Books of 2005
Dec/Jan:
The Time-Traveler's Wife -- Audrey Niffenegger
Heard lots of good things, but I thought it was only ok. The characters seemed a bit flat/two-dimensional. And while most of the time travel stuff seemed surprisingly believable, there were enough inconsistencies to bother me. And the scientific research stuff... hahahahaha.
Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith -- Jon Krakauer
Interesting history of the Mormans, focusing on the splintered fundamentalist sects that practice polygamy. The author wrote Into Thin Air (about Everest) and Into the Wild (boy in Alaska), both are also very good.
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress -- Dai Sijie
Wonderful little book. A quick read, but thoroughly enjoyable. About two young boys discovering a cache of western literature during a period of time in China when reading of any kind, especially of the west, was forbidden.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being -- Milan Kundera
Ever feel like a failure when you don't love a classic? I just couldn't get into this. I don't think I was in the right frame of mind for it. Or I'm just not deep enough to have it really resonate with me. It was ok, but it fell short of what I hoped it would be.
The Notebook -- Nicholas Sparks
Total crap.
The Amateur Marriage -- Anne Tyler
Mediocre. The characters weren't terribly likeable, and not interesting enough to make their unlikeability ok. The novel is written in an odd choppy manner, meant to give just a glimpse at different parts of the characters' lives, but the result is a lot of large holes and dropped plotlines.
The Lovely Bones -- Alice Sebold
I'd also describe this as mediocre. Beyond the disturbing and manipulative beginning detailing the girl's murder, it just didn't seem to have much depth to it, the characters didn't really interest me. A lot of the plots just seemed weird and confusing or cliche. I was not impressed.
A Question of Attraction -- David Nicholls
I enjoyed this one a lot. It takes place in England, and has a bit of a feel of the Bridget Jones chick-lit style that's been so popular the last few years. The big difference here being that the lead is a boy, off to university for the first time. He's a "complete twat" and "total wanker" but I found myself rooting for him all the same. I smiled through most of it, when I wasn't outright laughing.
Feb:
Icy Sparks -- Gwyn Hyman Rubio
About a girl with Tourette's Syndrome living in the mountains of Kentucky with her grandparents. Had absolutely no point to it, was fair to very boring through most of the book, and ended with a completely random message about how much Jesus loves us all and how that apparently cures everything. (The Christian message was very out of sorts with the entire first half of the novel. It was like the author didn't know where else to go and that was the best ending she could come up with.) Also, I hate when authors use children as main characters, but then have them thinking and talking like adults. Children just don't have the same reason and intellect developed at that point as the voice of the adult author that shined through. Really awful.
Le Divorce -- Diane Johnson
It was... ok. I don't have any intention of reading any of her other books, but it passed the time alright.
Mar:
The Hatbox Baby -- Carrie Brown
Really very good! Well written and original story with interesting characters. It's about a doctor working to support his premature infant research by exhibiting them as "curiosities" at the World's Fair. The story revolves around one particular baby, brought to him in a hatbox, and how it impacts him, an exotic dance, and a pseudomidget carnie named St Louis.
The Cat Who Came in From the Cold -- Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson
Didn't really have anything original to say imo. It was a fable I guess, so I guess that's the thing -- old classic truths. Meh.
A Far Distant Place -- Danielle Thomas
A decent story about the Iditarod dog sled race in Alaska. Focuses on a native woman and her American husband as they run the race for the first time. A few short, icky scenes about dogs dying (I hate stuff like that) but nothing too bad. I like books like this that take me to a place I will surely never experience in real life.
Apr:
City of Masks -- Daniel Hecht
Creepy ghost story! I'm really enjoying it. These sorts of formula mystery novels, like you'd buy in airports, aren't usually my thing but I'm really enjoying this one. It tasks place in New Orleans and is about an old haunted Garden-district mansion. Her next ghost mystery is in New Mexico. Supposedly the plan is to do one in each state all based on the lead character's investigations in paranormal psychology.
Midnight -- Dean Koontz
Just like every other Koontz book ever written, with minor details changed -- the names of the handful of cunning survivors, the exact cause of the supernatural menace causing the end of the world... pretty blah.
Any Place I Hang My Hat -- Susan Isaacs
Still working on it (it's an audio book). I'm relating a lot to the main character, but otherwise it's nothing that great.
May:
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime -- Mark Haddon
I enjoyed learning a bit about autism, but the story itself did nothing for me.
The Alchemist -- Paul Coelho
Good. Didn't knock my socks off or anything though.
The Queen's Fool -- Phillipa Gregory
I really have a fascination with this period of British history, Tudor England. I eat up pretty much any book about it, including historical fiction accounts. This one seems good so far, though I'm not too far into it. It's told from the point of view of Queen Mary's servants -- a fool. In that way it reminds me a lot of one of my all time favorite books -- The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by his Fool, Will Somers by Margaret George.
Serious Girls -- Maxine Swann
It was ok. Pretty forgettable.
Losing Gemma -- Katy Gardner
About to English girls who go on a backpacking/touring trip to India. One of them dies, and the other must come to terms with the guilt and memories of the degradation of their friendship before the untimely death. Excellent read.
The Virgin's Lover -- Phillipa Gregory
Picks up where The Queen's Fool left off, but this time largely from the POV of Amy Dudley, Robert Dudley's wife. I didn't think it was quite as strongly written as The Queen's Fool, but it kept me captivated enough. I was very unsatisfied by the ending though which seemed to just cut off rather than provide any resolution to the Elizabeth/Dudley affair.
Inkheart -- Cornelia Funke
A childrens/YA story about at the reading level of Harry Potter. It's about a young girl and her father who has the ability to make books literally come alive when he reads outloud. Characters from the book appear in this word and characters from this world (including the girl's mother) disappear into the books. It was ok. I have a hard time judging books written for a younger audience. I guess I just appreciate books with a little more depth to them.
Jun:
I'm not sure we had the month of June. I can barely remember it. I can't believe I didn't read anything for a month... weird.
July:
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Loved it. Much better than Book 5. It's just one huge tease for the finale though, which I can't stand to wait for two more years!
The Things We Do for Love -- Kristin Hannah
Bleech. Not my thing.
Peace Like a River -- Leif Enger
In progress...
Aug:
Look at Me -- Jennifer Egan
Well written but probably should have moved me more than I did. A good message on the shallow image-conscious America but... eh. I don't know. A bit dry.
Interview With a Vampire -- Anne Rice
I've seen the movie before and I'm pretty sure I've read it so it's hard to give a fresh opinion. It was good, but I know the story too well to be totally bowled over by it. That or I'm just not that excited by vampires.
The Vampire Lestat -- Anne Rice
Pretty good. She is a good writer, and very creative. I got pretty into this one.
The Queen of the Damned -- ANne Rice
I only made it about 1/4 the way in and got bored. The first two were ok, but I was pretty sick of vampires by the time I got to this story.
Oct:
The Other Boleyn Girl -- Phillipa Gregory
Very good, I loved it.
The Time-Traveler's Wife -- Audrey Niffenegger
Heard lots of good things, but I thought it was only ok. The characters seemed a bit flat/two-dimensional. And while most of the time travel stuff seemed surprisingly believable, there were enough inconsistencies to bother me. And the scientific research stuff... hahahahaha.
Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith -- Jon Krakauer
Interesting history of the Mormans, focusing on the splintered fundamentalist sects that practice polygamy. The author wrote Into Thin Air (about Everest) and Into the Wild (boy in Alaska), both are also very good.
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress -- Dai Sijie
Wonderful little book. A quick read, but thoroughly enjoyable. About two young boys discovering a cache of western literature during a period of time in China when reading of any kind, especially of the west, was forbidden.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being -- Milan Kundera
Ever feel like a failure when you don't love a classic? I just couldn't get into this. I don't think I was in the right frame of mind for it. Or I'm just not deep enough to have it really resonate with me. It was ok, but it fell short of what I hoped it would be.
The Notebook -- Nicholas Sparks
Total crap.
The Amateur Marriage -- Anne Tyler
Mediocre. The characters weren't terribly likeable, and not interesting enough to make their unlikeability ok. The novel is written in an odd choppy manner, meant to give just a glimpse at different parts of the characters' lives, but the result is a lot of large holes and dropped plotlines.
The Lovely Bones -- Alice Sebold
I'd also describe this as mediocre. Beyond the disturbing and manipulative beginning detailing the girl's murder, it just didn't seem to have much depth to it, the characters didn't really interest me. A lot of the plots just seemed weird and confusing or cliche. I was not impressed.
A Question of Attraction -- David Nicholls
I enjoyed this one a lot. It takes place in England, and has a bit of a feel of the Bridget Jones chick-lit style that's been so popular the last few years. The big difference here being that the lead is a boy, off to university for the first time. He's a "complete twat" and "total wanker" but I found myself rooting for him all the same. I smiled through most of it, when I wasn't outright laughing.
Feb:
Icy Sparks -- Gwyn Hyman Rubio
About a girl with Tourette's Syndrome living in the mountains of Kentucky with her grandparents. Had absolutely no point to it, was fair to very boring through most of the book, and ended with a completely random message about how much Jesus loves us all and how that apparently cures everything. (The Christian message was very out of sorts with the entire first half of the novel. It was like the author didn't know where else to go and that was the best ending she could come up with.) Also, I hate when authors use children as main characters, but then have them thinking and talking like adults. Children just don't have the same reason and intellect developed at that point as the voice of the adult author that shined through. Really awful.
Le Divorce -- Diane Johnson
It was... ok. I don't have any intention of reading any of her other books, but it passed the time alright.
Mar:
The Hatbox Baby -- Carrie Brown
Really very good! Well written and original story with interesting characters. It's about a doctor working to support his premature infant research by exhibiting them as "curiosities" at the World's Fair. The story revolves around one particular baby, brought to him in a hatbox, and how it impacts him, an exotic dance, and a pseudomidget carnie named St Louis.
The Cat Who Came in From the Cold -- Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson
Didn't really have anything original to say imo. It was a fable I guess, so I guess that's the thing -- old classic truths. Meh.
A Far Distant Place -- Danielle Thomas
A decent story about the Iditarod dog sled race in Alaska. Focuses on a native woman and her American husband as they run the race for the first time. A few short, icky scenes about dogs dying (I hate stuff like that) but nothing too bad. I like books like this that take me to a place I will surely never experience in real life.
Apr:
City of Masks -- Daniel Hecht
Creepy ghost story! I'm really enjoying it. These sorts of formula mystery novels, like you'd buy in airports, aren't usually my thing but I'm really enjoying this one. It tasks place in New Orleans and is about an old haunted Garden-district mansion. Her next ghost mystery is in New Mexico. Supposedly the plan is to do one in each state all based on the lead character's investigations in paranormal psychology.
Midnight -- Dean Koontz
Just like every other Koontz book ever written, with minor details changed -- the names of the handful of cunning survivors, the exact cause of the supernatural menace causing the end of the world... pretty blah.
Any Place I Hang My Hat -- Susan Isaacs
Still working on it (it's an audio book). I'm relating a lot to the main character, but otherwise it's nothing that great.
May:
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime -- Mark Haddon
I enjoyed learning a bit about autism, but the story itself did nothing for me.
The Alchemist -- Paul Coelho
Good. Didn't knock my socks off or anything though.
The Queen's Fool -- Phillipa Gregory
I really have a fascination with this period of British history, Tudor England. I eat up pretty much any book about it, including historical fiction accounts. This one seems good so far, though I'm not too far into it. It's told from the point of view of Queen Mary's servants -- a fool. In that way it reminds me a lot of one of my all time favorite books -- The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by his Fool, Will Somers by Margaret George.
Serious Girls -- Maxine Swann
It was ok. Pretty forgettable.
Losing Gemma -- Katy Gardner
About to English girls who go on a backpacking/touring trip to India. One of them dies, and the other must come to terms with the guilt and memories of the degradation of their friendship before the untimely death. Excellent read.
The Virgin's Lover -- Phillipa Gregory
Picks up where The Queen's Fool left off, but this time largely from the POV of Amy Dudley, Robert Dudley's wife. I didn't think it was quite as strongly written as The Queen's Fool, but it kept me captivated enough. I was very unsatisfied by the ending though which seemed to just cut off rather than provide any resolution to the Elizabeth/Dudley affair.
Inkheart -- Cornelia Funke
A childrens/YA story about at the reading level of Harry Potter. It's about a young girl and her father who has the ability to make books literally come alive when he reads outloud. Characters from the book appear in this word and characters from this world (including the girl's mother) disappear into the books. It was ok. I have a hard time judging books written for a younger audience. I guess I just appreciate books with a little more depth to them.
Jun:
I'm not sure we had the month of June. I can barely remember it. I can't believe I didn't read anything for a month... weird.
July:
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Loved it. Much better than Book 5. It's just one huge tease for the finale though, which I can't stand to wait for two more years!
The Things We Do for Love -- Kristin Hannah
Bleech. Not my thing.
Peace Like a River -- Leif Enger
In progress...
Aug:
Look at Me -- Jennifer Egan
Well written but probably should have moved me more than I did. A good message on the shallow image-conscious America but... eh. I don't know. A bit dry.
Interview With a Vampire -- Anne Rice
I've seen the movie before and I'm pretty sure I've read it so it's hard to give a fresh opinion. It was good, but I know the story too well to be totally bowled over by it. That or I'm just not that excited by vampires.
The Vampire Lestat -- Anne Rice
Pretty good. She is a good writer, and very creative. I got pretty into this one.
The Queen of the Damned -- ANne Rice
I only made it about 1/4 the way in and got bored. The first two were ok, but I was pretty sick of vampires by the time I got to this story.
Oct:
The Other Boleyn Girl -- Phillipa Gregory
Very good, I loved it.