Classification System

To make the blog easier to use for its intended purpose (helping people find books they might like to read) I've decided to classify all the books I've read based on what type of book it is, and who I think would like to read it.  Clearly this is an ongoing and evolving project!  For now, here is a summery of the classification system I am currently using:

1-Beach read

2-New to scifi

3-Luxurious read

4-Hardcore scifi/fantasy

5-Occasional reader

6-I didn't like it

And now for a more in depth explanation:

 

1-Beach read

These books are quick and often mindless.  They are good for a day at the beach or a long plane ride.  People who don't often enjoy reading may also like these books.

2-New to scifi

I know that scifi can seem a forbidding and crazy world from the outside.  These books are definitely scifi, but more friendly for those who have a hard time with really crazy scifi concepts. 

3-Luxurious read

I would compare reading these books to eating your favorite food, lying on a picturesque field filled with flowers, snuggling in bed, floating peacefully on a pool float, chilling in a hot tub,  and every other decadent experience I can imagine, all at the same time.  These books sometimes progress slowly, so aren't always new-reader friendly.

4-Hardcore scifi/fantasy

Pretty self-explanatory.  If you like scifi or fantasy,  you will probably like this book.  If you generally don't enjoy scifi/fantasy, try a different book!  

5-Occasional reader

If you enjoy reading but don't really get to do it so often, these are books you might enjoy.  They may not be catching enough for non-readers, but they are definitely interesting without falling into any sort of extremes (extremely scifi, extremely trashy, etc)

6-I didn't like it

Just because I didn't like it doesn't mean you won't like it!  These are books that, for whatever reason, I didn't find interesting.  

Every labelled book in the list on the right-hand side now has a category, according to this system!

March

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman

Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Through a Scanner Darkly (graphic novel version) by Philip K Dick 

Every now and then I try and become more well-versed in scifi.  'My' genre is definitely scifi, but I am constantly aware of how pitifully few of the classics I have read, and how poorly versed I am in the genre.  (Sure I can help a newbie get started, but I haven't read anything by many of the 'big great' authors: Dick, Asimov, Clark, etc) So from time to time I 'work' on broadening the breadth of my scifi literacy.  This is definitely in part a rebound from the Card kick!

Oh and if you were wondering, The Forever War was great!  I read it in about 24 hours.  At first I thought I wouldn't like it, but I really got sucked in.  I'd suggest it for people who like: scifi, military fiction, futuristic dystopia.  Those new to scifi might have a hard time though.  

Really enjoyed the Foundation books.  Just ordered some more from the library.  Only for real scifi lovers though.  (But scifi fans will love it!) 

Through a Scanner Darkly was weird and trippy and reminded me of A Clockwork Orange a little.  Has scifi undertones but could probably be mainstream enough for a general fiction reader.  I didn't realize that I'd ordered the graphic novel version.  I wonder if the non-graphic novel version is different/better/worse?  Not sure I'd have the patience for it though.

February

Continuing the Card kick...

Again, all by Orson Scott Card:

Xenocide

Children of the Mind

Shadows in Flight

I'm pretty meh about these books.  Shadows in Flight is simply the most recent Ender's Game book which I obviously had to read.  Honestly it wasn't all that good and didn't really add all that much to the series aside from highlighting one tiny detail.

I love Xenocide and Children of the Mind, but in a very passive way mostly to do with how I felt about them in the past than to do with my current reading experience.

This is the end of the Card kick, so get ready for some variety coming up!

January

I'm on a Card kick like I said I'd be.

So, all by Orson Scott Card:

Ender's Game

Ender's Shadow

Shadow of the Giant

Speaker for the Dead

I'd recommend Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow to pretty much everyone.  Let me know which you read first, I wonder if the order you read them has an effect on which you like better.  Shadow of the Giant is only for true Bean fans, and Speaker for the dead is good for adult sci-fi lovers.  Back to reading!

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!)