Books read 2011
January:
The Wastelands, by Stephen King (re-read).
Continuing my enjoyment of the Dark Tower books.
'Odd Thomas' by Dean Koontz.
Enjoyed it. Weird and sad, but overall I liked it. I'm in two minds about Koontz, honestly, but I will probably read more of his stuff.
'Aspie: A Memoir' by John Olson.
Blimey. I would have liked a bit more detail on AS, and the process by which he was diagnosed, and perhaps a bit less referring to people he considered intellectually or morally inferior to him as 'scum'. Also astonishingly incoherent, but I can hardly complain since structure is something I'm terrible at myself; probably due to the AS.
'Death Is Now My Neighbour' by Colin Dexter (re-read).
Oh man. I'm dreading finishing the last book :(
'All the Colours of Darkness' by Peter Robinson.
First of these that I've read. I liked it; it was relaxing, not too complex, a nice light read. I'm trying not to compare it to Rebus, but even the cover quotes mention Ian Rankin! It's more softboiled, the main character interesting but less edgy and dark than Rebus. Some of the themes and conceits are similar, but they don't have the same cynical, exhausted feel, they're not as emotional, they don't hit as hard or strike such a chord as Rankin. Banks is the sort of character I might vaguely like, but I didn't feel his angst. Maybe I just don't identify with him as much as I do with Rebus. Anyway, that's all fine, horses for courses etc.; the only real criticism I have is that the plot was unusually simplistic for a detective story. The Rebus books are so dense and complex, I frequently have to re-reads bits. With some detective stories I've even taken notes so I can keep up. This book didn't make that even borderline necessary. Clarity is nice, though. Basically, I don't think this book was as good or clever as Ian Rankin's stuff, but I enjoyed it and would read more. It's a good coffee-table book.
'The Scarecrow' by Michael Connelly.
First Connelly book I've read all through, and I have to say I liked it. Formulaic, sure, but with a few features of interest, and I like the stark clarity with which he writes. It fits the genre; it's like watching a film in my head. Not exactly blown away by his originality, but I would like to read some more of his books. Probably would buy them; I'm contemplating joining a library. I don't normally do this because I don't see the point in borrowing books - if I like a book I'll always want to read it again. But space and money aren't exactly at their maximum at the moment, so.
'Demolition Winter' by Peter Telep.
:D :D :D This is the only original Space: Above and Beyond novel in existence! And it's cool. The story feels like an episode, the characterisation of Hawkes in particular is excellent (a lot of it is from his POV), and while my favourite colonel isn't in it all that much, he does get to a) get drunk and throw a birthday party and b) be sarcastic and mildly threatening to a superior asshole. He wins even when he loses :)
'Robot Blues' by Margaret Weis and Don Perrin.
I just adore these books. 'My robot done drank all of my booze...'
'Watership Down' by Richard Adams (re-read)
I just have to every so often. It's one of the most beautiful pieces of literature in the world.
'Wizard and Glass' by Stephen King (re-read)
Ah, Roland <3
'The Remorseful Day' by Colin Dexter.
;-;
February
'Hung Out' by Margaret Weis and Don Perrin.
:D Oh, so sorry to see the end of these magnificent books, must restart the series immediately! I'm cycling through favourite characters like nobody's business, and I like to read things afresh when I have someone new to stalk.
'Tron' by Brian Daley.
I couldn't resist this. The novelisation is an adorable as the film :)
'Cloud Atlas' by David Mitchell.
Loved this book - the individual stories were enjoyable, but the overall structure was brilliant in its simple ingenuity. I wish I'd written this book.
'Knights of the Black Earth' by Margaret Weis and Don Perrin (re-read)
So sad to finish the series, couldn't resist starting again :)
'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' by Robert Pirsig.
'Dexter is Delicious' by Jeff Lindsay
While I think the second book is still my favourite, I enjoyed this outing for Dexter, mainly because of the recurrence of two of my favourite supporting characters :) I honestly though that the plot was painfully unoriginal, and I the baby stuff rather nauseating, but otherwise it was great. I just hope future books aren't going to go the way of 'Scrubs' - baby-obsessed and preachy about it!
'Robot Blues' by Margaret Weis and Don Perrin (re-read)
My robot done drank all of my booze...
'Dark Tower 5: Wolves of the Calla' by Stephen King (re-read)
SK does Magnificent Seven. Does it rather well, may it do ya fine.
March
'Strong Imagination' by Daniel Nettle
Excellent, well-written, engaging book, pitched at a good level which informs without patronising the non-specialist reader. Basically summarises the whole of the healthy schizotypy field of research in a dozen or so pithy chapters. Would highly recommend to anyone interested in the link between psychosis and creativity.
'Hung Out' by Margaret Weis and Don Perrin (re-read)
:)
'King of Torts' by John Grisham
I have seldom wanted a protagonist to crash and burn so badly. A startingly sexist, racist, biphobic, fatphobic, greedy, morally bankrupt little asshole!
'The Naming of the Dead' by Ian Rankin
Very good one. Slightly freaked out that there's only one novel left!
'The Far Side of the World' by Patrick O'Brian
This may be my favourite so far :)
'On the Road' by Jack Kerouac
Enjoyed it...think I'll need to read it again to get the most out of it, though.
'Song of Susannah' by Stephen King (re-read)
Yay.
April:
'The Secret of Annexe 3' by Colin Dexter (re-read).
One of my favourites, for some reason. Lovely banter, and Lewis storming about having a good swear is always amusing because it's so rare in the books!
'The Lonely Dead' by Michael Marshall. (courtesy of Nic)
Love the writing and the characters (especially Zant, the alcoholic, ex-heroin-addict, batshit crazy ex-cop), but the plot was mad weird. Yetis, wtf?
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, by J.K. Rowling (re-read)
Again...
'All the Colours of Darkness' by Peter Robinson (re-read)
Enjoyed it more the second time.
'The Wench is Dead' by Colin Dexter (re-read)
One of my faves.
'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' (re-read)
Sne.
'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' (re-read)
Sne again.
'Making History' by Stephen Fry
Loved it! Quite a simple idea, but nicely executed; funny and touching and quite cleverly structured, which is something I always find particularly impressive.
'The Ice Man' by Philip Carlo
Very interesting stuff.
'The Jewel That Was Ours' by Colin Dexter (re-read)
Working my way through in no particular order.
May
'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' by JK Rowling (re-read)
Well...yeah.
'Others' by James Herbert
Thought it was much better written than some of his books, where all the characters sound like they swallowed the same thesaurus.
'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' by JK Rowling (re-read)
...
'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' by JK Rowling (re-read)
The more I read it the more I think this one, weirdly, is my favourite.
'The Way Through the Woods' by Colin Dexter (re-read)
Picking out a few favourites to ameliorate the depression of finishing the TV show!
'Exit Music' by Ian Rankin
I have nothing to say except I couldn't have imagined a more perfect ending for Rebus.
'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' by JK Rowling (re-read)
I like bits of this one - mostly the bits other people don't, it seems - but the ending, and the epilogue, are pretty shite, it has to be said. Still looking forward to seeing the last film. This latest re-read of the books has confirmed Dumbledore as my favourite character.
June:
'True Ghost Stories from Around the World' (compendium)
'The Daughters of Cain', by Colin Dexter (re-read)
:)
Collected Horror Stories by Ambrose Bierce
Loved this :)
'Watership Down' by Richard Adams (re-read)
I love this book more every time I read it.
'Les Miserables, Volume 1: Fantine' by Victor Hugo
Wow. There are no words; it's an amazing story. Well, a story with no words would be pretty amazing. But you know what I mean.
'The Riddle of the Third Mile' by Colin Dexter (re-read)
'Ghost Stories' by M.R. James (re-read)
July:
'Death Is Not the End' by Ian Rankin
I was saving this one to cheer me up after I finished the last Rebus novel. And it did. Good stuff.
'The Fool's Run' by John Sandford.
Light entertainment, enjoyable read, especially liked the computer heist stuff being so amusingly outdated! Also found Kidd's approach to the Tarot very interesting.
'Master and Commander' by Patrick O'Brian (re-read)
Yey.
'Blood of Angels' by Michael Marshall (courtesy of Nic)
Definitely significantly better than the strange middle book of this series, but perhaps not quite as good as the first. He couldn't have ended it any other way, really. Very good conclusion to the series.
'Miracle Cure' by Michael Palmer
Unexpectedly page-turning medical thriller, bit preachy in places but not unbearable; will look out for more of his stuff!
'Knots and Crosses' by Ian Rankin (re-read)
Wow, early Rebus was quite bizarre. Interesting story, though.
'Whispers of Betrayal' by Michael Dobbs
Not as good as 'The Buddha of Brewer Street', but still an enjoyable story with some extremely engagings characters. Found some of the gender-stereotyping a bit weird, but still.
August:
'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' by JK Rowling (re-read)
Just had a yen.
'Hide and Seek' by Ian Rankin (re-read)
I like this one better than the first.
'Hound of the Baskervilles' by Arthur Conan Doyle (re-read)
Needs no explanation.
'The Complete History of Jack the Ripper' by Philip Sugden
Very interesting, if rather self-important book. Impressive scholarship and detail; writing a bit awkward, rather repetitive and oddly structured. Would still recommend it greatly to anybody interested in the Whitechapel murders.
'Gallows Hill' by Peter Robinson
Nice, peaceful read. Banks seems rather insipid after Morse and Rebus, but I liked Hatchley.
'Relics' by Michael Jan Friedman
Nice novelisation of the TNG episode, with some very moving scenes.
'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' by JK Rowling (re-read)
Just took a fancy to reading this one.
'Gulliver's Fugitives' by Keith Sharee
Another TNG book - I'm stealing Nic's! This is one of my favourite Trek novels - nicely written, uses Troi in a way that doesn't make me want to scream, and with some interesting metaphors and philosophy, a good moral, and a satisfying ending.
'Ghosts and Hauntings' by Dennis Bardens (re-read)
An old favourite I happened to pick up again while visiting my folks.
'Shadows Over Baker Street' (various)
Highly amusing, if frequently weird, crossover between Holmes and Lovecraft. Intriguing if you like that sort of thing. Delighted to see a reference to Thomas Carnacki, even if he wasn't quite the same character.
September:
'The Romulan Prize' by Simon Hawke
Cool name. Decent book, as Trek books go!
'Game of Thrones' by George R.R. Martin
What is it about fantasy authors that they need so many names? Anyway, I have no words for the awesomeness of this book. I'm not usually a fantasy fan, but this is genius and I can't wait to read the rest.
'The Valley of Fear' by Arthur Conan Doyle (re-read)
I always forget how much I like this one.
'Sleepyhead' by Mark Billingham
New to this writer. Loved it - much more on a par with Rebus than Peter Robinson, for instance, with his milquetoast Heartbeat-style protagonist. Have already ordered the next one.
'Haunted' by James Herbert (re-read)
I love and hate Herbert. His ideas are great, but he's so in love with his ridiculously overformal, hyperintellectual style of writing, and I'm not a fan of that style - I like realistic dialogue, with all its weird grunts and pauses. Not everyone speaks and thinks like a poet. It's a cool and clever book though.
'Scaredy Cat' by Mark Billingham
I have a new love!
'Shattered Icon' by Bill Napier (courtesy of Nic)
Overall I liked 'Nemesis' better, but it was a good romp with some interesting backstory.
'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' by JK Rowling (re-read)
I know, I know. Is it a step up from Enid Blyton, though?
'The Jewel That Was Ours' by Colin Dexter (re-read)
Overall, this is probably my favourite Morse novel.
'Criminal Shadows' by David Canter
Interesting book, might be a more entertaining read if Canter were better informed on things outside his own field, and not quite so in love with himself.
'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' by JK Rowling (re-read)
*Shrug*
'The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes' by Arthur Conan Doyle (re-read)
<3
October:
'Haunted House Stories' by Peter Haining (re-read)
Sometimes you just need a haunted house story.
'Poirot', complete short stories by Agatha Christie (re-read)
Sometimes you just need Poirot.
'Lazybones' by Mark Billingham
Yep, still great!
'The Ghost World' by T. F. Thiselton Dyer (re-read)
Sometimes you just need...you know where this is going.
'Stonehenge' by Bernard Cornwell
Very good, a lot better than I was expecting, to be honest!
'The Burning Girl' by Mark Billingham
Not sure about this one. The main plot felt like Rebus-lite, which didn't appeal as much as the previous ones have done because it's so *done*. However, the sub-plot/character development was terrific. This one gets the Golden Banana of Discord.
'Horror Novels' editing by Peter Haining
Well, more like novellas, really. Some good stuff in there though!
November:
'With the Beatles' by Alistair Taylor
Interesting book. Not sure how much to believe, but still, interesting.
'The Cases That Haunt Us' by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker.
As always, a well put together and interesting, if somewhat disturbing, read.
'Death is Not the End' by Ian Rankin (re-read)
Still love this collection.
'The Secret of Crickley Hall' by James Herbert (re-read)
Sometimes I wonder why I read Herbert; his language use is technically proficient, but often absurdly unrealistic in the voices of his characters, who all talk like prissy English Literature students, occasionally with overdone regional accents on top. His characters are interesting but seldom likeable; the only one I genuinely liked was the main character of 'The Others' (which I think is by far Herbert's best book). He often spoils a good, creepy build-up with a ridiculously overdramatic, emotionally heavy-handed climax, and there's never enough ambiguity about paranormal phenomena for my taste; while he utilises reasonably realistic aspects of psychical research and parapsychology, it never fails to amaze me how credulous even his most sceptical characters are. Nonetheless I'm somehow drawn to the scenarios he creates. Weird.
December:
'Lifeless' by Mark Billingham
I loved the supporting characters in this one! Spike and One-Day Caroline <3
'The Black Book' by Ian Rankin (re-read)
One of my favourite Rebus books because of Siobhan and Michael. And Rebus living in a student dosshouse in his own flat. :)
'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' by JK Rowling (re-read)
Had the urge!
'Fright Night' by John Skipp and Craig Spector
I loved it <3
'The Best Ghost Stories' introduced by Arthur B. Reeve
Nice collection; a few I hadn't read!
'Dhammapada: The Path of Dhamma' translations by Buddharakkhita and Thanissaro
Very interesting; some things I would like to apply to my own life, some things I wouldn't.
'Doctor Whom' by A.R.R.R. Roberts (courtesy of Nic)
Quite funny!
The Wastelands, by Stephen King (re-read).
Continuing my enjoyment of the Dark Tower books.
'Odd Thomas' by Dean Koontz.
Enjoyed it. Weird and sad, but overall I liked it. I'm in two minds about Koontz, honestly, but I will probably read more of his stuff.
'Aspie: A Memoir' by John Olson.
Blimey. I would have liked a bit more detail on AS, and the process by which he was diagnosed, and perhaps a bit less referring to people he considered intellectually or morally inferior to him as 'scum'. Also astonishingly incoherent, but I can hardly complain since structure is something I'm terrible at myself; probably due to the AS.
'Death Is Now My Neighbour' by Colin Dexter (re-read).
Oh man. I'm dreading finishing the last book :(
'All the Colours of Darkness' by Peter Robinson.
First of these that I've read. I liked it; it was relaxing, not too complex, a nice light read. I'm trying not to compare it to Rebus, but even the cover quotes mention Ian Rankin! It's more softboiled, the main character interesting but less edgy and dark than Rebus. Some of the themes and conceits are similar, but they don't have the same cynical, exhausted feel, they're not as emotional, they don't hit as hard or strike such a chord as Rankin. Banks is the sort of character I might vaguely like, but I didn't feel his angst. Maybe I just don't identify with him as much as I do with Rebus. Anyway, that's all fine, horses for courses etc.; the only real criticism I have is that the plot was unusually simplistic for a detective story. The Rebus books are so dense and complex, I frequently have to re-reads bits. With some detective stories I've even taken notes so I can keep up. This book didn't make that even borderline necessary. Clarity is nice, though. Basically, I don't think this book was as good or clever as Ian Rankin's stuff, but I enjoyed it and would read more. It's a good coffee-table book.
'The Scarecrow' by Michael Connelly.
First Connelly book I've read all through, and I have to say I liked it. Formulaic, sure, but with a few features of interest, and I like the stark clarity with which he writes. It fits the genre; it's like watching a film in my head. Not exactly blown away by his originality, but I would like to read some more of his books. Probably would buy them; I'm contemplating joining a library. I don't normally do this because I don't see the point in borrowing books - if I like a book I'll always want to read it again. But space and money aren't exactly at their maximum at the moment, so.
'Demolition Winter' by Peter Telep.
:D :D :D This is the only original Space: Above and Beyond novel in existence! And it's cool. The story feels like an episode, the characterisation of Hawkes in particular is excellent (a lot of it is from his POV), and while my favourite colonel isn't in it all that much, he does get to a) get drunk and throw a birthday party and b) be sarcastic and mildly threatening to a superior asshole. He wins even when he loses :)
'Robot Blues' by Margaret Weis and Don Perrin.
I just adore these books. 'My robot done drank all of my booze...'
'Watership Down' by Richard Adams (re-read)
I just have to every so often. It's one of the most beautiful pieces of literature in the world.
'Wizard and Glass' by Stephen King (re-read)
Ah, Roland <3
'The Remorseful Day' by Colin Dexter.
;-;
February
'Hung Out' by Margaret Weis and Don Perrin.
:D Oh, so sorry to see the end of these magnificent books, must restart the series immediately! I'm cycling through favourite characters like nobody's business, and I like to read things afresh when I have someone new to stalk.
'Tron' by Brian Daley.
I couldn't resist this. The novelisation is an adorable as the film :)
'Cloud Atlas' by David Mitchell.
Loved this book - the individual stories were enjoyable, but the overall structure was brilliant in its simple ingenuity. I wish I'd written this book.
'Knights of the Black Earth' by Margaret Weis and Don Perrin (re-read)
So sad to finish the series, couldn't resist starting again :)
'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' by Robert Pirsig.
'Dexter is Delicious' by Jeff Lindsay
While I think the second book is still my favourite, I enjoyed this outing for Dexter, mainly because of the recurrence of two of my favourite supporting characters :) I honestly though that the plot was painfully unoriginal, and I the baby stuff rather nauseating, but otherwise it was great. I just hope future books aren't going to go the way of 'Scrubs' - baby-obsessed and preachy about it!
'Robot Blues' by Margaret Weis and Don Perrin (re-read)
My robot done drank all of my booze...
'Dark Tower 5: Wolves of the Calla' by Stephen King (re-read)
SK does Magnificent Seven. Does it rather well, may it do ya fine.
March
'Strong Imagination' by Daniel Nettle
Excellent, well-written, engaging book, pitched at a good level which informs without patronising the non-specialist reader. Basically summarises the whole of the healthy schizotypy field of research in a dozen or so pithy chapters. Would highly recommend to anyone interested in the link between psychosis and creativity.
'Hung Out' by Margaret Weis and Don Perrin (re-read)
:)
'King of Torts' by John Grisham
I have seldom wanted a protagonist to crash and burn so badly. A startingly sexist, racist, biphobic, fatphobic, greedy, morally bankrupt little asshole!
'The Naming of the Dead' by Ian Rankin
Very good one. Slightly freaked out that there's only one novel left!
'The Far Side of the World' by Patrick O'Brian
This may be my favourite so far :)
'On the Road' by Jack Kerouac
Enjoyed it...think I'll need to read it again to get the most out of it, though.
'Song of Susannah' by Stephen King (re-read)
Yay.
April:
'The Secret of Annexe 3' by Colin Dexter (re-read).
One of my favourites, for some reason. Lovely banter, and Lewis storming about having a good swear is always amusing because it's so rare in the books!
'The Lonely Dead' by Michael Marshall. (courtesy of Nic)
Love the writing and the characters (especially Zant, the alcoholic, ex-heroin-addict, batshit crazy ex-cop), but the plot was mad weird. Yetis, wtf?
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, by J.K. Rowling (re-read)
Again...
'All the Colours of Darkness' by Peter Robinson (re-read)
Enjoyed it more the second time.
'The Wench is Dead' by Colin Dexter (re-read)
One of my faves.
'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' (re-read)
Sne.
'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' (re-read)
Sne again.
'Making History' by Stephen Fry
Loved it! Quite a simple idea, but nicely executed; funny and touching and quite cleverly structured, which is something I always find particularly impressive.
'The Ice Man' by Philip Carlo
Very interesting stuff.
'The Jewel That Was Ours' by Colin Dexter (re-read)
Working my way through in no particular order.
May
'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' by JK Rowling (re-read)
Well...yeah.
'Others' by James Herbert
Thought it was much better written than some of his books, where all the characters sound like they swallowed the same thesaurus.
'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' by JK Rowling (re-read)
...
'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' by JK Rowling (re-read)
The more I read it the more I think this one, weirdly, is my favourite.
'The Way Through the Woods' by Colin Dexter (re-read)
Picking out a few favourites to ameliorate the depression of finishing the TV show!
'Exit Music' by Ian Rankin
I have nothing to say except I couldn't have imagined a more perfect ending for Rebus.
'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' by JK Rowling (re-read)
I like bits of this one - mostly the bits other people don't, it seems - but the ending, and the epilogue, are pretty shite, it has to be said. Still looking forward to seeing the last film. This latest re-read of the books has confirmed Dumbledore as my favourite character.
June:
'True Ghost Stories from Around the World' (compendium)
'The Daughters of Cain', by Colin Dexter (re-read)
:)
Collected Horror Stories by Ambrose Bierce
Loved this :)
'Watership Down' by Richard Adams (re-read)
I love this book more every time I read it.
'Les Miserables, Volume 1: Fantine' by Victor Hugo
Wow. There are no words; it's an amazing story. Well, a story with no words would be pretty amazing. But you know what I mean.
'The Riddle of the Third Mile' by Colin Dexter (re-read)
'Ghost Stories' by M.R. James (re-read)
July:
'Death Is Not the End' by Ian Rankin
I was saving this one to cheer me up after I finished the last Rebus novel. And it did. Good stuff.
'The Fool's Run' by John Sandford.
Light entertainment, enjoyable read, especially liked the computer heist stuff being so amusingly outdated! Also found Kidd's approach to the Tarot very interesting.
'Master and Commander' by Patrick O'Brian (re-read)
Yey.
'Blood of Angels' by Michael Marshall (courtesy of Nic)
Definitely significantly better than the strange middle book of this series, but perhaps not quite as good as the first. He couldn't have ended it any other way, really. Very good conclusion to the series.
'Miracle Cure' by Michael Palmer
Unexpectedly page-turning medical thriller, bit preachy in places but not unbearable; will look out for more of his stuff!
'Knots and Crosses' by Ian Rankin (re-read)
Wow, early Rebus was quite bizarre. Interesting story, though.
'Whispers of Betrayal' by Michael Dobbs
Not as good as 'The Buddha of Brewer Street', but still an enjoyable story with some extremely engagings characters. Found some of the gender-stereotyping a bit weird, but still.
August:
'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' by JK Rowling (re-read)
Just had a yen.
'Hide and Seek' by Ian Rankin (re-read)
I like this one better than the first.
'Hound of the Baskervilles' by Arthur Conan Doyle (re-read)
Needs no explanation.
'The Complete History of Jack the Ripper' by Philip Sugden
Very interesting, if rather self-important book. Impressive scholarship and detail; writing a bit awkward, rather repetitive and oddly structured. Would still recommend it greatly to anybody interested in the Whitechapel murders.
'Gallows Hill' by Peter Robinson
Nice, peaceful read. Banks seems rather insipid after Morse and Rebus, but I liked Hatchley.
'Relics' by Michael Jan Friedman
Nice novelisation of the TNG episode, with some very moving scenes.
'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' by JK Rowling (re-read)
Just took a fancy to reading this one.
'Gulliver's Fugitives' by Keith Sharee
Another TNG book - I'm stealing Nic's! This is one of my favourite Trek novels - nicely written, uses Troi in a way that doesn't make me want to scream, and with some interesting metaphors and philosophy, a good moral, and a satisfying ending.
'Ghosts and Hauntings' by Dennis Bardens (re-read)
An old favourite I happened to pick up again while visiting my folks.
'Shadows Over Baker Street' (various)
Highly amusing, if frequently weird, crossover between Holmes and Lovecraft. Intriguing if you like that sort of thing. Delighted to see a reference to Thomas Carnacki, even if he wasn't quite the same character.
September:
'The Romulan Prize' by Simon Hawke
Cool name. Decent book, as Trek books go!
'Game of Thrones' by George R.R. Martin
What is it about fantasy authors that they need so many names? Anyway, I have no words for the awesomeness of this book. I'm not usually a fantasy fan, but this is genius and I can't wait to read the rest.
'The Valley of Fear' by Arthur Conan Doyle (re-read)
I always forget how much I like this one.
'Sleepyhead' by Mark Billingham
New to this writer. Loved it - much more on a par with Rebus than Peter Robinson, for instance, with his milquetoast Heartbeat-style protagonist. Have already ordered the next one.
'Haunted' by James Herbert (re-read)
I love and hate Herbert. His ideas are great, but he's so in love with his ridiculously overformal, hyperintellectual style of writing, and I'm not a fan of that style - I like realistic dialogue, with all its weird grunts and pauses. Not everyone speaks and thinks like a poet. It's a cool and clever book though.
'Scaredy Cat' by Mark Billingham
I have a new love!
'Shattered Icon' by Bill Napier (courtesy of Nic)
Overall I liked 'Nemesis' better, but it was a good romp with some interesting backstory.
'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' by JK Rowling (re-read)
I know, I know. Is it a step up from Enid Blyton, though?
'The Jewel That Was Ours' by Colin Dexter (re-read)
Overall, this is probably my favourite Morse novel.
'Criminal Shadows' by David Canter
Interesting book, might be a more entertaining read if Canter were better informed on things outside his own field, and not quite so in love with himself.
'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' by JK Rowling (re-read)
*Shrug*
'The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes' by Arthur Conan Doyle (re-read)
<3
October:
'Haunted House Stories' by Peter Haining (re-read)
Sometimes you just need a haunted house story.
'Poirot', complete short stories by Agatha Christie (re-read)
Sometimes you just need Poirot.
'Lazybones' by Mark Billingham
Yep, still great!
'The Ghost World' by T. F. Thiselton Dyer (re-read)
Sometimes you just need...you know where this is going.
'Stonehenge' by Bernard Cornwell
Very good, a lot better than I was expecting, to be honest!
'The Burning Girl' by Mark Billingham
Not sure about this one. The main plot felt like Rebus-lite, which didn't appeal as much as the previous ones have done because it's so *done*. However, the sub-plot/character development was terrific. This one gets the Golden Banana of Discord.
'Horror Novels' editing by Peter Haining
Well, more like novellas, really. Some good stuff in there though!
November:
'With the Beatles' by Alistair Taylor
Interesting book. Not sure how much to believe, but still, interesting.
'The Cases That Haunt Us' by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker.
As always, a well put together and interesting, if somewhat disturbing, read.
'Death is Not the End' by Ian Rankin (re-read)
Still love this collection.
'The Secret of Crickley Hall' by James Herbert (re-read)
Sometimes I wonder why I read Herbert; his language use is technically proficient, but often absurdly unrealistic in the voices of his characters, who all talk like prissy English Literature students, occasionally with overdone regional accents on top. His characters are interesting but seldom likeable; the only one I genuinely liked was the main character of 'The Others' (which I think is by far Herbert's best book). He often spoils a good, creepy build-up with a ridiculously overdramatic, emotionally heavy-handed climax, and there's never enough ambiguity about paranormal phenomena for my taste; while he utilises reasonably realistic aspects of psychical research and parapsychology, it never fails to amaze me how credulous even his most sceptical characters are. Nonetheless I'm somehow drawn to the scenarios he creates. Weird.
December:
'Lifeless' by Mark Billingham
I loved the supporting characters in this one! Spike and One-Day Caroline <3
'The Black Book' by Ian Rankin (re-read)
One of my favourite Rebus books because of Siobhan and Michael. And Rebus living in a student dosshouse in his own flat. :)
'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' by JK Rowling (re-read)
Had the urge!
'Fright Night' by John Skipp and Craig Spector
I loved it <3
'The Best Ghost Stories' introduced by Arthur B. Reeve
Nice collection; a few I hadn't read!
'Dhammapada: The Path of Dhamma' translations by Buddharakkhita and Thanissaro
Very interesting; some things I would like to apply to my own life, some things I wouldn't.
'Doctor Whom' by A.R.R.R. Roberts (courtesy of Nic)
Quite funny!