by Charles Bukowski
Started: October 7, 2011
Finished: October 12, 2011
95% gorgeous writing, 5% stinkers. The lack of proper capitalization reeks a bit of pretentiousness. 238 pages. Grade: A
***
Whistle
by James Jones
Started: October 6, 2011
Finished: October 11, 2011
A war novel about cunnilingus. This is the weak sister of Jones' WWII trilogy but it was still a worthwhile read overall. 457 pages. Grade: B
***
Big Shots: The Men Behind the Booze--The Real-Life Stories of Jack Daniels, Captain Morgan, Jim Beam, and Many More
by A.J. Baime
Started: October 11, 2011
Finished: October 13, 2011
Entertaining short histories of many of the most popular liquors in today's world. Being in the restaurant and bar business I learned a lot that I can use in real life from this quick read. 161 pages. Grade: A-
***
Wonder Boys
by Michael Chabon
Started: October 13, 2011
Finished: October 18, 2011
Sort of a 1990s Americanized version of a Kingsley Amis novel. Very funny, very sharp writing. 368 pages. Grade: A+
***
Elmer McCurdy: The Misadventures in Life and Afterlife of an American Outlaw
by Mark Svenvold
Started: October 13, 2011
Finished: October 23, 2011
Some interesting tidbits in this true story about a mummified train robber but I don't know if there was really enough story here to carry a whole book. I found myself getting bored while reading this. 279 pages. Grade: C+
***
Total # of books read in 2011: 121
Total # of pages read in 2011: 34,783
