Home Sweet Own Book 41

Merry Thanksgivukkah to all and to all a good night! For Holiday I read The Dreaded Feast, an anthology in the broadest sense of the word. 

Feast had fictional stories, essays, and even one theological argument. One was an essay from the 2000s followed by a short story from the 1950s followed by the theological bit from the 1600s and let’s throw in some Bukowski and Sedaris for good measure.

It felt incredibly disjointed. More set-up or background going in would have been helpful. I had to figure out what was and wasn’t fiction and what took place when solely from reading. The first third was essays so randomly switching to fiction didn't help. When the material only has one thing holding it together the transitions are rough.

There were a few gems for me. Why I Love Christmas by John Waters, A Fruitcake Theory by Calvin Trillin, Home for the Holidays by Chris Radant, The Madonna of Turkey Season by Jay McInerny, Christmas Carol by Lewis Lapham, Christmas Shopping by Dave Barry, and Santa Responds.

1) Fiction – A Once Crowded Sky by Tom King

2) Nonfiction – The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett

3) Sci-Fi – Redshirts by John Scalzi

4) Fantasy – The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde

5) Mystery – Book of Lies by Brad Meltzer

6) Horror – Call of the Jersey Devil by Aurelio Voltaire

7) Memoir/Biography – Data, A Love Story by Amy Webb

8) Chick Lit – Me and Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter

9) Feminist – Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan

10) Teen – What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

11) Holiday – The Dreaded Feast edited by Michele Clarke and Taylor Plimpton

12) Essays – What Was I Thinking? ed. by Barbara Davilman & Liz Dubelman

13) Short Stories – Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman

14) Library – I Love Him to Pieces by Evonne Tsang and Janina Gorrissen

15) Animal – Puppy Kisses Are Good for the Soul by Howard Weinstein

16) Book about Books – Judging a Book By Its Lover by Lauren Leto

17) New – Pitch Perfect by Mickey Rapkin

18) Old – Dark and Stormy Knights edited by P. N. Elrod

19) Pop Science – Why Men Fake It by Abraham Morgentaler, MD

20) Near – Lust, Lies, and Love Over Lunch by Krista White

21) Far – Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi

22) Graphic Novel – Love and Capes: Do You Want to Know a Secret? by Thomas F. Zahler

23) Reread – Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

24) Wild Card – Altared edited by Colleen Curran

25) Otherworldly Creature – Those Who Fight Monsters edited by Justin Gustianis

26) Free – Point Your Face at This by Demetri Martin

27) Noteworthy – The Woman Who Died A Lot by Jasper Fforde

28) Bestseller – How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran

29) Themed Anthology – Red edited by Kris Goldsmith

30) Steampunk – The Immersion Book of Steampunk edited by Gareth Jones and Carmelo Rafala

31) Movie-Book – One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

32) Media – Doctor Who: Touched By an Angel by Jonathan Morris

33) Travel – Love with a Chance of Drowning by Torre DeRoche

34) Food – Spiced by Dalia Jurgensen

35) Classic – Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

36) Humor – Sleep Talkin’ Man by Karen Slavick-Lennar

37) Poetry

38) Past – Stasiland by Anna Funde

39) Future – Go to Hell by Pab Sungenis

40) Dystopia/Post-Apocalyptic – Diverse Energies edited by Tobias Buckell & Joe Monti

41) Zombie – FUBAR, Volume 2: Empire of the Rising Dead

42) Sports – Red Rising by Ted Starkey

Only one more book to go! So close I can taste it.

Music: Wish List by Neon Trees