Book Log 2009
Because I require a reckoning. Like Everycatman.
So this will be my master list, and I will post reviews of individual books as I feel like it. I don't have a specific goal to achieve; I just want to see how many books I manage to read this year. NB: I am not counting books related to my dissertation, just books read for fun. I'm also still counting books that are re-reads, not just the new ones I read.
#DateAuthorTitleRatingComments01.01/02Josephine TeyThe Daughter of Time****Fun detective story rehabilitating Richard III's reputation. Makes me want to (a) read more Tey and (b) read more about Richard III. So quite a successful book, I think.02.01/04Melissa MarrWicked Lovely****Deserves all the praise it gets. The description of Seth's bedroom did make me lawl, but that felt like the only cliched bit in an otherwise excellent book. THIS is the sort of thing I would want my Hypothetical Teenage Daughter to read.03.01/05J.R.R. TolkienSmith of Wootton Major and Farmer Giles of Ham*****I wish I had discovered these delightful, charming little novellas long ago. Smith is poignant and lovely; Farmer Giles is sly and quietly hilarious. Wonderful, both.04.01/06J.K. RowlingThe Tales of Beedle the Bard***1/2Cute; Dumbledore's commentary is fun; the illustrations are pretty impressive, coming from an author rather than an illustrator; but I wasn't overwhelmed. I liked the one about the hairy heart the best; I'm not sure what this says about me.05.01/13Dorothy DunnettA Game of Kings (Book 1 of the Lymond Chronicles)*****WHY HAVE I NEVER READ THESE BOOKS BEFORE? A genuine post is forthcoming, but seriously, at age 13 I imprinted really strongly on two literary figures: Lord Peter Wimsey and Athos. And Lymond is like the AWESOME LOVE CHILD of those two characters. Plus: Scotland! In the 16th century! SO MUCH FUN.06.01/20Dorothy DunnettQueen's Play (Book 2 of the Lymond Chronicles)****1/2Still fun, and I still love Lymond. The rooftop run is one of the most exhilarating scenes I've ever read, especially given later events. There was something that made me impatient with Dunnett, though now I can't remember what.07.101/31John HodgmanThe Areas of My Expertise*****Funniest book I've ever read. I kept wanting to take notes on my favorite parts and share them, but instead I think I'm going to give the book to EVERYONE I KNOW.08.02/02Terry PratchettWitches Abroad****Clever, witty, and full of the awesome Granny Weatherwax. I also really love Nanny Ogg. Discworld books are always fun, and this is no exception.09.02/27Lois McMaster BujoldThe Mountains of Mourning (novella)****Lovely and sad commentary on human social evolution and the lack thereof.10.02/27Lois McMaster BujoldThe Warrior's Apprentice*****I love stories about trickster figures, and here Miles Vorkosigan becomes one. Amazing and hilarious and heartbreaking all in one.11.02/28Lois McMaster BujoldThe Vor Game****I really enjoyed this book, but I was surprised that it won the Hugo -- to me it felt so much like two different tales kind of hobbled together. Not BADLY -- I like the book a lot -- it just felt more fragmentary than I would have expected from a Hugo-winning book.12.02/28Lois McMaster Bujold (I was on a roll, okay)Beguilement (Vol. 1 of The Sharing Knife)****I feel like I'm giving lots of books four stars, but I'm going from recommendations so that's probably about right. LOVE the world-building in this: the geography looks suspiciously like Ohio...13.03/01Lois McMaster BujoldLegacy (Vol. 2 of The Sharing Knife)****This is really the second half of the story begun in Book 1 (even the covers of the books make two halves of a whole painting). I really like Fawn and Dag, and I like the way Bujold is combining the genres of romance and fantasy.14.03/01Deanna RaybournSilent in the Sanctuary**1/2This was a free Kindle book; I started it because it seemed somewhat Heyeresque, but I was so irritated at various parts that I actually made notes ON THE KINDLE about how annoying the characters and writing were. Still, I did finish it. AND I like the ebook model that Harlequin is experimenting with: this had extra features related to the book, which is something I would like to see in more ebooks.15.03/05Charles De LintMemory and Dream***1/2I liked the first 3/4 of this book a lot. I like the characters, the idea of painting as magic, and the dynamics of Izzy's relationships with her numena. The last quarter of the book was disappointing, though.16.03/09Jo WaltonFarthing*****Incredible alt-history version of a Golden Age mystery novel (in one POV) and a WWII-style memoir (in the other POV). This is Britain if Chamberlain had won: Walton's UK made peace with Hitler in 1941. But there's SO MUCH here. Amazing.17.03/11Marjane SatrapiEmbroideries***1/2A graphic novel about sex, marriage, and gender in Iran. I was expecting something more like Persepolis, and while this dealt with similar issues, it's much more lighthearted.18.03/19Naomi NovikHis Majesty's Dragon****I have avoided companion animal stories for a long time because they usually strike me as too goopy and sentimental. Not so here. I love Laurence and Temeraire. I hope the sequels give us more Capt. Jane Roland, too.19.03/21Naomi NovikThrone of Jade****Laurence and Temeraire go to China; hijinks ensue, but not of the wacky variety. It seemed to me that Novik did a great job of portraying China and the Chinese in a realistic-seeming and non-appropriative way, at least from my Western perspective...20.03/23Lois McMaster BujoldBrothers in Arms***1/2The second half of the book was great, on par with Warrior's Apprentice, but the first half was hard for me to get through. Still, fun.21.03/28Lois McMaster BujoldMirror Dance****1/2This is really Mark's book more than Miles's (considering how Miles spends most of the book), which was great and the book is brilliant, but I love Miles!22.04/02Lois McMaster BujoldKomarr****Reread. Still awesome.23.04/04Lois McMaster BujoldA Civil Campaign*****Reread. Bujold + Heyer = WIN.24.04/05Dodie SmithI Capture the Castle*****Incredible. Cassandra Mortmain is an amazing narrator, and the book is phenomenal. I wish I'd discovered it years ago.25.04/09Lois McMaster BujoldDiplomatic Immunity****Ekaterin continues to be awesome. So do pretty much all of the other characters. Obviously I am making it my goal to read Bujold's entire backlist ASAP. This is because Bujold rocks.26.04/10Patricia Wrede and Caroline StevermerSorcery and Cecelia, Or, The Enchanted Chocolate Pot****Thoroughly enjoyable YA forerunner to Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, but less formal/academic. I did wish the voices of Kate and Cecelia were more distinct; if their storylines weren't so distinct, I would have had trouble keeping track of them. 27.??? 2Lois McMaster BujoldEthan of Athos****An interesting take on gender roles; Athos is a colonized planet that evolved an all-male society, and thanks to the invention of uterine replicators it's all Patriarchy Gone Wild!28.???Loretta ChaseLord of Scoundrels***1/2The fine ladies at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books recommned this book to people who hate romance as a genre, so I thought I'd try it out. Sure enough, I liked it: it had its annoying points, but overall it was quite fun.29.???Sherry ThomasPrivate Arrangements*****Continuing my foray into the romance genre. I unabashedly loved this book: loved the characters, loved the romance, loved the conflicts, loved everything about it. LOVE. 30.???Sherry ThomasDelicious****The central relationship didn't do as much for me, but still lots of fun. and the food! Reading this book made me wish I could cook fantastically. Actually, that's a lie: it made me wish I could hire someone who can cook fantastically... Weirdly, my favorite bits were the ones about the materiality of Victorian kitchens.31.???Lois McMaster BujoldCetaganda****Intrigue and Ivan and foreign relations. I do really like this book. I actually read it just before MammothFail took off, so I should have listed it earlier, but I don't feel like changing all of the numbers.32.???Eloisa JamesFool for Love**1/2I read this from professional interest ("Eloisa James" is a pseudonym; the author is a Shakespearean scholar), but I wasn't all that thrilled with it. An okay beach read, I think, but not nearly as good as the Thomas and Chase books I read.33.???Dorothy L. SayersClouds of Witness****Reread. I usually don't go back to the early books when I reread Sayers, so it had been a really long time since I'd read this one. But any book with Lord Peter gets four stars from me.34.06/02Sarah Rees BrennanThe Demon's Lexicon****1/2I adored this book; there are bits that felt a bit too pat, but I loved Nick and Alan's relationship, and Alan in particular is a wonderful character. Very much looking forward to the next one.35.???Jedediah BerryThe Manual of Detection***1/2I read this in May, I think. The first half of the book I loved: the precise, detached narrative style; the worldbuilding; the structure, based on the eponymous Manual of Detection. But about halfway through it all started wearing on me, and I didn't think that the conclusion was satisfying.36.06/30Jane AustenNorthanger Abbey*****Reread. This is my favorite Austen, and on this read-through something finally clicked and I realized that by all rights witty, novel-reading, kind Henry Tilney should actually be my favorite Austen hero, not the stick-in-the-mud reserved Mr. Darcy. Thus I have adjusted my favorites accordingly.37.07/10Amanda ForemanThe Duchess*****Foreman's biography of Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, is compelling, beautifully written, well-researched, and completely enraging. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.38.08/03Maggie StiefvaterShiver****Angsty YA urban fantasy with all the yummy addictive parts of Twilight (taboo but predestined romance between average girl and supernatural person) and none of the annoying bits (the heroine is actually interesting, rather than whiny and passive). I think there's also more to be said about the whole Romeo and Juliet star-crossed lovers paradigm in YA books, but I'll have to do that when I get time.39.08/05Stephanie BarronJane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor***1/2Jane Austen as detective. I love Austen and I love detective fiction, but I think that this book actually would have been better if it starred Miss Marple instead of Jane Austen -- the quotes from Austen's works quickly grew tedious and felt contrived, but the plot was good (if very slow at the beginning).40.08/08Scott LynchThe Lies of Locke Lamora****Reread. I really love the first half of this book; it reminds me of the elaborate games that I would make my brother play when we were kids ("okay, we have a secret lair, and it has EVERYTHING we could EVER NEED!"). The book is funny and clever and I really, really enjoy it, even on rereads. It's just that the second half of the book is so very catastrophic that I really prefer to leave off before the bad stuff starts happening.41.???Tessa DareGoddess of the Hunt****1/2I loved Lucy, who made herself ridiculous, and Jeremy, who was so floored by her.42.???Tessa DareSurrender of a Siren****1/2Worth it just for Memoirs of a Wanton Dairymaid bits.43.???Tessa DareA Lady of Persuasion****I didn't like Isabel quite as much as I liked Lucy and Sophia, but still a fun read.44.???Meredith DuranBound by Your Touch*****I absolutely loved Lydia, the bluestocking heroine. James was all right, but LYDIA. ♥45.???Meredith DuranWritten on Your Skin***Fun but not as fun as Bound by Your Touch.46.???Lisa ValdezPassion***1/2Would have been 4 1/2 stars if the 19th-century heroine hadn't been named PASSION. Ridiculous.47.???Loretta ChaseThe Last Hellion***1/2Sequel to Lord of Scoundrels and almost as fun.48.???Connie WillisTo Say Nothing of the Dog*****Reread. One of my all-time favorite books. Humor, a love story, time travel, Victorian rummage sales, and the massive continuity of ducks (or, although Willis is explicitly indebted to Sayers, instead of "ducks" read "women who Get Things Done").49.???Libba BrayA Great and Terrible Beauty****I liked this book a lot, but oddly haven't felt the urge to read its sequels.50.12/09Dorothy DunnettThe Disorderly Knights*****LYYYYMOND. This book also introduces one of the creepiest and most horrible villains I've ever read.51.12/16Dorothy DunnettPawn in Frankincense*****LYYYYYYYYMOND! I cried.52.12/23Dorothy DunnettThe Ringed Castle****1/2Oh, LYMOND. Trying to become a machine won't help!53.12/30Dorothy DunnettCheckmate******Yes, I gave this book six stars. I REALLY LOVE IT OKAY
FURTHER NOTES:
So this will be my master list, and I will post reviews of individual books as I feel like it. I don't have a specific goal to achieve; I just want to see how many books I manage to read this year. NB: I am not counting books related to my dissertation, just books read for fun. I'm also still counting books that are re-reads, not just the new ones I read.
#DateAuthorTitleRatingComments01.01/02Josephine TeyThe Daughter of Time****Fun detective story rehabilitating Richard III's reputation. Makes me want to (a) read more Tey and (b) read more about Richard III. So quite a successful book, I think.02.01/04Melissa MarrWicked Lovely****Deserves all the praise it gets. The description of Seth's bedroom did make me lawl, but that felt like the only cliched bit in an otherwise excellent book. THIS is the sort of thing I would want my Hypothetical Teenage Daughter to read.03.01/05J.R.R. TolkienSmith of Wootton Major and Farmer Giles of Ham*****I wish I had discovered these delightful, charming little novellas long ago. Smith is poignant and lovely; Farmer Giles is sly and quietly hilarious. Wonderful, both.04.01/06J.K. RowlingThe Tales of Beedle the Bard***1/2Cute; Dumbledore's commentary is fun; the illustrations are pretty impressive, coming from an author rather than an illustrator; but I wasn't overwhelmed. I liked the one about the hairy heart the best; I'm not sure what this says about me.05.01/13Dorothy DunnettA Game of Kings (Book 1 of the Lymond Chronicles)*****WHY HAVE I NEVER READ THESE BOOKS BEFORE? A genuine post is forthcoming, but seriously, at age 13 I imprinted really strongly on two literary figures: Lord Peter Wimsey and Athos. And Lymond is like the AWESOME LOVE CHILD of those two characters. Plus: Scotland! In the 16th century! SO MUCH FUN.06.01/20Dorothy DunnettQueen's Play (Book 2 of the Lymond Chronicles)****1/2Still fun, and I still love Lymond. The rooftop run is one of the most exhilarating scenes I've ever read, especially given later events. There was something that made me impatient with Dunnett, though now I can't remember what.07.101/31John HodgmanThe Areas of My Expertise*****Funniest book I've ever read. I kept wanting to take notes on my favorite parts and share them, but instead I think I'm going to give the book to EVERYONE I KNOW.08.02/02Terry PratchettWitches Abroad****Clever, witty, and full of the awesome Granny Weatherwax. I also really love Nanny Ogg. Discworld books are always fun, and this is no exception.09.02/27Lois McMaster BujoldThe Mountains of Mourning (novella)****Lovely and sad commentary on human social evolution and the lack thereof.10.02/27Lois McMaster BujoldThe Warrior's Apprentice*****I love stories about trickster figures, and here Miles Vorkosigan becomes one. Amazing and hilarious and heartbreaking all in one.11.02/28Lois McMaster BujoldThe Vor Game****I really enjoyed this book, but I was surprised that it won the Hugo -- to me it felt so much like two different tales kind of hobbled together. Not BADLY -- I like the book a lot -- it just felt more fragmentary than I would have expected from a Hugo-winning book.12.02/28Lois McMaster Bujold (I was on a roll, okay)Beguilement (Vol. 1 of The Sharing Knife)****I feel like I'm giving lots of books four stars, but I'm going from recommendations so that's probably about right. LOVE the world-building in this: the geography looks suspiciously like Ohio...13.03/01Lois McMaster BujoldLegacy (Vol. 2 of The Sharing Knife)****This is really the second half of the story begun in Book 1 (even the covers of the books make two halves of a whole painting). I really like Fawn and Dag, and I like the way Bujold is combining the genres of romance and fantasy.14.03/01Deanna RaybournSilent in the Sanctuary**1/2This was a free Kindle book; I started it because it seemed somewhat Heyeresque, but I was so irritated at various parts that I actually made notes ON THE KINDLE about how annoying the characters and writing were. Still, I did finish it. AND I like the ebook model that Harlequin is experimenting with: this had extra features related to the book, which is something I would like to see in more ebooks.15.03/05Charles De LintMemory and Dream***1/2I liked the first 3/4 of this book a lot. I like the characters, the idea of painting as magic, and the dynamics of Izzy's relationships with her numena. The last quarter of the book was disappointing, though.16.03/09Jo WaltonFarthing*****Incredible alt-history version of a Golden Age mystery novel (in one POV) and a WWII-style memoir (in the other POV). This is Britain if Chamberlain had won: Walton's UK made peace with Hitler in 1941. But there's SO MUCH here. Amazing.17.03/11Marjane SatrapiEmbroideries***1/2A graphic novel about sex, marriage, and gender in Iran. I was expecting something more like Persepolis, and while this dealt with similar issues, it's much more lighthearted.18.03/19Naomi NovikHis Majesty's Dragon****I have avoided companion animal stories for a long time because they usually strike me as too goopy and sentimental. Not so here. I love Laurence and Temeraire. I hope the sequels give us more Capt. Jane Roland, too.19.03/21Naomi NovikThrone of Jade****Laurence and Temeraire go to China; hijinks ensue, but not of the wacky variety. It seemed to me that Novik did a great job of portraying China and the Chinese in a realistic-seeming and non-appropriative way, at least from my Western perspective...20.03/23Lois McMaster BujoldBrothers in Arms***1/2The second half of the book was great, on par with Warrior's Apprentice, but the first half was hard for me to get through. Still, fun.21.03/28Lois McMaster BujoldMirror Dance****1/2This is really Mark's book more than Miles's (considering how Miles spends most of the book), which was great and the book is brilliant, but I love Miles!22.04/02Lois McMaster BujoldKomarr****Reread. Still awesome.23.04/04Lois McMaster BujoldA Civil Campaign*****Reread. Bujold + Heyer = WIN.24.04/05Dodie SmithI Capture the Castle*****Incredible. Cassandra Mortmain is an amazing narrator, and the book is phenomenal. I wish I'd discovered it years ago.25.04/09Lois McMaster BujoldDiplomatic Immunity****Ekaterin continues to be awesome. So do pretty much all of the other characters. Obviously I am making it my goal to read Bujold's entire backlist ASAP. This is because Bujold rocks.26.04/10Patricia Wrede and Caroline StevermerSorcery and Cecelia, Or, The Enchanted Chocolate Pot****Thoroughly enjoyable YA forerunner to Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, but less formal/academic. I did wish the voices of Kate and Cecelia were more distinct; if their storylines weren't so distinct, I would have had trouble keeping track of them. 27.??? 2Lois McMaster BujoldEthan of Athos****An interesting take on gender roles; Athos is a colonized planet that evolved an all-male society, and thanks to the invention of uterine replicators it's all Patriarchy Gone Wild!28.???Loretta ChaseLord of Scoundrels***1/2The fine ladies at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books recommned this book to people who hate romance as a genre, so I thought I'd try it out. Sure enough, I liked it: it had its annoying points, but overall it was quite fun.29.???Sherry ThomasPrivate Arrangements*****Continuing my foray into the romance genre. I unabashedly loved this book: loved the characters, loved the romance, loved the conflicts, loved everything about it. LOVE. 30.???Sherry ThomasDelicious****The central relationship didn't do as much for me, but still lots of fun. and the food! Reading this book made me wish I could cook fantastically. Actually, that's a lie: it made me wish I could hire someone who can cook fantastically... Weirdly, my favorite bits were the ones about the materiality of Victorian kitchens.31.???Lois McMaster BujoldCetaganda****Intrigue and Ivan and foreign relations. I do really like this book. I actually read it just before MammothFail took off, so I should have listed it earlier, but I don't feel like changing all of the numbers.32.???Eloisa JamesFool for Love**1/2I read this from professional interest ("Eloisa James" is a pseudonym; the author is a Shakespearean scholar), but I wasn't all that thrilled with it. An okay beach read, I think, but not nearly as good as the Thomas and Chase books I read.33.???Dorothy L. SayersClouds of Witness****Reread. I usually don't go back to the early books when I reread Sayers, so it had been a really long time since I'd read this one. But any book with Lord Peter gets four stars from me.34.06/02Sarah Rees BrennanThe Demon's Lexicon****1/2I adored this book; there are bits that felt a bit too pat, but I loved Nick and Alan's relationship, and Alan in particular is a wonderful character. Very much looking forward to the next one.35.???Jedediah BerryThe Manual of Detection***1/2I read this in May, I think. The first half of the book I loved: the precise, detached narrative style; the worldbuilding; the structure, based on the eponymous Manual of Detection. But about halfway through it all started wearing on me, and I didn't think that the conclusion was satisfying.36.06/30Jane AustenNorthanger Abbey*****Reread. This is my favorite Austen, and on this read-through something finally clicked and I realized that by all rights witty, novel-reading, kind Henry Tilney should actually be my favorite Austen hero, not the stick-in-the-mud reserved Mr. Darcy. Thus I have adjusted my favorites accordingly.37.07/10Amanda ForemanThe Duchess*****Foreman's biography of Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, is compelling, beautifully written, well-researched, and completely enraging. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.38.08/03Maggie StiefvaterShiver****Angsty YA urban fantasy with all the yummy addictive parts of Twilight (taboo but predestined romance between average girl and supernatural person) and none of the annoying bits (the heroine is actually interesting, rather than whiny and passive). I think there's also more to be said about the whole Romeo and Juliet star-crossed lovers paradigm in YA books, but I'll have to do that when I get time.39.08/05Stephanie BarronJane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor***1/2Jane Austen as detective. I love Austen and I love detective fiction, but I think that this book actually would have been better if it starred Miss Marple instead of Jane Austen -- the quotes from Austen's works quickly grew tedious and felt contrived, but the plot was good (if very slow at the beginning).40.08/08Scott LynchThe Lies of Locke Lamora****Reread. I really love the first half of this book; it reminds me of the elaborate games that I would make my brother play when we were kids ("okay, we have a secret lair, and it has EVERYTHING we could EVER NEED!"). The book is funny and clever and I really, really enjoy it, even on rereads. It's just that the second half of the book is so very catastrophic that I really prefer to leave off before the bad stuff starts happening.41.???Tessa DareGoddess of the Hunt****1/2I loved Lucy, who made herself ridiculous, and Jeremy, who was so floored by her.42.???Tessa DareSurrender of a Siren****1/2Worth it just for Memoirs of a Wanton Dairymaid bits.43.???Tessa DareA Lady of Persuasion****I didn't like Isabel quite as much as I liked Lucy and Sophia, but still a fun read.44.???Meredith DuranBound by Your Touch*****I absolutely loved Lydia, the bluestocking heroine. James was all right, but LYDIA. ♥45.???Meredith DuranWritten on Your Skin***Fun but not as fun as Bound by Your Touch.46.???Lisa ValdezPassion***1/2Would have been 4 1/2 stars if the 19th-century heroine hadn't been named PASSION. Ridiculous.47.???Loretta ChaseThe Last Hellion***1/2Sequel to Lord of Scoundrels and almost as fun.48.???Connie WillisTo Say Nothing of the Dog*****Reread. One of my all-time favorite books. Humor, a love story, time travel, Victorian rummage sales, and the massive continuity of ducks (or, although Willis is explicitly indebted to Sayers, instead of "ducks" read "women who Get Things Done").49.???Libba BrayA Great and Terrible Beauty****I liked this book a lot, but oddly haven't felt the urge to read its sequels.50.12/09Dorothy DunnettThe Disorderly Knights*****LYYYYMOND. This book also introduces one of the creepiest and most horrible villains I've ever read.51.12/16Dorothy DunnettPawn in Frankincense*****LYYYYYYYYMOND! I cried.52.12/23Dorothy DunnettThe Ringed Castle****1/2Oh, LYMOND. Trying to become a machine won't help!53.12/30Dorothy DunnettCheckmate******Yes, I gave this book six stars. I REALLY LOVE IT OKAY
FURTHER NOTES:
- From 1/20 to about 1/29, I tried to reread The Three Musketeers, which I ADORED in junior high and early high school. But I had to quit because I was so disappointed by it. :(
- I forgot to keep track of dates on the books I read between April and June.
- And likewise for the books I read between August 8 and Christmas break. In fact, I'm certain that I'm missing quite a few.