Author: Michael

I could never resist a good year-end list, and even though we’re over half-way through January, I thought I would share my list of the Top 10 books I read in 2006. Most of these books were also published in 2006, but since I read a lot of advanced reader’s copies, and a couple of the books I read were actually released earlier, I’m using books I read in 2006 as my determining factor for inclusion.

I was mildly surprised to find that a graphic novel topped my list, but when the novel in question is Alison Bechdel’s powerful and literary work, Fun Home: a Family Tragicomic that skillfully combines the best elements of the personal memoir and the graphic novel it’s not so surprising. I was pleased to see such a varied list; a little non-fiction, a little genre, a newcomer placing quite high, a collection of short stories, and some favorite authors making an appearance. So, with no further ado:

The Best Books I Read in 2006

1. Fun Home: a Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
2. Save Your Own by Elisabeth Brink
3. A Killer Life: How an Independent Film Producer Survives Deals and Disasters in Hollywood and Beyond by Christine Vachon
4. Solstice Wood by Patricia A. McKillip
5. My Latest Grievance by Elinor Lipman
6. Banishing Verona by Margot Livesey
7. Call Me By Your Name by Andr? Aciman
8. How Elizabeth Barrett Browning Saved My Life by Mameve Medwed
9. A Perfect Union: Dolley Madison and the Creation of the American Nation by Catherine Allgor
10. The Twilight of the Superheroes by Deborah Eisenberg

There were several books not appearing on the list that I wanted to point out. Kenneth J. Harvey’s The Town That Forgot How to Breathe held the anchoring spot on the list for quite a while until I suddently remember Deborah Eisenberg’s magnificent collection of short stories reminiscent of the master, Alice Munro. Harvey’s novel blending dark fantasy, magical realism, gothic horror and contemporary fiction was alternatively atmospheric and suspenseful, with well-drawn characters, a powerful sense of place, and a complex, interweaving story. Marilyn Robinson’s Gilead was so deserving of this list, but it lacked the emotional resonance to knock something else off. Beautifully written, exploring powerful issues, Robinson is a skilled writer who does so to infrequently. I was quite taken by Deborah J. Miller’s Swarmthief’s Dance an imaginative fantasy novel that kicks off a new trilogy. I tried to squeeze Douglas Coupland’s JPod onto the list. In this hilarious look at the cubicle culture of a hip faming company skewers his own persona, as well as a generation that has grown up online. Colson Whitehead’s Apex Hides the Hurt is a fascinating meditation on identity and branding that moves this talented author’s career forward another step. Finally, I just have to mention Shannon McKelden’s Venus Envy, a book that quite honestly, shouldn’t even have been considered for a list like this, but it was just so darn entertaining. Blending chick-lit with fantasy seems like a bold move to me, but McKelden handles the trials and tribulations of the goddes Aphrodite trapped in the myth of the Fairy Godmother with such humor that it’s nearly irresistible.

Our friend Rob is a cartoonist living in Minneapolis (he turned us on to that delights of that city). He’s got a great partner and an adorable puppy dog, and they’re just about the nicest boys you could know. His comic strip, Curbside, is syndicated throughout the country in gay magazines and newspapers. Now Rob has edited a graphic novel anthology of gay boy comics called The Book of Boy Trouble.

He was recently interviewed by “Lavender: Minnesota’s GLBT magazine,” in what I think is slightly hilarious, the sports and leisure section. He also gets a nice photo (pictured right, credited to Hubert Bonnet) which fails to do justice to how cute he is. Check out the article.

My main fascination with YouTube are the music videos and live performances. I am continuously thrilled and amazed by all of my favorite obscure artists popping up there! Talk about the Long Tail. Anyway, I’m sharing this video after discovering it over at the Sardonic Bomb. It’s mainly for Hilary and Susan B., who I think will appreciate it the most, but the rest of you should go check it out too. You may find it a little annoying at first, but it’s quite adorable and fun. Susan, I can picture you doing something like this in your youth, and Hilary… well, you’ll know why I sent it to you when you watch it. I mean, come on.

Thanks to to Howard I caught this fascinating article over on the CNN website about the genetic lives of honeybees. Those of you who know me well, also know that I have a fascination with honeybees, those adorable, industrious insects whose work ethics and social life have often been praised and suggested for emulation throughout history.

A report in the journal Nature by a consortium of scientists reveal that the genetic code of the honeybee has been unraveled, including clues to its complex social nature, it’s sense of smell and its African origins. Scientists plan to use these findings to continue their work on social behavior in humans. This is something that I find somewhat fascinating due to my recent work-related intensity on social networking applications on the internet. The honeybee, with its tens of thousands of (female) workers maintaining the day-to-day existence of the hive, the single, long-lived queen fulfilling its sole role of perpetuating the species, and the embarassingly single-minded male drones who serve basically as genetic material, has a complex, highly workable social structure. Bee Wilson’s The Hive: the Story of the Honeybee and Us is a pretty remarkable history of the honeybee. I read and reviewed this quick-read back in June, and provided me with much insight on my beloved honeybees and how they have related to human society through history.

Still, while the social structure of the bee is fascinating and certainly works for this tenacious, industrious species, I’m not so sure it’s something enviable for us. I know I wouldn’t relish my place in bee society as a drone, and for the ladies, those workers don’t seem to understand the meaning of the word fun.

I was very interested to read an article in today’s Boston Globe about the Episopal Diocese pondering whether they should quit the marriage business. According to the article, a group of Episcopal priests think that the gay marriage debate has them feeling that perhaps they should not be acting as agents of the state by officiating at marriages. They propose that couples should be married by a justice of the peace, and then, if they want a religious ceremony, they could come to the Episcopal church to seek the blessing of a priest.

A couple of years ago when Massachusetts allowed gay marriages to be legal, spawning a huge controversy in religious circles, I oftern argued that there is nothing religious about marriage in the purest sense. It was merely a legal issue. I proposed that anyone should be allowed to marry, then if you wanted a “holy marriage” those who were eligible could seek one out at a church. This way, everyone is equal under the law, and if religious organizations wanted to discriminate against non-heterosexuals, that could be their decision.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.