January 2012 reads

I am consciously trying not to read as much this year and while some might think the number of books belies that, it is down significantly compared to a year ago.  I am reviewing more, however, so it's not as if I have stopped talking about books as much as it is that I have a lot of other things to do besides reading these days.  Not happy about certain percentages here, but hopefully they'll balance out in the months to come.  Feel free to interpret this month's list as you may:

1.  Graham Greene, The Power and the Glory (re-read; multi-book review later)

2.  E.M. Forster, Where Angels Fear to Tread (discussed on Gogol's Overcoat)

3.  E.M. Forster, A Room with a View (see above)

4.  Pietro Aretino, Sonetti lussuriosi (Italian; poetry; XXX-rated discussion of lovemaking, including the poet's fondness for engaging in anal sex with women)


5.  Anthero Tarquinio de Quental, Os sonetos completos de Anthero de Quental (Portuguese; poetry; very good)

6.  Graham Greene, The Quiet American (re-read; multi-book review later)

7.  Augusto Monterroso, Cuentos (Spanish; re-read; short fiction; commentary on Weird Fiction Review)

8.  Herta Müller, Tot el que tinc, ho duc al damunt (Catalan translation; very good, but frustrated it wasn't available in English or even the original German for an affordable price)

9.  Sohrab Sepehri, Water's Footfall (bilingual English and Persian; poetry; outstanding)

10. Sully Prudhomme, Les vaines tendresses (French; poetry; dated but good)

11. Lawrence Durrell, Justine (multi-book review later)

12. Lawrence Durrell, Balthazar (see above)

13. Lawrence Durrell, Mountolive (see above)

14. Lawrence Durrell, Clea (see above)

15.  Forugh Farrokhzad, Remembering the Flight:  Twenty Poems by Forugh Farrokhzad (bilingual; poetry; exquisite)

16.  Maurice Maeterlinck, Death (essay; good)

17. Adonis, A Time Between Ashes and Roses (bilingual English and Arabic; poetry; stunning)

18. E.M. Forster, Howard's End (see above)

19. Various, The Upanishads (religious; made me reflect a bit - I don't comment on religious works as I do secular ones)

20. E.M. Forster, A Passage to India (see above)

21. Giosué Carducci, Rime Nuove (Italian; poetry; good but not great)

22. Ben Marcus, The Flame Alphabet (hope to review in near future)

23. Eric Basso, Accidental Monsters (re-read; poetry; column forthcoming on Weird Fiction Review)

24. Eric Basso, The Catwalk Watch (re-read; poetry; see above)

25. Eric Basso, The Smoking Mirror (re-read; poetry; see above)

26. Eric Basso, Catafalques (re-read; poetry; see above)

27. Eric Basso, Ghost Light (re-read; poetry; see above)

28. Eric Basso, Earthworks (re-read; poetry; see above)

29. Mercè Rodoreda, Death in Spring (re-read; column pending posting on Weird Fiction Review)

30. Mercè Rodoreda, Selected Stories of Mercè Rodoreda (re-read; short fiction; see above)