2009 Book Reading Breakdown

[richlayers]

119 books read - approximately 9.9/month

16 rereads - 13.4%
103 new books read - 86.6%
118 Fiction - 99.2%
1 Nonfiction - .8%
37 Graphic Novels - 31.1%
11 Children's (picture) books - 9.2%

Top Five Favorites*:

Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier
Juliet Marillier, historical fantasist, tackles Beauty and the Beast with stunning prose and originality.

Impossible by Nancy Werlin
Young heroine Lucy must untangle a family curse that is tied into the folk song "Scarborough Fair," before she gives birth to her daughter and goes mad like her mother. Wonderful writing, complex characterizations, magical realism more than pure fantasy.

John Dies at the End by David Wong
A horror spoof and horror story bizarrely blended in one of the funniest and creepiest books I've ever read.

The Magicians by Lev Grossman
Harry Potter for grown-ups, dark fantasy with nods to the Chronicles of Narnia, The Phantom Tollbooth, The House With a Clock In Its Walls, definitely a fantasy novel for the literary snobs among us. Disturbing and excellent.

The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard
A fascinating mystery about a long-unsolved murder shakes up a small town in Kansas. Compelling and intricate, with a tightly woven, incredibly satisfying plot.

*It's hard to compare a book I read early in the year with one I read within the last few months, so this is a pretty arbitrary list based on what I remember of them now. However, what makes them stand out is how much they kept me turning the pages and how likely I would be to recommend them to friends. The list of books I would not recommend is much shorter, and probably I could make a bottom five list much more easily, but that just wouldn't be polite....

Comments

[sidhe-etain.livejournal.com]

I loved The Magicians. The "bad guy" with a branch in front of his face was brilliant. And his "twist" backstory was too. Have you read Cat Valente's The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making? I bet you'd love it.

I hope to read Heart's Blood soon.

[richlayers.livejournal.com]

I haven't read that story by Valente yet... Even though I know it's free to read online, I'm kind of hoping for a hard copy I can buy. I just started The Orphan's Tales, though, and I love that so far.

I think you'll really like Heart's Blood. :)

[sidhe-etain.livejournal.com]

I don't know if you heard, but they ARE planning to do a hard copy of it. :)

[richlayers.livejournal.com]

I thought that was the news, but I hadn't heard anything since it was first mentioned as a possibility. That works for me, cause that way I can support Cat AND read in my preferred reading format! :D

[sidhe-etain.livejournal.com]

I just checked Cat's official page again, and apparently the hard copy wouldn't be published until 2011 :(

[richlayers.livejournal.com]

Ahh, well, at least I have all of The Orphan's Tales to get me through in the meantime... and about 8 shelves more of a to-be-read pile....

[sidhe-etain.livejournal.com]

I can relate to the "to read" pile :)

[richlayers.livejournal.com]

Pretty much an entire bookshelf?? ;)

[sidhe-etain.livejournal.com]

A virtual bookshelf at least, on my Goodreads :)