The 50-A-Day Project: Books 21-30

I didn't fail at all in the mission for this batch, but that's mainly because these were, for the most part, less dense reads than the first 20, with the main exception being Thomas Paine's book (definitely the densest I've read this year, and it did feel like work at points, but there was enough in there to make the heavy lifting worth while).

It was a good segment largely because I was able to knock a bunch of books, written by authors I like a lot (Elmore Leonard, Calvin Trillin, James Ellroy) that had been sitting on the shelves (or in the piles) for a long time. I had wanted to read Calvin Trillin's American Stories long before I even bought it, so I was glad to finally get that done, and to get back to reading Trillin. He's a really great profile writer, and American Stories is a strong example of that. Unfortunately, I think it's out of print, but if you ask nice, I'll consider loaning it to you.

My average dipped a little, as, after finishing the 30th book, I clocked 8,748 pages over 132 days, putting me at a little over 66 pages a day. I'm still pretty pleased with that, though, and quite happy that I haven't given up on this.

Best Fiction Book: Suicide Hill by James Ellroy
Best Nonfiction Book: The Miracle of St. Anthony: A Season with Coach Bob Hurley and Basketball's Most Improbable Dynasty by Adrian Wojnarowski
Toughest Read: Common Sense, Rights of Man, and Other Essential Writings of Thomas Paine by Thomas Paine
Easiest Read: The Woman Who Wouldn't by Gene Wilder
Number of Books on Loan: 2 (Lost Highway: Journeys and Arrivals of American Musicians by Peter Guralnick and The Miracle of St. Anthony: A Season with Coach Bob Hurley and Basketball's Most Improbable Dynasty by Adrian Wojnarowski). Thanks, Mike and Mark!
Number of Books Given as Gifts: 1 (Riding the Rap by Elmore Leonard). Thanks, Frank!
Number of Books Signed by the Author: 4 (Not Enough Indians by Harry Shearer, Suicide Hill by James Ellroy, Riding the Rap by Elmore Leonard, and The Woman Who Wouldn't by Gene Wilder)
Book That Was Sitting on the Shelf the Longest: Suicide Hill by James Ellroy. It was the last book in a 3-in-1 Ellroy book (L.A. Noir), and probably my favorite of the three (the other two are Blood on the Moon and Because the Night, if you're keeping score at home, which you are. It's OK that you're stalking me.)

Best Paragraph:

"Why may we not suppose that the great Father of all is pleased with a variety of devotion? and that the greatest offence we can act is that by which we seek to torment and render each other miserable? For my own part I am fully satisfied that what I am now doing, with an endeavour to conciliate mankind, to render their condition happy, to unite Nations that have hitherto been enemies, and to extirpate the horrid practice of war, and break the chains of slavery and oppression, is acceptable in his sight; and being the best service I can perform I act it cheerfully."

from Rights of Man in Common Sense, Rights of Man, and Other Essential Writings of Thomas Paine by Thomas Paine