2010 Reading Roundup!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, everyone!!!
     Ah, well. Another year has gone by, and another huge pile of books has been devoured. Unlike previous years, however, I've decided to do a formal reflection of what I've read. Thanks to the wonderful GoodReads, I now have a way to keep track of my reads.
     Danielle (of GoodReads fame and the author of the Danielle's Book Thoughts blog) posted a wonderful "year end wrap-up" of her 2009 reads, and I enjoyed it so much that I have based my own 2010 roundup on it (thank you for letting me do so, Danielle!). So without further ado...

How many books did you read this year?
107; the full list can be found here.

What were the different genres of books and how many of each did you read?
• Historical romance: 4
• Contemporary romance: 8
• Paranormal Romance: 29
• Urban Fantasy: 55
• Science Fiction: 1
• Mystery: 7
• Fantasy (~epic): 3
(surprisingly missing: non-fiction, general fiction)

What were the top ten books that you read this year?

(in no particular order)
Soulless by Gail Carriger
Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill
Angel's Blood by Nalini Singh
Dream Fever by Karen Marie Moning
Thorn Queen by Richelle Mead
Venom by Jennifer Estep
The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook
Twice Bitten by Chloe Neill
Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh
The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Were there any books you did not like? Why?
Maria V. Snyder's Fire Study really just didn't work for me; I ended up DNF-ing it. Also, I really didn't connect with Black Dust Mambo by Adrian Phoenix. I'm still sad about both cases…in the former I'd really liked the other books in the series, and in the latter the theme and setting is usually a favorite of mine.

What is your top favorite book and why?
The Iron Duke just knocked my socks off; in fact, it set them on fire. I really enjoyed the world building, which was unlike anything I'd read before.

What are your reading goals for next year?
I'd really love to at least match my read count for this year. Aside from that, I'm planning on reading some more non-fiction and literary fiction titles, including classics.

Did you read any books out of your normal routine?

The Chemistry of Death, which was a thriller/mystery/procedural. Features an forensic anthropologist, so it's definitely got some gory details about dead bodies and rates of decomposition and the like. Overall, I enjoyed it.

Any new genres that you got into this year? What books got you into this type of reading?
Hm. Well, technically I'd never read any historical romance before (chick-lit titles produced in the actual period, a la Jane Austen, don't count ^_^). I'd always thought I'd never get into that genre of fiction since in my mind the regency/Victorian era stuff is defined by staid behavior and "polite" society. Little did I know that I'd fall in love with the notion of saucy drama amongst such courteousness.

Who is your favorite new author?
For consistency of enjoyment, I'd say Victoria Dahl. I'm really into characters, and Dahl writes those wonderfully. I'm always attached to their personalities and interactions in her books. So far I've only read her contemporaries (not counting a novella), so I'm really looking forward to checking out her historicals.

Did you glom any authors this year (meaning: read as many of the author's books you could get your hands on)?
I read the first six Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich, so I suppose that'll have to count even though there are ten left in the series.

Some other new authors that you enjoyed and want to read more of:
• Nalini Singh
• Diana Rowland
• Chloe Neill
• Larissa Ione
• Ava Gray (a.k.a. Ann Aguirre)

Favorite hero and why? Has this changed?

Hm. Maybe Conall Maccon of the Parasol Protectorate series? He can be thick-headed at times but he's like a big surly teddy bear. ^_^

Favorite heroine and why? Has this changed?
Merit from the Chicagoland Vampires series. I'd love to have her as a friend! ^_^

Any authors you decided to 'fire'? Why?
Not really. Though sadly, it's been 6 months since I started the latest Anita Blake book by Laurell K. Hamilton. I'll never "fire" her, but I'm currently not glomming her.

What was the most unique storyline you read in a book this year?

Oh, easily the world of The Iron Duke. I could eat that stuff with a spoon!

Any book you liked that you were surprised that you liked?
Technically speaking, I wasn't sure what to expect with my first historical romance, Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake. I was certainly surprised by the ardency of my affection for the book. ^_^

Any book you expected to love but were disappointed by? 

Adrian Phoenix's Black Dust Mambo. I usually LOVE LOVE LOVE books set in bayou country (or Louisiana in general) and about hoodoo.

Favorite couple and why? Did this change?

Elena and Raphael (Guild Hunter series), maybe? Though really I think my tip top will likely always be Anita and Jean-Claude (Anita Blake series); after 18 books I still find it so sweet when they share a "moment."

Anything else you want to tell us about your reading this year?

I've never read so many books in one year! I've always been a supremely slow reader; my brain can't help but savor and chew over words and the visuals they incite. But due to a setting change--in addition to a drastic reduction in workload--I had more time to read books. Combined with the epic awesomeness that is GoodReads, I have been on a reading roll that I hope will remain strong in the future. I'm so very excited for the different books coming out next year, as well as the chance to "get back" to some genres outside of the ones I stuck to this last year. And most of all, I'm absolutely thrilled with the things I've got planned for this here blog….and I hope it will be of interest to you, as well!

4 comments:

  1. I have the Iron Duke and so wanna start it right now.

    As for Fire study, yes, bad bad, I loved the first book then they just went from bad to worse

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ooh! Can't wait to hear your thoughts on it. I'll enjoy living vicariously through your first-time read-through. ^___^

    It's really too bad about Fire Study. But it just got away from what made the first book so magic and gripping. Still debating on whether to start in on the Glass series.

    ReplyDelete
  3. If I found them at the library yes, but I can't buy the Glass books when the studies disappointed me so much :(

    ReplyDelete
  4. Alisha! I just started my GoodReads site! YES! Thanks for posting about that...now I am going to be obsessed for awhile. ;)

    ReplyDelete

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