bluesalamanders 2012.2

2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
2011.1, 2011.2, 2012.1

Welcome to my second thread for 2012!

Here is the current status of my goals:

75 / 150 books. 50% done.
33 / 75 *new books. 44% done.
2 / 5 ^non-fiction. 40% done.
19771 / 30000 pages. 66% done.
Audiobooks: 3d6h21m

Numbers subject to change without notice, management makes no guarantees, etc, etc.

Key:
*Asterisks denote new-to-me reads
^Carrots denote non-fiction

(Ok, this "continue in new thread" function is just cool!)

Yes, I like the "continue" function, too. It saves a lot of losing track of someone; continuing to follow my favorites is so much easier!

Congrats on hitting your half-way marks in more than one way: 75 books, 2012.2, ta da!!!!

Cool, you hit 75. Congrats!

starring your new thread. Congrats on 75

Yay, new thread!

maggie - Yeah, I love how new threads are automatically starred if the old one was! Definitely makes it easier to keep track of people. This was my first time "continuing" a thread, so I got to see how easy it was from that side too.

leah - woo! :)

newt, kassilem - Thanks! I'm excited, I got to 75 at about halfway through the year, so I'm on track to reaching my goal of 150. I just need to read some more new books and non-fiction...

Just checking in on your brand new thread!

75 books! Wow! Congrats!

Congrats on 75! That's great!

But go back a second... what are the Lyra books? Because that made me think of Philip Pullman, but you were talking about Patricia Wrede, and now I'm confused. I've read Sorcery and Cecelia and its two sequels; I know of the Mairelon books but have not yet read them. I've read the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. What am I missing?

Blue - well done on the new thread and making it to 75 with half a year to spare.

9 beserene - Thanks! I don't know much about the Lyra books since I haven't read them, but I can direct you here, to the Lyra series page.

10 Paul - Thank you!

June Round-Up

Overview:
13 books finished totaling 3060 pages and 0h0m
1 abandoned book

Adult/YA/J:
9 YA
4 Adult

Genre:
6 Fantasy
3 Science Fiction
3 Fiction
1 Non-Fiction

Format:
11 Dead Tree Novel
2 Graphic Novel
0 eBook
0 Audiobook

Author/Editor gender:
13 female
2 male

New or Old:
7 new reads
6 rereads

Pat Wrede's books set in Lyra ( a place, not a person):

Shadow Magic
Daughter of Witches
The Harp of Imach Thyssel
Caught in Crystal
The Raven Ring

Shadows over Lyra is an omnibus of the first three books, with the first book being significantly rewritten (it was her first, and Wrede felt her immaturity as a writer at that time was more than she could bear at the time of the omnibus preparation so she rewrote it--a good exercise for would-be writers to see what she changed and speculate as to why).

What I like about these fairly traditional fantasies is:

1. her characters
2. her humor
3. the way each book, although in different times and with different characters, builds a world with its history and cultures that really deepens, for example, The Raven Ring, which is my favorite but can't really be fairly appreciated without that background.

Thanks, to both of you. I'll keep an eye out for those! I do like Patricia Wrede, so I'm excited to know there is another series out there.

Finished Book 76: The Grand Tour, or The Purloined Coronation Regalia by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer
Sorcery and Cecelia, book 2
Young Adult, historical fantasy, 469p

Finished Book 77: The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years After by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevemer
Sorcery and Cecelia, book 3
Young Adult, historical fantasy, 326p

It looks like all the Lyra novels were just re-released, though they're strangely expensive for paperbacks.

Finished Book 78: Fat Girl in a Strange Land edited by Kay T. Holt
Adult, Fantasy/Science Fiction, Anthology, eBook, 150p

Some of the stories in this book are charming and enjoyable and moving. Some of them are...less so.

There are a number of protagonists who were annoyingly two-dimensional and stereotypical fat people: out-of-control, gluttonous, and lazy. These characters were boring as well as uncomfortable to read. The other, less stereotyped characters were more interesting in every way, having already learned to survive in a world where their bodies are despised, subverting cultural expectations of weakness and stupidity, and so on.

When I originally won this ARC, I hoped it would be full of body-positive (or at least not body-negative) stories. I would say around half the stories are neutral-to-positive and around half are sadly negative. Something to take into consideration when deciding whether to read it.

>16 _Zoe_: Looks like you can read the first chapters for the Kindle free, though. Also looks like the new editions are trade paperbacks rather than mmpb.

I don't have a Kindle, or an e-reader of any kind (I know, I know -- stop gasping -- I can't imagine reading a book without proper pages to turn). I will, however, be on the lookout for those new paperbacks. I can't purchase them until August, because I've gone cold turkey for a month, but I imagine they will still be around then. :)

Finished Book 79: Wizards at War by Diane Duane
Young Wizards, book 8
Young Adult, Fantasy, 551p

After the unexpected events of Wizard's Holiday, Nita and Kit are back home, making friends with the three visiting aliens who are staying with Nita's family and getting ready to go back to school. Then Tom and Carl show up to say that the universe is ending and it's up to them to save it...

While there is as much wizardry and wackiness as ever, the character relationships really drive this story. The complex interactions between Dairine and Roshaun, Nita and Ronan, Kit and Carmela, Ponch and Kit, and so on are where the most interesting parts of the book take place. And as with many of Duane's books, the non-human characters are some of the most fascinating voices in the story.

I definitely recommend this book, but I'm really recommending the series as a whole, since to understand it you need to start at the beginning with So You Want To Be A Wizard.

Finished Book 80: Bloodshot by Cherie Priest
Cheshire Red Reports, book 1
Adult, Fantasy, Audiobook, 11h16m

Funny, I know I read this last year (prior to reading Hellbent) but apparently I never posted it.

80 / 150 books. 53% done.
34 / 75 *new books. 45% done.
2 / 5 ^non-fiction. 40% done.
21267 / 30000 pages. 71% done.
Audiobooks: 3d17h37m

Finished Book 81: *The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
The Steampunk Chronicles, book 1
Young Adult, Fantasy, 476p

Finley knows she's different from other people: she's stronger, faster, and when she's angry it's like she turns into someone else altogether. Can she learn to trust a group of strangers who are also different, when she doesn't even trust herself?

Not the best steampunk fantasy I've ever read, but a fun story with fun characters. I'll definitely check out the sequel.

Finished Book 82: Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper
Fuzzies, book 1
Adult, Science Fiction, ebook, 128p

Finished Book 83: *Carousel Tides by Sharon Lee
Adult, Fantasy, 306p

I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book, because the writing bothered me from the beginning, but in the end the interesting characters and great storytelling won out over the odd phrasings and random apostrophes.

Waving hello!

I'm a McKinley fan, but somehow have missed Outlaws of Sherwood so I'll have to pick it up sometime. The Jo Walton also sounds good, I need to read more of her.

22: I read the free ebook teaser called The Strange Case of Finley Jane a while back, and while the idea was rather intriguing, the writing left me cold. I wasn't impressed enough to want to get the actual book, despite the short story ending on a cliffhanger. (Very literally: she was hanging out a window, if I remember correctly.)

24 UnrulySun - I read that, it was at the front of the copy I read. I didn't think it was as good as the rest of the book. But you're right, overall the idea is better than the execution.

23 markon - It's pretty different from her other work, not fantasy at all, but I really like it. And the Walton book is probably a good fit for McKinley fans, come to think of it. I should check out more of her books as well.

Abandoned Book: Buffy and the Heroine's Journey by Valerie Estelle Frankel
Adult, Non-Fiction, Early Reviewer

I really have to stop requesting non-fiction ERs. My sister says, the next time I'm thinking about clicking "request", I should call her and she'll remind me to think better of it.

The premise sounded intriguing, however the writing and the conclusions left something to be desired. I cringed every time Frankel mentioned "female mysticism and male rationality and logic", which is appallingly sexist for a book about a purported feminist icon. I was disgusted when Frankel called Bella Swan an "epic heroine" and lumped her in with Katniss Everdeen, Lyra Belacqua, and Lucy Pevensie. I didn't finish the book.

Blurgh! That sounds awful.

I mean, not everything about the book was terrible, but I'd be hard-pressed to come up with anything that rose above "adequate". Also, the style of citations she chose to use made some passages very difficult to read. I saw an entire paragraph that for half a page went: thing (citation), another thing (citation), different thing (citation), other thing (citation), yet another thing (citation), still other thing (citation). Half a page of listing things off like that. I'm sure footnotes or endnotes would have their own problems, but that was simply ridiculous.

That really chops up the writing, and makes me wonder if the author has anything of their own to say sometimes.

I'm a Buffy fan, but I'm not sure I could really enjoy any scholarly work about her. :)

I want to be interested in (some) scholarly work, but most of it is written in a way that is unappealing to me. I've read some essay collections that are interesting, but with most longer things there is something that ends up bothering me. Usually it's not as bad as "Bella Swan, epic heroine", though.

That is pretty laughable!

I was disgusted when Frankel called Bella Swan an "epic heroine" and lumped her in with Katniss Everdeen, Lyra Belacqua, and Lucy Pevensie.

OH MY GOD, is that woman insane? Ewwwwww.

I know, right? Those bits were difficult to read.

Finished Book 84: Fire by Kristin Cashore
Young Adult, Fantasy, 461p

I felt like rereading this, not so much for the story but because I wanted to visit the characters again. I love Fire, Brocker, Brigan. I also love the relationships between Fire and Brigan, Fire and her guards, Brigan and Nash and the twins, and all the other wonderful people in the story.

It's also fascinating to read a story where a character has many typically Mary Sue qualities - extreme and unusual beauty, men falling in love with her on sight, special powers or abilities - who is not, in fact, a Mary Sue. "So beautiful it's a problem" is usually silly, but in Fire's case, her beauty certainly can be a problem, and both the beauty and the problems make sense in the world Cashore created.

My original review is here.

Finished Book 85: Shatterglass by Tamora Pierce
The Circle Opens, book 4
Young Adult, Fantasy, 357p

Tris and Niko are visiting Tharios for a conference of mages. Well, Niko is there for the conference. Tris is more interested in the local glassmakers, where she runs across a journeyman glassmaker whose magic is running amok.

I enjoy this book because I like Tris and Niko, and Keth, Dema, Chime, and other characters are fun to read about. However, the story suffers from too many coincidences. Tris just happens to walk by Keth's shop at exactly the right moment. Keth's globes just happen to relate to Dema's current investigation (and only that). Niko's conference just happens to be on scrying, which relates both to Keth's globes and Tris's studies.

In general the Circle books are not as good as the Tortall books, but it's not a bad book and I do enjoy rereading it on occasion. Also, one of the characters in Shatterglass is a little glass dragon who purrs when you stroke her. It's practically worth reading for her alone.

85 / 150 books. 57% done.
36 / 75 *new books. 48% done.
2 / 5 ^non-fiction. 40% done.
22995 / 30000 pages. 77% done.
Audiobooks: 3d17h37m

Finished Book 86: Uptown Local and Other Interventions by Diane Duane
Young Adult, Fantasy, Anthology, ebook, 662p (approximate; ebook has pagination issues)

A collection of short stories by Diane Duane, including two stories set in the Young Wizards universe.

I love the two stories set in the Young Wizards universe, Theobroma and Uptown Local. I don't particularly care for the others.

Finished Book 87: Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones
Young Adult, Fantasy, 263p

Cat and his sister Gwendolen (who is a powerful witch) go live with Chrestomanci after their parents die. Cat does his best to stay out of trouble while Gwendolen does the opposite.

I love this book from start to finish. The characters are interesting, the setting is fantastic, and the story is thoroughly enjoyable. Even the minor characters are well-formed with recognizable personalities.

Finished Book 88: The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones
Young Adult, Fantasy, 334p

Finished Book 89: *The Iron Wyrm Affair by Lilith Saintcrow
Bannon and Clare, book 1
Early Reviewer
Adult, Steampunk, Fantasy, 304p

A Sherlockian genius and a powerful sorceress team up to discover and defeat an unknown adversary, for Queen and Country. Also, because it's after them, too.

It's an interesting story which includes a bit of mystery, a lot of magic, and a group of people who have to work together though they may or may not trust each other. The characters are (mostly) interesting and well-drawn, particularly Emma. The worldbuilding is intriguing, including Tideturn and its effect on both magic-wielders and gems in proximity to them.

On the other hand, in the beginning, Clare is pretty annoying until he stopped talking about deducing things and just does it. He's also irritatingly sexist for someone who is supposed to be so very logical and his friend Sig is called a genius but portrayed as a buffoon.

Very little is explained about how magic - or anything else - works in this alternate Britain. It almost reads like the second book in the series, written with the assumption that the reader is already familiar with the setting. I enjoy books that throw the reader in the midst of things and explain it as the book goes along - but only when things are actually explained.

July Round-Up

Overview:
14 books finished totaling 4185 pages and 11h16m
1 abandoned book

Adult/YA/J:
9 YA
5 Adult

Genre:
13 Fantasy
3 Science Fiction
0 Fiction
0 Non-Fiction

Format:
10 Dead Tree Novel
0 Graphic Novel
3 eBook
1 Audiobook

Author/Editor gender:
15 female
1 male

New or Old:
4 new reads
10 rereads

Oh crap... I totally forgot it's roundup time already. I think I might pretend this isn't happening this month. ;) But way to go on 14 books this month!

Thanks! It's weird, I don't actually feel like I've read that many books, but I recounted a couple of times so I know it's right.

Finished Book 90: Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi
Adult, Science Fiction, 365p

"We have seen The Blob, and it is us."

A race of friendly aliens want to introduce themselves to Earth. They're wary of our political figures, and besides, political figures only represent countries; American movies go out to the world. So, they decide to get an agent.

Agent to the Stars is a hilarious book with great characters (including, or maybe especially, the aliens) and a fun story. It's also unexpectedly moving at times.

This was Scalzi's first novel, written to see if he could do it, and he posted it on his website for people to read for free (where it's still available).

90 / 150 books. 60% done.
37 / 75 *new books. 49% done.
2 / 5 ^non-fiction. 40% done.
24923 / 30000 pages. 83% done.
Audiobooks: 3d17h37m

Finished Book 91: *The Price of the Stars by Debra Doyle and James D. MacDonald
Mageworlds, book1
Adult, Science Fiction, 440p

The Price of the Stars is a space opera, complete with a rogueish spaceship captain (comes standard with one specially-outfitted ship), a wise old mentor-type (may say cryptic things and speak in overly formal tones), and a few people with prices on their heads (some of them family). And a mystical energy that Adepts and Mages can control. Remind you of anything?

Yes, it's all a bit Star Wars-esque. Still, Beka Rosselin-Metadi (the aforementioned captain) is no orphaned farmboy from the back of beyond, and her skills in flying and fighting are tested to breaking as she works to discover who assassinated her mother. On the up side, there are at least two great female main characters. On the down side, it rather seems like the rest of galaxy is male. Ah, well.

It takes some time for the story to get going, but once it does, it just doesn't stop. The second half of the book is a steady stream of ground skirmishes, space battles, spy missions, training exercises - and the occasional war room where they plan skirmishes, battles, and missions. It definitely took awhile for me to get into it, but then I couldn't put it down.

I have a serious dislike of Lilith Saintcrow after reading her Dante series, but I am interested in the steampunk genre. You think she's worth a go? Or should I stick with Priest and Westerfeld?

Iron Wyrm doesn't begin to compare to Priest and Westerfeld's steampunk. Not even in the same ballpark. Instead I'd recommend Ekaterina Sedia. The Alchemy of Stone and Heart of Iron are fantastic.

De-luring with interest in The Iron Wyrm Affair discussion. Thankfully it sounds like I can by-pass Saintcrow's book and not feel as though I have missed out on anything special, having read Priest's Boneshaker, Westerfeld's Leviathan trilogy and Sedia's The Alchemy of Stone. I second the recommendation for all of these as good steampunk novels.

Now off to hunt for Heart of Iron!

lkernagh - I mean, it wasn't awful, but I'm certainly not going to recommend it as a great representation of the genre (or particularly good reading, either). My top picks are definitely Priest, Westerfeld, and Sedia, and maybe Carriger if you don't mind some romance with your steampunk. I hope you enjoy Heart of Iron!

Just checking in (for the first time in a while), Blue. Great going on hitting 75!

Thanks, alcottacre!

Huh. I haven't read any Sedia. ON THE LIST IT GOES!!!

Woo! Always happy to introduce people to new authors.

I haven't read any Sedia either. One more for my wish-list. But I totally agree about Priest. Fun stuff.

I haven't found any Sedia yet, but I'm trying The Iron Thorn at the moment and it's entertaining. I read Dearly, Departed a couple of weeks ago and that was both steampunk and zombies. I enjoyed it.

Finished Book 92: *Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton
Adult, Fantasy, 256p

The father dies, the unmarried daughters are shipped off to live with relatives, and one of the sons gets into a dispute over the will. The twist? They're all dragons.

Tooth and Claw is an amazing book. I'm really not sure what more to say.

Finished Book 93: So You Want To Be A Wizard, New Millennium Edition by Diane Duane
Young Wizards, book 1
Young Adult, Fantasy, ebook, 176p

Nita Callahan, perennial geek on the bad side of the school bully, runs across an unusual book while hiding in the children's section of the town library: So You Want to be a Wizard. She thinks it's a joke until she starts learning real magic (or rather, wizardry) from it. But it's not all fun and games when Nita and fellow wizard Kit accidentally end up in an alternate universe that's not at all friendly to humans.

Duane's fantasy (with a sci-fi twist) is a joy to read. The New Millennium Edition came of Duane's decision to update the technology in the series (the first books came out in the '80s) and to fix the timeline. To that end, there are some altered and additional scenes which, while I may not love them all, generally made the book stronger and hopefully more appealing to new readers.

ebook, huh? I'm not going to ditch my original edition, but might pick up the ebook for comparison. I think, marketing-wise, it is a smart thing to get a new, updated version out there for the youngsters all primed now by Harry Potter and the like, looking for something along those lines.

Tooth and Claw was amazing, wasn't it? I couldn't read it non-stop--it read better like I read Austen, a chapter or two at a time and then settle a bit.

#55 by bluesalamanders> From the short description I was afraid you were going to say it was bad, but I'm glad to see you loved it. It's high on my TBR list.

57 ronincats - I'm not going to get rid of my original editions either! I love them! *clutches her books tightly* But the updates are interesting, and I'm especially curious to see what she'll do with High Wizardry. I'm hardly an objective reviewer, I have to admit - I've read the first three books dozens of times in the nearly 20 years it's been since I first found them. I recognized every place that she changed a word. I'm looking forward to reviews by people like my sister: she's read the books, but doesn't have them memorized.

There are going to be POD dead tree copies available at some point, maybe later this year or next year.

Tooth and Claw reminded me a bit of Austen, too, yeah. I did the same thing - I read a couple chapters then would read something else for a while.

58 leahbird - I waited too long to write the review! If I wait too long, I forget what I want to say and how to say it. I liked it a lot. It's the second book by Jo Walton that I've read, and the same friend who I borrowed both of them from is going to lend me a couple more this weekend. Also sequels to The Price of the Stars. She's a good friend :D

Oh ... so many book bullets ... I should have come by more often. I shall, from now on.

Book bullets?

When you read others' descriptions of a book, and you realize you really want to read that book, too, it is said you are hit by a book bullet (BB), said fondly.

Hah ok. Thanks.

Finished Book 94: *Doctor Who: The TARDIS Handbook by Steve Tribe
Young Adult (I guess?), Non-Fiction, 128p

I expected - for obvious reasons - the book to focus exclusively on the TARDIS and information (or speculation) directly related to it, but half the book was descriptions of the Doctor's regenerations, a brief history of the Time Lords, Eleventh Doctor episode summaries, companion bios, etc. While there is some fun stuff, let's just say I was a little disappointed.

Uh. It was a slow month?

August Round-Up

Overview:
5 books finished totaling 1365 pages and 0h0m
0 abandoned book

Adult/YA/J:
2 YA
3 Adult

Genre:
2 Fantasy
2 Science Fiction
0 Fiction
1 Non-Fiction

Format:
4 Dead Tree Novel
0 Graphic Novel
1 eBook
0 Audiobook

Author/Editor gender:
3 female
3 male

New or Old:
3 new reads
2 rereads

Hey, you beat my July numbers--only two books there!

I've actually been reading constantly, but all stuff online, not real books! Not that there's anything wrong with reading stuff online, it just means I can't include it in my roundup.

>56 bluesalamanders:: New Millenium Edition? I will be looking for the real-book edition of that, for sure. Thanks for the heads-up!

Finished Book 95: *Anne of the Island by LM Montgomery, read by Karen Savage
Young Adult, Fiction, Audiobook, 9h24m
(Free on youtube from ccprose)

95 / 150 books. 63% done.
41 / 75 *new books. 57% done.
3 / 5 ^non-fiction. 60% done.
25923 / 30000 pages. 86% done.
Audiobooks: 4d3h1m

Finished Book 96: Wise Child by Monica Furlong
Young Adult, Historical Fantasy, 228p

This is a historical fantasy about an orphaned (or abandoned, as her parents are living but absent) girl known as Wise Child, who is adopted by Juniper, essentially the village witch. Wise Child struggles first with her own fear, then between the joy in her new life and the disapproval and fear of the villagers - especially the priest - and later between her love for Juniper and the temptation of living like a lady with her real mother, Maeve.

Wise Child has been one of my favorite books for twenty years, since I was a child myself. Fulong is not shy about letting Wise Child act like a child. She is stubborn, proud, and makes all manner of silly and dangerous mistakes throughout the story, some of which put her and even Juniper in serious danger. But she also matures from a selfish, spoiled child into an intelligent, thoughtful, loving (though still sometimes exasperating) young woman.

One of my favorite lines in the book is something Juniper says to Wise Child: 'You always feel someone must be to blame when you are tired or miserable or frightened, Wise Child. It may not be so at all - it may just be the weather of life - but even if they are to blame...does it matter?'

That sounds lovely. BB!

I like the sound of Wise Child. Thanks!

I hope you both enjoy it when you get to it! It's a lovely book. There's also a prequel (Juniper), which I love almost as much as Wise Child, and a sequel (Colman), which I don't think I've read.

I like Juniper and Wise Child a lot too. I picked up Colman through PaperBackSwap, but haven't gotten around to reading it yet.

Finished Book 97: *The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce
Children's, Fantasy, 56p

Originally an animated short film of the same name, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore has beautiful illustrations and a wonderful story that book-lovers will appreciate.

I read this the other day and, then I watched the film, and I was completely blown away by them both. They are both absolutely incredible.

That short film is one of my all-time favorites. I still cry every time I watch it. I totally want to get my hands on this book.

Finished Book 98: Juniper by Monica Furlong
Young Adult, Fantasy, 198p

Prequel to Wise Child. Juniper, whose real name is Ninnoc, is a princess in Cornwall who is sent to learn about magic and healing from her godmother, Euny. At first she is horrified by Euny's poverty but gradually she begins to appreciate the simpler life and understand the power Euny draws from it. Juniper's own growing powers are tested when a childhood friend is bewitched by a dangerous sorcerer.

It always confused me that the story in this book didn't match the tale Juniper tells in Wise Child, but that discrepancy at least can be explained away. Wise Child is young and in pain when Juniper tells her the story and could have misunderstood or misremembered it.

I love Juniper as a character, but this book is a little uneven. It's interesting to read about most of her training, the contrast between her life as a princess and her life with Euny, the differences between her two teachers, and the things she learned. But some things that are made out to be vital to the training or practice of their power in one book are not mentioned, glossed over, or changed in the other.

I do like this book, but it's not as good as Wise Child.

76 leahbird - I had never heard of either until a friend showed me the book when we were looking for birthday gifts for her friends' kids. They're both just so beautiful, it's incredible!

I put a hold on Wise Child at my library -- sounds like it would be right up my alley.

I'll be interested to see what you think of it, foggi.

I loved both Wise Child and Juniper, but found Colman forgettable. I believe she only wrote half, and it was published posthumously.

Finished Book 99: The Magicians of Caprona by Diana Wynne Jones
Chrestomanci series, book 4
Young Adult, Fantasy, 273 pages

Finished Book 100: Witch Week by Diana Wynne Jones
Chrestomanci series, book 5
Young Adult, Fantasy, 275p

These two are my least favorite of the Chrestomanci books, but they are fun enough stories all the same.

100 / 150 books. 67% done.
42 / 75 *new books. 57% done.
3 / 5 ^non-fiction. 60% done.
26755 / 30000 pages. 89% done.
Audiobooks: 4d3h1m

Finished Book 101: *Alias: Shadowed by Elizabeth Skurnick
Alias prequel series, book 12
Young Adult, Fiction, 192p

A mission goes awry and Sydney is suspected of being a double agent.

It's pretty obvious early on (to the reader) who the real bad guys are, though how and why dosen't come out until later, and then rather oddly in some alternating perspective first-person chapters. It's a stylistic device that isn't entirely effective; it's unclear if the text is supposed to be written, like a journal entry, or spoken, like an extended internal monologue.

As usual, a fun story for fans of the tv show but not a particularly good book.

I see you went on a DWJ kick. There are more of hers I want to read.

I didn't even realise that there were Alias books.

I didn't either! I just ran across them in a used bookstore, and decided, what the heck. They're kind of crappy, to be honest, but for some reason I don't really mind :)

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is a beautiful book, and the film is even finer, IMHO. I keep the book in my living room so I can look at it often!

>75 bluesalamanders:, 76, 78, & 86: I wept like a baby the first time I saw the film. And I was delighted when it won the Academy Award. I definitely want to pick up the book now. Does it vary much from the film?

Finished Book 102: A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny
Adult, Fantasy, 280p

The narrator is...a dog.

His master is...Jack, who wields 'the knife'.

The characters include...a witch, a vampire, a werewolf, 'The Good Doctor', and 'The Great Detective'.

This is a fun, totally non-serious, absolutely enjoyable book about what happens when 'the right people' gather when there's a full moon on Halloween.

I picked this as the October read for the book group I'm trying to get started. It's a fun book and I enjoyed rereading it whether or not the group meets.

September Round-Up

Overview:
8 books finished totaling 1502 pages and 9h24m
0 abandoned book

Adult/YA:
7 YA
1 Adult

Genre:
6 Fantasy
0 Science Fiction
2 Fiction
0 Non-Fiction

Format:
7 Dead Tree Novel
0 Graphic Novel
0 eBook
1 Audiobook

Author/Editor gender:
6 female
2 male

New or Old:
3 new reads
5 rereads

87 beserene - As I recall the book and the film were pretty much the same.

Blue -#88 Do you mean 102 not 201?!

Heheh yes, indeed. Thanks, Paul!

Finished Book 103: *Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
October Daye, book 1
Adult, Fantasy, 346p

Finished Book 104: *An Artificial Night by Seanan McGuire
October Daye, Book 3
Adult, Fantasy, 354p

Finished Book 105: *Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire
October Daye, Book 4
Adult, Fantasy, 372p

Finished Book 106: *One Salt Sea by Seanan McGuire
October Daye, Book 5
Adult, Fantasy, 354p

After being linked to a great post on her blog, I moved Seanan McGuire to the top of my TBR list and what I found was (most of) the October Daye series. At the beginning, the series seems like a typical faerieland/human world conflict, but it's definitely one of the more interesting variations that I've read.

October (Toby) Daye is half-faerie and half-human, a "changeling" who fits in neither world. She works as a private detective, usually for fae living in the human world and occasionally in the faerielands as well. The latter are strange and dangerous cases peering into the darkest side of faerie.

I'm having trouble putting all my thoughts on these books into words. It's not a deep series, obviously, but the characters are much more interesting than the typical mysterious, untouchable fae, and the intersection between the human and faerie worlds (cell phones, internet, portals, and so on) makes for a fun world. Another thing I like is that the books don't end as soon as the major plot is finished; there's always at least another chapter of wrap-up and wind-down.

In short, I thoroughly enjoyed the series and can't wait to read the rest of it.

106 / 150 books. 71% done.
46 / 75 *new books. 61% done.
3 / 5 ^non-fiction. 60% done.
28653 / 30000 pages. 95% done.
Audiobooks: 4d3h1m

After seeing you had read Rosemary and Rue on the What we are REading thread, I kept wondering why you had not posted it here. Now I know--you were knocking off the whole series first. I found these last year and also enjoy them greatly. I just picked up the new one that came out last month, Ashes of Honor, and am trying to save it for my trip on the 17th, but don't know if I can manage it. McGuire does know her Celtish mythology!

Roni - I started Rosemary and Rue and I couldn't stop! I need to read A Local Habitation and Ashes of Honor. I'm trying to only buy used books these days (combination of "save money" and "new books will be christmas gifts"), and I can't find Habitation and of course Ashes won't be at used bookstores yet.

She knows her Celtish mythology and does a great job of meshing it with the modern world. I'm really impressed; faerie isn't my favorite type of fantasy, I often find them pretty boring, but these are great.

Nice reflection on the series. I have Rosemary and Rue around here somewhere -- I'll have to move it up the list. :)

Really very highly recommended, beserene! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Finished Book 107: Changeless by Gail Carriger
Parasol Protectorate, book 2
Adult, Fantasy (Steampunk), 374p

Finished Book 108: Soulless by Gail Carriger
Parasol Protectorate, book 1
Adult, Fantasy (Steampunk), audiobook, 10h48m

Finished Book 109: *Year of the Griffin by Diana Wynne Jones
Derkholm, book 2
Young Adult, Fantasy, 390p

Finished Book 110: Terrier by Tamora Pierce, read by Susan Denicker
Beka Cooper, book 1
Young Adult, Fantasy, Audiobook, 15h3m

110 / 150 books. 73% done.
47 / 75 *new books. 63% done.
3 / 5 ^non-fiction. 60% done.
29417 / 40000 pages. 74% done.
Audiobooks: 5d4h52m

Finished Book 111: Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce, read by Susan Denicker
Beka Cooper, book 2
Young Adult, Fantasy, Audiobook, 18h7m

Finished Book 112: *Ashes of Honor by Seanan McGuire
October Daye, book 6
Adult, Fantasy, 368p

Finished Book 113: Mastiff by Tamora Pierce
Beka Cooper, book 3
Young Adult, Fantasy, 608p

Finished Book 114: *Cart and Cwidder by Diana Wynne Jones
Dalemark Quartet, book 1
Young Adult, Fantasy, 193p

Finished Book 115: *Stealing the Elf-King's Roses by Diane Duane
Adult, Fantasy, 401p

I am counting this as a new read even though I read it a few years ago, because I remembered absolutely nothing about it.

115 / 150 books. 77% done.
50 / 75 *new books. 67% done.
3 / 5 ^non-fiction. 60% done.
30619 / 40000 pages. 77% done.
Audiobooks: 5d22h59m

I don't usually read a series out of order the first time, but I had a harder time finding this one for some reason.

Finished Book 116: *A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire
October Daye, book 2
Adult, Fantasy, 377p

October is sent to the County of Tamed Lightning on what should be an easy job: just check on the Countess and makes sure everything is okay. But of course, everything isn't okay...

A Local Habitation may be my least favorite book in the October Daye series. The characters and world are still a lot of fun, but the plot and resolution are weak, especially compared to the other books in the series.

I just finished Ashes of Honor this week myself, which I'd been saving for my trip, and enjoyed it. I agree with you that A Local Habitation is probably my least favorite of the series.

You've been reading all books I have read. I'd like to reread the Dalemark quartet, but don't know when I'd manage to work them in.

Ashes of Honor was great! Possibly the best yet, certainly one of the best.

I've realized awhile ago that there are a lot of DWJ books I haven't heard of, much less read, and she's on my list of "grab anything that I haven't seen before" authors. I found Cart and Cwidder at a used bookstore. Unfortunately I don't have any of the others - yet! A friend of mine has a duplicate set that she's going to give me :D

#102 -- The first three Dalemark books (Cart & Cwidder, Drowned Ammet, The Spellcoats) don't have to be read in any particular order.

103 foggidawn - While that's interesting to know, I still don't have any of the others.

#104 -- Just for future reference. :-)

>102 bluesalamanders:: Have you seen the newly issued singles, like A Tale of Time City and Fire and Hemlock? I just picked up a couple of those myself. They look great and I'm excited to see some of the (at least to me) more obscure DWJ titles out there. Because awesomeness. :)

October Round-Up

Overview:
15 books finished totaling 4444 pages and 1d19h58m
0 abandoned books

Adult/YA/J:
5 YA, 10 Adult

Genre:
15 Fantasy, 0 Science Fiction
0 Fiction, 0 Non-Fiction

Format:
12 Dead Tree, 0 Graphic Novel
3 Audiobook, 0 eBook

Author/Editor gender:
15 female, 0 male

New or Old:
7 new reads, 6 rereads

And the newly added:
Series:
14 in series, 1 standalone

Finished Book 117: The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Fire and Thorns, book 1
Young Adult, Fantasy, 423p

Reread. I liked it, but not quite as much as the first time I read it. I would prefer to read about fat/plain/etc women who do awesome things while being fat/plain/etc than ones who do awesome things only after losing weight or becoming beautiful or whatever. On the up side, there were several characters who loved her regardless of her appearance and the little boy was pretty great.

Finished Book 118: *The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson, read by Nicola Barber
Shades of London, book 1
Young Adult, Fantasy, audiobook, 9h50m

Nicola Barber had a pleasant enough voice, but I had trouble losing myself in the story while listening to her. Her Southern and British accents generally sounded okay (as far as I could tell), but her enunciation was far too precise for the Midwestern accent she used for the non-dialogue portions of the book and it constantly jarred me out of the story. I liked the book well enough, but I do not recommend the audiobook.

106 beserene - I don't know, I've just been picking up most of the DWJ books at used bookstores whenever I happen to run across them.

>107 bluesalamanders: EXACTLY 4444 pages?!? That's lucky!

110 norabelle - Isn't that neat? It's makes me feel like when the total at the grocery store comes out to $25 even or something. Numbers are funny.

Finished Book 119: The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
Young Adult, Fantasy, 292p

Finished Book 120: Old Man's War by John Scalzi
Old Man's War series, Book 1
Adult, Science Fiction, 313 pages

Rereads. I love both of these books a lot.

120 / 150 books. 80% done.
52 / 75 *new books. 69% done.
3 / 5 ^non-fiction. 60% done.
32024 / 40000 pages. 80% done.
Audiobooks: 6d8h49m

I'm getting ready to read the sequel to The Girl of Fire and Thorns in the next few days. And some good rereads there!

I've heard good things about that sequel, roni.

Finished Book 121: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle, read by Madeline L'Engle
Young Adult, Fantasy, Audiobook, 5h17m

I'm afraid this book doesn't do a lot for me. I want to love it like I did as a kid, but Meg is so whiny, all the other children act much older than their ages, and all the references to God are so out of place, it's jarring. I also didn't care for L'Engle's reading; her voice was harsh and grating and she emphasized odd parts of sentences.

Finished Book 122: The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi
Old Man's War series, Book 2
Adult, Science Fiction, 317 pages

Finished Book 123: The Last Colony by John Scalzi
Old Man's War series, Book 3
Adult, Science Fiction, 316 pages

I'm in a mood, apparently. Next up is Zoe's Tale.

Finished Book 124: Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi
Old Man's War series, Book 4
Young Adult, Science Fiction, 336 pages

Finished Book 125: *The Secret History of Moscow by Ekaterina Sedia
Adult, Fantasy, Fairy Tales, 289p

While I'm sure I missed a lot of nuance due to my unfamiliarity with Russian history and folk tales, enough is explained as things progress that it's just a fantastic story. I expect nothing else from Sedia and The Secret History of Moscow did not disappoint.

Finished Book 126: The Blue Girl by Charles de Lint
Newford Stories, book 17
Young Adult, Fantasy, 368p

126 / 150 books. 84% done.
53 / 75 *new books. 71% done.
3 / 5 ^non-fiction. 60% done.
33650 / 40000 pages. 84% done.
Audiobooks: 6d14h6m

I had to look up several things while reading Secret History of Moscow. My favorite surprise book of the year.

Have you read any of her other books? The Alchemy of Stone and Heart of Iron are both fantastic as well.

I've read Heart of Iron and have the other two...when will I get to them?

Finished Book 127: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games, book 1
Young Adult, Science Fiction, 374p

Finished Book 128: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games, book 2
Young Adult, Science Fiction, 391p

Finished Book 129: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games, book 3
Young Adult, Science Fiction, 390p

I saw the Hunger Games movie for the first time last week. I liked it, for the most part. I thought the casting in particular was spot-on. I'd been putting off rereading the books until I saw the movie, though, and then after seeing it I couldn't stop thinking about it, so I read all three books in about four days. I still think they're all fantastic. (I liked them before they were popular *sigh*)

Abandoned: Midnight Snack and Other Fairy Tales by Diane Duane
Young Adult, Fantasy (anthology), ebook

I read all of the short stories in this ebook, but I stumbled when I tried to read the screenplay at the end. The formatting is terrible on my ereader, rendering it basically unreadable. I've heard that on other ereaders this is not a problem, however.

As I've said in other reviews, Duane's strength is in novels, not short stories. I enjoyed several of the stories in Midnight Snack - "Cold Case" is okay, "Don't Put That In Your Mouth, You Don't Know Where It's Been" is cute, and "The House" is the best of them. Unfortunately, "Midnight Snack" felt like the beginning of a larger story, the climax of "Under My Skin" didn't really make sense, and the rest were just sort of forgettable.

November Round-Up

Overview:
13 books finished totaling 3169 pages and 0d15h7m
1 abandoned books

Adult/YA/J:
9 YA, 4 Adult

Genre:
6 Fantasy, 7 Science Fiction
0 Fiction, 0 Non-Fiction

Format:
11 Dead Tree, 0 Graphic Novel
2 Audiobook, 0 eBook

Author/Editor gender:
8 female, 5 male

New or Old:
2 new reads, 11 rereads

Series:
11 in series, 2 standalone

I haven't read the other Sedia's, I'll have to keep an eye open for them. I got the one as a convention freebie.

Finished Book 130: Spindle's End by Robin McKinley
Young Adult, Fantasy (Fairy Tale), 422p

I love this book - I probably liked fairy tales when I was a kid, but now the kind of story where the princess sits (or lays, as the case may be) around waiting for the prince to rescue her don't appeal to me. This is a much more active story, with the princess taking part in her own defense. The animal characters are fantastic - the different personalities they have seem so appropriate to the species. And as always with McKinley's books, the description is incredible, with so much detail that the world seems to come alive.

Finished Book 131: *Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire
InCryptid, book 1
Adult, Fantasy (Urban), 344p

A little lighter and more playful than the October Daye series, Discount Armageddon follows Verity Price - strip-club waitress by day, cryptozoologist by night, professional ballroom dancer in between - as she tries to figure out where the monsters - creatures - people she's trying to protect are disappearing to.

131 / 150 books. 87% done.
54 / 75 *new books. 72% done.
3 / 5 ^non-fiction. 60% done.
35571 / 40000 pages. 89% done.
Audiobooks: 6d14h6m

Both books in your latest post sound interesting!! Off to the wish list I go :)

I certainly recommend both of them! Enjoy (you know...when you get to them ;).

Been meaning to read Spindle's End for a while. Next year it is :)

#126- That's so true!!!! "When" may be a long way off...

128 Don't I know it! my TBR list grows much faster than I can read books off of it.

Amen!!! ;)

Spindle's End is totally worth putting at the top of the wish list. :)

Finished Book 132: *Drowned Ammet by Diana Wynne Jones
The Dalemark Quartet, book 2
Young Adult, Fantasy, 320p

Finished Book 133: *The Spellcoats by Diana Wynne Jones
The Dalemark Quartet, book 3
Young Adult, Fantasy, 280p

Finished Book 134: *The Crown of Dalemark by Diana Wynne Jones
The Dalemark Quartet, book 4
Young Adult, Fantasy, 402p

The first three books in the Dalemark Quartet don't appear to have that much in common, except for being set in the same country - the characters, the regions, even the times that they take place are all different. But it all comes together in the final book, when a group of travelers set off on a quest of sorts. They're not all there for quite the same reasons, though.

Such a rich series! I think these were my first introduction to DWJ. I want to reread them--it's been a long time.

I reread the first three just recently (well, within the past few years) -- I should get to the fourth before they go all hazy in my memory.

foggidawn - Definitely read the fourth before that happens! There are so many references and links and ways that they all connect. It's a beautifully plotted series.

roni - I'm definitely going to be rereading these. As you say, it is a very rich series and (though I forgot to mark it) this is the first time I've ever read them.

>132 bluesalamanders:: It's been a while since I've read them, too. In fact, all I remember about them right now are their titles, and the fact that I read them. Maybe I should ...

Finished Book 135: First Test by Tamora Pierce
Protector of the Small, book 1
Young Adult, Fantasy, 206p

Finished Book 136: Page by Tamora Pierce
Protector of the Small, book 2
Young Adult, Fantasy, 288p

I've been following Mark Reads as he reads the Song of the Lioness quartet for the first time (I first read those books 20 years ago and have read them dozens of times since, so I have little to no objectivity on them anymore; his reactions are alternately fascinating and adorable) and it put me in the mood to read some other Pierce books. He's almost done with Lioness Rampant and will probably read the Immortals series next, but I read all those recently, so Protector of the Small it is.

136 / 150 books. 91% done.
57 / 75 *new books. 76% done.
3 / 5 ^non-fiction. 60% done.
37067 / 40000 pages. 93% done.
Audiobooks: 6d14h6m

I really should follow Mark Reads -- I loved "Mark Reads Twilight (So You Don't Have To)" but didn't keep up with his posts after that.

I only read some of them, because he's read a lot of things that I'm not interested in at all. But Mark Reads Song of the Lioness is great. I also enjoy a lot of his videos (he's done videos for some chapters from each book, I think). He's going to read ALL OF TORTALL. Oh man. There are like 16 books!

Tammy Pierce's birthday today, btw!

I was just coming over here to say the same thing :) Just saw it

Finished Book 137: Squire by Tamora Pierce
Protector of the Small, book 3
Young Adult, Fantasy, 380p

Finished Book 138: Lady Knight by Tamora Pierce
Protector of the Small, book 4
Young Adult, Fantasy, 409p

Currently reading: Starpilot's Grave by Debra Doyle and James D. Macdonald

Finished Book 139: *Starpilot's Grave by Debra Doyle and James D. Macdonald
Mageworlds, book 2
Adult, Science Fiction (science fantasy), 442p

I don't, as a rule, care for the kind of epic series that bounces around among thirty-seven main characters and fifteen intertwining plot threads, but Mageworlds has proven to be the exception. The writing is good, I care about enough of the characters that I can remember (for the most part) who's who and doing what where, and the books are long enough to be satisfying but not so long that they are unwieldy to carry around or take forever and a day to read.

Also, there is a decent proportion and variety of female characters, which is especially noteworthy after complete lack of women beyond two main characters in the first book.

Up Next:
By Honor Betray'd by Debra Doyle and James D. Macdonald or
Deep Wizardry: New Millennium Edition by Diane Duane

Finished Book 140: Deep Wizardry: New Millennium Edition by Diane Duane
Young Wizards, book 2
Young Adult, Fantasy, ebook, 190p

Nita and Kit are on vacation with Nita's family when they meet up with some friendly local sea life just in time to participate in a large-scale wizardry set to save the whole east coast and North Atlantic.

Deep Wizardry may be my favorite book in the Young Wizards series. The story is heartbreaking, the additional characters are wonderful with surprising depths and the undersea setting has both beautiful descriptions and incredible dangers. The New Millennium Edition adds a bit of modern-day technology and updates some dialogue and pop-culture references, but the story is the same. As with the first book, I may not agree with all of the changes but I understand the reasons for most of them and hope they help the series attract new readers.

140 / 150 books. 97% done.
58 / 75 *new books. 76% done.
3 / 5 ^non-fiction. 77% done.
38488 / 40000 pages. 96% done.
Audiobooks: 6d14h6m

Currently reading:
High Wizardry: New Millennium Edition by Diane Duane

Hmmmm, I have the first four of the Mageworld books in my tbr pile--seemed somewhat similar to the Liaden and Vorkosivere books I enjoy so much--but have never gotten around to them.

You know I enjoy the Duane books immensely, but I don't know if I will invest in the revised editions--what do you think?

It's up to you, roni. They're certainly not necessary if you're already a fan of the books, but I was curious to see how DD had chosen to update things - and also I collect certain authors' work, and she's one of them. They're only available as ebooks right now but will hopefully be available POD at some point.

I haven't heard of Liaden and Vorkosivere so I can't speak to that comparison, but thus far I'd certainly recommend the Mageworlds series.

Glitterfy.com - Christmas Glitter Graphics

I want to wish you a glorious celebration of that time of year when we all try to unite around a desire for Peace on Earth and Good Will Toward All. Merry Christmas, blue!

And you really should check out the Liaden universe (start with Agent of Change) or the Vorkosivere (start with Shards of Honor), for your own enjoyment.

Merry Christmas blue!

Thanks! Happy Christmas, everyone!

roni, I've added both of those to my TBR list :)

I'll second the Vorkosiverse, as someone who has read all three series. Bujold is on my list of buy-everything.

Any word if Duane will finish the Door Into... series?

quinaquisset - It's on her to-do list, but not very high up. The books have never sold especially well, so she needs to spend her time doing other things so she can, you know, eat and stuff :) See here for more info.

Speaking of that series, I just read a novella set in that world.

Finished Book 141: High Wizardry: New Millennium Edition by Diane Duane
Young Wizards, book 3
Young Adult, Fantasy, Ebook, 166p

Nita's little sister Dairine becomes a wizard, copies the new family computer, and starts jumping around the Solar System, all in one day.

The story moves between Dairine testing her new powers and Kit and Nita chasing after her. Dairine was portrayed as a precocious brat in previous books, but now we get to see deeper into her character and also (as usual) meet exciting new characters as well.

This is the first of the New Millennium Editions that I actually found somewhat better than the original. The updated technology and a few dialogue tweaks really help the story flow.

Finished Book 142: *Lior and the Sea by Diane Duane (novella)
Tale of the Five (aka Middle Kingdom or Door Into...), short story
Adult, Fantasy, Ebook, 33p

A sweet and surprisingly complex story about a sorceress who falls in love with the Sea.

Finished Book 143: *Wookie the Chew "The House at Chew Corner" by James Hance and Max Michaels
Children's, Fantasy, 24p

Wookie the Chew is an adorable book; a Star Wars parody of Winnie the Pooh complete with Wookie the Chew, Droidlet, and the Dark Side of the Forest. The writing is fantastic, easily recognizable as the Winnie the Pood style but full of Star Wars references that will leave fans breathless with laughter. The illustrations are absolutely darling. I read it out loud to my family and we all enjoyed it. I don't know how available the book is, but if you can get ahold of it, I highly recommend it.

143 / 150 books. 95% done.
60 / 75 *new books. 80% done.
3 / 5 ^non-fiction. 77% done.
38711 / 40000 pages. 97% done.
Audiobooks: 6d14h6m

Here's to a great new year ahead, blue! I've enjoyed following your thread so much.

December Round-Up

Overview:
14 books finished totaling 3873 pages and 0d0h0m
0 abandoned books

Adult/YA/J:
11 YA, 1 Adult

Genre:
13 Fantasy, 1 Science Fiction
0 Fiction, 0 Non-Fiction

Format:
11 Dead Tree, 0 Graphic Novel
0 Audiobook, 3 eBook

Author/Editor gender:
13 female, 3 male

New or Old:
7 new reads, 7 rereads

Series:
12 in series, 2 standalone

2012 End-of-Year Roundup (With Extra Stats This Time)

Total books: 143 (last year: 135)
Total new books: 60 (last year: 68)
Total pages: 38711 (last year: 29599)
Total audiobook time: 6d14h6m (last year: 2d21h50m)

F/SF rereads: 80 (last year: 56)
F/SF new reads: 49 (last year: 59)
Fiction rereads: 3 (last year: 11)
Fiction new reads: 8 (last year: 6)
Nonfiction new reads: 3 (last year: 3)
Books abandoned: 6

Average pages per day: 106 (last year: 81)
Unique books: 137 (last year: 133)
Books read twice during 2012: 6 (last year: 2)

YA or Adult:
90 YA, 53 Adult

Genre:
100 Fantasy, 29 Science Fiction
11 Fiction, 3 Non-Fiction

Format:
108 Dead Tree, 2 Graphic Novel
18 eBook, 15 Audiobook

Author/editor gender:
125 female, 29 male

Series:
117 series, 26 standalone

I didn't make any of my goals this year, but that's ok. 143/150 is close, and I've read a lot of great books. I'm less happy about only getting to 60 of my goal of 75 new books - that means that over half the books I read were rereads, and that's something I've been trying to curtail (to a degree). However, it has been a difficult year, what with my mom almost dying and everything. Hopefully 2013 will be better.

I tracked some new stats this year and some of them are interesting. For instance, I've suspected that I favored female authors, but now it's clear just how much I do, when over 80% of the books I read this year have female authors or editors. Apparently my ideal book is a YA fantasy, in a series, written by a woman. Well, I can't say that that particularly surprises me.

This way to my 2013 thread.