racking up the list

[kaigou]

Actually, with maybe one or two books I've forgotten (because they were that forgettable), here's what I squeezed into my brain managed to read in the past year. Yowser. Plus, comments, just because, but trying to be fair whenever possible. (Besides, if you have recommendations for me, this'll tell you what did, and did not, appeal to me & why.)

EDIT: forgot one. Tells you something that I'd blocked out memory so thoroughly of it. Added it to end of fiction list. Asterisks indicate those books I finished only by skimming, just out of sheer obstinancy -- whether this meant just the last few chapters, or the entire second half, and by reading every few paragraphs or random pages here and there, I ain't saying. Suffice it to say, books with asterisks are ones where finishing took concerted effort on my end.

FICTION


1. A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin.
   
2. A Clash of Kings, George R. R. Martin.
   
3. A Storm of Swords, George R. R. Martin.
   ◦ George R R Martin
   Plus: Understands the concept of throwing rocks at characters.
   Minus: Throws boulders.
   Read more? Possibly. Uncertain about rumors that next book is two parts & neglects my favorite characters.
   
   
4. Black Sun Rising*
   ◦ CS Friedman
   Plus: Intriguing premise.
   Minus: Character motivations not convincing.
   Read more? Doubtful.
   
   
5. Nightlife*
   ◦ Rob Thurman
   Plus: Strong character voice.
   Minus: Needs lots more work on economics of underground.
   Read more? Maybe. Will wait for reviews this time.
   
   
6. Paladin of Souls
   
7. The Curse of Chalion
   ◦ Lois McMaster Bujold
   Plus: No one is clearly good or clearly bad; complex intrigue.
   Minus: Sometimes gets lost with so many characters.
   Read more? Eventually.
   
   
8. His Majesty's Dragon
   
9. Black Powder War
   
10. Throne of Jade
    ◦ Naomi Novik
    Plus: Excellent twist on dragon genre and Napoleonic historical fiction.
    Minus: background characters often too background.
    Read more? Absolutely.
    
    
11. Valiant
    ◦ Holly Black.
    Plus: This woman can make you taste the grit between your teeth.
    Minus: The bad mother trope is a standard of YA, but really not my thing.
    Read more? Absolutely!
    
    
12. Last Light of the Sun
    
13. Sailing to Sarantium*
    ◦ Guy Gavriel Kay
    Plus: Gorgeously researched.
    Minus: Ponderous, loves the editorializing.
    Read more: Thanks, but not my thing.
    
    
14. Smoke and Shadows
    
15. Blood Price
    
16. Blood Trail
    
17. Blood Pact
    
18. Blood Debt
    ◦ Tanya Huff
    Plus: bisexual protag.
    Minus: Just because you're pretty much it when it comes to urban fantasy with strong and rounded GLBT characters doesn't mean you can slack on filling plotholes.
    Read more? I've read enough, but I could be convinced by a trusted friend, maybe.
    
    
19. King Rat
    ◦ China Mieville
    Plus: Melts English into fantastical combination of archaic and slang that works.
    Minus: his politics got in the way of his story.
    Read more? Doubtful.
    
    
20. Compass Rose
    
21. Barbed Rose
    ◦ Gail Dayton
    Plus: well-rounded world-building, fascinating relationship concepts
    Minus: veers just a little close to Mary Sue at times
    Read more? Yes. Totally.
    
    
22. The Gypsy*
    ◦ Steven Brust & Megan Lindholm
    Plus: Wait, something will come to me. Poetic language, perhaps.
    Minus: First half of book could've been cut and nothing lost.
    Read more? Not if the others are anything like this one.
    
    
23. Giants of the Frost
    ◦ Kim Wilkins
    Plus: entrancing, suspenseful, cool take on Norse legends
    Minus: on the bleak side, main character a little neurotic (though that did work in context)
    Read more? If I'm certain other works also have fantasy element; she normally writes 'paranormal romance', which isn't my thing
    
    
24. Moon Called
    ◦ Patricia Briggs
    Plus: For once, the werewolves aren't better than humans, nor all "in touch with nature" crap
    Minus: They're still werewolves.
    Read more? maybe, could be convinced by any friends who read it first
    
    
25. Something from the Nightside*
    ◦ Simon R. Green
    Plus: Urban fantasy with only hints at intricate backstory.
    Minus: Unable to stop shoving hints at intricate foreboding backstory down my frickin' throat.
    Read more? Pretty much a no.
    
    
26. Perfect Circle
    
27. Mockingbird
    ◦ Sean Stewart
    Plus: Amazing quirky human characters, believable fantastical magical realism
    Minus: Stories keep ending, damn it.
    Read more? You got it.
    
    
28. Bedlam's Bard*
    ◦ Mercedes Lackey, Rosemary Edghill
    Plus: Uhm, okay, among the first to really mix fantastical into modern urban setting
    Minus: Oh, look, another frickin' Renfest addict character. And the italics, how they burn!
    Read more? You'd have to pay me.
    
    
29. Strange Adventures of Rangergirl
    ◦ Tim Pratt
    Plus: quirky, engaging main character, peculiar and different premise
    Minus: Walked the edge of 'writer writing about writer' with instead 'writer writing about comic-book writer'
    Read more? Possibly.
    
    
30. A Prince Among Men*
    ◦ Robert Charrette
    Plus: Concept. That's about it.
    Minus: Everything else.
    Read more? No. Just no.
    
    
31. Tropic of Night
    
32. Night of the Jaguar
    
33. Valley of Bones
    ◦ Michael Gruber
    Plus: Amazing crossover between fantastical/magical-realism, police procedure, thriller, and anthropological treatises.
    Minus: Can go a bit thin when mixing magic into finale, walking the line on magic ex machina.
    Read more? Hell yeah.
    
    
34. The Traveler
    ◦ John Twelve Hawks
    Plus: Gibson's love child + cool take on modern world to create believeable paranoia
    Minus: A little too paranoid at times, just something in the tone...
    Read more? Possibly.
    
    
35. Storm Front
    
36. Fool Moon
    
37. Grave Peril
    
38. Summer Knight
    ◦ Jim Butcher
    Plus: Harry is a screwup, deadpan humor rocks, and even tangential characters are strongly written
    Minus: Introducing new characters in later books is done awkwardly.
    Read more? only because reviews/critics say his 5th book is the strongest in the series
    
    
39. Heroics for Beginners
    ◦ John Moore
    Plus: Skews every possible fantasy cliche.
    Minus: Can't see I'd want more; one was enough.
    Read more? doubtful; reviews indicate his next books are the same schtick
    
    
40. Hard Rain
    
41. Rain Storm
    
42. Killing Rain
    ◦ Barry Eisler
    Plus: Awesomely multicultural, with strong feeling of been-there
    Minus: Goes a little overboard on the fighting/guns details, verging on showing-off
    Read more? Hell yeah.
    
    
43. Nine Layers of Sky
    ◦ Liz Williams
    Plus: bleak, wintry setting; fascinating twist; unusual protags
    Minus: love story wasn't nearly as developed -- rushed at points, that is
    Read more? Possibly.
    
    
44. Playback
    ◦ Raymond Chandler
    Plus: dude, it's Raymond Chandler.
    Minus: the guy is dead and I've read all his work now.
    Read more? Guess I'm stuck with rereading...
    
    
45. The Anubis Gates
    ◦ Tim Powers
    Plus: Contains everything and the kitchen sink, and three llamas in there somewhere.
    Minus: A few chapters near the end had distinct "oh shit have to finish soon" feeling.
    Read more? yes
    
    
46. Gun with Occassional Music
    
47. Amnesia Moon*
    ◦ Jonathan Lethem
    Plus: Love child of Hunter Thompson and Raymond Chandler, on acid.
    Minus: Needs some serious work on providing an ending...any ending.
    Read more? No, sadly.
    
    
48. Once Upon Stilletos
    ◦ Shanna Swendson
    Plus: great voice, still kooky, still down-to-earth girl in city, still charming
    Minus: the series' arc-villian plot is starting to look rather thin
    Read more? hell yeah
    
    
49. Bourne Identity
    
50. Bourne Ultimatum
    ◦ Robert Ludlum
    Plus: Damn, I didn't see that coming...or that...or that...
    Minus: Verges on over-involved, glossing potential plotholes
    Read more? Yep!
    
    
51. Melusine
    ◦ Sarah Monette
    Plus: Excellent character voice, great portrayal of (magical-induced) madness
    Minus: Dragged; diverging stories needed to merge earlier, somehow
    Read more? Depends on reviews/critiques
    
    
52. Privilege of the Sword
    ◦ Ellen Kushner
    Plus: Believable main protag, complex intrigue
    Minus: Still verges on melodrama at times.
    Read more? maybe, if friends recommend
    
    
53. Dragon's Eye
    ◦ James Hetley
    Plus: strong lesbian characters, evocative setting/description
    Minus: The Mary Sue! Kill it! Kill it!
    Read more? no
    
    
54. Staying Dead
    
55. Curse the Dark
    
56. Bring it On*
    ◦ Laura Anne Gilman
    Plus: strong female character, capable handling of secondary characters
    Minus: tertiary characters blend; yet another Sekkrit Organizashun Running Everything
    Read more? not sure; getting tired of Sekkrit Org trope.
    
    
57. Lies of Locke Lamora
    ◦ Scott Lynch
    Plus: snarky, up-to-no-good inventive and immoral protags, yay; secondary characters not TSTL
    Minus: ending a bit too pat and/or quick compared to build-up
    Read more? yes
    
    
58. Song of the Beast
    ◦ Carol Berg
    Plus: Really did manage to keep plot/motivation simple and withhold payoff for 300+ pages.
    Minus: Background characters sometimes became mix-and-match.
    Read more? yes
    
    
59. Rush*
    ◦ Kim Wozenkraft
    Plus: intense, pulled no punches
    Minus: some end to the bleakness, please, and enough with the TSTL
    Read more? no thanks.
    
    
60. Path of Blood
    ◦ Diana Pharaoh Francis
    Plus: strong female character, didn't flinch on consequences
    Minus: Single POV can = unreliable narrator can = unexpected behaviors from secondary characters
    Read more? yep, rest of series is sitting right here!
    
    
61. Singer of Souls
    ◦ Adam Stemple
    Plus: Different take on power of music, drug use, fairy world
    Minus: Ending was distinctly emotionally unsatisfying
    Read more? maybe
    
    
62. Living Next Door to the God of Love*
    ◦ Justina Robson
    Plus: Interesting premise, some gorgeous turns of phrase.
    Minus: Even the entire thesaurus won't mask an ignorance of physics in a story whose lynchpin is physics: ends up a lot of pretty words signifiying jack.
    Read more? Ha, ha. Not unless Robson's been cut off from Scientific American and Babbelfish.
    
    
    NONFICTION
    
    
63. Trust Me
    ◦ Richard Ratcke
    
    
64. Phoenix: Cesare Borgia: His Life and Times
    ◦ Sarah Bradford
    
    
65. Undercover and Alone
    ◦ William Queen
    
    
66. Hot Shots and Heavy Hits
    ◦ Paul Doyle
    
    
67. Without A Badge: Undercover in the World's Deadliest Criminal Organization
    ◦ Jerry Speziale
    
    
68. Speed Tribes
    ◦ Karl Taro Greenfeld
    
    
69. Alec Baldwin Doesn't Love Me
    ◦ Michael Thomas Ford
    
    
70. Cesar's Way
    ◦ Cesar Millan
    
    
71. Do You Speak American?
    ◦ Robert MacNeil
    
    
    DIDN'T FINISH
    
    

• Princess of Roumania
  ◦ Paul Park
  Why: because I couldn't make heads nor tails of the opening chronology, and two chapters of a whole lotta telling with scant showing was enough to disincline me to keep going.
  
  
• Nightwatch
  ◦ Sergei Lukyanenko
  Why: it felt like...the kind of thing that, in the US, would get sent back with a note to investigate writer's critique groups. Good premise, needs work. In Russia, perhaps it was so unusual this made its flaws forgiveable; perhaps its translator just couldn't grasp subtleties so used simple third-grade words, which compounded a rather sparse characterization style.
  
  
• The Black Tattoo
  ◦ Sam Enthoven
  Why: because if I want a he's-the-chosen-one Mary Sue story filled with cardboard stereotypes and rushed development, I'll go read some fanfiction.
  
  
• The Levanter
  ◦ Eric Ambler
  Why: I'd just come off reading Ludlum and Eisler; Ambler's style is far slower and more thoughtful. I just couldn't adjust, I suppose.
  
  
• The Polish Officer
  ◦ Alan Furst
  Why: Same as for Ambler, though Furst's characterizations, premise, and setting are masterfully done.
  
  
• Pattern Recognition
  ◦ William Gibson
  Why: I wanted to like it, I really did. But I paused to do something else...and never went back. One chapter in, and I still hadn't hit that, "I wonder what's going to happen" feeling.
  
  
• The Birth of Venus
  ◦ Sarah Dunant
  Why: Unbelievably gratuitous historical inaccuracies that jarred me so much I wanted to mail the book back to the author with a note: "feminism? Newsflash: twentieth-century concept. Really."
  
  
• The Borgia Bride
  ◦ Jeanne Kalogridis
  Why: Lucrezia Borgia as a jealous, rapacious, poisoning evil-doer -- a slander debunked for some time now. Find another villian, please, she's been villianized enough.
  
  
• The Night Manager
  ◦ John le Carré
  Why: Everything hinged on me believing the protag would uproot his life to kill this one guy. A third of the way in, I still didn't believe it. Nuff said.
  
  
• Outside the Dog Museum
  ◦ Jonathan Carroll
  Why: Just couldn't get into it. Tried, failed, maybe will try later. Haven't traded the book in, at least.

I suspect I'm missing a few, here and there (probably in the nonfiction category mostly), but hey. Wow. That's quite a bit, considering I didn't really start reading this year until about March, when I started working (and thus had money, and lunchtime, to burn).

Part of the reason I read so much was a) this 52-book challenge going around, which prompted much moaning from participants that they'd never, ever get that many books read! And b) the realization that if I'm going to keep from treading the same tired tropes myself, I need to be aware of what's out there. It's not competition per se, so much as "what is being read/sold".

I was going to ponder what I'd learned from what I've read, but I'll save that for a later post. Now I just need a chance to boggle.