Books I read in 2014

Maybe mark this one as TL;DR. A belated post of the books I read in 2014. A fairly short list as I spend so much time watching movies (I also dabble in a little bit of work and family time when I can). I'm usually listening to a book during commutes and reading actual books in fits and starts. Let me know what you've read and what you've thought. An asterisk (*) by the title denotes those I've read before.

• Stranger In a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
• A crazy read. I've never read Robert Heinlein before and this is not what I was expecting. It's not really a literary experience, which is what I was hoping for, but instead is an exploration, using a sci-fi scenario, to see what a human being without any human acculturation would do in human society thrown in cold turkey. Michael Smith, the man from mars as he becomes known in the book, was born on Mars and raised by martians - a wholly different species of beings with an advanced culture that see the world completely differently. I didn't really enjoy the structure of the book, per se, but I did find it extremely interesting to think about what sort of truth comes out when you accept cultural differences and open your mind to completely different formats for traditional cultural institutions.
• Through this situation Heinlein turns the understood concepts of religion, love, sex, marriage, and money, among others (even cannibalism - what?!?), on their head. Much of it can seem really jarring, especially because the way it's portrayed and explained in detail (that is, the philosophy of each of those things - no graphic sex, etc.) convinces me that Heinlein legitimately wants people to consider these things - he's not just trying to entertain or make the reader feel an emotion. A quick perusal of his wikipedia page will confirm he believed and may have lived some of the interesting things he is putting out there. I found a few things interestingly in line with my own faith. Mormonism (along with many, many other -isms) is mentioned several times and certain structures of the story match the Mormon origin story - but most of them only in agreement with certain theoretical concepts. Michael Smith, by the end of the story, takes a viewpoint of religion very much like Pi from Life of Pi (ie, the truth in all religions and thought, the desire to want to live all religions) except with a more definite standpoint supported by evidence within the story.
• It was written in the 60's and it feels like the 60's. It's a futuristic story and there are some interesting predictions that are actually relatively true, although many that just seem corny based on the rate that different technologies and sociological functions have evolved (commercial advertisements, for one). A pretty long book.
• Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden
• I listened to this as an audiobook read by the author. A pretty amazing read. The escape is really not the most exciting part of the book, though it is astounding how truly lucky he was. Like a drop through a leak he just happened to make it out of both the prison camp and then out of the country with very little planning or street smarts. His story shines a light, through an individual example, of the worst of what is happening in North Korea. It seems shameful that the rest of the world hasn't done more after decades and decades of Nazi-level treatment of hundreds and thousands (now numbering millions through the years).
• It also provides an insight in to what a truly alien experience is like. He was someone with no knowledge of the outsides world. He hadn't been taught that the world was flat and had barely even heard of life outside the camp within North Korea, let alone the rest of the planet. It compares to Stranger in a Strange Land in that regard but that sci-fi story pales in its ability to movingly relate that experience compared to this. 
• Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut
• There are a lot of great things about this book. I like the general premise and the way Vonnegut writes himself into the story- it's obviously an autobiographical reflection. It's similar in style to the Spike Jonze/Charlie Kaufman film Adaptation. He does what he says he's going to at the start: get out all the garbage characters and plot lines he has banging around his head in one book. There is an overabundance of characters and the standard Vonnegut style is there, but it doesn't deliver as much humorous or emotional impact as he has proven he can do in other stories.
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
• A worthy classic. Definitely read it. It didn't leave me floored but I really appreciate how she sticks to her guns no matter what. Check out the 2011 film adaptation starring Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender, which was what inspired me to read the book.

• The Descendents by Kaui Hart Hemmings
• Another book I read after watching the movie. A Hawaiian-born lawyer's wife is in a coma when he finds out she was cheating on him. He has to work through his feelings while dealing with his two daughters and surrounding friends and family whilst in the middle of making a big decision on his family's heritage: a huge parcel of land for which he is the sole decider on whether or not to sell to corporate developers or keep it pristinely untouched. Needless to say, the different challenges inform each other. I love a story where a character has to work towards forgiveness.
• American Gods by Neil Gaiman
• Read my full review. This book is all about Gaiman's interpretation of America as a conglomeration of belief. The best representation of this comes in a speech by one of the book's best characters, Samantha Black Crow. Known by fans of the book as the "I believe" speech, it reflects a culture that can paradoxically believe in many hypocritical maxims with sincerity. Read the speech here.
• The Giver* by Lois Lowry
• I wanted to revisit this before the movie came out. I never ended up watching the movie because the trailer looked terrible and reviews confirmed that it is a huge departure from the story. The book was as good as ever. What? You haven't read it?! Get to work!
• Call of the Wild by Jack London, and...
• White Fang by Jack London
• Read my review of both Call of the Wild and White Fang. These might be my favorite reads from last year. They really inspire me to want to live in the moment and find the things that gets me into my "flow," as I've heard it called.
• Ender's Game: Alive by Orson Scott Card
• I listened to this and it was enjoyable. It doesn't count as reading the book, so don't listen to this unless you've read the book. As a huge Ender's Game fan that is my recommendation to you. This is an Audioplay - a play in audio form. There is no narrator and there is music and sound effects (i.e. foley artists making the sound of feet walking, lasers firing, etc., in order to take care of some of the setting and exposition).
• As a fan of the book, it is fun to listen to, but just not as good as the book. It adds things that are not in the book. It expands on some of the teacher conversations. It has whole new scenes. It has explanations on things that didn't have explanations before, and that might be different from what you would have assumed or expected, based on the book. It is really Orson Scott Card's interpretation, today, of his own story. On his website (hatrack.com) you can find a video introduction explaining the existence of this audioplay. In it he says he thinks it's the most definitive, truest version of the story - or something along those lines. It's not. It misses the mark, mostly because without the narrator and without getting inside Ender's head, you just miss some of greatest parts of Ender's Game (like the mediocre movie adaptation). Also, certain sequences are reduced, like the entire section from Ender's first army assignment in Battle School and especially his rising up the ranks as commander of Dragon Army. Don't get me wrong, many of the best bits from those parts are necessary and included, but you don't delve into that part of the book as deeply.
• The best new addition, however, is Major Jayadi. She is a psychologist and often takes the place of Major Anderson (although he still has mostly his full role) in the one-on-one conversations with Col. Graff, discussing Ender. Maybe its just her British accent, but she provides an expanded opportunity for Col. Graff to expound on why he's doing what he's doing with Ender. Another reason not to listen to this if you haven't read the book is that the ending is revealed in a different way and doesn't have as much of an impact as the book. Read below if you don't mind spoilers.
• **SPOILER ALERT** Of course, the emotional climax comes for Ender at the end when he realizes all of the battles at Command School with his Jeesh were real. Leading up to that, in the book, you have no idea. Not so in this version. You may not exactly get the whole concept, because I don't think its ever explicitly stated, but you would know they weren't fighting in our solar system and that the "simulations" are real. It's interesting in that you get some more of the conversations between Mazer Rackham and Col. Graff, but you also miss out on the reveal.
• The Old Man and the Sea* by Ernest Hemingway
• A top 5 all-time book for me. Similarly to the Jack London books, it's very visceral and symbolic and grounded in nature. It's a very short read and is his best so don't hesitate to pick it up.

• Harry Potter 1-7* by JK Rowling
• We were doing a long road trip and for those I often prefer familiar books that I know I'll want to keep listening to. We got through 3.5 books on the trip and I just kept listening. Jim Dale as reader is truly the definitive voice of the Harry Potter series.
• Master & Commander by Patrick O'Brian
• Just the best historical fiction you can find. If there is any chance you enjoy British naval battles, are interested in life as a sailor, want to learn about being a physician during the late 1700's-early 1800's, like the idea of starting a long series, or enjoyed the Master and Commander movie (starring Russell Crowe) you should give this a try. It's a bit of a hurdle to overcome the sailing lingo, which is very heavy (get the book A Sea of Words to help with this), but once you do you feel like you can speak a whole new language.
• A Sea of Words by Dean King
• This book is basically a glossary of terms relating to ships, sailing, and the navy as per the Aubrey/Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian. If you are interested in the English Navy during the Napoleonic Wars it might be of interest to you, otherwise I recommend it only as a pre-read and continuing reference book while you read the O'Brian books.
• I started the first book in the series years ago after watching the great film Master and Commander: Far Side of the World (dir. Peter Weir) which is now one of my favorite movies. I quickly was overwhelmed with the terminology to the point that I couldn't go on without getting more info. I got a recommendation for this book and finally ordered it for $4 on amazon - it was money well spent! 
• There are about 75 pages at the front of the book that give an overview of the structure of the navy and its fleet, the history of the Napoleonic Wars from about 1785-1815, as well as the basics of naval medicine and illustrations of sails, rigging, and a variety of boats/ships mentioned in the series. That gave me a great foundation to start the book and as I go through the first installment in the series I refer often (sometimes every paragraph) to the glossary. You could potentially skip over many terms if constantly referring to this book becomes annoying, but I figure that by looking at everything I can now I will more easily shed the need to look up all these terms as I progress through the series - which I am really enjoying! Beyond just ship/sailing terminology, it is a reference for all the colloquial and cultural terms and I would say try looking up even words you think you know because you'll find that at the time they may have had different meanings.
• Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
• I was first introduced to Neil Gaiman through The Graveyard Book and have been reading through his bibliography hoping to find the magic of that book but I never quite seem to reach it. Neverwhere was a good book. It is a modern-day fantasy set in London that takes us, through the eyes of Richard Mayhew - an every-man character - to London Below, a fantastical underworld to the more ho-hum reality of London Above. I think fantasy lovers will really get into it, and I did, but there were so many obvious plot points that I got a little bored at times. There are plenty of great moments as well and some fantasy elements that are great ideas, like the main character Door, who has the power to open or create doors that normally aren't easily opened. I listened to this and so enjoyed Neil Gaiman's perfect narration performance, which ameliorated the experience.

• Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
• A great and lengthy summation of a whole lot of fallacies in our common thinking, laid out with moderation and understanding as well as a good explanation as to the two main types of thinking our brain does and how to notice them.
• Farewell, My Subaru by Doug Fine
• I'm not a staunch environmentalist by any means but sustainability seems like a no-brainer. What do I do about it personally? Mandated recycling. I try to use just one paper towel. I recently bought some long-lasting lightbulbs because of the government-mandated retiring of traditional incandescents. What else? Well Doug Fine went the whole way and tells the story of how he did it. The writing is easy, engaging, and funny and it made me want to do more. Great read.