Books of 2014
41 books this year! a massive improvement on last year's utterly embarrassing 10, but a little behind the previous year's count of 49. All of the books were new to me, although there's a number of things I want to re-read it always feels a more pressing task to read new things.
After last year's truly embarrassing book count I reinstated my page count targets, which I acknowledge is a bit daft but it's a method that actually works to get me to read more. I initially set myself a target of 50 pages per day (on average) but after a couple of months realised that I wasn't going to hit that target and decreased it to 40 a day. My reading was far from regular though, alternating bursts of activity with stretches where I might not pick up a book for a week. I hadn't added the numbers up during October and November and thought I was miles away from hitting my goal, but on December 28th I discovered I was 750 pages short of my target, which seemed too close to let go. So despite actually being out for 2 of the 4 remaining days, I burnt through the pages to come in dead on target at about 11.30 on New Year's Eve. Not exactly a resounding success, but a very exact one. It did remind me that spending a whole day on the sofa with a book was just as enjoyable as burning through a box set.
I think I shall keep the 40 page target this year again as I do find it motivates me to read and that I actually enjoy the reading when I force myself to do it. It's not necessarily logical, but it does work for me.
E-reader
I finally gave in and got an e-reader this year, a basic Kindle. My primary motivation was so that I could go back to sharing books with my housemates who made the shift almost entirely 'e' last year. I really missed being able to easily follow their recommendations and thanks to some sort of technical wizardry we can now have a shared library again which has greatly contributed to the number of fantasy and sf novels I've read, particularly from new authors.
I'm still not completely convinced though. I certainly love the size and weight of the thing, which makes reading on crowded tubes a doddle and allows it to slot into the smallest of bags or even pockets without thought. I usually try to have a fiction and non-fiction on the go at the same time and this would be a great way to allow me to switch back and forth, but I never managed to synchronise so that both my on-the-go books were on the kindle. The ease of purchasing is also a big plus, instantaneous delivery anywhere there's wifi and plenty of cheap or even free books on offer.
But there are downsides. The biggest one for me is that I still love visiting bookshops. I just don't buy the same breadth of stuff online as I do from wandering around a Waterstones and seeing what draws my eye. I also love owning books and having them on my bookshelves (although that's constantly battling with lack of space). From a practical point of view I have some issues with the kindle user-interface when it comes to things like footnotes and just the lack of ease for flicking back and forth to double check things.
To me, the practical ease is in constant conflict with the fact that I just love BOOKS. So I'll probably continue to alternate back and forth.
Authors
There are a total of 35 authors, two books each had two authors, there were five authors I read two books for and one author I read three books. 18 of those authors were new to me (including the trilogy writer and two of those I read twice) which at 51% is a little bit down on previous years. The gender balance is pretty poor with only 8 women (23%). All the books were written in English which I'm a little disappointed by, 57% british authors, 40% American, two Canadians and a South African.
Non-Fiction
I read 10 non-fiction books this year, 24% of the total which is exactly the same ratio in 2012. It's a percentage I'm quite happy with given that they tend to be longer and require more concentrated reading. Actually there was an eleventh one, a book on Agile project management, but I failed to review it at the time and now can't find it (it wasn't anything spectacular). I'm also quite pleased with the diversity of subjects a couple of work related books, a bit of history, a bit of culture, biographies, some science and a couple about language.
Listed roughly in order of quality:
Fiction
I read 31 fiction books this year. Three of them are part of ongoing series that I pick up in hardback as soon as they are released (Pratchett's Discworld, Aaronovitch's Rivers of London and Brust's Jhereg) and I'm still slowly trudging through O'Brian's Master and Commander Series. There are a couple of other authors whose new books I pick up with varying speed - Baxter, Rowling, Atkinson, Doctorow and Gaiman, and a couple that flutter around the edges like Bacigalupi and Willis.
Many of the new names on my list are thanks to my housemates reading and their commitment to new sf and fantasy writers. We don't always agree, but their picks are always interesting and prompt enthusiastic discussions. Given that most of the books on my reading list this year were recommendations from them, it's not surprising that 26 of the books could be considered sf or fantasy of some sort, although with even authors like Atkinson taking a swerve towards the genre side of things they seem to be coming from all sides!
I've rated 18 of the 31 books 'good' or 'outstanding' this year which at 44% is pretty high. The real standouts for me though were:
At the other end of the spectrum there were three non-fiction books that fall into the category of 'very disappointing':
And the rest:
Originally posted on my website
After last year's truly embarrassing book count I reinstated my page count targets, which I acknowledge is a bit daft but it's a method that actually works to get me to read more. I initially set myself a target of 50 pages per day (on average) but after a couple of months realised that I wasn't going to hit that target and decreased it to 40 a day. My reading was far from regular though, alternating bursts of activity with stretches where I might not pick up a book for a week. I hadn't added the numbers up during October and November and thought I was miles away from hitting my goal, but on December 28th I discovered I was 750 pages short of my target, which seemed too close to let go. So despite actually being out for 2 of the 4 remaining days, I burnt through the pages to come in dead on target at about 11.30 on New Year's Eve. Not exactly a resounding success, but a very exact one. It did remind me that spending a whole day on the sofa with a book was just as enjoyable as burning through a box set.
I think I shall keep the 40 page target this year again as I do find it motivates me to read and that I actually enjoy the reading when I force myself to do it. It's not necessarily logical, but it does work for me.
E-reader
I finally gave in and got an e-reader this year, a basic Kindle. My primary motivation was so that I could go back to sharing books with my housemates who made the shift almost entirely 'e' last year. I really missed being able to easily follow their recommendations and thanks to some sort of technical wizardry we can now have a shared library again which has greatly contributed to the number of fantasy and sf novels I've read, particularly from new authors.
I'm still not completely convinced though. I certainly love the size and weight of the thing, which makes reading on crowded tubes a doddle and allows it to slot into the smallest of bags or even pockets without thought. I usually try to have a fiction and non-fiction on the go at the same time and this would be a great way to allow me to switch back and forth, but I never managed to synchronise so that both my on-the-go books were on the kindle. The ease of purchasing is also a big plus, instantaneous delivery anywhere there's wifi and plenty of cheap or even free books on offer.
But there are downsides. The biggest one for me is that I still love visiting bookshops. I just don't buy the same breadth of stuff online as I do from wandering around a Waterstones and seeing what draws my eye. I also love owning books and having them on my bookshelves (although that's constantly battling with lack of space). From a practical point of view I have some issues with the kindle user-interface when it comes to things like footnotes and just the lack of ease for flicking back and forth to double check things.
To me, the practical ease is in constant conflict with the fact that I just love BOOKS. So I'll probably continue to alternate back and forth.
Authors
There are a total of 35 authors, two books each had two authors, there were five authors I read two books for and one author I read three books. 18 of those authors were new to me (including the trilogy writer and two of those I read twice) which at 51% is a little bit down on previous years. The gender balance is pretty poor with only 8 women (23%). All the books were written in English which I'm a little disappointed by, 57% british authors, 40% American, two Canadians and a South African.
Non-Fiction
I read 10 non-fiction books this year, 24% of the total which is exactly the same ratio in 2012. It's a percentage I'm quite happy with given that they tend to be longer and require more concentrated reading. Actually there was an eleventh one, a book on Agile project management, but I failed to review it at the time and now can't find it (it wasn't anything spectacular). I'm also quite pleased with the diversity of subjects a couple of work related books, a bit of history, a bit of culture, biographies, some science and a couple about language.
Listed roughly in order of quality:
- Life on Air by David Attenborough - an extraordinary life, eloquently and entertainingly told.
- David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell - fascinating, challenging and entertaining as always.
- The Pragmatic Programmer by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas - useful for anyone working in or adjacent to programming, it's got some interesting ideas and is very readable, although maybe a little less practical than Refactor Your Wetware
- The Etymologicon and The Elements of Eloquence by Mark Forsyth - both are very entertaining to read, although I confess to not really being able to retain any of the information in them.
- Hatchet Job: Love Movies, Hate Critics and It's Only a Movie by Mark Kermode - Hatchet Job is by far the better book offering an insight into the practical and ethical lives of critics. It's Only a Movie is less well structured, but both have a refreshingly frank and self-deprecating tone and are filled with entertaining anecdotes.
- Tricks of the Mind by Derren Brown - some bits are entertaining, some bits are informative, but as a whole the book's a bit of a mess and far from Brown's best.
- A Little History of Science by William Bynum - I don't know who this book was aimed at, it was way to patronising for adults of even young adults, but the fast and furious delivery of facts across a huge range of subjects isn't going to engage younger readers. Really disappointing.
- Seventeen Equations that Changed the World by Ian Stewart - far too complex and mind-numbingly boring.
Fiction
I read 31 fiction books this year. Three of them are part of ongoing series that I pick up in hardback as soon as they are released (Pratchett's Discworld, Aaronovitch's Rivers of London and Brust's Jhereg) and I'm still slowly trudging through O'Brian's Master and Commander Series. There are a couple of other authors whose new books I pick up with varying speed - Baxter, Rowling, Atkinson, Doctorow and Gaiman, and a couple that flutter around the edges like Bacigalupi and Willis.
Many of the new names on my list are thanks to my housemates reading and their commitment to new sf and fantasy writers. We don't always agree, but their picks are always interesting and prompt enthusiastic discussions. Given that most of the books on my reading list this year were recommendations from them, it's not surprising that 26 of the books could be considered sf or fantasy of some sort, although with even authors like Atkinson taking a swerve towards the genre side of things they seem to be coming from all sides!
I've rated 18 of the 31 books 'good' or 'outstanding' this year which at 44% is pretty high. The real standouts for me though were:
- Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch - The Rivers of London series continues to excel, even when taken out of London.
- Life After Life by Kate Atkinson - A real showcase for Atkinson's ability to write fantastic characters
- Wool by Hugh Howey - un-put-downable. Not necessarily a hugely original idea, but extremely well written. Sadly the other two books in the series (Shift and Dust) didn't quite live up to the very high standards, but made a satisfying trilogy.
- Nine Goblins by T Kingfisher - a hilarious dry sense of humour and wonderful characters, just a shame it was so short.
- The Deaths by Mark Lawson - the characters are somewhere between annoying and hateful, yet the book is completely compelling. A very impressive trick.
- The First Fifteen Lives of Henry August by Claire North - a stunningly well developed concept at its heart which is beautifully explained.
- Redshirts by John Scalzi - an exceptional piece of writing that has the passion of a fan and the awareness of an insider, a clever, surprising, satisfying and elegantly short joy.
At the other end of the spectrum there were three non-fiction books that fall into the category of 'very disappointing':
- The Incrementalists by Steven Brust and Skyler White - I love Brust but this book was a mess. It's a complex concept badly explained leaving this 350 pages of technicalities.
- Pirate Cinema by Cory Doctorow - not a book, but a political agenda looking for a structure. I broadly agree with Doctorow's politics on this, but the opposing point of view is given such a weak and brutal voice, and the 'heroes' are such a bunch of Mary Sues that I was just left feeling I'd been suckered into listening to someone rant on a soapbox.
- Constellation Games by Leonard Richardson - inferior in every way to Ready Player One, the universe was poorly developed, characters less engaging, plot muddled and had none of the nostalgia for video games.
And the rest:
- Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi - much better edited than The Windup Girl, more punchy for the young adult market but losing none of the beautiful world building.
- Proxima by Stephen Baxter
- Zoo City by Lauren Beukes
- Hawk by Steven Brust - Vlad's running a caper and Kragar is back!
- The Dresden Files: Storm Front by Jim Butcher - the only reason I didn't get lost in this series is that I was reading the Kadrey series instead.
- Hawkeye - My Life as a Weapon by Matt Fraction - I love this approach to the character, it really felt like Joss Whedon's kind of hero, but I just don't get on with the graphic novel/comic format.
- The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
- Burton and Swinburne in the Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder
- Sandman Slim and Kill the Dead by Richard Kadrey - an interesting series with a nice style and great central character, (the author is definitely a fan of the TV series Supernatural, as I am)
- The Mauritius Command by Patrick O'Brian
- The Truth by Michael Palin
- Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett
- The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling - definitely proves Rowling is more than just Potter. Stunningly depressing.
- Cat Out of Hell by Lynne Truss
- The Palace Job by Patrick Weekes
- The Gordonston Ladies Dog Walking Club by Duncan Whitehead
- Blackout and All Clear by Connie Willis - utterly engrossing but actually not very good. Massively too long and the plot relies on the 'smart' characters to be idiots.
Originally posted on my website