Last Book.

Title: The Night Circus
Author: Erin Morgenstern
Did I like it: It floored me.  Exquisite book.
Should you read it: I wish I could say just yes but it has elements of fantasy.  Please do try it though!
Synopsis: A game between the students of two enchanters takes place in a romantic and dream-like circus

Sure I didn't quite finish this in 2011, but I'm going to call it as being close enough.  Its quite late now so I'll put more details here later, but in short, this book was amazing.  It was devastating, mind boggling, beautiful, painful and wonderful... all at once.  Probably one of the best books of the year.  More about this later.  You should read it though.

And now, for the final tally:
I read 44 books this year.  Some weeks and months I read many more or many less than others, but overall this averages out to slightly more than 4/5 of a book per week.  

What comes next?  Well I'm going to embark on my almost-annual Ender's Game Journey, and after that I'll keep reading.  I think I'll put short updates on this blog, mostly because its been really nice to look back on what I've read and see what I thought, but also to continue to build a resource for people who are looking for reccomendations.  I plan on going back through all the posts and re-tagging them based on what type of reader I think would like that book.

Its been a great year for me, literarily and otherwise.  I have great hopes that 2012 will be even better.  Happy new year!

A Double Recommendation

Title: People of the Book
Author: Geraldine Brooks
Did I like it: Calm, peaceful, thoughtful, but also exciting, yes I liked it.
Should you read it: It might be too slow for some, but people who enjoy fiction will enjoy this book.
Synopsis: The long-lost Sarajevo Haggadah is found again in war-torn Sarajevo.  This book is a work of historical fiction...

Recommended to me by two great literary friends several months ago, I finally got around to reading this book after ordering it from the library, then not picking it up in time and then ordering it again.  The book definitely moved, but at its own steady pace.  It was intriguing and now I want to know more about the history of the haggadah.  The characters are also rich, and the author successfully juggles a large cast.  

I don't think this should be the first book a person picks up in years, but for someone who reads every now and then, this is a great book.  Its especially good because it doesn't serve a niche community like most of the scifi things I read.  This is straight up fiction, historical fiction at that, a genre I don't usually enjoy.  I'd definitely suggest this book to others. (And if you do like historical fiction, try Girl with a Pearl Earring and Devil in the White City)

I'm a big fat liar

Three books in three days, reviews to come soon.

Title: Laddertop
Author: Orson Scott Card and Emily Janice Card
Did I like it: Its by Card so I liked it, but its definitely kid material
Should you read it: Don't bother unless you are 10.
Synopsis: Some kids are chosen to work at the tops of huge elevators into space given to mankind by aliens.

I only read this because I'm kind of on an unofficial mission to read everything Card has ever written.  Please don't read it.  Its a graphic novel for kids.  Maybe buy it for that kid who needs a holiday gift who likes scifi. But get the kid Ender's Game too.

Title: Stonefather
Author: Orson Scott Card
Did I like it: YES!  Prequil to The Lost Gate which I read earlier this year, very nice.
Should you read it: Unless you are as obsessed with Card as I am, don't.
Synopsis: Runnel leaves his unloving family and ends up living with a stonemage...

I need to read The Lost Gate again.  I love Card, seriously.  This book was cute, not quite as skillful as most of the stuff he writes, but it was a nice little taste of his writing, which I love and miss.  I wouldn't really recommend it to others though.  Like I said, its not his best work, if you are going to read anything by him at least try The Lost Gate, or Ender's Game.  For Card lovers though, its a nice morsel. 

 

Title: Room
Author: Emma Donoghue
Did I like it: Slightly addictive, interesting POV
Should you read it:  Probably more mainstream than most of the stuff I read.  Realistic fiction. You might like it.
Synopsis: Jack and his mom live in Room and that is their whole world...

This was an interesting and different book...  Definitely playing on the whole sensationalist thing of kidnapped-girl-raped-and-found-with-her-kids thing.  Because of that the story is compelling.  The writing isn't awful though, unlike so many other books with this 'compelling' nature, so this would probably make a great airplane or beach read.  (Readers of this blog must live far away indeed if they are going to the beach now!)

Long, and not awful!

Title: World Without End
Author: Ken Follett
Did I like it: While it petered on for a while, I did enjoy it.
Should you read it: Alone it might not be great but after Pillars of the Earth it is nice.
Synopsis: Follows the lives of descendents of favorite characters a few centuries after the end of Pillars of the Earth.

I was expecting a nice peaceful and engrossing read similar to Pillars of the Earth.  I didn't quite get that, but the book was definitely about halfway there.  Parts of the book felt a bit random.  You know the saying 'tying up loose ends'?  Well it felt like the author was juggling his loose ends back and forth just to see where they would go before he had to end the book.

That being said, the book definitely had its charming moments.  I wouldn't suggest this for inexperienced readers because it is fairly slow.  However a reader looking for a calming read might try this after Pillars of the Earth.  

Not sure why I even bothered.

Title: A Clash of Kings
Author: George R.R. Martin
Did I like it: It just went on and on and on...
Should you read it: If you got hooked by the first, otherwise stay far far away.
Synopsis: The war set up in the previous book continues...

I really should have stopped while I was ahead.  Reading this book took me FOREVER and I hated that.  Also I now have 40 cents of overdue fines from the library because this book JUST WOULD NOT END!

The plot felt very much all over the place.  There was nothing that really pulled it together for me.  (They say this all the time on Food Network shows and I never understand it there, but I really felt the lack of a unifying thing in this book)  After I finished I read synopses of the remaining books on Wikipedia (I know this sounds horrible, but I wanted to know what happens without the torture of reading the rest of the books) and it really just gets more absurd.  

That being said, there were parts of the book I liked.  I guess specifically there were characters that I really enjoyed reading about.  I thought all the Arya chapters were very compelling and I miss her.  Jon, Daenerys, and Tyrion were also very interesting characters and I always enjoyed starting their chapters.  I pretty much hated every other chapter in the book though.  If Martin had just told their stories and cut out the rest I might have enjoyed the books.

In conclusion:  Don't read this book.  Don't even start the series.  I feel seriously let down especially as this 'year of books' is coming to an end.  I don't want to close the year on a low point and I feel like I've wasted so much time suffering through these awful books.

The Oh-Shit-The-Book-Is-Due-To-The-Library-Tomorrow-And-I-Have-300-Pages-Left Book

Title: Game of Thrones
Author: George R.R. Martin
Did I like it: It was OK
Should you read it: If you are a fantasy fanatic and need to read all the popular books, go for it.
Synopsis: In the land of the Seven Kingdoms, the King's Hand had just died and the King needs a replacement, setting off a cascade of political shtuff

I don't know if you were aware, but this book was promo'd like CRAZY.  There is a TV series about it, it was in the front of all the bookstores, on the top of everyone's list, sold out from used bookstores...  and there was a HUGE wait from the library.  I waited several months for this book.  Not even Hunger Games took that long to come. 

For all that wait and suspense, was this seriously what was supposed to be such an amazing fantasy book?  SERIOUSLY?  Its not a bad book, I'm going to read (am currently reading) the second book, but its not as good as you'd think based on the publicity.  There are too many characters introduced too fast I got them all mixed up, they are fairly clearly divided as Good and Evil, and I didn't feel like the book was a well rounded story.  Where was the beginning middle and end??  

Also, when I was about halfway through the book I got a notice from the library that it was due in 2 days and I couldn't renew it because it was so highly requested.  And thus began 2 days and 2 nights of nearly non-stop reading.  It was due yesterday and I returned it this morning before the library opened.  I win!

Oh, and should you read it?  Like I said above, basically if you feel the need to read it because you've been hearing about it left and right, give it a try.  Otherwise, leave this one on the shelf.

Calming

Title: The Pillars of the Earth
Author: Ken Follett
Did I like it: Yes!
Should you read it: It wasn't fast but it was fulfilling.
Synopsis: Many lives are lived as a cathedral is built in the 1100's in England.

I loved this book.  It really captured me, and I felt very involved in the lives of all the characters.  I also felt that most of the characters really had depth and were well rounded people, not just text on the page.  

The premise might sound sort of cliche, you know, pick some event and describe how several people's lives intertwine around the event, bla bla bla... And yeah, thats been done, but Follett really does it well.  This felt like reading a slice of life, and I had a short but very effective history lesson in the process!

This book might frustrate newer readers because it does move along at a steady but sedate pace.  I would suggest it for anyone who loves to curl up with a good book (especially now that its cooling down outside, this is the perfect curl-up-in-bed-with-fuzzy-socks-thick-blanket-and-steaming-mug-of-hot-chocolate book.  The best part is that its huge so it really puts off that awful 'damn the book is over' feeling!)