The Other Random Walk

Peacful Journey - Shelley Lynne Cummins - a book of a few yoga poses, yantras, and aromatherapy, which came with a cd ith mantras on it. I've had it for years, and this might be a re-read.

Motherless Brooklyn - Jonathan Lethem - I lived in Brooklyn for at least part of the time covered in this book. Stylistically very interesting, and not too bad for an "arty" sort of book. A decent mystery as well. I don't see much re-read value, and won't be keeping it.

Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things - Steketee and Frost - nook - fascinating book. I recognized a lot of the behaviors in the book, both from myself and others, and I am thankful that I managed to not follow that path....

Where's My Cow? - Terry Pratchett - fantastic! especially if you already know Discworld.

Go the F*** to Sleep - ??? - I can only imagine it's better if you have a child, and I thought it was amusing.

The Constant Gardener - John Le Carre - Suspenseful read; new bad guys, now that the USSR is no more....

Fair Game - Patricia Briggs - I think the best of the Alpha/Omega series, and just the right substantial fluff I needed....

North and South - Elizabeth Gaskell - Absolutely amazing. Seriously, I think the author is every bit as good as Austen, though with a different tone, and certainly better than Dickens.

The Merchant's War
The Revolution Business
The Trade of Queens - Charlie Stross - really, I was probably in these at just the time that I posted the last book thread about 7 weeks ago. Excellent series, recommend.

The Glenstal Book of Prayer - should technically be in 2012. Oh well. I am looking for new and interesting prayers, and this book had some of those in it.

The Snow Queen - Mercedes Lackey - again with the substantial fluff. It's that type of life for me right now, folks!

The Faded Sun: Kesrith
The Faded Sun: Shonjir - C. J. Cherryh - (I'm in the middle of the third now.) Interesting story of an after-the-war, of interstellar politics, and of cultures that don't really understand each other.


Year's total: 14

So, 5 goals for the year:
-find a dance class
-do yoga
-use the face cream
-pack lunch
-weave hun's rugs

Stolen from starcat-jewel on lj

Another "I've read that" meme. This one is the lists of "best SF and fantasy novels" compiled by Locus from a survey. Bold are those I've read, italic are those I started but gave up on, and normal are those I haven't read.

I bolded & italicized the ones sitting on my shelf, not-yet-read.

20th Century SF Novel:

1 Herbert, Frank: Dune (1965)
2 Card, Orson Scott: Ender's Game (1985)
3 Asimov, Isaac: The Foundation Trilogy (1953)
4 Simmons, Dan: Hyperion (1989)
5 Le Guin, Ursula K.: The Left Hand of Darkness (1969)
6 Adams, Douglas: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979)
7 Orwell, George: Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949)
8 Gibson, William: Neuromancer (1984)
9 Bester, Alfred: The Stars My Destination (1957)
10 Bradbury, Ray: Fahrenheit 451 (1953)
11 Heinlein, Robert A.: Stranger in a Strange Land (1961)
12 Heinlein, Robert A.: The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress (1966)
13 Haldeman, Joe: The Forever War (1974)
14 Clarke, Arthur C.: Childhood's End (1953)
15 Niven, Larry: Ringworld (1970)
16 Le Guin, Ursula K.: The Dispossessed (1974)
17 Bradbury, Ray: The Martian Chronicles (1950)
18 Stephenson, Neal: Snow Crash (1992)
19 Miller, Walter M. , Jr.: A Canticle for Leibowitz (1959)
20 Pohl, Frederik: Gateway (1977)
21 Heinlein, Robert A.: Starship Troopers (1959)
22 Dick, Philip K.: The Man in the High Castle (1962)
23 Zelazny, Roger: Lord of Light (1967)
24 Wolfe, Gene: The Book of the New Sun (1983)
25 Lem, Stanislaw: Solaris (1970)
26 Dick, Philip K.: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968)
27 Vinge, Vernor: A Fire Upon The Deep (1992)
28 Clarke, Arthur C.: Rendezvous with Rama (1973)
29 Huxley, Aldous: Brave New World (1932)
30 Clarke, Arthur C.: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
31 Vonnegut, Kurt: Slaughterhouse-Five (1969)
32 Strugatsky, Arkady & Boris: Roadside Picnic (1972)
33 Card, Orson Scott: Speaker for the Dead (1986)
34 Brunner, John: Stand on Zanzibar (1968)
35 Robinson, Kim Stanley: Red Mars (1992)
36 Niven, Larry (& Pournelle, Jerry): The Mote in God's Eye (1974)
37 Willis, Connie: Doomsday Book (1992)
38 Atwood, Margaret: The Handmaid's Tale (1985)
39 Sturgeon, Theodore: More Than Human (1953)
40 Simak, Clifford D.: City (1952)
41 Brin, David: Startide Rising (1983)
42 Asimov, Isaac: Foundation (1950)
43 Farmer, Philip Jose: To Your Scattered Bodies Go (1971)
44 Dick, Philip K.: Ubik (1969)
45 Vonnegut, Kurt: Cat's Cradle (1963)
46 Vinge, Vernor: A Deepness in the Sky (1999)
47 Simak, Clifford D.: Way Station (1963)
48 Wyndham, John: The Day of the Triffids (1951)
49 Keyes, Daniel: Flowers for Algernon (1966)
49 Delany, Samuel R.: Dhalgren (1975)


20th Century Fantasy Novel:

1 Tolkien, J. R. R.: The Lord of the Rings (1955)
2 Martin, George R. R.: A Game of Thrones (1996)
3 Tolkien, J. R. R.: The Hobbit (1937)
4 Le Guin, Ursula K.: A Wizard of Earthsea (1968)
5 Zelazny, Roger: Nine Princes in Amber (1970)
6 Lewis, C. S.: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950)
7 Mieville, China: Perdido Street Station (2000)
8 Rowling, J. K.: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997)
9 Crowley, John: Little, Big (1981)
10 Adams, Richard: Watership Down (1972)
11 Goldman, William: The Princess Bride (1973)
12 Martin, George R. R.: A Storm of Swords (2000)
13 Beagle, Peter S.: The Last Unicorn (1968)
14 White, T. H.: The Once and Future King (1958)
15 Pratchett, Terry (& Gaiman, Neil): Good Omens (1990)
16 Kay, Guy Gavriel: Tigana (1990)
17 Gaiman, Neil: Neverwhere (1996)
18 Wolfe, Gene: The Book of the New Sun (1983)
19 Vance, Jack: The Dying Earth (1950)
20 Bulgakov, Mikhail: The Master and Margarita (1967)
21 Rowling, J. K.: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000)
22 Tolkien, J. R. R.: The Silmarillion (1977)
23 Leiber, Fritz: The Swords of Lankhmar (1968)
24 Jordan, Robert: The Eye of the World (1990)
25 Donaldson, Stephen R.: Lord Foul's Bane (1977)
26 Bradbury, Ray: Something Wicked This Way Comes (1962)
27 Peake, Mervyn: Gormenghast (1950)
28 Rowling, J. K.: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999)
29 Powers, Tim: The Anubis Gates (1983)
30 Martin, George R. R.: A Clash of Kings (1998)
31 Bradley, Marion Zimmer: The Mists of Avalon (1983)
32 Hobb, Robin: Assassin's Apprentice (1995)
33 Pratchett, Terry: The Colour of Magic (1983)
34 Holdstock, Robert: Mythago Wood (1984)
35 King, Stephen: The Stand (1978)
36 L'Engle, Madeleine: A Wrinkle in Time (1962)
36 Pratchett, Terry: Small Gods (1992)
38 Ende, Michael: The Neverending Story (1983)
39 Peake, Mervyn: Titus Groan (1946)
40 Howard, Robert E.: Conan the Barbarian (1950)
note, I read a lot of conan in the early. 1980s, and I assume this was one
41 McCaffrey, Anne: Dragonflight (1968)
42 Orwell: George: Animal Farm (1945)
43 Feist, Raymond E.: Magician (1982)
44 Silverberg, Robert: Lord Valentine's Castle (1980)
45 Lovecraft, H. P.: At the Mountains of Madness (1936)
46 Swanwick, Michael: The Iron Dragon's Daughter (1993)
47 King, Stephen: The Shining (1977)
48 Garcia Marquez, Gabriel: One Hundred Years of Solitude (1970)
49 Saint-Exupery, Antoine de: The Little Prince (1943)
50 Hughart, Barry: Bridge of Birds (1984)

21st Century SF Novel:

1 Scalzi, John: Old Man's War (2005)
2 Stephenson, Neal: Anathem (2008)
3 Bacigalupi, Paolo: The Windup Girl (2009)
4 Wilson, Robert Charles: Spin (2005)
5 Watts, Peter: Blindsight (2006)
6 Morgan, Richard: Altered Carbon (2002)
7 Collins, Suzanne: The Hunger Games (2008)
8 Gibson, William: Pattern Recognition (2003)
9 Mieville, China: The City & the City (2009)
10 Stross, Charles: Accelerando (2005)
11 Mitchell, David: Cloud Atlas (2004)
12 McDonald, Ian: River of Gods (2004)
13 McCarthy, Cormac: The Road (2006)
14 Harrison, M. John: Light (2002)
15 Willis, Connie: Black Out/All Clear (2010)
15 Chabon, Michael: The Yiddish Policemen's Union (2007)

21st Century Fantasy Novel:

1 Gaiman, Neil: American Gods (2001)
2 Clarke, Susanna: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (2004)
3 Rothfuss, Patrick: The Name of the Wind (2007)
4 Mieville, China: The Scar (2002)
5 Martin, George R. R.: A Feast for Crows (2005)
6 Rowling, J. K.: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007)
7 Bujold, Lois McMaster: The Curse of Chalion (2001)
8 Mieville, China: The City & the City (2009)
9 Fforde, Jasper: The Eyre Affair (2001)
10 Bujold, Lois McMaster: Paladin of Souls (2003)
10 Pratchett, Terry: Night Watch (2002)
12 Gaiman, Neil: Coraline (2002)
13 Wolfe, Gene: The Wizard Knight (2004)
14 Pratchett, Terry: Going Postal (2004)
15 Gaiman, Neil: The Graveyard Book (2008)
15 Lynch, Scott: The Lies of Locke Lamora (2006)

3 to the Highest Power - 3 novellas? Novellettes? by Sturgeon, Bradbury, and Oliver. Dated, and unmemorable.

A Companion to Wolves - Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monette - interesting, and deals with the implications from the Pern books. I recall reading something about how the wolf packs are very far off real wolf packs, which are family groups.

Black Horses for the King - Anne McCaffery - nice YA King Arthur about how the horses came to Britain.

The Between - Tananarive Due - horror, and thus not my bag, but an interesting story and well told.

Magic in Ithkar 2 - anthology - science fiction/ fantasy and a nice collection of stories.

The Chinese Gold Murders - Robert Van Gulik - decent enough mystery, part of a set and I've read one of the others.

Mr. Campion, Criminologist - Margery Allingham - decent enough collection of Campion short stories. Mystery.

No Love Lost - Margery Allingham - not mystery stories, and sort of only okay.

Dead on Sunday - A. J. Orde - I like these mysteries, and this is no exception.

The Crown Jewels - Walter Jon Williams - nice light amusement of high society.

Final Curtain - Ngaio Marsh - one of the Alleyn series. Focusses on his wife, and a good read. I will probably hunt out the others.

The Golden Key - Melanie Rawn, Kate Elliot, Jennifer Roberson - a good read (vacation!) and interesting story.

Closet Control: The Ultimate Guide to Revitalizing Your Wardrobe and Revolutionizing the Way You Store It - Barbara Horowitz - not much help. Lots of instructions on how to cut apart your T-shirts.

The King's Peace - Jo Walton - alternate universe King Arthur. Very good read.

Clarion II - anthology - I don't remember it, I read it so long ago. Many short stories.

Stellar 1 - anthology - I don't remember it, I read it so long ago. Many short stories.



Unfinished:
The Assassin's Edge - Juliet McKenna - I think the series got too long and complicated for me, so I gave up on this book.

Fires of Azeroth - C. J. Cherryh - The first two of the set were a drag, and I finally gave up.


Year's total: 101

Uncharted Territory - Connie Willis - okay. Sort of thin, compared to her other books.

Earthmen and Other Strangers - an old anthology. Nothing to make me want to keep it.

The Quiet Gentleman - Georgette Heyer - I do believe this will be one of my favorites by her.

The Stone War - Madeleine E. Robins - Interesting, and a good read.

Elemental Magic - anthology - well enough, but I gave it to a friend, instead of keeping it.

Great Science Fiction by Scientists - anthology - Well. All the scientists are men. As are all the characters. Some stories were decent, but I see no reason to keep it.

The Thief's Gamble -
The Swordsman's Oath -
The Gambler's Fortune -
The Warrior's Bond - all by Juliette McKenna - with a fifth book, which I've stalled in for a bit, really a single books spread across separate spines. Very good, with well rounded female and male characters. Much enjoyed. If I don't keep these, they're going to my nieces.

Ooku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 7 - Fumi Yoshinaga - most excellent series. I am looking forward to reading all of them in sequence, once they are all out.

Stories from the Twilight Zone - Rod Serling - passes time. Not bad.


Year to date: 85

Juniper, Gentian, and Rosemary - Pamela Dean - interesting read; all the plot happens in the last 20-50 pages or so. If you don't mind that you might enjoy it.

Beyond Grimm - anthology - BVC - A nice collection of riffs on fairy tales by some of my favorite authors. Good summer reading.

V is for Vendetta - Sue Grafton - a nice murder mystery. I do like this series

Pulchritude - Ana Mardoll - ebook - very interesting take on Beauty and the Beast. Recommend.

Charity Girl - Georgette Heyer - a little less amusing that I usually like from her.

Lady of Quality - Georgette Heyer - much better than the above.

The Wind Done Gone - Alice Randall - oh my. What a brilliant different take on Gone With the Wind. Highly recommend if you've read the original.

Year to date: 73

Royal Blood
Royal Flush
Naughty in Nice - all by Rhys Bowen - amusing fluff, much as the rest of the series.

Raven's Shadow
Ravens's Strike - Patricia Briggs - fun duology. Really a single book in 2 covers. Well drawn characters, interesting world. Recommend.

Luck in the Shadows - Lynn Flewelling - the first of an ongoing series. Muchly enjoyed. Will be looking for all the next ones (Casket of Souls just came out!)

Daddy-Long-Legs - Jean Webster - light little epistolary novel. Saw the major plot twist coming. It may mean more if I had read it at the right age to identify with the protagonist.

The Dreaming Place - Charles de Lint - apparently his first YA novel. Set in Newford. Okay, but not great, and a shorter read than many of his are now. Will be passing on.

Lady John - Madeleine Robins - read on nook - one of her Regencies. I highly recommend all of them, along with the Sarah Tolerance books.

Bitterblue - Kristin Cashore - What happens after the heroes save the kingdom? Very good read - third of a trilogy. Recommend all 3.

Drift - Rachel Maddow - I have never seen so many curse words in a non-fiction books, which tells you what dry tomes I usually read. An interesting look at how the deliberate restraints on warmaking built into the U.S. Constitution have been subverted, but Democrat and Republican alike. Recommend.

Year's total: 67

Graceling - Kristin Cashore - excellent. If I had a daughter, I'd buy this book for her. Spoiler ROT13'd: Fb avpr gb unir n ebznapr gung qbrfa'g raq va zneevntr!

Dark Moon Defender -
Reader and Raelynx -
Fortune and Fate - Sharon Shinn -
Really good series. Am contemplating for my nieces. A variety of relationships, and relationship types, and the last book is what happens after the war is over, which is a really nice thing.

Isabella - Loretta Chase - ebook - Regency fluff. Amusing.

The Fifth Elephant - Terry Pratchett - one of the Watch Discworlds. A good read. I really do prefer the Witches to everyone else, I think.

Friday's Child - Georgette Heyer - ebook - amusing enough.

Year's total: 48

Silence in Hanover Close - Anne Perry - ending a bit abrupt; otherwise, nicely crafted murder mystery. I especially like the bits where one character is acting as a lady's made in 1887 London. Not pleasant.

The Story of the Stone - Barry Hughart - amusing mystery. I will find the others in the set, but not buy them.

To the Resurrection Station - Eleanor Arnason - interesting book. Rather ... unfocussed? Atypical plot arc. Won't be keeping. Thinner book from the 70s; not as fleshed out as it would have been written 20-30 years later. Publisher would have allowed doorstop.

Mystic and Rider - Sharon Shinn - first of at least 5. Very good. Am in the second now. Probably won't keep. The entire book is spent on a trip to gather information and bring it back to the king. Obviously part of something larger. I do tend to like her books.

Year to date: 27

The Secret Lives of Wives - Iris Krasnow - received free through the LibraryThing early reviewers program.

I was expecting something with more numbers and studies in it. Instead, this is a collection of anecdotes, and commentary on the author's own marriage.

As someone who is contemplating marriage, and in a 9 year relationship but not yet married, this book scares me. There is a lot of emphasis on how hard marriage is, and I saw very little in it that might encourage me to pursue one. I seem to recall hearing that marriage is detrimental to women's health. That research is not even brought up in this book.

The author has a definite viewpoint - you should get married, and stay married. And children are the glue that holds a marriage together. You should stay together if you are bored, unhappy, uncomfortable, for the sake of having a family, and not ripping apart the tapestry that a family becomes. You owe it to your forebears, and to your descendants, to maintain your place.

The background seems to be: A woman will get married, she will lose herself in taking care of the kids, then when they grow up and are out of the house, she will have the time and financial freedom to take up old hobbies and interests.

Most of the women she interviews are very well off indeed. 6 figure salaries. Enough money to take separate vacations.

She seems shocked at the swingers, in an open marriage.

She is very gender essentialist - she and her female friends seem to have some sort of "Sex in the City" thing going. She believes that you should have good male friends, but being friends with a guy is very different from being friends with a woman. Cherish the straight guys who actually want to have a conversation with you. Seriously. You can't expect your husband to talk to you, or listen to you. I find this a deeply weird attitude - people are people, friends are friends - why would I want to be with a person who doesn't talk to me?

I do agree with some of the underlying things in this book: do not expect your husband to be everything to you. Maintain interests outside of the relationship - a job, hobbies, friends.

This book was a disappointment, and I would not recommend it to anyone.