Books I Read in 2013

(symptom: being excessively engaged in tasks that require exquisite attention to detail, such as list-making)

Summary

85 books by 66 different authors (having read 6 by Sue Grafton; 4 by Lawrence Block; 3 each by Stephen King, Charles Todd, and J. D. Robb; and 2 each by Colin Cotterill, Neil Gaiman, Robert B. Parker, Rick Riordan, and Iain M. Banks) from 13 countries (including the Netherlands, Mexico, Pakistan, Spain, Germany, Scotland, New Zealand, and the Dominican Republic).

Genres

Young adult, 2%

Alternate history, 4%

General and literary fiction, 4%

Action & adventure, 5%

Humor, 7%

Nonfiction, 7%

Romance, 8%

Thriller/ suspense, 8%

Horror, 8%
Fantasy, 9%

Scifi, 14%

Historical fiction, 18%

Mystery & detective, 41%

(total greater than 100 due to some books fitting multiple categories)

50 out of the 85 (59%) won a major award or were named to a Best Of list in the year of their publication.

Top 10 Reads of 2013

1. Life After Life, by Kate Atkinson (2013 - recursive lifetimes through both world wars) 
2. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, by Louis de Bernières (1997 - family, friendship, war, and romance on a Greek island)
3. The Beekeeper's Apprentice, by Laura R. King (1994 - Holmes and protege just after WWI)
4. Thirty-Three Teeth, by Colin Cotterill (2005 - Laotian coroner sees dead people, solves crimes)
5. A Case of Exploding Mangoes, by Mohammed Hanif (2008 - satirical send-up of Pakistani military and intelligence bureaucracies)
6. Saturday, by Ian McEwan (2005 - post-9/11 anxieties and the delicate balance of an ordered life)
7. Tinkers, by Paul Harding (2008 - from the mind of a dying man)
8. The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman (2013 - the darkest of fairy tales)
9. Stardust, by Neil Gaiman (1999 - a perfect fairy tale) 
10. The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro (1989 - societal change through the eyes of an English butler)

Least Favorite Books of 2013

1. 13 Is the New 18: And Other Things My Children Taught Me--While I Was Having a Nervous Breakdown Being Their Mother, by Beth J. Harpaz (2009 - nonfiction, parenting humor) 
2. Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?: A Rock 'n' Roll Memoir, by Steven Tyler (2011 - nonfiction, narcissistic celebrity memoir)
3. Immortal in Death, by J. D. Robb (1996 - romantic scifi mystery)
4. Vengeance in Death, by J. D. Robb (1997 - romantic scifi mystery)
5. Witness in Death, by J. D. Robb (2000 - romantic scifi mystery)
6. City at the End of Time, by Greg Bear (2008 - time traveling psychedelic scifi) 
7. This Is the Way the World Ends, by James Morrow (1986 - satiric apocalyptic scifi) 
8. Under the Dome, by Stephen King (2009 - horror / scifi)
9. Angelology, by Danielle Trussoni (2010 - fantastical creatures, secret societies)
10. Fire and Ice, by Dana Stabenow (1998 - mystery & race relations in Alaska)

The Chronological List

January

Q Is for Quarry, by Sue Grafton

R Is for Ricochet, by Sue Grafton

S Is for Silence, by Sue Grafton

T Is for Trespass, by Sue Grafton

U Is for Undertow, by Sue Grafton

Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime, by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin

The Lies of Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch

February

V Is for Vengeance, by Sue Grafton

Immortal in Death, by J. D. Robb

Under the Dome, by Stephen King

Vengeance in Death, by J. D. Robb

March

The Brief History of the Dead, by Kevin Brockmeier

This Is the Way the World Ends, by John Frostig

Witness in Death, by J. D. Robb

Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?: A Rock 'n' Roll Memoir, by Steven Tyler

Eating the Dinosaur, by Chuck Klosterman

The Gun Seller, by Hugh Laurie

Stories I Only Tell My Friends: The Autobiography, by Rob Lowe

Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities, by Amy Stewart

April

Starfarers, by Poul Anderson

The Twelve, by Justin Cronin

The Beekeeper's Apprentice, by Laurie R. King

Thirty-Three Teeth, by Colin Cotterill

May

Excession, by Iain M. Banks

The Coroner's Lunch, by Colin Cotterill

13 Is the New 18: And Other Things My Children Taught Me While I Was Having a Nervous Breakdown Being Their Mother, by Beth J. Harpaz

June

Quicksilver, by Neal Stephenson

City at the End of Time, by Greg Bear

July

The Drop, by Michael Connelly

Helliconia Winter, by Brian W. Aldiss

Search the Dark, by Charles Todd

A Dance at the Slaughterhouse, by Lawrence Block

Out on the Cutting Edge, by Lawrence Block

When the Sacred Ginmill Closes, by Lawrence Block

Fire and Ice, by Dana Stabenow

The First Rule, by Robert Crais

The Robots of Dawn, by Isaac Asimov

Wings of Fire, by Charles Todd

August

Angelology, by Danielle Trussoni

Bridget Jones's Diary, by Helen Fielding

The Enemy, by Lee Child

The Little Country, by Charles De Lint

One for the Money, by Janet Evanovich

A Scanner Darkly, by Philip K. Dick

The Stone Monkey, by Jeffrey Deaver

The Vampire Tapestry, by Suzy McKee Charnas

Big Red Tequila, by Rick Riordan

Eight Million Ways to Die, by Lawrence Block

Captain Corelli's Mandolin, by Louis de Bernières 

Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn

September

Legacy of the Dead, by Charles Todd

The Hangman's Daughter, by Oliver Pötzsch

Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War, by Karl Malantes

Inversions, by Iain M. Banks

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz

Count Zero, by William Gibson

The Nautical Chart, by Arturo Pérez-Reverte

The Zebra-Striped Hearse, by Ross Macdonald

October

In the Shadow of Gotham, Stefanie Pintoff

Stardust, by Neil Gaiman

Firefly Lane, by Kristin Hannah

Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison

The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Devil Went Down to Austin, by Rick Riordan

Promised Land, by Robert B. Parker

Like Water for Chocolate, by Laura Equivel

Pyramids, by Terry Pratchett

Audrey's Door, by Sarah Langan

A Case of Exploding Mangoes, by Mohammed Hanif

Ceremony, by Robert B. Parker

November

Queen of Sorcery, by David Eddings

The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror, by Christopher Moore

Tinkers, by Paul Harding

11/22/63, by Stephen King

December 6, by Martin Cruz Smith

Saturday, by Ian McEwan

The Children of Hurin, by J. R. R. Tolkien

A Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole

December

Spirit of Steamboat, by Craig Johnson

The Luminaries, by Eleanor Catton

Lexicon, by Max Berry

The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman

Life After Life, by Kate Atkinson

Doctor Sleep, by Stephen King

Books I Read in 2012

(symptom: being excessively engaged in tasks that require exquisite attention to detail, such as list-making)

Summary

82 books by 55 different authors [having read 12 by Darren Shan (groan, but I was trying to appease my teenaged son); 5 by George R. R. Martin; 4 by Terry Pratchett; 3 each by Stieg Larrson, Lawrence Block, and Sue Grafton; and 2 each by Brian W. Aldiss and Robert A. Heinlein] from 9 countries (including India, Wales, South Africa, Jamaica, and Ireland).

Genres

Alternate history, 1%

Romance, 2%

Historical fiction, 5%

General and literary fiction, 6%

Humor, 6%

Action & adventure, 10%

Thriller/ suspense, 11%

Horror, 15%

Nonfiction, 16%

Scifi, 17%

Mystery & detective, 21%

Young adult, 21% (still groaning)

Fantasy, 30%

(total greater than 100 due to some books fitting multiple categories)

36 out of the 82 (44%, an all-time low) won a major award or were named to a Best Of list in the year of their publication.

Top 10 Reads of 2012

Very difficult this year.  I did not keep ratings for the entire year.  Whether this was due to waning obsessive/ compulsive symptoms or despair at reading too many popular yet not-very-good books written for young adults, I'm not sure.  But now I am sad because I didn't rate nearly half of the books I read.  I have no empirical data for this list, just memory and my gut.

1. A Game of Thrones, by George R. R. Martin (1997 - fantasy with palace intrigue)
2. A Feast for Crows, by George R. R. Martin (2005 - fantasy with palace intrigue)
3. Drift: The Unmooring of American Political Power, by Rachel Maddow (2012 - nonfiction, politics and the use of US military power)
4. Brainworks: The Mind-bending Science of How You See, What You Think, and Who You Are, by Michael S. Sweeney (2011 - nonfiction, brain science)
5. The Smart Study Guide: Psychological Techniques for Student Success, by Louise Tamblin (2006 - nonfiction self-help for learning)
6. A Clash of Kings, by George R. R. Martin (1998 - fantasy with palace intrigue)
7. The Audacity to Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama's Historic Victory, by David Plouffe (2009 - nonfiction, politics)
8. Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett (2002 - literary fiction with opera)
9. The Black Prince, by Iris Murdoch (1973 - literary fiction with murder)
10. Waiting for the Barbarians, by J. M. Coetzee (1980 - literary fiction)

Least Favorite Books of 2012

1. The Saga of Darren Shan, by Darren Shan (all 12 of them, young adult horror)
2. Room, by Emma Donoghue (2010, literary fiction)
3. To Your Scattered Bodies Go, by Philip José Farmer (1971 - scifi)
4. I Am the Messenger, by Markus Zusak (2002 - young adult mystery)
5. Bone Crossed, by Patricia Biggs (2009 - romantic fantasy)
6. Glory Road, by Robert A. Heinlein (1963 - scifi)
7. Get Organized, by Ron Fry (2011 - self-help time management)
8. Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern, by Anne McCaffrey (1984 - fantasy scifi)
9. Dead Until Dark, by Charlaine Harris (2001 - fantasy)
10. Brown Girl in the Ring, by Nalo Hopkinson (1998 - fantasy with voodoo)

The Chronological List

January

Starship Troopers, by Robert A. Heinlein

A Visit from the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan

The Big Black Mark, by A. Bertram Chandler

How to Ditch Your Fairy, by Justine Larbalestier

A Stab in the Dark, by Lawrence Block

Waiting for the Barbarians, by J. M. Coetzee

The Last Spymaster, by Gayle Lynds

February

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick

Moreta:  Dragonlady of Pern, by Anne McCaffrey

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, by Tom Franklin

Me Talk Pretty One Day, by David Sedaris

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larrson
A Game of Thrones, by George R. R. Martin

March

Allies of the Night, by Darren Shan

Cirque du Freak, by Darren Shan

Killers of the Dawn, by Darren Shan

The Vampire's Assistant, by Darren Shan

Hunters of the Dusk, by Darren Shan

The Lake of Souls, by Darren Shan

Lord of the Shadows, by Darren Shan

Vampire Mountain, by Darren Shan

Trials of Death, by Darren Shan

Tunnels of Blood, by Darren Shan

The Vampire Prince, by Darren Shan

April

The Confessor, by Daniel Silva

The Maze Runner, by James Dashner

A Clash of Kings, by George R. R. Martin

The Recruit, by Robert Muchamore

Sons of Destiny, by Darren Shan

May

Wolf Hall, by Hilary Mantel

Inside of a Dog:  What Dogs See, Smell, and Know, by Alexandra Horowitz

The Psychopath Test:  A Journey Through the Madness Industry, by Jon Ronson

A Storm of Swords, by George R. R. Martin

The Windup Girl, by Paolo Bacigalupi

June

A Feast for Crows, by George R. R. Martin

Started Early, Took My Dog, by Kate Atkinson

18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction and Get the Right Things Done, by Peter Bregman

Brainworks: The Mind-Bending Science of How You See, What You Think, and Who You Are, by Michael S. Sweeney

The Smart Study Guide:  Psychological Techniques for Student Success, by Louise Tamblin

Study Smarter, Not Harder, by Kevin Paul

July

Stupid White Men ... and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation!, by Michael Moore

The Calcutta Chromosome, by Amitav Ghosh

Mort, by Terry Pratchett

A Dance with Dragons, by George R. R. Martin

Helliconia Spring, by Brian W. Aldiss

August

Proven Guilty, by Jim Butcher

The Brass Verdict, by Michael Connelly

Pebble in the Sky, by Isaac Asimov

Bone Crossed, by Patricia Briggs

Glory Road, by Robert A. Heinlein

The High Crusade, by Poul Anderson

N Is for Noose, by Sue Grafton

The Lincoln Lawyer, by Michael Connelly

Night Watch, by Terry Pratchett

September

I Am the Messenger, by Markus Zusak

The Girl Who Played with Fire, by Stieg Larrson
O Is for Outlaw, by Sue Grafton
P Is for Peril, by Sue Grafton
Bossypants, by Tina Fey
Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett
Drift:  The Unmooring of American Military Power, by Rachel Maddow
Helliconia Summer, by Brian W. Aldiss

October

Everybody Dies, by Lawrence Block
A Ticket to the Boneyard, by Lawrence Block
Brown Girl in the Ring, by Nalo Hopkinson
Babel-17, by Samuel R. Delany
Child 44, by Tom Rob Smith
Dead Until Dark, by Charlaine Harris
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, by Stieg Larrson
To Your Scattered Bodies Go, by Philip Jose Farmer

November

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Killer, by Seth Grahame-Smith

61 Hours, by Lee Child

The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama

Room, by Emma Donoghue

December

Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett

Making Money, by Terry Pratchett
The Audacity to Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama's Historic Victory, by David Plouffe
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Body of Lies, by David Ignatius
The Black Prince, by Iris Murdoch

Books I Read in 2011

(symptom: being excessively engaged in tasks that require exquisite attention to detail, such as list-making)

Summary

88 books by 82 different authors (having read 2 each by Martin Amis, Sebastian Barry, Robert A. Heinlein, Chuck Palahniuk, William Trevor, and Fred Vargas) from 9 different countries (including Ireland, New Zealand, Canada, Grenada, and Itay)

Genres

Westerns, 1%
Alternate history, 1%
Nonfiction, 2%
Romance, 2%
Short stories, 2%
Horror, 8%
Action & adventure, 8%
General & literary fiction, 13%
Fantasy, 14%
SciFi, 15%
Thriller/suspense, 17%
Historical, 20%
Mystery & detective, 32%
(total greater than 100 due to some books fitting multiple categories)

50 of the 88 (57%) won a major award or were named to a Best Of list in their year of publication

My Ratings (out of 10)
9 or 10, 16%
7 or 8, 48%
5 or 6, 24%
4 or less, 9%
(total less than 100 due to rounding)

Top 10 Reads of 2011

1. City of Thieves, by David Benioff (2008 - historical fiction)
2. The Secret Scripture, by Sebastian Barry (2008 - fictional autobiography)
3. Cities of the Plain, by Cormac McCarthy (1999 - western)
4. Away, by Amy Bloom (2007 - historical fiction)
5. Beloved, by Toni Morrison (1988 - historical fiction)
6. Jack of Shadows, by Roger Zelazny (1975 - fantasy)
7. Sharp Teeth, by Toby Barlow (2008 - fantasy/ horror/ mystery/ verse mashup)
8. Ravelstein, by Saul Bellow (2000- fictional biography)
9. The Blue, by Mary McCallum (2007 - adventure/ romance)
10. Fieldwork, by Mischa Berlinski (2007 - mystery/ anthropology)

Least Favorite Books of 2011

1. Emptying the Nest: Launching Your Young Adult toward Success and Self-Reliance, by Brad Sachs (2010 - psychology/ self-help)
2. L'Affaire, by Diane Johnson (2003 - contemporary romance)
3. Cross Bones, by Kathy Reichs (2006 - mystery)
4. Beautiful Dreamer, by Christopher Bigsby (2006 - historical fiction)
5. Hunting the Ghost Dancer, by A. A. Attanasio (1992 - historical fiction/ fantasy)
6. Over Tumbled Graves, by Jess Walter (2002 - mystery)
7. Breaking Faith, by Jo Bannister (2005 - mystery)
8. Last Lessons of Summer, by Margaret Maron (2004 - mystery)
9. Where I'm Calling From, by Raymond Carver (1989 - short stories)
10. The Collectors, by David Baldacci (2006 - thriller)

The Chronological List

January

The Information, by Martin Amis

Hunting the Ghost Dancer, by A. A. Attanasio

A Shadow on the Wall, by Jonathan Aycliffe

Fire Hawk, by Geoffrey Archer

February

Best Served Cold, by Joe Abercrombie

Blacklands, by Belinda Bauer

The Manuel of Detection, by Jedediah Berry

Breaking Faith, by Jo Bannister

House of Meetings, by Martin Amis

March

Matter, by Iain M. Banks

Sharp Teeth, by Toby Barlow

Annie Dunn, by Sebastian Barry

Kissing Christmas Goodbye, by M. C. Beaton

No Time for Goodbye, by Linwood Barclay

The Chemistry of Death, by Simon Beckett

April

The Collectors, by David Baldacci

Darkmans, by Nicola Barker

The Secret Scripture, by Sebastian Barry

Our Horses in Egypt, by Rosalind Belben

City of Thieves, by David Benioff

May

Ravelstein, by Saul Bellow

Billy Boyle, by James R. Benn

Beautiful Dreamer, by C. W. E. Bigsby

Christine Falls, by Benjamin Black

Fieldwork, by Mischa Berlinski

Scaredy Cat, by Mark Billingham

The Charlemagne Pursuit, by Steve Berry

Heart-Shaped Box, by Joe Hill

June

Hit and Run, by Lawrence Block

The Dead, by Ingrid Black

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson

The Final Solution, by Michael Chabon

Flaubert's Parrot, by Julian Barnes

Pygmy, by Chuck Palahniuk

Cross Bones, by Kathy Reichs

Wash This Blood Clean from My Hand, by Fred Vargas

This Night's Foul Work, by Fred Vargas

Away, by Amy Bloom

Bangkok 8, by John Burdett

L'Affaire, by Diane Johnson

July

Reading Turgenev, by William Trevor

My House in Umbria, by William Trevor

The Blue, by Mary McCallum

Last Lessons of Summer, by Margaret Maron

Over Tumbled Graves, by Jess Walter

Where I'm Calling From, by Raymond Carver

The Innkeeper's Son, by Peter S. Beagle

The Last Child, by John Hart

American Wife, by Curtis Sittenfield

In Plain Sight, by C. J. Box

The Potter's Field, by Ellis Peters

August

Jack of Shadows, by Rogert Zelazny

Watership Down, by Richard Adams

Driving Blind, by Ray Bradbury

Rites of Passage, by William Golding

A World Out of Time, by Larry Niven

Cities of the Plain, by Cormac McCarthy

Ragamuffin, by Tobias S. Buckell

Lullaby, by Chuck Palahniuk

The Lighthouse, by P. D. James

Have Spacesuit, Will Travel, by Robert A. Heinlein

The Mote in God's Eye, by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

September

Cyteen, by C. J. Cherryh

Foundation and Empire, by Isaac Asimov

The Madonnas of Leningrad, by Debra Dean

Beloved, by Toni Morrison

Ender's Shadow, by Orson Scott Card

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

Emptying the Nest: Launching Your Young Adult Toward Success and Self-Reliance

The Long Goodbye, by Raymond Chandler

October

Years of Rice and Salt, by Kim Stanley Robinson

Olive Kitteridge, by Elizabeth Strout

Nights at the Circus, by Angela Carter

Dress Your Family in Denim and Corduroy, by David Sedaris

The Passage, by Justin Cronin

November

Darkness Peering, by Alice Blanchard

The Patience of the Spider, by Andrea Camilleri

Hotel du Lac, by Anita Brookner

The Voyage of the Narwhal, by Andrea Barrett

Flow by Tears, the Policeman Said, by Philip K. Dick

He Shall Thunder the Sky, by Elizabeth Peters

The Talented Mr. Ripley, by Patricia Highsmith

Do Unto Others, by Jeff Abbott

Damnation Game, by Clive Barker

December

Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert A. Heinlein

Dragondrums, by Anne McCaffrey

The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger

Sovereign, by C. J. Sansom 

Books I Read in 2010

(symptom: being excessively engaged in tasks that require exquisite attention to detail, such as list-making)

Summary

70 books by 56 authors (having read 3 each by Donna Andrews and Isabel Allende, and 2 each by Ilona Andrews, Margaret Atwood, Nadeem Aslam, Stephen Baxter, Sandi Ault, Kingsley Amis, Robert Littell, Kate Atkinson, and Carol Berg) from 10 different countries (including Chile, Sweden, Portugal, Italy, Pakistan, and Russia).

Genres

Short stories, 1%

Nonfiction, 4%

Young adult, 4%

Romance, 4%

Alternate history, 4%

Action & adventure, 6%

Humor, 10%

Scifi, 13%

Fantasy, 13%

General & literary fiction, 16%

Thriller/ suspense, 17%

Historical fiction, 17%

Mystery & detective, 31%

(total greater than 100 due to some books fitting multiple categories)

45 of the 70 (64%) won a major award or were named to a Best Of list in their year of publication

My Ratings (out of 10)

9 or 10, 7%

7 or 8, 35%

5 or 6, 47%

4 or less, 11%

Top 10 Reads of 2010

1. The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus, by Margaret Atwood (2005 - literary mythology)
2. Winterton Blue, by Trezza Azzopardi (2007 - romantic literary fiction)
3. Case Histories, by Kate Atkinson (2004 - literary mystery & detective)
4. The Wasted Vigil, by Nadeem Aslem (2008 - contemporary literary fiction)
5. The Yiddish Policemen's Union, by Michael Chabon (2007 - mystery & detective in an alternate history)
6. Zorro, by Isabel Allende (2005 - historical action & adventure)
7. Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA, by Tim Weiner (2007 - nonfiction)
8. The Convalescent, by Jessica Anthony (2009 - contemporary literary fiction)
9. The Algebreist, by Iain M. Banks (2004 - scifi)
10. Little Bee, by Chris Cleave (2008 - contemporary literary fiction)

Least Favorite Books of 2010

1. Wild Inferno, by Sandi Ault (2008 - mystery & detective)
2. On the Edge, by Ilona Andrews (2009 - fantasy)
3. The Seven Sins: The Tyrant Ascending, by Jon Land (2008 - thriller)
4. Wild Indigo, by Sandi Ault (2008 - mystery & detective)
5. Flood, by Stephen Baxter (2009 - scifi)
6. In Cold Pursuit, by Sarah Andrews (2008 - mystery & detective)
7. Bury Me Deep, by Megan Abbott (2009 - historical mystery & detective)
8. Human Capital, by Stephen Amidon (2005 - contemporary fiction)
9. Flesh and Spirit, by Carol Berg (2007 - fantasy)
10. Devil May Care, by Sebastian Faulks (2008 - spy thriller)

The Chronological List

January

The Wasted Vigil, by Nadeem Aslam

Brasyl, by Ian McDonald

Emissaries from the Dead, by Adam-Troy Castro

Flesh and Spirit, by Carol Berg

Breath and Bone, by Carol Berg

China Lake, by Meg Gardiner

Powers, by Ursula K. Le Guin

Too Close to Home, by Linwood Barclay

February

The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman

The Seven Sins:  The Tyrant Ascending, by Jon Land

Unaccustomed Earth, by Jhumpa Lahiri

Envy the Night, by Michael Kortya

A Welcome Grave, by Michael Kortya

Case Histories, by Kate Atkinson

When Will There Be Good News?, by Kate Atkinson

March

Milton in America, by Peter Ackroyd

Passage of Arms, by Eric Ambler

House of the Stag, by Kage Baker

April

London Fields, by Martin Amis

Daughter of Fortune, by Isabel Allende

Wild Indigo, by Sandi Ault

The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus, by Margaret Atwood

Wild Inferno, by Sandi Ault

Winterton Blue, by Trezza Azzopardi

Missing, by Karen Alvtegen

End of Story, by Peter Abrahams

The Visiting Professor, by Robert Littell

May

Zorro, by Isabel Allende

Devil May Care, by Sebastian Faulks

Vicious Circle, by Robert Littell

The Ethical Assassin, by David Liss

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

June

Ines of My Soul, by Isabel Allende

Magic Burns, by Ilona Andrews

A Superior Death, by Nevada Barr

The Savage Detectives, by Roberto Bolano

July

A Treasury of Regrets, by Susanne Alleyn

Hide My Eyes, by Margery Allingham

August

The Old Devils, by Kingsley Amis

Human Capital, Stephen Amidon

In Cold Pursuit, by Sarah Andrews

The Alteration, by Kingsley Amis

Murder with Peacocks, by Donna Andrews

You’ve Got Murder, by Donna Andrews

Fearless Fourteen, by Janet Evanovich

Legacy of Ashes:  The History of the CIA, by Tim Weiner

The World Without Us, by Alan Weisman

September

Skylark Farm, by Antonia Arslan

Cowl, by Neal Asher

The Inquisitors’ Manual, by Antonio Lobo Antunes

The Age of Spiritual Machines, by Ray Kurzweil

The Mercy Seat, by Rilla Askew

October

Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon, by Donna Andrews

Maps for Lost Lovers, by Nadeem Aslam

Flood, by Stephen Baxter

Ark, by Stephen Baxter

The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, by Michael Chabon

November

Bury Me Deep, by Megan Abbott

War Dances, by Sherman Alexie

On the Edge, by Ilona Andrews

The Year of the Flood, by  Margaret Atwood

Bitter Angels, by C. L.  Anderson

Devil’s Garden, by Ace Atkins

Death and Restoration, by Iain Pears

December

The Convalescent, by Jessica Anthony

A Loyal Spy, by Simon Conway

Little Bee, by Chris Cleave

Await Your Reply, by Dan Chaon

Agincourt, by Bernard Cornwell

The Algebraist, by Iain M. Banks

Books I Read in 2009

(symptom: being excessively engaged in tasks that require exquisite attention to detail, such as list-making)

Summary

65 books by 42 different authors, including 6 by Patricia A. McKillip; 5 by Elizabeth Bear; 4 by Margaret Maron; 3 each by Greg Bear, Ben Bova, and Sharyn McCrumb; and 2 each by Nancy Pickard, Anthony Burgess, Kage Baker, Vonda M. McIntyre, and Louise Penny.  The authors are from 8 different countries, including Nigeria, India, Bulgaria, Ireland, and Lebanon.

Genres

Young adult, 2%
Western, 2%
Humor, 2%
Horror, 2%
Alternate history, 3%
Action & adventure, 3%
Thriller/ suspense, 6%
Romance, 6%
Short stories, 6%
General & literary fiction, 11%
Historical fiction, 11%
Fantasy, 20%
Mystery & detective, 26%
Scifi, 31%
(total greater than 100 due to some books fitting multiple categories)

37 of the 65 (57%) won a major award or were named to a Best Of list in the year of their publication.

My Ratings (out of 10)
9 or 10, 5%
7 or 8, 46%
5 or 6, 41%
4 or less, 8%

Top Reads of 2009

1. Grace Notes, by Bernard MacLaverty (1998 - literary fiction)
2. Something Rich and Strange, by Patricia A. McKillip (1994 - fantasy)
3. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess (1967 - experimental fiction)
4. The Outlander, by Gil Adamson (2007 - historical fiction)
5. Say You're One of Them, by Uwem Apkan (2008 - short stories)
6. The Anubis Gates, by Tim Powers (1983 - historical fantasy with action & adventure)
7. The Cygnet and the Firebird, by Patricia A. McKillip (1993 - romantic fantasy)
8. Graceland, by Chris Abani (2004 - literary fiction)
9. Tea with the Black Dragon, by R. A. MacAvoy (1993 -mystery/ fantasy)
10. Trumpets Sound No More, by Jon Redfern (2007 - historical mystery)

Least Favorite Books of 2009

1. Grey, by Jon Armstrong (2007 - romantic scifi)
2. The Martians, by Kim Stanley Robinson (2000 - scifi short stories)
3. Worldwired, by Elizabeth Bear (2005 - scifi)
4. Dead Crazy, by Nancy Pickard (1988 - mystery & detective)
5. The Moon and the Sun, by Vonda N. McIntyre (1998 - alternate historical fiction)
6. Dinosaur Summer, by Greg Bear (1999 - alternate history)
7. Moonrise, by Ben Bova (1996 - scifi)
8. Black Man, by Richard Morgan (2007 - scifi)
9. The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, by Patricia A. McKillip (1974 - fantasy)
10. Hammered, by Elizabeth Bear (2004 - scifi)

The Chronological List

January

The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, by Patricia A. McKillip

Dreamsnake, by Vonda N. McIntyre

The Moon and the Sun, by Vonda N. McIntyre

Still Life, by Louise Penny

A Fatal Grace, by Louise Penny

Black Man, by Richard K. Morgan

February

The Changeling Sea, by Patricia A. McKillip

If Ever I Return, Pretty Peggy-O, by Sharyn McCrumb

Corpus Christmas, by Margaret Maron

Bootlegger’s Daughter, by Margaret Maron

The Sorceress and the Cygnet, by Patricia A. McKillip

The Cygnet and the Firebird, by Patricia A. McKillip

March

Blanche on the Lam, by Barbara Neely

Tea with the Black Dragon, by R. A. MacAvoy 

Southern Discomfort, by Margaret Maron

The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter, by Sharyn McCrumb

The Book of Atrix Wolfe, by Patricia A. McKillip

The Anubis Gates, by Tim Powers

Golden Fleece, by Robert J. Sawyer

Song of Kali, by Dan Simmons

April

Any Old Iron, by Anthony Burgess

Assemblers of Infinity, by Kevin J. Anderson

A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess

Titan, by Ben Bova

Moonwar, by Ben Bova

Moonrise, by Ben Bova

Up Jumps the Devil, by Margaret Maron

She Walks these Hills, by Sharyn McCrumb

The Child in Time, by Ian McEwan

Something Rich and Strange, by Patricia A. McKillip

Marriage Is Murder, by Nancy Pickard

May

Carnival, by Elizabeth Bear

Hammered, by Elizabeth Bear

Scardown, by Elizabeth Bear

Worldwired, by Elizabeth Bear 

Grey, by Jon Armstrong 

The Butterfly Kid, by Chester Anderson

The Marvellous Misadventures of Sebastian, by Lloyd Alexander

Gossamer Axe, by Gael Baudino

Primary Inversion, by Catherine Asaro

June

The Last Oracle, by James Rollins

Dark Mondays, by Kage Baker

Mother Aegypt and Other Stories, by Kage Baker

Dead Crazy, by Nancy Pickard

July

Bear, Greg; Dinosaur Summer, by Greg Bear

Grace Notes, by Bernard MacLaverty

The Martians, by Kim Stanley Robinson

August

Undertow, by Elizabeth Bear 

Blood Music, by Greg Bear

Slant, by Greg Bear

September

Desolation Road, by Ian McDonald

October

White Tiger, by Avarind Adiga

The Hakawati, by Rabih Alameddine

HARM, by Brian W. Aldiss

Ma’hu Fire, by Neil Plakcy

November

Assassins at Ospreys, by R. T. Raichev

An Innocent Client, by Scott Pratt

Graceland, by Chris Abani

A Death in the Family, by James Agee

December

Say You’re One of Them, by Uwem Akpan

Trumpets Sound No More, by Jon Redfern

The Outlander, by Gil Adamson

Lights Out, by Peter Abrahams

Books I Read in 2008

(symptom: being excessively engaged in tasks that require exquisite attention to detail, such as list-making)

Summary

85 books by 51 different authors (having read 13 by Ursula K. Le Guin, 10 by Stephen King, 4 by J. Gregory Keyes, 3 each by Robert Littell and Jonathan Lethem, and 2 each by David Malouf, Richard K. Morgan, Cormac McCarthy, Alistair MacLeod, David Liss, and Stephen Leather), a year in which the books I read were written by authors born in the United Kingdom and its current and former colonies, with the exception of one Italian and one Lebanese.

Genres

Essays, 1%

Action & adventure, 1%

Nonfiction, 2%

Young adult, 4%

Horror, 4%

Humor, 5%

Alternate history, 5%

Romance, 6%

Historical, 9%

Short stories, 9%

Thriller / suspense, 14%

General & literary fiction, 15%

Scifi, 20%

Mystery & detective, 21%

Fantasy, 26%

(total greater than 100 due to some books fitting multiple categories)

54 out of the 85 (64%) won a major award or were named to a Best Of list in the year of their publication

My Ratings (out of 10)

9 or 10, 8%

7 or 8, 41%

5 or 6, 44%

4 or less, 7%

Top 10 Reads of 2008

1. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy (2006 - post-apocalyptic epic)
2. Tales from Earthsea, by Ursula K. Le Guin (2001 - fantasy short stories)
3. The Dispossessed, by Ursula K. Le Guin (1974 - utopian scifi)
4. A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K. Le Guin (1968 - bildungsroman fantasy)
5. Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes (1966 - scifi)
6. The Girls, by Lori Lansens (2005 - literary bildungsroman)
7. Wizard and Glass, by Stephen King (1997 - romantic fantasy)
8. The Great World, by David Malouf (1990 - historical literary fiction)
9. The Echo Maker, by Richard Powers (2006 - contemporary literary fiction)
10. The Fortress of Solitude, by Jonathan Lethem (2003 - bildungsroman with superheroes)

Least Favorite Books of 2008

1. Sarah's Psalm, by Florence Ladd (1996 - romance)
2. The Compass Rose, by Ursula K. Le Guin (1982 - short stories)
3. Market Forces, by Richard K. Morgan (2004 - scifi)
4. The Traveling Vampire Show, by Richard Laymon (2000 - horrific bildungsroman)
5. Paying the Piper, by Sharyn McCrumb (1988 - mystery & detective)
6. Miniatures, by Norah Labiner (2003 - fictional biography)
7. Big Time, by Fritz Leiber (1958 - scifi)
8. Solomon's Knife, by Victor Koman (1990 - medical mystery)
9. The Beast of Heaven, by Victor Kelleher (1995 - post-apocalyptic scifi)
10. Allegro Postillions, by Jonathan Keates (1983 - short stories)

The Chronological List

January

Newton’s Cannon, by J. Gregory Keyes

Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes

The Waste Lands, by Stephen King

The Traveling Vampire Show, by Richard Laymon

The Bottoms, by Joe R. Lansdale

Interpreter of Maladies, by Jhumpa Lahiri

February

The Delinquent Virgin, by Laura Kalpakian

The Stillborn God, by Mark Lilla

Wizard and Glass, by Stephen King

Hard Landing, by Stephen Leather

Grave Endings, by Rochelle Krich

March

The Dark Tower, by Stephen King

Solomon’s Knife, by Victor Koman

Allegro Postillions, by Jonathan Keates

Empire of Unreason, by J. Gregory Keyes

The Dead Circus, by John Kaye

A Calculus of Angels, by J. Gregory Keyes

Song of Susannah, by Stephen King

Firelings, by Carol Kendall

Simply Magic, by Kathleen Kane

Wolves of the Calla, by Stephen King

The Reckoning, by Jeff Long

April

The Big Over Easy, by Jasper Fforde

Seven Up, by Janet Evanovich

Ruby Dice, by Catherine Asaro

Black House, by Stephen King & Peter Straub

No Country for Old Men, by Cormac McCarthy

The Shadows of God, by J. Gregory Keyes

Cleopatra’s Nose, by Judith Thurman

Lingala Code, by Warren Kiefer

May

Grendel, by John Gardner

The Farthest Shore, by Ursula K. Le Guin

The Tombs of Atuan, by Ursula K. Le Guin

A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K. Le Guin

The Beast of Heaven, by Victor Kelleher

Lisey’s Story, by Stephen King

Gate of the Sun, by Elias Khoury

From a Buick 8, by Stephen King

Desperation, by Stephen King

June

The Dispossessed, by Ursula K. Le Guin

The Lost Girl, by D. H. Lawrence

The Diagnosis, by Alan P. Lightman

The Mist, by Stephen King

The Other Wind, by Ursula K. Le Guin

The Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursula K. Le Guin

Tehanu: The Last Book of Earthsea, by Ursula K. Le Guin

July

Blood Red Roses, by Margaret Lawrence

Miniatures, by Norah Labiner

Legends, by Richard Littell

The Debt to Pleasure, by John Lanchester

The Amateur, by Robert Littell

The Company, by Robert Littell

Almost Blue, by Carlo Lucarelli

Sarah’s Psalm, by Florence Ladd

August

The Telling, by Ursula K. Le Guin

Mr. Spaceman, by Robert Olen Butler

Tales from Bective Bridge, by Mary Lavin

The Man Who Loved Morlocks, by David Lake

The Beginning Place, by Ursula K. Le Guin

Always Coming Home, by Ursula K. Le Guin

The Big Time, by Fritz Leiber

Tango One, by Stephen Leather

The Girls, by Lori Lansens

September

Gods Behaving Badly, by Marie Phillips

Gun, With Occasional Music, by Jonathan Lethem

The Fortress of Solitude, by Jonathan Lethem

Home from the Vinyl Cafe, by Stuart McLean

Motherless Brooklyn, by Jonathan Lethem

Hurricane Punch, by Tim Dorsey

The Echo Maker, by Richard Powers

October

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J. K. Rowling

Island, by Alistair MacLeod

Changing Planes, by Ursula K. Le Guin 

Compass Rose, by Ursula K. Le Guin 

A Spectacle of Corruption, by David Liss

Tales from Earthsea, by Ursula K. Le Guin 

A Conspiracy of Paper, by David Liss

November

Broken Angels, by Richard K. Morgan

The Great World, by David Malouf

Altered Carbon, by Richard K. Morgan

No Great Mischief, by Alistair MacLeod

December

Paying the Piper, by Sharyn McCrumb

Remembering Babylon, by David Malouf

Market Forces, by Richard K. Morgan

The Road, by Cormac McCarthy