Challenge: 50 Books discussion

Last year I managed 170 books, quite a bit more than my original goal of 50. ^_^; This year, no goals, just however many books I end up reading.

So, to start it off, a book that I didn't enjoy anywhere near as much as I thought I would.

1. Neuromancer by William Gibson

2. The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon

Read this one for the SciFi and Fantasy book club, and absolutely loved it. A little lighter on the sci-fi/fantasy (sci-fi in this case) than my usual fare, but still wonderful. ^_^

3. Storm Front by Jim Butcher

Liked this one. ^_^ Definitely plan on checking out the rest of the series. Not just yet, but eventually. ^_^

4. To Reign in Hell by Steven Brust

5. Divine Misdemeanors by Laurell K. Hamilton

6. Soulless by Gail Carriger

Went through several books that I just couldn't get into (and thus dropped) before getting sucked into this one. I picked it up because the Urban Fantasy group is reading it this month, otherwise I probably wouldn't have gone for it. Victorian society and such often drives me insane, so I wasn't really all that enthusiastic about this book, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Leighann wrote: "6. Soulless by Gail Carriger

I wasn't really all that enthusiastic about this book, but I was pleasantly surprised."

I like my historicals and wasn't sure how the mixing of so many genres would work but this turned out to be my favorite discovery last year, it was just so much fun!

7. The Sheriff of Yrnameer: A Novel by Michael Rubens
8. The Enchantment Emporium by Tanya Huff
9. Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow

Leighann wrote: "7. The Sheriff of Yrnameer: A Novel by Michael Rubens
8. The Enchantment Emporium by Tanya Huff
9. [book:Down and Out in the Magic Kingd..."

How did you like the Doctorow book? It's on my list.

Laurie wrote: "Leighann wrote: "7. The Sheriff of Yrnameer: A Novel by Michael Rubens
8. The Enchantment Emporium by Tanya Huff
9. [book:Down and Out i..."

Sorry for the delay.

I enjoyed it, but it wasn't my favorite. I had a bit of a hard time getting into it, but I'm not sure if that's me, or the story itself, since it's not normally a book I would have picked up on my own. (I read it for a book group.) Very short, too.

10. Shadow's Edge by Brent Weeks
11. Beyond the Shadows by Brent Weeks

Thanks for the info!

12. Darwinia: A Novel of a Very Different Twentieth Century by Robert Charles Wilson

Leighann wrote: "12. Darwinia: A Novel of a Very Different Twentieth Century by Robert Charles Wilson"

i'd be interested in hearing what you thought of this one. i've read pretty much all of Wilson's books. he is a fine story teller.

Sooz wrote: "Leighann wrote: "12. Darwinia: A Novel of a Very Different Twentieth Century by Robert Charles Wilson"

i'd be interested in hearing what you thought of this one. i'..."

This is the first of his books that I've read, so I can't compare, but I did enjoy it. It took me a bit to get into it, but I liked the idea. The ending did seem a little lacking to me, and some of the others in the group I read it for seemed to feel much the same.

13. The Seeress of Kell (The Malloreon, #5) by David Eddings (as an audiobook and re-read)

Done with my audiobook revisit to the Mallorean now (all the rest were back in 2009 ^_^), now on to the companion books. ^_^

14. A Song for Arbonne by Guy Gavriel Kay

My first encounter with his work, and well worth it, though it took me a little longer than usual to read (but only because I fell ill partway through... and that can be a little distracting ^_^;; ).

15. Daemon by Daniel Suarez

...I really enjoyed this one (as evidenced by the fact that I blew threw all 400+ pages in less than half a day). Glad I listened to the multiple people who recommended it and picked it up.

16. Fire Logic by Laurie J. Marks

17. Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher

18. Skinwalker by Faith Hunter
19. Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire

20. 飼い主はお兄様 by 斑鳩 サハラ (Kainushi wa Oniisama by Ikaruga Sahara)

...A resounding meh. I was prepared to give this a 3, despite the cheesiness and overuse of the typical plot stuff that this particular genre usually uses... (And I'm used to that, after reading so much manga in the same genre, and a couple of novels with almost as much cheese.) But then it ended so terribly and abruptly (happily, yes, but soooo unfulfilling!) that I had to give it a 2. My first 2, actually, since usually I give up on a book when I fail to enjoy it enough that it would rate a 2 for me, and I don't rate books unless I actually finish them...

My next Japanese book is definitely going to be something with more and better plot. (Though technically I already know what I'm reading next in Japanese, and it is quite certainly that, since it's the next in a series I'm rather in love with. ^_^)

21. The Steel Remains by Richard K. Morgan

22. The Master of Whitestorm by Janny Wurts

(now with 100% more of my review/impressions (beware spoilers) on my newly opened blog! ^_^_v )

23. The Spirit Lens: A Novel of the Collegia Magica by Carol Berg - review/impressions at my blog (beware spoilers in the latter half ^_^; )

Carol Berg is quite possibly my favorite English language author, so yeah, I liked this book. A lot.

24. COLD LIGHT by Narise Konohara - my review/impressions
25. This Alien Shore by C.S. Friedman - my review/impressions

26. Freedom by Daniel Suarez - my mini review
27. American Gods by Neil Gaiman (re-read) - my mini review and one nitpick
28. Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb (re-read)

Haven't been in the mood to really write a lot about these last three, but I did enjoy all of them quite a bit.

29. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin - my review/impressions

30. Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron by Jasper Fforde - my review/impressions
31. Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman (re-read) - my review/impressions
32. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest - my mini review
33. The Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay - my mini review
34. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness - my review/impressions

35. Watch by Robert J. Sawyer - my mini review
36. The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett - my mini review
37. The Sandman Vol. 2: The Doll's House by Neil Gaiman
38. Dream Country by Neil Gaiman
39. Season of Mists by Neil Gaiman
40. A Game of You by Neil Gaiman
41. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs - my mini review
42. A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore - my mini review
43. Fables and Reflections by Neil Gaiman
44. The Sandman Vol. 7: Brief Lives by Neil Gaiman
45. Worlds' End by Neil Gaiman

46. A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr. - my (admittedly biased) mini review
47. The Kindly Ones by Neil Gaiman
48. The Wake by Neil Gaiman
49. Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson - my review/impressions
50! Changeless by Gail Carriger - my review/impressions
51. A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire - my mini review
52. WebMage by Kelly McCullough - my mini review

Been a while since I last updated. Haven't stopped reading, but I hit a couple of really slow-going books in this last batch. ^_^;;

53. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson - my mini review
54. Kirith Kirin by Jim Grimsley - my review/impressions
55. The Desert Spear by Peter V. Brett - my mini review
56. Nation by Terry Pratchett - my mini review
57. 明日はマのつく風が吹く! by 喬林 知 (Ashita wa Ma no Tsuku Kaze ga Fuku by Takabayashi Tomo) - my mini review
58. Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison (no review, didn't feel like it ^_^; )