2008 Year-End Review of Books
So, thanks to elfundeb, I was motivated to get this posted, even if I only included the briefest of thoughts on some of these books.
The books are organized alphabetically by the author’s last name within each rating category.
My rating system is entirely subjective and personal. I only give 5-star ratings to books that I can re-read over and over, without losing my initial enjoyment. They are also often books that have spurred me to find other like-minded fans on the internet. The 5-star rating is thus not assigned necessarily based on “literary greatness” or any scholarly analysis. Interestingly enough, I seemed to have a far easier time writing reviews of the books I disliked or liked the least shall we say. Hmmm….. . .
5 Star Books
1. Follett, Ken
World Without End
I gave Pillars of the Earth a 4.5 star rating last year, but this sequel actually outshines the original amazingly. This is an epic masterpiece, and one I expect I can enjoy over and over. In many ways, the characters seemed to be a deliberate echo of those depicted several generations previous in Pillars of the Earth, but they had enough individuality to engage my interest.
2. Frost, Jeaniene
One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 2)
I’m looking forward to Frost’s forthcoming books in this series, particularly so that I can better understand her evolving back-story for heroine Cat’s existence (the biology of a half-vampire in Frost’s universe). I would also like a better understanding for Cat’s motivations in spending years reluctantly in hiding, even from her vampire love Bones, to protect her mother, who, by all accounts, is completely unworthy of the sacrifice. Overall though, Frost continues to enchant me with her writing and her story, and I’m eagerly awaiting the next installment.
3 - 8. Harris, Charlaine
Dead until Dark
Living Dead in Dallas
Club Dead
Dead to the World
Dead as a Doornail
Definitely Dead
All Together Dead
From Dead to Worse (new title this year)
I re-read the first one for book club and the others in preparation for the release of the 8th Sookie book in May, and they were fabulous all over again.
From Dead to Worse: I enjoyed the pacing and character development in this latest installment. Harris tied up some plot lines but introduced new complexities into Sookie’s life. As someone who spends some time in Harris’ online fandom, it’s hard to synopsize my thoughts about this book at all succinctly. I will say that the Eric fan in me was elated by this latest novel.
9. King, Stephen
The Stand
All I can say is “Why have I never read this before now?”
Seriously. This is so epic and masterful, and it should be required reading for everyone.
10 -11. Meyer, Stephenie
The Host
This defied all my expectations, not being a sci-fi reader at all. Despite being a fan of Meyer’s other work with her Twilight series, I was very skeptical that I would enjoy this novel. But, Meyer is such a strong character writer that I had no trouble immersing myself into a world where aliens have assumed control over the bodies and minds of most of the world’s human population. Meyer has again tackled some timeless questions and subjects in a thought-provoking but sensitive manner. I’ll be anxious to revisit this one very soon!
Breaking Dawn
An amazing ending to the saga, and again, as someone who has spent some time interacting with other obsessed Meyer fans, it’s hard to distill my thoughts about this novel into a few sentences. While I agree with the criticism that Meyer should probably explain, in clear terms, the way vampire physiology works in her universe (the results in this book are fairly inconsistent with previous books and her own statements), I think Meyer tied up all the plot lines remarkably well. Her ending for Bella and Edward was deeply satisfying and didn’t leave me asking any “but what about …..?” questions.
12. Novik, Naomi
Victory of Eagles
Novik delivered another outstanding novel in the Temeraire series.
13. Rowling, J.K.
The Tales of Beetle the Bard
Okay, this barely qualifies as a "book" really, but I thoroughly enjoyed it all the same.
14. Shaffer, Mary Ann & Barrows, Annie
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Wow! Love the time period, love the characters, love the writing.
4.5 Star Books
15. Bennett, Vanora
Portrait of an Unknown Woman
This is another one of those novels where the characters really stick with the reader, and the plot twists at the end are terrific.
16. Kirkland, Elithe Hamilton
Love is a Wild Assault
Despite the Harlequin romance-esque title, this is a engrossing story of the travails and triumphs of a real Texas pioneer woman, Harriet Page Potter Ames. It was a re-read for me, and the book was just as enjoyable as it was 6 or 7 years ago when I first read it.
17. Lamb, Wally
The Hour I First Believed
You start to wonder how many more tragedies can befall the main characters, but this is actually a very uplifting book in its own way. The prose is gorgeous.
18. Mortenson, Greg and Relin, David Oliver
Three Cups of Tea
Even though I at times wanted to smack Mortenson for poor planning and naivete, this was incredibly moving and engrossing. I don't normally like this sort of book at all, and I absolutely loved this.
4 Star Books
19. Bradbury, Ray
Fahrenheit 451
Amazing that I had never read this classic in all these years -- very accurate forward-thinking for his time.
20. Briggs, Patricia
Iron Kissed
This is the 3rd in the Mercy Thompson series, and was another enjoyable read. Briggs paints her paranormal world so vividly and with great attention to detail. The first book focused on the werewolves, the second one primarily involves vampires, and this latest one takes the reader into the world of the fae (and in Brigg’s hands, it is every bit as violent and full of secrets as those of the werewolves and vampires).
21. Cross, Donna Woolfolk
Pope Joan
I read this some years back for a book club, and I re-read it for another book club this past year. A very enjoyable read all around.
22. Earley, Tony
Jim the Boy
The description really drew me in, but the book itself fell a bit flat overall. I originally read it because the sequel sounded so appealing, but I note that I haven't yet bothered to buy the sequel.
23-24. Gabaldon, Diana
Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade
Lord John and the Hand of Devils
These are not on the par of her Outlander books in my opinion, but Gabaldon is such a rollicking good storyteller that I loved these books all the same.
25 - 30. Harris, Charlaine
Sweet & Deadly
Real Murders
A Bone to Pick
Three Bedrooms, One Corpse
The Julius House
Dead over Heels
I hated to give Harris anything less than 4 stars, but I did consider giving all of these 3.5 stars. Aurora Teagarden is a loveable but predictable heroine, and the Aurora books are all conventional mysteries with an ending that surprises but doesn’t shock the reader (although I recently learned that there are 3 more books in this series that hadn't been re-released in paperback and so I've yet to read those). The killer(s) are usually high on the suspect list in the reader’s mind I imagine (they were in mine), and the red herrings are fairly obviously red herrings. These are all light, enjoyable reads with good pacing, but they lack the depth and wit so evident in her Sookie and Harper series.
31. Neville, Katherine
The Fire
I was hesitant to assign a lower rating to this book too, on the grounds that much of my confusion probably stemmed from having read The Eight too long in the past to properly appreciate the plot twists, nuances and background needed for its sequel. Neville’s writing is top-notch.
32. Rice, Anne
Christ the Lord: Road to Cana
Enjoyable
33. Shayne, Maggie (with Barbara Hambly and Charlaine Harris)
Night’s Edge
I loved “Dancers in the Dark,” Harris’s contribution to this anthology of horror/fantasy short stories. Sean and Layla have a cameo appearance in the 7th Sookie book, and I enjoyed the chance to read the beginning of their story. Hambly’s story was gripping, but maybe slanted a bit too much in the horror direction (I’m a wuss). Shayne’s headliner story was also a bit more horror than I might normally choose to read, but it was well-written and engaging.
34. Smith, Betty
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
I liked this, but it does plod at times.
3.5 Star Books
35. Bennett, Alan
The Uncommon Reader
Very British; not quite what I was expecting but engaging.
36. Bond, Jenny & Chris Sheedy
Who the Hell is Pansy O’Hara? The Fascinating Stories behind 50 of the World’s Best-Loved Books
This was okay, but not great.
37. Browne, Jill Conner
The Sweet Potato Queens’ Book of Love
This was my Book Club’s choice for some August “light reading,” and as it was a series I had heard much about but might not have tried without the incentive of the book club discussion, I picked it up. It was very humorous, but . . . I'm not rushing out to buy the rest of them.
38. Clare, Cassandra
City of Ashes (Mortal Instruments Trilogy, Book 2)
I think I may have neglected to include Clare’s first book in my blog last year. I enjoy Clare’s humor and her twist on various supernatural beings. I think she’d do better to confine her snark to just one or two characters - everyone isn’t that witty in real life. I’m cheering for the plot twist that is surely coming that will allow the heroine to be with her true love, but I think the romance subplots could do with a touch more subtlety. Overall, this is a great series.
39. Edwards, Selden
The Little Book
This was just "okay" -- not what I was expecting based on the hype.
40. Fellman, Anita Clair
Little House, Long Shadow: Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Impact on American Culture
Felt like a book that was supposed to have been published in the early 1990s when she first started it (she was wrapping up her academic career last spring). It felt very dated in 1990s despite the recent publication. Nothing terribly new or startling, and her analysis and commentary was fairly bland.
41. Fraser, George MacDonald
Flashman
This novel is the first in a series of 12 Flashman novels given to me as a gift. I would have given it 4 stars but for the fact that I have not yet warmed much to the protagonist, Harry Flashman. He is, in his own words, nothing more than a dishonorable, cowardly, self-absorbed scoundrel. His adventures in this first installment were exciting reading, and the prose flows easily in rhythm and cadence. I will definitely read the subsequent books as I have time for the historical adventures. If only I liked him even a little bit ….
42. Gruber, Michael
The Book of Air and Shadows
Fast-paced literary thriller told in 3 voices - crux of the plot is the search for an original previously-unknown Shakespeare manuscript.
43. Shayne, Maggie (et al)
Weddings from Hell
I don't remember anything about this to say anything other than I slotted it here in the 3.5 star category.
3 Star Books
44. McCaig, Donald
Rhett Butler’s People
I generally love this fanfic concept with classic novels, and I desperately wish that McCaig had carried this off better. While I appreciated the backstory of Butler’s life before Scarlett, I still didn’t feel a better (or different) sense of his character as a result of this novel. I disliked more often than appreciated the scenes rewritten from Butler’s point-of-view that are directly from the original source. The ending was plausible enough, certainly much more convincing than some of the other “sequels” to GWTW. But, it still lacked the energy of the original in too many ways to be entirely engaging.
45. McMurtry, Larry
Books: A Memoir
Unfortunately, this book didn’t fulfill the expectations raised by the publisher’s blurb. The first 20 pages were, as promised, a look at McMurtry’s book-deprived childhood and how he came to become both an author and, as he says, mostly an antiquarian book dealer. I found it interesting that, in his eyes, all of his publishing success pales in comparison to the satisfaction he has derived both from building his personal library and his store (Booked Up) inventory over the last 40+ years. I found the bulk of the book to be meandering, jumpy and not terribly interesting. I was hoping for more discussion of the influence that particular books have had on his writing (per the publisher’s blurb). The book was primarily a jumpy account of various book-buying purchases (sometimes single volumes or collections and sometimes the inventory of a store going under). I was also irritated by the “chapters” that were sometimes no more than 3 paragraphs on a single page. I don’t think there were any chapters more than 5 pages long (roughly 100 chapters in a slim 250 page book). Interestingly, I did think that his personal memoirs (Walter Benjamin at the Dairy Queen) sounded worth a look though (despite the fact that this flies in the face of my long-standing rule against reading any personal memoirs, ever).
The books are organized alphabetically by the author’s last name within each rating category.
My rating system is entirely subjective and personal. I only give 5-star ratings to books that I can re-read over and over, without losing my initial enjoyment. They are also often books that have spurred me to find other like-minded fans on the internet. The 5-star rating is thus not assigned necessarily based on “literary greatness” or any scholarly analysis. Interestingly enough, I seemed to have a far easier time writing reviews of the books I disliked or liked the least shall we say. Hmmm….. . .
5 Star Books
1. Follett, Ken
World Without End
I gave Pillars of the Earth a 4.5 star rating last year, but this sequel actually outshines the original amazingly. This is an epic masterpiece, and one I expect I can enjoy over and over. In many ways, the characters seemed to be a deliberate echo of those depicted several generations previous in Pillars of the Earth, but they had enough individuality to engage my interest.
2. Frost, Jeaniene
One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 2)
I’m looking forward to Frost’s forthcoming books in this series, particularly so that I can better understand her evolving back-story for heroine Cat’s existence (the biology of a half-vampire in Frost’s universe). I would also like a better understanding for Cat’s motivations in spending years reluctantly in hiding, even from her vampire love Bones, to protect her mother, who, by all accounts, is completely unworthy of the sacrifice. Overall though, Frost continues to enchant me with her writing and her story, and I’m eagerly awaiting the next installment.
3 - 8. Harris, Charlaine
Dead until Dark
Living Dead in Dallas
Club Dead
Dead to the World
Dead as a Doornail
Definitely Dead
All Together Dead
From Dead to Worse (new title this year)
I re-read the first one for book club and the others in preparation for the release of the 8th Sookie book in May, and they were fabulous all over again.
From Dead to Worse: I enjoyed the pacing and character development in this latest installment. Harris tied up some plot lines but introduced new complexities into Sookie’s life. As someone who spends some time in Harris’ online fandom, it’s hard to synopsize my thoughts about this book at all succinctly. I will say that the Eric fan in me was elated by this latest novel.
9. King, Stephen
The Stand
All I can say is “Why have I never read this before now?”
Seriously. This is so epic and masterful, and it should be required reading for everyone.
10 -11. Meyer, Stephenie
The Host
This defied all my expectations, not being a sci-fi reader at all. Despite being a fan of Meyer’s other work with her Twilight series, I was very skeptical that I would enjoy this novel. But, Meyer is such a strong character writer that I had no trouble immersing myself into a world where aliens have assumed control over the bodies and minds of most of the world’s human population. Meyer has again tackled some timeless questions and subjects in a thought-provoking but sensitive manner. I’ll be anxious to revisit this one very soon!
Breaking Dawn
An amazing ending to the saga, and again, as someone who has spent some time interacting with other obsessed Meyer fans, it’s hard to distill my thoughts about this novel into a few sentences. While I agree with the criticism that Meyer should probably explain, in clear terms, the way vampire physiology works in her universe (the results in this book are fairly inconsistent with previous books and her own statements), I think Meyer tied up all the plot lines remarkably well. Her ending for Bella and Edward was deeply satisfying and didn’t leave me asking any “but what about …..?” questions.
12. Novik, Naomi
Victory of Eagles
Novik delivered another outstanding novel in the Temeraire series.
13. Rowling, J.K.
The Tales of Beetle the Bard
Okay, this barely qualifies as a "book" really, but I thoroughly enjoyed it all the same.
14. Shaffer, Mary Ann & Barrows, Annie
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Wow! Love the time period, love the characters, love the writing.
4.5 Star Books
15. Bennett, Vanora
Portrait of an Unknown Woman
This is another one of those novels where the characters really stick with the reader, and the plot twists at the end are terrific.
16. Kirkland, Elithe Hamilton
Love is a Wild Assault
Despite the Harlequin romance-esque title, this is a engrossing story of the travails and triumphs of a real Texas pioneer woman, Harriet Page Potter Ames. It was a re-read for me, and the book was just as enjoyable as it was 6 or 7 years ago when I first read it.
17. Lamb, Wally
The Hour I First Believed
You start to wonder how many more tragedies can befall the main characters, but this is actually a very uplifting book in its own way. The prose is gorgeous.
18. Mortenson, Greg and Relin, David Oliver
Three Cups of Tea
Even though I at times wanted to smack Mortenson for poor planning and naivete, this was incredibly moving and engrossing. I don't normally like this sort of book at all, and I absolutely loved this.
4 Star Books
19. Bradbury, Ray
Fahrenheit 451
Amazing that I had never read this classic in all these years -- very accurate forward-thinking for his time.
20. Briggs, Patricia
Iron Kissed
This is the 3rd in the Mercy Thompson series, and was another enjoyable read. Briggs paints her paranormal world so vividly and with great attention to detail. The first book focused on the werewolves, the second one primarily involves vampires, and this latest one takes the reader into the world of the fae (and in Brigg’s hands, it is every bit as violent and full of secrets as those of the werewolves and vampires).
21. Cross, Donna Woolfolk
Pope Joan
I read this some years back for a book club, and I re-read it for another book club this past year. A very enjoyable read all around.
22. Earley, Tony
Jim the Boy
The description really drew me in, but the book itself fell a bit flat overall. I originally read it because the sequel sounded so appealing, but I note that I haven't yet bothered to buy the sequel.
23-24. Gabaldon, Diana
Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade
Lord John and the Hand of Devils
These are not on the par of her Outlander books in my opinion, but Gabaldon is such a rollicking good storyteller that I loved these books all the same.
25 - 30. Harris, Charlaine
Sweet & Deadly
Real Murders
A Bone to Pick
Three Bedrooms, One Corpse
The Julius House
Dead over Heels
I hated to give Harris anything less than 4 stars, but I did consider giving all of these 3.5 stars. Aurora Teagarden is a loveable but predictable heroine, and the Aurora books are all conventional mysteries with an ending that surprises but doesn’t shock the reader (although I recently learned that there are 3 more books in this series that hadn't been re-released in paperback and so I've yet to read those). The killer(s) are usually high on the suspect list in the reader’s mind I imagine (they were in mine), and the red herrings are fairly obviously red herrings. These are all light, enjoyable reads with good pacing, but they lack the depth and wit so evident in her Sookie and Harper series.
31. Neville, Katherine
The Fire
I was hesitant to assign a lower rating to this book too, on the grounds that much of my confusion probably stemmed from having read The Eight too long in the past to properly appreciate the plot twists, nuances and background needed for its sequel. Neville’s writing is top-notch.
32. Rice, Anne
Christ the Lord: Road to Cana
Enjoyable
33. Shayne, Maggie (with Barbara Hambly and Charlaine Harris)
Night’s Edge
I loved “Dancers in the Dark,” Harris’s contribution to this anthology of horror/fantasy short stories. Sean and Layla have a cameo appearance in the 7th Sookie book, and I enjoyed the chance to read the beginning of their story. Hambly’s story was gripping, but maybe slanted a bit too much in the horror direction (I’m a wuss). Shayne’s headliner story was also a bit more horror than I might normally choose to read, but it was well-written and engaging.
34. Smith, Betty
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
I liked this, but it does plod at times.
3.5 Star Books
35. Bennett, Alan
The Uncommon Reader
Very British; not quite what I was expecting but engaging.
36. Bond, Jenny & Chris Sheedy
Who the Hell is Pansy O’Hara? The Fascinating Stories behind 50 of the World’s Best-Loved Books
This was okay, but not great.
37. Browne, Jill Conner
The Sweet Potato Queens’ Book of Love
This was my Book Club’s choice for some August “light reading,” and as it was a series I had heard much about but might not have tried without the incentive of the book club discussion, I picked it up. It was very humorous, but . . . I'm not rushing out to buy the rest of them.
38. Clare, Cassandra
City of Ashes (Mortal Instruments Trilogy, Book 2)
I think I may have neglected to include Clare’s first book in my blog last year. I enjoy Clare’s humor and her twist on various supernatural beings. I think she’d do better to confine her snark to just one or two characters - everyone isn’t that witty in real life. I’m cheering for the plot twist that is surely coming that will allow the heroine to be with her true love, but I think the romance subplots could do with a touch more subtlety. Overall, this is a great series.
39. Edwards, Selden
The Little Book
This was just "okay" -- not what I was expecting based on the hype.
40. Fellman, Anita Clair
Little House, Long Shadow: Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Impact on American Culture
Felt like a book that was supposed to have been published in the early 1990s when she first started it (she was wrapping up her academic career last spring). It felt very dated in 1990s despite the recent publication. Nothing terribly new or startling, and her analysis and commentary was fairly bland.
41. Fraser, George MacDonald
Flashman
This novel is the first in a series of 12 Flashman novels given to me as a gift. I would have given it 4 stars but for the fact that I have not yet warmed much to the protagonist, Harry Flashman. He is, in his own words, nothing more than a dishonorable, cowardly, self-absorbed scoundrel. His adventures in this first installment were exciting reading, and the prose flows easily in rhythm and cadence. I will definitely read the subsequent books as I have time for the historical adventures. If only I liked him even a little bit ….
42. Gruber, Michael
The Book of Air and Shadows
Fast-paced literary thriller told in 3 voices - crux of the plot is the search for an original previously-unknown Shakespeare manuscript.
43. Shayne, Maggie (et al)
Weddings from Hell
I don't remember anything about this to say anything other than I slotted it here in the 3.5 star category.
3 Star Books
44. McCaig, Donald
Rhett Butler’s People
I generally love this fanfic concept with classic novels, and I desperately wish that McCaig had carried this off better. While I appreciated the backstory of Butler’s life before Scarlett, I still didn’t feel a better (or different) sense of his character as a result of this novel. I disliked more often than appreciated the scenes rewritten from Butler’s point-of-view that are directly from the original source. The ending was plausible enough, certainly much more convincing than some of the other “sequels” to GWTW. But, it still lacked the energy of the original in too many ways to be entirely engaging.
45. McMurtry, Larry
Books: A Memoir
Unfortunately, this book didn’t fulfill the expectations raised by the publisher’s blurb. The first 20 pages were, as promised, a look at McMurtry’s book-deprived childhood and how he came to become both an author and, as he says, mostly an antiquarian book dealer. I found it interesting that, in his eyes, all of his publishing success pales in comparison to the satisfaction he has derived both from building his personal library and his store (Booked Up) inventory over the last 40+ years. I found the bulk of the book to be meandering, jumpy and not terribly interesting. I was hoping for more discussion of the influence that particular books have had on his writing (per the publisher’s blurb). The book was primarily a jumpy account of various book-buying purchases (sometimes single volumes or collections and sometimes the inventory of a store going under). I was also irritated by the “chapters” that were sometimes no more than 3 paragraphs on a single page. I don’t think there were any chapters more than 5 pages long (roughly 100 chapters in a slim 250 page book). Interestingly, I did think that his personal memoirs (Walter Benjamin at the Dairy Queen) sounded worth a look though (despite the fact that this flies in the face of my long-standing rule against reading any personal memoirs, ever).