BOOKS READ IN 2O1O
Aaaaand once again I'm gonna be a-keepin' track of the books I read this year, as I've done the past two years on LJ. I'd like to beat last year's book-a-week rate, even, but we'll see! ♥
1. Hunger by Michael Grant
COMPLETED: Jan 7
REVIEW: This is the most harrowing and terrifying book I've ever read, precisely because it's not supposed to be horror, and the actions these kids take are totally natural when pushed into the situations they are in this series. My knees were actually shaky when I finished this, my heart pouding in my chest. It's fucking terrifying - and brilliant. I love these books, and I can't wait to see the next one.
2. You Don't Know Me by David Klass
COMPLETED: Jan 8
REVIEW: A younger book than I had anticipated, but the voice! I love John, and I felt for him the whole way through. So smart, so good... hfkjs. I love quality quick reads.
3. Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey
COMPLETED: Jan 13
REVIEW: A stylish and sexy lovechild of Angel Sanctuary and Die Hard. Unfortunately I tend not to like shit that mentions God, which took this book down a couple hard notches in my esteem, but there you have it.
4. The Customer is NOT Always Right by A.J. Adams
COMPLETED: Jan 25
REVIEW: I lold, then I lold again. And again. Nothing much else to say, really. xD
5. Magic's Pawn by Mercedes Lackey
COMPLETED: Jan 30
REVIEW: I read this last only 2 months ago, and I loved rereading it. It's still one of the saddest books I've ever read. And now, with an active and loud Vanyel-muse in my head, it has become one of the most painful, because he aches reading it - but that's part of the joy. I love this story.
6. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
COMPLETED: Feb 19
REVIEW: What is there to say about Neil Gaiman? He's a master. There's nothing more to describe it than that; he's just a master. This is fucking brilliant.
7. I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert
COMPLETED: Feb 21
REVIEW: ...lol.
8. Witch and Wizard by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet
COMPLETED: Feb 26
REVIEW: Not a fan. Don't have the passion about being not a fan to write about it. I just didn't like it, though some bits in the middle had charm.
9. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
COMPLETED: Mar 4
REVIEW: A really cool concept, executed very well indeed. Elegant and simple writing, along with a pretty fucking cool cast, make it a hell of a lot of fun. One of the more addictive books I've gotten my nose into recently, and certainly not a thing I regret picking up. (Also: Keiro is perhaps the most kickass sidekick ever.) Yeah, okay, it was kinda awesome.
10. Drink Play Fuck by Andrew Gottlieb
COMPLETED: Mar 5
REVIEW: Funny! Thumbs up! Certainly sweet as hell, if not the most creative use of language? Still, really great, comes full circle, and is hella awesome when it comes to poking fun at Eat Pray Love. Was super fun. ^^
11. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
COMPLETED: Mar 17
REVIEW: This is trash. I read it to understand why it flies off our bookstore shelves, and it's awful. Eurgh. Just... trite.
12. Nightlight: a Parody by the Harvard Lampoon
COMPLETED: Mar 18
REVIEW: Not as funny as it could have been until it pulled the Giant Lol about halfway in. Eh.
13. The Serialist by David Gordon
COMPLETED: Mar 26
REVIEW: Finally! An excellent book. A really excellent book. It's two things: a treatise on language, literature, and the human state; and a witty, gory-as-hell murder mystery. Never self-indulgent as many novels with this kind of intelligence to back them up are; it's both fine expression of the English language and a really kickass story at the same time. It sits perfectly in the middle - in the kind of books I like to read. This is just terrific.
14. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
COMPLETED: Mar 31
REVIEW: I'm too tired to review, so I'm just going to let you know that this book is EXCELLENT.
15. Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines by Nic Sheff
COMPLETED: Apr 20
REVIEW: Forget what you see on Lost or in Angel Sanctuary about drugs. Forget it all. This is the real deal, and Sheff writes it with a disturbing level of honesty. Thumbs way way up for a terrifying telling of a modern-day horror story.
16. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
COMPLETED: May 7
REVIEW: I love that I'm reading books that just take more time. This, for example? Fabulous, but not a quick read. Jesus, I can't... this book is brilliant. Just brilliant.
17. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
COMPLETED: May 25
REVIEW: Like a lot of teen lit, it's mindblowingly addictive. Bonus: no vampires! I kind of love teen lit, it's so much fun, and this does prove why. Goddammit I even want to read the second one now.
18. Kockroach by Tyler Knox
COMPLETED: May 27
REVIEW: Stylish, gritty, and hilarious. A film-noir feel with a nature-channel source... It's a sweet little bit of utter genius. Yes yes yes.
19. The Magicians by Lev Grossman
COMPLETED: June 24
REVIEW: Don't read this as slowly as I did; any novel loses its effect if read this slow, and the effect of this one is so great, you shouldn't miss a beat. Delicious, beautiful, and ultimately very rewarding. I'm waiting for the second novel, now!
20. Before I Wake by Robert J. Wiersema
COMPLETED: July 1
REVIEW: Too Christian. Made me intensely uncomfortable.
21. The Truth About Delilah Blue by Tish Cohen
COMPLETED: July 5
REVIEW: A little self-indulgent, but inoffensive women's reading.
22. Shit My Dad Says by Justin Halpern
COMPLETED: July 16
REVIEW: Hilarious, irreverent, and always true. A fab read. Justin Halpern's dad is just way too awesome for words. I've been following the twitter account this is based off of for ages, simply because it's that bloody great.
23. Swoon by Nina Malkin
COMPLETED: July 21
REVIEW: Much better than the back cover gave it credit before. Actually quite slick, especially for the genre (teen-girl-falls-in-love-with-gorgeous-supernatural-boy). I was actually quite impressed, for a quick read. And yes, gorgeous-supernatural-boy was also a sociopath like every other gorgeous-supernatural-boy, but this time that fact was relevant to the plot. Alright.
24. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer
COMPLETED: July 21
REVIEW: Hard to say. I guess it was better than Twilight, but then it was also teeny. It was over before I could really tell.
25. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
COMPLETED: July 26
REVIEW: Brilliant. An urgently important read for anyone and everyone politically aware, technologically inclined, or incensed at today's privacy violations. Hell, everyone should read this book. Go do it.
26. The Kane Chronicles: The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
COMPLETED: July 31
REVIEW: I read this simply 'cause I've been wanting to get the rest of the Percy Jackson books done, and haven't been able to find the second one yet. Good thing this is a lot like the other ones - though I think it's cute that they're played out in the same universe. It felt even slightly younger a read than Percy Jackson, though - still, super solid, and something I'll definitely be recommending to kids in my store.
27. Stupid on the Road by Leland Gregory
COMPLETED: July 31
REVIEW: Hilarious little stories, not especially well-written, but super fun and kooky?
28. Vlad: The Last Confession by C. C. Humphreys
COMPLETED: Aug 6
REVIEW: At first I found the voice the author uses in this book fairly odd, but that wore off quickly when I became absolutely addicted to the story. It's meticulously researched, beautifully paced, and suitably gory, when the main character is The Impaler. It beautifully acknowledges, but doesn't bend to, the vampire myths, as well. And that last twist? Delicious.
29. The Twelve Kingdoms: Skies of Dawn by Fuyumi Ono
COMPLETED: Aug 24
REVIEW: Not as great as the last three in the series. Three times as long, a little fractured, and some of the motivations were simplistic. But still an epic for the ages and a hugely satisfying read, especially when it came down to the epilogue.
30. The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman
COMPLETED: Sept 3
REVIEW: Brilliant examination. Definitely would make anyone think, though would offend, too - and that's kind of the point, though he does it so elegantly. Lovely quick read than forces your brain to work.
31. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
COMPLETED: Sept 23
REVIEW: She did it again - she set up a normal teen novel, and then went "ha ha, me fool you". Damn her, making me want to buy expensive books... Addictive.
32. The Magicicans and Mrs. Quent by Galen Beckett
COMPLETED: Oct 8
REVIEW: Enchanting, thought-provoking, and featuring a sweet and thoroughly developed world. Loved it, if it was a bit slow. I particularly adore the distinctions between magicians, witches, and illusionists. Very, very cool - I definitely want to read the second one.
33. Abhorsen by Garth Nix
COMPLETED: Nov 29
REVIEW: Didn't get to finish many books recently due to travel and NaNo, but this one's always satisfying. Garth Nix is always and forever one of my favourite YA novelists.
More to come!
1. Hunger by Michael Grant
COMPLETED: Jan 7
REVIEW: This is the most harrowing and terrifying book I've ever read, precisely because it's not supposed to be horror, and the actions these kids take are totally natural when pushed into the situations they are in this series. My knees were actually shaky when I finished this, my heart pouding in my chest. It's fucking terrifying - and brilliant. I love these books, and I can't wait to see the next one.
2. You Don't Know Me by David Klass
COMPLETED: Jan 8
REVIEW: A younger book than I had anticipated, but the voice! I love John, and I felt for him the whole way through. So smart, so good... hfkjs. I love quality quick reads.
3. Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey
COMPLETED: Jan 13
REVIEW: A stylish and sexy lovechild of Angel Sanctuary and Die Hard. Unfortunately I tend not to like shit that mentions God, which took this book down a couple hard notches in my esteem, but there you have it.
4. The Customer is NOT Always Right by A.J. Adams
COMPLETED: Jan 25
REVIEW: I lold, then I lold again. And again. Nothing much else to say, really. xD
5. Magic's Pawn by Mercedes Lackey
COMPLETED: Jan 30
REVIEW: I read this last only 2 months ago, and I loved rereading it. It's still one of the saddest books I've ever read. And now, with an active and loud Vanyel-muse in my head, it has become one of the most painful, because he aches reading it - but that's part of the joy. I love this story.
6. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
COMPLETED: Feb 19
REVIEW: What is there to say about Neil Gaiman? He's a master. There's nothing more to describe it than that; he's just a master. This is fucking brilliant.
7. I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert
COMPLETED: Feb 21
REVIEW: ...lol.
8. Witch and Wizard by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet
COMPLETED: Feb 26
REVIEW: Not a fan. Don't have the passion about being not a fan to write about it. I just didn't like it, though some bits in the middle had charm.
9. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
COMPLETED: Mar 4
REVIEW: A really cool concept, executed very well indeed. Elegant and simple writing, along with a pretty fucking cool cast, make it a hell of a lot of fun. One of the more addictive books I've gotten my nose into recently, and certainly not a thing I regret picking up. (Also: Keiro is perhaps the most kickass sidekick ever.) Yeah, okay, it was kinda awesome.
10. Drink Play Fuck by Andrew Gottlieb
COMPLETED: Mar 5
REVIEW: Funny! Thumbs up! Certainly sweet as hell, if not the most creative use of language? Still, really great, comes full circle, and is hella awesome when it comes to poking fun at Eat Pray Love. Was super fun. ^^
11. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
COMPLETED: Mar 17
REVIEW: This is trash. I read it to understand why it flies off our bookstore shelves, and it's awful. Eurgh. Just... trite.
12. Nightlight: a Parody by the Harvard Lampoon
COMPLETED: Mar 18
REVIEW: Not as funny as it could have been until it pulled the Giant Lol about halfway in. Eh.
13. The Serialist by David Gordon
COMPLETED: Mar 26
REVIEW: Finally! An excellent book. A really excellent book. It's two things: a treatise on language, literature, and the human state; and a witty, gory-as-hell murder mystery. Never self-indulgent as many novels with this kind of intelligence to back them up are; it's both fine expression of the English language and a really kickass story at the same time. It sits perfectly in the middle - in the kind of books I like to read. This is just terrific.
14. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
COMPLETED: Mar 31
REVIEW: I'm too tired to review, so I'm just going to let you know that this book is EXCELLENT.
15. Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines by Nic Sheff
COMPLETED: Apr 20
REVIEW: Forget what you see on Lost or in Angel Sanctuary about drugs. Forget it all. This is the real deal, and Sheff writes it with a disturbing level of honesty. Thumbs way way up for a terrifying telling of a modern-day horror story.
16. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
COMPLETED: May 7
REVIEW: I love that I'm reading books that just take more time. This, for example? Fabulous, but not a quick read. Jesus, I can't... this book is brilliant. Just brilliant.
17. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
COMPLETED: May 25
REVIEW: Like a lot of teen lit, it's mindblowingly addictive. Bonus: no vampires! I kind of love teen lit, it's so much fun, and this does prove why. Goddammit I even want to read the second one now.
18. Kockroach by Tyler Knox
COMPLETED: May 27
REVIEW: Stylish, gritty, and hilarious. A film-noir feel with a nature-channel source... It's a sweet little bit of utter genius. Yes yes yes.
19. The Magicians by Lev Grossman
COMPLETED: June 24
REVIEW: Don't read this as slowly as I did; any novel loses its effect if read this slow, and the effect of this one is so great, you shouldn't miss a beat. Delicious, beautiful, and ultimately very rewarding. I'm waiting for the second novel, now!
20. Before I Wake by Robert J. Wiersema
COMPLETED: July 1
REVIEW: Too Christian. Made me intensely uncomfortable.
21. The Truth About Delilah Blue by Tish Cohen
COMPLETED: July 5
REVIEW: A little self-indulgent, but inoffensive women's reading.
22. Shit My Dad Says by Justin Halpern
COMPLETED: July 16
REVIEW: Hilarious, irreverent, and always true. A fab read. Justin Halpern's dad is just way too awesome for words. I've been following the twitter account this is based off of for ages, simply because it's that bloody great.
23. Swoon by Nina Malkin
COMPLETED: July 21
REVIEW: Much better than the back cover gave it credit before. Actually quite slick, especially for the genre (teen-girl-falls-in-love-with-gorgeous-supernatural-boy). I was actually quite impressed, for a quick read. And yes, gorgeous-supernatural-boy was also a sociopath like every other gorgeous-supernatural-boy, but this time that fact was relevant to the plot. Alright.
24. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer
COMPLETED: July 21
REVIEW: Hard to say. I guess it was better than Twilight, but then it was also teeny. It was over before I could really tell.
25. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
COMPLETED: July 26
REVIEW: Brilliant. An urgently important read for anyone and everyone politically aware, technologically inclined, or incensed at today's privacy violations. Hell, everyone should read this book. Go do it.
26. The Kane Chronicles: The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
COMPLETED: July 31
REVIEW: I read this simply 'cause I've been wanting to get the rest of the Percy Jackson books done, and haven't been able to find the second one yet. Good thing this is a lot like the other ones - though I think it's cute that they're played out in the same universe. It felt even slightly younger a read than Percy Jackson, though - still, super solid, and something I'll definitely be recommending to kids in my store.
27. Stupid on the Road by Leland Gregory
COMPLETED: July 31
REVIEW: Hilarious little stories, not especially well-written, but super fun and kooky?
28. Vlad: The Last Confession by C. C. Humphreys
COMPLETED: Aug 6
REVIEW: At first I found the voice the author uses in this book fairly odd, but that wore off quickly when I became absolutely addicted to the story. It's meticulously researched, beautifully paced, and suitably gory, when the main character is The Impaler. It beautifully acknowledges, but doesn't bend to, the vampire myths, as well. And that last twist? Delicious.
29. The Twelve Kingdoms: Skies of Dawn by Fuyumi Ono
COMPLETED: Aug 24
REVIEW: Not as great as the last three in the series. Three times as long, a little fractured, and some of the motivations were simplistic. But still an epic for the ages and a hugely satisfying read, especially when it came down to the epilogue.
30. The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman
COMPLETED: Sept 3
REVIEW: Brilliant examination. Definitely would make anyone think, though would offend, too - and that's kind of the point, though he does it so elegantly. Lovely quick read than forces your brain to work.
31. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
COMPLETED: Sept 23
REVIEW: She did it again - she set up a normal teen novel, and then went "ha ha, me fool you". Damn her, making me want to buy expensive books... Addictive.
32. The Magicicans and Mrs. Quent by Galen Beckett
COMPLETED: Oct 8
REVIEW: Enchanting, thought-provoking, and featuring a sweet and thoroughly developed world. Loved it, if it was a bit slow. I particularly adore the distinctions between magicians, witches, and illusionists. Very, very cool - I definitely want to read the second one.
33. Abhorsen by Garth Nix
COMPLETED: Nov 29
REVIEW: Didn't get to finish many books recently due to travel and NaNo, but this one's always satisfying. Garth Nix is always and forever one of my favourite YA novelists.
More to come!