2009 Reading List

[melyndabelinda]

I started an account on www.goodreads.com this year, mostly because I wanted to get an accurate count of how many books I read in a year.  In 2009 I read 24 books cover to cover.  Some of them I'd read before, but most of them were new.

I admit to being somewhat surprised at how few books are on the list.  For some reason I thought it would be a number closer to 50.  I think in the past it has been.  These last few years, though, I've had other things going on in my life and my reading time has been greatly diminished.  At least I can say I enjoyed most of the books.

1. Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke - I raced to read this book before the movie was released, because I always like to read the book first and the movie looked so interesting.  Alas, I was severely disappointed in both.  I have no intention of reading the rest of this series.
2. When Christ and His Saints Slept, by Sharon Kay Penman - This is a Historical Fiction novel that tells the story of Stephen of Blois and how he found himself to be the King of England after Henry I's only son dies in the sinking of the White Ship.  I loved this book.  I love this author.  I recommend her to anyone who enjoys British History.
3. Time and Chance, by Sharon Kay Penman - This book continues where When Christ and His Saints Slept left off, mostly dealing with Margaret, Henry I's daughter, and her son Henry's struggle to wrest the English throne away from Stephen.
4. Devil's Brood, by Sharon Kay Penman - The last book in the series deals with Henry II and his struggles with his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and their sons.  This one was my favorite!
5. Paul of Dune, by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson - I keep reading these books because I love Dune so much, despite the fact that they aren't very good.
6. The Golden Compass, by Phillip Pullman - I enjoyed this movie so I thougth I'd give the book a try.  I enjoyed it more than I expected to.
7. The Subtle Knife, by Phillip Pullman - The story of Lyra and her demon got a lot weirder in this book.  I liked the book when I finished it, but in retrospect I'm not so sure I'd recommend it to anyone.
8. The Amber Spyglass, by Phillip Pullman - I did not like the conclusion of this series.  The religious undertones slapped me in the face in this book and I had serious problems with the message I felt the author was trying to convey.
9. The Demon's Lexicon, by Sarah Rees Brennan - I picked this book up because I read the author's blog and enjoy it immensely.  It started out sort of slow but I liked the end and intend to read the next installment in the series.
10. Brisingr, by Christopher Paolini - This is the third book in the series that began with Eragon.  I loved the first two books but had a hard time getting into this one.  I don't know if it was just slower than the others or if, during the wait between books, I lost the thread of the story.  I plan to read the conclusion to the series though, as I feel invested in the characters.
11. Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife, by Linda Berdoll - I was at a loss for what to read and picked this up from one of the little display tables at Barnes and Noble.  They should have classified this in the Romance section, not as literature, as the book was basically about Darcy and Elizabeth having sex.
12. Darcy and Elizabeth: Nights and Days at Pemberly, by Linda Berdoll - Clearly I enjoyed the first book enough to buy the second.  I chock it up to needing brain candy.
13. Naamah's Kiss, by Jacqueline Carey - I love this author and she could write about leaves growing and I would read it.  Go buy her books!  They're in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy section.
14. The Winds of Dune, by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson - Again, I can't help but buy these books.  I do not mean to imply that you should buy them.
15. Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone, by J.K. Rowling - I need to read these books once a year for my mental well being.
16. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling - Please see above.
17. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J.K. Rowling - This is still my favorite!  The first 50ish pages have finally given up the ghost and fallen out.
18. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, by J.K. Rowling - Please refer to HP:SS.
19. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, by J.K. Rowling - While not my favorite, I still think this was probably the most well written book in the series.
20. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, by J.K. Rowling - Yay Draco, finally get some dimension!
21. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling - I still cry at the end.
22. Chronicles of the Black Company, by Glen Cook - I picked this book up randomly and plan to read everything this author has written I loved it so much.
23. The Books of the South: Tales of the Black Company, by Glen Cook - I really thought the story was over at the end of the last book.  I love the way he was able to pick it back up and keep going without feeling like the story was forced.
24. Best Served Cold, by Joe Abercrombie - I read the author's First Law series last year and really enjoyed it.  This book stands alone but borrows some minor characters from the previous books and occurs later chronologically.  I think this is the best of the four books he's written and highly recommend it to anyone with a sense of humor.

I plan to continue tracking my reading list in 2010.  Hopefully the activity will encourage me to read more.

If anyone has any books they'd like to recommend I am always open to suggestion.  As you can probably tell from the 2009 reading list I have a strong preference for Fantasy.