Books read in 2009
Jan. 2nd, 2010 09:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bagpussI managed to read 71 books this year
The full list is under the cut
Here are my highlights
Lindsay Davis' Falco Series, starting with the Silver Pigs,
These are a noir PI series in a Sam Spade style with a unusual twist being set in Vespasian's Rome. The language and the stories follow noir patterns but everyone's in togas. Marcus Didius Falco is a Informer and basically works as a PI in modern terms. The crimes themselves are okay but I find the more interesting bit is his family and associates and how they interact. The best of these I have read so far is probably The Iron Hand of Mars, where Falco is sent to deliver a new standard and find out what has happened to a missing legate
6 down, only about 14 more to read
The Extremes, Christopher Priest.
This book follows Teresa Simons who is drawn to a English seaside village where a similar massacre occurred as killed her husband an FBI agent. She attempts to come control with this by immersing herself in the world of virtual reality.
I have always liked Priest's writing but this is the best thing of his I have read for two reasons. Normally his writing is quite cold and it can be difficult to empathise with his characters but this time both Teresa and the other main protagonists are emotional and much easier to read which makes for a much more readable books. The plots are always intriguing and complex without being to dense but this does mean the endings can leave a little to be desired as the lose ends are a lot to tie up. This time though while the plot was complex there were a tangible number of leads and the resolution was much more satisfying than many of his previous novels.
Heart Shaped Box, Joe Hill
This is a fantastic horror novel, it follows Judas Coyne, an ageing rock star and collector of esoteric objects as he buys a suit haunted by its dead owners ghost. The story follows what happens to Coyne and his friends and associates due to the suit and its owner. Its a fantastically creepy story, well plotted and quite scary at times
Santa Oliva, Jaqueline Carey
Santa Olivia follows Loup Garron as she grows up in a Texan town which is now part of a DMZ between the US and Mexico. Turns out Loup's father was one of a set of genetically engineered soldiers to be faster, stronger more wolf like and these abilities have passed on to her.
After her mother dies she moves into the local orphanage and after disturbing events starts to act as a viglante disguised as the towns patron saint Santa Olivia, helped by the other orphans.
Its a great story of both growing up and of being an outsider unable to share parts of yourself with anyone.
The Chaos Walking series, vol 1 and 2, Patrick Ness.
I found out about the Knife of never letting go as it won the James Tiptree Junior Award which is about furthering gender understanding using fiction. It has also won several other awards.
The basic plot follows Todd, the last boy in his community only a month from becoming a man. Todd lives on a colony far from earth where when initially settled a plague killed all the women and made all the men broadcast their thoughts. When exploring the local jungle he discovers a blank space with no noise which is unusual as all creatures on this planet broadcast their thoughts and tries to investigate. The result is he is forces by his parents to flee the village and discovers the history of his colony isn't all that it seems.
The knife of never letting go is a fantastic story which I don't what to describe to much for fear of spoiling it which considered the differences between the genders as amplified by the nature of the colonised planet and how such difficult circumstances can affect relationships and how people grow up.
The second novel, The Ask and the Answer very much follows on from the consequences of the first and also looks how the information available to an individual very much affects the choices they make. Again I don't want to say to much for fear of spoiling the first novel.
These are all great books. I thoroughly recommend anyone reading them.
1. Where Demons Dare, Kim Harrison
2. The Thief, Megan Whaleen Turner
3. The Six Degrees of Space, Alistair Reynolds
4. Storm Front, Jim Butcher
5. Fool Moon, Jim Butcher
6. Grave Peril, Jim Butcher
7. Insult, Rupert Thompson
8. The Secret History of Moscow,
9. The Merchant War, Charles Stross
10. Those who remain there still, Cherie Priest
11. The Glass Books of the Dream Eater, G Dalhquist
12. The Attack of the unsinkable rubber ducks, Christopher Brookmyre
13. Soft, Rupert Thompson
14. Procession of the Dead, D B Shan
15. Slam, Nick Horby
16. Hells Horizon, D B Shan
17. One for Sorrow, Christopher Barak
18. Handling the Undead, John Ajvide Lindqvist
19. The Servants, M M Smith
20. Heart Shaped Box, Joe Hill
21. The Queen of Attolia, Megan Whaleen Turner
22. Touching Darkness, Scott Westfield
23. From Dead to Worse, Charlaine Harris
24. Blue Noon, Scott Westfield
25. The King of Attolia, Megan Whaleen Turner
26. Hannah's Story: Vampire Love Never Dies, Giuletta Spudich
27. White Witch, Black Curse, Kim Harrison
28. The Prisoner of Zenda, Antony Hope
29. Zoe's Tale, John Scalzi
30. Captain John Smith, Toby Hill
31. Santa Olivia, Jaqueline Carey
32. Somebody Owes Me Money, Donald E Westlake
33. The Bone Key, Sarah Monette
34. The Chrysalids, John Wyndham
35. Edenborn, Nick Sagan
36. So Funny, Donald E Westlake
37. The Extremes, Christopher Priest
38. The Silver Pigs, Lindsay Davis
39. Almost Moon, Alice Seabold
40. The Knife of never letting go, Patrick Ness
41. Consider Phelbas, Iain M Banks
42. Dead and Gone, Charlaine Harris
43. Shadows in Bronze, Linsday Davis
44. Breathers, a Zombies Lament, S G Browne
45. The American Wife, Curtis Sittenfeld
46. Singularity Ring, Paul Mieko
Tender Morsels Margo Lanagan, only got 140 pages in, the story was well written but to sad for me
47. The memoirs of a master forger, William Heaney
48. The Devil's cub, Georgette Heyer
49. Venus in Copper, Lindsay Davis
50. The Iron Hand of Mars, Lindsay Davis
51. Hunters of Dune, Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson
52. Fat White Vampire Blues, Andrew Fox
53. The Ask and the Answer, Patrick Ness
54. A Game of Thrones, George R R Martin
55. Tyranosaur Canyon, Douglas Preston
56. Affinity Bridge, George Mann
57. Freakonomics, Steven Levit and Stephen Dubner
58. Grimspace, Ann Aguire
59. The Ninth Circle, Alex Bell
60. Wanderlust, Ann Aguire
61. Doubleblind, Ann Aguire
62. Boneshaker, Cherie Priest
63. Posideon's Gold, Lindsay Davis
64. The Magicians, Lev Grossman
65. A Big boy did it and ran away, Christopher Brookmyre
66. Minla's Flowers/A Thousandth Night, Allistair Reynolds
67. Hot and Sweaty Rex, Eric Garcia
68. Gossip Girl, Cecily von Zigesar
69. The Clash of Kings, George R R Martin
70. Cycler, Lauren McLauglin
71. Yellow Blue Tiba, Adam Roberts
The full list is under the cut
Here are my highlights
Lindsay Davis' Falco Series, starting with the Silver Pigs,
These are a noir PI series in a Sam Spade style with a unusual twist being set in Vespasian's Rome. The language and the stories follow noir patterns but everyone's in togas. Marcus Didius Falco is a Informer and basically works as a PI in modern terms. The crimes themselves are okay but I find the more interesting bit is his family and associates and how they interact. The best of these I have read so far is probably The Iron Hand of Mars, where Falco is sent to deliver a new standard and find out what has happened to a missing legate
6 down, only about 14 more to read
The Extremes, Christopher Priest.
This book follows Teresa Simons who is drawn to a English seaside village where a similar massacre occurred as killed her husband an FBI agent. She attempts to come control with this by immersing herself in the world of virtual reality.
I have always liked Priest's writing but this is the best thing of his I have read for two reasons. Normally his writing is quite cold and it can be difficult to empathise with his characters but this time both Teresa and the other main protagonists are emotional and much easier to read which makes for a much more readable books. The plots are always intriguing and complex without being to dense but this does mean the endings can leave a little to be desired as the lose ends are a lot to tie up. This time though while the plot was complex there were a tangible number of leads and the resolution was much more satisfying than many of his previous novels.
Heart Shaped Box, Joe Hill
This is a fantastic horror novel, it follows Judas Coyne, an ageing rock star and collector of esoteric objects as he buys a suit haunted by its dead owners ghost. The story follows what happens to Coyne and his friends and associates due to the suit and its owner. Its a fantastically creepy story, well plotted and quite scary at times
Santa Oliva, Jaqueline Carey
Santa Olivia follows Loup Garron as she grows up in a Texan town which is now part of a DMZ between the US and Mexico. Turns out Loup's father was one of a set of genetically engineered soldiers to be faster, stronger more wolf like and these abilities have passed on to her.
After her mother dies she moves into the local orphanage and after disturbing events starts to act as a viglante disguised as the towns patron saint Santa Olivia, helped by the other orphans.
Its a great story of both growing up and of being an outsider unable to share parts of yourself with anyone.
The Chaos Walking series, vol 1 and 2, Patrick Ness.
I found out about the Knife of never letting go as it won the James Tiptree Junior Award which is about furthering gender understanding using fiction. It has also won several other awards.
The basic plot follows Todd, the last boy in his community only a month from becoming a man. Todd lives on a colony far from earth where when initially settled a plague killed all the women and made all the men broadcast their thoughts. When exploring the local jungle he discovers a blank space with no noise which is unusual as all creatures on this planet broadcast their thoughts and tries to investigate. The result is he is forces by his parents to flee the village and discovers the history of his colony isn't all that it seems.
The knife of never letting go is a fantastic story which I don't what to describe to much for fear of spoiling it which considered the differences between the genders as amplified by the nature of the colonised planet and how such difficult circumstances can affect relationships and how people grow up.
The second novel, The Ask and the Answer very much follows on from the consequences of the first and also looks how the information available to an individual very much affects the choices they make. Again I don't want to say to much for fear of spoiling the first novel.
These are all great books. I thoroughly recommend anyone reading them.
1. Where Demons Dare, Kim Harrison
2. The Thief, Megan Whaleen Turner
3. The Six Degrees of Space, Alistair Reynolds
4. Storm Front, Jim Butcher
5. Fool Moon, Jim Butcher
6. Grave Peril, Jim Butcher
7. Insult, Rupert Thompson
8. The Secret History of Moscow,
9. The Merchant War, Charles Stross
10. Those who remain there still, Cherie Priest
11. The Glass Books of the Dream Eater, G Dalhquist
12. The Attack of the unsinkable rubber ducks, Christopher Brookmyre
13. Soft, Rupert Thompson
14. Procession of the Dead, D B Shan
15. Slam, Nick Horby
16. Hells Horizon, D B Shan
17. One for Sorrow, Christopher Barak
18. Handling the Undead, John Ajvide Lindqvist
19. The Servants, M M Smith
20. Heart Shaped Box, Joe Hill
21. The Queen of Attolia, Megan Whaleen Turner
22. Touching Darkness, Scott Westfield
23. From Dead to Worse, Charlaine Harris
24. Blue Noon, Scott Westfield
25. The King of Attolia, Megan Whaleen Turner
26. Hannah's Story: Vampire Love Never Dies, Giuletta Spudich
27. White Witch, Black Curse, Kim Harrison
28. The Prisoner of Zenda, Antony Hope
29. Zoe's Tale, John Scalzi
30. Captain John Smith, Toby Hill
31. Santa Olivia, Jaqueline Carey
32. Somebody Owes Me Money, Donald E Westlake
33. The Bone Key, Sarah Monette
34. The Chrysalids, John Wyndham
35. Edenborn, Nick Sagan
36. So Funny, Donald E Westlake
37. The Extremes, Christopher Priest
38. The Silver Pigs, Lindsay Davis
39. Almost Moon, Alice Seabold
40. The Knife of never letting go, Patrick Ness
41. Consider Phelbas, Iain M Banks
42. Dead and Gone, Charlaine Harris
43. Shadows in Bronze, Linsday Davis
44. Breathers, a Zombies Lament, S G Browne
45. The American Wife, Curtis Sittenfeld
46. Singularity Ring, Paul Mieko
Tender Morsels Margo Lanagan, only got 140 pages in, the story was well written but to sad for me
47. The memoirs of a master forger, William Heaney
48. The Devil's cub, Georgette Heyer
49. Venus in Copper, Lindsay Davis
50. The Iron Hand of Mars, Lindsay Davis
51. Hunters of Dune, Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson
52. Fat White Vampire Blues, Andrew Fox
53. The Ask and the Answer, Patrick Ness
54. A Game of Thrones, George R R Martin
55. Tyranosaur Canyon, Douglas Preston
56. Affinity Bridge, George Mann
57. Freakonomics, Steven Levit and Stephen Dubner
58. Grimspace, Ann Aguire
59. The Ninth Circle, Alex Bell
60. Wanderlust, Ann Aguire
61. Doubleblind, Ann Aguire
62. Boneshaker, Cherie Priest
63. Posideon's Gold, Lindsay Davis
64. The Magicians, Lev Grossman
65. A Big boy did it and ran away, Christopher Brookmyre
66. Minla's Flowers/A Thousandth Night, Allistair Reynolds
67. Hot and Sweaty Rex, Eric Garcia
68. Gossip Girl, Cecily von Zigesar
69. The Clash of Kings, George R R Martin
70. Cycler, Lauren McLauglin
71. Yellow Blue Tiba, Adam Roberts
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no subject
Date: 2010-01-02 09:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-02 10:10 pm (UTC)I gave up on reviews in the last couple of years though
edit:You should also really read the Knife of never letting go, I suspect you would really like it, I bought a copy for
no subject
Date: 2010-01-03 01:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-03 10:34 am (UTC)I think one of my new year resoltuions ought to be to read more.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-04 06:13 pm (UTC)Saturnalia by Lyndsay Davis (Ithink this is the latesdt Falco but not sure. I've read quite a few of these but definitely not all of them yet)
The Blade Itself
Before they were Hanged{ both by Joe Abercrombie I'm still reading Book 3 Last Argument of Kings.
The Dreamers quartet by David and Leigh Eddings.
and loads of random others that I have picked up from charity shops and friends bookshelves and the library along the way. I should keep a list! Maybe this is the year to do it as I have just discovered the calendar on Outlook (Yes I know, I've had a computer and the internet for about 15 years now and had never noticed it before!!!!)