2015 on Goodreads

This post is also at my blog, and has review links to each of the books mentioned. It is far, far too much work to do this at GR.

It was a rough year for reading. Significant changes in the hospital workplace required additional training, clinical hours for my degree expanded and even more changes at work in September put a hiatus on vacation hours–all added up to a surfeit of professional reading and deficit of personal time. However, a broken finger before Thanksgiving gave unexpected respite, particularly when I discovered reading books with one hand is possible, albeit awkward at times.

Best is a tricky category this year. Without a doubt, several of ‘bests‘ were a culmination of story-telling that included the prior two or show more three books. [b:The Ace of Skulls|15763857|The Ace of Skulls (Tales of the Ketty Jay, #4)|Chris Wooding|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1367672123s/15763857.jpg|21466227] (The Kitty Jay series) was the perfect capstone to the four book adventures of Captain Frey and his motley crew. [b:World of Trouble|18691070|World of Trouble (The Last Policeman, #3)|Ben H. Winters|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1395621795s/18691070.jpg|26537421] (The Last Policeman series) kicked my ass, particularly because of the brilliant way Winters developed–or rather, devolved–the world and his characters. Claire North’s novella triptych that begins with [b:The Serpent|25210813|The Serpent (The Gameshouse, #1)|Claire North|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1444911850s/25210813.jpg|44924384] is a clever, quick, language-rich series that gestalts into something poignant. Kameron Hurley’s Bel Dame series ([b:God's War|9359818|God's War (Bel Dame Apocrypha #1)|Kameron Hurley|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1303144535s/9359818.jpg|14243275]) was a stunner throughout for sheer creative world-building and a complicated, violent female lead. [b:Annihilation|18603076|Annihilation|Jeff VanderMeer|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1392584136s/18603076.jpg|24946895], while not strictly a five-star read, deserves note for sheer weird thinkingness.

In Non-fiction, David Quammen’s science journalism continued to impress in [b:Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic|17573681|Spillover Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic|David Quammen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1364847295s/17573681.jpg|19249362], and if you really want to understand just how fast disease can spread and why you need a flu shot, this is the book. Then play the iphone/pad game Plague and pat yourself on the back with how quickly you can kill off the human race. But it isn’t that easy–fungi are tricky! [b:Dry Storeroom No. 1|7335700|Dry Storeroom No. 1|Richard Fortey|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1267410452s/7335700.jpg|2561339] was a fascinating book on stories from one of the world’s most prominent museums and sent me down the internet rabbit hole for a virtual tour.

In the Childrens’ and Unexpected Visual Humor divisions, I loved the illustrations in (as well as the title of) [b:Chickens to the Rescue|358154|Chickens to the Rescue|John Himmelman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1441062164s/358154.jpg|348290] and immediately bought it.

In Series I Love division, Max Gladstone remains reliably satisfying. Gladstone gave the next installment in the Craft Sequence, [b:Last First Snow|23168830|Last First Snow (Craft Sequence #4)|Max Gladstone|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1411416296s/23168830.jpg|42713969]. More serious than the last, it was a powerful look at political unrest. Likewise Ilona Andrews turned in a very satisfying and forward-moving story in the Kate Daniels series, [b:Magic Shifts|17333171|Magic Shifts (Kate Daniels, #8)|Ilona Andrews|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1414091260s/17333171.jpg|24064353], despite originally planning to end the series at the previous book. The second Master Li book by Barry Hughart, [b:The Story of the Stone: A Master Li Novel|77207|The Story of the Stone A Master Li Novel|Barry Hughart|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1321813561s/77207.jpg|850766]was bawdy, nostalgic, funny and sorrowful.

Other Five-Star and Outstanding Reads: Daryl Gregory continues to satisfy with imaginative, character-driven stories. This year, I read [b:Afterparty|17910129|Afterparty|Daryl Gregory|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1379720402s/17910129.jpg|25095584] and [b:Harrison Squared|22238192|Harrison Squared|Daryl Gregory|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1411902596s/22238192.jpg|41612065], both wildly different but excellent. This was the year I discovered Robert Jackson Bennett who seems to be developing atmospheric skills that rival GGK. [b:City of Stairs|20174424|City of Stairs (The Divine Cities, #1)|Robert Jackson Bennett|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1394545220s/20174424.jpg|28030792] stunned me with its characterization, plot, world-building and language. I re-read Kate Griffin’s [b:A Madness of Angels|6186355|A Madness of Angels (Matthew Swift, #1)|Kate Griffin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1305861910s/6186355.jpg|6366640] and concluded that it remains awesome, but lacked the time to give her new pseudonym, Claire North, the attention she deserves. At the top of the 2016 list!

Summing it all up. On the whole, I averaged around 3.5. I had a lot of four-star reads this year, due in part to wonderful friends and their reviews who helped me target books that would be more satisfying. There were a few one-star stinkers, and the less said, the better. Suffice it to say that We Are Not Amused by rape or homophobia in our “light” UF reads. I had a few DNFs, one because it was not my type of book, and the others I’m hoping to blame on circumstance. I firmly believe some books need their own moods as well as time in large chunks, and that was in short supply. I did find I’m more willing to hand out a 2-star rating, particularly for older works. I’m always a little hesitant to two-star a new author, but I find it makes my three and four-stars more meaningful. This is all strictly my opinion, right?

Social Media and Books: I remain ambivalent about Goodreads, and their recent non-consumer demanded updates emphasize the insecurity about relying on a product-pushing site. However, the wonderful friends and discussions have kept me very engaged there. WordPress, however has been more visually satisfying, and is generally easier to use for more visual posts and links. It’s wonderful that there’s people (this means you) who feel comfortable commenting and dialoguing. It’s also been pleasantly devoid of trolls. I’ve averaged a post every four days, although my general goal is to have a weekly post. Upcoming will be reading agenda for the year, and there’s nothing I like more than lists!

Here’s hoping to see you around, on one site or the other!

Happy and Healthy 2016! show less

This has been my most treasured year on GR. Not because I’ve read dozens of books and thousands of pages (though I have), nor worked through an alphabetical or genre challenge (I haven't), nor joined the top 5 reviewers in the UK (I can dream), but because my reading life, and thus my life in general, has been tremendously enriched. That’s been true in the seven previous years, but to a far greater and deeper extent in 2015 - and it’s thanks to you, my GoodReads friends. Even the idea for this "book" came from a GR friend last year, Fionnuala. It's a wonderful way to look back, gather one's thoughts, and appreciate all one has read and the friends who have introduced and shared those joys.

I have discovered books and authors who show more are now among my favourites - more this year than ever before.

I have also been led to a few turkeys, but I won’t hold that against anyone, especially in turkey season.

I have been shown profound insights and new beauty in works I thought I knew. (Humility is good.)

I am finally edging towards a slightly more varied, personal, and less formulaic way to write some reviews. (Aspirations of succinctness are still mere aspirations.)

I have found erudition, camaraderie, creativity, wit, gentle disagreement, brilliance, beauty, pain, concern, empathy, variety, delightful silliness, and encouragement, and have been intrigued and entertained by some most unlikely subjects.

I have forged and enriched friendships in a deep and special sense. Thank you.

READ in 2015
All links are to my reviews, mostly novels written in the last 50 years; some feature in more than one category:

Books that Inspired a Slightly Different Style of Review
Still lots of quotes, but less of a plot summary, and more of an impression or even pastiche, especially:
• Weir’s The Martian 4*
• Calvino’s If on a winter’s night a traveler 5*
• Calvino’s Invisible Cities 5*
• Borges’ Collected Fictions 5*
• Williams’ Butcher’s Crossing 5*
• Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 5*
• Winterson’s The Passion 4*
• Atwood's The Heart Goes Last 2*

New Favourite Authors
Four authors I’d never read before 2015 (and one I hadn’t even heard of!), but I read and loved a couple of books by each in 2015, purely because of friends' reviews:
• John Williams: Stoner 5* and Butcher’s Crossing 5*
• Kent Haruf: Plainsong 5* and Eventide 5*
• Italo Calvino: If on a winter’s night a traveler 5* and Invisible Cities 5*
• Jorge Luis Borges: Collected Fictions 5* overall, and component collections mostly 5*

Honourable mentions to likely new favourite authors, though so far I’ve read only one book by each:
• John Banville: Ancient Light 5*
• Charles Frasier: Cold Mountain 5*
• Colm Toibin: Brooklyn 5*

I also read and enjoyed my first two Rushdies and first two Sarah Waters (listed below).

5* and 4* Best Reads of 2015
I don’t give 5* lightly, but I’ve done so often this year, and some of my 4* reads were very close:
• Stoner 5*
• Cold Mountain 5*
• Plainsong 5*
• Eventide 5*
• Fahrenheit 451 5*
• Brooklyn 5*
• Invisible Cities 5*
• If on a winter’s night a traveler 5*
• Ancient Light 5*
• Butcher’s Crossing 5*
• Einstein’s Dreams 5*
• The Strange Library 5*
• The Passion 4*
• The Paying Guests 4*
• The Elegance of the Hedgehog 4*
• The Blind Assassin 4*
• Letters from a Lost Uncle 4*
• The Enchanted April 4*
• A Woman of my Age 4*
• Midnight’s Children 4*
• Haroun and the Sea of Stories 4*
• The Martian 4*
• Orley Farm 4*
• The Man Who Loved China 4*
• Language Death 4*

3* Reads of 2015
I default to 3* if I’ve enjoyed a book, but seen imperfections as well. Then again, sometimes I round up from 2* to 3* if I see merits, despite a book not really being to my taste. But this year, I've barely used my default rating:
• Slade House 3*
• The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly 3*
• The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher and Other Stories 3*
• Fingersmith 3*

1* and 2* Least Enjoyed Reads of 2015
These aren’t necessarily bad books, but they are ones I didn’t enjoy, for reasons explained in each review. Three consecutive 1* reads was disappointing, but fortunately interspersed with reading Borges’ stories:
• The Shining 1*
• The Blue Flower 1*
• Kitchen 1*
• Lock In 2*
• Delusions of Gender 2*
• The Heart Goes Last 2*

Rereads of Old Favourites
There are so many books I want to read for the first time, I’m more cautious of rereads these days, plus there’s the fear they may not be as good as I remember them. Nevertheless:
• Fahrenheit 451 5* - so much better and more poetic than I remember
• 1984 4*. So much grimmer and heavier than I remember (so only 3* for enjoyment).

Blissful End

I'm ending the year on a high: half way through DH Lawrence's The Rainbow. I am stunned and intoxicated by the language, so different from the equally lovely, but very plain language of someone like Kent Haruf. Women in Love will be the first book I start in 2016...

Quotes about Books from 2015 Reads
• “We’re no more than dust jackets for books, of no significance otherwise… You’re not important. You’re not anything. Some day the load we’re carrying with us may help someone.”
Bradbury in Fahrenheit 451

• “Each new book I read comes to be a part of that overall and unitary book that is the sum of my readings.”
Calvino in If on a winter’s night a traveler

• “Literature’s worth lies in its power of mystification, in mystification it has its truth; therefore a fake, as a mystification of a mystification, is tantamount to truth squared.”
Calvino in If on a winter’s night a traveler

• “At every rereading I seem to be reading a new book for the first time. Is it I who keep changing… Or is reading a construction?”
Calvino in If on a winter’s night a traveler show less

In 2015 I realised that my 5-star rating for books was hopelessly useless. I could never rate anything less than 3-stars - it just felt mean. After all, a book has to be quite good to be printed. And how to rate a book that is perhaps 5-stars in terms of objective quality but only 1-star in terms of how much it pleased me? Should it receive 3-stars? If it does, then the books which are utterly middling are rated the same at books which are unique, excellent if awful. On and on, I was too 'nice' to give harsh scores to mediocre books. Meanwhile, non-fiction books received 5-star ratings if they entertained me, despite being factually inaccurate. I always felt a little guilty about this, but I'm not really prepared to fact-check books show more just for the sake of a goodreads review.
This year I decided to grade on a curve. I was going rate books entirely on how much they pleased me, without stopping to consider too deeply the criteria that I judge them by (which is not to say that those criteria aren't fun to consider - that's a conversation for a long a rambling drunken night), so that I could absolve myself of the guilt of not judging them 'right'. There would be only one limitation: I had to grade on a curve with a normal distribution and 3-stars as my average.
I didn't quite manage it, with slightly more at 4-star than 2-star. And for a while I was worried that 3-stars would be a behemoth category, dwarfing all the others. Bumping books down from 3-stars to 2-stars wasn't so hard, but relegating some down to 1-star was very tough. In the case of [b:Justice Calling|22825711|Justice Calling (The Twenty-Sided Sorceress, #1)|Annie Bellet|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1406594734s/22825711.jpg|42380129] I felt bad because the story rolled along fairly swiftly. In fact, had it been the pilot episode of a TV show I would've thought it was OK - a promising start. But as a novel it was disappointing: thin, shallow and badly written. On the other hand, I was overjoyed to put [b:Ready Player One|12600138|Ready Player One|Ernest Cline|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333576872s/12600138.jpg|14863741] down to 1-star becuase it was so bad - a boring list of 80s trivia and annoying characters - and it had come so highly recommended! It deserved that one star to counter balance all of the inexplicable 5-stars!
As for diversity, it was hopelessly skewed by reading all of the Berserk manga thus far. 37 books in total! I can make myself sound very cultured by saying that 40% of the books I read were written in Japanese originally - until I also mention that they were all picture-books by one man! Likewise, the proportion of female authors is at a dismal 17%, until we knock out Miura which brings up to a less embarrassing 29%. I can't honestly say that I'll do any better next year, given that I've committed to reading a large number of books from narrow topic (slavery through-out history). show less

According to Goodreads my average rating of books was 3.68, so rounding up means I have to rate this “2015 on Goodreads” as 4 stars.
Almost a third of the books I read this year were translations into English. A standout was [b:The Notebook, The Proof, The Third Lie: Three Novels|230514|The Notebook, The Proof, The Third Lie Three Novels|Ágota Kristóf|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348290333s/230514.jpg|2075023] trilogy by Agota Kristof, which I learned of only from the amazing reviews of Goodreads friends. It was a wonderful confusing knot. It reminded me that stories are fantastical, hyperbolic, fanciful -- they exaggerate the barbarity of the enemy. They have fragmented identities, like the books’ characters. There is no show more single truth. There are only versions of it.

The pairing of [b:The Stranger|49552|The Stranger|Albert Camus|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1349927872s/49552.jpg|3324344] and [b:The Meursault Investigation|25263557|The Meursault Investigation|Kamel Daoud|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1433252078s/25263557.jpg|41116368] was the highlight of the year. This was not some fan fiction, it was an investigation of the highest order and of the highest calibre. One of the books will always be incomplete without the other now. Fabulous.

[b:The Tsar of Love and Techno|23995336|The Tsar of Love and Techno|Anthony Marra|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1428086934s/23995336.jpg|43596056] must be about the most quotable book of the year for me. I highlighted numerous witticisms and well-turned phrases that were a pleasure to re-read. I read it very soon after returning from holidays in the Baltics, which included a visit to St. Petersburg, so this was especially rich and rewarding to read, for I had a geography in my mind now. I read [b:Leningrad: The Epic Siege of World War II, 1941-1944|10900028|Leningrad The Epic Siege of World War II, 1941-1944|Anna Reid|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1317793811s/10900028.jpg|15815981] too, and it came alive during the trip. It was an excellent read of the history of the siege in WW2.

Some books were satisfying because they were better than expected: I held out little hope for [b:The Green Road|23316521|The Green Road|Anne Enright|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1413750242s/23316521.jpg|42871236] by Anne Enright since I didn’t care for the only other one I’ve read of hers, [b:The Gathering|998133|The Gathering|Anne Enright|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1442862724s/998133.jpg|2513655], but this one was wonderful, even if it was just yet another story of an Irish family etc.
I also surprised my curmudgeonly self by liking [b:A Man Called Ove|18774964|A Man Called Ove|Fredrik Backman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405259930s/18774964.jpg|21619954]. Peirene Press continues to delight — I was mesmerized with [b:Sea of Ink|15829361|Sea of Ink|Richard Weihe|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1345465499s/15829361.jpg|21563335]. The exquisite brief chapters used the ink of words to describe the sea of ink that was the life of the Chinese painter Bada Shanren. It was a poetic reflection of the minimalist beauty of the art of a painter who was "committed to capturing the essence of nature with a single brushstroke."

And less is always more. Yeah, I’m talking to you, [a:Hanya Yanagihara|6571447|Hanya Yanagihara|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1421881815p2/6571447.jpg]. [b:A Little Life|22822858|A Little Life|Hanya Yanagihara|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1446469353s/22822858.jpg|42375710]. Oh how disappointed I was. And increasingly irritated with it as it recedes (quickly) from memory. This was Victim-porn. It is an excellent example illustrating that fine writing alone does not carry a book.
Other books tasted thin as gruel because they were not as good as expected ([b:Undermajordomo Minor|25089757|Undermajordomo Minor|Patrick deWitt|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1425914522s/25089757.jpg|44778737], [b:The Illegal|7915528|The Illegal|Lawrence Hill|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1432168867s/7915528.jpg|11205314], [b:How to Be Good|4268|How to Be Good|Nick Hornby|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327935893s/4268.jpg|2961919],[b:Walt: A Novel|20662581|Walt A Novel|Russell Wangersky|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402911471s/20662581.jpg|39961344]).
I still haven’t paid enough attention to older books, but was delighted with the ones I did finally read, such [b:To the Lighthouse|59716|To the Lighthouse|Virginia Woolf|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1346239665s/59716.jpg|1323448], [b:A Room of One's Own|18521|A Room of One's Own|Virginia Woolf|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327883012s/18521.jpg|1315615], [b:Madame Bovary|2175|Madame Bovary|Gustave Flaubert|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1335676143s/2175.jpg|2766347], [b:Of Mice and Men|890|Of Mice and Men|John Steinbeck|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1437235233s/890.jpg|40283], [b:Cannery Row|4799|Cannery Row|John Steinbeck|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388188936s/4799.jpg|824028].

I read 11 short story collections. A favourite was [b:Understories|12955673|Understories|Tim Horvath|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348686553s/12955673.jpg|18112845], by Tim Horvath. These are stories born in that zone of distortion before falling into dreams, but instead of dissolving in the daylight of reality, they are brought into heightened relief.
Another superb collection was [b:Thirteen Ways of Looking|25229229|Thirteen Ways of Looking|Colum McCann|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1436195837s/25229229.jpg|44945880], by Colum McCann. McCann is like the poet in whose hands the words are a marvelous tool that carves the truth out of the story.
Towards the end of the year was the new [b:Public Library and Other Stories|25902919|Public Library and Other Stories|Ali Smith|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1441899389s/25902919.jpg|45787034], by Ali Smith. The stories touch on the lives of books, of readers, of authors. It is another celebration of words by this wonderful writer, and it was a delight to read.

Finally, [b:Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End|20696006|Being Mortal Medicine and What Matters in the End|Atul Gawande|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1408324949s/20696006.jpg|40015533], by Atul Gawande was the book I wanted to give to everyone. It encourages us to look at and consider the inevitable. It is a practical book that provides insights and can reassure an unsettled mind. It is intelligent, touching, and warmly profound — this one will stay with me a long time.

I wish to thank all of you on Goodreads that have offered such wonderful thought-provoking reviews and comments, and for sharing your reading lives. You have enriched my own reading life immeasurably. A special thank you to Fionnuala for kickstarting this project.
I wish you all much love, laughter, and joy from books, friends and family in 2016. show less

Ah, 2015. I can't lie- I'll be glad to have this year behind me. For such an interestingly dreadful year in my personal life, it's been quite a good one in terms of reading. I read some really wonderful books (more than any other year), wrote a ton of reviews, and met so many fantastic people on this site! Here's a look at my two thousand and fifteen, C.E., organised by books that I've reviewed- not all the ones I read- and their star ratings. (Side note: the above picture depicts the infamous Stacks- yes, they deserve a capital letter at this point- that currently reside at my bedside and threaten to topple over and suffocate me any day now. They're taller than they look.) My average rating for this year was 3.5 stars.

Each link will show more direct you to my review of said books (or short stories- there are quite a bit of those). I've also written three words to summarise my view of the story in a very condensed nutshell. Later on in this post, I'll bestow some awards upon some of the books I've read.

A Solitary Star- Or, the Books that I Want to Forget I Ever Read ★

The Alchemist- preachy, overhyped shitpile.

Dos Estrellas- Or, the Books that Ranged from Meh to Awful ★★

The Invisible Man- underwhelming but amusing.
In the Time of the Butterflies- huge missed opportunity.
The Egg- hype is astronomical.
The Minority Report- mind-numbingly, skull-shatteringly boring*.
Mañana- fuck you, Netgalley.
We Know How This Ends: Living While Dying- I am heartless.
The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat, and Other Clinical Tales- fun neurological oddities.
Ponies- heavy-handed and lame*.
Dark Inside- something something something.
The Black Cat- beware, animal abuse!

Orion's Belt- Or, the Books that were Unremarkably Decent ★★★

Snow, Glass, Apples- weird as shit.
A Hoarse Half-Human Cheer- obscure, oddly enjoyable.
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood- great illustrations, though.
Cover Before Striking- really mixed bag.
The Time Machine- philosophical time travelling.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince- Snape and stuff.
The Masque of the Red Death- symbolism is rampant.
The Purloined Letter- not really mystery.
The Oedipus Cycle- the first motherfucker.

Quatres Étoiles- Or, the Books that were (Perhaps Surprisingly) Great ★★★★

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory- adventures in morbidity.
Maus, I: My Father Bleeds History- personal and moving.
A Midsummer Night's Dream- charming, whimsical, fun.
The Landlady- Dahl does horror!
Ligeia- feverish, dark, gorgeous.
The Fall of the House of Usher- mysterious yet sad.
The Pit and the Pendulum- fucking Inquisition, man.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix- explores darker territory.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- god, the feels.
The Glass Castle- absolutely insane parenting.
The Shape of My Name- time and gender.
Water for Alien Were-Dinos- mint chocolate chip.
To Kill a Mockingbird- timeless and poignant.
The Monstrumologist- Pellinore Xavier Warthrop.
The Curse of the Wendigo- still ragingly ambivalent.
A Darker Shade of Magic- adventures, magic, badassery.
Lies We Tell Ourselves- race and gender.
The Paper Magician- lovely magic system.
Men Who Wish to Drown- deathbed mermaid story.
Warm Up- more Vicious, please!
Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death, and Brain Surgery- stellar neurosurgical memoir.
A Long Spoon- sensuous spider demon.

Full Five- Or, the Hallowed Halls of Bookish Paradise ★★★★★

The Clockwork Soldier- androids blow minds.
The Isle of Blood- visceral, emotional, phenomenal.
The Shadow of the Wind- stories within stories.
Maus, II: And Here My Troubles Began- beauty in horror.
Vicious- amorality, antiheroes, awesomeness.
The Witch of Duva- what a twist!
The Necromancer- witty, dark, absurd.
Through the Woods- creepy, imaginative stories.

Most Tears Shed: The Isle of Blood

Most Unjustly Hyped: The Egg

Best Cover: A Darker Shade of Magic

Least Known: The Clockwork Soldier

Best Title: The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat, though Men Who Wish to Drown and Water for Alien Were-Dinos were close runners up.

So that was my 2015. What was yours? Good? Bad? Exciting? Disappointing? Whatever your year was like, it's time to put it behind you and bring in a new one- new mistakes, new challenges, and new books. So here's to the new year of 2016, may it be everybody's best one yet!

*Shut up, that's three words. show less

2015!

Well here is my take... I read 93 books in 2015 (157 if you count the graphic novels and some short stories - which GR does)...

This year I learned that the aversion I had to e-readers in the past was just my defense mechanism against ballooning my TBR (because after I got one in March - my TBR went the way of Gizmo water)... and also despite how great it is to be able to hold a 1000 page book in one hand while eating that I still adore physical books (some of my most treasured reading experiences involve specific editions/covers - seeing other editions just doesn't feel the same).

Also there is a vast selection of really good books in public domain to be had and consumed (thank you e-reader & librivox & people who took their time show more to compile Complete Works epubs *_*)... I have added some lifetime reading goals that include some classic authors (Dickens, Verne, Wells, Woolf, Joyce etc) and earlier Pulitzer prize winners (for Literature & for single books)...

And this year I went back to my public library (also in March due in part to the e-reader because... had to activate my Overdrive account... much madness) and ended up ignoring my books at home for awhile... because... some really good titles were found... nothing like browsing library shelves.

I also learned that doing a book challenge & setting goals is fun because I did manage to finish some. But also that it had some interesting side effects (book fatigue for one & having your reading go all. over. the. place. :/)... also, reading outside your preferred genre is all kinds of interesting (while also affirming that certain genres are still not my cup of tea :p)... and finally... cheap or free books are A TRAP (hahahaha) - this includes Netgalley/bookfairs/BBW etc. Unfortunately I still happily walk right into said traps #ramsrightintoTRAPsignage

Which brings me to my ideals as a reader:

I read somewhere a few years ago (I just can't find/recall the story/reference - in my head it may have been Coelho talking about Borges? Or was it an article about an husband-wife author duo and their minimalism?) about how someone always only kept 100 books (thereabouts) on his shelf at home - the excess he would sell/donate or give away because books are meant to be read so the 100 on his shelf would be a mixture of TBR books and books he re-reads every once in awhile. And that ideal has always appealed to me. Think of the stories someone else could be experiencing which are sitting at home on your shelf like caged birds.

Also, I love to see how some of my GR friends have only 1-2 books they are currently reading and a single digit Want To Read shelf (my inner minimalist srsly yearns for this 3 shelf GR account).

I am very, very, verrrrry far from this ideal but will always endeavour towards it. Because... ideals.

--

Okay... some breakdowns of stuff I have been keeping track of this year:

First let's go over some goals I had at the beginning of the year (or rather somewhere around March-April)...

Goals:
20,000 pages | (24,866 pages as of 08/07) DONE
Books read: 93/50 DONE
Finish Douay-Rheims Bible | (100%) DONE
Finish Joint Hugo-Nebula Award Winners | 9 read, 13 tbr, 2 to buy
Finish All Humble Ebook/Comic Bundles 1/4
Re-read The Chronicles of Narnia 0/7
Re-read The Lord of The Rings 0/3
Pop Sugar 2015 Challenge: 45/50 (here -scroll to the bottom comments section)

So there you have it. I started out the year with setting a goal of 20K pages read and tacked on half a dozen other goals and ended the year completing 3 of them. What a craaaazy year reading-wise... my reading was all over the place.

Some of the standouts for me...

Gathering Storm / Towers of Midnight / A Memory Of Light: Yeah, being a long time Wheel of Time fan, I don't think I ever fully recovered from finally finishing the series.

Curse of Chalion / Paladin of Souls: I must read more Bujold! Vorkosigan!

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress: My first audiobook and such a GOOD one at that! I must read more Heinlein!

Kirstin Lavransdatter: Great trilogy from Pulitzer prize winning author Sigrid Undset. So, so epic. And it's not even fantasy! (It's historical fiction).

Shakespeare Saved My Life: The wish to read more Shakespeare has stayed with me since I finished reading this memoir. Must. Get. Started!

The Word for World is Forest / The Telling: Words escape me. You either like or do not like Le Guin's Hainish Cycle methinks. I for one love it. I think I will set out to read the rest of the Hainish Cycle in 2016.

No Country for Old Men / The Road: Two really scary and somewhat depressing books. If there is zen to be had in writing (content aside), it is here. I have Blood Meridian lined up as my next McCarthy read...

Ender's Game: So. Good. Must finish the Ender Quartet!

Persuasion: SO. GOOD. Must read more Austen.

Time Salvager/Sorceror to the Crown/Children of Time: Gorgeousness. My favourite ARCs this year! ARCs will be the death of my TBR. @_@

The Bible (Douay Rheims Translation – Challoner Revision): After 1 and a half years… I finished reading the Bible! *_* And now… again!

Honorable mentions: KSR's 40/50/60 trilogy, Aldiss' Hothouse, Larke's Stormlord Rising/Last Stormlord

My top graphic novels: Descender, Hawkeye Vol. 1, Nova Vol 1-2, Annihilation: Star Lord, Annihilation: Silver Surfer

And so... 2015!

The year of...

... the e-book reader.
(Got one in March)
... the Overdrive library book.
(Why)
... the audio book.
(Whywhywhy)
... the digital ARC.
(Started getting ARCs in July)
... the TBR spiralling madly away from me.
(You know... I never really bit much into my existing TBR)
… the year of the unfinished trilogy/series!
(I started more trilogies/series than I finished :p)
AND ALSO!
... the year I finished reading the Bible!
(Although you can never -finish- reading the Bible.)

For 2016... I think I will select a few of this years unfinished goals (Joint Hugo-Nebula for one) and take a gander at Pop Sugar's 2016 challenge.

Here's to a more streamlined year for me (reading-wise)...

Happy new year, everyone! :) show less

I probably did more graphic novels this year than I've ever done in my whole life. Probably.

But even so, I've made my way through a few dozen heavyweights like [b:Infinite Jest|6759|Infinite Jest|David Foster Wallace|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1446876799s/6759.jpg|3271542], [b:The Complete Short Stories: Volume 1|862088|The Complete Short Stories Volume 1|J.G. Ballard|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407708255s/862088.jpg|9370934], [b:The Complete Short Stories: Volume 2|23111280|The Complete Short Stories Volume 2|J.G. Ballard|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1409131099s/23111280.jpg|41961206], and great number of other doorstoppers like [b:Great North Road|13573419|Great North Road|Peter F. show more Hamilton|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344371600s/13573419.jpg|19154394].

What did I love the most?

[b:The Library at Mount Char|23363928|The Library at Mount Char|Scott Hawkins|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1416181258s/23363928.jpg|42797715], [b:Radiance|18490533|Radiance|Catherynne M. Valente|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1412283972s/18490533.jpg|26174247], [b:Children of Time|25499718|Children of Time|Adrian Tchaikovsky|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1431014197s/25499718.jpg|45276208], [b:The Boat of a Million Years|338327|The Boat of a Million Years|Poul Anderson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316130975s/338327.jpg|2705088], [b:Life During Wartime|707304|Life During Wartime|Lucius Shepard|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1408924521s/707304.jpg|693580], [b:Stations of the Tide|243859|Stations of the Tide|Michael Swanwick|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1392262388s/243859.jpg|236257], and [b:The Fortunate Fall|1037021|The Fortunate Fall|Raphael Carter|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1311988750s/1037021.jpg|1023367].


Of course, there's a ton of runner-ups, like [b:The Fifth Season|19161852|The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth, #1)|N.K. Jemisin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386803701s/19161852.jpg|26115977], [b:Luna: New Moon|23848027|Luna New Moon (Luna, #1)|Ian McDonald|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1437138235s/23848027.jpg|43458032], [b:Lolita|7604|Lolita|Vladimir Nabokov|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1377756377s/7604.jpg|1268631], [b:Illuminae|23395680|Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1)|Amie Kaufman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1443433956s/23395680.jpg|26653661], [b:The Traitor Baru Cormorant|23444482|The Traitor Baru Cormorant|Seth Dickinson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1422463936s/23444482.jpg|43007917], and [b:Cuckoo Song|18298890|Cuckoo Song|Frances Hardinge|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1385551769s/18298890.jpg|25784713], but we have to draw the line somewhere. I loved all of these books.

There were a few unknowns that stood heavily in my mind, too, such as [b:The Bones of the Earth|25705795|The Bones of the Earth (The Bones of the Earth, #1)|Scott Hale|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1433980591s/25705795.jpg|45536225]. I have a real sweet tooth for great over-the-top horror/dark fantasy.

I loved a lot more, too, or there's no way in hell I could justify my reading schedule or my devotion to the text.

There were a number of other beauties, but still, none were quite as beautiful as the ones I've mentioned. :)


For the year, I sit at a grand total of 499 books for a total of 117,451 pages. This includes a few short stories, novels, and all graphic novels.

I'm kinda surprised. I don't even feel ashamed that I couldn't squeeze in just ONE MORE TITLE. :) Oh well! Maybe next year!



Update 2/6/2016:

Just nominated my favorite SF for the 2015 HUGO, and here's the list:

[b:The Library at Mount Char|23363928|The Library at Mount Char|Scott Hawkins|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1416181258s/23363928.jpg|42797715]
[b:Children of Time|25499718|Children of Time|Adrian Tchaikovsky|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1431014197s/25499718.jpg|45276208]
[b:Luna: New Moon|23848027|Luna New Moon (Luna, #1)|Ian McDonald|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1437138235s/23848027.jpg|43458032]
[b:Radiance|18490533|Radiance|Catherynne M. Valente|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1412283972s/18490533.jpg|26174247]
[b:The Fifth Season|19161852|The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth, #1)|N.K. Jemisin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386803701s/19161852.jpg|26115977]

I didn't nominate any shorts or novellas since I haven't read much of anything there, BUT, if anyone has any suggestions for the short categories, including Short Stories, Novelettes, or Novellas, throw them at me and I'll see if I can read them all before March 31 this year. Thanks! show less