Ten good books I read this year:
Memories, Dreams, and Reflections
by Carl Jung
The best thing I read all year. Jung started his autobiography when he was 81, and worked on it right up until his death. See my map of the book.
Ed Emberley’s Drawing Book: Make A World
by Ed Emberley
I discovered this book last year, but returned to it over and over this year, recommending it often to folks as a beginner’s drawing book.
Asterios Polyp
by David Mazzuchelli
A graphic novel that’s as good as everybody says it is.
Map of My Heart
by John Porcellino
Porcellino is one of my favorite cartoonists, ever. This collection is even better than King-Cat Classix.
Lunch Poems
by Frank O’Hara
Jen Bekman got me into O’Hara. This collection, written while O’Hara was on his lunch break, includes the great “Ave Maria” and “Poem (Lana Turner has collapsed!)”
Await Your Reply
by Dan Chaon
This is the only novel I read this year. A terrific read.
Stitches
by David Small
The drawing in here is really top-notch: Small enjoys teaching anatomy, and it shows.
Every artist’s memoir has one underlying plot: *how I became an artist*. That plot can allow for infinite variations. My favorite page from the book.
Trickster Makes This World
by Louis Hyde
Hyde’s The Gift is one of my favorite books. This book isn’t as good, and took me a few months to finish, but it was worth the read.
Seven Days In The Art World
by Sarah Thornton
My wife got me this after reading one of Thornton’s articles. After reading it, I understood the art world better, and wanted less to do with it than before.
Ignore Everybody
by Hugh Macleod
Hugh’s said the book is “advice I wish I had when I was in my early 20s.” The book sprung from his piece “How To Be Creative,” which was a big deal to me when I found it a year or so ago, specifically for his “Sex and Cash Theory.” Helped me feel better about keeping my day job.
What was the best book you read this year?
Good list of books. I’ve been a huge fan of King-Cat forever and it’s cool to see them getting collected in book form. I will never get rid of the zine versions, however.
And I also feel like Hugh McLeod’s Sex and Cash Theory helped me think more clearly about the creative life. I wish I had read it years ago.
What an awesome list! Thanks for these great suggestions.
Thanks, y’all!
Christopher – John P has been on my “best of” list for the last 3 years! And Hugh is great.
O’Hara – genius. Some say a brilliant superficiality but there’s so much more to him than that. The Collected Poems is worth every cent.
Heard of Jung’s “The Red Book”? It looks incredible, and as a words+drawings thing I think you’d love it (you probably already know about it). Preview: http://www.scribd.com/doc/16016440/The-Red-Book
Thanks for the list – some stuff in there I’d love to get close with.
The Red Book does indeed look incredible! But not sure if I want to shell out the $100 for it. Would love to see it, though…
I read the Jung autobiography, too, and liked it a lot. Added a couple more from your list to my never-ending To Read list.
Thanks for the recommendations! I’ve already picked up (and started reading) Ignore Everybody and Lunch Poems. ;)