Books year in review

[salinea]

So after last year's increase, I went back to reading very few books this year. Then again, I was reading a lot more fanfics and comics; which I think balances it out a bit. ^_^;;

How many books read in 2011?
17 thereabout

Fiction/Non-Fiction ratio?
Err, there's this one book about Chinese mythology I'm halfway through. Otherwise all fiction.

Male/Female authors?
8 Male to 9 Female authors.

I don't think I read of any PoC authors :/

Favorite books read?
Dragons of Babel by Swanwick or Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold

Least favorite?
Les Pilleurs d'Âme by Laurent Whale. Very mediocre, badly written and sexist attempt at a SF pirate story.

Oldest book read?
The Persian Boy by Mary Renault

Newest?
A Dance with Dragons by GRRMartins, which I got upon release.

Longest book title?
The Gatherer of Clouds by Sean Russel

Shortest title?
Cethe by Becca Abbot

How many re-reads?
One: Last Call by Tim Powers

Most books read by one author this year?
The whole Psycop series by Jordan Castillo Price. Very decent m/m urban fantasy romance. I liked the world building especially.

Any in translation?
The Initiate Brother by Sean Russel and Knight Moves by Walter Jon Williams, translated from English to French.

How many of this year's books were from the library?
3, Knight Moves by Walter Jon Williams, The Initiate Brother by Sean Russel and Les Pilleurs d'Âme de Laurent Whale.

Book that most changed my perspective:
Errrr... can't say any had a very profound impact on me. I guess Dance, sheerly for the importance of the fandom in that life, and some shift of opinions on some characters, and some decreased optimism about the overall series.

Favorite character:
Theon and Quentyn for the horrendous things they go through in Dance with Dragons

Favorite scene:
err, I suck at this sort of things.

Favorite quote:
IM SORRY I WASNT TAKING NOTES AS I WAS READING.

Most inspirational in terms of own writing?
:/

How many you'd actually read again?
Oh, I'll probably reread Cryoburn and Dance with Dragons at some point.

Comments

[ambyr]

I'm fond of the Sean Russel duology. A little leery to try his other stuff, though, since I'm told it's a step down. But maybe some day.

[salinea]

It wasn't my favourite work of his actually (although he was never my favourite writer, but he's a solid storyteller with always some interesting worldbuilding), with this book for some reason the whole Japan/China influence over the setting I found very irritating in an orientalist way. OTOH, there are some good stuff there, characters wise, themes wise; but the pacing was so slow and meandering, it felt like the story never started.

[mamculuna.livejournal.com]

Cool meme! I really liked Dragons of Babel, too.

And would you tell the name of your Chinese mythology book?

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

It was a very interesting book!

Chine Mythe et Dieux by Jacque Pimpaneau

[mamculuna.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[sophiap.livejournal.com]

Eee! It's good to know that someone else out there likes "Last Call" enough to re-read it.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

I adore Last Call, it's my favourite Tim Powers book and one of the novels that inspired me to get into Tarot and *gushes*

[twhitesakura.livejournal.com]

Ah, Renault. I read all her Alexander the Great stories and "The Praise Singer." Still need to read her other stuff. =)

[berylia.livejournal.com]

How is the Persian Boy ?

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Very good! The writing is lush and beautiful, the world immersive and intriguing; the characters quite interesting. Want me to lend it to you?

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

That was the first book of hers I read, I'm now quite intrigued about the rest of her stuff ^^

[berylia.livejournal.com]

Yay ! And I would give you back the Colfire trilogy. (Still needs to make a rec about it).