NOVEMBER 2009
Pig Bites Baby edited by Michael Connor
More Macabre Miscellany by Geoffrey Abbott
Mysteries of the Human Body by Gordon Thomas
Adultery For Adults by Joyce Peterson & Marilyn Mercer
Savage Sex by Craig Scott
Curious Obsessions by Rachael Kohn
OCTOBER 2009
Execution by Geoffrey Abbott (I’m not recommending this book as the descriptions of the different methods of execution used through the ages are sickening. Impossible to say which method was the most barbaric but the True Gibbet, the Scaphismus and the Spanish Donkey were absolutely horrific. And to think people used to watch executions for entertainment….. perhaps television isn’t so bad after all)
The Erotomaniac by Ian Gibson (Sadly, not nearly as interesting as it sounds)
Adam’s Navel by Michael Sims
Come Hither by Gloria Brame
Not Quite Winning by Ken Harris
Sex in Films by Parker Tyler
Museum of Hoaxes by Alex Boese (The website in book form)
Great Mysteries of the World by John Pinkney
Manners From Heaven by Quentin Crisp (I love Quentin’s advice, highly recommended)
SEPTEMBER 2009
The Encyclopedia of London Crime and Vice by Fergus Linnane
Reverend Guppy’s Aquarium by Philip Dodd
The Best American Science Writing 2003 edited by Oliver Sacks
The Velocity of Honey by Jay Ingram
Will it be Funny Tomorrow Billy? by Stephen Cummings
Science’s Strangest Inventions by Tom Quinn
Supersense by Bruce Hood
The First Cuckoo (Letters to The Times since 1900)
20th Century Characters by Duncan Fallowell
The Book of Lists by David Wallechinsky and Amy Wallace
Eccentrics by Dr David Weeks and Jamie James
AUGUST 2009
Lonely Planet Unpacked by Tony Wheeler and others (Disappointing. I’ve read much better writing on amateur blogs)
Spook by Mary Roach (I love her writing – so funny and informative)
More Than Petticoats by Lynn Bragg
Will Storr vs. The Supernatural by Will Storr (Also a funny book but not quite as good as Mary Roach’s. It’s a shame I read them so close together, it wasn’t intentional)
Trading in Memories by Barbara Hodgson (I loved The Sensualist and this book is every bit as beautiful and as fascinating. The photos are gorgeous)
Body Reading by Ojha & Ojha
Breath by Tim Winton (Loved it – thanks Sexwax for sending it to me)
The Call of the Weird by Louis Theroux (I’ve had a secret crush on Louis since watching his television series Weird Weekends. This book followed up on some of the people featured in the series. It’s thoughtful, funny and serious, just like him *sigh*)
Banned by James Cockingham (Tales from the bizarre history of Australian obscenity)
JULY 2009
Private View by Alexandra Connor
To Have and To Hold by Philipp Blom. A fascinating account of collectors through the ages
Working Stiff by Grant Stoddart. He’s cute, funny and self deprecating. What’s not to like?
The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby. Damn you Nick, now I’ve got a list a mile long of books I need to read
We Thought YouWould Be Prettier by Laurie Notaro
One Hand Jerking by Paul Krassner
Orgy Planner Wanted by Vicki Leon
Bedlam – London and its Mad by Catharine Arnold
Let Them Eat Flax by Dr Joe Schwarcz
JUNE 2009
No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July (Please read this book of short stories by the writer/director of You and Me and Everyone We Know. It’s simply fabulous)
Buenas Noches Buenos Aires by Gilbert Adair
Bullock Hearts by Ken Harris
Superior Person’s 2nd Little Book of Words by Peter Bowler. I’m a big fan of Mr Bowler, have read four of his books and now I see he’s got another new one on the bookshelves I’ll have to acquire. Expect to read posts about didymitis, gerontocomiums and obsolagnium at the Gimcrack soon.
The Great Psychedelic Armadillo Picnic by Kinky Friedman. This book makes me want to go to Austin Texas so I can hang out at Threadgill’s
What’s Your Sexual IQ? by Eve Marx. I narrowly missed out on achieving “sexpert” status. Instead I’m a “middlesexer”. Obviously I’m not doing enough homework.
Rolling Away by Lynn Marie Smith
Her Mother’s Daughter by Linda Carroll. This is the memoir of Courtney Love’s mother. Can’t say I empathised with Linda too much though I’m sure Courtney was a handful. Maybe Linda got what she deserved, self absorption seems to run in the family.
Conned by James Morton and Hilary Bateson
In the Danger Zone by Stefan Gates. Great stories about how the rest of the world finds their food. A companion to the television series, but with much more detail.
MAY 2009
How Animals Have Sex by Gideon Defoe (This little book is hilarious and informative and Gideon Defoe is HOT
Jewels by Victoria Finlay (Almost as good as her fabulous book Colours)
Headless Males Make Great Lovers by Marty Crump
They All Laughed by Ira Flatow
Quirkology by Richard Wiseman
Bonk by Mary Roach. My new favourite non-fiction writer. Now I have to read her other two books Stiff and Spook
The Body’s Edge by Marc Lappe
Put What Where? by John Naish. I’ve covered most of this bizarre sex advice already in several different posts but it would make fun reading for anyone who’s new here and hasn’t seen the illustrated Gimcrack versions.
How Sex Works by Dr. Sharon Moalem. Last year I read this author’s riveting first book, Survival of the Sickest. His second book is equally good, full of information about esoteric sex studies and theories on the importance of smell when choosing a lover.
APRIL 2009
Wild Thoughts from Wild Places by David Quammen (Written by a man’s man, he makes me want to try white water rafting and a host of other things. Maybe not conservation hunting, but he does present another side to the argument which is well presented)
The Cause of Mosquitoes’ Sorrow by Surendra Verma
Cemetery Stories by Katherine Ramsland
A Traveller’s Life by Eric Newby. (Another pretty old book, but Eric Newby is one of the best travel writers ever. Highly entertaining stories)
Cowboys are my Weakness by Pam Houston (I’ve read this wonderful book before but I picked it up again after finishing Wild Thoughts from Wild Places (see above). I am convinced that one of the men in these stories is David Quammen. If not, then he should be. Would love to talk to soneone else who’s read both these authors)
MARCH 2009
Goodbye Culinary Cringe by Cherry Ripe (Even though this book is about 16 years old, Cherry Ripe’s food writing is still wonderfully readable)
Best American Science Writing 2007 edited by Gina Kolata & Jesse Cohen. (Another excellent book of scientific essays)
Lies, Deep Fries and Statistics: Essays introduced by Robyn Williams
Secrets of Science by Graham Phillips
Sex, Drugs & DNA by Michael Stebbins
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates (I LOVE this book)
The Easter Parade by Richard Yates
Eleven Kinds of Loneliness by Richard Yates
Incredible Phenomena introduced by Brian Inglis
FEBRUARY 2009
Brainiac by Ken Jennings (Great fun all about trivia and Jeopardy!)
The King’s English by Kingsley Amis. (Hilarious and serious, makes you think twice before attempting to pronounce even the simplest words)
Best American Science & Nature Writing edited by Brian Greene (Some really interesting essays. Can’t pretend to have understood them all but there were at least a dozen that were truly inspiring)
Discarded Science by John Grant (Another fascinating science book)
Left Hand Turn Around the World by David Wolman
In the Know by Nancy MacDonell
JANUARY 2009
Identical Strangers by Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein (Fascinating book about twin girls who were separately adopted as infants and only discovered each other as adults. Very highly recommended. As an adoptee I loved it and now really wish I’d had a twin too.)
Coffin Nails and Tombstone Trails by Nick Wood
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Notes of an Anatomist by F. Gonzalez-Crussi
Every Man’s Book of Superstitions by Christine Chaundler
The Border by Elaine Feinstein
Slumdog Millionaire by Vikas Swarup
That Takes the Cake by R Brasch
The Outcast by Sadie Jones (A Christmas gift from my mother which I really enjoyed. Beautiful writing and so sad. My heart always aches for little boys who are unloved)
Secret Sex Lives of the Rich and Famous by Andrea Love (Almost as tacky as it sounds but I did like the chapter on 18th century French courtesans)
Wordsmanship by Claurene du Gran
The Word Museum by Jeffrey Kacirk
DECEMBER
The Man with No Endorphins by James Gorman (If you like Oliver Sacks’ writing, you’ll love James Gorman. As the blurb on the back cover says, “Totally irrelevant, irreverent and highly recommended”)
A Cabinet of Medical Curiosities by Jan Bondeson
Cowgirls, Cockroaches & Celebrity Lingerie by Michelle Lovric
Anatomy of Nakedness by Paul Ableman
The Past of Pastimes by Vernon Bartlett
Not Without a Chaperone by Cecil Porter (This book is an hilarious look at manners in Edwardian times. Expect to see excerpts at the Gimcrack)
The Gift of Travel edited by Habegger and O’Reilly (Collection of travellers tales, some of which were excellent, especially No Distance in the Heart by Thom Elkjer)
Julie and Julia by Julie Powell (I had no idea this was a book by a blogger when I picked it up but it only added to my enjoyment of it. Now I think I could be persuaded to see the movie when it gets here and I’m definitely making a Julia Child omelette for dinner tomorrow night)
NOVEMBER
A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon (Daisyfae sent me this amusing novel about a man going not so quietly insane. It’s funny and clever and I wish all weddings were as dramatic as the one in this book. Wait a minute…. mine was… there were guests doing unspeakable things on my new sister in law’s dining room table, and NOT with their own partners either….)
A Needle in the Heart by Fiona Kidman (possibly my favourite book so far this year though it has made me feel rather melancholy. She’s a fantastic writer. If you like Alice Munro you’ll love Fiona Kidman)
Q Road by Bonnie Jo Campbell (I liked this book too – so far November has been a good reading month)
How To Kill by Kris Hollington ( A mildly interesting history of assassins. Though I did learn stuff about Woody Harrelson’s father that was rather intriguing)
The Missing by Andrew O’Hagan
And You Visited Me by Penny Wheat
Divorce Among the Gulls by William Jordan
OCTOBER
Half a Life by V. S. Naipaul
The Warden by Anthony Trollope (I love 19th century literature and this book is a perfect example of why)
The Hypochondriac’s Handbook by John Naish
Tweaked – A crystal meth memoir by Patrick Moore
Medical Murders edited by Jonathon Goodman
SEPTEMBER
I Peed on Fellini by David Stratton
Daughter Buffalo by Janet Frame
What Just Happened? by Art Linson (he’s a very average writer but the hollywood gossip was interesting)
Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre
The Naked Man by Desmond Morris (I thought this would be full of interesting stuff for the gimcrack but DM is unexpectedly misogynstic and has nothing new to say. Disappointing.)
Freaks Talk Back by Joshua Gamson
Normal by Amy Bloom (Excellent book about transsexuals, crossdressers and intersexed people. If I had my way it would be compulsory reading in high school. Tolerance and understanding is the lesson of the day but it’s not at all preachy. There’s probably a copy in your local library, check it out)
AUGUST
The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine
Famous Trials 1 edited by Harry Hodge
The Corpse by Christine Quigley
Eccentric and Bizarre Behaviours by Louis Franzini and John Grossberg
The Culture Club by Craig Schuftan (fascinating essays about popular culture. I had no idea that Sartre could be linked to Saturday Night Fever)
The Body edited by Bill Buford
Crazy Therapies by Margaret Singer & Janja Lalich
The Film Club by David Gilmour (my mother sent me this for my birthday and I read it in one day. Loved the relationship between father and son. As the mother of two boys who have had their share of heartache it really touched me. If you have children, read it. hell, if you don’t have children read it anyway
JULY
One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson (I didn’t really like this book, but it made for light holiday reading)
The Cunning Man by Robertson Davies
Bizarrism by Chris Mikul
The Floral Mother & other essays by Kate Llewellyn (she makes me nostalgic for the past)
Too Cool edited by Gene Sculatti
Coming Through Slaughter by Michael Ondaatje
Immaculate Contraception by Emma Dickens
Underbelly 7 by John Silvester and Andrew Rule
JUNE
Lascivious Bodies by Julie Peakman
Pink Samurai by Nicholas Bornoff
In the Arms of Morpheus by Barbara Hodgson
MotherKind by Jayne Anne Phillips
My Life in Heavy Metal by Steve Almond (I loved this book of short stories)
Tatty by Christine Dwyer Hickey
As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning by Laurie Lee
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
MAY
The Fireside Book of Deadly Diseases by Robert Wilkins
The Long March by William Styron
The Story of V by Catherine Blackledge
The Journal of Dora Damage by Belinda Starling
The Stopping Place by Helen Slavin
In Transit published by Duffy and Snellgrove (the highlights were Congo Journey by Noel Purdon and The Witch in the Garden by Paul Toohey)
APRIL
Unpolished Gem by Alice Pung
On Being Grumpy by Tony Perry
Movie Dreams by Rosie Scott
Girls at Play by Paul Theroux
The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers
The Wine of Youth by John Fante
Wishbone by Marion Halligan
MARCH
Leaving a Doll’s House by Claire Bloom
Age of Dissent by Michele Hanson
Freaks by Leslie Fiedler
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
The Selman-Troytt Papers by P J Barrington
True Believers by Joseph O’Connor
Words by Paul Dickson
On Love and Death by Patrick Suskind. (Only 90 pages long but a beautiful meditation on these events in our lives. By the author who wrote Perfume)
FEBRUARY
Strange Angels by Andy Bull
The Bodysurfers by Robert Drewe (published over 20 years ago, but the writing still rocks)
I Killed compiled by Ritch Shydner & Mark Schiff
The Art Book published by Phaidon
The Future Just Happened by Michael Lewis
The Shark Net by Robert Drewe
JANUARY
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Hot Water Man by Deborah Moggach
Lanzarote by Michel Houellebecq
Life at the Extremes – The Science of Survival by Frances Ashcroft
Escapades by Daniel Farson
Owls Do Cry by Janet Frame (I’m rereading this. cannot recommend it highly enough. JF was scheduled to undergo a leucotomy back in the 60s when a surgeon at the hospital realised in time what a gross mistake it would be. her writing is sheer poetry. I also recommend The Lagoon and Other Stories and the 3 volume autobiography To the Is-Land)
Survival of the Sickest (A Medical Maverick Discovers Why We Need Disease) by Dr. Sharon Moalem. (I found this book fascinating, expect to read posts inspired by his work coming up soon on the Gimcrack).
Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai
Patrimony by Philip Roth (this book made me cry)
Cry of the Damaged Man by Tony Moore
have you any interest in reading my novel in progress? (actually in editing)…if so email me…
gosh tony, thanks for the compliment but I really don’t have the time. plus I’m a pedantic witch when it comes to editing. I’d be all over your masterpiece with a red pen
[...] with large helmets Survival of the Sickest has so much fabulous stuff in it that nursemyra wants to share. this is what I’ve been [...]
You are the first woman I know of, who liked “Patrimony”. Most find it ponderously blokey.
By the way, that’s a rather electic link list you have assembled at the right. I’ve discovered a couple of gems.
hey headbang8, welcome to the gimcrack! have you checked out Renal Failure? he’s hilarious. and tetherdcow is a talented artist and composer in his non-blogging life. you can check out his other stuff at perpetualocean.com
Patrimony is so NOT blokey. not as aussies understand blokey anyway. I loved that book. Also loved Skinned Alive by Edmund White. have you read that?
So of course I had to get one or more of those books from the library — those that I hadn’t recommended to you in the first place, that is! I am now up to page 65 of “Cry of the Damaged Man” and he’s absolutely right: a restricted life can reduce gaiety, physical pleasure, imagination — and I only have one painful knee, am not exactly in a body cast. So my mantra now is: “Healing is simply a matter of casting aside restraints, and then accepting those which remain.” Acceptance, adjustment and activity …
daisy I think you’d like the library book I started last night – Age of Dissent by Michele Hanson. It’s her columns from The Guardian, about being over 50 and having her 89 year old mother move in with her. hilarious stuff!
Damn! I almost always have 3 or 4 books going at once….but always have to take January through April off. (tax season) But….your list….impressive, to say the least. Going to have to check out a few of those.
If you can get your hands on Janet Frame or Robert Drewe, I’d recommend starting with those. I’ve lent someone my copy of The Shark Net but will post it to you when I get it back if you’re interested
On being Grumpy… now that sound like my kind of reading.
I think you’d like “In Transit” as well
Half-way through Isabel Allende’s “The Sum of Our Days” — so funny, sad, gossipy, entertaining, and oh so Latina.
I´m reading something about mothers…..
There’s an astonising book I’m reading now about a man with an ever-lasting erection: “The Enormity of the Tragedy”. The author is Quim Monzo, from Barcelona, I think. The publisher is Peter Owen. I never read something like that. It’s awesome!
hi ramon, welcome to the gimcrack. I had to google that book and it sounds really interesting. thanks for the recommendation.
I’m an academic, so I don’t read books. Well, except the one I’m currently writing a review of — Peter Hanns Reill, Vitalizing Nature in the Enlightenment. Just about anything on this list might be better…
More than half these books are non-fiction, many of a scientific nature. I’m reading A Cabinet of Curiosities at the moment – it’s fascinating
Have you read any of Spike Milligans stuff, his war diaries or ‘Puckoon’, I’d recommend them. I dont read as much as I should, or at all really.
Hey Alex – yes I have read Puckoon but it was a long time ago now. Spike was a genius
interesting read list, i’ve been reading william faulkner, snopes trilogy ie the hamlet, the town , the mansion. he tells a good story. not easy to follow but give it some time, it develops.
William Faulkner’s writing is pretty cool
Puckoon was great. Hmmm, makes me feel like reading it again tonight.
A Spot of Bother is my 2nd favourite book from the last year. It will definitely be optioned for a film. (ABSOLUTE FAVE – Gentleman of the Road by Michael Chabon).
Thanks for the list, Nursemyra, I have pencilled quite a few titles in my notebook.
I’ve just started “Dreams of our Fathers” by Obama. Wasn’t sure if it would grab me, but it has.
I’m going to have to check out some of those.
One of my favourite reads in recent years was ‘The time-traveller’s wife’ by Audrey Niffenegger.
I haven’t read it but I know it was a best seller. One of these days……
If you’re into reading about wild men, you must read Elizabeth Gilbert’s “The Last American Man” (2002) about a really wild man, Eustace Conway. I read it when I was in Taos, and I saw somewhere recently that it is now being published/distributed in Australia (since the success of “Eat Pray Love”). It was recommended to me by some one who was hopelessly in love with The Padster at the time (remember him??) and she could see the resemblance. Needless to say The Padster refused to read it. And HE ended up in a respectable marriage in a city apartment.
It was his destiny
Love Eric Newby and Suskind. The Shark Net is one of my favourites. Your reading list is impressive. My own favourite is Proulx – can’t get enough of her!
I heard Annie Proulx read one of her short stories at Gleebooks several years ago. She did all the different accents so it was a sublime experience….. do you have a favourite by her? I like Postcards best.
Have just finished rereading Wyoming Stories. The Blood Bay and Florida Rental are two of my favourite short stories from that collection. Very dark and very funny.
In honor of the late David Foster Wallace I got one of his books from the library as I was not familiar with his work. I loved his essay ‘Consider the Lobster’. I haven’t eaten lobster in years and after reading this I never would again.
Try Breath By Tim Winton – was just sent to me for a review … so I won’t comment here – but the asphyxiophilia theme might engage.
ok, thanks Beach Bum. I’ll look out for a copy.
Your reading list is almost sexier than your blog. And that is saying quite a mouthful. I already commented on this post, but since it is a work in progress, I figured my comment should be too. I occasionally list books on my blog (see current post…), but it is random and half-hearted. Notice you’ve developed a recent fondness for Mary Roach. Good stuff.
As a historian, I tend to think of old books as more interesting. But you obviously have a flare for scanning through lots of contemporary product. Cool that.
Oh but I love old books too! Most of the stuff I read on the net is old, and my favourite novelists are Henry James and Flaubert.
I do like new books on social science though. not sure if I’ve mentioned this on my blog before but I’m currently working my way through the Dewey Decimal system at the library. this is the second time I’ve undertaken such a project, the first took 16 months. This time I’ve changed libraries and am up to the 600’s. It’s a great way to learn about the world, though I realise that not everyone is so anal about their reading material as I am
You are certainly deliberate. Henry James is a gap in my appreciation of literature — I know, I’m a barabarian — but his brother William James is a favorite, and probably one of the most important thinkers in the last 200 years. A pragmatist (the pragmatist?). Like Dewey, of Decimal fame. Ah, books, the fun never ends…
Something in me never liked that classification system…I’m a Library of Congress kind of guy.
Lordy! If you’re not a “sexpert”, who is?
My thoughts exactly!
Best Wishes on Your Birthday. I am in awe that you find time to blog, read so many books, and be a heroine (nurse) too, please send me whatever your taking……
I would if I could but there’d be a little trouble with customs and excise…..
… and glad you enjoyed the book …have you tried Haruki Murakami? And was that “Orgy Planner” – wanted by Vicki Leon or “Orgy Planner Wanted” by Vicki Leon???
finished Breath in a day. easy read….but good writing none-the-less. thank you! will be passing it on to the cuteboy….and nazi nick has asked to read it.
You read a lot!
Yes I do Julee, how about you?