Friday, January 1, 2016

Books Read in 2015

I'll be back later with a post about writing, but for now, here's the annual book post.

This year's tally: 85.

Middle Grade: 18

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan
Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue! by Tom Angleberger
The Demigod Files by Rick Riordan
Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman
The House of Hades by Rick Riordan
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Morning Girl by Michael Dorris
Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle
Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made by Stephan Pastis
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Timmy Failure: Now Look What You've Done by Stephan Pastis
The Island of Dr. Libris by Chris Grabenstein
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Unmapped Sea by Maryrose Wood
The Forbidden Library by Django Wexler
Emperor Pickletine Rides the Bus by Tom Angleberger
Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson's Greek Gods by Rick Riordan

Young Adult: 4

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Jackaby by William Ritter
The Far West by Patricia C. Wrede
My True Love Gave to Me edited by Stephanie Perkins

Adult Fiction: 35

Never Let You Down by Joely Sue Burkhart
The Golden City by J. Kathleen Cheney
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney
Me Before You by JoJo Moyes
The Billionaire's Ink Mistress by Joely Sue Burkhart
Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie
Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
Naamah's Blessing by Jacqueline Carey
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
The Spirit Thief by Rachel Aaron
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
Killed at the Whim of a Hat by Colin Cotterill
Venetia by Georgette Heyer
The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi
Grandad, There's a Head on the Beach by Colin Cotterill
The Axe Factor by Colin Cotterill
Angelica by Sharon Shinn
Blood of Tyrants by Naomi Novik
Deep Desires by Charlotte Stein
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Angel-Seeker by Sharon Shinn
Dark Moon Defender by Sharon Shinn
Reader and Raelynx by Sharon Shinn
The Broken Kingdoms by N.K. Jemison
Stone Arabia by Dana Spiotta
The Compass Rose by Gail Dayton
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
The Billionaire's Christmas Bargain by Joely Sue Burkhart
Penric's Demon by Lois McMaster Bujold
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
Fortune and Fate by Sharon Shinn

Beta Reads: 3

Callisto's Ghost by L. Blankenship
Wellspring by Tae McDaniel
They Chose the Stars by Jennifer Austin

Non-Fiction: 9

Writing 21st Century Fiction by Donald Maass
Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth
Thanks, But This Isn't For Us by Jessica Page Morrell
The Art of Slow Writing by Louise DeSalvo
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
Writing the Fiction Synopsis by Pam McCutcheon
Plot Perfect by Paula Munier
Colonial American Holidays and Entertainment by Karen Helene Lizon
In Real Life: Love, Lies, and Identity in the Digital Age by Nev Schulman

Graphic Novels: 12

Jedi Academy by Jeffrey Brown
Jedi Academy: Return of the Padawan by Jeffrey Brown
Amulet: Escape From Lucien by Kazu Kibiushi
Saga Vol. 4 by Brian Vaughn and Fiona Staples
Ms. Marvel: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona
Rat Queens Vol. 2 by Kurtis J. Wiebe, Roc Upchurch, and Stjepan Sejic
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
Jedi Academy: The Phantom Bully by Jeffrey Brown
El Deafo by Cece Bell
Saga Vol. 5 by Brian Vaughn and Fiona Staples
Ms. Marvel: Generation Why by G. Willow Wilson, Jacob Wyatt, and Adrian             Alphona
Ms. Marvel: Crushed by G. Willow Wilson, Elmo Bondoc, and Takeshi Miyazawa

Web Comics: 4

Gunnerkrigg Court by Tom Siddell
Dicebox by Jenn Manley Lee
Stand Still. Stay Silent. by Minna Sundberg
Vattu by Evan Dahm

So many good reads this year! I continued with a lot of my favorite series: Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus, Origami Yoda, Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, Samaria, Twelve Houses, Temeraire, Dr. Siri Investigations, and of course the graphic novels and web comics.

Notable new discoveries this year:

Ancillary Justice and Ancillary Sword. Deep, complex, amazing Science Fiction. I can't wait to read the third book this month!

The Jimm Juree Mysteries by Colin Cotterill. I love Cotterill's Siri books, and I loved the hell out of these, too. They are hilarious and action-packed, and I devoured all three in a matter of days. 

Better Nate Than Ever. The Son and I both loved this book so hard, maybe because we listened to the author read it on the audiobook and his voice is just perfect for the character. 

Doomsday Book. Time travel, Christmas, academic bureaucracy, and the plague. Four things that don't sound like they should go together, but do.

Wonder. So beautiful and deep and sad and hopeful.

Cosmic. Hilariously implausible plot completely pulled off.