My Life

Some notable things that happened in my life this year:

Left my employer of 7 years due to corporate merger. Not as bad as it sounds; it was the outcome I wanted, for reasons I won’t go into here.

Landed a comparable job in my chosen field after only two months of unemployment. As usual, my worst fears (protracted unemployment, forced to take a menial job) did not come to pass.

Moved to Las Vegas. This still feels rather unreal.

Performed well in my first seven months on the job. It’s turned out to be more than I bargained for, but I’ve had some meaningful accomplishments in high-priority areas.

Bought a house and sold a house.

Increased savings.

Began a gambling experiment. Did this under carefully controlled conditions, playing blackjack in Vegas under a self-imposed set of rules designed to avoid financial ruin. Net result: winnings exceeded losses by $28, which is not much different than breaking even.

Spent three days in hospital for investigation of cardiac problem, which apparently is of little or no consequence.

Achieved my 32nd year of marriage.

Overall, despite all my complaints, I have much to be thankful for. I wish all my friends and family great health and much happiness in the year ahead.

Books Read, 2011

It's New Year's Eve, time once again to post my list of books read during 2011.

First, my favorites.

In the fiction category, Danielle Trussoni's Angelology (Kindle version) sent me scrambling to the bookstore in search of The Book of Enoch.

None of this year's non-fiction books made much of an impression on me. But here's one I'm in the midst of now: Janet Reitman's Inside Scientology: The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion. I've always been curious about how L. Ron Hubbard invented Scientology and got so many people to follow him, not unlike Joseph Smith and Mormonism.

(F = fiction; N = non-fiction; * = Kindle)

January
Wodehouse, P.G.
The Luck of the Bodkins F

Faragher ,John Mack
Daniel Boone: The Life and Legend of an American Pioneer N

Farrington, Tim
The Monk Downstairs F

February
Michener, James
Tales of the South Pacific F
This was a big disappointment. I rented the DVD of the musical and it was even more disappointing and hopelessly dated.

Card, Orson Scott
The Lost Gate* F

Murray, Paul
Skippy Dies* F

March
Stockett, Kathryn
The Help F
Much better than the movie.

Roslund, Anders and Hellstrom, Borge
Box 21 F*
Grim tale of human trafficking and prostitution in Sweden (or was it Norway?). Bleak and brutal.

April
Berenson, Alex
The Faithful Spy F
Excellent espionage. But the sequel didn't maintain the high standard of this first novel.

Gruen, Sara
Water for Elephants F

Todd, Charles
A Test of Wills
I remember nothing of this book -- not even whether it's fiction or non-fiction.

May
Turow, Scott
Innocent F
By this time, I had moved to Las Vegas and was living alone in a rented apartment. I had basic cable TV only -- no premium channels, and I couldn't get the DVD player to work. It was so hot that I had to stay indoors in the afternoons. I got a lot of reading done over the next three months.

O'Brien, Patrick
Blue at the Mizzen F

June
Rowling, J.K.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix F
for some reason, I found these Harry Potter books soothing during my solitude.

Atkinson, Kate
Started Early, Took My Dog* F
Excellent. I'll buy more by this author.

Morton, Kate
The Distant Hours* F
The tale of the Mud Man.

Rowling, J.K.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince F

August
Walton, Jo
Among Others* F

Hill, Reginald
The Woodcutter* F

September
Woodrell, Daniel
Winter's Bone F
Must read more of his work. The movie's good, too.

Martin, George R.R.
A Game of Thrones* F
Surprisingly well written. I'll read more of this series.

Ellis, Brett Easton
Lunar Park F
Didn't like it.

Pizzolatto, Nick
Galveston* F
Great first novel with an unorthodox anti-hero.

October
Ackroyd, Peter
Thames, The Biography N

November
Harrison, Jim
The Great Leader* F

Ro, Ronin
Tales to Astonish N

Barclay, Linwood
The Accident* F

Trussoni, Danielle
Angelology* F
One of the best reads of the year.

December
Larson, Eric
In the Garden of Beasts* N

Mason, Bobbie Ann
The Girl in the Blue Beret* F