Book Log 2010

I still haven't book-logged the last six books for 2010 because I'm in the middle of a big revision of my book for kids 'Your Horse Sees Dead People'  which I have half-promised to Agent Beth by Christmas and oops it's not quite ready yet, however here's the list of books read in 2010. I only managed 55, fewer than I'd hoped, but I have to remind myself that it's at least a book a week and I have been writing as well as reading and doing the day job, too.

In 2010 I vowed to read some writers never before sampled - and 33 of the 56 books are by new-to-me authors. Not all new-to-me authors were welcome discoveries. I particularly liked Sherwood Smith, Linnea Sinclair, Ilona Andrews and Ann Aguire, and would eagerly read more. I also enjoyed Kage Baker's In the Garden of Iden, though confess I only picked it out of curiosity after reading her obituary. I was deeply disappointed by Stephen Deas' Adamantine Palace. It looked like it was going to be similar to Joe Abercrombie, but sadly fell flat in the attempt. I expected to like Nancy Kress's Steal Across the Sky better than I did from its writeups; ditto The Graveyard Book, Child of Fire and Master and Commander. Chris Wooding's Retribution Falls almost made it into my top ten, but there was just something a little adrift on the characterisation of Frey. I wish I could pin it down. I discovered why Dick Frances is a bestseller and wondered why Michael Crichton was. (Perhaps I picked an atypical book to start with.) Favourite authors Patricia Briggs, Karen Traviss, Terry Pratchett, Elizabeth Chadwick, N M Browne, Bernard Cornwell and Lois McMaster Bujold did not disappoint, even on re-reads. I particularly wanted to readmore children's titles (middle grade rather than YA which I already read quite a lot of) hence I browsed what was on offer in Waterstones and Smiths, and almost at random picked Wolven and Battle of the Sun, neither of which had that wow-factor, though both were quite enjoyable reads. Charmian Hussey's The Valley of Secrets, also a random pick, promised to be much more than it was. The writing was beautiful but, gods, the story was slow. Robert Swindells' Candle in the Dark has been sitting on my bookshelf for many years, unread. I'm glad I got round to it at last, it's terrific.

1. Michael Crichton: Pirate Latitudes
2. Patrick O'Brien: Master and Commander
3. Patricia Briggs: Hunting Ground
4. Anthology: Elsewhere Street (anthologybuilder.com)
5. Linnea Sinclair: Gabriel's Ghost
6. Karen Traviss: The Clone Wars
7. Stephen Cole: Doctor Who – The Art of Destruction
8. Di Toft: Wolven
9. Rachel Caine: Cape Storm – Weather Warden #9
10. Kage Baker: In the Garden of Iden
11. Patricia Briggs: Silver Borne
12. Charmian Hussey: The Valley of Secrets
13. Sherwood Smith: Crown Duel
14. Elizabeth Chadwick: The Wild Hunt
15. N.M. Browne: Shadow Web
16. Elizabeth Chadwick: The Love Knot
17. Stephen Deas: The Adamantine Palace
18. Toby Frost: Space Captain Smith
19. Sherwood Smith: A Stranger to Command
20. Bernard Cornwell: Azincourt
21. Dru Pagliasotti: Clockwork Heart
22. Elizabeth Chadwick: Shields of Pride
23. Holly Black: Ironside
24. Lauren Kate: Fallen
25. Jeanette Winterson: The Battle of the Sun
26. Karl Schroeder: Sun of Suns
27. Devon Monk: Magic to the Bone
28. Kristin Cashore: Graceling
29. Ann Aguire: Grimspace
30. Ann Aguire: Wanderlust
31. Harry Connolly: Child of Fire
32. Nancy Kress: Steal Across the Sky
33. Ilona Andrews: On the Edge
34. Lois McMaster Bujold: Warrior's Apprentice
35. Alan E Nourse: Star Surgeon
36. Julia Golding: The Diamond of Drury Lane
37. Ann Aguire: Doubleblind
38. Rachel Neumeier: Lord of the Changing Winds
39. Jim Butcher Fool Moon – Harry Dresden #2
40. Elizabeth Chadwick: The Marsh King's Daughter
41. Terry Pratchett: I Shall Wear Midnight
42. Lisa Shearin: Magic Lost, Trouble Found
43. Chris Wooding: Retribution Falls
44. F E Higgins: The Eyeball Collector
45. Charles Stross: The Family Trade – Merchant Princes #1
46. Lois McMaster Bujold: Shards of Honour
47. Dick Francis: Whip Hand
48. Charles Stross: The Hidden Family – Merchant Princes #2
49. Sherrilyn Kenyon: Infinity
50. Lois McMaster Bujold: Cryoburn
51. Megan Whalen Turner: The Thief
52. Patricia Briggs: Wolfsbane
53. Robert Swindells: A Candle in the dark
54. Rachel Caine: Total Eclipse (WeatherWarden series #9)
55. J P Buxton: I am the Blade
56. Neil Gaiman: The Graveyard Book

Book Log 2010

I still haven't book-logged the last six books for 2010 because I'm in the middle of a big revision of my book for kids 'Your Horse Sees Dead People'  which I have half-promised to Agent Beth by Christmas and oops it's not quite ready yet, however here's the list of books read in 2010. I only managed 55, fewer than I'd hoped, but I have to remind myself that it's at least a book a week and I have been writing as well as reading and doing the day job, too.

In 2010 I vowed to read some writers never before sampled - and 33 of the 56 books are by new-to-me authors. Not all new-to-me authors were welcome discoveries. I particularly liked Sherwood Smith, Linnea Sinclair, Ilona Andrews and Ann Aguire, and would eagerly read more. I also enjoyed Kage Baker's In the Garden of Iden, though confess I only picked it out of curiosity after reading her obituary. I was deeply disappointed by Stephen Deas' Adamantine Palace. It looked like it was going to be similar to Joe Abercrombie, but sadly fell flat in the attempt. I expected to like Nancy Kress's Steal Across the Sky better than I did from its writeups; ditto The Graveyard Book, Child of Fire and Master and Commander. Chris Wooding's Retribution Falls almost made it into my top ten, but there was just something a little adrift on the characterisation of Frey. I wish I could pin it down. I discovered why Dick Frances is a bestseller and wondered why Michael Crichton was. (Perhaps I picked an atypical book to start with.) Favourite authors Patricia Briggs, Karen Traviss, Terry Pratchett, Elizabeth Chadwick, N M Browne, Bernard Cornwell and Lois McMaster Bujold did not disappoint, even on re-reads. I particularly wanted to readmore children's titles (middle grade rather than YA which I already read quite a lot of) hence I browsed what was on offer in Waterstones and Smiths, and almost at random picked Wolven and Battle of the Sun, neither of which had that wow-factor, though both were quite enjoyable reads. Charmian Hussey's The Valley of Secrets, also a random pick, promised to be much more than it was. The writing was beautiful but, gods, the story was slow. Robert Swindells' Candle in the Dark has been sitting on my bookshelf for many years, unread. I'm glad I got round to it at last, it's terrific.

1. Michael Crichton: Pirate Latitudes
2. Patrick O'Brien: Master and Commander
3. Patricia Briggs: Hunting Ground
4. Anthology: Elsewhere Street (anthologybuilder.com)
5. Linnea Sinclair: Gabriel's Ghost
6. Karen Traviss: The Clone Wars
7. Stephen Cole: Doctor Who – The Art of Destruction
8. Di Toft: Wolven
9. Rachel Caine: Cape Storm – Weather Warden #9
10. Kage Baker: In the Garden of Iden
11. Patricia Briggs: Silver Borne
12. Charmian Hussey: The Valley of Secrets
13. Sherwood Smith: Crown Duel
14. Elizabeth Chadwick: The Wild Hunt
15. N.M. Browne: Shadow Web
16. Elizabeth Chadwick: The Love Knot
17. Stephen Deas: The Adamantine Palace
18. Toby Frost: Space Captain Smith
19. Sherwood Smith: A Stranger to Command
20. Bernard Cornwell: Azincourt
21. Dru Pagliasotti: Clockwork Heart
22. Elizabeth Chadwick: Shields of Pride
23. Holly Black: Ironside
24. Lauren Kate: Fallen
25. Jeanette Winterson: The Battle of the Sun
26. Karl Schroeder: Sun of Suns
27. Devon Monk: Magic to the Bone
28. Kristin Cashore: Graceling
29. Ann Aguire: Grimspace
30. Ann Aguire: Wanderlust
31. Harry Connolly: Child of Fire
32. Nancy Kress: Steal Across the Sky
33. Ilona Andrews: On the Edge
34. Lois McMaster Bujold: Warrior's Apprentice
35. Alan E Nourse: Star Surgeon
36. Julia Golding: The Diamond of Drury Lane
37. Ann Aguire: Doubleblind
38. Rachel Neumeier: Lord of the Changing Winds
39. Jim Butcher Fool Moon – Harry Dresden #2
40. Elizabeth Chadwick: The Marsh King's Daughter
41. Terry Pratchett: I Shall Wear Midnight
42. Lisa Shearin: Magic Lost, Trouble Found
43. Chris Wooding: Retribution Falls
44. F E Higgins: The Eyeball Collector
45. Charles Stross: The Family Trade – Merchant Princes #1
46. Lois McMaster Bujold: Shards of Honour
47. Dick Francis: Whip Hand
48. Charles Stross: The Hidden Family – Merchant Princes #2
49. Sherrilyn Kenyon: Infinity
50. Lois McMaster Bujold: Cryoburn
51. Megan Whalen Turner: The Thief
52. Patricia Briggs: Wolfsbane
53. Robert Swindells: A Candle in the dark
54. Rachel Caine: Total Eclipse (WeatherWarden series #9)
55. J P Buxton: I am the Blade
56. Neil Gaiman: The Graveyard Book