My Book List
Friday, January 1st, 2010 01:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
delphia2ohohohI'm pretty pleased with the number of books I managed to read this year in spite of the fact I wasn't able to read one a week as I hoped. I didn't read any during NaNo as I find reading distracts me when I'm doing serious writing. Something about input vs. output I guess. Anyway, behind the cut you will find the title, author and a brief review of each book. No real spoilers as far as I can see. Mostly I just say what the book is basically about and if I liked it. About half of these were rec'ed to me by friends near and far and seeing what they liked that I did or didn't has been an interesting part of the journey.
I didn't list all the picture-type books I brought home to look/drool over like cookbooks and decorating or crafting books. I generally don't read every word of those so I didn't think they really counted. Of the books I read, I think the YAs impressed me the most and there are a couple of those I would rec as entertaining for just about everyone here on my flist.
And finally, I am going to rec one book as my Book of the Year and I hope you'll all go find this one and look it over. I will be severely disappointed in you if you don't. :o)
Books I Read:
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer - meh. teenage angst, a big ole MaryMormonSue.
Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer - excellent! Haunting. I give this one my highest rec!
The Wizard of London by Mercedes Lackey - Fantasy and sorcery in old London. JMHO, not her best effort
The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer by Neal Stephenson - in deep need of decent editing and I can't really rec this one.
Lucy the Giant by Sherri L. Smith - really excellent! A very tall teen in Alaska is mistaken for an adult. Again, a high rec for this. You won't be disappointed.
Warriors - Into The Wild by Erin Hunter - just had to see what all the fuss was about. I can see the appeal for pre-teen boys especially.
Foundation (Valdemar: Collegium Chronicles, Book 1) by Mercedes Lackey - better than the last one of her's I read, but stops at a bad place. Too obviously TBC.
Zombies of the Gene Pool by Sharyn McCrumb-A good followup to 'Bimbos' but not as mirth inducing
A Very Fine Line by Julie Johnston - a YA novel about a clairvoyant child; okay but not wonderful
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray - Another okay YA novel. This time it's a girl with powers gets sent to an English boarding school when her mother is killed by magic. It's a series but I don't think I care to read the rest of them.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - awesome! Really good apocafic - high rec on this series.
FlyGirl by Sherri L. Smith - awesome! I can't say how much I like this writer.
One Good Knight by Mercedes Lackey - excellent story! Really enjoyed the feisty princess. Turns every fairy tale topsy turvey. This is the Mercedes I was looking for in the two previous books of hers I'd read this year.
The Dead & the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer - sequel/companion story to her first. Really amazing especially considering how much I hate depressing books, but there is hope there if you look for it and both books haunt me.
Skipping Christmas by John Grisham - cute but I just kept thinking that it probably made an awful movie. I was somewhat disappointed that they caved even or maybe especially because it was their daughter who screwed things up for them. However, satisfying ending.
To Light A Candle by Mercedes Lackey - second book of the Obsidian Trilogy, the first of which I read in December of last year. This one was better than the first which I think may have just stretched things out too much for me. In this one, the action is paced better, less switching back and forth between Dark and Light characters and I love elves anyway. I'll be reading the final book.
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See - Good read, very interesting from a cultural aspect, but equally a difficult read because of the cultural differences. Rather graphic descriptions of foot binding in particular that are hard to read.
The Shack by William P. Young - I'm not sure what to say about this. It was a pretty fast read in some places and in others, I had to re-read and think. I like the characterizations of a loving God which is how I see him, but it did get a little preachy and moved the protagonist along a little too fast for me.
Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet by Kashmira Sheth - Excellent coming of age story of an older teen girl in Mumbai who wants a different, more modern way of life than her traditional mother has planned for her.
Keeping Corner by Kashmira Sheth - I was so impressed by the first book of hers I read, I rushed out and borrowed this one. It's about a young widow during Ghandi's time. Two thumbs up on this one too!
Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran - 3 Iranian sisters settle in a small Irish village to open a cafe and escape their past. Great read and recipes too!
When Darkness Falls by Mercedes Lackey - Final book of the Obsidian Trilogy, very satisfying story with a twist at the end that I didn't see coming. Will not be a great favorite of mine, but an enjoyable read.
Dewey -The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched The World by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter - wonderfully charming story, but more info about Iowa than I really wanted to know.
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen - good little read about a magical sisters and their magical garden with a HEA.
The Naming (The First Book of Pellinor) by Alison Croggon - Very enjoyable YA fantasy series about Bards. I'll be reading all of this series.
Julie & Julia by Julie Powell - non-fiction about a modern, potty-mouth NYC gal who blogs as she cooks her way thru Julia Child's cookbook. Somewhat interesting, but I have so little in common with her it was hard to connect emotionally with it.
The Riddle (The Second Book of Pellinor) by Alison Croggon - More fantasy. Still enjoyable if a bit slow.
The Crow (The Third Book of Pellinor) by Alison Croggon - Takes up the story of a secondary character, and was a little slow in places.
The Singing (The Fourth Book of Pellinor) by Alison Croggon - Final book. Satisfying ending.
Austenland by Shannon Hale - cute little mainstream romance about a young woman in NYC who is obsessed by Mr. Darcy. A wealthy aunt bequeaths her a trip to an exclusive British resort that is all Austin, all the time.
Mad Kestrel by Misty Massey - entertaining yarn about a magical female pirate who can whistle up the wind.
Daughter of the Mountains by Louise Rankin - cute juvenile story about a Tibetan girl who travels to India to get back her stolen dog.
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - sequel to The Hunger Games and while still good, very obviously the middle of a trilogy.
The Blue Shoe: A tale of Thievery, Villainy, Sorcery and Shoes by Roderick Townley - well written YA novel about a young thief who gets sent off to work in a mine and ends up leading a revolution. I'd read more by him.
Books I didn't finish for various reasons:
The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling - zzzzzzz: me snoring
American Gods: A Novel by Neil Gaiman - sorry wraith, it just wasn't me.
Counting Heads by David Marusek - read about half, skimmed the rest. Rambling, difficult to understand. Some good solid SF ideas, but just not well presented.
Left Behind by Tim LaHaye & Jerry Jenkins - Fundamentalist propaganda. On the up side, it calls the 'bad Christians' to task for their behavior.
The Nomad of Time by Michael Moorcock - bored waiting for something to happen
Wicked: The Life & Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire - I don't mind a 're-imagining of Oz; I just don't like his version of it. Read maybe half of this one, skimmed the rest. I'd call it a GarySue fan fiction as he's totally, obviously hot for green women.
The Art of Happiness & A Simple Path both by the Dali Lama - very deep, maybe too deep for me but somewhat enlightening about Buddhist principals.
7 Pillars of Wisdom by TE Lawrence - said to be the greatest book ever, but I found it a great bore all about battles & war.
Regenesis by C.J. Cherryh - kills me to drop this half-way thru as she is one of my fav authors & it's a sequel to a book I loved, but this is moving so slowly and while I don't mind using my brain, this one is too much work for too little payoff.
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith - this isn't a bad book, but I think the timing just isn't right for me as it's not holding my interest right now.
And finally, my choice for best book of the year:
Hungry Planet: What the World Eats by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio - I can't say enough about how fascinating this book was and what an eye opener. Each little chapter is focused on one family in a variety of countries and what food they have to eat for a week. I first saw the scaled-down version that was published for kids, but also found this edition and brought it home later. I'll admit I didn't read every word, but the pictures really say it all. Please, go to your local library and take this one out and take a look at how good we live. Besides the fact that it's just plain old interesting to see what people in other countries eat, you will feel very lucky, very blessed after seeing this.
I didn't list all the picture-type books I brought home to look/drool over like cookbooks and decorating or crafting books. I generally don't read every word of those so I didn't think they really counted. Of the books I read, I think the YAs impressed me the most and there are a couple of those I would rec as entertaining for just about everyone here on my flist.
And finally, I am going to rec one book as my Book of the Year and I hope you'll all go find this one and look it over. I will be severely disappointed in you if you don't. :o)
Books I Read:
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer - meh. teenage angst, a big ole MaryMormonSue.
Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer - excellent! Haunting. I give this one my highest rec!
The Wizard of London by Mercedes Lackey - Fantasy and sorcery in old London. JMHO, not her best effort
The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer by Neal Stephenson - in deep need of decent editing and I can't really rec this one.
Lucy the Giant by Sherri L. Smith - really excellent! A very tall teen in Alaska is mistaken for an adult. Again, a high rec for this. You won't be disappointed.
Warriors - Into The Wild by Erin Hunter - just had to see what all the fuss was about. I can see the appeal for pre-teen boys especially.
Foundation (Valdemar: Collegium Chronicles, Book 1) by Mercedes Lackey - better than the last one of her's I read, but stops at a bad place. Too obviously TBC.
Zombies of the Gene Pool by Sharyn McCrumb-A good followup to 'Bimbos' but not as mirth inducing
A Very Fine Line by Julie Johnston - a YA novel about a clairvoyant child; okay but not wonderful
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray - Another okay YA novel. This time it's a girl with powers gets sent to an English boarding school when her mother is killed by magic. It's a series but I don't think I care to read the rest of them.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - awesome! Really good apocafic - high rec on this series.
FlyGirl by Sherri L. Smith - awesome! I can't say how much I like this writer.
One Good Knight by Mercedes Lackey - excellent story! Really enjoyed the feisty princess. Turns every fairy tale topsy turvey. This is the Mercedes I was looking for in the two previous books of hers I'd read this year.
The Dead & the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer - sequel/companion story to her first. Really amazing especially considering how much I hate depressing books, but there is hope there if you look for it and both books haunt me.
Skipping Christmas by John Grisham - cute but I just kept thinking that it probably made an awful movie. I was somewhat disappointed that they caved even or maybe especially because it was their daughter who screwed things up for them. However, satisfying ending.
To Light A Candle by Mercedes Lackey - second book of the Obsidian Trilogy, the first of which I read in December of last year. This one was better than the first which I think may have just stretched things out too much for me. In this one, the action is paced better, less switching back and forth between Dark and Light characters and I love elves anyway. I'll be reading the final book.
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See - Good read, very interesting from a cultural aspect, but equally a difficult read because of the cultural differences. Rather graphic descriptions of foot binding in particular that are hard to read.
The Shack by William P. Young - I'm not sure what to say about this. It was a pretty fast read in some places and in others, I had to re-read and think. I like the characterizations of a loving God which is how I see him, but it did get a little preachy and moved the protagonist along a little too fast for me.
Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet by Kashmira Sheth - Excellent coming of age story of an older teen girl in Mumbai who wants a different, more modern way of life than her traditional mother has planned for her.
Keeping Corner by Kashmira Sheth - I was so impressed by the first book of hers I read, I rushed out and borrowed this one. It's about a young widow during Ghandi's time. Two thumbs up on this one too!
Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran - 3 Iranian sisters settle in a small Irish village to open a cafe and escape their past. Great read and recipes too!
When Darkness Falls by Mercedes Lackey - Final book of the Obsidian Trilogy, very satisfying story with a twist at the end that I didn't see coming. Will not be a great favorite of mine, but an enjoyable read.
Dewey -The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched The World by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter - wonderfully charming story, but more info about Iowa than I really wanted to know.
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen - good little read about a magical sisters and their magical garden with a HEA.
The Naming (The First Book of Pellinor) by Alison Croggon - Very enjoyable YA fantasy series about Bards. I'll be reading all of this series.
Julie & Julia by Julie Powell - non-fiction about a modern, potty-mouth NYC gal who blogs as she cooks her way thru Julia Child's cookbook. Somewhat interesting, but I have so little in common with her it was hard to connect emotionally with it.
The Riddle (The Second Book of Pellinor) by Alison Croggon - More fantasy. Still enjoyable if a bit slow.
The Crow (The Third Book of Pellinor) by Alison Croggon - Takes up the story of a secondary character, and was a little slow in places.
The Singing (The Fourth Book of Pellinor) by Alison Croggon - Final book. Satisfying ending.
Austenland by Shannon Hale - cute little mainstream romance about a young woman in NYC who is obsessed by Mr. Darcy. A wealthy aunt bequeaths her a trip to an exclusive British resort that is all Austin, all the time.
Mad Kestrel by Misty Massey - entertaining yarn about a magical female pirate who can whistle up the wind.
Daughter of the Mountains by Louise Rankin - cute juvenile story about a Tibetan girl who travels to India to get back her stolen dog.
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - sequel to The Hunger Games and while still good, very obviously the middle of a trilogy.
The Blue Shoe: A tale of Thievery, Villainy, Sorcery and Shoes by Roderick Townley - well written YA novel about a young thief who gets sent off to work in a mine and ends up leading a revolution. I'd read more by him.
Books I didn't finish for various reasons:
The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling - zzzzzzz: me snoring
American Gods: A Novel by Neil Gaiman - sorry wraith, it just wasn't me.
Counting Heads by David Marusek - read about half, skimmed the rest. Rambling, difficult to understand. Some good solid SF ideas, but just not well presented.
Left Behind by Tim LaHaye & Jerry Jenkins - Fundamentalist propaganda. On the up side, it calls the 'bad Christians' to task for their behavior.
The Nomad of Time by Michael Moorcock - bored waiting for something to happen
Wicked: The Life & Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire - I don't mind a 're-imagining of Oz; I just don't like his version of it. Read maybe half of this one, skimmed the rest. I'd call it a GarySue fan fiction as he's totally, obviously hot for green women.
The Art of Happiness & A Simple Path both by the Dali Lama - very deep, maybe too deep for me but somewhat enlightening about Buddhist principals.
7 Pillars of Wisdom by TE Lawrence - said to be the greatest book ever, but I found it a great bore all about battles & war.
Regenesis by C.J. Cherryh - kills me to drop this half-way thru as she is one of my fav authors & it's a sequel to a book I loved, but this is moving so slowly and while I don't mind using my brain, this one is too much work for too little payoff.
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith - this isn't a bad book, but I think the timing just isn't right for me as it's not holding my interest right now.
And finally, my choice for best book of the year:
Hungry Planet: What the World Eats by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio - I can't say enough about how fascinating this book was and what an eye opener. Each little chapter is focused on one family in a variety of countries and what food they have to eat for a week. I first saw the scaled-down version that was published for kids, but also found this edition and brought it home later. I'll admit I didn't read every word, but the pictures really say it all. Please, go to your local library and take this one out and take a look at how good we live. Besides the fact that it's just plain old interesting to see what people in other countries eat, you will feel very lucky, very blessed after seeing this.
