Books Read in 2008
I don't count the books I start but don't complete. Here's the list and my favorites:
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (second re-read)
Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaig
Sold by Patricia McCormick
Stronger Than Magic by Heather Cullman
The Golem's Eye by Jonathan Stroud
Ptolemy's Gate by Jonathan Stroud
Jhereg by Steven Brust
Yendi by Steven Brust
Teckla by Steven Brust
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (third re-read)
Taltos by Steven Brust
Phoenix by Steven Brust
Dreamweaver by Kathleen Kane
Athyra by Steven Brust
I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter
Putting It to the Test by Lori Borrill
Private Confessions by Lori Borrill
Teen Idol by Meg Cabot
If Andy Warhol Had a Girlfriend by Alison Pace
These Boots Were Made For Stomping by Julie Kenner, Jade Lee and Marianne Mancusi (anthology)
Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (re-read)
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuin
The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula LeGuin
The Reincarnationist by M.J. Rose
Devil in Disguise by Susannah Kline ^^
The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
The Game by Diana Wynne Jones
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby (re-read)
Bachelorette #1 by Jennifer O'Connell
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer (re-read)
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler
Mr. Knightley's Diary by Amanda Grange
A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin (third re-read)
Thebes of the Hundred Gates by Robert Silverberg
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin (third re-read)
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin (third re-read)
A Feast For Crows by George R. R. Martin (second re-read)
Magic and Mystery in Tibet by Alexandra David-Neel
Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach
The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger by Stephen King (re-read)
The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service: Volume I by Eiji Otsuka
Good Life, Good Death: Tibetan Wisdom on Reincarnation by Gehlek Rimpoche
The Power of Nothingness by Lama Yongden & Alexandra David-Neel
A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson
Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
The Return of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas
Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas
Mr. Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange
This is the Way the World Ends by James Morrow
Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny
Theatre by W. Somerset Maugham
The Gap Into Conflict: The Real Story (Book One of The Gap series) by Stephen R. Donaldson
The Witch of Cologne by Tobsha Learner
Across the Nightingale Floor (Book One of Tales of the Otori) by Liam Hearn
Over Sea, Under Stone (Book One in The Dark is Rising series) by Susan Cooper
The Final Empire (Book One of the Mistborn series) by Brandon Sanderson
The Well of Ascension (Book Two of the Mistborn series) by Brandon Sanderson
How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
TOP FIVE READ IN 2008:
1) The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. It had everything I could have ever wanted in fantasy (well, except romance, but I'll forgive it since it was spectacular anyway). The entire series was witty genius and the third in the trilogy, Ptolemy's Gate, was the best of the lot. I highly, highly recommend this series. I don't have enough synonyms with "fantastic" to give you without sounding trite. I adored it. I'll probably be re-reading it again in 2009.
2) Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. This is one of my favorite books ever, and the only reason it's not at the very top was because I've been in a fantasy genre mood in the past year and The Bartimaeus Trilogy was so incredibly satisfying in that area. Plus, this was a reread and while I certainly savored it for the incredible book it was, there's just something that cannot replace a first read, which tipped the scales in the other's favor.
That said, Gone With the Wind is one of the best books I've ever read and absolutely deserves the Pulitzer it won. It is epic and emotive and wonderfully written with superb character development. Rhett Butler is my favorite character in literature, period. The complexities woven into his relationship not just with Scarlett but with Melanie, Belle, Ashley and many others make this book so worth the read. The character studies are fascinating.
I definitely need to write my thoughts on sorting all the main characters from GWTW into Hogwarts houses; it's like Margaret Mitchell was prophetic, because she nails not only Slytherin House (with Rhett and Scarlett) but also Hufflepuff (Melanie) and Ravenclaw (Ashley). And Will is a fantastic Gryffindor, and most people don't even know who he is cause he wasn't in the movie. :P I'm sure I'll talk much more of this when I actually write it out.
3) The Final Empire, first book in the Mistborn Trilogy, by Brandon Sanderson. The climactic ending was really beautifully done. I've just finished the last book in this trilogy (it's the first book finished on my 2009 book list) so I have a fresh appreciation for just how efficiently Sanderson plotted this series. My favorite is still the first, for sheer emotional impact. Brandon Sanderson is officially on my "I'll read anything he's written" shortlist.
4) The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. One of those delightfully thick books with over a thousand pages, and one I didn't want to end. I am most definitely looking forward to the next book's release, whenever Rothfuss actually completes it. After I finished reading this first book in his debut Kingkiller Chronicle series, I labeled it on my book list as "easily one of the best I've read this year," and at the end of the year the sentiment still stands. If you love epic fantasy then you should read it. The fact that this is Patrick Rothfuss's first book, and that he is still young, means that we have much to anticipate in years to come. He's going to be big.
5) Magic and Mystery in Tibet by Alexandra David-Neel. One of the best non-fiction books I've ever read. It immediately captured me and took me through the world of Tibet as it was a century ago, when the 13th Dalai Lama was at the helm of the country. Magic, spirits, rituals and the people who believed in them. Reincarnation stories, sacrificial rites and the meaning of existence. A peasant class with superstitious beliefs, based upon their ancient native culture which existed before Buddhism came to Tibet, and how these beliefs melded and clashed with Buddhist truths. Monasteries as big as a city, hermits who hid in caves on mountaintops, and the French woman who witnessed it all across Tibet at a time when no outsiders were allowed into the country. This is a wonderful book. I highly recommend it.
I'm going to stop there because otherwise this would take all night. There were some I wasn't wild about and I was gonna list the top five I disliked, but I decided against it since I'd rather concentrate on what I enjoyed.
But here are the tallies:
Books finished: 68
New: 58
Re-reads: 10
GENRES (some overlap, especially the age genres):
Fantasy: 26
General literature: 11
Romance: 10
Intermediate Children: 8
Young Adult: 5
Chick Lit: 5
Science Fiction: 4
Religion/Philosophy: 2
Graphic Novels: 1
Mystery: 1
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (second re-read)
Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaig
Sold by Patricia McCormick
Stronger Than Magic by Heather Cullman
The Golem's Eye by Jonathan Stroud
Ptolemy's Gate by Jonathan Stroud
Jhereg by Steven Brust
Yendi by Steven Brust
Teckla by Steven Brust
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (third re-read)
Taltos by Steven Brust
Phoenix by Steven Brust
Dreamweaver by Kathleen Kane
Athyra by Steven Brust
I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter
Putting It to the Test by Lori Borrill
Private Confessions by Lori Borrill
Teen Idol by Meg Cabot
If Andy Warhol Had a Girlfriend by Alison Pace
These Boots Were Made For Stomping by Julie Kenner, Jade Lee and Marianne Mancusi (anthology)
Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (re-read)
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuin
The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula LeGuin
The Reincarnationist by M.J. Rose
Devil in Disguise by Susannah Kline ^^
The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
The Game by Diana Wynne Jones
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby (re-read)
Bachelorette #1 by Jennifer O'Connell
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer (re-read)
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler
Mr. Knightley's Diary by Amanda Grange
A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin (third re-read)
Thebes of the Hundred Gates by Robert Silverberg
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin (third re-read)
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin (third re-read)
A Feast For Crows by George R. R. Martin (second re-read)
Magic and Mystery in Tibet by Alexandra David-Neel
Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach
The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger by Stephen King (re-read)
The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service: Volume I by Eiji Otsuka
Good Life, Good Death: Tibetan Wisdom on Reincarnation by Gehlek Rimpoche
The Power of Nothingness by Lama Yongden & Alexandra David-Neel
A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson
Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
The Return of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas
Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas
Mr. Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange
This is the Way the World Ends by James Morrow
Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny
Theatre by W. Somerset Maugham
The Gap Into Conflict: The Real Story (Book One of The Gap series) by Stephen R. Donaldson
The Witch of Cologne by Tobsha Learner
Across the Nightingale Floor (Book One of Tales of the Otori) by Liam Hearn
Over Sea, Under Stone (Book One in The Dark is Rising series) by Susan Cooper
The Final Empire (Book One of the Mistborn series) by Brandon Sanderson
The Well of Ascension (Book Two of the Mistborn series) by Brandon Sanderson
How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
TOP FIVE READ IN 2008:
1) The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. It had everything I could have ever wanted in fantasy (well, except romance, but I'll forgive it since it was spectacular anyway). The entire series was witty genius and the third in the trilogy, Ptolemy's Gate, was the best of the lot. I highly, highly recommend this series. I don't have enough synonyms with "fantastic" to give you without sounding trite. I adored it. I'll probably be re-reading it again in 2009.
2) Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. This is one of my favorite books ever, and the only reason it's not at the very top was because I've been in a fantasy genre mood in the past year and The Bartimaeus Trilogy was so incredibly satisfying in that area. Plus, this was a reread and while I certainly savored it for the incredible book it was, there's just something that cannot replace a first read, which tipped the scales in the other's favor.
That said, Gone With the Wind is one of the best books I've ever read and absolutely deserves the Pulitzer it won. It is epic and emotive and wonderfully written with superb character development. Rhett Butler is my favorite character in literature, period. The complexities woven into his relationship not just with Scarlett but with Melanie, Belle, Ashley and many others make this book so worth the read. The character studies are fascinating.
I definitely need to write my thoughts on sorting all the main characters from GWTW into Hogwarts houses; it's like Margaret Mitchell was prophetic, because she nails not only Slytherin House (with Rhett and Scarlett) but also Hufflepuff (Melanie) and Ravenclaw (Ashley). And Will is a fantastic Gryffindor, and most people don't even know who he is cause he wasn't in the movie. :P I'm sure I'll talk much more of this when I actually write it out.
3) The Final Empire, first book in the Mistborn Trilogy, by Brandon Sanderson. The climactic ending was really beautifully done. I've just finished the last book in this trilogy (it's the first book finished on my 2009 book list) so I have a fresh appreciation for just how efficiently Sanderson plotted this series. My favorite is still the first, for sheer emotional impact. Brandon Sanderson is officially on my "I'll read anything he's written" shortlist.
4) The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. One of those delightfully thick books with over a thousand pages, and one I didn't want to end. I am most definitely looking forward to the next book's release, whenever Rothfuss actually completes it. After I finished reading this first book in his debut Kingkiller Chronicle series, I labeled it on my book list as "easily one of the best I've read this year," and at the end of the year the sentiment still stands. If you love epic fantasy then you should read it. The fact that this is Patrick Rothfuss's first book, and that he is still young, means that we have much to anticipate in years to come. He's going to be big.
5) Magic and Mystery in Tibet by Alexandra David-Neel. One of the best non-fiction books I've ever read. It immediately captured me and took me through the world of Tibet as it was a century ago, when the 13th Dalai Lama was at the helm of the country. Magic, spirits, rituals and the people who believed in them. Reincarnation stories, sacrificial rites and the meaning of existence. A peasant class with superstitious beliefs, based upon their ancient native culture which existed before Buddhism came to Tibet, and how these beliefs melded and clashed with Buddhist truths. Monasteries as big as a city, hermits who hid in caves on mountaintops, and the French woman who witnessed it all across Tibet at a time when no outsiders were allowed into the country. This is a wonderful book. I highly recommend it.
I'm going to stop there because otherwise this would take all night. There were some I wasn't wild about and I was gonna list the top five I disliked, but I decided against it since I'd rather concentrate on what I enjoyed.
But here are the tallies:
Books finished: 68
New: 58
Re-reads: 10
GENRES (some overlap, especially the age genres):
Fantasy: 26
General literature: 11
Romance: 10
Intermediate Children: 8
Young Adult: 5
Chick Lit: 5
Science Fiction: 4
Religion/Philosophy: 2
Graphic Novels: 1
Mystery: 1