SEPTEMBER ROUNDUP

I didn't post a whole lot in September, so I'll try and throw in a few mini-reviews while I give all the stats...

I read 4 books in September (well, I actually finished the 4th book yesterday but I had read 300 pages of its 375 or so by Sunday night, so I'm counting it completed), bringing my total to 29 for the year. That still puts me behind the pace of reaching 40 for the year but I still have 3 months left.

First up was Falling Man by Don DeLillo. It was the first DeLillo I've read and it's a quieter book focusing on what happens to a family when a man walks out of one of the Twin Towers on 9/11. I read this right around the anniversary of that event and I found it very moving.

Next came Spaceman Blues by Brian Francis Slattery. It's the story of a man's search for his missing lover and the various people he came in concact with. Slattery writes with a joy of words and ideas and it is a very very good book.

I followed that with an even better book, Junot Diaz's The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. It's the story of a 300 pound Dominican who is a total geek and the curse on his family. It jumps back and forth in time; is written in a melange of English, Spanish, and geek reference; is full of humor and heartache and history lessons; and is well deserving of all the praise in has received.

Finally, I read Chris Roberson's Set the Seas on Fire. It's the story of Hieronymous Bonaventure, who was also featured in Paragaea (to which this new novel is a prequel of sorts). Bonaventure is first lieutenant on a ship romaing the seas hunting bandits and a storm blows them off-course and lands them on an island paradise for a time. Eventually, he faces down some demons on yet another island. The books is incredibly readable and very entertaining. I now need to read the rest of Roberson's work, sooner than later.

I read 20 stories in September, doubling the number from August (I also abandoned 1 story). These stories came from two issues of Asimov's and one issue of F&SF (I start October with a double issue of each to read and a further issue of Asimov's). The story total for the year is at 145.

I read only 2 comics in September - Justice Society of America #9 and Booster Gold #2. After purchasing those two, I've decided to go back to only trades as I don't want to commit a certain portion of my small entertainment budget each month to a handful of comics. It will free me up to pick up a trade when I really want it. Speaking of trades, that number is still at 23 on the year; the comics total is at 109.

I got 10 CDs in September, all of which were downloads (one courtesy of my brother and another from Aquarium Drunkard). I have already deleted one of the downloads but my new CD total stands at 82 for the year.

Movies? Nope. Still 14 on the year.

DVDs? I stopped keeping track of those again. I did watch some extras from Blades of Glory and Grant and I did some of The Simpsons Season 9. I watched Children of Men, which I liked a lot, and Jill and I watched Knocked Up the other night (her first time, my second). That's about it.