January 19, 2013

Books Read in 2012: Wrapup

Here is the complete list of books I read last year.

Republican Gomorrah: Inside the Movement That Shattered the Party, Max Blumenthal [library book, non-fiction, politics]

Undone Deeds, Mark Del Franco [purchase, fiction, urban fantasy]

Shaded Vision, Yasmine Galenorn [purchase, fiction, urban fantasy]

I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution, Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum [library book, non-fiction, music]

The Mortal Bone, Marjorie M. Liu [purchase, fiction, urban fantasy]

Selected Poems of William Butler Yeats [purchase, poetry]

Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope, Mark Kelly and Gabrielle Giffords [library book, non-fiction, memoir]

Fateful, Claudia Gray [purchase, fiction, young adult, werewolves]

River Marked, Patricia Briggs [purchase, fiction, urban fantasy]

Raven Cursed, Faith Hunter [purchase, fiction, urban fantasy]

Soft Apocalypse, Will McIntosh [library book, fiction, science fiction]

Life Itself, Roger Ebert [purchase, non-fiction, memoir]

The Dead-Tossed Waves, Carrie Ryan [purchase, fiction, young adult, zombie apocalypse]

Devil's Punch, Ann Aguirre [purchase, fiction, urban fantasy]

 The Worst of Times, Patricia G. Miller [purchase, non-fiction, reproductive rights]

Back Rooms: An Oral History of the Illegal Abortion Era, Ellen Messer and Kathryn E. May [purchase, non-fiction, reproductive rights]

Partials, Dan Wells [purchase, fiction, young adult, post-apocalyptic]

Divergent, Veronica Roth [purchase, fiction, young adult, dystopian]

The Immortal Rules, Julie Kagawa [purchase, fiction, young adult, post-apocalyptic]

Hounded, Hexed and Hammered, Kevin Hearne [purchases, fiction, urban fantasy]

Robopocalypse, Daniel H. Wilson [library book, fiction, science fiction, post-apocalypse]

Tricked, Kevin Hearne [purchase, fiction, urban fantasy]

Blackout, Mira Grant [purchase, fiction, science fiction, zombie apocalypse]

The Dark and Hollow Places [library book, fiction, young adult, zombie apocalypse]

Enclave, Ann Aguirre [library book, fiction, young adult, post-apocalyptic]

Chime, Franny Billingsley [library book, fiction, young adult]

The Fox Effect: How Roger Ailes Turned a Network Into a Propaganda Machine, David Brock et al [library book, non-fiction, politics, media]

Deadly Spin, Wendell Potter [purchase, non-fiction, politics, health care]

Welcome to Bordertown, Holly Black and Ellen Kushner [library book, fiction, urban fantasy, anthology]

Enlightened Sexism: The Seductive Message That Feminism's Work is Done, Susan J. Douglas [library book, non-fiction, feminism]

Ghost Story, Jim Butcher [purchase, fiction, urban fantasy]

An Edge In My Voice, Harlan Ellison [library book, non-fiction, essays]

Legend, Marie Lu [library book, fiction, young adult, dystopia]

The Scorpio Races, Maggie Stiefvater [library book, fiction, young adult, fantasy]

Endgame, Ann Aguirre [purchase, fiction, science fiction, space opera]

Unraveling, Elizabeth Norris [library book, fiction, young adult, science fiction]

Crucible of Gold, Naomi Novik [library book, fiction, fantasy]

Death at SeaWorld: Shamu and the Dark Side of Killer Whales in Captivity, David Kirby [library book, non-fiction, marine mammals]

Cold Fury, T.M. Goeglein [library book, fiction, young adult, thriller]

Dust Girl, Sarah Zettel [library book, fiction, young adult, fantasy]

Pegasus, Robin McKinley [library book, fiction, young adult, fantasy]

Shadow Rising, Yasmine Galenorn [purchase, fiction, urban fantasy]

Hunting the Corrigan's Blood, Holly Lisle [purchase, fiction, science fiction, space opera]

The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Carrie Ryan [library book, fiction, young adult, zombie apocalypse]

Vessel, Sarah Beth Durst [library book, fiction, young adult, Arabian Nights-style fantasy]

Brave New Love: 15 Dystopian Tales of Desire, Paula Guran [library book, fiction, young adult, anthology, dystopian]

Trapped, Kevin Hearne [purchase, fiction, urban fantasy]

Glitch, Heather Anastasiu [library book, fiction, young adult, post-apocalyptic]

Total books read this year: 51

As you can see, I've read a far more young adult fiction this year than I ever have. But I daresay some of the best books to be found anywhere right now are in the young adult section. Certainly some of the most inventive. The fact that the heroes--or heroines (most of the ones I see are the latter) are only sixteen or seventeen don't interfere with my enjoyment of said books one whit.

Best fiction book of 2012: The Scorpio Races, Maggie Stiefvater. (And there's your prime example. I'll say it again: I love love love this book. The pacing, characters, and world are pitch-perfect.)

Best non-fiction book of 2012: Enlightened Sexism: The Seductive Message That Feminism's Work is Done, Susan J. Douglas. (Just as good a read the second time around. The writer examines popular culture through feminism's lens and comes to the inescapable conclusion that we've taken one step forward and two steps back.)

Worst book of 2012: Chime, Franny Billingsley. (This actually only counts as half a book. I couldn't even finish it, and that almost never happens.)

Weirdest book of 2012: Cold Fury, T.M Goeglein. (Two genres that don't mesh well. At all.)

For 2013, I'm making some adjustments to my book list. I've joined Goodreads, so I will be posting reviews there and linking to them here. (I've challenged myself to read 50 books this year.) Purchase links will still go to Powell's. I also have a board on Pinterest I will be pinning to, for those who want to see covers.

I know this is a bit late, but the first couple of weeks of the year have been taken up with personal matters, as well as going on vacation. Now, I hope, I can get back into the swing of things.

Happy reading!

No comments: