2013 Reading List

Number of books read in 2013: 192. (New high.)
New reads: 164

Number of books read in 2012: 180
Number of books read in 2011: 158
Number of books read in 2010: 150
Number of books read in 2009: 103
Number of books read in 2008: 99
Number of books read in 2007: 85
Number of books read in 2006: 64
Number of books read in 2005: 56

Average read per month: 16
Average read per week: 3.69

Number read in worst month: 9 (May)
Number read in best month: 25 (October)

Female authors: 50
Male authors: 36

Fiction: 175
Non-fiction: 17 (marked *; 2012: 16; 2011: 6; 2010: 12; 2009: 16; 2008: 12; 2007: 10; 2006: 4; 2005: 2)

Scifi/fantasy: 40
Mystery/crime: 70
Literature/fiction: 45
YA: 18

January (24)
One Last Thing Before I Go by Jonathan Tropper
Strength in What Remains: A Journey of Remembrance and Forgiveness by Tracy Kidder*
Carnival by Elizabeth Bear
Tyler’s Row (Chronicles of Fairacre #9) by Miss Read
The Caxley Chronicles by Miss Read
The Christmas Mouse (Chronicles of Fairacre #10) by Miss Read
Farther Afield (Chronicles of Fairacre #11) by Miss Read
Fairacre Festival (Chronicles of Fairacre #7) by Miss Read
Carry Yourself Back to Me by Deborah Reed
No Holly for Miss Quinn (Chronicles of Fairacre #12) by Miss Read
The Little Book of Talent: 52 Tips for Improving Your Skills by Daniel Coyle*
Village Centenary (Chronicles of Fairacre #15) by Miss Read
Farewell to Fairacre (Chronicles of Fairacre #19) by Miss Read
Changes at Fairacre (Chronicles of Fairacre #18) by Miss Read
Summer at Fairacre (Chronicles of Fairacre #16) by Miss Read
A Peaceful Retirement (Chronicles of Fairacre #20) by Miss Read
The Observations by Jane Harris
High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America by Jessica B. Harris*
The Testament of Mary by Colm Toibin
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth
In Pursuit of Garlic: An Intimate Look at the Divinely Odorous Bulb by Liz Primeau*
18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done by Peter Bregman*

February (13)
Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China by Leslie T. Chang*
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
Sons by Pearl S. Buck
A House Divided by Pearl S. Buck
The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino
Incursion by Aleksandr Voinov
Using Chinese by Yvonne Li Walls*
The Heart Broke In by James Meek
My Policeman by Bethan Roberts
The Tie That Binds by Kent Haruf
The Lost Language of Cranes by David Leavitt
Plainsong by Kent Haruf
Eventide by Kent Haruf

March (15)
The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
Calling Invisible Women by Jeanne Ray
The Midwife’s Tale by Sam Thomas
Benediction by Kent Haruf
Born to Bark: My Adventures with an Irrepressible and Unforgettable Dog by Stanley Coren*
Election by Tom Perrotta
To a Mountain in Tibet by Colin Thubron*
Miss Buncle’s Book by D.E. Stevenson
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
Apollo’s Outcasts by Allen Steele
Snow Angels by James Thompson
Lucifer’s Tears by James Thompson
Helsinki White by James Thompson
Helsinki Blood by James Thompson
Bad Blood by Dana Stabenow

April (12)
The Cold, Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty
I Hear the Sirens in the Street by Adrian McKinty
Beastly Things by Donna Leon
Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks
The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks
The Secret Island by Enid Blyton
The Island of Adventure by Enid Blyton
The Secret of Spiggy Holes by Enid Blyton
The Castle of Adventure by Enid Blyton
The Valley of Adventure by Enid Blyton
The Sea of Adventure by Enid Blyton
The Mountain of Adventure by Enid Blyton

May (9)
The Ship of Adventure by Enid Blyton
The River of Adventure by Enid Blyton
What the Family Needed by Steven Amsterdam
Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O’Farell
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O’Farrell
A Death in the Highlands by Caroline Dunford
The End of All Things by Lissa Bryan
The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett

June (19)
Grimspace by Ann Aguirre
Wanderlust by Ann Aguirre
Getting to Yes: Negotiating an Agreement Without Giving In (3rd edition) by Roger Fisher, William Ury and Bruce Patton*
Doubleblind by Ann Aguirre
Killbox by Ann Aguirre
Aftermath by Ann Aguirre
Endgame by Ann Aguirre
Death of a Village by M.C. Beaton
Death of a Poison Pen by M.C. Beaton
The House at the End of Hope St by Menna Van Praag
Death of a Bore by M.C. Beaton
Death of a Dreamer by M.C. Beaton
Death of a Maid by M.C. Beaton
Death of a Gentle Lady by M.C. Beaton
Death of a Witch by M.C. Beaton
Death of a Valentine by M.C. Beaton
Death of a Chimney Sweep by M.C. Beaton
Death of a Kingfisher by M.C. Beaton
Death of Yesterday by M.C. Beaton

July (10)
The Riddle-Master of Hed by Patricia McKillip
Outlaw Marriages: The Hidden Histories of Fifteen Extraordinary Same-Sex Couples by Rodger Streitmatter*
Heir of Sea and Fire by Patricia McKillip
Harpist in the Wind by Patricia McKillip
A Test of Wills by Charles Todd
Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith
Blood by Tony Birch
The Buzzard Table by Margaret Maron

August (20)
The House of Silk: The New Sherlock Holmes Novel by Anthony Horowitz
The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell
SPQRI: The King’s Gambit by John Maddox Roberts
The Catiline Conspiracy by John Maddox Roberts
Wings of Fire by Charles Todd
Defense for the Devil by Kate Wilhelm
No Defense by Kate Wilhelm
The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
Clear and Convincing Proof by Kate Wilhelm
Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Currey*
The Unbidden Truth by Kate Wilhelm
Sleight of Hand by Kate Wilhelm
A Wrongful Death by Kate Wilhelm
Cold Case by Kate Wilhelm
Heaven is High by Kate Wilhelm
By Stone By Blade By Fire by Kate Wilhelm
SPQRIII: The Sacrilege by John Maddox Roberts
Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
When I Found You by Catherine Ryan Hyde
The Warrior’s Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold

September (16)
The Mountains of Mourning by Lois McMaster Bujold
The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold
Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold
Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold
Labyrinth by Lois McMaster Bujold
The Borders of Infinity by Lois McMaster Bujold
Children of the Revolution by Peter Robinson
Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold
Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold
Brothers in Arms by Lois McMaster Bujold
Passing On by Penelope Lively
Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold
Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold
Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold
A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold
Winterfair Gifts by Lois McMaster Bujold

October (25)
Falling Free by Lois McMaster Bujold
Diplomatic Immunity by Lois McMaster Bujold
Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance by Lois McMaster Bujold
Unnatural Habits by Kerry Greenwood
Murder and Mendelssohn by Kerry Greenwood
W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton
From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun by Jacqueline Woodson
Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold
The Outcast by Sadie Jones
Men We Reaped: A Memoir by Jesmyn Ward*
A Few Right Thinking Men by Sulari Gentill
A Decline in Prophets by Sulari Gentill
Miles Off Course by Sulari Gentill
Paving the New Road by Sulari Gentill
The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri
Dawn Wind by Rosemary Sutcliff
The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff
The Silver Branch by Rosemary Sutcliff
The Lantern Bearers by Rosemary Sutcliff
Outcast by Rosemary Sutcliff
Except the Dying by Maureen Jennings
Under the Dragon’s Tail by Maureen Jennings
Poor Tom is Cold by Maureen Jennings
Let Loose the Dogs by Maureen Jennings
Night’s Child by Maureen Jennings

November (13)
Vices of My Blood by Maureen Jennings
A Journeyman to Grief by Maureen Jennings
Does Your Mother Know? by Maureen Jennings
Absolution by Murder by Peter Tremayne
Shroud for the Archbishop by Peter Tremayne
Suffer Little Children by Peter Tremayne
The Subtle Serpent by Peter Tremayne
The Spider’s Web by Peter Tremayne
How to Write A Lot by Paul J. Silvia*
Gentlemen Formerly Dressed by Sulari Gentill
The E-Copyright Handbook by Paul Pedley*
Valley in the Shadow by Peter Tremayne
The Monk Who Vanished by Peter Tremayne

December (16)
Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones
The Jewel in the Crown by Paul Scott
Oogy: The Dog Only A Family Could Love by Larry Levin*
The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China by Jung Chang*
The Water Rat of Wanchai by Ian Hamilton
The Disciple of Las Vegas by Ian Hamilton
The Wild Beasts of Wuhan by Ian Hamilton
The Red Pole of Macau by Ian Hamilton
The Scottish Banker of Surabaya by Ian Hamilton
Breakers by Edward W. Robertson
Meltdown by Edward W. Robertson
Knifepoint by Edward W. Robertson
Reapers by Edward W. Robertson
Killer Instinct by Zoë Sharp

In 2013 my reading was mostly for enjoyment, as opposed to reading for self-improvement.

Most enjoyed books of 2013:

Benediction by Kent Haruf
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
Men We Reaped: A Memoir by Jesmyn Ward
How to Write A Lot by Paul J. Silvia
Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China by Jung Chang
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie

Interesting that half of my favourite books of 2013 are non-fiction. E-readers are helping with this – because I can carry lots of titles around, it’s easier for me to dip into a book and slowly read the whole thing over time, as the mood strikes me. I don’t record books I only read bits of, or skim very quickly (if I did this list would be somewhat longer).

As I did in 2012, I read a few series in 2013:

• Ann Aguirre’s Sirantha Jax series. Best described as “science fiction adventure”. Light and fun.
• James Thompson’s Inspector Vaara series. Set in Finland. I enjoyed the first book in the series, but it became more and more violent as the series progressed.
• Sulari Gentill’s Rowland Sinclair series – sort of a male version of Phryne Fisher, set in 1930s Sydney. I enjoyed the links to historical characters and events.
• Maureen Jennings’ Detective William Murdoch series – set in Toronto in the 1890s. Gritty.
• Ian Hamilton’s Ava Lee series. A gutsy female forensic accountant/fixer. Set in various locations, from Canada, through to Hong Kong and South East Asia, and Guyana.
• Edward W. Robertson’s Breakers series. Post-apocalyptic. Has the distinction of being read entirely on Kindle Fire.

Some authors were hard to classify: Charles Todd is a mother and son team – should “the author” be classed as male, or female, or both? (in the end I went with “male).

I listed Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) as female.

I have to admit that with 192 books I had to go back and look at some of my notes to jog my memory about some of the titles. (Glad I take notes!)

I have no particular reading goals for 2014. Trying to leave my options open and not commit to too much, as I’m expecting this year to be a busy one, work-wise.