Books Read 2012

In his latest blog post, Eric Wagner remarks, "I find it fascinating how we choose what to read.  It can take a lifetime to start to understand some writers (Pound, Joyce, etc.).  Over the years I've encountered various ideas of the literary canon.  I've spent a lot of time reading books perceived as canonical by Bob Wilson and Ezra Pound, but when I became friends with Rafi Zabor a few years ago, I found a whole new canon I had not read (Chekhov, Tolstoy, Proust, etc.)."

Many of the books I read in the past year relate to Robert Anton Wilson's work in ways that may not seem obvious. I'm convinced, for example, that he would have loved A Renegade History of the United States. But I have many interests, and some of them don't really relate to this blog. Anyway, here's what I read this year:

1. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Mark Twain.
2. Emphyrio,  Jack Vance (re-read.)
3. Count to a Trillion, John C. Wright.
4. Shapeshift, Sherwin Bitsui.
5. Program or Be Programmed, Douglas Rushkoff (re-read).
6. The End of Eternity, Isaac Asimov.
7. The Hot Gate, John Ringo.
8. The Freedom Maze, Delia Sherman.
9. The Restoration Game, Ken MacLeod.
10. Death at Pemberley, P.D. James.
11. Temporary Duty, Ric Locke.
12. Iron Angels, Geoffrey Landis.
13. The Children of the Sky, Vernor Vinge.
14. Sweeter Than Wine, L. Neil Smith.
15. Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman.
16. In the Lion's Mouth, Michael Flynn.
17. Death of a Kingfisher, M.C. Beaton.
18. Natural Law, Robert Anton Wilson.
19. The War of 1812, Donald R. Hickey.
20. An Economist Gets Lunch, Tyler Cowen.
21. In the Shadow of Ares, Carlsson and James.
22. The Cult of the Presidency, Gene Healy.
23. The Night and the Music, Lawrence Block.
24. The Brandy of the Damned, JMR Higgs.
25. Inscapes, Francis Scarfe.
26. The Wars of Justinian, Procopius.
27. Procopius and the Sixth Century, Averil Cameron.
28. A Cold Day for Murder, Dana Stabenow.
29. The Secret History With Related Texts, Procopios, Anthony Kaldellis, translator.
30. The Mediterranean World in Late Antiquity, AD 395-700, second edition, Averil Cameron.
31. Procopius of Caesarea, Anthony Kaldellis.
32. New and Selected Poems, Ron Padgett.
33. A Renegade History of the United States, Thaddeus Russell.
34. Science Fiction Megapack: 25 Modern Science Fiction Stories.
35. Bed of Sphinxes, Philip Lamantia.
36. The Golden Age, Gore Vidal.
37. Savage Continent, Keith Lowe.
38. The Darkening Dream, Andy Gavin.
39. The Quicken Tree, Bill Knott.
40. Land Under England, Joseph O'Neill.
41. The Hydrogen Sonata, Iain M. Banks.
42. Quantum Psychology, Robert Anton Wilson.
43. KLF: Chaos Magic Music Money, JMR Higgs.
44. Burglars Can't Be Choosers, Lawrence Block.
45. Mad About Trade, Daniel Griswold.
46. The Homing Pigeons, Robert Anton Wilson (re-read).
47. Empires and Barbarians, Peter Heather.
48. The Chimes, Charles Dickens.
49. Work of Art, Sinclair Lewis.
50. The Universe Next Door, Robert Anton Wilson. (re-read)