ***1/2
12. Oedipus the King by Sophocles. 2.6.11.
13. Murder on St. Mark's Place by Victoria Thompson. 2.8.11. ***3/4
14. Murder on Gramercy Park by Victoria Thompson. 2.11.11. ****
15. Murder on Washington Square by Victoria Thompson. 2.16.11. ****
16. Murder on Mulberry Bend by Victoria Thompson. 2.17.11. ****
17. Murder on Marble Row by Victoria Thompson. 2.22.11. ****
18. A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole. 2.24.11. ***
19. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey. 2.24.11.
20. Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl. 2.28.11

21. No Rest for the Wicked by Kresley Cole. 3.2.11. ***1/2
22. Murder on Lenox Hill by Victoria Thompson. 3.4.11. ****
23. Let's Kill Uncle by Rohan O'Grady. 3.5.11. ****
24. River Marked by Patricia Briggs. 3.9.11. *****
25. Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night by Kresley Cole. 3.12.11. ***1/2
26. Murder in Little Italy by Victoria Thompson. 3.18.11. ***1/3
27. Greasy Lake by T.C. Boyle. 3.22.11. **1/2
28. Tracking Trash by Loree Griffin Burns. 3.20.11.
29. Canning for a New Generation by Liana Krissoff. 3.20.11.
30. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. 3.23.11. ****1/2
31. Murder in Chinatown by Victoria Thompson. 3.28.11. ****

32. Dark Needs at Night's Edge by Kresley Cole. 4.2.11. ***1/2
33. Dark Desires After Dusk by Kresley Cole. 4.7.11. ***1/2
34. Beastly by Alex Flinn. 4.8.11. **1/2
35. Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole. 4.11.11. ***1/2
36. Murder on Bank Street by Victoria Thompson. 4.14.11. *****
37. Murder on Waverly Place by Victoria Thompson. 4.19.11. ***1/2
38. The Misadventures of Maude March by Audrey Couloumbis. 4.22.11. ****1/2
39. Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett. 4.27.11.
40. The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells. 4.30.11. *****

41. Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale. 5.7.11. ****
42. Pleasure of a Dark Prince by Kresley Cole. 5.12.11. ***1/2
43. Demon from the Dark by Kresley Cole. 5.15.11. ****
44. Dreams of a Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole. 5.19.11. **1/2
45. Murder on Lexington Avenue by Victoria Thompson. 5.29.11. ****

46. A Cast-Off Coven by Juliet Blackwell. 6.3.11. ***1/2
47. Hit List by Laurell K. Hamilton. 6.8.11. ***1/2
48. Murder on Sisters' Row by Victoria Thompson. 6.10.11. ****
49. The Victorian Governess by Kathryn Hughes. 6.12.11. ****1/2
50. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Rigs. 6.17.11. ****1/2
51. Heartless by Gail Carriger. 6.28.11. ****

52. Deeper than Midnight by Lara Adrian. 7.1.11. ***1/2
53. "G" is for Grafton: The World of Kinsey Millhone by Natalie Hevener Kaufman and Carol McGinnis Kay. 7.1.11. ***1/2
54. All Different Kinds of Free by Jessica McCann. 7.15.11. ****
55. I Don't Want to Kill You by Dan Wells. 7.17.11. *****
56. The Real Macaw by Donna Andrews. 7.19.11. ****
57. Hexes and Hemlines by Juliet Blackwell. 7.21.11. ***
58. Dead Girls are Easy by Terri Garey. 7.23.11. **
59. Spell Bound by Kelley Armstrong. 7.26.11. ****
60. Killed at the Whim of a Hat by Colin Cotterill. 7.31.11. ****

61. Bookmarked for Death by Lorna Barrett. 8.5.11. ***1/2
62. Death by Darjeeling by Laura Childs. 8.7.11. *
63. Death of a Trophy Wife by Laura Levine. 8.19.11. **1/2
64. E is for Evidence by Sue Grafton. 8.13.11. ****
65. F is for Fugitive by Sue Grafton. 8.14.11. ****
66. G is for Gumshoe by Sue Grafton. 8.15.11. ***1/2
67. H is for Homicide by Sue Grafton. 8.17.11. ***
68. I is for Innocent by Sue Grafton. 8.20.11. ****

69. J is for Judgment by Sue Grafton. 9.5.11. ***
70. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. 9.7.11. ****
71. Oedipus the King by Sophocles. 9.11.11.
72. The Law School Admission Game: Play Like an Expert by Ann K. Levine, Esq. 9.11.11. *****
73. A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny. 9.14.11. *****
74. The Mistress Contract by Anonymous. 9.14.11. *
75. Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George. 9.16.11. ****
76. Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George. 9.18.11. ****
77. Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George. 9.22.11. ****
78. Murder Most Persuasive by Tracy Kiely. 9.26.11. ****

79. Bowery Girl by Kim Taylor. 10.2.11. *****
80. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey. 10.3.11.
81. Kindling the Moon by Jenn Bennett. 10.6.11. ***
82. No Mercy by Sherrilyn Kenyon. 10.11.11. **
83. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. 10.18.11. ****
84. The Darkest Kiss by Keri Arthur. 10.26.11. ****

85. Darkness Unbound by Keri Arthur. 11.1.11. ****
86. Othello by Shakespeare. 11.1.11.
87. Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. 11.1.11.
88. Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett. 11.19.11.
89. Othello by Shakespeare. 11.19.11.
90. Wicked Plants by Amy Stewart. 11.20.11. **
91. The Darcys and The Bingleys by Marsha Altman. 11.25.11. ***

92. Sentenced to Death by Lorna Barrett. 12.5.11. ***1/2
93. The Valley of Fear by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. 12.5.11. ***1/2
94. Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher. 12.6.11. **1/2
95. Whip Smart by Melissa Febos. 12.11.11. ****
96. Eliza's Daughter by Joan Aiken. 12.14.11. ****
97. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. 12.20.11. *****
98. Snuff by Terry Pratchett. 12.26.11. *****
99. Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor, et al. 12.26.11. ***
100. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi. 12.27.11. ****1/2
101. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. 12.29.11. ****

List of Books Read in 2011 - By Rating

75 in 2011 Challenge
Based on a scale of one to five

Unrated for varying reasons
Trifles by Susan Glaspell. 1.28.11.
Oedipus the King by Sophocles. 2.6.11.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey. 2.24.11.
Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl. 2.28.11
Tracking Trash by Loree Griffin Burns. 3.20.11.
Canning for a New Generation by Liana Krissoff. 3.20.11.
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett. 4.27.11.
Oedipus the King by Sophocles. 9.11.11.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey. 10.3.11.
Othello by Shakespeare. 11.1.11.
Oedipus the King by Sophocles. 11.1.11.
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett. 11.20.11.
Othello by Shakespeare. 11.20.11.




Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson. 1.7.11.
Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny. 1.18.11.
River Marked by Patricia Briggs. 3.9.11.
Murder on Bank Street by Victoria Thompson. 4.14.11.
The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells. 4.30.11.
I Don't Want to Kill You by Dan Wells. 7.17.11.
The Law School Admission Game by Ann Levine, Esq. 9.11.11.
A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny. 9.14.11.
Bowery Girl by Kim Taylor. 10.2.11.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. 12.20.11.
Snuff by Terry Pratchett. 12.26.11.




Mr. Monster by Dan Wells. 1.4.11.
Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy by Abigail Reynolds. 1.15.11.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. 3.23.11.
The Misadventures of Maude March by Audrey Couloumbis. 4.22.11.
The Victorian Governess by Kathryn Hughes. 6.12.11.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Rigs. 6.17.11.
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi. 12.27.11.



Home for a Spell by Madelyn Alt. 1.6.11
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. 1.12.11.
Murder on Gramercy Park by Victoria Thompson. 2.11.11.
Murder on Washington Square by Victoria Thompson. 2.16.11.
Murder on Mulberry Bend by Victoria Thompson. 2.17.11.
Murder on Marble Row by Victoria Thompson. 2.22.11.
Murder on Lenox Hill by Victoria Thompson. 3.4.11.
Let's Kill Uncle by Rohan O'Grady. 3.5.11.
Murder in Chinatown by Victoria Thompson. 3.28.11.
Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale. 5.7.11.
Demon from the Dark by Kresley Cole. 5.15.11.
Murder on Lexington Avenue by Victoria Thompson. 5.29.11.
Murder on Sisters' Row by Victoria Thompson. 6.10.11.
Heartless by Gail Carriger. 6.28.11.
All Different Kinds of Free by Jessica McCann. 7.15.11.
The Real Macaw by Donna Andrews. 7.19.11.
Spell Bound by Kelley Armstrong. 7.26.11.
Killed at the Whim of a Hat by Colin Cotterill. 7.31.11.
E is for Evidence by Sue Grafton. 8.13.11.
F is for Fugitive by Sue Grafton. 8.14.11.
I is for Innocent by Sue Grafton. 8.20.11.
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. 9.7.11.
Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George. 9.16.11.
Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George. 9.18.11.
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George. 9.22.11.
Murder Most Persuasive by Tracy Kiely. 9.26.11.
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. 10.18.11.
The Darkest Kiss by Keri Arthur. 10.26.11.
Darkness Unbound by Keri Arthur. 11.1.11.
Whip Smart by Melissa Febos. 12.11.11.
Eliza's Daughter by Joan Aiken. 12.14.11.
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. 12.29.11. ****




The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter. 1.8.11.
Murder on Astor Place by Victoria Thompson. 2.5.11.
Murder on St. Mark's Place by Victoria Thompson. 2.8.11. ***3/4
No Rest for the Wicked by Kresley Cole. 3.2.11.
Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night by Kresley Cole. 3.12.11.
Murder in Little Italy by Victoria Thompson. 3.18.11.
Dark Needs at Night's Edge by Kresley Cole. 4.2.11.
Dark Desires After Dusk by Kresley Cole. 4.7.11.
Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole. 4.11.11.
Murder on Waverly Place by Victoria Thompson. 4.19.11.
Pleasure of a Dark Prince by Kresley Cole. 5.12.11.
A Cast-Off Coven by Juliet Blackwell. 6.3.11.
Hit List by Laurell K. Hamilton. 6.8.11.
Deeper than Midnight by Lara Adrian. 7.1.11.
"G" is for Grafton: The World of Kinsey Millhone by Natalie Hevener Kaufman and Carol McGinnis Kay. 7.1.11.
Bookmarked for Death by Lorna Barrett. 8.5.11.
G is for Gumshoe by Sue Grafton. 8.15.11.
Sentenced to Death by Lorna Barrett. 12.5.11.
The Valley of Fear by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. 12.5.11.



Expecting 411 by Michele Hakakha and Ari Brown. 1.1.11.
A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole. 2.24.11.
Hexes and Hemlines by Juliet Blackwell. 7.21.11.
H is for Homicide by Sue Grafton. 8.17.11.
J is for Judgment by Sue Grafton. 9.5.11.
Kindling the Moon by Jenn Bennett. 10.6.11.
The Darcys and The Bingleys by Marsha Altman. 11.25.11.
Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor, et al. 12.26.11



The Darkest Kiss by Gena Showalter. 1.13.11
Greasy Lake by T.C. Boyle. 3.22.11.
Beastly by Alex Flin. 4.8.11
Dreams of a Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole. 5.19.11.
Death of a Trophy Wife by Laura Levine. 8.19.11.
Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher. 12.6.11.


Dead Girls are Easy by Terri Garey. 7.23.11.
No Mercy by Sherilyn Kenyon. 10.11.11.
Wicked Plants by Amy Stewart. 11.20.11.






Death by Darjeeling by Laura Childs. 8.7.11.
The Mistress Contract by Anonymous. 9.14.11.

101.
Author: Suzanne Collins
Title: Catching Fire
publication: Kindle
Pages:
Genre: Dystopian
Acquisition: sequel
Date: December 29, 2011
Rating: ****

Despite Katniss' relief at the conclusion of The Hunger Games, it is evident to the reader that "it" is not over; the feeling of unrest, the political ramifications of her actions, and the building personal tension scream out for a sequel, which is presented in Catching Fire.

In this second book of the trilogy, the reader is fully (albeit briefly) introduced to the "head" of this horrendous civilization, and as Collins further develops the society outside of the games it becomes clear that not everyone in the Capitol is as repugnant as President Snow, but rather have been indoctrinated into his insanity.

There is little relief for Katniss and her loved ones, as she struggles to again find her path through the mine-field that is her society. While even more predictable than the first, the second is just as compelling, and leads directly in to the concluding novel, Mockingjay.

My personal goal is to make it to 100 books every year, and last night I accomplished just that!

100.
Author: Marjane Satrapi
Title: Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
publication: Paperback
Pages: 153
Genre: Comic
Acquisition: Work text
Date: December 27, 2011
Rating: ****1/2

In October of 2011 I attended a conference called "Contentious Issues in Composition," focusing on - you guessed it - common debates that pop up in community college English departments.* One panel I attended discussed the potential use of graphic novels in the classroom, and, while the discussion itself was not well planned, the presenter's knowledge was clear, and I was introduced to some amazing works that I agreed held a lot of potential. So, always happy to experiment with the design of my course and the materials I use, I took the leap and settled on Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood as the final text for my spring lit/comp courses.

When I began Satrapi's book (the first in a series of four), I was immediately struck by her narrative voice, and the familiar-yet-alien culture in which she grew up. My own experience with graphic novels is limited to a few flops ("classics," The Watchmen, and a few others), and a few successes (most memorably Fun Home), and so I approach her text primarily as a student of the genre. I found the book to be thought-provoking and moving, as well as informative. The stark illustrations are as captivating as they are simple, and provide food for thought on the equality (or lack thereof) of human existence.

In the end, I am very satisfied with my choice, and I look forward to discussing the work in the classroom in April.



*I actually presented at this conference on the response of English faculty to social networking and the evolution of the language as influenced by technology. It was a great experience, and I'm building on my arguments for a second conference next week.

98.
Author: Terry Pratchett
Title: Snuff
publication: Hardback
Pages:
Genre: Fantasy/Satire
Acquisition: Preordered
Date: December 26, 2011
Rating: *****

Snuff by Terry Pratchett is a novel of evolution: Vimes evolving, culture evolving, and Pratchett evolving. Featuring an older, more diplomatic Samuel Vimes, Snuff does not attempt to stick to maintain, but rather to accept the changes that time brings. While this is presented most obviously in the world's acceptance of goblins as a people, this is also evident in Vimes's own approach to the crimes he sees, the shift in how others perceive Vimes, and the way in which Pratchett himself tells the story. While not the humorous satire that I've come to expect of the series, I still enjoyed Pratchett's masterful storytelling, and his commentary on our own society.

99.
Author: Laini Taylor, et al.
Title: Lips Touch: Three Times
publication: Kindle
Pages:
Genre: Teen Paranormal Romance
Acquisition:
Date: December 26, 2011
Rating: ***

Lips Touch: Three Times is a collection of three supernatural "romances," each exploring the consequences of a single kiss; at least, that's what the product description suggests. Only one story truly follows this pattern, with the other two loosely weaving in an element of romance used to justify the artistic title. In the end, the book contains three very different works, with varying levels of success. This is a collection to which each reader will respond differently, and so the ultimate quality of the work will rely primarily on the reader's expectations. From my own point of view, the stories were nothing groundbreaking, and did little to hold my interest, but will likely satisfy the expectations of the new audience for the genre.

97.
Author: Suzanne Collins
Title: The Hunger Games
publication: Kindle
Pages:
Genre: dystopian
Acquisition:
Date: December 20, 2011
Rating: *****

Recently, my partner and I were in a book store, and he turned to me and said, "The Hunger Games - that's a classic, isn't it?" And because the title has been floating around my subconscious for an untold length of time I frown and say, "Well, I think so." Some books are like that for us - we'll hear a title a number of times, until we tend to think it's much older and more relevant than it is.

Although The Hunger Games isn't actually "a classic," it is certainly poised to be. Collins takes traditional dystopian tropes and melds them into something both horrifying and enthralling. More compelling than 1984, more horrifying than Fahrenheit 451, and more sympathetic than Ender's Game, Collins manages to take a weave a story that, while not original, remains with the reader more than those of her predecessors. This strength lies in the development of her strong protagonist - Katniss - and the pure humanity that Katniss brings to the narrative.

96.
Author: Joan Aiken
Title: Eliza's Daughter
publication: Kindle
Pages:
Genre: historical fiction
Acquisition: Free on Austen's birthday
Date: December 14, 2011
Rating: ****

Perhaps it is due to the fact that I am less familiar with the source material for Joan Aiken's Eliza's Daughter, but I found the novel to be much more enjoyable than many other Austen sequels I have read. The story is largely conscious of the restrictions of the time period, and develops a story that is believable in such a context. I found the narrator compelling, if not always sympathetic, and enjoyed watching her blossom from a discarded child to a capable woman - not an easy feat in Regency England.

95.
Author: Melissa Febos
Title: Whip Smart
publication: paperback
Pages:
Genre: Memoir
Acquisition: Couldn't resist
Date: December 11, 2011
Rating: ****

When Melissa Febos worked as a dominatrix in a dungeon in New York City she enjoyed casually naming her job for the shock factor of such a revelation; just naming her occupation in unsuspecting company gave her the sense of power that draws her to the job in the first place. The title of her memoir - Whip Smart - seems to serve much the same purpose: it's more for shock value than a true advertisement of the details of the memoir.

Yes, Febos worked as a dominatrix for several years, and her memoir details her interactions with some clients, her relationships with her coworkers, and the way her business influenced her personal life. But more poignant than her occupation - and of greater concern to the memoir - is Febos's drug abuse during her rather tumultuous undergraduate years and her subsequent recovery.

In a way, the "shock value" of the title worked - I, for one, am more likely to purchase a memoir detailing the experiences of a counter-culture figure than that of another drug-addicted college student. However, Febos easily pieces together the details of this time in her life with what appears to be blunt honesty, and it is her narrative voice that ultimately renders this memoir effective.

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy memoirs in general, to those who wish to read an interestingly candid discussion of recovery from heroine addiction (without the gospel), and, yes, to those interested in an anthropological discussion of subversive sexual culture.