Trends?

Lately, I’ve noticed a strange trend in my reading. Well, not really that strange but I’m doing something I don’t do, normally, anyway. It seems, by some strange combination of luck and the work of the subconscious mind, I’ve been reading a fantasy book and following it up with a historical fiction read. Weird, right? Well, no. These are two genres I read quite a lot of — they make up the bulk of my reading in fact so it’s not at all surprising to me. It’s probably not surprising to anyone that looks at what I read either. So, let’s take a closer look together shall we.

Since the end of March (I’m not going to bore you with the whole list), this is what I’ve read:

At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft

Clockwork Phoenix 4 edited by Mike Allen

Palisades Park by Alan Brennert

Swamplandia! by Karen Russell – DNF

Silent on the Moor by Deanna Raybourn

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

The Shadow of the Sun by Barbara Friend Ish

The Inquisitor’s Wife by Jeanne Kalogridis

Before the Storm by Melanie Clegg

Questing Beast by Ilona Andrews

The Black Country: A Novel of Scotland Yard’s Murder Squad by Alex Grecian

Advent by James Treadwell

I’m slightly shocked by how few books I’ve read so far this year, but beyond that, (slow reading, it’s another post) I started noticing what I was doing in regard to book choice. I just finished reading Blood Sisters by Melanie Clegg which is historical fiction and I’m planning to pick up Of Blood and Honey by Stina Leicht next which puts me back in the fantasy realm. I have no idea how this started, or even why, and there’s always a why somewhere, but I like it. It’s refreshing and I don’t feel like I’m overdosing on either or my favorites. I’m going to see how long this lasts but now that I seem to be aware of what I’m doing, I wonder if that will change. Don’t you hate when that happens and you unintentionally ruin a good thing you had going…

Ever notice anything weird/strange/odd about your reading habits? Wanna talk about it?

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Steampunk Reading List

Last week, I went on the hunt for steampunk novels and here’s what I found. The list is a bit of a mixed bag as I basically went on a Google and Twitter search. Read anything on it? Know of anything I should add?

The Falling Machine: The Society of Steam: Book One by Andrew P. Mayer

Her Majesty’s Mysterious Conveyance by Nick Valentino, Sean Hayden, Elizabeth Valentino, and Jennifer Williams

The Unnaturalist by Tiffany Trent

The Boneshaker by Cherie Priest (series)

Mainspring by Jay Lake

The Glass Book of Dream Eaters by Gordon Dahlquist

Soulless: The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger (series)

The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes

The Anubis Gates by Tom Powers

Infernal Devices by KW Jeter

Morlock Night by KW Jeter

The Prophecy Machine by Neal Barrett, Jr.

The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling

Perdido Street Station by China Mieville

Cold Magic by Kate Elliot (series)

The Lies of Lock Lamora by Scott Lynch

The Alienist by Calab Carr

The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross

The Tinkerer’s Daughter by Jamie Sedgwick

The 19 Dragons by SM Reine

The Dragons of Babel by Michael Swanwick

The Kingdom Beyond the Waves by Stephen Hunt

Whitechapel Gods by SM Peters

 

TSS: Looking Back, Looking Forward

Since this is my first post of the New Year, I thought it would be nice to take a look back at last year’s reading to see what I loved, didn’t love so much, and how many books I’ve actually read.  As it turns out, I read more than I thought I did.

103 total books

93 fiction

5 non-fiction

5 DNFs

63 of the books were written by women

37 by men

I started 10 series and finished 3; 6 are in progress.  Of the 6 in progress, 3 I probably won’t continue with.

When it came time to pick a favorite, I couldn’t.  Of course there are standouts but I can’t pick a single book so I’m picking several as my favorite reads.  The books are in no particular order, and if I’ve written a review, I’ve linked to it.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

The Kingmaking, Pendragon’s Banner, and Shadow of the King by Helen Hollick

Disquiet by Julia Leigh

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

The House on the Strand by Daphne Du Maurier

Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach

A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin

Also, since I’m truly bad at making a best of list, the following get a mention too:

The Wife’s Tale by Lori Lansens

The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

The King’s Mistress by Emma Campion

The Kingdom of Ohio by Matthew Flaming

Kraken by China Mieville

I don’t have any plans for reading in 2011.  I’m not a resolution maker in general but I do make lists (rather lengthy ones; see above) of books I would like to read but those lists tend to get out of hand quickly.  (This also happens with resolutions which is why I no longer make any.)  I usually trash them and then start over with the hope of making things more manageable.  One thing I do know is that I will be joining fewer challenges this year and probably trying to read more of the books that are currently on my shelf and on my Nook.  That’s not to say I won’t be joining any challenges.  There are a few that I’m signing up for because I can’t resist and I’m sure that several will come along during the year that I’ll also join.

Today, I plan to curl up on my couch and finish reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  I started the book on New Year’s Eve and between friends and football games, all fun so no complaints, I haven’t had the chance to finish but today I will see the end of my Harry Potter re-read.  I was hoping to finish the series before the end of the year but I’ll take two days in.

Overall, 2010 was a good year of reading for me.  And here’s to hoping that 2011 will dawn shiny and bright for everyone.

Happy New Year and happy Sunday.

November 2009 Reading List

Well, I’m a day late with the November wrap-up but I’m not ready for it to be December yet.

I read 10 books in November which is not bad considering I took a week off for Thanksgiving. A few good reads and a one dud so actually a pretty good month.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Cleopatra’s Daughter by Michelle Moran

The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Covenant with the Vampire by Jeanne Kalogridis

A Highlander’s Temptation by Sue-Ellen Welfonder

Kristin Lavransdatter: I The Bridal Wreath by Sigrid Undset

Nefertiti by Michelle Moran

Fallen by Lauren Kate

The Archer’s Tale by Bernard Cornwell

October 2009 Reading List

cropped-book-stack-1e.jpgIt’s hard to believe that November is here already. I feel like October just started and now I’m doing a wrap-up of my month’s reading already. Oh well, at least I can look back on October as a good month of reading. :-)

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

Dracula The Un-Dead by Dacre Stoker and Ian Holt

Enemy of God by Bernard Cornwell

Excalibur by Bernard Cornwell

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

The King’s Favorite by Susan Holloway Scott

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Haunting Bombay by Shilpa Agarwal

The Killing Way by Tony Hays

The Fleet Street Murders by Charles Finch

The Devil’s Queen: A Novel of Catherine de Medici by Jeanne Kalogridis

September 2009 Reading List

cropped-book-stack-1e.jpg1. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

2. The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell

3. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

4. Drood by Dan Simmons (did not finish)

5. Sense & Sensibility & Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben F. Winters

6. Century: Book 1 of the Ring of Fire by P.D. Baccalario

7. The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran

8. An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon

There were so many books I wanted to read this month and, suddenly it’s over. Here’s what I have to show for it. Actually, after looking at the list, I think I had a pretty entertaining month of September! How about you? Any thoughts on the books you read in September.