Saturday, January 01, 2011

Reading List - 2011

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Books I Read in 2011

(Ratings out of 10 - consider 6 to be the minimum of what I expect a published book to be.)

The Feedstore Chronicles
by Travis Erwin
Finished book on: Dec 31, 2011
Quality of writing: 7.5
Quality of story: 8
Enjoyability: 8.5

The Cold Commands

by Richard Morgan
Finished book on: Dec 29, 2011
Quality of writing: 8.5
Quality of story: 8.5
Enjoyability: 8.5

The Neon Court

by Kate Griffin
Finished book on: Dec 26, 2011
Quality of writing: 8.5
Quality of story: 8
Enjoyability: 8

The Midnight Mayor

by Kate Griffin
Finished book on: Dec 22, 2011
Quality of writing: 8.5
Quality of story: 8
Enjoyability: 8

Unclean Spirits

by M. L. N. Hanover
Finished book on: Dec 5, 2011
Quality of writing: 7
Quality of story: 6.5
Enjoyability: 6

Aloha From Hell

by Richard Kadrey
Finished book on: Nov 26, 2011
Quality of writing: 7.5
Quality of story: 7.5
Enjoyability: 8

Snuff

by Terry Pratchett
Finished book on: Nov 20, 2011
Quality of writing: 9
Quality of story: 9.5
Enjoyability: 9.5
Comment: Love me some Pratchett! A great book as usual.

The Devil Wears Prada

by Lauren Weisberger
Finished book on: Oct 25, 2011
Quality of writing: 6.5
Quality of story: 7
Enjoyability: 7.5

The Fallen Blade

by Jon Courtney Grimwood
Finished book on: Oct 17, 2011
Quality of writing: 8
Quality of story: 6.5
Enjoyability: 7.5

Broken Angel

by Sigmund Brouwer
Finished book on: Oct 10, 2011
Quality of writing: 7
Quality of story: 7
Enjoyability: 7

Jasmyn

by Alex Bell
Finished book on: Oct 8, 2011
Quality of writing: 7
Quality of story: 7.5
Enjoyability: 7.5

The Smoke Thief

by Shana Abe
Finished book on: Oct 7, 2011
Quality of writing: 8
Quality of story: 7
Enjoyability: 7

The Poisoned Crown

by Amanda Hemingway
Finished book on: Oct 4, 2011
Quality of writing: 8
Quality of story: 8
Enjoyability: 8

The Sword of Straw

by Amanda Hemingway
Finished book on: Oct 2, 2011
Quality of writing: 8
Quality of story: 7.5
Enjoyability: 7.5

The Screenwriter's Bible

by David Trottier
Finished book on: Sept 30, 2011
Quality of advice: 9

The Greenstone Grail

by Amanda Hemingway
Finished book on: Sept 28, 2011
Quality of writing: 8
Quality of story: 8
Enjoyability: 8

The Demon and the City

by Liz Williams
Finished book on: Sept 25, 2011
Quality of writing: 7.5
Quality of story: 6.5
Enjoyability: 7.5

The Erthring Cycle

by Wayland Drew
Finished book on: Midnight between Sept 20 and 21, 2011
Quality of writing: 9
Quality of story: 8
Enjoyability: 9

A Madness of Angels

by Kate Griffin
Finished book on: Sept 19, 2011
Quality of writing: 9
Quality of story: 8
Enjoyability: 9

Myth Alliances

by Robert Lynn Asprin
Finished book on: Sept 8, 2011
Quality of writing: 6.5
Quality of story: 7
Enjoyability: 7

The Heroes

by Joe Abercrombie
Finished book on: Aug 23, 2011
Quality of writing: 8
Quality of story: 7
Enjoyability: 7

Kraken

by China Mieville
Finished book on: Aug 16, 2011
Quality of writing: 8
Quality of story: 5.5
Enjoyability: 6.5

Ghost Story

by Jim Butcher
Finished book on: Aug 6, 2011
Quality of writing: 7.5
Quality of story: 7
Enjoyability: 7.5

A Dance With Dragons
by George R. R. Martin
Finished book on: July ~15, 2011
Quality of writing: 8
Quality of story: 7.5
Enjoyability: 8

The Scar

by China Mieville
Finished book on: June 13, 2011
Quality of writing: 8.5
Quality of story: 7.5
Enjoyability: 8

The Ambassador's Mission

by Trudy Canavan
Finished book on: June 4, 2011
Quality of writing: 7
Quality of story: 6
Enjoyability: 6

Wither
by Lauren DeStephano
Finished book on: May 15, 2011
Quality of writing: 8
Quality of story: 7
Enjoyability: 7

Fury of the Phoenix

by Cindy Pon
Finished book on: May 6, 2011
Quality of writing: 7
Quality of story: 7
Enjoyability: 7

Market Forces

by Richard Morgan
Finished book on: May 3, 2011
Quality of writing: 8
Quality of story: 7
Enjoyability: 7.5

Altered Carbon

by Richard Morgan
Finished book on: Apr 28, 2011
Quality of writing: 7.5
Quality of story: 8
Enjoyability: 7.5

Broken Angels

by Richard Morgan
Finished book on: Apr 12, 2011
Quality of writing: 9
Quality of story: 9
Enjoyability: 9
Comment: I loooooooove this guy's stuff.

The Diamond Age: A Lady's Illustrated Primer

by Neal Stephenson
Finished book on: Apr 8, 2011
Quality of writing: 8
Quality of story: 7.5
Enjoyability: 8

Patient Zero
by Jonathan Maberry
Finished book on: Apr 2, 2011
Quality of writing: 8.5
Quality of story: 8.5
Enjoyability: 9

Kill the Dead

by Richard Kadrey
Finished book on: Mar 25, 2011
Quality of writing: 7.5
Quality of story: 7
Enjoyability: 7.5

Sandman Slim
by Richard Kadrey
Finished book on: Mar 24, 2011
Quality of writing: 7.5
Quality of story: 6.5
Enjoyability: 7.5

Sacrifice: Mortal Path, book 2
by Dakota Banks
Finished book on: Mar 20-ish, 2011
Quality of writing: 8
Quality of story: 6.5
Enjoyability: 6.5

Pump Six and Other Stories

by Paolo Bagigalupi
Finished book on: Mar 6, 2011
Quality of writing: 8.5
Quality of story: 7.5
Enjoyability: 8

A Song for Arbonne

by Guy Gavriel Kay
Finished book on: Feb 15, 2011
Quality of writing: 9.5
Quality of story: 9
Enjoyability: 9.5
Comment: Goodness, that was an awesome book. Guy Gavriel Kay always delivers!

Plot and Structure

by James Scott Bell
Finished book on: Feb 7, 2011
Quality of advice: 7

How to Write a Damn Good Novel II
by James N. Frey
Finished book on: Jan 27, 2011
Quality of advice: 6.5

Elantris

by Brandon Sanderson
Finished book on: Jan 21, 2011
Quality of writing: 6.5
Quality of story: 6
Enjoyability: 6

The Godfather
by Mario Puzo
Finished book on: Jan 18, 2011
Quality of writing: 8
Quality of story: 8
Enjoyability: 8

Mogworld
by Yahtzee (Ben) Croshaw
Finished book on: Jan 6, 2011
Quality of writing: 8
Quality of story: 7.5
Enjoyability: 8
Comments: Funny, very clever at the end, with a protagonist who's a charmingly sarcastic, contrary, irascible everyman zombie with a deathwish.

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Books I Didn't Finish

Rogue Angel: The Dragon's Mark
by Alex Archer
Stopped Reading on Page: 29
Reason Why: Great prologue, but too much "telling" in the main story.

The Unincorporated Man

by Dani and Eytan Kollin
Stopped Reading on Page: 105
Reason Why: Fascinating idea but low tension and characterizations seemed unconvincing

How to Write a Damn Good Novel

by James N. Frey
Stopped Reading on Page: 54
Reason Why: Found advice simplistic

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