2004: Ruth's Year in Books
Jan. 1st, 2005 09:37 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rsadelleA couple of years ago, 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. I liked the whole project so much that I've been doing it again each year.
What's here:
January 1-3 Sunshine by Robin McKinley. I don't usually like vampire books, but I loved this one. Of course, anything by Robin McKinley is worth reading, so I shouldn't have been too surprised. First reading.
January 7-9 Crazy For You by Jennifer Crusie. I like Jennifer Crusie, but this one's a little creepy. First reading.
January 19-21 Fitcher's Brides by Gregory Frost. This is a fantastic fairy tale retelling. I highly recommend it. First reading.
January 24 Getting Rid of Bradley by Jennifer Crusie. I don't really remember this one, so it wasn't particularly good or bad. First reading.
January 25 Trading In Danger by Elizabeth Moon. Elizabeth Moon is really only good for one character. I recommend Paks instead of the sci fi heroines. First reading (unfinished).
January 29-February 1 Quentins by Maeve Binchy. Fairly standard Binchy fare. First reading.
February 4-6 Maximum Light by Nancy Kress. Good sci fi. First reading.
February 7 Blade Dancer by S.L. Viehl. Not as interesting as it could be. First reading (unfinished).
February 15 Falling From Fire by Teena Booth. Uniniteresting teen novel. First reading (unfinished).
February 23-24 First Truth by Dawn Cook. Fantasy novel. Much better than I expected it to be, but not good enough for me to read the sequels. First reading.
February 24 A Time For Dancing by Davida Wills Hurwin. Not particularly good. First reading (unfinished).
March 6-7 Hidden Warrior by Lynn Flewelling. Excellent second novel in a genderbending trilogy. First reading.
March 15-17 Secret Ceremonies by Deborah Laake. Interesting but nowhere near as scandalous as I expected. First reading.
Dates Unknown Pattern Recognition by William Gibson. I don't know why I made another attempt at reading Gibson. I don't like him. First reading.
March 29-July 10 Yentl's Revenge edited by Danya Ruttenberg. I wanted to read this because I read the first few pages on Amazon and they were fantastic, but it mostly goes downhill from there. The basic premise of the book--that Judaism is both inflexible and sexist--doesn't match my experience and belief at all. First reading.
April 5-8 Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith. This is still very enjoyable, but you should still avoid the short story tacked on to the end. Second reading.
April 10 Truth or Dairy by Catherine Clark. Mildly humorous teen novel, not particularly remarkable. First reading.
April 11 The Hob's Bargain by Patricia Briggs. Not as good as her other books, but worth reading. First reading.
April 12-16 Deerskin by Robin McKinley. One of my absolute favorite books. Fifth or sixth reading.
April 18-23 The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde. By removing Thursday from her family, he drops some of the best things about the books. I'll read one more Thursday Next book, but if it isn't better, I'm done. First reading.
April 25-27 Archangel Protocol by Lyda Morehouse. Fantastic first book in a four-book series bringing the war between God and Lucifer to a near-future technological age.
May 8 The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown. My God, this is bad. Seriously. I made it through 80 pages, but at that point, it was too stupid to continue reading. First reading (unfinished).
May 15-17 Fallen Host by Lyda Morehouse. Second book in the series. First reading.
May 21-27 Messiah Node by Lyda Morehouse. Third book in the series. First reading.
June 5 Dancing Barefoot by Wil Wheaton. Wil Wheaton makes me cry, in a good way. First reading.
June 6-17 A Scholar of Magics by Caroline Stevermer. A disappointing follow-up to the excellent A College of Magics. First reading.
June 20-27 Apocalypse Array by Lyda Morehouse. The fourth and final book in the series. First reading.
July 2 Clade by Mark Budz. Interesting premise, but uninteresting book. First reading (unfinished).
July 3-4 Spin State by Chris Moriarty. Pretty good sci fi with some lesbian action. First reading.
July 5-9 The Anvil of the World by Kage Baker. Disappointing fantasy novel from a fantastic sci fi writer. First reading.
July 17 Freedom's Gate by Naomi Kritzer. Great new fantasy novel from a great writer. First reading.
July 18-19 The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley. I'm not a big fan of Robin Hood retellings, but Robin McKinley made me love them. First reading.
July 25 Technogenesis by Syne Mitchell. This could really work as a movie, but there's no emotional punch to it as a book. First reading (unfinished).
July 31-August 2 Grasp the Stars by Jennifer Wingert. Fantastic sci fi novel. First reading.
August 9 Tell Me Lies by Jennifer Crusie. Kind of creepy. First reading.
August 10-21 Mother Aegypt by Kage Baker. Not as good as I expected it to be. First reading.
August 13 Oaths and Miracles by Nancy Kress. Fantastic sci fi detective story. First reading.
August 14-15 Raven's Shadow by Patricia Briggs. Okay book. I'll read the sequel if she writes one. First reading.
August 16-September 1 The Door in the Hedge by Robin McKinley. Short stories. First reading.
August 22 Brain Rose by Nancy Kress. Good sci fi. First reading.
September 2-5 White Oleander by Janet Fitch. Good, and surprisingly unsentimental for something that was an Oprah Book Club selection. First reading.
September 11 Channeling Cleopatra by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough. Good concept, bad execution. First reading (unfinished).
September 18 Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen by Dyan Sheldon. Lola is mildly amusing as a character, but she would be horrid as a real person. First reading.
September 25-26 Probability Moon by Nancy Kress. First book in a pretty good trilogy. First reading.
September 30 The Lottery Rose by Irene Hunt. I'd been reading a lot of abused Xander fic, which made me think of this book, which was nothing like I remembered it. Second reading.
October 2 Probability Sun by Nancy Kress. Second in the trilogy. First reading.
October 2-3 Probability Space by Nancy Kress. Third book in the trilogy. First reading.
Dates Unknown Stalker Analog by Mel Odom. Not particularly good, but not horrible. First reading.
Dates Unknown Primary Inversion by Catherine Asaro. First book in the Saga of the Skolian Empire. Very good. First reading.
Dates Unknown. Mark of Conte by Sonia Levitin. I'd been trying to remember the name of this book for years, and someone on the abebooks forums just knew what it was. Still pretty funny. Second reading.
Dates Unknown I Can't Tell You by Hillary Frank. Excellent novel told entirely in notes, letters, emails, and scribbles. First reading.
Dates Unknown Catch the Lightning by Catherine Asaro. Second book in the Saga of the Skolian Empire, although they aren't necessarily linearly connected. First reading.
December 11 Cobwebs by Karen Romano Young. Very good urban fantasy. First reading.
Dates Unknown The Last Hawk by Catherine Asaro. Third in the Saga of the Skolian Empire. Still worth reading. First reading.
December 28-31 The Drylands by Mary Rosenblum. Fantastic novel about what happens when there's just not enough water anymore. First reading.
What's here:
- Books I read in 2004.
- Authors of the books.
- Dates I read the books.
- Short notes about each book.
- Approximately how many times I've read the book.
- Magazine and newspaper articles I read, either for work or for fun.
- Web-published fiction I read.
- Short stories and individual chapters I read to remind myself of what the book was about.
- The Bible, which I read in a year, a little bit each day, with a friend of mine.
January 1-3 Sunshine by Robin McKinley. I don't usually like vampire books, but I loved this one. Of course, anything by Robin McKinley is worth reading, so I shouldn't have been too surprised. First reading.
January 7-9 Crazy For You by Jennifer Crusie. I like Jennifer Crusie, but this one's a little creepy. First reading.
January 19-21 Fitcher's Brides by Gregory Frost. This is a fantastic fairy tale retelling. I highly recommend it. First reading.
January 24 Getting Rid of Bradley by Jennifer Crusie. I don't really remember this one, so it wasn't particularly good or bad. First reading.
January 25 Trading In Danger by Elizabeth Moon. Elizabeth Moon is really only good for one character. I recommend Paks instead of the sci fi heroines. First reading (unfinished).
January 29-February 1 Quentins by Maeve Binchy. Fairly standard Binchy fare. First reading.
February 4-6 Maximum Light by Nancy Kress. Good sci fi. First reading.
February 7 Blade Dancer by S.L. Viehl. Not as interesting as it could be. First reading (unfinished).
February 15 Falling From Fire by Teena Booth. Uniniteresting teen novel. First reading (unfinished).
February 23-24 First Truth by Dawn Cook. Fantasy novel. Much better than I expected it to be, but not good enough for me to read the sequels. First reading.
February 24 A Time For Dancing by Davida Wills Hurwin. Not particularly good. First reading (unfinished).
March 6-7 Hidden Warrior by Lynn Flewelling. Excellent second novel in a genderbending trilogy. First reading.
March 15-17 Secret Ceremonies by Deborah Laake. Interesting but nowhere near as scandalous as I expected. First reading.
Dates Unknown Pattern Recognition by William Gibson. I don't know why I made another attempt at reading Gibson. I don't like him. First reading.
March 29-July 10 Yentl's Revenge edited by Danya Ruttenberg. I wanted to read this because I read the first few pages on Amazon and they were fantastic, but it mostly goes downhill from there. The basic premise of the book--that Judaism is both inflexible and sexist--doesn't match my experience and belief at all. First reading.
April 5-8 Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith. This is still very enjoyable, but you should still avoid the short story tacked on to the end. Second reading.
April 10 Truth or Dairy by Catherine Clark. Mildly humorous teen novel, not particularly remarkable. First reading.
April 11 The Hob's Bargain by Patricia Briggs. Not as good as her other books, but worth reading. First reading.
April 12-16 Deerskin by Robin McKinley. One of my absolute favorite books. Fifth or sixth reading.
April 18-23 The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde. By removing Thursday from her family, he drops some of the best things about the books. I'll read one more Thursday Next book, but if it isn't better, I'm done. First reading.
April 25-27 Archangel Protocol by Lyda Morehouse. Fantastic first book in a four-book series bringing the war between God and Lucifer to a near-future technological age.
May 8 The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown. My God, this is bad. Seriously. I made it through 80 pages, but at that point, it was too stupid to continue reading. First reading (unfinished).
May 15-17 Fallen Host by Lyda Morehouse. Second book in the series. First reading.
May 21-27 Messiah Node by Lyda Morehouse. Third book in the series. First reading.
June 5 Dancing Barefoot by Wil Wheaton. Wil Wheaton makes me cry, in a good way. First reading.
June 6-17 A Scholar of Magics by Caroline Stevermer. A disappointing follow-up to the excellent A College of Magics. First reading.
June 20-27 Apocalypse Array by Lyda Morehouse. The fourth and final book in the series. First reading.
July 2 Clade by Mark Budz. Interesting premise, but uninteresting book. First reading (unfinished).
July 3-4 Spin State by Chris Moriarty. Pretty good sci fi with some lesbian action. First reading.
July 5-9 The Anvil of the World by Kage Baker. Disappointing fantasy novel from a fantastic sci fi writer. First reading.
July 17 Freedom's Gate by Naomi Kritzer. Great new fantasy novel from a great writer. First reading.
July 18-19 The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley. I'm not a big fan of Robin Hood retellings, but Robin McKinley made me love them. First reading.
July 25 Technogenesis by Syne Mitchell. This could really work as a movie, but there's no emotional punch to it as a book. First reading (unfinished).
July 31-August 2 Grasp the Stars by Jennifer Wingert. Fantastic sci fi novel. First reading.
August 9 Tell Me Lies by Jennifer Crusie. Kind of creepy. First reading.
August 10-21 Mother Aegypt by Kage Baker. Not as good as I expected it to be. First reading.
August 13 Oaths and Miracles by Nancy Kress. Fantastic sci fi detective story. First reading.
August 14-15 Raven's Shadow by Patricia Briggs. Okay book. I'll read the sequel if she writes one. First reading.
August 16-September 1 The Door in the Hedge by Robin McKinley. Short stories. First reading.
August 22 Brain Rose by Nancy Kress. Good sci fi. First reading.
September 2-5 White Oleander by Janet Fitch. Good, and surprisingly unsentimental for something that was an Oprah Book Club selection. First reading.
September 11 Channeling Cleopatra by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough. Good concept, bad execution. First reading (unfinished).
September 18 Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen by Dyan Sheldon. Lola is mildly amusing as a character, but she would be horrid as a real person. First reading.
September 25-26 Probability Moon by Nancy Kress. First book in a pretty good trilogy. First reading.
September 30 The Lottery Rose by Irene Hunt. I'd been reading a lot of abused Xander fic, which made me think of this book, which was nothing like I remembered it. Second reading.
October 2 Probability Sun by Nancy Kress. Second in the trilogy. First reading.
October 2-3 Probability Space by Nancy Kress. Third book in the trilogy. First reading.
Dates Unknown Stalker Analog by Mel Odom. Not particularly good, but not horrible. First reading.
Dates Unknown Primary Inversion by Catherine Asaro. First book in the Saga of the Skolian Empire. Very good. First reading.
Dates Unknown. Mark of Conte by Sonia Levitin. I'd been trying to remember the name of this book for years, and someone on the abebooks forums just knew what it was. Still pretty funny. Second reading.
Dates Unknown I Can't Tell You by Hillary Frank. Excellent novel told entirely in notes, letters, emails, and scribbles. First reading.
Dates Unknown Catch the Lightning by Catherine Asaro. Second book in the Saga of the Skolian Empire, although they aren't necessarily linearly connected. First reading.
December 11 Cobwebs by Karen Romano Young. Very good urban fantasy. First reading.
Dates Unknown The Last Hawk by Catherine Asaro. Third in the Saga of the Skolian Empire. Still worth reading. First reading.
December 28-31 The Drylands by Mary Rosenblum. Fantastic novel about what happens when there's just not enough water anymore. First reading.