2001: Ruth's Year in Books
Jan. 1st, 2002 09:28 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rsadelleThis year, I decided that I would keep a list of all the books I read. It would be, I thought, interesting to see how much, and what, I actually read. So when I read a book, I wrote it down in my writing binder. As you can tell, at times, I forgot to write them down as I went. But I managed to get most of them down with dates.
What's here:
January 3-4 The Halloween Man by Douglas Clegg. It promised to be a good good vs. evil horror novel, but it wasn't. First reading.
January 5-7 Blind Items by Matthew Rettenmund. Average-ish gay man, best friend to a gossip columnist, falls in love with a soap star who falls in love right back. First reading.
January 28-31 Silver Birch, Blood Moon edited by Terri Windling and Ellen Datlow. Fairy tales for adults. Well worth reading. First reading.
January 31-February 2 Black Heart, Ivory Bones edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling. Fairy tales for adults. Well worth reading. First reading.
January, dates unknown Miracle and Other Christmas Stories by Connie Willis. Christmas stories from one of my favorite authors. First reading.
February 2 A Wolf at the Door edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling. A collection of retold fairy tales for young adults. Leaves something to be desired. First reading.
February 3 Pharaoh's Daughter by Julius Lester. Disappointing retelling of the story of Moses. First reading.
February 21 Bellwether by Connie Willis. My favorite Connie Willis book. Chaos theory, the absurdity of bureaucracy, and romance all in one book. Fourth or fifth reading.
February 23 The Brethren by John Grisham. Not good enough for me to remember. First reading.
February 24-25 Deerskin by Robin McKinley. Robin McKinley's disturbing retelling of the Deerskin fairy tale. Another one of my favorite books. Third or fourth reading.
February 26-27 Spindle's End by Robin McKinley. This Sleeping Beauty is not the same old princess. First reading.
March 11-12 Dreamside by Graham Joyce. Fairly standard Graham Joyce. First reading.
March 24 The Last Supper by Charles McCarry. Cold War spy novel. I took it right back to the library book sale. First reading.
March 30-April 1 Jack of Kinrowan by Charles de Lint. A retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk that also incorporates other Jack legends and characters familiar to readers of Charles de Lint's Newford stories. First reading.
May 16-17 Towing Jehovah by James Morrow. In which God "died and fell into the sea." The first in the trilogy about the death of God, and the best. First reading.
May 18 Atticus by Ron Hansen. Good, but not his best. A prodigal son refiguring. First reading.
May 22 The Seraphim Rising by Elizabeth De Vos. Are they angels or aliens? Fascinating. First reading.
May 24 Drawing Blood by Poppy Z. Brite. An excellent plot, but flawed style. First reading.
May 28-29 Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z. Brite. Has some great humorous moments, but isn't nearly as shocking as it promises to be. First reading.
May 29 Lying Awake by Mark Salzman. Excellent, excellent book about faith. If you ever have the chance to see Mark Salzman speak, do so. He's hilarious, which you wouldn't guess from this book. First reading.
May 31 I Believe in Water edited by Marilyn Singer. Twelve stories about faith. First reading.
June 1-4 The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon. Actually three novels in one volume. Standard but well-written fantasy: Girl with some magical ability, a magical sword, a great horse, and divine favor. Second reading.
June 5 The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley. Good, but not good enough for me to really remember what it's about. First reading.
June 6 The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley. Sequel to The Hero and the Crown, also good but not good enough for me to really remember. First reading.
June 10 The Second Saladin by Stephen Hunter. Another Cold War era spy novel. First reading.
June 11 Those Who Hunt the Night by Barbara Hambly. Not particularly good. First reading.
June 13-15 Blameless in Abaddon by James Morrow. Second in the trilogy about the death of God. A Job-like character puts God on trial for Crimes Against Humanity. Interesting look at the Problem of Evil. First reading.
June 20 The Eternal Footman by James Morrow. Third in the trilogy about the death of God. Depressing. First reading.
July 4-8 Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. Anthony Bourdain is an incredible writer, and the story of kitchens in New York is fascinating. First reading.
July 12 The Merro Tree by Katie Waitman. An incredible novel about art and censorship. Third or fourth reading.
July 15 The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris. Not at all what I expected, and rather disappointing. First reading.
July 17-18 Sybil by Flora Rita Schreiber. Fascinating classic case study about a woman with multiple personalities. First reading.
July 19-20 The Nightingale by Kara Dalkey. A retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. Good, but not outstanding. First reading.
July 21-23 The Armless Maiden edited by Terri Windling. Fairy tales for childhood's survivors. The first story is not very good, but they get better quickly. First reading.
July 23-25 The Rose and the Beast by Francesca Lia Block. Retellings of fairy tales. One of them, "Charm," is quite good, but the style wears thin quickly. First reading.
July 25 The Psalms of Herod by Esther M. Friesner. A post-apocalyptic world in which the teachings of the Bible, especially the Slaughter of the Innocents, are taken far too literally. Second or third reading.
July 26 The Sword of Mary by Esther M. Friesner. Sequel to The Psalms of Herod. It sets up the possibility for a third novel, but Friesner doesn't seem to have written one. Second or third reading.
July 29-August 1 Moonlight and Vines by Charles de Lint. Short stories. Some are better than others. First reading.
August 2 The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. I watched both movie versions, and then had to read the book. First reading.
August 4 If There Be Thorns by V.C. Andrews. Trash reading on vacation. First reading.
August 5-6 Seeds of Yesterday by V.C. Andrews. More trash reading, and the fourth and last in that series. First reading.
August 8 The Third Miracle by Richard Vetere. Another book about faith, but the movie is better. First reading.
August 9 Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. Connie Willis' most highly acclaimed book. Well worth reading. Second or third reading.
August 10 In the Hand of the Goddess and Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce. The second and first, respectively, books in a quartet. I read them when I was 13 or so, and wanted to see how well they held up. They're still good. Third or fourth reading.
August 12 Promised Land by Connie Willis and Cynthia Felice. One of my favorite heterosexual romances. Third or fourth reading.
August 13 The Woman Who Rides Like a Man by Tamora Pierce. The third book in the series. Third or fourth reading.
August 13-14 The Glass Lake by Maeve Binchy. One of my favorite Maeve Binchy novels. Third or fourth reading.
August 15 Echoes by Maeve Binchy. My other favorite Maeve Binchy novel. Second or third reading.
September 3-5 Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. Predictable ending, but good fantasy nonetheless. First reading.
September 7-8 Passage by Connie Willis. Don't believe the Amazon.com review that blasts it for overusing recurring gags. They're part of the point. First reading.
Dates unknown The Mark of the Assassin by Daniel Silva. An assassin is hired to shoot down a plane to start a war so a defense contractor can get the candidate he wants in office so he can get the defense contracts and make lots of money. Read after September 11. First reading.
Dates unknown The Secret History by Donna Tartt. Depressing if interesting novel about Greek students who get out of hand. Second reading.
Dates unknown Son of Interflux by Gordon Korman. One of my favorite Gordon Korman novels. Hilarious. Third or fourth reading.
Dates unknown Uncharted Territory by Connie Willis. Funny. I regret having given away my copy. Second reading.
November 10 Quest for a Maid by Frances Mary Hendry. Reading about attendants in The Iliad made me think of this, one of my favorite children's books. Fourth or fifth reading.
November 14 Of Two Minds by Carol Matas and Perry Nodelman. Disappointing young adult fantasy. First reading.
November 17 China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F. McHugh. Good, good book. Read it. Second reading.
November 20 Larque on the Wing by Nancy Springer. Interesting novel about genderbending and transformation. First reading.
November 20 Toward Amnesia by Sarah Van Arsdale. Not very good. First reading.
November 21 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. First in the series. Good once you get through the first seven chapters of explanations. First reading.
November 22 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling. Second in the series. The book I can't seem to remember. First reading.
November 24 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling. Third in the series. The best reference for trying to determine McGonagall's age. First reading.
November 25 A College of Magics by Caroline Stevermer. Good fantasy. Third or fourth reading.
December 1 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling. Fourth in the series. The last chapter and a half nearly had me in tears. First reading.
December 6-12 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. Took forever to read because it was finals week. Second reading.
December 15 To Reign in Hell by Stephen Brust. Amazing and fascinating take on the war in Heaven. First reading.
December 15 A Restricted Country by Joan Nestle. I agree with some things, and disagree with others. First reading.
December 18-20 Light Raid by Connie Willis and Cynthia Felice. Good, but not excellent. First reading.
December 21 The Grounding of Group 6 by Julian F. Thompson. Not very good. I don't understand why it was re-released. Second reading.
December 22 The Alfred G. Graebner Memorial High School Handbook of Rules and Regulations by Ellen Conford. Hilarious novel about the absurdity of high school. Fourth or fifth reading.
December 23-26 The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander. A discussion of Harry Potter led to a discussion about other children's series. I decided to read the Chronicles of Prydain again, but I didn't even finish this, the first book. Second reading (unfinished).
December 26 Family Reunion by Caroline B. Cooney. Entertaining book about families that aren't quite as they appear. Third or fourth reading.
December 26 Mel by Liz Berry. One of what I think of as the young adult British rock star novels. A great read, and one of my favorite young adult books. Fourth or fifth reading.
December 26 Easy Connection by Liz Berry. Another young adult British rock star novel. It shouldn't be very good, but it's extremely readable and one of my very favorite books. Fourth or fifth reading.
December 27 Snowdrops for Cousin Ruth by Susan Katy. Average children's book about death. First reading.
December 27 Chartbreaker by Gillian Cross. Yet another young adult British rock star novel. This one focuses on the rocker herself. Third or fourth reading.
December 29 Shadow by Anne Logston. Watching Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring made me want to re-read this series about an elven thief. Second reading.
December 30 Shadow Hunt and Shadow Dance by Anne Logston. Second and third books in the Shadow series. Still very good. Second reading.
What's here:
- Books I read in 2001.
- Authors of the books.
- Dates I read the books.
- Short notes about each book.
- Approximately how many times I've read the book.
- Books I read for school.
- Magazine and newspaper articles I read, either for school or for fun.
- Web-published fiction I read.
- Short stories and individual chapters I read to remind myself of what the book was about.
January 3-4 The Halloween Man by Douglas Clegg. It promised to be a good good vs. evil horror novel, but it wasn't. First reading.
January 5-7 Blind Items by Matthew Rettenmund. Average-ish gay man, best friend to a gossip columnist, falls in love with a soap star who falls in love right back. First reading.
January 28-31 Silver Birch, Blood Moon edited by Terri Windling and Ellen Datlow. Fairy tales for adults. Well worth reading. First reading.
January 31-February 2 Black Heart, Ivory Bones edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling. Fairy tales for adults. Well worth reading. First reading.
January, dates unknown Miracle and Other Christmas Stories by Connie Willis. Christmas stories from one of my favorite authors. First reading.
February 2 A Wolf at the Door edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling. A collection of retold fairy tales for young adults. Leaves something to be desired. First reading.
February 3 Pharaoh's Daughter by Julius Lester. Disappointing retelling of the story of Moses. First reading.
February 21 Bellwether by Connie Willis. My favorite Connie Willis book. Chaos theory, the absurdity of bureaucracy, and romance all in one book. Fourth or fifth reading.
February 23 The Brethren by John Grisham. Not good enough for me to remember. First reading.
February 24-25 Deerskin by Robin McKinley. Robin McKinley's disturbing retelling of the Deerskin fairy tale. Another one of my favorite books. Third or fourth reading.
February 26-27 Spindle's End by Robin McKinley. This Sleeping Beauty is not the same old princess. First reading.
March 11-12 Dreamside by Graham Joyce. Fairly standard Graham Joyce. First reading.
March 24 The Last Supper by Charles McCarry. Cold War spy novel. I took it right back to the library book sale. First reading.
March 30-April 1 Jack of Kinrowan by Charles de Lint. A retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk that also incorporates other Jack legends and characters familiar to readers of Charles de Lint's Newford stories. First reading.
May 16-17 Towing Jehovah by James Morrow. In which God "died and fell into the sea." The first in the trilogy about the death of God, and the best. First reading.
May 18 Atticus by Ron Hansen. Good, but not his best. A prodigal son refiguring. First reading.
May 22 The Seraphim Rising by Elizabeth De Vos. Are they angels or aliens? Fascinating. First reading.
May 24 Drawing Blood by Poppy Z. Brite. An excellent plot, but flawed style. First reading.
May 28-29 Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z. Brite. Has some great humorous moments, but isn't nearly as shocking as it promises to be. First reading.
May 29 Lying Awake by Mark Salzman. Excellent, excellent book about faith. If you ever have the chance to see Mark Salzman speak, do so. He's hilarious, which you wouldn't guess from this book. First reading.
May 31 I Believe in Water edited by Marilyn Singer. Twelve stories about faith. First reading.
June 1-4 The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon. Actually three novels in one volume. Standard but well-written fantasy: Girl with some magical ability, a magical sword, a great horse, and divine favor. Second reading.
June 5 The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley. Good, but not good enough for me to really remember what it's about. First reading.
June 6 The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley. Sequel to The Hero and the Crown, also good but not good enough for me to really remember. First reading.
June 10 The Second Saladin by Stephen Hunter. Another Cold War era spy novel. First reading.
June 11 Those Who Hunt the Night by Barbara Hambly. Not particularly good. First reading.
June 13-15 Blameless in Abaddon by James Morrow. Second in the trilogy about the death of God. A Job-like character puts God on trial for Crimes Against Humanity. Interesting look at the Problem of Evil. First reading.
June 20 The Eternal Footman by James Morrow. Third in the trilogy about the death of God. Depressing. First reading.
July 4-8 Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. Anthony Bourdain is an incredible writer, and the story of kitchens in New York is fascinating. First reading.
July 12 The Merro Tree by Katie Waitman. An incredible novel about art and censorship. Third or fourth reading.
July 15 The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris. Not at all what I expected, and rather disappointing. First reading.
July 17-18 Sybil by Flora Rita Schreiber. Fascinating classic case study about a woman with multiple personalities. First reading.
July 19-20 The Nightingale by Kara Dalkey. A retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. Good, but not outstanding. First reading.
July 21-23 The Armless Maiden edited by Terri Windling. Fairy tales for childhood's survivors. The first story is not very good, but they get better quickly. First reading.
July 23-25 The Rose and the Beast by Francesca Lia Block. Retellings of fairy tales. One of them, "Charm," is quite good, but the style wears thin quickly. First reading.
July 25 The Psalms of Herod by Esther M. Friesner. A post-apocalyptic world in which the teachings of the Bible, especially the Slaughter of the Innocents, are taken far too literally. Second or third reading.
July 26 The Sword of Mary by Esther M. Friesner. Sequel to The Psalms of Herod. It sets up the possibility for a third novel, but Friesner doesn't seem to have written one. Second or third reading.
July 29-August 1 Moonlight and Vines by Charles de Lint. Short stories. Some are better than others. First reading.
August 2 The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. I watched both movie versions, and then had to read the book. First reading.
August 4 If There Be Thorns by V.C. Andrews. Trash reading on vacation. First reading.
August 5-6 Seeds of Yesterday by V.C. Andrews. More trash reading, and the fourth and last in that series. First reading.
August 8 The Third Miracle by Richard Vetere. Another book about faith, but the movie is better. First reading.
August 9 Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. Connie Willis' most highly acclaimed book. Well worth reading. Second or third reading.
August 10 In the Hand of the Goddess and Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce. The second and first, respectively, books in a quartet. I read them when I was 13 or so, and wanted to see how well they held up. They're still good. Third or fourth reading.
August 12 Promised Land by Connie Willis and Cynthia Felice. One of my favorite heterosexual romances. Third or fourth reading.
August 13 The Woman Who Rides Like a Man by Tamora Pierce. The third book in the series. Third or fourth reading.
August 13-14 The Glass Lake by Maeve Binchy. One of my favorite Maeve Binchy novels. Third or fourth reading.
August 15 Echoes by Maeve Binchy. My other favorite Maeve Binchy novel. Second or third reading.
September 3-5 Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. Predictable ending, but good fantasy nonetheless. First reading.
September 7-8 Passage by Connie Willis. Don't believe the Amazon.com review that blasts it for overusing recurring gags. They're part of the point. First reading.
Dates unknown The Mark of the Assassin by Daniel Silva. An assassin is hired to shoot down a plane to start a war so a defense contractor can get the candidate he wants in office so he can get the defense contracts and make lots of money. Read after September 11. First reading.
Dates unknown The Secret History by Donna Tartt. Depressing if interesting novel about Greek students who get out of hand. Second reading.
Dates unknown Son of Interflux by Gordon Korman. One of my favorite Gordon Korman novels. Hilarious. Third or fourth reading.
Dates unknown Uncharted Territory by Connie Willis. Funny. I regret having given away my copy. Second reading.
November 10 Quest for a Maid by Frances Mary Hendry. Reading about attendants in The Iliad made me think of this, one of my favorite children's books. Fourth or fifth reading.
November 14 Of Two Minds by Carol Matas and Perry Nodelman. Disappointing young adult fantasy. First reading.
November 17 China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F. McHugh. Good, good book. Read it. Second reading.
November 20 Larque on the Wing by Nancy Springer. Interesting novel about genderbending and transformation. First reading.
November 20 Toward Amnesia by Sarah Van Arsdale. Not very good. First reading.
November 21 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. First in the series. Good once you get through the first seven chapters of explanations. First reading.
November 22 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling. Second in the series. The book I can't seem to remember. First reading.
November 24 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling. Third in the series. The best reference for trying to determine McGonagall's age. First reading.
November 25 A College of Magics by Caroline Stevermer. Good fantasy. Third or fourth reading.
December 1 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling. Fourth in the series. The last chapter and a half nearly had me in tears. First reading.
December 6-12 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. Took forever to read because it was finals week. Second reading.
December 15 To Reign in Hell by Stephen Brust. Amazing and fascinating take on the war in Heaven. First reading.
December 15 A Restricted Country by Joan Nestle. I agree with some things, and disagree with others. First reading.
December 18-20 Light Raid by Connie Willis and Cynthia Felice. Good, but not excellent. First reading.
December 21 The Grounding of Group 6 by Julian F. Thompson. Not very good. I don't understand why it was re-released. Second reading.
December 22 The Alfred G. Graebner Memorial High School Handbook of Rules and Regulations by Ellen Conford. Hilarious novel about the absurdity of high school. Fourth or fifth reading.
December 23-26 The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander. A discussion of Harry Potter led to a discussion about other children's series. I decided to read the Chronicles of Prydain again, but I didn't even finish this, the first book. Second reading (unfinished).
December 26 Family Reunion by Caroline B. Cooney. Entertaining book about families that aren't quite as they appear. Third or fourth reading.
December 26 Mel by Liz Berry. One of what I think of as the young adult British rock star novels. A great read, and one of my favorite young adult books. Fourth or fifth reading.
December 26 Easy Connection by Liz Berry. Another young adult British rock star novel. It shouldn't be very good, but it's extremely readable and one of my very favorite books. Fourth or fifth reading.
December 27 Snowdrops for Cousin Ruth by Susan Katy. Average children's book about death. First reading.
December 27 Chartbreaker by Gillian Cross. Yet another young adult British rock star novel. This one focuses on the rocker herself. Third or fourth reading.
December 29 Shadow by Anne Logston. Watching Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring made me want to re-read this series about an elven thief. Second reading.
December 30 Shadow Hunt and Shadow Dance by Anne Logston. Second and third books in the Shadow series. Still very good. Second reading.