2010: A Year in Books
Dec. 30th, 2010 12:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
uberreinigerAt the beginning of this year I made one very simple New Year's Resolution: to read more novels. Being a slow reader who has a hard time concentrating, I set what I felt to be a realistic and reasonable goal of 25 books, since previous goals of 50 had never come close to working out. I am proud to say that not only did I meet this goal, I exceeded it having finished a total of 32 novels this year. Now if only I had written that many!
The Onion Girl by Charles De Lint - Jilly's successful career as an artist is cut short when she's crippled in a hit-and-run car accident. Which makes it a very bad time for her dark, violent past to come looking for her... Very moving, well-written novel and the perfect introduction to De Lint's large stable of recurring characters.
Into the Green by Charles De Lint - One of his early works, an endearing high fantasy about a female bard on a quest. Shows the beginnings of his favorite themes of music and magic in forms as simple as the power of love and family.
The Harp of the Gray Rose by Charles De Lint - Similar to Into the Green only this time featuring a male bard who's in love with a literal goddess. De Lint shows his debt to fantasy authors ranging from Tolkien to Beagle, but it never feels derivative.
Trader by Charles De Lint - Our author of sentimental fantasy shows his suspense chops. Here De Lint addresses the all-too-real horror of identity theft... But what do you do when the con man behind it has figured out how to steal your body as well?
Sheepfarmer's Daughter by Elizabeth Moon - Book one of her Deed of Paksennarion saga; Paks flees from a forced marriage and becomes a hero on the battlefield. A fantasy that's very true to the nature of war with endearing characters regularly killed off with cold abruptness, and also features one particularly brutal scene of sexual violence. But the message of brotherhood among soldiers and the fact that they are part of something greater than themselves holds true. Solid book.
The Age of Ra by James Lovegrove - "What If?" story where Earth in the early 21st century is ruled by Egyptian gods. Exciting premise, but the novel didn't quite live up to expectations.
Seraphim by Michele Hauf - In medieval France, noblewoman Seraphim dons her brother's armor to avenge the massacre of her family by a clan of demons. Cheap, badly-written romance novel masquerading as a dark fantasy that will only alienate fans of either.
Eve of Destruction by S.J. Day - Book 2 in Day's Eve series finds Heaven's newest demon hunter resurrected and sent into the field for further training. A frequent complaint is that the book's ending comes out of nowhere with the heroine figuring things out instantly for no reason. Also, the blurb's hyped subplot of a television crew getting tangled up in Eve's adventures doesn't really go anywhere. It was okay, but I won't be continuing this series.
Daughter of the Game by Tracy Grant - Period espionage thriller wherein a pair of 18th century British aristocrats go in search of their missing son. Riveting but almost a little too suspenseful. When every single chapter ends with either an attack or a big reveal it starts to wear the reader down. In all a good package of action, romance, and character development.
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan - Post-apocalyptic YA novel set in an isolated religious community who believe they are the only humans left in the world. Imagine The Handmaid's Tale with zombies. The protagonist is very whiny, but even that doesn't get in the way of this riveting story.
The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan - Follow-up to The Forest of Hands and Teeth and very good as long as you don't mind basically reading that novel over again.
Stones of My Accusers by Tracy Groot - A Christian fiction novel that's neither preachy nor heavy-handed; tells the story of a Roman bureaucrat desperately trying to keep a Jewish community safe in the wake of the turmoil following Christ's crucifixion. Very solid historical and social detail and surprisingly respectful of Jewish and pagan beliefs.
The Kite Runner by Khalid Hosseini - An immigrant to America finds his tragic past catching up to him as the Taliban takes control of his native Afghanistan. Very moving, well-written novel about friendship and redemption, even if having a blonde-haired neo-Nazi as one of the main antagonists was a bit over the top.
The Mystery of Grace by Charles De Lint - Grace is trapped in a town she literally can't leave and in love with a man who doesn't know how to find her. It almost makes being dead the least of her worries. Not De Lint's best work; I could tell the protagonist's ethnic background and interests were things he merely did research on rather than really had passionate personal interest in. Still good though, and with a decidedly darker, more Stephen King feel than his other works. Speaking of...
From a Buick 8 by Stephen King - A disfigured, black-clad man abandons an antique car at a gas station - and begins a twenty-year adventure for a group of Maine state troopers as they begin to receive glimpses of what may lie on the other side of our world... and what is trying to come through. Has all the best features of a good King novel in a more concise package than wandering behemoths like The Stand and IT.
Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey - Raised as a spy and courtesan in the decadent realm of Terra D'Ange, Phaedre is coveted for her unique super power: she derives pleasure from intense pain. Fun as she might be at parties, probably not someone you'd trust the fate of a nation too, right? Unfortunately, they don't have a choice... I've read it before but it's such a memorable novel that it's one of the few I pick up and read again every few years.
The Book of Mordred by Vivian Vande Velde - The Arthurian villain gets a heroic makeover through the eyes of three women he meets during his life. Solid retelling of the Arthur legend from an alternate viewpoint that still stays true to the original legends. A sad ending is unavoidable, but doesn't end on as much of a downer as you might be expecting.
Farnham's Freehold by Robert Heinlein - This one's hard to describe without giving anything away, but I'll say it's designed to make you not take your position in society for granted. Heinlein's style and message aren't for everyone but I liked it.
The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle - Testoserone-fueled military sci-fi space opera disguised as a 2001-style philosophy piece about first contact with an alien species. They did a great job constructing the truly alien society but the human characters were painful to read; especially the atheistic Arab merchant who abruptly wants to kill all aliens in the name of Allah because he finds them scary and the hand-wringing scientist who is constantly proven wrong by the hard military men, even on matters of science.
Armed and Magical by Lisa Shearin - High fantasy romp featuring gorgeous female warrior Raine Barnes who is mentally linked to a doomsday artifact and constantly fending off the advances of comely elven males and even comelier... goblin males!? Fluffy, trashy, as brief and unsatisfying as cotton candy, and I want to read more, more, MORE!
Gerald's Game by Stephen King - Picture Saw as a sex game gone wrong; a woman is chained to a bed naked, her husband is dead on the floor, and something that may or may not be a figment of her imagination may be coming to kill her. She could mutilate her body to escape, but every good mutilation tool is just out of reach... You wouldn't think a novel where the main character can't move from one spot would be very good but it is, oh it is...
Three Hands for Scorpio by Andre Norton - Norton's final novel; a set of psychic triplets are left to fend for themselves in a bizarre subterranean realm. Norton has a flare for describing the weird; I loved the setting. But the sisters are too cold and alien themselves to be sympathetic or very enjoyable to read. It gets worse when Norton forgets who is narrating a scene and switches narrators in mid-paragraph. Where was her editor in this mess?
Melusine by Sarah Monette - In this novel of cruelty, sexual abuse, and dark, dark magic the helpless mage Felix Harrowgate is forced to commit a crime. Driven insane as a side effect, he is unable to defend himself from his accusers. Very intense novels; she handled Felix's schizophrenic moments particularly well. Still, she feels like a fanfiction writer who's giving it her first go at the real thing and hasn't quite got a handle on it yet. I want to read the next books in the series, but I'm not quite ready to just yet.
The 47th Samurai by Stephen Hunter - Action hero Bob Lee Swagger tries to avenge the murder of a Japanese family; a murder tied to his own father's history as a soldier in World War II. Not the kind of book I'd ordinarily read, but I'm glad I did. Hunter has a knack for pacing, character development, and a love of history that he shares with the reader. Definitely a book for samurai enthusiasts like myself.
Boneshaker by Cherie Priest - Engrossing steampunk novel about the mad scientist who destroyed Seattle, his teenage son who is searching for his legacy, and his wife who ventures into the city's zombie-filled ruins to rescue the only family she has left. Features airships, zombies, and a lot of heartwarming; probably Priest's best novel so far.
Swan Song by Robert McCammon - Human civilization has been apocalyptically destroyed and the survivors are lining up on lines of supernatural good and evil; a magical woman on the former side, the devil himself on the latter. Sound like Stephen King's The Stand? No, as good as that novel was this one's better.
The City & The City by China Mieville - Two cities occupying the same space where the greatest crime is for the inhabitants of either one to acknowledge the existence of the other. When a political murder threatens this delicate balance what you get is not your average detective novel. Yes, China Mieville wrote a gumshoe noir detective novel as only he can and as only he would. Love-him-or-hate-him writer that he is, this book is the same way. I loved it, your mileage may vary.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - Another classic I was overdue to re-read. Even though books may be threatened by obsolescence in our world thanks to digital media, Bradbury's dystopian future doesn't feel dated or quaint. The strength of the book is in its arguments and in protagonist Guy Montague's almost dreamlike state. Eerie and beautiful.
The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman - The beginning of a very good story about a boy raised to become an assassin for an oppressive religious order escaping and finding his freedom. It quickly falls apart in the second act when bullying and lame attempts and political intrigue pass for plot advancement. I won't be reading further installments in his adventures.
The First Law Trilogy: The Blade Itself, Until They Are Hanged, and The Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie - Easier to do these three books as one than review each individually. The First Law is one of the bloodiest, darkest, most cynical fantasy series out there and it's amazing. All the heroes are flawed and unlikely: a spoiled brat, a mass-murdering barbarian warrior, and a torture victim turned torturer to name a few. But even the darkest demons have redeeming features and the noblest saints have bloodstained robes in Abercrombie's work. His writing style is dry but fits the story. I won't waste time describing it. If you like very dark but very accurate and sensitive portraits of the human condition then you should read this set of novels.
I am now finishing the year as I began it: reading a Charles De Lint novel. I thought about setting an even higher goal next year but I'm still debating, not wanting to bite off more than I can chew. In 2010 I read more books than in any other year of my life and that feels pretty good. I've got most of my reading for next year already laid out anyway so I plan to just read it and then see how much more I can squeeze in after it's done. Happy New Year!
The Onion Girl by Charles De Lint - Jilly's successful career as an artist is cut short when she's crippled in a hit-and-run car accident. Which makes it a very bad time for her dark, violent past to come looking for her... Very moving, well-written novel and the perfect introduction to De Lint's large stable of recurring characters.
Into the Green by Charles De Lint - One of his early works, an endearing high fantasy about a female bard on a quest. Shows the beginnings of his favorite themes of music and magic in forms as simple as the power of love and family.
The Harp of the Gray Rose by Charles De Lint - Similar to Into the Green only this time featuring a male bard who's in love with a literal goddess. De Lint shows his debt to fantasy authors ranging from Tolkien to Beagle, but it never feels derivative.
Trader by Charles De Lint - Our author of sentimental fantasy shows his suspense chops. Here De Lint addresses the all-too-real horror of identity theft... But what do you do when the con man behind it has figured out how to steal your body as well?
Sheepfarmer's Daughter by Elizabeth Moon - Book one of her Deed of Paksennarion saga; Paks flees from a forced marriage and becomes a hero on the battlefield. A fantasy that's very true to the nature of war with endearing characters regularly killed off with cold abruptness, and also features one particularly brutal scene of sexual violence. But the message of brotherhood among soldiers and the fact that they are part of something greater than themselves holds true. Solid book.
The Age of Ra by James Lovegrove - "What If?" story where Earth in the early 21st century is ruled by Egyptian gods. Exciting premise, but the novel didn't quite live up to expectations.
Seraphim by Michele Hauf - In medieval France, noblewoman Seraphim dons her brother's armor to avenge the massacre of her family by a clan of demons. Cheap, badly-written romance novel masquerading as a dark fantasy that will only alienate fans of either.
Eve of Destruction by S.J. Day - Book 2 in Day's Eve series finds Heaven's newest demon hunter resurrected and sent into the field for further training. A frequent complaint is that the book's ending comes out of nowhere with the heroine figuring things out instantly for no reason. Also, the blurb's hyped subplot of a television crew getting tangled up in Eve's adventures doesn't really go anywhere. It was okay, but I won't be continuing this series.
Daughter of the Game by Tracy Grant - Period espionage thriller wherein a pair of 18th century British aristocrats go in search of their missing son. Riveting but almost a little too suspenseful. When every single chapter ends with either an attack or a big reveal it starts to wear the reader down. In all a good package of action, romance, and character development.
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan - Post-apocalyptic YA novel set in an isolated religious community who believe they are the only humans left in the world. Imagine The Handmaid's Tale with zombies. The protagonist is very whiny, but even that doesn't get in the way of this riveting story.
The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan - Follow-up to The Forest of Hands and Teeth and very good as long as you don't mind basically reading that novel over again.
Stones of My Accusers by Tracy Groot - A Christian fiction novel that's neither preachy nor heavy-handed; tells the story of a Roman bureaucrat desperately trying to keep a Jewish community safe in the wake of the turmoil following Christ's crucifixion. Very solid historical and social detail and surprisingly respectful of Jewish and pagan beliefs.
The Kite Runner by Khalid Hosseini - An immigrant to America finds his tragic past catching up to him as the Taliban takes control of his native Afghanistan. Very moving, well-written novel about friendship and redemption, even if having a blonde-haired neo-Nazi as one of the main antagonists was a bit over the top.
The Mystery of Grace by Charles De Lint - Grace is trapped in a town she literally can't leave and in love with a man who doesn't know how to find her. It almost makes being dead the least of her worries. Not De Lint's best work; I could tell the protagonist's ethnic background and interests were things he merely did research on rather than really had passionate personal interest in. Still good though, and with a decidedly darker, more Stephen King feel than his other works. Speaking of...
From a Buick 8 by Stephen King - A disfigured, black-clad man abandons an antique car at a gas station - and begins a twenty-year adventure for a group of Maine state troopers as they begin to receive glimpses of what may lie on the other side of our world... and what is trying to come through. Has all the best features of a good King novel in a more concise package than wandering behemoths like The Stand and IT.
Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey - Raised as a spy and courtesan in the decadent realm of Terra D'Ange, Phaedre is coveted for her unique super power: she derives pleasure from intense pain. Fun as she might be at parties, probably not someone you'd trust the fate of a nation too, right? Unfortunately, they don't have a choice... I've read it before but it's such a memorable novel that it's one of the few I pick up and read again every few years.
The Book of Mordred by Vivian Vande Velde - The Arthurian villain gets a heroic makeover through the eyes of three women he meets during his life. Solid retelling of the Arthur legend from an alternate viewpoint that still stays true to the original legends. A sad ending is unavoidable, but doesn't end on as much of a downer as you might be expecting.
Farnham's Freehold by Robert Heinlein - This one's hard to describe without giving anything away, but I'll say it's designed to make you not take your position in society for granted. Heinlein's style and message aren't for everyone but I liked it.
The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle - Testoserone-fueled military sci-fi space opera disguised as a 2001-style philosophy piece about first contact with an alien species. They did a great job constructing the truly alien society but the human characters were painful to read; especially the atheistic Arab merchant who abruptly wants to kill all aliens in the name of Allah because he finds them scary and the hand-wringing scientist who is constantly proven wrong by the hard military men, even on matters of science.
Armed and Magical by Lisa Shearin - High fantasy romp featuring gorgeous female warrior Raine Barnes who is mentally linked to a doomsday artifact and constantly fending off the advances of comely elven males and even comelier... goblin males!? Fluffy, trashy, as brief and unsatisfying as cotton candy, and I want to read more, more, MORE!
Gerald's Game by Stephen King - Picture Saw as a sex game gone wrong; a woman is chained to a bed naked, her husband is dead on the floor, and something that may or may not be a figment of her imagination may be coming to kill her. She could mutilate her body to escape, but every good mutilation tool is just out of reach... You wouldn't think a novel where the main character can't move from one spot would be very good but it is, oh it is...
Three Hands for Scorpio by Andre Norton - Norton's final novel; a set of psychic triplets are left to fend for themselves in a bizarre subterranean realm. Norton has a flare for describing the weird; I loved the setting. But the sisters are too cold and alien themselves to be sympathetic or very enjoyable to read. It gets worse when Norton forgets who is narrating a scene and switches narrators in mid-paragraph. Where was her editor in this mess?
Melusine by Sarah Monette - In this novel of cruelty, sexual abuse, and dark, dark magic the helpless mage Felix Harrowgate is forced to commit a crime. Driven insane as a side effect, he is unable to defend himself from his accusers. Very intense novels; she handled Felix's schizophrenic moments particularly well. Still, she feels like a fanfiction writer who's giving it her first go at the real thing and hasn't quite got a handle on it yet. I want to read the next books in the series, but I'm not quite ready to just yet.
The 47th Samurai by Stephen Hunter - Action hero Bob Lee Swagger tries to avenge the murder of a Japanese family; a murder tied to his own father's history as a soldier in World War II. Not the kind of book I'd ordinarily read, but I'm glad I did. Hunter has a knack for pacing, character development, and a love of history that he shares with the reader. Definitely a book for samurai enthusiasts like myself.
Boneshaker by Cherie Priest - Engrossing steampunk novel about the mad scientist who destroyed Seattle, his teenage son who is searching for his legacy, and his wife who ventures into the city's zombie-filled ruins to rescue the only family she has left. Features airships, zombies, and a lot of heartwarming; probably Priest's best novel so far.
Swan Song by Robert McCammon - Human civilization has been apocalyptically destroyed and the survivors are lining up on lines of supernatural good and evil; a magical woman on the former side, the devil himself on the latter. Sound like Stephen King's The Stand? No, as good as that novel was this one's better.
The City & The City by China Mieville - Two cities occupying the same space where the greatest crime is for the inhabitants of either one to acknowledge the existence of the other. When a political murder threatens this delicate balance what you get is not your average detective novel. Yes, China Mieville wrote a gumshoe noir detective novel as only he can and as only he would. Love-him-or-hate-him writer that he is, this book is the same way. I loved it, your mileage may vary.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - Another classic I was overdue to re-read. Even though books may be threatened by obsolescence in our world thanks to digital media, Bradbury's dystopian future doesn't feel dated or quaint. The strength of the book is in its arguments and in protagonist Guy Montague's almost dreamlike state. Eerie and beautiful.
The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman - The beginning of a very good story about a boy raised to become an assassin for an oppressive religious order escaping and finding his freedom. It quickly falls apart in the second act when bullying and lame attempts and political intrigue pass for plot advancement. I won't be reading further installments in his adventures.
The First Law Trilogy: The Blade Itself, Until They Are Hanged, and The Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie - Easier to do these three books as one than review each individually. The First Law is one of the bloodiest, darkest, most cynical fantasy series out there and it's amazing. All the heroes are flawed and unlikely: a spoiled brat, a mass-murdering barbarian warrior, and a torture victim turned torturer to name a few. But even the darkest demons have redeeming features and the noblest saints have bloodstained robes in Abercrombie's work. His writing style is dry but fits the story. I won't waste time describing it. If you like very dark but very accurate and sensitive portraits of the human condition then you should read this set of novels.
I am now finishing the year as I began it: reading a Charles De Lint novel. I thought about setting an even higher goal next year but I'm still debating, not wanting to bite off more than I can chew. In 2010 I read more books than in any other year of my life and that feels pretty good. I've got most of my reading for next year already laid out anyway so I plan to just read it and then see how much more I can squeeze in after it's done. Happy New Year!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-12-30 07:25 pm (UTC)"So many books. So little time."
no subject
Date: 2010-12-31 07:16 am (UTC)Enjoy the Kindle. They really are nice to have.
no subject
Date: 2010-12-30 07:39 pm (UTC)Oh, I read Gerald's Game when I was FAR TO YOUNG to be picking up a Stephen King novel, let alone one with that subject matter, but I was engrossed and read the whole thing in a day or two. That's one of two full King novels I've read all the way through (the other is Rose Matter). I far prefer his short stories (or Dean Koontz).
Are you on Goodreads? If not, you should check it out.
no subject
Date: 2010-12-31 07:13 am (UTC)Melusine suffers from being pointlessly long. She could have cut out about 150 pages of pointless Felix torture and not have detracted from the story at all. I fear the next book will be more of the same.
I had the reverse happen with Gerald's Game. I've had this copy since 1995 and finally read it this year. It is indeed probably better that I waited. I do like his short stories a lot. I don't read that many short stories and his are some of the few I truly like.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-04 07:17 pm (UTC)Gerald's Game is the reason that I have leather cuffs with buckles and carbiners instead of handcuffs for that kind of bedroom sport. I read it when I was 14 (when it first came out), which I'm sure impacted some of how I am today.
Hmmm.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-04 11:46 pm (UTC)I think it's very telling that in Gerald's Game the whole S&M aspect is one of the least disturbing things in the whole book.