Reading Roundup II: The Reading Meme with Detailed Opinions! OMG!
What's the best book you read this year?
Best fiction: Oooh, hard question, I read a couple of books I really loved this year. I guess I’m gonna have to go with Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (which for some reason I keep wanting to call “Dr Strange & Mr Norrell”. Damn you, Stephen!) by Susanna Clarke. Even though on a personal level there were other books that I felt were a bit more perfected in their structure, or their plotting, this one wins on style alone. I was simply so impressed by the sheer detail and the imaginativeness of the world building. The only other book that comes to mind immediately, with the same scope would actually be The Lord of the Rings (plot-wise you cannot compare the two at all though. LotR is a tale of good & evil, Strange & Norrell is rather more the opposite).
Best non-fiction: Storm & Conquest by Stephen Taylor. Not only does the author’s enthusiasm for the topic leap from the pages, it is also a very enjoyable read, since it is structured like a novel: We get introduced to the historical figures as if they were characters, and the description of storms and battles are, at times, quite colourful. It’s info-tainment in book form. Yet, reading it you never have to fear that facts are bent to fit a narrative. The book is pure fact, only it’s written in a very conversational tone. The extensive footnotes, notes and bibliography are all convincingly scholarly.
What's the worst book you read this year?
In terms of writing, I am sad to say it is clearly Eye of the Fleet by Richard Woodman, first of the Nathaniel Drinkwater novels. I had high hopes for this one, because the author’s research skills are highly regarded in fandom, and the book covers a couple of interesting themes, that none of the other classics I read (Aubreyad, Hornblower, Ramage, Bolitho) ever even touch upon. Alas, it is simply badly written: Lot's of purply prose, and wooden dialogue and one-dimensional characters!
Runner up for worst book, although not due (solely) to the writing style would be Ransom by Lee Rowan. This book offended me on both an intellectual and an emotional level, and I might still some day be doing a detailed break-down (read: sporking) of that thing as I had originally planned, I just don’t know when I’ll get around to it. I keep putting it off, because the book simply makes me uncomfortable.
(It’s such a hot mess, let me give you an example: The book is p2p Hornblower (TV series) Fanfiction, as I did find out through research halfway through reading the thing, after it had begun to make my e-reader smell fishy. You can really tell it’s p2p with the numbers filed off. Not just because you recognise character constellations from the original material, but because the scenes that had to be added years after the original fic was written, to make up new background for the characters - since the book couldn’t possibly refer to fandom canon any longer - are much more competently written, much more atmospheric, and simply a lot better than the rest of the text. It’s clear that with more work and tweaking - okay, a LOT of tweaking - this might have become a decent book, which makes the mess you’re reading, infuriatingly, only stand out worse).
Your favourite "classic" you read this year:
There was hardly a classic I read this year that I did not like, but my favourite would have to be either Les Misérables, or Persuasion (oooh, Captain Wentworth! *swoons*), it’s really hard to chose. They were both great, but very different genres. Persuasion is a wonderful, domestic comedy of manners, with great characterisation and an engaging romance, while Les Mis is this great decade-spanning epic with scores and scores of characters and long, meandering abstracts about history and architecture that is simply really hard to classify. But I guess, I really took away more from reading Les Mis than Persuasion.
The book that disappointed you:
THE Book? As if there was only one? Oh, you sweet summer child. ;)
What stood out though, what stood out … I guess I am the most unhappy with the nose-dive the Ramage books took after Ramage’s Prize (and even that one was already a little boring). The series has never been great literature, but the first three or four books were so entertaining that I simply didn’t mind the weirdness going on, the clichés, the somewhat less well rounded minor characters, the main character using god-mode to survive his adventures … In fact, I even vastly preferred reading them over the other classic Age of Sail series I tried out this year.
But somewhere around book 5 or 6 the author decided the series ought to become more serious, and it killed off all the silly charm. I liked the series not despite its audacity, but because of it! You can’t take a character as outrageous as Ramage and try to turn him into a realistic character without losing what made him special. It’s kinda like the last season of the A-Team, when the producers decided that less humour and more gritty darkness would save the show. Big mistake, guys.
I also feel like I should give out a warning for the ‘Making Of’ book for the Hornblower TV series. The book is not completely horrible: It has a couple of great pictures in it that are hard to find online, the section on the construction of the ships for the series is simply fascinating (if too short!) and some of the interviews are fun. Others, however, (the ones with the female actors) are skeevy as hell, repeatedly reassuring the actresses how gorgeous and cute they are.
Also, research isn’t the author’s strong suit. The book even claims it would not have been possible for Hornblower to have served under Pellew, since Pellew was a Captain during the American Revolution and would have been an admiral by the time the events of the TV series took place. A statement that had me staring into empty space for a couple of minutes before I could muster the strength to read on. This kind of mis-information should not happen in a published work of non-fiction, even if it was written before easy access to internet sources, and even if it is only a book about a TV show.
I was disappointed as well at not falling in love with the Aubreyad immediately or as deeply as I expected to (DON'T HIT ME, please). Sure, I love the characters (especially Jack and Diana), and the language is very beautiful. In terms of style the Aubreyad certainly is the best piece of AoS fiction I have read yet. But I didn't find the indivudual plots that engaging. The series is much more of a historical drama and less of an adventure series than I expected, and it's not what I got into the gerne for. Sure, all the societal insights are interesting and it is impressive how well O'Brian emulates both the language and views of the time, but I do actually read this genre for the actions and the ships, and by that I don't mean romantic pairings (but hot frigate-on-frigate action). But then ... no that's not quite it either (e. g. Flying Colours and The Duchess and the Devil are my favourite Hornblower stories, but they're both land based, and they mostly consist of very heavy chacter stuff)... I'll have to think about the Aubreyad's special place in the genre some more and get back to you...
Lastly, I felt a tiny bit let down by Broken Homes, fourth volume in the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch. I am still madly in love with all of the main characters (well, and the recurring, not villainous supporting cast too! Especially Molly. And Dr Walid), but I wasn't that interested in the new case, and had not expected all the truly exciting stuff to happen only within the last 40 pages. (I already posted some more in depth thoughts a while back, should you violently disagree with this opinion.)
The hardest book you read this year (topic or writing style):
Topic: Boys at Sea: Sodomy, Indecency, and Courts Martial in Nelson's Navy by B.R. Burg, definitely. It’s a book detailing sexual abuse, rape and homophobia in the naval service. I shouldn’t have to explain further? (It was, however, very insightful and well written. The book claimed nothing it couldn't proof and is a definite rec if you're looking for research in that field.)
Writing style: Der Prozeß by Franz Kafka. Because Kafka.
The funniest book you read this year:
Das Erlkönig-Manöver by Robert Löhr. In this book the greatest minds of German Romanticism (Goethe, Schiller, Kleist, Humboldt, the von Arnims) unite to thwart Napoleon Bonaparte’s plans for world domination. With explosions. And kissing. And snark. Especially snark. It is one of the most enjoyably silly books I read in a while. I laughed my head off every time Kleist did something awesome but utterly failed to get any respect from the group. (I did consider reviewing this one in English, but I guess there’s no demand. It has been translated but not into English.)
The saddest book you read this year:
Les Misérables. It might end on a hopeful note, but everything in between is one huge sobfest.
A book that touched you:
Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana Wynne Jones featured a couple surprisingly touching moments, despite being a genre parody. Although, no, it shouldn’t be surprising considering the book's many themes concerning family bonds and adult fears such as having to take care of your family during difficult times, losing the support of your spouse, losing children. It is a book with a lot of heart.
A book that truly surprised me in how deeply touching I found it to be was Goethe und Schiller. Geschichte einer Freundschaft by Rüdider Safranski, a combined biography of Goethe and Schiller that focuses on their peculiar friendship. I had for a while been fascinated by their relationship (how often does it happen that the most prolific writers of a country form such an intense attachment that leads it to a decade of exceptional literary output for both of them?), so finding this book was a godsend. And what can I say, according to the book they truly had something special (don't ever mention Goethe's reaction to Schiller's death to me. I will cry... I am going to look for RPF now, excuse me). *sniffle*
A(nother) book you read this year you want to recommend (maybe one that you haven't mentioned yet?):
The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson. Despite my liking of the fantasy genre I rarely if ever read the classics. So for me The Broken Sword was an eye-opener as to how our modern understanding of Fantasy is overshadowed by Tolkien’s canon of works, and how often we (=the mainstream audience) consider different subgenres of fantasy, especially the darker varieties, to be a reaction to Tolkien, even though those traditions are a lot older than most people only superficially involved with the genre think.
It certainly made me want to check out a lot of the early 20th century fantasies. The Worm Ouroboros and Ludd-in-the-Mist are already on my reading list for next year, as is The Well of the Unicorn.
A book that you discovered this year that you will definitely read again:
Any that I’ve already mentioned apart from the ones in the “worst book” category. Oh, just look at the big list, there’s simply too many good books I discovered this year to choose only one!
A book that you never want to read again:
Schloß Gripsholm by Kurt Tuchoslky. This was, among a couple of Kafkas, a book given to me by a friend, after I’d mentioned that I would like to read more German classics. I must ask her if she’s ever read it herself the next time I see her, because I really hated it. I simply could not connect to the characters at all, even though I had the distinct feeling that the text really wanted me to. And it’s a shame too, because the language was rather pretty!
Were you part of a reading challenge? Did you meet it?
Yes, sort of. I did a private reading challenge here on LJ in which I challenged myself to read 12 classics this year that had been sitting on my shelf. I did sort of meet my goal, in that I read 12 classics, but I also cheated in that I read a couple that I newly bought, instead of the ones I had originally meant to read. Most of them were dramas too, so rather quick reads.
Are you signed up for any in 2013?
Nope. Not yet.
Which authors featured most prominently for you in 2012?
Unsurprisingly Dudley Pope (7 fiction - all Ramage!, 1 non-fiction) and Patrick O’Brian (5 fiction - all Aubreyad).
The book series you read the most volumes of this year:
Ramage. No contest. Ramage also wins best first novel in a new series. It may not be of great literary merit (it loves certain clichés, especially the invincible hero), but the first book in that series is simply insanely good fun.
The last book you finished this year:
Goethe's Götz von Berlichingen. It was okay. Definitely not my favourite Goethe though.
The first book you will finish in the new year:
Probably The Sealord Chronicles: First Voyage by David Healey, as it is the only book I am reading right now, and it's relatively short. It is a fantasy novel about a British midshipman during the Napoleonic Wars, but with wizards and griphons.
The genre you read the most this year:
Age of Sail fiction, making up roughly a third of the books I read this year. Fantasy is slowly catching up again, but I already downloaded a bunch of new AoS series onto my kindle to read next year so the trend is not gonna change anytime soon I guess. I am done with the classics for a while, though. I'll continue the Aubreyad, and perhaps give Drinkwater another chance, but apart from that I will be reading mostly AoS fiction written after the year 2000 next year.
Which books are you most looking forward to reading in 2014?
Andrzej Sapkowski wrote another Wiedźmin novel (the Polish original has been out for a couple of months now), but there’s no info yet whether a German translation will be released in 2014. Otherwise there are no new books that have been announced or released that I am eagerly waiting for. I will however read the newest Temeraire and Discworld novels next year.
And finally, make a New Year's Resolution: How many books do you think you will read in the new year?:
I really don’t know. Since I plan to begin re-reading a couple of series I guess at least thirty.
Best fiction: Oooh, hard question, I read a couple of books I really loved this year. I guess I’m gonna have to go with Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (which for some reason I keep wanting to call “Dr Strange & Mr Norrell”. Damn you, Stephen!) by Susanna Clarke. Even though on a personal level there were other books that I felt were a bit more perfected in their structure, or their plotting, this one wins on style alone. I was simply so impressed by the sheer detail and the imaginativeness of the world building. The only other book that comes to mind immediately, with the same scope would actually be The Lord of the Rings (plot-wise you cannot compare the two at all though. LotR is a tale of good & evil, Strange & Norrell is rather more the opposite).
Best non-fiction: Storm & Conquest by Stephen Taylor. Not only does the author’s enthusiasm for the topic leap from the pages, it is also a very enjoyable read, since it is structured like a novel: We get introduced to the historical figures as if they were characters, and the description of storms and battles are, at times, quite colourful. It’s info-tainment in book form. Yet, reading it you never have to fear that facts are bent to fit a narrative. The book is pure fact, only it’s written in a very conversational tone. The extensive footnotes, notes and bibliography are all convincingly scholarly.
What's the worst book you read this year?
In terms of writing, I am sad to say it is clearly Eye of the Fleet by Richard Woodman, first of the Nathaniel Drinkwater novels. I had high hopes for this one, because the author’s research skills are highly regarded in fandom, and the book covers a couple of interesting themes, that none of the other classics I read (Aubreyad, Hornblower, Ramage, Bolitho) ever even touch upon. Alas, it is simply badly written: Lot's of purply prose, and wooden dialogue and one-dimensional characters!
Runner up for worst book, although not due (solely) to the writing style would be Ransom by Lee Rowan. This book offended me on both an intellectual and an emotional level, and I might still some day be doing a detailed break-down (read: sporking) of that thing as I had originally planned, I just don’t know when I’ll get around to it. I keep putting it off, because the book simply makes me uncomfortable.
(It’s such a hot mess, let me give you an example: The book is p2p Hornblower (TV series) Fanfiction, as I did find out through research halfway through reading the thing, after it had begun to make my e-reader smell fishy. You can really tell it’s p2p with the numbers filed off. Not just because you recognise character constellations from the original material, but because the scenes that had to be added years after the original fic was written, to make up new background for the characters - since the book couldn’t possibly refer to fandom canon any longer - are much more competently written, much more atmospheric, and simply a lot better than the rest of the text. It’s clear that with more work and tweaking - okay, a LOT of tweaking - this might have become a decent book, which makes the mess you’re reading, infuriatingly, only stand out worse).
Your favourite "classic" you read this year:
There was hardly a classic I read this year that I did not like, but my favourite would have to be either Les Misérables, or Persuasion (oooh, Captain Wentworth! *swoons*), it’s really hard to chose. They were both great, but very different genres. Persuasion is a wonderful, domestic comedy of manners, with great characterisation and an engaging romance, while Les Mis is this great decade-spanning epic with scores and scores of characters and long, meandering abstracts about history and architecture that is simply really hard to classify. But I guess, I really took away more from reading Les Mis than Persuasion.
The book that disappointed you:
THE Book? As if there was only one? Oh, you sweet summer child. ;)
What stood out though, what stood out … I guess I am the most unhappy with the nose-dive the Ramage books took after Ramage’s Prize (and even that one was already a little boring). The series has never been great literature, but the first three or four books were so entertaining that I simply didn’t mind the weirdness going on, the clichés, the somewhat less well rounded minor characters, the main character using god-mode to survive his adventures … In fact, I even vastly preferred reading them over the other classic Age of Sail series I tried out this year.
But somewhere around book 5 or 6 the author decided the series ought to become more serious, and it killed off all the silly charm. I liked the series not despite its audacity, but because of it! You can’t take a character as outrageous as Ramage and try to turn him into a realistic character without losing what made him special. It’s kinda like the last season of the A-Team, when the producers decided that less humour and more gritty darkness would save the show. Big mistake, guys.
I also feel like I should give out a warning for the ‘Making Of’ book for the Hornblower TV series. The book is not completely horrible: It has a couple of great pictures in it that are hard to find online, the section on the construction of the ships for the series is simply fascinating (if too short!) and some of the interviews are fun. Others, however, (the ones with the female actors) are skeevy as hell, repeatedly reassuring the actresses how gorgeous and cute they are.
Also, research isn’t the author’s strong suit. The book even claims it would not have been possible for Hornblower to have served under Pellew, since Pellew was a Captain during the American Revolution and would have been an admiral by the time the events of the TV series took place. A statement that had me staring into empty space for a couple of minutes before I could muster the strength to read on. This kind of mis-information should not happen in a published work of non-fiction, even if it was written before easy access to internet sources, and even if it is only a book about a TV show.
I was disappointed as well at not falling in love with the Aubreyad immediately or as deeply as I expected to (DON'T HIT ME, please). Sure, I love the characters (especially Jack and Diana), and the language is very beautiful. In terms of style the Aubreyad certainly is the best piece of AoS fiction I have read yet. But I didn't find the indivudual plots that engaging. The series is much more of a historical drama and less of an adventure series than I expected, and it's not what I got into the gerne for. Sure, all the societal insights are interesting and it is impressive how well O'Brian emulates both the language and views of the time, but I do actually read this genre for the actions and the ships, and by that I don't mean romantic pairings (but hot frigate-on-frigate action). But then ... no that's not quite it either (e. g. Flying Colours and The Duchess and the Devil are my favourite Hornblower stories, but they're both land based, and they mostly consist of very heavy chacter stuff)... I'll have to think about the Aubreyad's special place in the genre some more and get back to you...
Lastly, I felt a tiny bit let down by Broken Homes, fourth volume in the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch. I am still madly in love with all of the main characters (well, and the recurring, not villainous supporting cast too! Especially Molly. And Dr Walid), but I wasn't that interested in the new case, and had not expected all the truly exciting stuff to happen only within the last 40 pages. (I already posted some more in depth thoughts a while back, should you violently disagree with this opinion.)
The hardest book you read this year (topic or writing style):
Topic: Boys at Sea: Sodomy, Indecency, and Courts Martial in Nelson's Navy by B.R. Burg, definitely. It’s a book detailing sexual abuse, rape and homophobia in the naval service. I shouldn’t have to explain further? (It was, however, very insightful and well written. The book claimed nothing it couldn't proof and is a definite rec if you're looking for research in that field.)
Writing style: Der Prozeß by Franz Kafka. Because Kafka.
The funniest book you read this year:
Das Erlkönig-Manöver by Robert Löhr. In this book the greatest minds of German Romanticism (Goethe, Schiller, Kleist, Humboldt, the von Arnims) unite to thwart Napoleon Bonaparte’s plans for world domination. With explosions. And kissing. And snark. Especially snark. It is one of the most enjoyably silly books I read in a while. I laughed my head off every time Kleist did something awesome but utterly failed to get any respect from the group. (I did consider reviewing this one in English, but I guess there’s no demand. It has been translated but not into English.)
The saddest book you read this year:
Les Misérables. It might end on a hopeful note, but everything in between is one huge sobfest.
A book that touched you:
Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana Wynne Jones featured a couple surprisingly touching moments, despite being a genre parody. Although, no, it shouldn’t be surprising considering the book's many themes concerning family bonds and adult fears such as having to take care of your family during difficult times, losing the support of your spouse, losing children. It is a book with a lot of heart.
A book that truly surprised me in how deeply touching I found it to be was Goethe und Schiller. Geschichte einer Freundschaft by Rüdider Safranski, a combined biography of Goethe and Schiller that focuses on their peculiar friendship. I had for a while been fascinated by their relationship (how often does it happen that the most prolific writers of a country form such an intense attachment that leads it to a decade of exceptional literary output for both of them?), so finding this book was a godsend. And what can I say, according to the book they truly had something special (don't ever mention Goethe's reaction to Schiller's death to me. I will cry... I am going to look for RPF now, excuse me). *sniffle*
A(nother) book you read this year you want to recommend (maybe one that you haven't mentioned yet?):
The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson. Despite my liking of the fantasy genre I rarely if ever read the classics. So for me The Broken Sword was an eye-opener as to how our modern understanding of Fantasy is overshadowed by Tolkien’s canon of works, and how often we (=the mainstream audience) consider different subgenres of fantasy, especially the darker varieties, to be a reaction to Tolkien, even though those traditions are a lot older than most people only superficially involved with the genre think.
It certainly made me want to check out a lot of the early 20th century fantasies. The Worm Ouroboros and Ludd-in-the-Mist are already on my reading list for next year, as is The Well of the Unicorn.
A book that you discovered this year that you will definitely read again:
Any that I’ve already mentioned apart from the ones in the “worst book” category. Oh, just look at the big list, there’s simply too many good books I discovered this year to choose only one!
A book that you never want to read again:
Schloß Gripsholm by Kurt Tuchoslky. This was, among a couple of Kafkas, a book given to me by a friend, after I’d mentioned that I would like to read more German classics. I must ask her if she’s ever read it herself the next time I see her, because I really hated it. I simply could not connect to the characters at all, even though I had the distinct feeling that the text really wanted me to. And it’s a shame too, because the language was rather pretty!
Were you part of a reading challenge? Did you meet it?
Yes, sort of. I did a private reading challenge here on LJ in which I challenged myself to read 12 classics this year that had been sitting on my shelf. I did sort of meet my goal, in that I read 12 classics, but I also cheated in that I read a couple that I newly bought, instead of the ones I had originally meant to read. Most of them were dramas too, so rather quick reads.
Are you signed up for any in 2013?
Nope. Not yet.
Which authors featured most prominently for you in 2012?
Unsurprisingly Dudley Pope (7 fiction - all Ramage!, 1 non-fiction) and Patrick O’Brian (5 fiction - all Aubreyad).
The book series you read the most volumes of this year:
Ramage. No contest. Ramage also wins best first novel in a new series. It may not be of great literary merit (it loves certain clichés, especially the invincible hero), but the first book in that series is simply insanely good fun.
The last book you finished this year:
Goethe's Götz von Berlichingen. It was okay. Definitely not my favourite Goethe though.
The first book you will finish in the new year:
Probably The Sealord Chronicles: First Voyage by David Healey, as it is the only book I am reading right now, and it's relatively short. It is a fantasy novel about a British midshipman during the Napoleonic Wars, but with wizards and griphons.
The genre you read the most this year:
Age of Sail fiction, making up roughly a third of the books I read this year. Fantasy is slowly catching up again, but I already downloaded a bunch of new AoS series onto my kindle to read next year so the trend is not gonna change anytime soon I guess. I am done with the classics for a while, though. I'll continue the Aubreyad, and perhaps give Drinkwater another chance, but apart from that I will be reading mostly AoS fiction written after the year 2000 next year.
Which books are you most looking forward to reading in 2014?
Andrzej Sapkowski wrote another Wiedźmin novel (the Polish original has been out for a couple of months now), but there’s no info yet whether a German translation will be released in 2014. Otherwise there are no new books that have been announced or released that I am eagerly waiting for. I will however read the newest Temeraire and Discworld novels next year.
And finally, make a New Year's Resolution: How many books do you think you will read in the new year?:
I really don’t know. Since I plan to begin re-reading a couple of series I guess at least thirty.