#1 Dawn of the Dumb, by Charlie Brooker

One down, 99 to go!

I suppose I should start with a confession, though. I actually started reading Charlie Brooker’s Dawn of the Dumb just before the dawn of 2010, having received the compilation of the professional miserablist’s articles for the Guardian as a Christmas present. But I definitely finished reading it in 2010, and as I’ve already stated, they’re my rules.

In many ways, it’s quite an easy start to the 100-book exercise. As a bit of a misanthrope myself – I think everyone is at heart – I’ve read plenty of Brooker’s articles in the Guide and G2 over recent years, so he’s already preaching to the converted. That said, perhaps it’s only when you read such a wealth of columns in quick succession that you can fully appreciate the limitless levels of his intolerance, counterbalanced by his boundless capacity for abusive tirades.

If all that sounds deeply depressing, then it’s completely the opposite. As I keep telling people, miserable is funny…

Anyway, as I said at the start of the year, I intend to write progress reports rather than reviews, so the rating alone will stand as my judgement.

#1 Dawn of the Dumb, by Charlie Brooker (Faber and Faber Limited) – 8/10

Next up: Simple Goalkeeping Made Spectacular: A Riotous Footballing Memoir about the Loneliest Position on the Field, by Graham Joyce (Mainstream Publishing Company)

In fact, although it’s been a busy week, I’ve already started book number two…

Click here for the full list of books so far, and their rating