Booklist 2010
Wrap up of books read in 2010. Fairly short list this year due to a hectic schedule which meant precious public transport time normally reserved for reading was instead utilised for increasingly necessary naps.
(All re-reads are marked with an asterix *)
Five Star Winners
- Negotiating with the Dead – Margaret Atwood
- Time Enough For Love – Robert A. Heinlein
- The Best of C. L. Moore - C. L. Moore
The 2010 List
1. All That Fall – Samuel Beckett 
2. What’s Bred in the Bone - Robertson Davies
Really enjoyed this one. The life and times of Francis Cornish as related by his biographical Angel and mercurial daemon. Life, art, religion and a dash of MI5 just for fun.
3. Leviathan – Scott Westerfeld
YA steam-punk novel set in an alternate universe where Darwin also discovered DNA and brought about the creation of Darwin beasts, genetically altered living creatures. Also full of walking armour tanks and war weapons, which come in quite handy when the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria is assassinated in 1914 and war breaks out across Europe.
4. Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters - Jane Austen + Ben H Winters
No stars for this one as I haven’t completed it. Not even an updated version with violent sea monsters wreaking bloody carnage could help me past the inane characters and dry dialogue. Ah well.
5. The Novice - Trudi Canavan
Le sigh. Good and well used premise, underdog slum dweller is discovered to hold incredible depths of magic and power, discovers what appears to be a great evil hidden within the Academy. It’s just a little too obvious as to where the twist is going though, especially as the action is being noticeably stretched into a trilogy.
6. Dead and Gone – Charlain Harris
The last Sookie Stackhouse novel in print to date. Thank goodness I’ve finished scratching that itch. This novel was a particular disappointment as it only minimally furthered the larger story arc.
7. The Finders – Nigel Hinton
This is a children’s book for the 8-10 age group I’m guessing. Picked this up for £1.50 in a charity shop last weekend for a quick read on the bus. Not bad. Rosie is tricked by a Djinn into taking a package and holding on to it overnight unaware that this will turn her into a hateful Djinn just like him. Rosie must track down the Djinn with help from the Finders/Angels and return the package to prevent her transformation.
8. Negotiating with the Dead – Margaret Atwood
Based on a series of six lectures Atwood was asked to present at the University of Cambridge in 2000, this book explores what it means to be a writer, both historically and in the modern world. Atwood examines the expectations and mythology surrounding this profession and how these have changed.
9. Flirt – Laurell K. Hamilton
An in between novella allowing more time with Anita Blake and her men.
10. Time Out of Joint – Phillip K. Dick
Ragle Gumm makes his living by winning and entering a newspaper contest every day, however as his sanity returns his life is revealed to be more important than he could have guessed. Excellent Phillip K. Dick.
11. The Lyre of Orpheus, Robertson Davies
Composers in limbo, Arthurian tragedy, and an opera brought back from obscurity and completed by a snot nosed musical genius. Not bad.
12. Grimspace – Ann Aguirre
13. Wanderlust – Ann Aguirre
14. Doubleblind – Ann Aguirre
Wanderlust and Doubleblind are the two books I won in Patrick Rothfuss’ Worldbuilders charity raffle. Grimspace is the first in the series though so I had to go out and purchase it myself. Good popcorn space drama with plenty of ‘girl kicks butt’ moments. I always enjoy these types of books despite feeling slightly disappointed by them.
15. Naamah’s Kiss – Jacqueline Carey
Plenty of saucy scenes as expected. The all female romances are far more engaging than the supposed ‘true love’ hereto relationships. The fantastical elements are also made far more solid in this trilogy than those previously and in doing so removes a portion of the world’s charm.
16. Shades of Grey – Jasper Fforde
Excellent, although I couldn’t but wonder if Fforde was watching Brazil when piecing this together.
17. Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov
Beautiful words, strong imagery, difficult subject matter. This took a while as the further it progressed the more uncomfortable I became.
18. The High Lord – Trudi Canavan
Righty, so the trilogy followed pretty much the exact path I’d thought it would and yet I went ahead and read all three so obviously it was entertaining enough.
19. Egg & Ego - J.M.W. Slack
Sells itself as a light hearted look at the nature of academic science. The first half is fairly thick on the scientific methods and success of the author in his particular field with the second half focusing on the realities of life as a scientist and tales of navigating the seas of funding and egos. Not bad, especially for undergrads considering a career in science.
20. Starship Troopers – Robert A. Heinlein
The film is a favourite of mine and although I’ve enjoyed a bit of Heinlein I thought it was time to give this one a go. Vastly different from the film it is just as, if not more, enjoyable to follow Johnnie Rico through the Bug war.
21. Time Enough For Love – Robert A. Heinlein 
I was completely absorbed by this one. Lazarus Long is a complicated character with many stories to tell. I just want to curl up by the fireplace and listen to him talk. Heinlein is an interesting mix of sexual libertarian and political conservative.
22. Woken Furies – Richard Morgan
Excellent work once again from Morgan.
23. Genes, Peoples and Languages – Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza
An interesting look at the movements of humankind across the globe and how this can be traced through, mostly genetic, but also linguistic and anthropological means. The language is not overly academic and I’d rate this one as pretty accessible.
24. The Best of C. L. Moore - C. L. Moore
I’m always on the look out for science fiction writing that offers something a little bit, more. This C.L.Moore offers tightly written prose with an intellectual emotional depth. Everything has purpose in these tales and I am in a little bit of awe.
25. If I Die in a Combat Zone – Tim O’Brien
I picked this up from the deletion pile because we studied another novel by O’Brien in High School and I remember being incredibly frustrated yet impressed by the book. If I Die in a Combat Zone was the first novel published by O’Brien and is an autobiographical account of his tour of duty in Vietnam. A clearly written and honestly felt account.
26. Dead Witch Walking – Kim Harrison
Good witchy fun. Throw in a lesbian vampire, fast talking pixie and a few demons and we’re having a good time.
27. The Good, The Bad, and the Undead – Kim Harrison
28. Every Which Way But Dead – Kim Harrison
29. A Fistful of Charms – Kim Harrison
30. For a Few Demons More – Kim Harrison
31. The Outlaw Demon Wails – Kim Harrison
32. White Witch, Black Curse – Kim Harrison
33. Black Magic Sanction – Kim Harrison
34. Data Modeling Essentials 3rd Edition – Simsion and Witt
Considering I pretty much put all recreational reading on hold for a few months while studying I am damn well counting this text since I read through it so many times.
35. Moon Called – Patricia Briggs
Female shape-shifting coyote working as a mechanic, friends with vampires and powerful faye, and mixed up with the local werewolf pack. Fun times.
36.Blood Bound – Patricia Briggs
37. Iron Kissed - Patricia Briggs
38. Bone Crossed – Patricia Briggs
39. Silver Borne - Patricia Briggs
40. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Always a pleasure.
41. The Jungle Book – Rudyard Kipling
While heavy into study time I’ve been reading excerpts from this of an evening to calm my buzzing head. Worked like a charm. Love it.
42. Hyperion* – Dan Simmons
An old favourite.
43. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay – Michael Chabon
44. Bullet - Laurell K. Hamilton
I do enjoy my Anita Blake reading time. Read this earlier in the year and forgot to add it to the list. How silly.
45. The Happy Turning - H.G. Wells
A recollection of Wells’ dreams, in particular his recurring dream of the Happy Turning in his daily walks. Especially enjoyed his dream discussions with Jesus who, in Wells’ dreamland, is a very reasonable bloke indeed.
Book List 2005
Book List 2006
Book List 2009
Book List 2010
= Read it…just
= An okay read.
= A good/fun read.
= Excellent!
= Going onto the favourites list!
