2009 Reading
First of all, a very happy new year to everyone - may it bring you all you wish for in life.
I have been a lot more systematic this year in recording what books I read in my trusty Moleskine desk book, as well as as using LibraryThing.
The grand total was 210 books, up from 158 last year (roughly four books a week). These are the books I read for total pleasure and do not include the 20 plus books on the War of 1812 that I have been poring over for the last few months.
For my own amusement and because I like playing with Highlighters, I broke down the books read by genre and was surprised by some of the patterns I saw. My favourite genre is obviously fantasy with some 49 books being read. I thought Science Fiction would come in second, but no I read more mysteries. Of the 210 books, 67 were written for young adults. 2009 was also my year to read post-apocalyptic fiction (both adult and young adult). The lovely eldritchhobbit very kindly put out a list of such books on her live journal and I worked my way through as many as I could get my hands on easily. I was surprised by how little non fiction I read this year and perhaps that can be explained by being in research mode.
Here is the list of books should you wish to see what I was up to this year:
*means I really liked a book
~means I cannot believe that wasted hours of my life on this book
The Hour I First Believed Wally Lamb
Spud John van den Ruit*
Sister Wife Shelley Hrdlitschka
The Gargolye Andrew Davidson
By the Sword F. Paul Wilson
Night Runner Max Baker
The House of the Stag Kage Baker
Heat Lightening John Sandford
Truth to Tell Claire Lorrimer
Saturn’s Children Charles Stross
Poe’s Children Peter Straub*
A Good War Patrick Bishop
The Year She Disappeared Ann Harleman
Night Sisters Sara Rath
Songs of the Missing Stewart O’Nan*
Portobello Ruth Rendell
Paper Towns John Greene
Button Button Richard Matheson
The Outcast Sadie Jones*
Faith Fox Jane Gardam
The Sweet Inbetween Sheri Reynolds
Last Night at the Lobster Stewart O’Nan
The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins
The Darker Domain Val McDermid
Myrren’s Gift Fiona McIntosh
Blood and Memory Fiona McIntosh
Bridge of Souls Fiona McIntosh
Spud - The Madness Continues John van den Ruit*
Death Wore White Jim Kelly*
One for my Baby Nick Hornby
Destiny Road Jack McDevitt
Cruel Intent J. A. Jance
Sweethearts Sara Zarr
Pretty Monsters Kelly Link
Names of the Dead Stewart O’Nan*
Cleavage Ed. Loughead & Shipley
Hammered Elizabeth Bear
Among the Mad Jacqueline Winspear
The Last Centurion John Ringo
The Summoning Kelley Armstrong
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle David Wroblewski
Floodland Marcus Sedgewick*
Gone Michael Grant
Thinner than Thou Kit Reed
Code Orange Caroline Cooney
Unwind Neal Shusterman
The King’s Shield Sherwood Smith*
Memory Boy Will Weaver
The Loud Silence of Karen Cushman
Francine Green
When You Are Engulfed David Sedaris
In Flames
Shelter Me Alex McAuley~
Marked P. C. & Kristin Cast
Betrayed P. C. & Kristin Cast
Chosen P. C. & Kristin Cast
Untamed P. C. & Kristin Cast
One for Sorrow Mary Sheppard
The Girl who Threw Butterflies Mick Cochran*
Mudville Kurtis Scaletta*
The Local News Miriam Gershow*
The Knife of Never Letting Go Patrick Ness
Wicked Lovely Melissa Marr
The Compound S. A. Bodeen
True Detectives Jonathan Kellerman
Something Rotten Allan M. Gratz
Bleed Laurie Faria Stolarz
Gravity Leanne Lieberman
Life Sentences Laura Lippman
Hunted P. C. & Kristin Cast
The Last Ship William Brinkley*
The Graveyard Book Neil Gaiman
Wondrous Strange Lesley Livingston
Fruit Brian Francis
Breathe My Name R. A. Nelson
The Sweetness at the Alan Bradley
Bottom of the Pie
How I Was Meg Rosoff*
My Most Excellent Year Steve Kluger
After Dachau Daniel Quinn
So Totally Emily Ebers Lisa Yee
Without Warning John Birmingham*
Cypress Grove James Sallis*
Salt River James Sallis*
Cripple Creek James Sallis*
Fortune & Fate Sharon Shinn
The Forest of Hands and Teeth Carrie Ryan
One Second After William Forstchen*
Aftershocks F. Paul Wilson
The Little Stranger Sarah Waters*
The Awakening Kelley Armstrong
Long Legged Fly James Sallis
A Homemade Life Molly Wizenberg*
Bones Jonathan Kellerman
American Rust Philip Meyer*
Graceling Kristin Cashore*
The Lives of Dwarves Betty M. Adleson
In Our Hearts We Were Giants Yehuda Koren
Wicked Prey John Sandford
Tantalize Cynthia Letich Smith
Dead is the New Black Marlene Perez
The Lovers John Connolly*
Bonechiller Graham McNamee
The Patriot Witch C. C. Finley
Eternal Cynthia Letich Smith
Gotcha Shelley Hrdlitschka
Word Nerd Susan Nielson
The Forgotten Garden Kate Morton
North of Beautiful Justina Chen Hedley*
Would You Marthe Jocelyn
The Adoration of Jenna Fox Mary Pearson
The Landing John Ibbitson
The Edge of the World Kevin J. Anderson
Shadows of the Workhouse Jennifer Worth*
The Blade Itself Joe Abercrombie
Brooklyn Colm Toibin
Columbine Dave Cullen
The Condition Jennifer Haigh
The Disreputable History E. Lockhart
Of Frankie Landau Banks
Go Ask Your Father Lennard Davis
In the Kitchen Monica Ali
The Last Argument of Kings Joe Abercrombie
Monster A. Lee Martinez
On Gold Mountain Lisa See
Shanghai Girls Lisa See
The Outback Stars Sandra MacDonald
The Stars Downunder Sandra MacDonald
Traitor to the Crown C. C. Finley
Before They Are Hanged Joe Abercrombie
World War Z Max Brooks
Dwarves Marcus Heitz
The Fate of Katherine Carr Thomas H. Cooke
Azincourt Bernard Cornwell
The Brass Verdict Michael Connolly
Dead Until Dark Charlaine Harris
Club Dead Charlaine Harris
The Exchange Graham Joyce
Fire and Ice J. A. Jance
Undone Karin Slaughter
Sand Sharks Margaret Marron
13 Reasons Why Jay Asher
When You Reach Me Rebecca Stead*
Along for the Ride Sarah Dessen
The First Man Made Man Pagan Kennedy
The Walls of the Universe Paul Melko
Flood Stephen Baxter
Definitely Dead Charlaine Harris
Dead as a Doornail Charlaine Harris
River of Darkness Rennie Airth
Haunted Barbara Hawarth-Attard
The Calling Inger Ash Wolfe*
The Year That Follows Scott Lasser
Love and Summer William Trevor*
South of Broad Pat Conroy
If I Stay Gayle Foreman
Lucky Girl Mei-ling Hopgood
Catching Fire Suzanne Collins
Jumping off Swings Jo Knowles
My Mother the Cheerleader Robert Sharenous*
Notes from the Dog Gary Paulsen
Going Bovine Libba Bray
The Hunchback Chronicles Art Slade
Ground Zero F. Paul Wilson
Dead and Gone Charlaine Harris
The Dead of Winter Rennie Airth
The White Queen Phillipa Gregory
The Wanderer’s Tale David Bilborough~
Bombproof Michael Rowbotham
Hunger Michael Grant
Firebirds Soaring Ed. Sharyn November
Frostbitten Kelley Armstrong
Necessary as Blood Deborah Crombi
Her Fearful Symmetry Audrey Niffeneger
Ms. Hemple Chronicles Sarah Shun-lien Bynum
Evidence Jonathan Kellerman
Stitches David Small*
9 Dragons Michael Connolly
Viola in Reel Life Adriana Trignani
Last Night in Twisted River John Irving
The Ask and the Answer Patrick Ness
Give Up the Ghost Megan Crewe
Fire Kristin Cashore*
Frostbitten David Wellington
Under the Dome Stephen King*
Moon Called Patricia Briggs
Blood Bound Patricia Briggs
Iron Kissed Patricia Briggs
Monster Island David Wellington
Vast Fields of Ordinary Nick Burd
The War after Armageddon Ralph Peters
Homer and Langley E.L. Doctorow
Once Was Lost Sara Zarr
Point of Honour Madeline Robins
The Protest Singer Alex Wilkinson
The Warrior Heir Cinda Chima Williams
The Wizard Heir Cinda Chima Williams
Bones Crossed Patricia Briggs
Cry Wol Patricia Briggs
Hunting Ground Patricia Briggs
Miles Between Mary Pearson
Metamorphosis: Junior Year Betsy Franco
Breathless Dean Koontz~
The Sword of the Lady S. M. Stirling
The Taken Inger Ash Wolfe
U is for Undertow Sue Grafton
Trial By Fire J. A. Jance
Midnight Fugue Reginald Hill
Impossible Nancy Werlin
Heartsick Chelsea Kain
Sweetheart Chelsea Kain
Wild Child: Girlhoods in the Chelsea Kain
Counterculture
Divine Misdemeanours Laurell K. Hamilton
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Stieg Larsson*
I have been a lot more systematic this year in recording what books I read in my trusty Moleskine desk book, as well as as using LibraryThing.
The grand total was 210 books, up from 158 last year (roughly four books a week). These are the books I read for total pleasure and do not include the 20 plus books on the War of 1812 that I have been poring over for the last few months.
For my own amusement and because I like playing with Highlighters, I broke down the books read by genre and was surprised by some of the patterns I saw. My favourite genre is obviously fantasy with some 49 books being read. I thought Science Fiction would come in second, but no I read more mysteries. Of the 210 books, 67 were written for young adults. 2009 was also my year to read post-apocalyptic fiction (both adult and young adult). The lovely eldritchhobbit very kindly put out a list of such books on her live journal and I worked my way through as many as I could get my hands on easily. I was surprised by how little non fiction I read this year and perhaps that can be explained by being in research mode.
Here is the list of books should you wish to see what I was up to this year:
*means I really liked a book
~means I cannot believe that wasted hours of my life on this book
The Hour I First Believed Wally Lamb
Spud John van den Ruit*
Sister Wife Shelley Hrdlitschka
The Gargolye Andrew Davidson
By the Sword F. Paul Wilson
Night Runner Max Baker
The House of the Stag Kage Baker
Heat Lightening John Sandford
Truth to Tell Claire Lorrimer
Saturn’s Children Charles Stross
Poe’s Children Peter Straub*
A Good War Patrick Bishop
The Year She Disappeared Ann Harleman
Night Sisters Sara Rath
Songs of the Missing Stewart O’Nan*
Portobello Ruth Rendell
Paper Towns John Greene
Button Button Richard Matheson
The Outcast Sadie Jones*
Faith Fox Jane Gardam
The Sweet Inbetween Sheri Reynolds
Last Night at the Lobster Stewart O’Nan
The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins
The Darker Domain Val McDermid
Myrren’s Gift Fiona McIntosh
Blood and Memory Fiona McIntosh
Bridge of Souls Fiona McIntosh
Spud - The Madness Continues John van den Ruit*
Death Wore White Jim Kelly*
One for my Baby Nick Hornby
Destiny Road Jack McDevitt
Cruel Intent J. A. Jance
Sweethearts Sara Zarr
Pretty Monsters Kelly Link
Names of the Dead Stewart O’Nan*
Cleavage Ed. Loughead & Shipley
Hammered Elizabeth Bear
Among the Mad Jacqueline Winspear
The Last Centurion John Ringo
The Summoning Kelley Armstrong
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle David Wroblewski
Floodland Marcus Sedgewick*
Gone Michael Grant
Thinner than Thou Kit Reed
Code Orange Caroline Cooney
Unwind Neal Shusterman
The King’s Shield Sherwood Smith*
Memory Boy Will Weaver
The Loud Silence of Karen Cushman
Francine Green
When You Are Engulfed David Sedaris
In Flames
Shelter Me Alex McAuley~
Marked P. C. & Kristin Cast
Betrayed P. C. & Kristin Cast
Chosen P. C. & Kristin Cast
Untamed P. C. & Kristin Cast
One for Sorrow Mary Sheppard
The Girl who Threw Butterflies Mick Cochran*
Mudville Kurtis Scaletta*
The Local News Miriam Gershow*
The Knife of Never Letting Go Patrick Ness
Wicked Lovely Melissa Marr
The Compound S. A. Bodeen
True Detectives Jonathan Kellerman
Something Rotten Allan M. Gratz
Bleed Laurie Faria Stolarz
Gravity Leanne Lieberman
Life Sentences Laura Lippman
Hunted P. C. & Kristin Cast
The Last Ship William Brinkley*
The Graveyard Book Neil Gaiman
Wondrous Strange Lesley Livingston
Fruit Brian Francis
Breathe My Name R. A. Nelson
The Sweetness at the Alan Bradley
Bottom of the Pie
How I Was Meg Rosoff*
My Most Excellent Year Steve Kluger
After Dachau Daniel Quinn
So Totally Emily Ebers Lisa Yee
Without Warning John Birmingham*
Cypress Grove James Sallis*
Salt River James Sallis*
Cripple Creek James Sallis*
Fortune & Fate Sharon Shinn
The Forest of Hands and Teeth Carrie Ryan
One Second After William Forstchen*
Aftershocks F. Paul Wilson
The Little Stranger Sarah Waters*
The Awakening Kelley Armstrong
Long Legged Fly James Sallis
A Homemade Life Molly Wizenberg*
Bones Jonathan Kellerman
American Rust Philip Meyer*
Graceling Kristin Cashore*
The Lives of Dwarves Betty M. Adleson
In Our Hearts We Were Giants Yehuda Koren
Wicked Prey John Sandford
Tantalize Cynthia Letich Smith
Dead is the New Black Marlene Perez
The Lovers John Connolly*
Bonechiller Graham McNamee
The Patriot Witch C. C. Finley
Eternal Cynthia Letich Smith
Gotcha Shelley Hrdlitschka
Word Nerd Susan Nielson
The Forgotten Garden Kate Morton
North of Beautiful Justina Chen Hedley*
Would You Marthe Jocelyn
The Adoration of Jenna Fox Mary Pearson
The Landing John Ibbitson
The Edge of the World Kevin J. Anderson
Shadows of the Workhouse Jennifer Worth*
The Blade Itself Joe Abercrombie
Brooklyn Colm Toibin
Columbine Dave Cullen
The Condition Jennifer Haigh
The Disreputable History E. Lockhart
Of Frankie Landau Banks
Go Ask Your Father Lennard Davis
In the Kitchen Monica Ali
The Last Argument of Kings Joe Abercrombie
Monster A. Lee Martinez
On Gold Mountain Lisa See
Shanghai Girls Lisa See
The Outback Stars Sandra MacDonald
The Stars Downunder Sandra MacDonald
Traitor to the Crown C. C. Finley
Before They Are Hanged Joe Abercrombie
World War Z Max Brooks
Dwarves Marcus Heitz
The Fate of Katherine Carr Thomas H. Cooke
Azincourt Bernard Cornwell
The Brass Verdict Michael Connolly
Dead Until Dark Charlaine Harris
Club Dead Charlaine Harris
The Exchange Graham Joyce
Fire and Ice J. A. Jance
Undone Karin Slaughter
Sand Sharks Margaret Marron
13 Reasons Why Jay Asher
When You Reach Me Rebecca Stead*
Along for the Ride Sarah Dessen
The First Man Made Man Pagan Kennedy
The Walls of the Universe Paul Melko
Flood Stephen Baxter
Definitely Dead Charlaine Harris
Dead as a Doornail Charlaine Harris
River of Darkness Rennie Airth
Haunted Barbara Hawarth-Attard
The Calling Inger Ash Wolfe*
The Year That Follows Scott Lasser
Love and Summer William Trevor*
South of Broad Pat Conroy
If I Stay Gayle Foreman
Lucky Girl Mei-ling Hopgood
Catching Fire Suzanne Collins
Jumping off Swings Jo Knowles
My Mother the Cheerleader Robert Sharenous*
Notes from the Dog Gary Paulsen
Going Bovine Libba Bray
The Hunchback Chronicles Art Slade
Ground Zero F. Paul Wilson
Dead and Gone Charlaine Harris
The Dead of Winter Rennie Airth
The White Queen Phillipa Gregory
The Wanderer’s Tale David Bilborough~
Bombproof Michael Rowbotham
Hunger Michael Grant
Firebirds Soaring Ed. Sharyn November
Frostbitten Kelley Armstrong
Necessary as Blood Deborah Crombi
Her Fearful Symmetry Audrey Niffeneger
Ms. Hemple Chronicles Sarah Shun-lien Bynum
Evidence Jonathan Kellerman
Stitches David Small*
9 Dragons Michael Connolly
Viola in Reel Life Adriana Trignani
Last Night in Twisted River John Irving
The Ask and the Answer Patrick Ness
Give Up the Ghost Megan Crewe
Fire Kristin Cashore*
Frostbitten David Wellington
Under the Dome Stephen King*
Moon Called Patricia Briggs
Blood Bound Patricia Briggs
Iron Kissed Patricia Briggs
Monster Island David Wellington
Vast Fields of Ordinary Nick Burd
The War after Armageddon Ralph Peters
Homer and Langley E.L. Doctorow
Once Was Lost Sara Zarr
Point of Honour Madeline Robins
The Protest Singer Alex Wilkinson
The Warrior Heir Cinda Chima Williams
The Wizard Heir Cinda Chima Williams
Bones Crossed Patricia Briggs
Cry Wol Patricia Briggs
Hunting Ground Patricia Briggs
Miles Between Mary Pearson
Metamorphosis: Junior Year Betsy Franco
Breathless Dean Koontz~
The Sword of the Lady S. M. Stirling
The Taken Inger Ash Wolfe
U is for Undertow Sue Grafton
Trial By Fire J. A. Jance
Midnight Fugue Reginald Hill
Impossible Nancy Werlin
Heartsick Chelsea Kain
Sweetheart Chelsea Kain
Wild Child: Girlhoods in the Chelsea Kain
Counterculture
Divine Misdemeanours Laurell K. Hamilton
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Stieg Larsson*