One thing I do like to recap at the end of the year is the list of books I read, especially when there have been a lot like these past few years. Not that I'm exactly systematic in this, since I'm not counting books I beta-read or random day-to-day stuff, blogs, magazines and what have you. I guess my one resolution for 2012 is to actually try to use Goodreads more regularly and compile a list of books read right there, so I won't have to rely on my rather tattery brown, polka-dotted notebook and my just recently expired favorite pen to keep track.
Hm. Given that I'm pretty bad at keeping personal deadlines along with New Year's resolutions, we'll see how that one goes. Anyway, without further ado and in no particular order other than more or less the order in which I read them, my books of 2011, the good, the bad, the occasional honoary mention for being an awesome read:
1. Mike Carey - THE DEVIL YOU KNOW (Hm. Have to pick that series up again. Heard it compared to The Dresden Files and though YES!, but really was rather underwhelmed. Currently on my "Give It a Second Chance" pile)
2. Joe Abercrombie - THE HEROES (What can I say? I love the way Joe Abercrombie does epic fantasy. This one read like an epic fantasy version of the German war movie Die Bruecke)
3. Chris Beam - I AM J (really liked this story about a transgender boy, would have liked a bit more character depth, but overall enjoyed it)
4. Holly Black - RED GLOVE (I love this YA series. Can't wait for book three!)
5. Rachel Caine - GHOST TOWN (I really like this series, but it definitely lost a ton of momentum after book 6. Until that point the series was unputdownable, by now I'm already two books behind and will catch up eventually.)
6. Cassandra Clare - CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS (Wasn't so sure about this one, since CITY OF GLASS seemed to have been a really good wrap-up of the trilogy; still, about halfway in, I couldn't put this down, yay for book 5 to release in 2012!)
7. Leah Clifford - A TOUCH MORTAL (I wanted to like this book, but was disappointed how meh I felt about it...)
8. Lisa Desrochers - PERSONAL DEMONS (Ugh, the Department of Obvious stamps this one with an "Are You Kidding Me?" Ugh. Ugh!)
9. Alice Loweecey - FORCE OF HABIT (Okay, so I'm probably biased, because this a friend's book and I think she totally rocks, but I have to admit two things a) I'm not really a mystery reader and b) I absolutely loved how this takes a whole new spin on the genre and can't wait for the sequel in February of 2012!)
10. Erin Morgenstern - THE NIGHT CIRCUS (If I had to pick one book as my favorite of 2012, this one may very well be it! <3)
11. Courtney Alison Moulton - ANGELFIRE (Another one in the "Can't wait for the sequel!" queue!)
12. Hannu Rajaniemi - THE QUANTUM THIEF (One of those books I'm not entirely sure I completely understood, but man, this one's definitely earned its hype.)
13. Veronica Roth - DIVERGENT (I think I read this one in a day straight, because I just couldn't put it down again. Let's hear it for awesome 2011 YA debuts!)
14. Caitlin Kittredge - THE IRON THORN (Made my inner steampunk geek happy. Also yay for awesome character twists!)
15. Lois McMaster Bujold - WARRIOR'S APPRENTICE
16. Lois McMaster Bujold - SHARDS OF HONOR
17. Lois McMaster Bujold - BARRAYAR 18. Lois McMaster Bujold - THE MOUNTAINS OF MOURNING
19. Lois McMaster Bujold - THE VOR GAME
20. Lois McMaster Bujold -THE BORDERS OF INFINITY
21. Lois McMaster Bujold - BROTHERS IN ARMS
22. Lois McMaster Bujold - MIRROR DANCE
23. Lois McMaster Bujold - CETAGANDA
24. Lois McMaster Bujold - ETHAN OF ATHOS
25. Lois McMaster Bujold - KOMARR
26. Lois McMaster Bujold - A CIVIL CAMPAIGN
27. Lois McMaster Bujold - WINTERFAIR GIFTS
28. Lois McMaster Bujold - MEMORY
29. Lois McMaster Bujold - LABYRINTH
30. Lois McMaster Bujold - FALLING FREE
31. Lois McMaster Bujold - DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY
32. Lois McMaster Bujold - CRYOBURN
(A summary line or two fails to encompass the awesomeness of this series. Seriously, how have I NOT read this before? I read all the books cover to cover and I'm super excited to hear she's writing more. This series is full of so much win on plot and character levels and I love that the MC is the total opposite of the strong, handsome hero type -- who uses his brain and his mouth to get himself in and out of trouble. Also, major female character win in this one!)
33. Catherine Fisher - INCARCERON (cross-genre YA steampunk/fantasy with some really fun worldbuilding. Will have to pick up the sequel sometime soon)
34. Abner Senires - CAT AND MOUSE (recommended by the awesome K.A. Stewart - really enjoyed the snark and badassery of those two female MCs.)
35. Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monette - A COMPANION TO WOLVES
36. Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monette - THE TEMPERING OF MEN ( Love the mythology and characters in this one, really loved COMPANION TO WOLVES and was happy to see that the sequel didn't disappoint)
37. Elizabeth Bear - SEVEN FOR A SECRET (Elizabeth Bear's steampunk vampire books are totally something that inspired an idea for a steampunk novel of my own that yet needs to see the light of day!)
38. Ben Aaronovitch - RIVERS OF LONDON
39. Ben Aaronovitch - MOON OVER SOHO (Nightingale is my new character crush. "Why are there so many apples?" -- "They have a tendency to explode".)
40. Russell Banks - THE RESERVE (Eh. Thoroughly underwhelmed since there really was nothing new about this book, neither in premise, setting nor characters)
41. E. L. Doctorow - HOMER AND LANGLEY (Okay.)
42. Stephen King - ON WRITING (Every writer should read this. Like, right now!)
43. David Page - BODY TRAUMA (Thanks to David R. Slayton who recommended this to me during Backspace. Fun and comprehensive guide to trauma injuries and ways to treat them. In my writing reference shelf.)
44. Sarah Rees Brennan - THE DEMON'S SURRENDER (Favorite. YA trilogy. Ever. Love love love love!)
45. John Green and David Levithan - WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON (If I ever am fortunate enough to meet them, I'll probably just do this: <3 Man, I loved the voices in this. Utterly hilarious and full of awesome.)
46. Douglas Hulik - AMONG THIEVES (I haven't been really into epic fantasy this year, but this one was awesome and made the Scott Lynch fan in me happy/withdrawal syndromes less desperate)
47. Hannah Moskowitz - INVINCIBLE SUMMER (Don't read much contemporary YA, but this one just kept me buried and engrossed for a day. Also: sign language! <3)
48. Paolo Bacigalupi - SHIPBREAKER (Really enjoyed this book although the story wasn't all that new, but the world building was phenomenal with bonus points for a through and through non-white cast. Again with the sequels coming out in 2012!)
49. Jeff Somers - THE FINAL EVOLUTION (By now you all should know how much I love the badassery that is Avery Cates. Damian and him could be friends -- if they didn't shoot each other first. Probably my favorite of the whole series.)
50. Kevin Hearne - HOUNDED
51. Kevin Hearne - HEXED
52. Chris Wooding - BLACK LUNG CAPTAIN (not as much of a complete Firefly rip-off this time and even so, I still really enjoy this series and am waiting for more)
53. K. A. Stewart - A SHOT IN THE DARK (Jesse James Dawson ftw! I love how this isn't your typical U.S. urban fantasy and this one has more of Axel in it, too!)
54. Lauren Oliver - DELIRIUM (Awesome.)
55. Mira Grant - FEED
56. Mira Grant - DEADLINE (Man, this series is seriously awesome. The characters. The plot. Oh and lots of zombie gore, but this is the Zombie Apocalypse done in a totally fresh, character-driven way. Absolutely cannot wait for the conclusion to the triology coming out in 2012)
57. Kody Koeplinger - THE DUFF
58. George R. R. Martin - A DANCE WITH DRAGONS (Was really glad I had this one on my Kindle. Massive, massive book and still I read the whole 1200 pages of it in less than a week. Daenerys = <3 and OMGHUGESPOILERICANNOTMENTIONHEREOMG!!!)
59. Jonathan Maberry - PATIENT ZERO (*sigh* I really wanted to like this one after we had such an awesome and ridiculously nerdy conversation in NY, but found myself immensely disappointed with ever-so-awesome-macho MCs and a premise that felt overdone and didn't grip me at all)
60. Maggie Stiefvater - FOREVER (Um, was there ever any plot in this?)
61. Jim Butcher - GHOST STORY (Okay, you all probably know how much I love Jim Butcher's stuff. This series is just so full of win and he actually manages what IMHO very few authors manage: to get better and more complex with each book. This one definitely was well worth the few extra months of waiting!)
62. Kiersten White - SUPERNATURALLY (Made me sad, because I really liked PARANORMALCY, but the sequel felt kind of hastily thrown-together and lacked the originality of its predecessor)
63. Jim Butcher - STORM FRONT
64. Jim Butcher - FOOL MOON
65. Jim Butcher - GRAVE PERIL
66. Jim Butcher - SUMMER KNIGHT
67. Jim Butcher - DEATH MASKS
68/ Jim Butcher - BLOOD RITES
69. Jim Butcher - DEAD BEAT
70. Jim Butcher - PROVEN GUILTY (here ends my epic series re-read, at least for now)
71. Gretchen McNeil - POSSESS (Go, Team Possess! Let's hear it for Teenage Exorcists!)
72. Scott Tracey - WITCH EYES
73. S. A. Meade - STOLEN SUMMER (Okay, so I apparently have a thing for m/m romance, but I love Sue's writing and love how much I get to beta for her <3)
74. Henry James - THE TURN OF THE SCREW (the class discussion about this was much more fun than the drudgery that was this book...)
75. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - DIE LEIDEN DES JUNGEN WERTHER (I had forgotten just how whiny and annoying Werther is...talk about passive characters...)
76. Elizabeth Bear, Emma Bull et. al. - SHADOW UNIT 1
77. Elizabeth Bear, Emma Bull et. al. - SHADOW UNIT 2
78. Elizabeth Bear, Emma Bull et. al. - SHADOW UNIT 3
79. Elizabeth Bear, Emma Bull et. al. - SHADOW UNIT 4
80. Elizabeth Bear, Emma Bull et. al. - SHADOW UNIT 5
81. Elizabeth Bear, Emma Bull et. al. - SHADOW UNIT 6
82. Elizabeth Bear, Emma Bull et. al. - SHADOW UNIT 7
83. Elizabeth Bear, Emma Bull et. al. - SHADOW UNIT 8
84. Elizabeth Bear, Emma Bull et. al. - SHADOW UNIT 9
85. Elizabeth Bear, Emma Bull et. al. - SHADOW UNIT 10 (Aside from Bujold's books, this is totally my new favorite series that I discovered this year -- and it's available for free at shadowunit.org! I'll have to set some time aside and write a post just about this series, what's awesome about it and how it made me push myself into a whole new direction in my writing sometime soon)
86. Seanan McGuire - ROSEMARY AND RUE (Hm. Definitely prefer this author as Mira Grant with zombies instead of changelings)
87. Harry Connolly - CHILD OF FIRE (Jim Butcher recommended this and I'll have to read more of this series very soon, because it's totally badass. :D)
88. Janet Burroway - WRITING FICTION (Remember Homophobic Prof telling me what kind of story she didn't want to see in her writing class? This book has that story she mentioned. Also, really great resource for writers.)
89. Kelly Gay - THE HOUR OF DUST AND ASHES (Lots of love for book three in this UF series)
90. Shakespeare - HAMLET (it's been a while and I actually was quite excited to "get" to read this one for school)
91. Ulrich Plenzdorf - DIE NEUEN LEIDEN DES JUNGEN W. (liked this GDR version of the Wether much better than the original Goethe version. ;))
92. Richard Kadrey - ALOHA FROM HELL (Fun, but not nearly as fun as the first in the series)
93. Manna Francis - MINDFUCK
94. Manna Francis - QUID PRO QUO
95. Manna Francis - GAMES AND PLAYERS
96. Manna Francis - CONTROL
97. Manna Francis - QUIS CUSTODIET
98. Manna Francis - FIRST AGAINST THE WALL
99. Manna Francis - FOR CERTAIN VALUES OF FAMILY (another epic re-read of my favorite LGBT series ever, which also has been quite a bit of an inspiration to my dystopian fantasy. Toreth and Warrick totally take the spot as my favorite LGBT series characters ever)
100. Kendare Blake - ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD (Really enjoyed this one, but would have liked a little more from the second half of the book)
101. Elizabeth Bear - THE WHITE CITY (I want more of those LGBT steampunk vampire books. More, you hear?)
102. Kate Chopin - THE AWAKENING (I promptly got into loud arguments with some of the conservative idiots in my English class and yes, I totally did recommend this to my mother, who also really enjoyed it)
103. Tahereh Mafi - SHATTER ME (Think of a more YA, more dystopian version of Rogue's story and X-Men and this is what you get. Lots of love for Juliette and Adam! <3)
104. Sarah Monette - THE BONE KEY (Hmmm, I'll stick with her epic fantasy stuff and the things she writes with Elizabeth Bear and for Shadow Unit, thanks.)
105. Dawn Rae Miller - LARKSTORM
106. Jordan Castillo Price - CAMP HELL (Um, why am I reading these books again? I mean, there's some good stuff here, but plot and structure wise it's all over the place...)
107. Cassandra Clare - CLOCKWORK PRINCE (Man, I was so looking forward to this one and while I still enjoyed reading it, I cannot help, but wonder what happened to Clare's usual plot-driven writing, because there really wasn't a lot of that here. Much as I like Jem, I got seriously pissed off when a major conflict involving Will was revealed as nothing but a lie from the get go. This kind of thing makes me do this face >:( )
108. Rebecca Lim - MERCY (Forget wimpy, emo angels -- I'll take the kind that smites!)
109. Leah Bobet - FIVE AUTOPSIES (Shadow Unit) (Holy shit, Madeleine Frost! :O)
110. Laini Taylor - DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE (In a way this was my favorite YA this year: beautiful writing, awesome imagery and original world building with really intriguing characters -- if the last third or so hadn't been so telling and showed a lot more, this would have me gushing nonstop. As it is, I'm looking forward to the continuation, hoping they won't make the same mistake twice.)
111. Douglas Adams - THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY (How can I call myself a proper nerd and not have read this yet? Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. Anyway, a gaping hole in my nerd record has now been patched and yes, I'm absolutely loving this!)
*deep breath* Anyway, that's my long, long list of books read in 2011. Definitely hit my goal of reading at least 100 books and wow, I read a ton of really, really amazing books. Already looking forward to 2012. And no, I'm not going to pick an absolute favorite, because I'd have to pick at least five or so...
What about you? How many books did you read in 2011? Which was your favorite? Are you going to read just as many or maybe more in 2012?
Dang! That's an impressive list O_o. I feel honoured to be included with such illustrious company! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteMy favourites of the year are mainly on this list, although I've not read much at all:
1. Possess
2. The Night Circus
3. Force of Habit
also (not on list)
Song of Oestend by Marie Sexton (m/m) Hot and gorgeous, understated worldbuilding and amazing chemistry between the two main characters.
Omigosh, what an amazing list!
ReplyDeleteI think my two very favourites of the year, because they blew me away and stayed with me were:
The Night Circus
The Art of Racing in the Rain
I don't say these were my favourites ever, because I have so many, but for the mood, the timing and what I read in 2011, I'd say these ranked highest. I did read a lot and was so happy that every single friend's book I read this year was absolutely worth it and completely enjoyable and these include, in no particular order:
Force of Habit
The Second Duchess
Fury of the Phoenix
Possess
A Shot in the Dark
Happy New Year and happy reading in 2012!
Thanks, ladies!
ReplyDeleteSue, I actually went and ordered Song of Oestend :)
Deb, I never read The Art of Racing in the Rain, but I've heard tons and tons of great things about it. I should definitely put it on my TBR list.
Glad everyone loved The Night Circus and yay for superbly talented writer friends. A happy 2012 to you all, may it be fabulous. :D