My books of 2015
I read 290 books this year, precisely one less than last year's 291. However 24 of these were dives into the first 50 pages of Clarke nominees that I knew were unlikely to win or be shortlisted. My total pagecount was 80,100, compared to last year's 97,100 (cf ~68,000 in 2013, ~77,800 in 2012, ~88,200 in 2011). However, those totals are for books only; since August I've been reading a lot of short sf which had not yet been collected into book form - nine months' worth of Tor.com, Clarkesworld, Asimov's and Strange Horizons - so I guess my "real" total won't be a lot less than last year's.
Diversity: 86 books out of 290 by women, just shy of 30%. That's the highest in both numerical and percentage terms since I started measuring. (81 [28%] in 2014, 71 [30%] in 2013, 65 [25%] in 2012, 22% in 2011, 23% in 2010, 20% in 2009, 12% in 2008.)
20 (7%) by PoC, a shade under last year's 11 (5%). (cf 12 [5%] in 2013, 5% in 2011, 9% in 2010, 5% in 2009, 2% in 2008.)
Most books by a single author: 6 by Justin Richards, who also topped my 2014 tally. (Previous winners: Agatha Christie i 2013, Jonathan Gash in 2012.)
Non-fiction
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
47
48
46
53
69
66
88
16%
16%
19%
20%
23%
24%
26%
Best non-fiction read in 2015: The Life and Death of Mary Wollstonecraft, by Claire Tomalin - brilliant biography of fascinating woman.
Runner-up: Letters to Tiptree, eds Alissa Krasnostein and Alexandra Pierce - I hope we'll be seeing this on some shortlists next year.
The one you might not heard of: Martial Power and Elizabethan Political Culture, by Rory Rapple - looking at the politics of violence in Ireland, not only in the 16th century.
Non-sfnal fiction
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
42
41
44
48
48
50
57
14%
14%
19%
19%
16%
18%
18%
Best non-sff fiction read in 2015: Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Bildungsroman set in Nigeria, the USA and the UK, with hair.
Runner-up: Too Much Happiness, by Alice Munro - Brilliant short stories.
Welcome rereads: Ulysses and Les Misérables.
The one you might not heard of: The Twenty-two Letters, by Clive King - the origin of literacy in the Levant.
Non-Whovian sff
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
130
124
65
62
78
73
78
45%
43%
27%
24%
26%
26%
23%
Best non-Who sff read in 2015: I'm going to cheat slightly, in that I read a couple of them first in 2014, but I'm collectively re-nominating the Arthur C. Clarke Award shortlist, in particular the winner, Station Eleven, by Emily St John Mandel. But I also really enjoyed The Affirmation, by Chris Priest.
The one you might not heard of: The Last Man (aka No Other Man) by Alfred Noyes - novel set after almost all of humanity has been wiped out by a super-weapon, published in 1940.
Doctor Who (and spinoff) fiction
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
43
59
72
75
80
71
70
15%
20%
30%
29%
27%
26%
19%
Best Who book read in 2015: City of Death, by Douglas Adams and James Goss - true to the televised story with extra dollops of style.
Runner-up: Walking to Babylon, by Kate Orman - mild homage to Iain Banks as well.
The two that even dedicated Whovians may not have heard of: Doctor Who and the Vortex Crystal and Doctor Who and the Rebel's Gamble, both by William H. Keith, Jr - two US-published game books from 1986 that are way better than the British game books of the same year.
Comics
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
18
19
30
21
27
18
28
6%
7%
13%
8%
9%
6%
8%
Best graphic stories read in 2015: I'm still making my mind up between The Sculptor, by Scott McCloud, and The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage, by Sydney Padua - leaning a bit more towards the former, if I'm honest.
The one you might not have heard of: De Tweede Kus (originally published in three separate volumes, Ringo, Martha and Hanne), by Conz (Constantijn van Cauwenberge). If you don't read Dutch or French, you have a treat to come when some wise publisher translates it into English.
Poetry
I don't read a lot of poetry but I do try and get through at least one collection each year. This year that was amply rewarded with Colette Bryce's tremendous The Whole and Rain-domed Universe, reflecting on growing up in Northern Ireland.
Worst book of the year: It's a matter of public record that I bounced off several of the Hugo finalists. It's fairly close at the bottom, but the absolute worst was the infamous Wisdom from my Internet by Michael Z. Williamson.
Next year I shall probably ease off on new sf once the Hugo nominating season is over. (BSFA members! Get you nominations in tonight!) I would like to read a few more comics, and alsowork through some of the more obscure corners of Who literature,
Diversity: 86 books out of 290 by women, just shy of 30%. That's the highest in both numerical and percentage terms since I started measuring. (81 [28%] in 2014, 71 [30%] in 2013, 65 [25%] in 2012, 22% in 2011, 23% in 2010, 20% in 2009, 12% in 2008.)
20 (7%) by PoC, a shade under last year's 11 (5%). (cf 12 [5%] in 2013, 5% in 2011, 9% in 2010, 5% in 2009, 2% in 2008.)
Most books by a single author: 6 by Justin Richards, who also topped my 2014 tally. (Previous winners: Agatha Christie i 2013, Jonathan Gash in 2012.)
Non-fiction
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
47
48
46
53
69
66
88
16%
16%
19%
20%
23%
24%
26%
Best non-fiction read in 2015: The Life and Death of Mary Wollstonecraft, by Claire Tomalin - brilliant biography of fascinating woman.
Runner-up: Letters to Tiptree, eds Alissa Krasnostein and Alexandra Pierce - I hope we'll be seeing this on some shortlists next year.
The one you might not heard of: Martial Power and Elizabethan Political Culture, by Rory Rapple - looking at the politics of violence in Ireland, not only in the 16th century.
Non-sfnal fiction
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
42
41
44
48
48
50
57
14%
14%
19%
19%
16%
18%
18%
Best non-sff fiction read in 2015: Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Bildungsroman set in Nigeria, the USA and the UK, with hair.
Runner-up: Too Much Happiness, by Alice Munro - Brilliant short stories.
Welcome rereads: Ulysses and Les Misérables.
The one you might not heard of: The Twenty-two Letters, by Clive King - the origin of literacy in the Levant.
Non-Whovian sff
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
130
124
65
62
78
73
78
45%
43%
27%
24%
26%
26%
23%
Best non-Who sff read in 2015: I'm going to cheat slightly, in that I read a couple of them first in 2014, but I'm collectively re-nominating the Arthur C. Clarke Award shortlist, in particular the winner, Station Eleven, by Emily St John Mandel. But I also really enjoyed The Affirmation, by Chris Priest.
The one you might not heard of: The Last Man (aka No Other Man) by Alfred Noyes - novel set after almost all of humanity has been wiped out by a super-weapon, published in 1940.
Doctor Who (and spinoff) fiction
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
43
59
72
75
80
71
70
15%
20%
30%
29%
27%
26%
19%
Best Who book read in 2015: City of Death, by Douglas Adams and James Goss - true to the televised story with extra dollops of style.
Runner-up: Walking to Babylon, by Kate Orman - mild homage to Iain Banks as well.
The two that even dedicated Whovians may not have heard of: Doctor Who and the Vortex Crystal and Doctor Who and the Rebel's Gamble, both by William H. Keith, Jr - two US-published game books from 1986 that are way better than the British game books of the same year.
Comics
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
18
19
30
21
27
18
28
6%
7%
13%
8%
9%
6%
8%
Best graphic stories read in 2015: I'm still making my mind up between The Sculptor, by Scott McCloud, and The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage, by Sydney Padua - leaning a bit more towards the former, if I'm honest.
The one you might not have heard of: De Tweede Kus (originally published in three separate volumes, Ringo, Martha and Hanne), by Conz (Constantijn van Cauwenberge). If you don't read Dutch or French, you have a treat to come when some wise publisher translates it into English.
Poetry
I don't read a lot of poetry but I do try and get through at least one collection each year. This year that was amply rewarded with Colette Bryce's tremendous The Whole and Rain-domed Universe, reflecting on growing up in Northern Ireland.
Worst book of the year: It's a matter of public record that I bounced off several of the Hugo finalists. It's fairly close at the bottom, but the absolute worst was the infamous Wisdom from my Internet by Michael Z. Williamson.
Next year I shall probably ease off on new sf once the Hugo nominating season is over. (BSFA members! Get you nominations in tonight!) I would like to read a few more comics, and alsowork through some of the more obscure corners of Who literature,