So - news first.
1) I obviously did not read 100, or even 50 books, totally missing my goal. This is what happens when you have a job that sucks up hours and hours of your life in overtime. For which I don't get paid since I am a manager. But, c'est la vie. All I can do is move on.
2) I got myself a Kindle. I adore it. It isn't fancy or touch screen or anything. But I still adore it. Also, my husband adored my Kindle and kept "borrowing" it. Guess what he got for Christmas? :)
3) Although I adore my Kindle, I still adore "analog" books. I will post about both e-books and regular books on here, because I love them both.
4) I realized from my experiment in reading and blogging that there are just some genres that I HATE. I can't help it. Classic literature is not my friend - I have read everything I want to read in that genre, and, truthfully, it mostly consisted of Jane Austen. So sue me. Might I try Steinbeck (at Corey's insistence)? Perhaps. Is Vonnegut a brilliant, life altering author? Maybe. I will never know. I am not going to push myself here - maybe I will try one or two classics, but honestly, I read for fun. Some classics are just drudgery for me, and that's that.
5) However, I did learn from my experiment that I enjoy mysteries, biographies, sci-fi, graphic novels, some non-fiction (if I find the subject interesting enough) and well written fiction. So, at least in that the experiment was not a total failure.
6) I have some new rules for this blog's new year:
- I will NOT be limiting myself to genres this time. It sucked. I will just read what I want to read, and post about that. Trust me. It will suck much, much less.
- Since I work ALL THE TIME, I will include audio books as well. A book lover's gotta get her fix somehow, right?
- Finally, I WILL be posting about re-reads. If I like it enough to read it twice (or more), you should read it too. Trust me, I know good books.
Now for the books. Reading highlights for 2011 included some truly delightful reads. Note that every last one is fantasy. I can't help it, I like what I like.
1) Game of Thrones by George RR Martin.
I will admit that the first time I tried to read this book, I failed utterly. It just had SOOOOOO many characters. Enter the HBO series. After watching the first episode, I was totally hooked. I must say, the series has to be one of the best adaptations of a book I have ever seen. I feel like I was the lucky winner at a BOGO sale. Once I got into it, the book was excellent, and I highly recommend it.
2) Codex Alera by Jim Butcher
At the recommendation of one of Corey's friends, I read this entire series over the summer. It is just the kind of epic fantasy that I totally love - magic, magical creatures, a righteous quest. There are 6 books in the series, and you will not want to stop in the middle, so I recommend getting them all at once so you don't have to. Book one, Furies of Calderon is pictured.:)
3) The Omen Machine by Terry Goodkind
I seriously bought this book the day it came out. And read it that night. How could I resist another Richard & Kahlan book? I don't know if I expected too much from this book since I was so wrapped up in the characters from the previous 11 books, but it didn't draw me in quite as much as the others did. I still really enjoyed it, and might go back and read the other books then give it another try (this is what my hubby is doing - he hasn't read The Omen Machine yet. I think this is the best course of action).
4) The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
At the recommendation of that same friend of Corey's I decided to give these a try too (there is also one season of a t.v. show, which was pretty good). I am not quite finished (halfway through the last one), but I am still sticking it in this section. These are kind of different - I guess you could call them urban fantasy, but they also have a mystery element to them. Each is a great quick read, and I have read this one almost entirely on my Kindle. Storm Front, pictured, is the only one I actually bought in "analog" format.
5) Naamah's Blessing by Jacqueline Carey
I. Love. This. Author. Seriously. Naamah's Blessing was a fabulous end to the trilogy of books about Moirin. Having recently read another of Ms. Carey's books, I can definitely say that she will never be typecast. Each of her protagonists has their own unique voice. Moirin was definitely not Phedre or Immriel. But she was compelling in her own way, with her own magic and adventures. If you haven't read anything by Jacqueline Carey, and have liked my other recommendations, remedy that immediately. I think you should start with the first book in this trilogy, unless your tastes run a little darker, then you should start with Kushiel's Dart.
6) The Chronicles of Elantra by Michelle Sagara
I read all the books (so far) in the Chronicles of Elantra series over Thanksgiving this year. This is another series with magic and fantastic creatures. Sagara also does a delightful job of blending a police drama with amazing fantasy, and I highly recommend this series as well. It was delightful, and I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series, Cast in Peril. Cast in Shadow, pictured, is the first book in the series.
So, there you have it. I didn't make my goal, but I did read a ton. And I am back to blogging about books. Post about the first half of January next week.
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