Weasel Of Doom

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All About Romance polls its readers to determine the Top 100 Romances. 2010 poll just closed; in my typical disorganized fashion, I forgot to submit a list, but I can’t wait to see the results. In the meantime, here is the list for 2007. I boldfaced the ones I read (or, in case of Diana Gabaldon, the ones waiting to be read):

1. Lord of Scoundrels, Loretta Chase (Eur Hist, 1995)
2. Dreaming of You, Lisa Kleypas (Eur Hist, 1994)
3. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen (Classic, 1813)
4. Outlander, Diana Gabaldon (Time-Travel, 1991)
5. Flowers From The Storm, Laura Kinsale (Eur Hist, 1992)
6. Slightly Dangerous, Mary Balogh (Eur Hist, 2004)
7. Devil In Winter, Lisa Kleypas (Eur Hist, 2006)
8. Bet Me, Jennifer Crusie (Contemporary, 2004)
9. Welcome to Temptation, Jennifer Crusie (Contemporary, 2000)
10. The Viscount Who Loved Me, Julia Quinn (Eur Hist, 2000)
11. Lover Awakened, J.R. Ward (Paranomal, 2006)
12. Mr. Impossible, Loretta Chase (Eur Hist, 2005)
13. The Duke and I, Julia Quinn (Eur Hist, 2000)
14. It Had To Be You, Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Contemporary, 1994)
15. Lord Perfect, Loretta Chase (Eur Hist, 2006)
16. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, Julia Quinn (Eur Hist, 2002)
17. The Bride, Julie Garwood (Medieval, 1989)
18. Mr. Perfect, Linda Howard (Contemporary, 2000)
19. Naked In Death, J.D. Robb (Futuristic, 1995)
20. A Summer To Remember, Mary Balogh (Eur Hist, 2002)
21. Nobody’s Baby But Mine, Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Contemporary, 1997)
22. Dream Man, Linda Howard (Romantic Suspense, 1995)
23. The Raven Prince, Elizabeth Hoyt (Eur Hist, 2006)
24. Paradise, Judith McNaught (Contemporary, 1991)
25. As You Desire, Connie Brockway (Historical, 1997)
26. MacKenzie’s Mountain, Linda Howard (Contemporary, 1989)
27. Dark Lover, J.R. Ward (Paranormal, 2005)
28. The Secret, Julie Garwood (Medieval, 1992)
29. Son Of The Morning, Linda Howard (Time-Travel, 1997)
30. Lover Eternal, J.R. Ward (Paranormal, 2006)
31. Devil’s Bride, Stephanie Laurens (Eur Hist, 1998)
32. A Knight in Shining Armor, Jude Deveraux (Time-Travel, 1989)
33. Heaven, Texas, Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Contemporary, 1995)
34. To Have and To Hold, Patricia Gaffney (Eur Hist, 1995)
35. Almost Heaven, Judith McNaught (Eur Hist, 1990)
36. Match Me If You Can, Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Contemporary, 2005)
37. The Shadow and The Star, Laura Kinsale (Historical, 1991)
38. Cry No More, Linda Howard (Contemporary, 2003)
39. A Kingdom of Dreams, Judith McNaught (Medieval, 1989)
40. Over the Edge, Suzanne Brockmann (Contemporary, 2001)
41. Sea Swept, Nora Roberts (Contemporary, 1998)
42. Ravished, Amanda Quick (Eur Hist, 1992)
43. Then Came You, Lisa Kleypas (Eur Hist, 1993)
44. To Die For, Linda Howard (Contemporary, 2005)
45. Something Wonderful, Judith McNaught (Eur Hist, 1988)
46. This Heart of Mine, Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Contemporary, 2001)
47. The Serpent Prince, Elizabeth Hoyt (Eur Hist, 2007)
48. Suddenly You, Lisa Kleypas (Eur Hist, 2001)
49. The Proposition, Judith Ivory (Eur Hist, 1999)
50. Honors Splendor, Julie Garwood (Medieval, 1987)
51. Saving Grace, Julie Garwood (Medieval, 1993)
52. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte (Classic, 1847)
53. When He Was Wicked, Julia Quinn (Eur Hist, 2004)
54. Persuasion, Jane Austen (Classic, 1818)
55. All Through The Night, Connie Brockway (Eur Hist, 1997)
56. It Happened One Autumn, Lisa Kleypas (Eur Hist, 2005)
57. Born In Fire, Nora Roberts (Contemporary, 1994)
58. Thunder and Roses, Mary Jo Putney (Eur Hist, 1993)
59. Kiss An Angel, Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Contemporary, 1996)
60. Out Of Control, Suzanne Brockmann (Contemporary, 2002)
61. After The Night, Linda Howard (Contemporary, 1995)
62. Lady Sophia’s Lover, Lisa Kleypas (Eur Hist, 2002)
63. The Secret Pearl, Mary Balogh (Eur Hist, 1991)
64. Once and Always, Judith McNaught (Eur Hist, 1987)
65. More Than A Mistress, Mary Balogh (Eur Hist, 2000)
66. Untie My Heart, Judith Ivory (Eur Hist, 2002)
67. See Jane Score, Rachel Gibson (Contemporary, 2003)
68. The Rake, Mary Jo Putney (Eur Hist, 1998)
69. Dragonfly in Amber, Diana Gabaldon (Time-Travel, 1992)
70. Perfect, Judith McNaught (Contemporary, 1993)
71. Whitney, My Love, Judith McNaught (Eur Hist, 1985)
72. The Duke, Gaelen Foley (Eur Hist, 2000)
73. One Perfect Rose, Mary Jo Putney (Eur Hist, 1997)
74. Shattered Rainbows, Mary Jo Putney (Eur Hist, 1996)
75. The Windflower, Laura London (Historical/Pirate, 1984)
76. Dream A Little Dream, Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Contemporary, 1998)
77. Frederica, Georgette Heyer (Classic, 1965)
78. Passion, Lisa Valdez (Eur Hist, 2005)
79. Voyager, Diana Gabaldon (Time-Travel, 1994)
80. The Lady’s Tutor, Robin Schone (Eur Hist, 1999)
81. Morning Glory, Lavyrle Spencer (Amer Hist, 1990)
82. Worth Any Price, Lisa Kleypas (Eur Hist, 2003)
83. Winter Garden, Adele Ashworth (Eur Hist, 2000)
84. My Dearest Enemy, Connie Brockway (Eur Hist, 1998)
85. Where Dreams Begin, Lisa Kleypas (Eur Hist, 2000)
86. Devil’s Cub, Georgette Heyer (Classic, 1932)
87. Gone Too Far, Suzanne Brockmann (Contemporary, 2003)
88. Anyone But You, Jennifer Crusie (Contemporary, 1996)
89. For My Lady’s Heart, Laura Kinsale (Medieval, 1993)
90. Rising Tides, Nora Roberts (Contemporary, 1998)
91. Lover Revealed, J.R. Ward (Paranormal, 2007)
92. Open Season, Linda Howard (Contemporary, 2001)
93. Born In Ice, Nora Roberts (Contemporary, 1996)
94. Ransom, Julie Garwood (Medieval, 1999)
95. Venetia, Georgette Heyer (Classic, 1958)
96. Miss Wonderful, Loretta Chase (Eur Hist, 2004)
97. Ain’t She Sweet, Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Contemporary, 2004)
98. The Notorious Rake, Mary Balogh (Eur Hist, 1992)
99. The Prize, Julie Garwood (Medieval, 1991)
100. Slave To Sensation, Nalini Singh (Paranormal, 2006)

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In other words, books people bought in large quantities :-) And, surprisingly, I read some of them (though, in my case, it was the local libraries doing the ordering):

• #3 – Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins. Great dystopia.
• #5 – The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis. We meet again!
• #8 – Freedom: A Novel by Jonathan Franzen. Waiting list, sweet waiting list.
• #9 – Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern. More waiting list goodness.
• #19 – Sizzling Sixteen (Stephanie Plum) by Janet Evanovich. Ugh. I gave it 2 stars.
• #38 – Changes (Dresden Files, Book 12) by Jim Butcher. List, waiting.

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It’s that time of the year again.

Last time I looked at the list, it was 2007. Eeeep. Back then, I only read one book from the list. Three years later, and I am doing a bit better: (depressed woman reads too many books. news at 11.)

• #6 – Freedom: A Novel by Jonathan Franzen. On the waiting list at my local library
• #10 – The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis. Very enlightening.
• #38 – Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie. I actually prefer her other books.
• #84 – The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum. The Jazz Age will never be the same.

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Hey, 2010 is in sight!

• #42 (EP) & #30 (CF) – Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins. Lightning strikes twice.
• #41 (CF) – The Gathering Storm (Wheel of Time, Book 12) by Robert Jordan. Book 1 of Brandon Sanderson’s attempt to finish the series.
• #75 (CF) – Turn Coat (The Dresden Files, Book 11) by Jim Butcher. Some mysteries are solved.

(In my defense, it seems like half of the top picks were Republicans criticizing Democrats, which is not my cup of tea).

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I am trying to catch up on my posts while sleep deprived, so all deep thought has been abandoned in favor of lists. I realized I haven’t looked at Amazon’s Top 100 Books in forever, so, let’s see what I missed in 2008. To spare the innocent, I will combine Editors’ Picks (EP) and Customer Favorites (CF) into one list. Don’t say I never do anything for you :P

• #12 (EP) – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. I picked it up at a bad time; will try re-reading again one of these days.
• #17 (EP) & #27 (CP) – Duma Key: A Novel by Stephen King. The King is back.
• #28 (EP) – The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Not only for young adults.
• #31 (EP) – Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell. I got it for a friend. Wonder if he ever bothered to read it.
• #61 (EP) – The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Listen to Gaiman reading it.
• #98 (EP) – Little Brother by Cory Doctorow. Fight against the Big Brother.
• # 87 (CF) – Small Favor (The Dresden Files, Book 10) by Jim Butcher. Hello again, Harry Dresden, wizard!

And hey, who knew that the paperback 4th edition of What To Expect When You Are Expecting hit the shelves? Finally, the girl on the cover looks like she is in the correct decade ;-)

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That’s the noise I made when I fell off the NaBloPoMo wagon on Friday night. Took me all weekend to recover, but here I am, back in the saddle (or in the hay, as the case may be) again. And since WordPress has the lovely ability to backdate posts, I hereby declare 3:40 pm on Monday, November 15th to be 10 pm Friday, November 12th.

Did you know that Publishers Weekly does a “Best Books” list? Neither did I. Here’s their Best Books of 2010 and PW’s Best Children’s Books 2010

I have actually managed to read some of the books on these lists :-)

• Freedom by Jonathan Franzen – on the waiting list at the library
• The Big Short by Michael Lewis – about the financial crash of 2008; highly recommend
• The Forbidden Rose by Joanna Bourne – love and spies during the Revolution in France, what’s not to like?
• Feed by Mira Grant – on the waiting list
• The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin – gods, mortals, love… Our library has not acquired The Broken Kingdoms yet, so I’ll have to wait and see if it’s as good as the first book
• The Master Switch: The Rise and Fall of Information Empires by Tim Wu – on the waiting list
• Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins – conclusion to a great dystopia trilogy; for older teenagers and up

And this lets me segue (gracelessly) into my attempt at a book review blog – “So Many Books So Little Time”. If anybody wants to join me in this hopeless endeavor, let me know!

I won a copy of Robin McKinley’s new book, “Pegasus,” from LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer Program.

**Happy Dance**

Great article by Joe Walton on tor.com – The Suck Fairy, who “comes in when you come back to a book that you liked when you read it before, and on re-reading—well, it sucks.” The Suck Fairy has visited some movies I used to love, too (Navy SEALs, anyone?)

And the page99test (from Guardian.co.uk via Robin McKinley’s blog post) – reading page 99 to see if you’ll like the book. Must remember to apply it to my TBR pile and to the books I have read already, should be interesting to see if it works for me.

I have a question for you, my book-reading friends ;)

I use LibraryThing to keep track of my books, and among other things it allows me to rate books on a 5-star scale (half-stars allowed). I am trying to come up with method to my madness as far as assigning stars goes. This is what I have so far:

No stars – Did not finish the book. Because maybe it’s wonderful and all, but I just couldn’t get into it. Or it could be horrible, but once again, I did not bother to finish. Who knows. For example, I could not finish Justine Larbalestier’s “How to Ditch Your Fairy.” The book got good reviews from others, it just wasn’t what I like.

1/2 star – Awful. Finished, but no idea why. Perhaps it was a willpower-building exercise, or I am a glutton for punishment.

One star – Very bad (F). Writing is horrible, plot non-existent, protagonists inspire hatred. Somewhere, trees weep at the horrible use their brethren and sistren were put to.

Two stars – Bad (D). Writing is clunky, plot holes abound, protagonists are not likable. Won’t seek anything by this author out unless I am desperate, and books recommended by this author are automatically suspect. Case in point: “Undead and Unwelcome” by MaryJanice Davidson. The first book in the series (“Undead and Unwed”) was a 4-star for me, the second (“Undead and Unemployed”) a 3-star, and the rest are in the 2-star category.

Three stars – Average (C). Serviceable. Decent writing. Was enjoyable, time went by quickly, but I am not seized with desire to run out and buy the author’s back list. Will check out other books by the author from the library, or pick them up at Half-Price books. A lot of the romance books I read fall into this category.

Four stars – Good (B). Would recommend to others. Want them on my bookshelf at home, and might buy some of these books at Amazon.com in paperback if I can’t find them at Half-Price books (in particular those that verge into 4.5 star category). Most of J.D. Robb’s “In Death” series books would go there. Also most of Terry Pratchett books. Ditto Sharon Shinn, Louis McMaster Bujold, Elizabeth Moon, and Connie Willis.

Five stars – Excellent (A). If I were told to pick books to take with me to a desert island, these are the ones I would take. Often, the authors are the ones whose new hard-cover books I would pre-order at Amazon.com. I am thinking of limiting the number of 5-star books to 100, to promote selectivity. After all, the books that didn’t quite make the cut can have the 4.5 stars rating. Currently, Robin McKinley’s “Sunshine” and “The Blue Sword” are in that category, as well as Guy Gavriel Kay’s “Tigana,” “A Song for Arbonne,” and “The Fionavar Tapestry” trilogy. Also Terry Pratchett’s “Small Gods” and the Pratchett/Gaiman collaboration “Good Omens.” And C.S. Friedman’s “Coldfire” trilogy.

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What do you think? Other suggestions on how to approach the ratings? What makes a book Excellent, Good, Average, Bad, or Awful for you? Where’s the line between Good/Excellent, and Bad/Awful? Go forth and comment!

November is upon us again, and in an effort to make myself post more frequently, I am doing the NaBloPoMo thing again.

Of course, my motivation to create meaningful content is still low, so here’s the list of books most frequently tagged as “sci-fi” on LibraryThing. Titles in bold are the ones I read…

1. The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
2. Dune by Frank Herbert
3. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
4. Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
5. Foundation by Isaac Asimov
6. Neuromancer by William Gibson
7. The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
8. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
9. Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert
10. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
11. 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
12. Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
13. Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov
14. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
15. Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov
16. Do androids dream of electric sheep? by Philip K. Dick
17. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams
18. Children of Dune by Frank Herbert
19. Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
20. Life, the Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams
21. Foundation’s Edge by Isaac Asimov
22. Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke
23. Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card
24. A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller
25. Ringworld by Larry Niven
26. The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia by Ursula K. Le Guin
27. The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells
28. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams
29. The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein
30. Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein
31. God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert
32. 2010: Odyssey Two by Arthur C. Clarke
33. Foundation and Earth by Isaac Asimov
34. Xenocide by Orson Scott Card
35. Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
36. Ender’s Shadow by Orson Scott Card
37. Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams
38. Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov
39. The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer by Neal Stephenson
40. The Robots of Dawn by Isaac Asimov
41. Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov
42. The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
43. Contact by Carl Sagan
44. Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
45. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
46. The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
47. Green Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
48. The Mote in God’s Eye by Larry Niven
49. Time Enough for Love by Robert A. Heinlein
50. The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester
51. Children of the Mind by Orson Scott Card
52. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
53. 2061: Odyssey Three by Arthur C. Clarke
54. The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
55. The Time Machine by H. G. Wells
56. The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov
57. Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert
58. The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov
59. Hyperion by Dan Simmons
60. The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester
61. Chapterhouse: Dune by Frank Herbert
62. Friday by Robert A. Heinlein
63. The Cat Who Walks Through Walls by Robert A. Heinlein
64. Out of the Silent Planet by C. S. Lewis
65. Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
66. Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson
67. Robots and Empire by Isaac Asimov
68. The Naked Sun by Isaac Asimov
69. The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham
70. The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
71. 1984 by George Orwell
72. Startide Rising by David Brin
73. Forward the Foundation by Isaac Asimov
74. The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
75. The Ringworld Engineers by Larry Niven
76. A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
77. Sundiver by David Brin
78. Burning Chrome by William Gibson
79. To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
80. Count Zero by William Gibson
81. Shadow of the Hegemon by Orson Scott Card
82. Eon by Greg Bear
83. The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons
84. Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams
85. The Difference Engine by William Gibson
86. 3001: The Final Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
87. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
88. Virtual Light by William Gibson
89. The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin
90. Perelandra by C. S. Lewis
91. Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks
92. Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
93. Gateway by Frederik Pohl
94. The Uplift War by David Brin
95. Darwin’s Radio by Greg Bear
96. Idoru by William Gibson
97. Solaris by Stanislaw Lem
98. Number of the Beast by Robert A. Heinlein
99. Old Man’s War by John Scalzi
100. Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
101. A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick
102. The Algebraist by Iain M. Banks
103. Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke
104. That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis
105. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
106. A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge
107. The Past Through Tomorrow by Robert A. Heinlein
108. Nemesis by Isaac Asimov
109. Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold
110. The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke
111. Double Star by Robert A. Heinlein
112. A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold
113. The Currents of Space by Isaac Asimov
114. Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh
115. I Will Fear No Evil by Robert A. Heinlein
116. The Door into Summer by Robert A. Heinlein
117. The Stars, Like Dust by Isaac Asimov
118. Ubik by Philip K. Dick
119. Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan
120. Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold
121. The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks
122. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
123. The Postman by David Brin
124. The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov
125. Songs of Distant Earth by Arthur C. Clarke
126. Have Spacesuit-Will Travel by Robert A. Heinlein
127. Puppet Masters by Robert A. Heinlein
128. Pattern Recognition by William Gibson
129. Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne
130. To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer
131. To Sail Beyond the Sunset by Robert A. Heinlein
132. Footfall by Larry Niven
133. Endymion by Dan Simmons
134. Diplomatic Immunity by Lois McMaster Bujold
135. Pebble in the Sky by Isaac Asimov
136. The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
137. The Warrior’s Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold
138. Farnham’s Freehold by Robert A. Heinlein
139. The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams
140. Earth by David Brin
141. Job: A Comedy of Justice by Robert A. Heinlein
142. Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert A. Heinlein
143. Glory Road by Robert A. Heinlein
144. Shadow Puppets by Orson Scott Card
145. Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds
146. Star Wars by George Lucas
147. Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn
148. Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks
149. Stranger in a Strange Land [Original Uncut] by Robert A. Heinlein
150. Methuselah’s Children by Robert A. Heinlein
151. Excession by Iain M. Banks
152. The Garden of Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
153. The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick: Minority Report by Philip K. Dick
154. Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner
155. Brightness Reef by David Brin
156. Revolt in 2100 by Robert A. Heinlein
157. Foreigner by C.J. Cherryh
158. Red Planet by Robert A. Heinlein
159. Sphere by Michael Crichton
160. The Green Hills of Earth by Robert A. Heinlein
161. Podkayne of Mars by Robert A. Heinlein
162. Lucifer’s Hammer by Larry Niven
163. Timescape by Gregory Benford
164. The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke
165. Look to Windward by Iain M. Banks
166. Dark Force Rising by Timothy Zahn
167. House Atreides by Brian Herbert
168. Borders of Infinity by Lois McMaster Bujold
169. Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany
170. Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
171. All Tomorrow’s Parties by William Gibson
172. The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells
173. Between Planets by Robert A. Heinlein
174. Brothers in Arms by Lois McMaster Bujold
175. Ilium by Dan Simmons
176. Imperial Earth by Arthur C. Clarke
177. Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold
178. The Ship Who Sang by Anne McCaffrey
179. A Case of Conscience by James Blish
180. Blood Music by Greg Bear
181. The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold
182. Time for the Stars by Robert A. Heinlein
183. Nova by Samuel R. Delany
184. Spin by Robert Charles Wilson
185. Tunnel in the Sky by Robert A. Heinlein
186. Cordelia’s Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold
187. Titan by John Varley
188. Nightfall by Isaac Asimov
189. Valis by Philip K. Dick
190. Falling Free by Lois McMaster Bujold
191. The Fabulous Riverboat by Philip Jose Farmer
192. The Rolling Stones by Robert A. Heinlein
193. On Basilisk Station by David Weber
194. Star Beast by Robert A. Heinlein
195. Orphans of the Sky by Robert A. Heinlein
196. Rise of Endymion by Dan Simmons
197. The Chrysalids by John Wyndham
198. The Man Who Sold the Moon by Robert A. Heinlein
199. Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold
200. Rama Revealed by Arthur C. Clarke

As fate would have it, last night I convinced HisMelness that he will survive watching the boys for 20 minutes while I make a quick library run. DemonChild and Squeektar were both in an agreeable mood, so after a gourmet meal of McDonald’s happy meals for them and tea with McDonald’s apple pies for me, I put the pedal to the metal and high-tailed it to the library.

So many books, and only 10 minutes to pick some out. I decided on the path of least resistance and perused the new releases shelves. The result: currently reading “Dust” by Elizabeth Bear, while “The Absolute Sandman, Vols. I & II” by Neil Gaiman are patiently waiting for me in a spot unaccessible to my children. The Sandman books are graphic novels, and lugging them to the car was quite the work out :-)

And today I ordered “Night Life,” “Creation in Death,” and “The Sweet Far Thing” from Amazon.com. Bookseses, sweet bookseses!

After two years of living in the new house, I finally made it to the public library a couple of weeks ago. A shame, really, since the library is only five minutes away from us, so I am not sure why it took me so long.

For my inaugural run, I checked out three books: “The Kept Man” by Jami Attenberg, “The Opposite of Love” by Julie Buxbaum, and “The Heart-Shaped Box” by Joe Hill.

“The Opposite of Love” – very enjoyable tale of young lawyer Emily Huxby figuring out what’s important in life, and what the opposite of love is. I read it in one night.

“The Heart-Shaped Box” – another very good read. Aging rock star Judas Coyne buys a ghost, and bad things start to happen. Another late night spent reading.

“The Kept Man” – for some reason, I just could not get into this tale of Jarvis Miller, whose husband, a famous painter, has been in a coma for six years. Returned it to the library today, with no regrets.

Hopefully I will make another foray into the library soon. I miss reading!

Amazon.com’s Best Books of 2007
I have read exactly ONE book on that list – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Downright depressing.

NY Times 100 Notable Books of 2007
You guessed it. Just one. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, again.

Oooh, and the Times have lists going back to 1981! I suspect I have found the holy grail of “hmmm, what shall I write about tonight” order :-) Without further ado:

Nothing from 2006. Unsurprisingly, only Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince from 2005. 2004 – nothing. 2003 – Jennifer Government by Max Barry, Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde, The Great Unraveling: Losing Our Way in the New Century by Paul Krugman. 2002 – The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, Q is for Quarry by Sue Grafton. 2001 – Not a damn thing. 2000 – Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Coming soon – the many ways I can say “never heard of these books” from 1981 to 1999!

So, I did pretty well on the “fantasy”-tagged books on Library things. Not so good on the books most frequently tagged “unread” – out of 200, I remember reading less than 40, listed below for your perusal (I was honest and did not include the books I never finished reading). Those marked with an asterix I read translated into Russian, or in the original Russian. Go Russia!

1. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
2. * Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
3. * Beowulf
4. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
5. * Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
6. * Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
7. * Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
8. * Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
9. * Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
10. * Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
11. Night Watch by Terry Pratchett
12. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
13. * Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
14. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
15. * The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
16. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
17. * The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
18. * The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio
19. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
20. * The Iliad by Homer
21. The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
22. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
23. * The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
24. * The Odyssey by Homer
25. The Once and Future King by T. H. White
26. The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
27. * The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
28. * The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
29. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
30. The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
31. The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
32. * The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
33. * The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells
34. * Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
35. * Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
36. * Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
37. * War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
38. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
39. * Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Library Thing is cool. One of these decades I am going to have time to join it and catalog my books…

Below, in alphabetical order, are 196 books (used to be 200, but I consciensciously removed the duplicates) most often tagged as “fantasy” on Library Thing. Why? Because I love lists ;-) Also because, disturbingly, I have read many books (66%) on that particular one (they are boldfaced). I tried to add notes (such as when a book is a part of a series, ect.), just for the hell of it.

1. A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
   (A Song of Fire and Ice, Book 2)
2. A Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan
   (The Wheel of Time, Book 7)
3. A Darkness at Sethanon by Raymond E. Feist
4. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
   (A Song of Fire and Ice, Book 4)
5. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
   (A Song of Fire and Ice, Book 1)
6. A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett
   (Discworld, Book 32, Tiffany Aching)
7. A Man Rides Through by Stephen R. Donaldson
8. A Song for Arbonne by Guy Gavriel Kay
9. A Spell for Chameleon by Piers Anthony
   (one of many Xanth books. I may have read it)
10. A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin
    (A Song of Fire and Ice, Book 3)
11. A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L’Engle (want to read)
12. A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L’Engle (want to read)
13. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
14. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle (want to read)
15. Abhorsen by Garth Nix
16. Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
17. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
18. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman (want to read)
19. Arrow’s Fall by Mercedes Lackey
    (The Heralds of Valdemar, Book 3)
20. Arrow’s Flight by Mercedes Lackey
    (The Heralds of Valdemar, Book 2)
21. Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey
    (The Heralds of Valdemar, Book 1)
22. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer (want to read)
23. Assassin’s Quest by Robin Hobb
    (The Farseer Trilogy, Book 3)
24. Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty & The Beast by Robin McKinley
25. Belgarath the Sorcerer by David Eddings
26. Black Powder War by Naomi Novik
27. Blood of the Fold by Terry Goodkind
28. By the Sword by Mercedes Lackey
    (Kerowyn’s Tale, Valdemar)
29. Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett
    (Discworld, Book 23, witches)
30. Castle of Wizardry by David Eddings
31. Coraline by Neil Gaiman
32. Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan
    (The Wheel of Time, Book 10)
33. Deadhouse Gates by Steven Erikson
34. Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
35. Demon Lord of Karanda by David Eddings
36. Domes of Fire by David Eddings
37. Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
    (The Dragonriders of Pern Trilogy, Book 1)
38. Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis
39. Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey
    (The Harper Hall Trilogy, Book 1)
40. Dune by Frank Herbert (tried it, could not get into it)
41. Eldest by Christopher Paolini
42. Enchanters’ End Game by David Eddings
43. Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett
    (Discworld, Book 3, witches)
44. Eragon by Christopher Paolini
45. Eric by Terry Pratchett
    (Discworld, Book 9, Rincewind)
46. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling
47. Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett
    (Discworld, Book 19, city watch)
48. Fool’s Errand by Robin Hobb
    (The Tawny Man Trilogy, Book 1)
49. Going Postal by Terry Pratchett
    (Discworld, Book 33, Moist von Lipwig)
50. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
51. Greenwitch by Susan Cooper
    (The Dark Is Rising, Book 3)
52. Guardians of the West by David Eddings
53. Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett
    (Discworld, Book 8, city watch)
54. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
    (Book 2)
55. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
    (Book 7)
56. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
    (Book 4)
57. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
    (Book 6)
58. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
    (Book 5)
59. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
    (Book 3)
60. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
    (Book 1)
61. Hogfather by Terry Pratchett
    (Discworld, Book 20, Death)
62. Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
63. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
64. Interesting Times by Terry Pratchett
    (Discworld, Book 17, Rincewind)
65. Jingo by Terry Pratchett
    (Discworld, Book 21, city watch)
66. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (want to read)
67. King of the Murgos by David Eddings
68. Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan
    (The Wheel of Time, Book 11, want to read)
69. Kushiel’s Avatar by Jacqueline Carey
    (Kushiel’s Legacy, Book 3)
70. Kushiel’s Chosen by Jacqueline Carey
    (Kushiel’s Legacy, Book 2)
71. Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey
    (Kushiel’s Legacy, Book 1)
72. Legends II: New Short Novels by the Masters of Modern Fantasy by Terry Goodkind
73. Lirael, Daughter of the Clayr by Garth Nix
74. Lord Foul’s Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson (tried it, could not get into it)
75. Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan
    (The Wheel of Time, Book 6)
76. Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett
    (Discworld, Book 14, witches)
77. Magic Kingdom For Sale–Sold! by Terry Brooks
    (Magic Kingdom of Landover, Book 1)
78. Magician’s Gambit by David Eddings
79. Magic’s Pawn by Mercedes Lackey
    (The Last Herald-Mage Trilogy, Book 1)
80. Magic’s Price by Mercedes Lackey
    (The Last Herald-Mage Trilogy, Book 3)
81. Magic’s Promise by Mercedes Lackey
    (The Last Herald-Mage Trilogy, Book 2)
82. Maskerade by Terry Pratchett
    (Discworld, Book 18, witches)
83. Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett
    (Discworld, Book 15, city watch)
84. Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett
    (Discworld, Book 31, misc)
85. Mort by Terry Pratchett
    (Discworld, Book 4, Death)
86. Moving Pictures by Terry Pratchett
    (Discworld, Book 10, misc)
87. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
88. Night Watch by Terry Pratchett
    (Discworld, Book 29, city watch)
89. Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny
90. Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper
    (The Dark Is Rising, Book 1)
91. Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
92. Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings
93. Polgara the Sorceress by David Eddings
94. Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis
    (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 2)
95. Pyramids by Terry Pratchett
    (Discworld, Book 7, misc)
96. Queen of Sorcery by David Eddings
97. Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett
    (Discworld, Book 11, Death)
98. Redwall by Brian Jacques
99. Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb
    (The Farseer Trilogy, Book 2)
100. Sabriel by Garth Nix
101. Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb
     (The Liveship Traders Trilogy, Book 1)
102. Silver on the Tree by Susan Cooper
     (The Dark Is Rising, Book 5)
103. Silverthorn by Raymond E. Feist
104. Small Gods by Terry Pratchett
     (Discworld, Book 13, misc)
105. Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman
106. Sorceress of Darshiva by David Eddings
107. Soul Music by Terry Pratchett
     (Discworld, Book 16, misc)
108. Sourcery by Terry Pratchett
     (Discworld, Book 5, Rincewind)
109. Spindle’s End by Robin McKinley
110. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
111. Stone of Farewell by Tad Williams
     (Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, Book 2)
112. Stone of Tears by Terry Goodkind
113. Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner
114. Taran Wanderer by Lloyd Alexander
     (The Chronicles of Prydain, Book 4)
115. Tehanu: The Last Book of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
116. Temeraire by Naomi Novik
117. The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents
     by Terry Pratchett (Discworld, Book 28, misc)
118. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
     (His Dark Materials Trilogy, Book 3)
119. The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
120. The Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb
     (The Farseer Trilogy, Book 1)
121. The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander
     (The Chronicles of Prydain, Book 2)
122. The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
123. The Book of Lost Tales by J.R.R. Tolkien
124. The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
     (The Chronicles of Prydain, Book 1)
125. The Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander
     (The Chronicles of Prydain, Book 3)
126. The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett
     (Discworld, Book 1, Rincewind)
127. The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
128. The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper
     (The Dark Is Rising, Book 2)
129. The Darkest Road by Guy Gavriel Kay
     (Fionavar Tapestry, Book 3)
130. The Diamond Throne by David Eddings
131. The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan
     (The Wheel of Time, Book 3)
132. The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams
     (Memory, Sorry, and Thorn, Book 1)
133. The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks
     (The Original Shannara Trilogy, Book 2)
134. The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
     (The Wheel of Time, Book 1)
135. The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin
136. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
     (Lord of the Rings, Book 1)
137. The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett
     (Discworld, Book 24, city watch)
138. The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan
     (The Wheel of Time, Book 5)
139. The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip
140. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
     (His Dark Materials, Book 1)
141. The Golden Fool by Robin Hobb
     (The Tawny Man Trilogy, Book 2)
142. The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan
     (The Wheel of Time, Book 2)
143. The Grey King by Susan Cooper
     (The Dark Is Rising, Book 4)
144. The Gunslinger by Stephen King
145. The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
146. The High King by Lloyd Alexander
     (The Chronicles of Prydain, Book 5)
147. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
148. The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis
     (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 5)
149. The Illearth War by Stephen R. Donaldson
150. The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis
     (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 7)
151. The Last Continent Terry Pratchett
     (Discworld, Book 22, Rincewind)
152. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle (want to read)
153. The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett
     (Discworld, Book 2, Rincewind)
154. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
     (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 1)
155. The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay
156. The Mad Ship by Robin Hobb
     (The Liveship Traders Trilogy, Book 2)
157. The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis
     (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 6)
158. The Mirror of Her Dreams by Stephen R. Donaldson
159. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
160. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
161. The Once and Future King by T. H. White
162. The One Tree by Stephen R. Donaldson
163. The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan
     (The Wheel of Time, Book 8)
164. The Power That Preserves by Stephen R. Donaldson
165. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
166. The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
     (Lord of the Rings, Book 3)
167. The Ruby Knight by David Eddings
168. The Sapphire Rose by David Eddings
169. The Seeress of Kell by David Eddings
170. The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan
     (The Wheel of Time, Book 4)
171. The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
172. The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis
     (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 4)
173. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
     (His Dark Materials, Book 2)
174. The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay
     (Fionavar Tapestry, Book 1)
175. The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks
     (The Original Shannara Trilogy, Book 1)
176. The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin
177. The Truth by Terry Pratchett
     (Discworld, Book 25, misc)
178. The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
     (Lord of the Rings, Book 2)
179. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis
     (The Chronicle of Narnia, Book 3)
180. The Wandering Fire by Guy Gavriel Kay
     (Fionavar Tapestry, Book 2)
181. The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett
     (Discworld, Book 30, Tiffany Aching)
182. The Wounded Land by Stephen R. Donaldson
183. Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett
     (Discworld, Book 26, misc)
184. Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik
185. Thud! by Terry Pratchett
     (Discworld, Book 34, city watch)
186. Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
187. To Green Angel Tower by Tad Williams
     (Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, Book 3)
188. Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth by J.R.R. Tolkien
189. White Gold Wielder by Stephen R. Donaldson
190. Wicked by Gregory Maguire
191. Winter’s Heart by Robert Jordan
     (The Wheel of Time, Book 9)
192. Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett
     (Discworld, Book 12, witches)
193. Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind
194. Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett
     (Discworld, Book 6, witches)