Book List 2008

I have kept a Word document called "Book List" since 2002 where I track what I've been reading by year. I log every book I read on that list in the order I read them (although I did separate the list by type for clarity here). I tend to read more non-fiction than fiction, and this year was no exception. Only three books this year were fiction, and all of them were read in the last half of the year. But combined, I averaged about a book-and-a-half per month.

The list doesn't include all the monthly comic books I read in a year, but the number of comic book trade paperbacks and hardcover collected editions are the most numerous. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that I averaged one collection per week, but seeing it laid out like this is still kind of amazing. I discovered a lot of great new stuff thanks to John (Invincible), Matt (a lot of the Batman and DC stuff), and others. In all, a good, fun year of reading.

Non-Fiction

1. Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography - David Michaelis
2. The Grizzly Maze: Timothy Treadwell's Fatal Obsession with Alaskan Bears - Nick Jans
3. The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star - Nikki Sixx
4. Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life - Steve Martin
5. The Franchise: LeBron James and the Remaking of the Cleveland Cavaliers - Terry Pluto and Brian Windhorst
6. DisneyWar - James B. Stewart
7. All the Way Home: Building a Family in a Falling-Down House - David Giffels
8. Silent Bob Speaks: The Collected Writings of Kevin Smith - Kevin Smith
9. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft - Stephen King (Can't believe I'd never read this before! What a fantastic book for writers of every stripe.)
10. Collect All 21! Memoirs of a Star Wars Geek - The First 30 Years - John Booth
11. 13 Seconds: A Look Back at the Kent State Shootings - Philip Caputo
12. The Marvel Comics Guide to New York City - Peter Sanderson
13. My Incredibly Wonderful, Miserable Life: An Anti-Memoir - Adam Nimoy
14. The Dead Travel Fast: Stalking Vampires from Nosferatu to Count Chocula - Eric Nuzum (So disappointed I missed Eric's talk at the Akron Summit County Public Library in October.)

Fiction

1. The Book of Lies - Brad Meltzer
2. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - Sean Williams (Fun read. But I'll likely skip the video game.)
3. Devil May Care - Sebastian Faulks writing as Ian Fleming (Sort of the opposite approach of the new Bond movies where they have updated the character and set him in the present day. This new book puts 007 firmly back in the '60s with entertaining success.)

Trade Paperbacks and Hardcover Collected Editions

1. G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Vol. 1 - Larry Hama
2. G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Vol. 2 - Larry Hama
3. G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Vol. 3 - Larry Hama
4. G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Vol. 4 - Larry Hama
5. G.I. Joe: Declassified - Larry Hama
6. Invincible: Ultimate Collection, Vol. 1 - Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker
7. Secret War - Brian Michael Bendis
8. Invincible: Ultimate Collection, Vol. 2 - Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker
9. Daredevil - Visionaries: Frank Miller, Volume 1 - Frank Miller
10. Thor - Visionaries: Walter Simonson, Volume 1 - Walter Simonson
11. Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 - David Petersen (Read with the kiddo. Good stuff!)
12. Sub-Mariner: Revolution - Matt Cherniss and Peter Johnson
13. Powers: The Definitive Hardcover Collection, Volume 1 - Brian Michael Bendis, Mike Avon Oeming
14. Giant-Size Marvel - Various
15. Marvels - Kurt Buseik, Alex Ross
16. Star Wars: A Long Time Ago... Volume 3 - Resurrection of Evil - Various
    
17. Pride of Baghdad - Brian K. Vaughan
18. Runaways, Volume 1 - Brian K. Vaughan
19. Ares: God of War - Mike Avon Oeming
20. Iron Man: Extremis - Warren Ellis
21. Captain America Omnibus - Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting, Mike Perkins (Simply stunning.)
22. Star Wars: Heir to the Empire - Mike Baron (Meh. Skip these and stick to the Timothy Zahn books.)
23. Star Wars: Dark Force Rising - Mike Baron
24. Star Wars: The Last Command - Mike Baron
25. Star Wars: Mara Jade - By the Emperor's Hand - Timothy Zahn, Michael A. Stackpole
26. WE3 - Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely (Interesting, graphic, sad little tale.)
27. Mystic Arcana - David Sexton, Louise Simonson, Roy Thomas, Jeff Parker, C.B. Cebulski
28. Classic Transformers, Volume 1 - Various
29. Marvel 1602 - Neil Gaiman
30. Doctor Strange: The Oath - Brian K. Vaughan (Can BKV do no wrong?!)
31. Runaways, Volume 2 - Brian K. Vaughan
32. The Hood: Blod from Stones - Brian K. Vaughan
33. Fantastic Four - Visionaries: John Byrne, Volume 2 - John Byrne
34. Wolverine - Chris Claremont, Frank Miller
35. Kitty Pryde and Wolverine - Chris Claremont
36. Fantastic Four - Visionaries: John Byrne, Volume 3 - John Byrne
37. The Sensational She-Hulk - John Byrne
38. The Death of Captain Marvel - Jim Starlin
39. Avengers: Defenders War - Steve Englehart
40. Civil War: Front Line, Volume 1 - Paul Jenkins
41. Civil War: Front Line, Volume 2 - Paul Jenkins
42. The Immortal Iron Fist: The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven - Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction
43. Annihilation, Book One - various
44. Young Avengers, Volume 1: Sidekicks - Allan Heinberg, Jim Cheung
45. Annihilation, Book Two - Various
46. Annihilation, Book Three - Various
47. Civil War: Young Avengers & Runaways - Zeb Wells, Stefano Caselli
48. Power Pack & Cloak and Dagger: Shelter from the Storm - Bill Mantlo
49. Fantastic Four: Books of Doom - Ed Brubaker
50. DC Universe: The Stories of Alan Moore - Alan Moore (In this collection are the first two Batman comics I've ever read: 1987 Annual #11, "Mortal Clay" and the legendary "Killing Joke" story.)
51. Batman: The Long Halloween - Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale (This would then, I guess, be the third Batman story I've ever read, and it blew me away.)
52. Runaways, Volume 3 - Brian K. Vaughan