Reading 2009 - inspired by meganbmoore

[estara]

Not being a paid account I can't make a poll - not that many people read me anyway, heh, but I am quite proud to have read quite a lot of books and short stories this year, even though I have troubles with my right cornea. I loved it when meganbmoore did it last year, so this year I wanted to do it for myself (and see if I read much less... looking at the list I can't think I did, actually). Manga/manhwa are not included.

The overwhelming majority of these were new reads and ebooks. We have fantasy, science fiction, non-fiction, romance of various versions, erotic romances of the straight and m/m variety as well as menage.The books are listed according to grade, from best to worst (A+,A- to D and DNF):


A-Books:

Ann Somerville Falling from the Tree (Landing Softly)
Elizabeth Vaughan Dagger-Star
Ilona Andrews On the Edge
J. L. Langley Without Reservation
Joan Wolf A Double Deception
Joan Wolf Fool's Masquerade
Joan Wolf The Pretenders
Joan Wolf The Rebellious Ward
Lauren Dane Trinity
Leigh Bridger Solomon's Seal
Lesley-Anne McLeod Carolina's Walking Tour
Lesley-Anne McLeod Comet Wine
Linnea Sinclair Finders Keepers
Lois McMaster Bujold The Curse of Chalion
Lynne Connolly Harley Street
Lynne Connolly Alluring Secrets
Martha Wells Death of the Necromancer
Martha Wells The Element of Fire
Meg Benjamin Love & Scones
Nina Kiriki Hoffmann The Thread that binds the Bones
Patricia Briggs Hunting Ground
Robin D. Owens HeartMate
Robin D. Owens Heart Change
Sharon Shinn Mystic and Rider
Sherwood Smith Inda
Tamora Pierce Beka Cooper: Terrier
Tanya Huff The Enchantment Emporium
Lilith Saintcrow Steelflower
Ann Somerville A Fuzzy Tale
Ann Somerville Kei's Gift
Ann Somerville Home Ground (Bearing Fruit)
Ann Somerville On Wings, Rising
Ann Somerville Reaching Higher
C. J. Cherryh Conspirator
Denise Rossetti The Flame and the Shadow
Eileen Wilks Mortal Sins
Gail Dayton New Blood
Jacqueline Carey Naamah's Kiss
Jo Goodman Never Love a Lawman
Kylie Chan White Tiger
Kylie Chan Blue Dragon
Laura London Lightning that lingers
Leigh Bridger Beginnings
Lynne Connolly Venice
Lynne Connolly Tantalizing Secrets
Martha Wells Bad Medicine
Meg Benjamin Venus in Blue Jeans
Meljean Brook Demon Forged
Mercedes Lackey The Lark and the Wren
Michelle Sagara Cast in Silence
Nalini Singh Branded by Fire
Patricia Briggs Masques
R.A MacAvoy The Lens of the World
Robin D. Owens HeartQuest
Sharon Shinn Reader and Raelynx
Sherwood Smith Once a Princess (Sasharia en Garde I)
Denise Rossetti Tailspin
Lauren Dane Relentless
Loretta Chase The Mad Earl's Bride

B-Books:

Ann Somerville Staying Power (Freely Given)
Anne Gracie His Captive Lady
Deborah J. Ross, editor Lace and Blade 1
Deborah Smith Just a Little Bit Guilty
Denise Rossetti Strongman
Ilona Andrews Magic Strikes
J. D. Robb Promise in Death
J. L. Langley With Caution
J. R. Langley My Fair Captain
J. R. Langley The Englor Affair
Joan Smith Lace for Milady
Joan Wolf My Lordship's Mistress
John Scalzi You're not fooling anyone when you take your laptop to the coffee shop
John Scalzi Your Hate Mail will be graded
Karen Harbaugh Cupid's Kiss
Lois McMaster Bujold The Hallowed Hunt
Lynne Connolly Seductive Secrets
Lynne Conolly Yorkshire
Lynne Conolly Devonshire
Mercedes Lackey Fiddler Fair
Pamela F. Service Tomorrow's Magic
Pamela Stephenson Conolly Billy
Patricia Briggs Bone Crossed
Robin D. Owens HeartThief
Sharon Shinn The Thirteenth House
Sharon Shinn The Dream-Maker's Magic
Sharyn November, editor Firebirds Rising
Sherwood Smith Short Stories Volume 1
Tamora Pierce In the Hand of the Goddess
Tamora Pierce The Woman who rides like a Man
Tamora Pierce Wild Magic
Tamora Pierce The Realms of the Gods
Tamora Pierce Protector of the Small: Page
Tamora Pierce Protector of the Small: Squire
Toby Bishop Airs and Graces
Toby Bishop Airs of Night and Sea
Sharon Shinn Dark Moon Defender
Ann Somerville Bound to Fall
Catherine Asaro The Fire Opal
Elaine Isaak The Eunuch's Heir
J. L. Langley His Convenient Husband
Jane Lindskold Legends Walking
Jeri Smith-Ready Voice of Crow
Joan Smith Imprudent Lady
Kathleen Eagle Mystic Horseman
Loretta Chase Don't Tempt Me
Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux Warrior's Cross
Maria V. Snyder Storm Glass
Martha Wells Wolf Night
Mercedes Lackey Foundation
R.A MacAvoy The King of the Dead
Robin D. Owens Echoes in the Dark
Sharon Shinn The Truth-Teller's Tale
Sharon Shinn Fortune and Fate
Sherwood Smith CJ's Second Notebook
Simon R. Green Blue Moon Rising
Tamora Pierce Wolf-Speaker
Tamora Pierce Protector of the Small: Lady Knight
Toby Bishop Airs beneath the Moon
Z. A. Maxfield Drawn Together
Harris, Singh, Andrews, Brook Must Love Hellhounds
Anne Bishop Belladonna
Anne Bishop Dreams Made Flesh (1st novella)
Bettie Sharpe Like a Thief in the Night
Charles de Lint Tapping the Dream Tree
Charles de Lint Medicine Road
Denise Rossetti Gift of the Goddess
Elizabeth Vaughan White Star
Ilona Andrews Silent Blade
J. D. Robb Salvation in Death
J. D. Robb Strangers in Death
Jane Lindskold Changer
Jeri Smith-Ready Eyes of Crow
Joan Smith Blossom Time
Joan Smith Reluctant Bride
Joan Wolf A London Season
Joan Wolf The American Duchess
Joan Wolf Margarita
Judith Marillier Heart's Blood
Kylie Chan Red Phoenix
Lauren Dane Undercover
Leslie Barringer Shy Leopardess
Lois McMaster Bujold Sharing Knife: Horizons
Lynn Flewelling Shadow's Return
Mary Burchell A Song begins
Mercedes Lackey The Fire Rose
Michele Jerott Albert Absolute Trouble
Nora Roberts Vision in White
Nora Roberts Bed of Roses
Patricia Briggs Dragon Bones
Roberta Gellis Fortune's Bride
Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan Beyond Heaving Bosoms
Sherwood Smith Twice a Prince (Sasharia en Garde II)
Sherwood Smith The Fox
Sherwood Smith King's Shield
Tamora Pierce Alanna - The First Adventure
Tamora Pierce Emperor Mage
Tamora Pierce Protector of the Small: First Test
Tamora Pierce Beka Cooper Bloodhound
Various Firebirds Soaring

C-Books:

Ann Bishop Tangled Webs
C. J. Cherryh The Chanur Saga
Catherine Asaro The Night Bird
Elizabeth K. Burton The Ugly Princess
Erastes Frost Fair
J. L. Langley With Love
Jules Jones Promises to Keep
Lauren Dane Triad
Martha Wells Thorns
Mercedes Lackey Four and Twenty Blackbirds
R.A MacAvoy The Belly of the Wolf
Tera Lynn Childs Oh.My.Gods
Will Wheaton Memories of the Future Vol. 1
Connie Brockway So Enchanting
Susan Grant Moonstruck
C. J. Cherryh Chanur's Homecoming
Cherry Wilder and Katya Reimann The Wanderer
Elaine Isaak The Singer's Crown
Jeri Smith-Ready The Reawakened
Joan Wolf Lord Richard's Daughter
Julia Quinn What happens in London
Martha Wells The Fall of of Ile-Rien: 1st Book
Mercedes Lackey The Snow Queen
Michele Jerott Albert A Great Catch
Naomi Kritzer Fires of the Faithful
Tamora Pierce Lioness Rampant
Wen Spencer Brother's Price

D - and DNF books:

Ann Herendeen Phyllida and the Brotherhood of Philander
Judith Ivory Black Silk
K L Richardson Heart Sense
Katie Davies Lessons in Love
Zelma Orr The Yearning Heart
Elizabeth Peters Crocodile on the Sandbank (Amelia Peabody 1)
Carry Vaughn Kitty and the Midnight Hour

Comments

[kyuuketsukirui.livejournal.com]

That's a lot of reading!

I...haven't read any of them! XD

Reading has always been my main hobby.

[estara.livejournal.com]

Yes, I noticed when reading your reviews that we don't share much of a taste in books, heh ^^. Which is why I read your reviews with interest to see what else is out there.

My selection is mostly classic escape fiction with happy end.

[ewein2412]

i am agog!

[estara.livejournal.com]

Considering this was a bad eye year for me, so am I. I do wonder what my numbers were in regular years... - hmmm, come to think of it some of the ebooks where novella length - not really short stories but probably only half the length of novels, so that changes the equation.. then again Moriah Jovan or Ann Somerville regularly come to about 2000 pages on my Sony Reader... so I guess it evens out.

Maybe I'll do a list for my manga and manhwa this year, too ^^.

[estara.livejournal.com]

Also - I am single and this is my main hobby, every other interest comes after reading, I am sure that makes a difference, too.

[ewein2412]

i am agog even if you had 20/20 vision and your eyes never hurt!

being single does make a difference, I think. Do you read a dozen books at once, or one at a time? Part of the reason I never finish any is because I am always reading about ten.

[estara.livejournal.com]

I only read one fiction book at a time, or else I lose the thread of immersing myself.

I occasionally have non-fiction books on the side, when I'm not in the right mood but want something I can put aside easily (My current non-fiction book is The Year of Living Biblically, which is quite fun ^^ - last year the Scalzi blog post collections and Wil Wheaton's takes on the first season of STTNG were part of that).

[estara.livejournal.com]

There are exceptions: when I'm emotionally not stable enough to read certain harrowing parts coming up, I can put books aside for quite a long time. I did that with Winter Prince and with the last Inda book by sartorias which I still haven't finished. I still haven't finished Joshua Palmatier's first novel because of the child abuse the heroine has to suffer for half the book. I peeked ahead and know she'll get out of that situations, but still.

[rei-shi.livejournal.com]

For the longest time I was not able to get myself to ever finish a book...
And then I read Elfshadow by Elaine Cunningham and that all changed.

That is a Giant List of books...

[estara.livejournal.com]

From the time I learned reading at school that has been my major hobby. So I'm fairly sure that during my university years, when I wasn't fully-employed and still had my eyesight work perfectly, it must have been more.

Also, there are novellas on this list and a few short stories, but I do think the Ann Somerville and the Moriah Jovan books even that out, hmmm.

I will survive the loss of all the other hobbies, PC/Internet, watching TV, watching movies, whatever, but I'll go bonkers if I should ever be unable to read. The only way out would be audiobooks. Something similar - audio stand-up comedy saved my sanity quite a bit last year, when reading just wasn't doable.

[salimbol.livejournal.com]

Now that's what I call a reading list, all right! I recognise quite a few of the authors there, but haven't read more than about a handful of the books you've listed. I'm determined to get back into reading full novels this year myself (and maybe some non-fiction as well), and let the manga take a bit more of a backseat. It's only really in the last few months that I've felt the capacity to read a novel coming back to me; I missed that feeling :-(.

[estara.livejournal.com]

Well, I bought an ebook reader last February so that was the attraction of the shiny - and then the desperate attempt to read as much as possible in case my eye sight totally went bad.

And, as I said, this is my main hobby, everything else comes afterwards.

Then again, I'm nothing compared to meganbmoore AND she does reviews of nearly everything she reads.

[salimbol.livejournal.com]

That reminds me: how is your eyesight doing now? And you're right about Megan's reading; I'm in awe at how much she reads (and how much she posts about it too :-).

[estara.livejournal.com]

Well, not so good this week, but before that no problems in 24 days, which must be a record, and overall much better than at the same time last year (when I didn't have a handle on how to treat it with the most effect and a minimum of fuss).

[salimbol.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear that about this week, but woo hoo to the 24 days preceding it! At least it does sound like you're learning best how to cope with it.

[estara.livejournal.com]

I agree - now if I can get my family to shut up about there having to be a permanent fix for this :P, oh well.

[janicu.livejournal.com]

That is a lot of books. Like 200?

I'm still reading THE GODSTALKER CHRONICLES. Got to Chapter 10 I believe.

[estara.livejournal.com]

Well, there are novellas included - when I was trying out new e-published authors. But I did have some extremely long novels in ebook format as well, so I guess it might even out to something similar...

I do know that I used to read more when I didn't have my eye troubles, heh.

Ooh, chapter ten - that's where Jame resurrects the god she destroyed out of curiousity. How did you like that storyline? It's my favourite humorous bit in the first novel.

I just finished the new one Bound in Blood in a day. It's getting to be an even wilder ride ^^.

You'll find that while the first part (first novel) in the GC has more of a "dark underpinnings with lots of humorous action" episodes, it gets to be more "occasional humor with many dark action episodes" as the story develops.

I'd classify it as dark epic fantasy.