I read about two books a week. Some weeks I only finish one, but lately I’m finishing three or four a week. Though it will slow down again as I start a new job tomorrow, I’m still shooting to read 100 books this year, which is about how many I read last year. Sometimes I'm asked to name the best book I’ve read lately, but that’s hard to answer because it depends on a variety of questions: Best as in best plot? Best characters? Most entertaining?
But here is an attempt to list the five books I have most enjoyed reading so far in 2007. Note my phrasing there because at least one of those books, King Dork, came out prior to this year. These are in no particular order.
1. King Dork by Frank Portman: This book spoke so loudly to me — and not just because it was written by the singer of the punk band the Mr. T Experience — that I’ve been handing my copy to friends, pleading, “You HAVE got to read this.” If you like sex, dreaded high school, ever spent more than five minutes trying to think of a great band name and love or hate The Catcher In the Rye, than this book will speak to you - and hopefully so will my interview with the author.
2. The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz: I love mysteries and thrillers but a lot of my favorite writers -- Michael Connelly, Robert Crais, George Pelecanos -- are getting quite well known. There’s something special about coming across an author before he or she is well known. Lutz’s debut novel is stunning in its brilliance and hilarity. At turns surprising and funny -- and sometimes both -- I was gushing with praise for it when I talked with her. She and I agreed on the best description of her style: "Nancy Drew after a bottle of Jack Daniels.”
Article comments
1 - Katie McNeill
I've got a copy of 'The Spellman Files' sitting in my TBR stack at the moment. It’s good to hear that it is a good one. I wasn't sure since I bought it on a bargain rack but at least I got a deal. I’m glad that ‘Harry Potter’ made your list. I don’t think it could have been complete without the final book. Great article and I'm looking forward to reading your up coming interviews.
2 - Scott Butki
Thanks for the compliment, Katie. Yeah looking back at my interview on Spellman Files I was wrong in guessing the book would get lots of publicity but it should have and so I'm continuing to promote it and King Dork any chance I get.
3 - Howard Ross
How about reading nonfiction books. There are some great ones out there.
4 - Scott Butki
Yeah I was a little concerned that I only had one nonfiction out of five. If I made it 10 I would have included Cartoon Guide to History.
I've been reading more fiction than nonfiction for a variety of reasons including most of my favorite authors and most of the books i'm sent with requests to interviews are fiction.
I'm also open to suggestions on non-fiction, though. What good non-fiction have you read lately?
5 - Scott Butki
Oh the Einstein autobiography would also make my top 10.
Plus it was cool that the author had even heard of this place.