Book List, 2009
May. 8th, 2009 11:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
i_idThe goal is, roughly, 3 books a month for the next 33 months. Here, I'll record 2009's reading list and, because I'm curious, my page count.
January
1. Mouse Tales, by David Koenig. Finished 1/7. (240 pages)
Very cute book, about the history and backstage of Disneyland. Thank you, Sky.
2. Post Captain, by Patrick O'Brian. Finished 1/9. (527)
3. The Cruising Woman's Advisor, by Diana Jessie. Finished 1/12 (226)
Definitely one I'll want to read again. Great chapters on living aboard and keeping pets aboard, and recommendations for further reading.
4. H.M.S. Surprise, by Patrick O'Brian. Finished 1/15. (405)
Funniest of these yet. Poor Maturin.
5. Storm Tactics, by Lin and Larry Pardey. Finished 1/19. (240)
Very detailed, a little sobering. Doesn't touch much on single-handing in heavy weather. This one's scaring me a bit. I need to practice my heavy weather skills.
6. Fiery Cross, by Diana Gabaldon. Finished 1/25. (979)
A re-read, I know, but I love it so. And now I can finally read the next one, having refreshed my memory.
7. A Breath of Snow and Ashes, by Diana Gabaldon. Finished 1/28. (980)
DG needs to write more right now. I'm going to go into withdrawal soon.
8. Windflower, by Nick Bantock. Finished 1/28 (215)
A serious disappointment. I'm used to Bantock's works being gemlike and self-contained. This one felt like a rip-off of Mercedes Lackey's Bardic Voices series, with a very contrived ending. And using thicker paper to make a sparse book look longer is a cheap trick.
9. Following the Curve of Time, by Cathy Converse. Finished 1/30. (186)
Disappointing. A sailor's biography needs to be written by a sailor. And how do you not get when a woman is talking about ghosts, not real people?
February
10. I've Been Around, by Tania Aebi. Finished 2/2. (223)
A little jarring to read. Aebi's first book, Maiden Voyage, is one of the driving inspirations behind The Cruise, but in this book, she's very... uneasy is the best word, about her sailing experiences. That said, I'm still going.
11. Lord John and the Private Matter, by Diana Gabaldon. Finished 2/4. (305)
12. Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade, by Diana Gabaldon. Finished 2/10 (494)
I'm not sure why these are such dry reading compared against the main series. Perhaps because Claire is intrinsically more compelling a character than John, or because the world she moves in is a more vivid, vital one.
13. Lord John and the Hand of Devils, by Diana Gabaldon. Finished 2/11. (302)
A very fast read, three short stories nicely layered around the other two LJ novels. I want to see more of Jamie in these, and hope to in the upcoming third LJ novel.
14. Lost, by Gregory Maguire. Finished 2/25. (335)
Kind of disappointing next to Wicked, but most books would be. A strange ghost story amalgam of Peter Pan and The Christmas Carol.
March
15. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell: a novel, by Susanna Clark. Finished 3/2. (782[588+196])
16. The Magician's Nephew, by C.S. Lewis. Finished 3/2. (219)
I just really had to read this one after JS&MrN. Same era.
17. A Letter of Mary, by Laurie R. King. Finished 3/16. (315)
This is my least favorite LRK book, with the possible exception of Night Work (which I also should read again). Still, it has a few gems, mostly between the married couple. And I particularly love the hypnosis scene.
April
18. The Mauritius Command, by Patrick O'Brian. Finished 4/9. (365)
This one took me forever. If I choose to go around the Cape, I'll sail in these waters, and can visit some of the cities in here.
19. Desolation Island, by Patrick O'Brian. Finished 4/20. (350)
Aaand now I'm determined to avoid both Capes. Mrs. Wogan got away, though, that's good. Clever Stephan.
20. The Sandman book of dreams, Ed. Neil Gaiman. Finished 4/21 (287)
21. The Moor, by Laurie King. Finished 4/29. (369)
22. The Language of Bees, by Laurie King. Finished 4/30. (432)
Very good, very good, though bits of it, I'm afraid to say, made me roll my eyes. That said, it was more than enough to make my flights across the country almost bearable.
May
23. Dracula, by Bram Stoker. Finished 5/8. (366)
Borrowed this from Tod to read on the flight home. Very, very solid character writing.
24. Mary's Voyage, by Mary Caldwell. Finished 5/11. (259)
Mixed feelings about this one. She portrays the ocean crossing as violent and stormy, but she also seems to have been seasick the entire time. For six years. Unreliable reminiscences.
25. Nautical Emergencies, by Tony Meisel. Finished 5/17. (142)
Good little handbook of very important details. How to deal with a dismasting in particular.
Total to date: 9555 pages (Av: 69.7/day)
January
1. Mouse Tales, by David Koenig. Finished 1/7. (240 pages)
Very cute book, about the history and backstage of Disneyland. Thank you, Sky.
2. Post Captain, by Patrick O'Brian. Finished 1/9. (527)
3. The Cruising Woman's Advisor, by Diana Jessie. Finished 1/12 (226)
Definitely one I'll want to read again. Great chapters on living aboard and keeping pets aboard, and recommendations for further reading.
4. H.M.S. Surprise, by Patrick O'Brian. Finished 1/15. (405)
Funniest of these yet. Poor Maturin.
5. Storm Tactics, by Lin and Larry Pardey. Finished 1/19. (240)
Very detailed, a little sobering. Doesn't touch much on single-handing in heavy weather. This one's scaring me a bit. I need to practice my heavy weather skills.
6. Fiery Cross, by Diana Gabaldon. Finished 1/25. (979)
A re-read, I know, but I love it so. And now I can finally read the next one, having refreshed my memory.
7. A Breath of Snow and Ashes, by Diana Gabaldon. Finished 1/28. (980)
DG needs to write more right now. I'm going to go into withdrawal soon.
8. Windflower, by Nick Bantock. Finished 1/28 (215)
A serious disappointment. I'm used to Bantock's works being gemlike and self-contained. This one felt like a rip-off of Mercedes Lackey's Bardic Voices series, with a very contrived ending. And using thicker paper to make a sparse book look longer is a cheap trick.
9. Following the Curve of Time, by Cathy Converse. Finished 1/30. (186)
Disappointing. A sailor's biography needs to be written by a sailor. And how do you not get when a woman is talking about ghosts, not real people?
February
10. I've Been Around, by Tania Aebi. Finished 2/2. (223)
A little jarring to read. Aebi's first book, Maiden Voyage, is one of the driving inspirations behind The Cruise, but in this book, she's very... uneasy is the best word, about her sailing experiences. That said, I'm still going.
11. Lord John and the Private Matter, by Diana Gabaldon. Finished 2/4. (305)
12. Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade, by Diana Gabaldon. Finished 2/10 (494)
I'm not sure why these are such dry reading compared against the main series. Perhaps because Claire is intrinsically more compelling a character than John, or because the world she moves in is a more vivid, vital one.
13. Lord John and the Hand of Devils, by Diana Gabaldon. Finished 2/11. (302)
A very fast read, three short stories nicely layered around the other two LJ novels. I want to see more of Jamie in these, and hope to in the upcoming third LJ novel.
14. Lost, by Gregory Maguire. Finished 2/25. (335)
Kind of disappointing next to Wicked, but most books would be. A strange ghost story amalgam of Peter Pan and The Christmas Carol.
March
15. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell: a novel, by Susanna Clark. Finished 3/2. (782[588+196])
16. The Magician's Nephew, by C.S. Lewis. Finished 3/2. (219)
I just really had to read this one after JS&MrN. Same era.
17. A Letter of Mary, by Laurie R. King. Finished 3/16. (315)
This is my least favorite LRK book, with the possible exception of Night Work (which I also should read again). Still, it has a few gems, mostly between the married couple. And I particularly love the hypnosis scene.
April
18. The Mauritius Command, by Patrick O'Brian. Finished 4/9. (365)
This one took me forever. If I choose to go around the Cape, I'll sail in these waters, and can visit some of the cities in here.
19. Desolation Island, by Patrick O'Brian. Finished 4/20. (350)
Aaand now I'm determined to avoid both Capes. Mrs. Wogan got away, though, that's good. Clever Stephan.
20. The Sandman book of dreams, Ed. Neil Gaiman. Finished 4/21 (287)
21. The Moor, by Laurie King. Finished 4/29. (369)
22. The Language of Bees, by Laurie King. Finished 4/30. (432)
Very good, very good, though bits of it, I'm afraid to say, made me roll my eyes. That said, it was more than enough to make my flights across the country almost bearable.
May
23. Dracula, by Bram Stoker. Finished 5/8. (366)
Borrowed this from Tod to read on the flight home. Very, very solid character writing.
24. Mary's Voyage, by Mary Caldwell. Finished 5/11. (259)
Mixed feelings about this one. She portrays the ocean crossing as violent and stormy, but she also seems to have been seasick the entire time. For six years. Unreliable reminiscences.
25. Nautical Emergencies, by Tony Meisel. Finished 5/17. (142)
Good little handbook of very important details. How to deal with a dismasting in particular.
Total to date: 9555 pages (Av: 69.7/day)
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no subject
Date: 2009-01-08 05:57 am (UTC)There is a second one. But goes on far too long about the Jungle Cruise and their creativity being stifled by overly PC management.
Just read a comment you left somewhere...
Date: 2009-02-28 06:15 pm (UTC)I enjoyed your comments and thought they were intelligent and insightful. (Also I decided to pop in for a visit to say hello and let you know I had read.)
I have the biggest smile on my face after reading that you have enjoyed the Diana Gabaldon novels (among my personal favorites!)
I think we may have met in LJ land before...your icon looks very familiar to me.
Anyway - Hi!
Moonlight.
P.S. Pretty sure I know you from '100 poems' and that you were there for a while before leaving to study elsewhere?
Re: Just read a comment you left somewhere...
Date: 2009-02-28 08:27 pm (UTC)But I will always read Gabaldon. :)