What I Read In 2011
So I might have sucked at consistently writing reviews for the books I read in 2011, but I did manage to actually keep a list of all of them. Slightly less books read in 2011 than in 2010 but I think that is because I read a number of longer books that just took more time. Rereading the Game of Thrones series in anticipation of the new release took up a lot of my spring and summer reading time.
Anyway the following is the list of books read by month, including any reviews I might have written on them...
JANUARY
http://users.livejournal.com/_lady_narcissa_/208941.html
1. In The Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming (2001) (#1 Rev. Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne Series) [Mystery - Present Day Upstate New York]
2. The Singing Sands by Josephine Tey (1953) [Mystery - circa 1950s Scotland and England]
Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning [Urban Fantasy - [present day Georgia, USA and Ireland and unknown times in Fairy]
3. Darkfever (Fever Series #1) (2006) reread
4. Bloodfever (Fever Series #2) (2007) reread
5. Faefever (Fever Series #3) (2008) reread
6. Dreamfever (Fever Series #4) (2009) reread
7/8. Shadowfever (Fever Series #5) (2011) original read + reread
9. Archangel's Consort (Guild Hunter #3) by Nalini Singh (2011) [Paranormal Romance - Alternative New York City and Asia]
FEBRUARY
http://users.livejournal.com/_lady_narcissa_/211845.html
http://users.livejournal.com/_lady_narcissa_/213444.html
10. The Long Winter (Little House #6) by Laura Ingalls Wilder (1940) [Children's Literature - 1880 Dakota Territory, USA] reread
11. War for the Oaks by Emma Bull (1987) [Urban Fantasy - 1980s Minneapolis, Minnesota]
12. Unclean Spirits (Black Sun's Daughter #1) by M.L.N. Hanover (2008) [Urban Fantasy - Denver, Colorado]
13. Darker Angels (Black Sun's Daughter #2) by M.L.N. Hanover (2009) [Urban Fantasy - New Orleans, Louisiana]
14. Vicious Grace (Black Sun's Daughter #3) by M.L.N. Hanover (2010) [Urban Fantasy - Chicago, Illinois]
15. Sea Room - An Island Life in the Hebrides by Adam Nicholson (2002) [Biography and History - Shiants, Outer Hebrides, Scotland]
MARCH
http://users.livejournal.com/_lady_narcissa_/214036.html
16. Cold Magic by Kate Elliott (2010) [Fantasy / Steampunk - Alternative Eastern Europe in a Victorian like era]
17. Iron Crowned (Dark Swan #3) by Richelle Mead (2011) [Suburban Fantasy - Contemporary Tucson, Arizona and Another World]
18. Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan (2008) [Fantasy - Elizabethan England]
19. A Game of Thrones (A Song of Fire and Ice #1) by George R.R. Martin [Fantasy - Westeros] reread
20. Where Shadows Dance (Sebastian St. Cyr #6) by C.S. Harris (2011) [Historical Mystery - Regency England]
APRIL
http://users.livejournal.com/_lady_narcissa_/226890.html
21. A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire #2) by George R.R. Martin (1999) [Fantasy - Westeros] reread
22. One Of Our Thursdays Is Missing (Thursday Next #6) by Jasper Fforde (2011) [Literary Fiction - Alternative Britain / Book World]
23. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (1996) [Urban Fantasy - London and London Below]
MAY
http://users.livejournal.com/_lady_narcissa_/226890.html
24. A Storm of Swords (A Song of Fire and Ice #3) by George R.R. Martin (2000) [Fantasy - Westeros] reread
25. Dead Reckoning (Sookie Stackhouse #11) by Charlaine Harris (2011) [Rural Fantasy - Present Day - Louisiana]
JUNE
26. Sizzling Sixteen (Stephanie Plum #16) by Janet Evanovich (2010) [Mystery - Present Day - Trenton, New Jersey]
27. A Feast of Crows (A Song of Fire and Ice #4) by George R.R. Martin (2005) [Fantasy - Westeros] reread
28. The Vampire Diaries - The Return: Volume 3: Midnight (Vampire Diaries #7) by L.J. Smith (2011) [Young Adult Paranormal - Present Day Fell’s Church and an alternate dimension]
29. Dark Road to Darjeeling (Lady Julia Grey #4) by Deanna Raybourn (2010) [Gothic Mystery - 19th Century - India]
JULY
30. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (2008) [Young Adult - post apocalyptic world in the country of Panem (formerly North America)]
31. Burghley - William Cecil at the Court of Elizabeth I by Stephen Alford (2008) [Biography - Tudor England]
32. A Dance With Dragons (A Song of Fire and Ice #5) by George R.R. Martin (2011) [Fantasy - Westeros]
AUGUST
33. Grave Sight (Harper Connelly #1) by Charlaine Harris (2005) [Mystery - Present Day - Ozarks]
34. The Throne of Fire (Kane Chronicles #2) by Rick Riordan (2011) [Children’s Fantasy - Present Day - Brooklyn, London, St. Petersburg, Egypt]
35. Moon Called (Mercy Thompson #1) by Patricia Briggs (2006) [Paranormal - Present Day - Tri-Cities, Washington]
36. Kitty and the Midnight Hour (Kitty#1) by Carrie Vaughn (2005) [Paranormal - Present Day - Denver, Colorado]
37. Kitty Goes to Washington (Kitty #2) by Carrie Vaughn (2006) [Paranormal - Present Day - Washington, D.C.]
38. Kitty and the Dead Man’s Hand (Kitty #5) by Carrie Vaughn (2009) [Paranormal - Present Day - Las Vegas, Nevada]
SEPTEMBER
39. Kitty’s House of Horrors (Kitty #7) by Carrie Vaughn (2010) [Paranormal - Present Day - Montana]
40. Kitty’s Big Trouble (Kitty #9) by Carrie Vaughn (2011) [Paranormal - Present Day - San Francisco, California]
41. Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson #2) by Patricia Briggs (2007) [Paranormal - Present Day - Tri-Cities, Washington]
42. Iron Kissed (Mercy Thompson #3) by Patricia Briggs (2008) [Paranormal - Present Day - Tri-Cities, Washington]
43. Bone Crossed (Mercy Thompson #4) by Patricia Briggs (2009) [Paranormal - Present Day - Tri-Cities, Washington]
44. Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson #5) by Patricia Briggs (2010) [Paranormal - Present Day - Tri-Cities, Washington]
45. Succubus Revealed (Georgina Kincaid #6) by Richelle Mead (2011) [Paranormal - Present Day - Seattle, Washington and Hell]
OCTOBER
46. Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst (2011) [Paranormal Young Adult - Contemporary Connecticut]
47. Devil’s Brood by Sharon Kay Penman (2008) [Historical Fiction - 12th century England and France]
48. Jennifer, Hecaste, Macbeth, William McKinley, and me, Elizabeth by E.L. Konigsburg (1967) [Children’s Literature - 1960s commuter suburb of NYC]
49. The Witches of Worm by Zilpha Keatley Snyder (1972) [Children’s Literature - 1970s “Blackberry Heights”…seems like Brooklyn or some other part of the NYC area]
50. Lionheart by Sharon Kay Penman (2011) [Historical Fiction - France, Sicily, Cypres, and the Holy Land - 1189 through 1192]
NOVEMBER
51. River Marked (Mercy Thompson #6) by Patricia Briggs (2011) [Paranormal - Present Day Columbia Gorge River Area]
51.25 “Alpha and Omega” in On the Prowl anthology (Prelude to Alpha and Omega series) by Patricia Briggs (2007) [Paranormal Romance - Chicago]
52.25 Cry Wolf (Alpha and Omega #1) by Patricia Briggs (2008) [Paranormal Romance - Montana]
52.5 “Here There Be Monsters” in Burning Up anthology (Iron Seas short story) by Meljean Brook (2010) [Steampunk Romance - 19th century like alternative Europe]
53.5 The Iron Duke (Iron Seas #1) by Meljean Brook (2010) [Steampunk Romance - 19th century like alternative England and the High Seas]
53.75 “The Blushing Bounder” Wild and Steamy anthology (Iron Seas short story) by Meljean Brook (2011) [Steampunk Romance - 19th century like alternative London, England]
54.75 Heart of Steel (Iron Seas #2) by Meljean Brook (2011) [Steampunk Romance - 19th century like alternative Europe]
55.75 Otherwise Known As Sheila The Great by Judy Blume (1972) [Children’s Fiction - 1970s New York City and Tarrytown, New York] reread
DECEMBER
56.75 Soulless (Parasol Protectorate #1) by Gail Carriger (2009) [Steampunk Romance - alternative Victorian like England]
57.75 Changeless (Parasol Protectorate #2) by Gail Carriger (2010) [Steampunk Romance - alternative Victorian like England and Scotland]
58. Tea With the Black Dragon by Roberta A. MacAvoy (1983) [Fantasy - contemporary San Francisco, California] - only managed to read ¼ of this book so not counting it as a fully read book
59. The Magicians by Lev Grossman (2009) [Fantasy - Contemporary New York City, Upstate New York State, and Fillory]
60. Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown (Betsy Tacy #4) by Maud Hart Lovelace (1943) [Children’s Literature - early 1900s Minnesota]
61. The Lost Hero (The Heroes of Olympus #1) by Rick Riordan (2010) [Children’s Fantasy - present day w/ multiple locations around North America]
62. Dead Witch Walking (Rachel Morgan #1) by Kim Harrison (2004) [Urban Fantasy - present day Cincinnati, Ohio]
63. The Magician King by Lev Grossman (2011) [Fantasy - Fillory, Venice, Neitherlands, and other locations]
If I had to name a favorite book for 2011 I think it probably is Shadowfever. It was probably the book I was most excited about getting and it absolutely did not disappoint.
My favorite book release, however, was A Dance With Dragons because I had such a fun time going down to Indy for GRRM's signing with other like minded fans.
And despite being the last books I read in 2011, I have to single out Lev Grossman's Magician books which I loved. I kept hearing they were Harry Potter for grownups but that is not at all what they are. Sure there is magic and fantasy but its much more Evelyn Waugh, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Bret Easton Ellis with a sprinkling of Narnia than anything like Harry Potter.
Anyway, as always, I hope to do better with reviews in 2012. I've decided to sign up on Goodreads as a way to try to help me better track my book reading in 2012. I know a few of you are already on there...I won't subject you to my bookshelf until I've finished adding all my books...which is turning out to be a long and lengthy process!
In the meantime, happy reading to all in 2012!
Anyway the following is the list of books read by month, including any reviews I might have written on them...
JANUARY
http://users.livejournal.com/_lady_narcissa_/208941.html
1. In The Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming (2001) (#1 Rev. Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne Series) [Mystery - Present Day Upstate New York]
2. The Singing Sands by Josephine Tey (1953) [Mystery - circa 1950s Scotland and England]
Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning [Urban Fantasy - [present day Georgia, USA and Ireland and unknown times in Fairy]
3. Darkfever (Fever Series #1) (2006) reread
4. Bloodfever (Fever Series #2) (2007) reread
5. Faefever (Fever Series #3) (2008) reread
6. Dreamfever (Fever Series #4) (2009) reread
7/8. Shadowfever (Fever Series #5) (2011) original read + reread
9. Archangel's Consort (Guild Hunter #3) by Nalini Singh (2011) [Paranormal Romance - Alternative New York City and Asia]
FEBRUARY
http://users.livejournal.com/_lady_narcissa_/211845.html
http://users.livejournal.com/_lady_narcissa_/213444.html
10. The Long Winter (Little House #6) by Laura Ingalls Wilder (1940) [Children's Literature - 1880 Dakota Territory, USA] reread
11. War for the Oaks by Emma Bull (1987) [Urban Fantasy - 1980s Minneapolis, Minnesota]
12. Unclean Spirits (Black Sun's Daughter #1) by M.L.N. Hanover (2008) [Urban Fantasy - Denver, Colorado]
13. Darker Angels (Black Sun's Daughter #2) by M.L.N. Hanover (2009) [Urban Fantasy - New Orleans, Louisiana]
14. Vicious Grace (Black Sun's Daughter #3) by M.L.N. Hanover (2010) [Urban Fantasy - Chicago, Illinois]
15. Sea Room - An Island Life in the Hebrides by Adam Nicholson (2002) [Biography and History - Shiants, Outer Hebrides, Scotland]
MARCH
http://users.livejournal.com/_lady_narcissa_/214036.html
16. Cold Magic by Kate Elliott (2010) [Fantasy / Steampunk - Alternative Eastern Europe in a Victorian like era]
17. Iron Crowned (Dark Swan #3) by Richelle Mead (2011) [Suburban Fantasy - Contemporary Tucson, Arizona and Another World]
18. Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan (2008) [Fantasy - Elizabethan England]
19. A Game of Thrones (A Song of Fire and Ice #1) by George R.R. Martin [Fantasy - Westeros] reread
20. Where Shadows Dance (Sebastian St. Cyr #6) by C.S. Harris (2011) [Historical Mystery - Regency England]
APRIL
http://users.livejournal.com/_lady_narcissa_/226890.html
21. A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire #2) by George R.R. Martin (1999) [Fantasy - Westeros] reread
22. One Of Our Thursdays Is Missing (Thursday Next #6) by Jasper Fforde (2011) [Literary Fiction - Alternative Britain / Book World]
23. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (1996) [Urban Fantasy - London and London Below]
MAY
http://users.livejournal.com/_lady_narcissa_/226890.html
24. A Storm of Swords (A Song of Fire and Ice #3) by George R.R. Martin (2000) [Fantasy - Westeros] reread
25. Dead Reckoning (Sookie Stackhouse #11) by Charlaine Harris (2011) [Rural Fantasy - Present Day - Louisiana]
JUNE
26. Sizzling Sixteen (Stephanie Plum #16) by Janet Evanovich (2010) [Mystery - Present Day - Trenton, New Jersey]
27. A Feast of Crows (A Song of Fire and Ice #4) by George R.R. Martin (2005) [Fantasy - Westeros] reread
28. The Vampire Diaries - The Return: Volume 3: Midnight (Vampire Diaries #7) by L.J. Smith (2011) [Young Adult Paranormal - Present Day Fell’s Church and an alternate dimension]
29. Dark Road to Darjeeling (Lady Julia Grey #4) by Deanna Raybourn (2010) [Gothic Mystery - 19th Century - India]
JULY
30. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (2008) [Young Adult - post apocalyptic world in the country of Panem (formerly North America)]
31. Burghley - William Cecil at the Court of Elizabeth I by Stephen Alford (2008) [Biography - Tudor England]
32. A Dance With Dragons (A Song of Fire and Ice #5) by George R.R. Martin (2011) [Fantasy - Westeros]
AUGUST
33. Grave Sight (Harper Connelly #1) by Charlaine Harris (2005) [Mystery - Present Day - Ozarks]
34. The Throne of Fire (Kane Chronicles #2) by Rick Riordan (2011) [Children’s Fantasy - Present Day - Brooklyn, London, St. Petersburg, Egypt]
35. Moon Called (Mercy Thompson #1) by Patricia Briggs (2006) [Paranormal - Present Day - Tri-Cities, Washington]
36. Kitty and the Midnight Hour (Kitty#1) by Carrie Vaughn (2005) [Paranormal - Present Day - Denver, Colorado]
37. Kitty Goes to Washington (Kitty #2) by Carrie Vaughn (2006) [Paranormal - Present Day - Washington, D.C.]
38. Kitty and the Dead Man’s Hand (Kitty #5) by Carrie Vaughn (2009) [Paranormal - Present Day - Las Vegas, Nevada]
SEPTEMBER
39. Kitty’s House of Horrors (Kitty #7) by Carrie Vaughn (2010) [Paranormal - Present Day - Montana]
40. Kitty’s Big Trouble (Kitty #9) by Carrie Vaughn (2011) [Paranormal - Present Day - San Francisco, California]
41. Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson #2) by Patricia Briggs (2007) [Paranormal - Present Day - Tri-Cities, Washington]
42. Iron Kissed (Mercy Thompson #3) by Patricia Briggs (2008) [Paranormal - Present Day - Tri-Cities, Washington]
43. Bone Crossed (Mercy Thompson #4) by Patricia Briggs (2009) [Paranormal - Present Day - Tri-Cities, Washington]
44. Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson #5) by Patricia Briggs (2010) [Paranormal - Present Day - Tri-Cities, Washington]
45. Succubus Revealed (Georgina Kincaid #6) by Richelle Mead (2011) [Paranormal - Present Day - Seattle, Washington and Hell]
OCTOBER
46. Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst (2011) [Paranormal Young Adult - Contemporary Connecticut]
47. Devil’s Brood by Sharon Kay Penman (2008) [Historical Fiction - 12th century England and France]
48. Jennifer, Hecaste, Macbeth, William McKinley, and me, Elizabeth by E.L. Konigsburg (1967) [Children’s Literature - 1960s commuter suburb of NYC]
49. The Witches of Worm by Zilpha Keatley Snyder (1972) [Children’s Literature - 1970s “Blackberry Heights”…seems like Brooklyn or some other part of the NYC area]
50. Lionheart by Sharon Kay Penman (2011) [Historical Fiction - France, Sicily, Cypres, and the Holy Land - 1189 through 1192]
NOVEMBER
51. River Marked (Mercy Thompson #6) by Patricia Briggs (2011) [Paranormal - Present Day Columbia Gorge River Area]
51.25 “Alpha and Omega” in On the Prowl anthology (Prelude to Alpha and Omega series) by Patricia Briggs (2007) [Paranormal Romance - Chicago]
52.25 Cry Wolf (Alpha and Omega #1) by Patricia Briggs (2008) [Paranormal Romance - Montana]
52.5 “Here There Be Monsters” in Burning Up anthology (Iron Seas short story) by Meljean Brook (2010) [Steampunk Romance - 19th century like alternative Europe]
53.5 The Iron Duke (Iron Seas #1) by Meljean Brook (2010) [Steampunk Romance - 19th century like alternative England and the High Seas]
53.75 “The Blushing Bounder” Wild and Steamy anthology (Iron Seas short story) by Meljean Brook (2011) [Steampunk Romance - 19th century like alternative London, England]
54.75 Heart of Steel (Iron Seas #2) by Meljean Brook (2011) [Steampunk Romance - 19th century like alternative Europe]
55.75 Otherwise Known As Sheila The Great by Judy Blume (1972) [Children’s Fiction - 1970s New York City and Tarrytown, New York] reread
DECEMBER
56.75 Soulless (Parasol Protectorate #1) by Gail Carriger (2009) [Steampunk Romance - alternative Victorian like England]
57.75 Changeless (Parasol Protectorate #2) by Gail Carriger (2010) [Steampunk Romance - alternative Victorian like England and Scotland]
58. Tea With the Black Dragon by Roberta A. MacAvoy (1983) [Fantasy - contemporary San Francisco, California] - only managed to read ¼ of this book so not counting it as a fully read book
59. The Magicians by Lev Grossman (2009) [Fantasy - Contemporary New York City, Upstate New York State, and Fillory]
60. Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown (Betsy Tacy #4) by Maud Hart Lovelace (1943) [Children’s Literature - early 1900s Minnesota]
61. The Lost Hero (The Heroes of Olympus #1) by Rick Riordan (2010) [Children’s Fantasy - present day w/ multiple locations around North America]
62. Dead Witch Walking (Rachel Morgan #1) by Kim Harrison (2004) [Urban Fantasy - present day Cincinnati, Ohio]
63. The Magician King by Lev Grossman (2011) [Fantasy - Fillory, Venice, Neitherlands, and other locations]
If I had to name a favorite book for 2011 I think it probably is Shadowfever. It was probably the book I was most excited about getting and it absolutely did not disappoint.
My favorite book release, however, was A Dance With Dragons because I had such a fun time going down to Indy for GRRM's signing with other like minded fans.
And despite being the last books I read in 2011, I have to single out Lev Grossman's Magician books which I loved. I kept hearing they were Harry Potter for grownups but that is not at all what they are. Sure there is magic and fantasy but its much more Evelyn Waugh, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Bret Easton Ellis with a sprinkling of Narnia than anything like Harry Potter.
Anyway, as always, I hope to do better with reviews in 2012. I've decided to sign up on Goodreads as a way to try to help me better track my book reading in 2012. I know a few of you are already on there...I won't subject you to my bookshelf until I've finished adding all my books...which is turning out to be a long and lengthy process!
In the meantime, happy reading to all in 2012!