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(stats)

Top Readers
James Donahue  480 books
Steve Gadd  322
Steven Krise  282
Jeff Gadd  195
Mike Gadd  151
Jonathan Misirian  147
Tony Pisarenkov  123
Brad Snyder  120
Kristin Schrock  105
Micaela Larkin  105


Length of Books
0-99 pp.  graph 86
100-199  graph 318
200-299  graph 752
300-399  graph 597
400-499  graph 299
500-599  graph 128
600-699  graph 56
700-799  graph 37
800-899  graph 19
900-999  graph 16
1000+  graph 13


Top Authors
Jeffery Deaver  20 titles
Graham Greene  19
Terry Pratchett  16
Dean R. Koontz  15
J. K. Rowling  15
John Gardner  15
Evelyn Waugh  14
Lemony Snicket  14
Lloyd Alexander  14
Alexander McCall Smith  13


When We Read
Jan  graph 227
Feb  graph 185
Mar  graph 199
Apr  graph 197
May  graph 195
Jun  graph 208
Jul  graph 223
Aug  graph 188
Sep  graph 191
Oct  graph 149
Nov  graph 166
Dec  graph 193


Top Page Counts
James Donahue  166595
Steve Gadd  95705
Steven Krise  92237
Jeff Gadd  71623
Mike Gadd  59492
Jonathan Misirian  44609
Tony Pisarenkov  39669
Micaela Larkin  35364
Brad Snyder  33286
Kristin Schrock  32362


Top Filmgoers
Steve Gadd  176 titles
A Bennett  170
Julie Gephart  164
Kristin Schrock  135
Tony Pisarenkov  131
Ray Hunley  82
Mike Gadd  81
Steven Krise  40
Jaqi Ross  33
Jeff Gadd  13


How We Rate Movies
 10  graph 35
 9  graph 84
 8  graph 191
 7  graph 199
 6  graph 190
 5  graph 156
 4  graph 85
 3  graph 53
 2  graph 28
 1  graph 17
 0  graph 5
 -1  graph 1


Top Venues
DVD  177
Basic cable  105
Netflix DVD  68
DVD at home  62
Mysteriously free HBO  35
DVD Rental  17
Reston Town Center  17
AFI Silver Theatre, Silver Spring, MD  13
Hollywood Video DVD  13
owned VHS  13


When We See Movies
Jan  graph 91
Feb  graph 100
Mar  graph 106
Apr  graph 67
May  graph 63
Jun  graph 79
Jul  graph 107
Aug  graph 93
Sep  graph 83
Oct  graph 95
Nov  graph 92
Dec  graph 70


Top Movie Viewings
Lost in Translation  5
Sin City  5
The Matrix Reloaded  5
Chicago  4
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days  4
My Big Fat Greek Wedding  4
The Italian Job  4
The Pianist  4
About Schmidt  3
Adaptation  3


(recently added books)

The Conformist
by Alberto Moravia, 376 pages
Tony Pisarenkov   Sunday, November 01, 2009

Though I've seen the movie twice, reading the book reminded me how much I didn't remember about it. I initially had some misgivings about Moravia's style, but in the end it worked.

Life As We Do Not Know It: The NASA Search for (and Synthesis of) Alien Life
by Peter Ward, 292 pages
Steven Krise   Thursday, October 29, 2009

Ward challenges the Darwinian "orthodoxy" with his startling thesis that life on other planets may (or may not) use different chemistry from Earth life.

The Return of the Native
by Thomas Hardy, 468 pages
Steve Gadd   Tuesday, October 27, 2009



The Everything Knots Book
by Randy Penn, 273 pages
Steven Krise   Thursday, October 22, 2009

A fairly standard introduction to knots. It tries to go beyond just having diagrams showing you how to tie knots by having chapters on rope management, teaching knot tying, your continuing knot journey, but the author didn't really have enough material to support these additional chapters. So +5 for the idea, but -7 for the implementation.

Right Ho, Jeeves
by P. G. Wodehouse, 224 pages
Steve Gadd   Monday, October 19, 2009



Travels with Charley in Search of America
by John Steinbeck, 224 pages
Steve Gadd   Sunday, October 18, 2009



Starting Out in Poker
by Stewart Reuben, 160 pages
Steven Krise   Saturday, October 17, 2009

A fairly standard poker text, except for the unique "Try It Yourself" section at the end of each chapter, which is a short graded quiz with rated answers in the back of the book.

Earth: An Intimate History
by Richard Fortey, 425 pages
Steven Krise   Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Fortey's thesis is (to paraphrase Dobzhansky) that nothing in geology makes sense except in light of plate tectonics. He then takes the reader on a tour of a dozen or so locations around the globe with various geological formations that either were pivotal in providing evidence for the theory or which finally made sense when explicated tectonically.

Escape from the Deep
by Alex Kershaw, 288 pages
Steve Gadd   Friday, October 09, 2009



How to win at poker
by Belinda Levez, 106 pages
Steven Krise   Thursday, October 08, 2009

Probably the lamest poker book I've ever read. This is what passes for good advice: develop a betting strategy that maximizes profit whilst minimizing loss (with no explanation of how to evaluate a strategy to see if it meets that criterion) or bluff but not too much because when people call your bluff you lose money.


(recently added movies)

The Soviet Story
********--

Tony Pisarenkov   The Cato Institute, Washington, DC   Monday, November 02, 2009

A documentary on the Soviet Union, its collusion with the Nazis in 1939-1940, and, following its joining the Allies, the West's continued reluctance to indict the Soviets fully for the horrors they perpetrated throughout the country's existence. Occasionally didactic in tone, but highly recommended nonetheless, for its chilling archival footage if nothing else.

It Might Get Loud
*****-----

Tony Pisarenkov   Landmark E St. Theatre, Washington, DC   Monday, September 14, 2009

Had its moments, but on the whole couldn't decide whether it wanted to be about How To Communicate Your Great Art To The World Through Music or a guitar geek-fest. It also had more than a whiff of an ego trip for jack White about it.

The International
****------

Steve Gadd   DVD   Thursday, June 11, 2009

The glossy international scenes and shootout at the Guggenheim fail to make up for the synthetic story and wooden performances.

Michael Clayton
*******---

Steve Gadd   Flexplay DVD   Saturday, April 04, 2009

Seven stars for the movie, which was nothing less or more than expected. And a 9.5 for the Flexplay DVD format. For the price of a rental, you get a pristine unscratched disc and two days to watch it, with nothing to return. The only downside is the barebones menu with no extras.

The Visitor
********--

Steve Gadd   DVD   Sunday, March 29, 2009



Happy Go Lucky
******----

Steve Gadd   DVD   Saturday, March 28, 2009



The Wrestler
******----

Steve Gadd   Fairfax Regal Cinemas   Friday, March 13, 2009

Nothing really bad about the movie, but not all that much going for it either.

Charlie Wilson's War
*******---

Steve Gadd   DVD   Tuesday, March 03, 2009



Eşkıya
****------

Steve Gadd   bittorrent cinema   Saturday, January 31, 2009

The best parts were the makings of a watchable film; can't quite make out how the rest got in.

Ghost Town
******----

Steve Gadd   DVD at home   Wednesday, December 31, 2008