Books.

Dear reader. It would at this point probably be fair to make it absolutely clear, if you hadn’t already picked that up, that there is more than one person in charge of this website. There are, in fact, two of us, although my colleague has been responsible for the majority of the other posts. (He gets rather easily excited. I apologize.) I did, however, do the list of useful Mac applications. That was me. And you are welcome. I also did the one on how to make awesome-looking folders on your Mac. But don’t worry. I will be talking about more things, over time, than simply how to customize a Mac.

I’d like to make it absolutely clear that we have rather different interests, my colleague and I. Of course we have many things in common. But many things, sadly, we do not. I am, for example, not a math-head. I am a bookworm. I’ve been a bookworm since I first learned to read, and I rather enjoy it. I do, however, have an astounding list of books that I have yet to read. This has presented itself as something of a problem, since
a) interesting books and comics just keep coming to my local library
b) I live near a shop that stocks exactly the kind of books that interest me just by looking at the title
and
c) I am a student, and as such have my hands quite full with essays, schoolbooks and other drab and dull things.

This list of books is, therefore, only getting longer. And as time passes, I remember books that I own and have already read, but really, really ought to read again sometime soon. And since I apparently have nothing better to do at the moment (like, oh I don’t know, the schoolwork I was complaining to you about) I have decided to share this constantly expanding list with you. Most of these books I own, but have not found the time to read yet. Here we go.



List of books I’m going to read sooner or later.

Anonymous Rex - Eric Garcia
This is the book I’m reading at the moment. I saw it at my local library, and I just had to. Why? Because it’s about an underground society of dinosaurs living among us, that’s why! I mean, how cool is that? Holy crap! It’s a detective novel, too! And the detective, Vincent Rubio, is a freaking raptor! It’s so awesome. It’s really quite a cool story, as well. It’s not just a one-gag book. It manages to be really entertaining, and flat out funny at times, and you actually sort of start buying the concept of there being cleverly disguised dinosaurs walking the streets of New York.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - Jane Austin & Seth Grahame-Smith
Do I really have to explain to you why I’m reading this book? I’ve read 5 chapters so far, and I love it!

Momo - Michael Ende
This book is by the autor of Neverending Story, and on its cover it has a drawing of a homeless little girl holding a turtle that has the words “follow me” written on its shell, in the middle of an ampitheatre. I couldn’t not buy it.

The New Vampire’s Handbook - Various authors
I’ve read maybe half of this book so far, and it has many interesting tips on how to survive in modern times without being revealed as a vampire. It’s really quite cool, but the handbook-y effect can get rather annoying at times. (If you read the book, you’ll know what I’m talking about.)

I Am Nujoud, Age 10 and Divorced - Nojoud Ali & Delphine Minoui
I got this for Christmas last year. It’s the story of Nujoud, a little girl from Yemen, that was married off against her will, and her husband was abusive. She managed, through a whole lot of trouble (to say the least), to get a divorce. This is a very, very interesting story that I cannot wait to read.

Six Suspects - Vikas Swarup
This book is by the author of the well-known Q&A, on which Slumdog Millionare was based. This is a sort of middle-eastern Agatha Christie novel, with a murder at a party, and six people with a motive. I’ve read Q&A and loved it, and I enjoy detective novels a lot. So I think I’ll really like this book.

The Good Fairies of New York - Martin Millar
I got this at a sale at Nexus, the only store in Iceland that caters exclusively to nerds and dorks. It has comics, books, DVD’s, roleplaying games and also awesome merchandise. (Needless to say, it is my mecca.) It cost me practically no money at all, and it’s about fairies. In New York. And you know, I’m one of those people that really enjoys it when mythical creatures are... refreshed, so to speak. Given a modern shine. I really, really liked Shrek, for example. And a concept like that, when executed well, can be really clever, charming and funny. And you know what convinced me? The fact that the introduction is by Neil Gaiman. He’s also quoted on the back cover, saying “Read it now, and then make your friends buy their own copies. You’ll thank me someday.” He’s a great author, and if he says it’s great I believe him.

The Salmon of Doubt, The Long Dark Tea-time of the Soul & Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency - Douglas Adams
I absolutely adore Douglas Adams, the author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. These books are not from that series. Two of them are about Dirk Gently, the detective, and one is a collection of short stories. When I found these books in Nexus, and realised they weren’t terribly expensive, I just had to buy them.

Brisingr - Christopher Paolini
This is the last book in the Eragon trilogy. And here’s the thing: I can’t read a book from a series without reading the earlier parts first! So I can’t read this book until I’ve read the other two again. I really enjoyed Eragon and Eldest, but they’re not the kind of books that you can read in a single evening, if you know what I mean. So I probably won’t read this until sometime next summer.

Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox - Eoin Colfer
I have the same problem with this book as I do with Brisingr; I just can’t read it without reading the others first! As a kid, I loved Artemis Fowl, and it may even be partially responsible for my love of mythical creatures in a modern environment. If you don’t know the series (blasphemy!) it’s about a young boy named Artemis Fowl. He is a criminal genious, and spends his days trying to steal from elves. The elves, of course, fight back. It’s a brilliant concept, and I love this series.

The whole Twilight series - Stephanie Meyer
Before the haters start screaming, shush. Read what I have to say. I read Twilight, and I neither loved nor hated it. It was alright. Rather entertaining. It wasn’t a brilliant book, but in no way was it awful. This series has gotten a lot of bad rep, but it has also been praised. And you know, I don’t think it’s fair to take a stand either way without first having read the books. I’d also like to make it clear that yes, I saw the movie from the first book, and in my opinion it was terrible. The book was a masterpiece by comparison.

The entire Jane Austen Collection - Jane Austen (du’h)
I’ve had this huge, beautiful book with all the Jane Austen novels for about two years, and I still haven’t gotten ‘round to reading it! I think it’s because the book is so huge that I can’t really take it anywhere. I can’t even read it in bed. I have to sit on a chair in front of a table or a desk to be able to read it. I’ve read Pride & Prejudice, and I really think I aught to read the rest.

Uglies, Pretties, Specials & Extras - Scott Westerfield
When I was a kid, maybe thirteen or fourteen years old, I read the first book in this series. I loved the concept. It happens in a futuristic society where plastic surgery has become such a huge part of the society that everyone has a massive surgery at age sixteen. Before that, they are considered “Uglies” and live in a seperate town. The book tells the story of Tally Youngblood, an Ugly that gets acquainted with an underground society of people that don’t want to have the surgeries. It’s a fascinating book, and I loved it in every way but one: the Icelandic translation was crap. A few days ago I found out that a friend of mine has all the books in English. She told me she was willing to lend them to me when I had time to read them, so I’m very excited.

All the Discworld novels - Terry Pratchett
It’s a brilliant series, and I’ve read quite a few of them, but I’d really like to read them all in the correct order. If you’re not familiar with it, the books are not always about the same characters, and what they all have in common is that they live in alternate universe called the Discworld. It’s a giant disc carried by four huge elephants, that are standing on the back of a giant turtle called Great A’Tuin. The Discworld has many things in common with earth, apart from the fact that it’s magical. Pratchett uses this brilliant, original world as a mirrow to our own, showing us redicculous things that we don’t really notice until someone points them out.

List of books that I own, and have read, but really must read again soon.

The Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling
Okay, so I know I don’t have to explain this series to you. It’s freakin’ Harry Potter, for crying out loud. And I think it’s time for me to read all the books through again.

The entire Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
I’ve already told you how much I love Douglas Adams. These books are completely hilarious, the idea is wonderful and they’re so well written that these books are just a complete treat for anyone with a sense of humour that likes to read. If you haven’t read at least the first book yet, I suggest you do. Since there was a movie made most people are familiar with the concept, but if you are not, it’s about Arthur Dent, an earth-man suddenly thrown out of his comfort zone when planet earth explodes and he survives.

 Wicked is the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, from her point of view. We follow her story from before she was born until after she dies, from the troubles she went through on the playground to dying by the hand of Dorothy. We really begin to sympathize with her. Son of a Witch follows the story of a young boy who may or may not be her son. I recently found out that there is a third novel, A Lion Among Men. I’m dying to read it.



There. That’s my list. I just might add to this list sooner or later, because interesting books just keep popping up around me!

Stay classy,
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