The 2013 Annual Reading Challenge – List Thread!

[Nyssa]

Welcome to the 2013 Reading Challenge List Thread

This thread is for you to keep a running tally for your chosen challenge.
I would request that you please state your goals at the top of your post (i.e. in the title line), and then start your list in the body of your post.

[Please Remember: No discussion posts in this thread. Please use the other thread for that. Non-List posts will be deleted or moved to the other thread]

Post #2 will be dedicated to a Table of Contents for all participants in this thread.
Names will be added, to this TOC, in alphabetical order with a link to that individual’s post number from this thread.

Discussions & Ideas can be found here: 2013 Annual Reading Challenge Discussion Thread

To Discuss a particular book please participate in the Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading? thread and share your thoughts about the book with others.

[Nyssa]

[Please Remember: No discussion posts in this thread. Please use the 2013 Annual Reading Challenge Discussion Thread for that. Non-List posts will be deleted or moved to the Discussion Thread]

Table of Participants
(Participants will be listed by user name in alphabetical order)

• alucarda - Post # 22
• Anabana - Post # 34
• AnneT - Post # 57
• applesauce - Post # 32
• aquabel - Post # 44
• astrangerhere - Post # 52
• ATDrake - Post # 25
• auntykatkat - Post # 55
• barb2cats - Post # 46
• Beginner-reader - Post # 35
• BelleZora - Post # 38
• bethany7 - Post # 39
• Catlady - Post # 14
• CRussel - Post # 8
• dadalo - Post # 26
• dakini - Post # 40
• Dazrin - Post # 15
• dreams - Post # 28
• DrNefario - Post # 42
• ElsieC - Post # 51
• faithbw - Post #63
• fantasyfan - Post # 58
• GA Russell - Post # 24
• Ginwen - Post # 45
• HarryT - Post # 17
• Hatgirl - Post # 60
• hidari - Post # 21
• HomeInMyShoes - Post # 37
• Iridal - Post # 59
• issybird - Post # 5
• jbcohen - Post # 16
• jersysman - Post # 10
• jessicalynn - Post # 9
• Joy736 - Post # 4
• JSWolf - Post # 49
• Katsunami - Post # 69
• Kiwiscott - Post # 20
• Loosheesh - Post # 6
• lushgreenapple - Post # 64
• malarkey - Post # 48
• Moët - Post # 29
• Mystweaver - Post # 56
• Nyssa - Post # 3
• oGorgeous - Post # 68
• paola - Post # 18
• pdurrant - Post # 13
• Polarpenguin - Post # 27
• Quake1028 - Post # 47
• Rakgi - Post # 19
• RareBird - Post # 43
• Rev. Bob - Post # 65
• Rumpelteazer - Post # 12
• sabredog - Post # 41
• sakura-panda - Post # 54
• shanghaichica - Post # 66
• Soldim - Post # 62
• Stephjk - Post # 67
• sun surfer - Post # 31
• tecweston - Post # 50
• toomuchreading - Post # 53
• treadlightly - Post # 7
• Turnstone - Post # 30
• ucfgrad93 - Post # 11
• VeggieCat - Post # 33
• Xanthe - Post # 36
• xendula - Post # 61
• yakuzaboss - Post # 23

67 Participants

[Nyssa]

List:

1. A Scanner Darkly [Science Fiction] ~ Completed: 1/7/13
2. Among Others [Magical Realism] ~ Completed: 1/13/13
3. Persuasion [Classics] ~ On Hiatus
4. Shadow Blade (Shadowchasers, #1) [Paranormal] ~ Completed: 2/10/13
5. The Great Book of Amber [Fantasy] {3 of 10 Books Completed} ~ On Hiatus
6. A Town Like Alice [Not Categorized] ~ Completed: 2/7/13
7. The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1) [Dystopian] ~ Completed: 2/16/13
8. The Iron King (The Iron Fey #1) [Young Adult] ~ Completed: 2/24/13
9. Geekomancy (Ree Reyes #1) [Urban Fantasy] ~ Completed: 2/27/13
10. Chobits, Volume 1 [Graphic Novels] {4 of 4 Volumes Completed} ~ Completed: 3/6/13
11. The Secret Life of Bees [Chick-Lit] ~ On Hiatus
12. Divine Misfortune [Humour] ~ On Hiatus
13. American Gods [Award Winner] ~ Currently Reading
14. Casino Royale (James Bond #1) [Espionage] ~ Completed: 5/3/13
15. Kitchen Princess, Volume 1 [Not Categorized] ~ Completed: 5/12/13

Short Stories:

1. Help Wanted (Fantasy Heights #1) ~ Completed: 3/25/13
2. The New Girl (Fantasy Heights #2) ~ Completed: 3/25/13
3. At Her Command (Fantasy Heights #3) ~ Completed: 3/26/13
4. All Of Her (Fantasy Heights #4) ~ Completed: 3/27/13
5. One To Watch (Fantasy Heights #5) ~ Completed: 3/27/13
6. Into Her Fire (Fantasy Heights #6) ~ Completed: 3/27/13
7. Wish Her Well (Fantasy Heights #7) ~ Completed: 3/30/13
8. All the Queen's Men (Fantasy Heights #8) ~ Completed: 3/30/13

The I'll Try Anything Once... Challenge!

Conquered:

Spoiler:

• Dystopian
• Graphic Novels
• Magical Realism
• Paranormal
• Science Fiction
• Urban Fantasy
• Young Adult
• Espionage

Not Yet Conquered:

• Adventure
• Auto-Biography/Biography
• Chick-Lit
• Childrens Book
• Classics
• Cyberpunk
• Drama
• Educational
• Erotica
• Fantasy
• Gothic
• Hard-Boiled
• Historical Fiction
• Horror
• Humour
• Literary Fiction
• Mystery
• Noir
• Non Fiction
• Philosophical
• Poetry
• Post-Apocalyptic
• Romance
• Steampunk
• Supernatural
• Thriller
• True Crime
• Victorian

Personal Bonus Categories:

• Award Winner
• Banned or Challenged
• Mobile Read Author
• Mythology

* All book links will lead to my review on GoodReads unless otherwise stated.

[Joy736]

01) 03-01-2012 - Jemima J by Jane Green
02) 13-01-2012 - The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
03) 21-01-2012 - The Help by Kathryn Stockett
04) 27-01-2012 - Before I Die by Jenny Downham
05) 03-02-2013 - Vanish (Rizzoli/Isles 5) by Tess Gerritsen
06) 07-02-2013 - Murder at the Vicarage (Miss Marple 1) by Agatha Chistie
07) 16-02-2013 - Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
08) 19-02-2013 - The perks of being a wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
09) 24-02-2013 - The unlikely pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
10) 01-03-2014 - Miss Peregrine's home for perculiar children (Miss Peregrine 1) by Ransom Riggs
11) 10-03-2013 - Paaz by Myrthe van der Meer
12) 16-03-2013 - Spying in high heels (A high heels mystery 1) by Gemma Halliday
13) 19-03-2013 - The Guernsey literary and potato peel pie society by Annie Barrows/Mary Ann Schaffer
14) 24-03-2013 - The fault in our stars by John Green
15) 28-03-2013 - Lola and the Boy next door by Stephanie Perkins
16) 02-04-2013 - The night circus by Erin Morgenstern
17) 06-04-2013 - Cinder (Lunar Chronicles 1) by Marissa Meyer
18) 08-04-2013 - The Selection (The selection 1) by Kiera Cass
19) 11-04-2013 - Warm Bodies (Warm Bodies 1) by Isaac Marion
20) 15-04-2013 - Across the Universe (Across the Universe 1) by Beth Revis
21) 21-04-2013 - Delirium (Delirium 1) by Lauren Oliver
22) 05-05-2013 - Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
23) 07-05-2013 - The Archived (The Archived 1) by Victoria Schwab
24) 10-05-2013 - Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
25) 15-05-2013 - City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments 1) by Cassandra Clare
26) 16-05-2013 - Professor Gargoyle (Tales from Lovecraft Middle School 1) by Charles Gillman
27) 20-05-2013 - The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

[issybird]

17th century England, history (12) and ancillary works

1. Cradle King
2. Charles I: A Life of Religion, War and Treason
3. The King's Smuggler: Jane Whorwood, Secret Agent to Charles I

Recent non-fiction (10)

1. The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy
2. Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory, and the Conquest of Everest

Laundry basket redux (12)

1. The Unredeemed Captive: A Family Story from Early America

MR Lit Club (10)

1. The War Poems of Siegfried Sassoon
2. The Annotated Lolita

Classics (6)

1. Persuasion

My list of all books read in 2013 is at Goodreads; my benchmark is 100 books.

[Loosheesh]

Books read in 2013

January
#1 - A Man Lay Dead by Ngaio Marsh (Roderick Alleyn #1)
#2 - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer (RP/rec)
#3 - Enter a Murderer by Ngaio Marsh (Roderick Alleyn #2)
#4 - The Nursing Home Murder by Ngaio Marsh (Roderick Alleyn #3)
#5 - I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella (RP)
#6 - Behold, Here's Poison by Georgette Heyer (GHC)
#7 - They Found Him Dead by Georgette Heyer (GHC)
#8 - A Blunt Instrument by Georgette Heyer (GHC)
#9 - Just for Fun by Rosalind James (RP)
#10 - Kindred by Octavia E Butler (OBC)
#11 - Penhallow by Georgette Heyer (GHC)
#12 - Footsteps in the Dark by Georgette Heyer (GHC)
#13 - When We Touch by Brenda Novak (RP)
#14 - Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (Cl)
#15 - 31 Days to Clean by Sarah Mae (Sp)
#16 - Who Made God?: Searching for a Theory of Everything by Edgar Andrews (NF)

February
#1 - 10 People Every Christian Should Know by Warren W Wiersbe (Sp)
#2 - Fallen by B J Daniels (RP)
#3 - How to Misbehave by Ruhie Knox (RP)
#4 - No Wind of Blame by Georgette Heyer (GHC)
#5 - Envious Casca by Georgette Heyer (GHC)
#6 - Duplicate Death by Georgette Heyer (GHC)
#7 - Death in Ecstasy by Ngaio Marsh (Roderick Alleyn #4)
#8 - Gone Too Far by Suzanne Brockmann (RP)
#9 - Heartthrob by Suzanne Brockmann (RP)
#10 - Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas (RP)
#11 - Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas (RP)
#12 - Cherish This Moment by Sandra Canfield (RP/re-read!)
#13 - It Had to Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (RP)
#14 - Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (RP)
#15 - The One That Got Away by Kelly Hunter (RP)
#16 - You Make Me Feel Brand New by Chicki Brown (RP)

March
#1 - Ain't Too Proud to Beg by Chicki Brown (RP)
#2 - Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing by Chicki Brown (RP)
#3 - Flirting With Intent by Kelly Hunter (RP)
#4 - Nobody's Baby But Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (RP)
#5 - I Can't Get Next to You by Chicki Brown (RP)
#6 - The Love of a Cowboy by Anna Jeffrey (RP)
#7 - Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs (RP)
#8 - Noah by Elizabeth Reyes (RP)
#9 - Captive in the Spotlight by Annie West (RP)
#10 - The Edge of Never by J A Redmerski (RP)
#11 - Ten Tiny Breaths by K A Tucker (RP)
#12 - Grease Monkey Jive by Ainslie Paton (RP)
#13 - Wait for You by J Lynn (RP)
#14 - Sleeping With Mr Sexy by S L Scott (RP)
#15 - More Than Rivals by Mary Whitney (RP)
#16 - The Mighty Storm by Samantha Towle (RP)
#17 - Dealing With David by Katriena Knights (RP)
#18 - Wait for Me by Elisabeth Naughton (RP)
#19 - Hopeless by Colleen Hoover (RP)
#20 - Take This Regret by A L Jackson (RP)
#21 - Escorted by Claire Kent (RP)
#22 - Mystery Man by Kristen Ashley (RP)
#23 - Rock Chick by Kristen Ashley (RP)
#24 - Chase: Complete Series by Cassia Leo (RP)

April
#1 - Rock Chick Rescue by Kristen Ashley (RP)
#2 - Take What You Want by Jeanette Grey (RP)
#3 - Detection Unlimited by Georgette Heyer (GHC)
#4 - The Dangerous Jacob Wilde by Sandra Marton (RP)
#5 - One Hot Night: Three Contemporary Romance Novellas by Noelle Adams (RP)
#6 - Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh (Roderick Alleyn #5)
#7 - Ticket Home by Serena Bell (RP)
#8 - Big Boy by Ruthie Knox (RP)
#9 - Thank You for Riding by Meg Maguire (RP)
#10 - Back on Track by Donna Cummings (RP)
#11 - Tight Quarters by Samantha Hunter (RP)
#12 - Worth the Wait by Synithia Williams (RP)
#13 - The Bet by Rachel Van Dyken (RP)
#14 - Lethal Legacy by Irene Hannon (RP)
#15 - Mother of the Bride by Lynn Michaels (RP)
#16 - One Week Girlfriend by Monica Murphy (RP)
#17 - Second Chance Boyfriend by Monica Murphy (RP)
#18 - Elite by Rachel Van Dyken (RP)
#19 - The Library Book by Alan Bennett (RP)
#20 - Missing by Shelley Shepard Gray (RP)

May
#1 - By His Hand by Jennifer Johnson (RP)
#2 - Against the Wall by Rebecca Zanetti (RP)
#3 - Complete Without Kids by Ellen L Walker (NF)
#4 - Why Shoot a Butler? by Georgette Heyer (GHC)
#5 - Now You See Her by Linda Howard (RP/reread!)
#6 - Rock Chick Redemption by Kristen Ashley (RP)
#7 - Bossypants by Tina Fey (NF)
#8 - The Unfinished Clue by Georgette Heyer (GHC)

[treadlightly]

2013 Reading Challenge (150 books)

20 Books/Series from NPR’s Top SF&F Nominations

01 A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin (5) [*****]
02 Lilith’s Brood by Octavia Butler (3) [****]
03 Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey (1) [***]
04 Perdido Street Station by China Mieville (1)
05 Feed (Newsflesh Trilogy #1) by Mira Grant (1) [**]
06 The Sparrow by Maria Doria Russell (2)
07 The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb (3) [****]
08 The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley (1) [***]
09 The Passage by Justin Cronin (2)
10 The Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin (3)
11 The Mistborn Series by Brandon Sanderson (4)
12 Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb (3)
13 Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (1)
14 The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi (1)
15 The Black Jewels Series by Anne Bishop (9)
16 Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut (1)
17 Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson (10)
18 The Road by Cormac McCarthy (1)
19 The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (1) [*****]
20 To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis (3)

5 Mystery Series

01 Mary Russell by Laurie King (#1-4) [*****]
02 Miss Marple by Agatha Christie (#1-3) [****]
03 Amelia Peabody by Elizabeth Peters (#1-4) [****]
04 Stephanie Plum by Janet Evanovich
05 William Monk by Anne Perry

Other New-to-me Fantasy Series

01 Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks (3) [****]
02 Corinne Solomon by Ann Aguirre (5)
03 Disillusionists Trilogy by Carolyn Crane (3)
04 Chronicles of Elantra by Michelle Sagara West (9)
05 Poison Study by Maria Snyder (3)
06 Jill Kismet by Lilith Saintcrow (5)
07 The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare (3) Now Reading

Completion of Series/Other

01 Outlander (#6,#7) and Lord John Grey Series (4) by Diana Gabaldon (6) [*****]
02 Touch of the Demon (Kara Gillian #5) by Diana Rowland (1)[*]
03 Iced (Fever #6) by Karen Marie Moning (1) [****]
04 Ever After (The Hollows #11) by Kim Harrison (1) [****]
05 The Wise Man's Fear (Kingkiller Chronicles #2) by Patrick Rothfuss (1) [****]
06 Edge of Dawn (Midnight Breed #11) by Lara Adrian (1) [**]
07 Third Shift:Pact (Wool #8) by Hugh Howey (1) [***]
08 Midnight Blue-Light Special (InCryptid #2) by Seanan McGuire (1) [****]
09 Mountain Echoes (Walker Papers #8) by C.E. Murphy (1) [***]
10 Lover at Last (BDB #11) by J.R. Ward (1) [*****]
11 A Study in Scarlet (Sherlock Holmes #1) by Arthur Conan Doyle [**]
12 Mortal Instruments (#4,#5) by Cassandra Clare (2) [***]

Read: 47 Books Read in 2013

[CRussel]

I'll use this thread to keep track of what I read, by listing my books read plus try to keep score on the buy/read ratio. I am not including the buying of Audible books, except those that are beyond my normal 2 a month worth of credits. And where I buy a Whispersync for Voice book at the same time I buy the eBook, I'm only counting it as a single purchase.

Initial # of books ToBeRead as of January 1: 92
Current # of books ToBeRead as of 2 January, 2013: 90

Books Bought in 2013: 1
Books Read in 2013:

1. Darkover - Anthology #13 ( Marion Zimmer Bradley )
2. Ruddy Gore ( Kerry Greenwood )(Audible+eBook, Audible read by Stephanie Daniel)
3. Invader ( C. J. Cherryh )(Audible read by Daniel Thomas May)
   

[jessicalynn]

1. Guinevere, The Legend in Autumn by Persia Woolley (ebook already purchased.)
2. Dawn by Octavia Butler (ebooks I've already purchased)
3. Adulthood Rites by Octavia Butler
4. Imago by Octavia Butler
5. I'm Starved for You by Margaret Atwood (ebook already purchased)
6. Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb (already purchased)
7. Avatar Book 1 by SD Perry
8. Avatar Book 2 by SD Perry
9. Abyss by David Weddle
10. Demons of Air and Darkness By Keith R.A. DeCandido
11. Twilight by David R. George III
12. Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger
13. Third Shift: Pact by Hugh Howey
14. Cathedral by Michael Martin
15. Lesser Evil by Robert Simpson
16. This Gray Spirit by Heather Jarman

[jersysman]

Read 35,000 pages of which 20 books will deal with The American Civil War and Biographies of Western figures (such as famous gunslingers, Native Americans, etc.)

10 Civil War Books

001. Battle Cry Freedom: The Civil War Era by James M. McPherson 956 pages ****

10 Biographies of Western Figures

001. Geronimo: The True Story of America's Most Ferocious Warrior by S. M. Barrett 144 pages *****
002. The Last Comanche Chief: The Life and Times of Quanah Parker by Bill Neeley 276 pages ****

Miscellaneous

001. Gunman's Reckoning by Max Brand 212 pages ***

Cumulative Statistics

Spoiler:

Pages Read - 1588

[ucfgrad93]

Statistics:
Books read: 16
Pages read: 7,296

Reading List:
Title/Date Completed/Pages

001. Field of Dishonor / 2 January / 407 pages
002. The Hobbit / 6 January / 322 pages
003. De Bello Lemures / 7 January / 110 pages
004. How Christianity Changed the World / 16 January / 448 pages
005. Into Thin Air / 19 January / 368 pages
006. Shadow Divers / 24 January / 400 pages
007. The Sundered (Star Trek Lost Era I) / 30 January / 416 pages
008. Agincourt / 5 February / 467 pages
009. Under the Dome / 5 March / 1092 pages
010. Mere Christianity / 15 March / 266 pages
011. Flag in Exile / 20 March / 424 pages
012. Honor Among Enemies / 27 March / 556 pages
013. The Hunger Games / 1 April / 387 pages
014. Serpents Among the Ruins (Star Trek Lost Era II) / 9 April / 371 pages
015. In Enemy Hands / 18 April / 544 pages
016. Echoes of Honor / 6 May / 718 pages
017. Catching Fire / / 391 pages

[Rumpelteazer]

Looking back at what I've read in 2012 I noticed I hardly read any classics. So, for 2013 my goal is to read 12 classics. I've made a list of classics I would like to read, however, that isn't the definitive list; if I come across a classic I want to read that isn't on my list I can choose to read that book instead of one on my list.

My only other goal is to keep track of what I'm reading.

Statistics:

Pages read: 15405


Reading List:

001. Kisscut by Karin Slaughter
002. Yesterday's Gone: Episode One by Sean Platt & David Wright
003. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
004. Sandstorm by James Rollins
005. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
006. Map of Bones by James Rollins
007. The Cath Who Blew the Whistle by Lilian Jackson Braun
008. Nightmare House by Douglas Clegg
009. The Harrowing by Alexandra Sokoloff
010. Mischief by Douglas Clegg
011. The Bedlam Detective by Stephen Gallagher
012. The Unquite by John Connolly
013. Shadowland by Peter Straub
014. Black Order by James Rollins
015. A Faint Cold Fear by Karin Slaughter
016. Indelible by Karin Slaughter
017. Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
018. Ring World by Larry Niven
019. The Flatey Enigma by Viktor Arnar Ingólfsson
020. The Infinite by Douglas Clegg
021. The Judas Strain by James Rollins
022. Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James
DNF. Hawksmoor by Peter Ackroyd
023. Burial Ground by Michael McBride
024. The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan
025. Faithless by Karin Slaughter
026. The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan
027. Extraction by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
DNF. Abandoned by Douglas Clegg
028. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
029. Yesterday's Gone: Episode Two by Sean Platt & David Wright
030. Yesterday's Gone: Episode Three by Sean Platt & David Wright
031. The Last Oracle by James Rollins
032. Yesterday's Gone: Episode Four by Sean Platt & David Wright
033. Yesterday's Gone: Episode Five by Sean Platt & David Wright
034. Yesterday's Gone: Episode Six by Sean Platt & David Wright
035. Yesterday's Gone: Episode Seven by Sean Platt & David Wright
036. Yesterday's Gone: Episode Eight by Sean Platt & David Wright
037. Yesterday's Gone: Episode Nine by Sean Platt & David Wright
038. Yesterday's Gone: Episode Ten by Sean Platt & David Wright
039. Yesterday's Gone: Episode Eleven by Sean Platt & David Wright
040. Yesterday's Gone: Episode Twelve by Sean Platt & David Wright
041. The Bones of Avalon by Phil Rickman
042. River's End by Nora Roberts
043. Haunted by Heather Graham
044. Ringworld Engineers by Larry Niven
045. The Haunting Season by Michelle Muto
046. Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
047. Beloved by Toni Morrison
048. Island 731 by Jeremy Robinson
049. The Heresy of Dr. Dee by Phil Rickman

[pdurrant]

I read 185 books in 2012. (200 in 2011, 160 in 2010), but my big problem is my TBR list. Because I also bought a lot of books: 137 in 2012. (216 in 2011, 256 in 2010).

At the end of 2012, my TBR pile was 307 books long. I aimed for a reduction of 80 books in 2012 and failed.

This year, I'm going to aim to buy no more than 120 ebooks. That's fewer than I've bought in any of the past three years, so it is a challenge. Hopefully it's one I will meet. And, obviously, I intend to read more than I buy. My secondary goal is to reduce my TBR count by 67 or more books, to 240 or less.

Books read in 2013

1. January 1st: The Maker of Gargoyles and Other Stories by Clark Ashton Smith - $3.73 - 1/5 - 152pp
   [Abandoned. I can see that eldritch horror appeals to some, but not to me.]
2. January 1st: Temple: Incarnations by Steve Saville - free - 2/5 - 152pp
   Dystopian Horror/Fantasy, not quite coherent and not my kind of thing.
3. January 2nd: Firefly by Brian Stableford - $2.02 - 1/5 - 176pp
   [Abandoned. Arbitrary and mythic — not at all to my taste]
4. January 4th: Grantville Gazette 45 edited by Paula Goodlett - $4.50 - 4/5 - 400pp
   The first story could have been better organised, but a good issue overall.
5. January 5th: F&SF January/February 2013 by Spilogale Authors - $3.00 - 3/5 - 200pp
   An average issue for F&SF for me. One or two stories I really like, and one or two I didn't care for.
6. January 9th: Captain Vorpatril's Alliance by Lois McMaster Bujold - Gift - 5/5 - 432pp
   Excellent. You don't need to have ready any of her other books in this series to enjoy this one.
7. January 10th: Man-Kzin Wars XIII created by Larry Niven - $3.00 - 3/5 - 384pp
   More tales from the time when Man and Kzin were at war. Average.
8. January 13th: Deviations: Covenant by Elissa Malchon - Free - 2/5 - 332pp
   [Abandoned. The setup doesn't work, although the writing's OK.]
9. January 13th: The Alchemyst by Michael Scott - $4.58 - 1/5 - 400pp
   [Abandoned. The writing is only adequate, and I just can't believe the setup.]
10. January 14th: Persuasion by Jane Austen - Free - 3/5 - 108pp
    A bit too much exposition at the start and a very sudden resolution at the end.
11. January 17th: How Dark the World Becomes by Frank Chadwick - $3.00 - 5/5 - 336pp
    A most enjoyable Crime/Mil SF story. I'd like to see more set in this universe.
12. January 18th: Keeper of the King by P. N. Elrod - $3.00 - 4/5 - 416pp
    A slightly dated but still fun look at vampires in the modern world.
13. January 19th: Sixth Column by Robert A. Heinlein - $3.00 - 4/5 -192pp
    Heinlein's first novel, on an outline by John W Campbell. Interesting early work.
14. January 20th: Spaceman Blues by Brian Francis Slattery - Free - 1/5 - 219pp
    [Abandoned after 10%. Tor freebie. "literary retro-pulp science-fiction-mystery-superhero novel" not my kind of thing!]
15. January 21st: Starfarers by Vondra N. McIntyre - Free - 3.5/5 - 326pp
    A bit of a slow start, but I warmed to it as it went on. Enough to add the omnibus to my wishlist.
16. January 23rd: Farlight by Michael Swanson - $3.82 - 2/5 - 358pp
    Two impossible things from one discovery make this a bit too much pulp super-science for a modern novel.
17. January 24th: Dragon Ship by Lee and Miller - borrowed - 5/5- 384pp
    An excellent continuation of the storyline started in Fledgling.
18. January 26th: Necessity's Child by Lee and Miller - $3.00 - 5/5 -336pp
    An excellent introduction of some new characters and events on Korval's new planet.
19. January 27th: How Firm a Foundation by David Weber - $4.99 - 3/5 -768pp
    Only Average? Too verbose, and the irritating names are two major problems. The ideas in the story are interesting, but soooooooo slow.
20. January 30th: Asimov's SF, February 2013 by Dell Magazines - $3.00 - 3/5 - 100pp
    An average issue. Nothing outstanding, yet nothing terrible either.
21. January 31st: Asimov's SF, March 2013 by Dell Magazines - $3.00 - 3/5 - 100pp
    A little bit better than February's issue, but again, nothing outstanding.
22. February 2nd: Limits by Larry Niven - Free - 5/5 - 240pp
    An excellent collection of short stories by Larry Niven.
23. February 3rd: Tiger by the Tail by John Ringo - $3.75 - 3/5 - 240pp
    An even more over-the-top continuation of the Kildar saga. Not up to the rest of the series.
24. February 3rd: Analog SF, March 2013 by Dell Magazine Authors - $3.00 - 4/5 - 100pp
    A good selection of stories this month.
25. February 4th: Analog SF, April 2013 by Dell Magazine Authors - $3.00 - 4/5 - 100pp
    Another good selection of stories this month.
26. February 6th: Darkship Renegades by Sarah A. Hoyt - $2.75 - 4/5 - 400pp
    A good sequel, but I felt that some of the space stuff was poorly done.
27. February 8th: The Grey Horse by R A MacAvoy - $2.89 - 4/5 - 212pp
    A well-told tale of 1890s Ireland, with a touch of the supernatural.
28. February 9th: Sunset of the Gods by Steve White - $2.75 - 3/5 - 240pp
    Interesting, but I never felt involved with the characters.
29. February 10th: Ivory by Mike Resnick - $5.09 - 3.5/5 - 322pp
    An interesting set of linked incidents concerning a certain pair of tusks.
30. February 12th: Life of Pi by Yann Martel - $0.30 - 2/5 - 326pp
    The religion was dull, the adventure too fantastical, and the real-story conceit dull.
31. February 14th: Winter in Madrid C. J. Sansom - $0.30 - 4/5 - 200pp
    A very good historical drama set amid the events of the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War.
32. February 17th: Shadow of Freedom by David Weber - $3.60 - 5/5 - 448pp
    Moving the action on a bit. I would give it 4/5, but the evidence is that I read it quickly, and I am eagerly awaiting the next one!
33. February 18th: Assault on the Gods by Steve Goldin - $2.50 - 3/5 - 180pp
    A little bit dated, but quite fun.
34. February 19th: The Road of Danger by David Drake - $3.60 - 5/5 - 368pp
    Excellent, as usual. A good continuation of the RCN series.
35. February 20th: Honor's Paradox by P. C. Hodgell - $2.57 - 4/5 - 368pp
    Would probably be 5/5 if I'd read the previous books more recently.
36. February 22nd: Asimov's SF, April-May 2013 by Dell Magazine Authors - $6.00 - 4/5 - 200pp
    A slightly above average issue, with only one or two short stories I didn't like.
37. February 24th: Analog SFF, May 2013 by Dell Magazine Authors - $3.00 - 4/5 - 100pp
    Also slightly above average.
38. February 26th: A Few Good Men by Sarah A. Hoyt - $3.60 - 5/5 - 385pp
    An excellent continuation, from the viewpoint of a different character.
39. February 28th: Interzone #214, February 2008 by TTA Press authors- $3.40 - 4/5 - 100pp
    A good issue. I especially liked the last story, which and incidental interesting aliens.
40. March 2nd: Rising Sun by Robert Conroy - $3.75 - 2/5 - 352pp
    [Abandoned. I just can't get exciting about alternate recent history with no other SF or Fantasy element.]
41. March 2nd: The Iron Breed by Andre Norton - $2.75 - 3/5 - 448pp
    An omnibus of two unrelated novels, The Iron Cage and Breed to Come. Both have themes common in Norton's other books.
42. March 5th: Grantville Gazette #46 edited by Paula Goodlett - $4.50 - 5/5 - 400pp
    A better-than-average issue of the Grantville Gazette
43. March 6th: F&SF, March 2013 by Spilogale authors - $3.00 - 4/5 - 100pp
    A much better than average (for me) issue of F&SF
44. March 7th: Thebes of the Hundred Gates by Robert Silverberg - $2.99 - 4/5 - 144pp
    An interesting little time-travel tale.
45. March 7th: Starborne by Robert Silverberg - Free - 2/5 - 304pp
    I wasn't fond of the literary style of the story-telling, and we had at least three impossible things. A rather weak ending, too.
46. March 10th: The Harriers, Book One: War and Honor created by Gordon R Dickinson - $3.60 - 3/5 - 200pp
    OK. Nothing special, in terms of small-scale Mil SF
47. March 11th: The Masks of Time by Robert Silverberg - $2.99 - 2/5 - 256pp
    Dated. A little dull. A little too earnestly 'literary' for my taste.
48. March 13th: Prophecy by Tianna Xander - $2.98 - 1/5 - 238pp
    [Abandoned. It's a SF/Gods/Magic Romance without anything to recommend it.]
49. March 13th: Subterranean Scalzi Bundle by John Scalzi - $5.70 - 4/5 - 600pp
    I really enjoyed the fiction in this bundle.
50. March 15th: World of the Starwolves by Edmond Hamilton - $3.33 - 4/5 - 158pp
    A fun space-operaish adventure.
51. March 16th: Lens of the World by R. A. MacAvoy - $3.33 - $2.89 - 4.5/5 - 204pp
    I really liked it. Not your usual sort of fantasy adventure, and I liked the writing style.
52. March 20th: The Heretic by David Drake and Tony Daniel - $3.60 - 4/5 - 400pp
    Another world, another war. I'm surprised that there wasn't mention of an attempt at a direct approach.
53. March 22nd: Loot by Aaron Elkins - $1.36 - 5/5 - 312pp
    An excellent tale of WWII looted art treasures
54. March 24th: Rage of a Demon King by Raymond E. Feist - $5.64 - 4.5/5 - 312pp
    Good. Lots of action and it moves the story right along.
55. March 27th: Armlet by Ross Richdale - $2.22 - 1/5 - 159pp
    Bad plotting and devices and appalling use of SF terms. I'm surprised I finished it.
56. March 29th: Dog and Dragon by Dave Freer - $3.60 - 4/5 - 304pp
    I like the dragon and the dog's OK. A fun story.
57. March 31st: The Harriers, Book Two: Blood and War created by Gordon R Dickinson - $3.60 - 3/5 - 237pp
    One excellent story. The others not so much.
58. April 2nd: Asimov's SF, June 2013 by Dell Magazines - $3.00 - 4/5 - 100pp
    A good issue. I enjoyed all the longer stories and most of the short ones.
59. April 4th: Analog SFF, June 2013 by Dell Magazines - $3.00 - 5/5 - 100pp
    An excellent issue. I enjoyed all the stories and the other articles.
60. April 5th: Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton - $1.50 - 5++/5 - 332pp
    Wow. Excellent. As if Austen/Trollope/Heyer wrote about Dragons. loved it.
61. April 6th: Fire with Fire by Charles E. Gammon - $3.60 - 4/5 - 496pp
    Good. An interesting first novel in what looks like a Mil SF series.
62. April 9th: The Gods of War created by Christopher Stasheff - $3.60 - 3/5 - 320pp
    A series of short stores with a connecting narrative.
63. April 12th: The Labours of Hercules by Agatha Christie - $0.95 - 4/5 - 288pp
    Twelve short puzzles to test Poirot's "Little Grey Cells".
64. April 13th: Heechee Rendezvous by Frederick Pohl - $4.00 - 3.5/5 - 352pp
    I found the style of the story-telling a bit irritating, but overall I liked it.
65. April 15th: Shards of a Broken Crown by Raymond E. Feist - $5.64 - 4/5 - 512pp
    A good read, and concludes the SerpentWar Saga well.
66. April 16th: Austenland by Shannon Hale - $1.50 - 4/5 - 208pp
    A quick, fun read
67. April 17th: Guardian of Night by Tony Daniel - $3.60 - 4/5 - 352pp
    An enjoyable alien invasion space opera/mil sf.
68. April 19th: House of Steel by David Weber - $3.60 - 3/5 - 576pp
    An excellent novella, but I found most of the "fact" articles very dull.
69. April 21st: In Fire Forged by David Weber - $6.99 - 4/5 - 336pp
    Good stuff. Well, I skipped most of the last "technical" article on ship armour.
70. April 23rd: Portal by Eric Flint and Ryk E. Spoor - $3.60 - 3/5 - 432pp
    Fun, but somehow not completely engaging. Or perhaps I was tired.
71. April 25th: Moonsinger's Quest by Andre Norton - $3.60 - 3/5 - 432pp
    The first half was OK, but the second story dragged a bit. I just couldn't credit elves (& other 'supernaturals') in space.
72. May 3rd: Grantville Gazette #47 edited by Paula Goodlett - $4.50 - 3/5 - 400pp
    An OK issue. Nothing outstanding, and one story I found far too sentimental.
73. May 4th: A Glancing Light by Aaron Elkins - $1.36 - 4/5 - 230pp
    A quick and enjoyable mystery/adventure in the high-end art world.
74. May 5th: F&SF May/June 2013 edited by Gordon van Gelder - $3.00 - 2/5 - 200pp
    Not quite to my taste, either in the style or the subject of most of the stories.
75. May 7th: Asimov's Science Fiction, July 2013 - $3.00 - 3/5 - 100pp
    An OK issue. Nothing that stood out.
76. May 11th: Analog Science Fiction Science Fact, July/August 2013 - $3.00 - 3/5 - 200pp
    Also an OK issue.
77. May 15th: The Judas Pair by Jonathan Gash - $1.50 - 4/5 - 210pp
    A good start to the Lovejoy series, nce past the first scene.
78. May 17th: The Enchanter Reborn by L. Sprague de Camp et al. - $3.60 - 5/5 - 320pp
    A very good collection of stories about Harold Shea, the Incompleat Enchanter.
79. May 18th: The Land of Big Blue Apples by Don Wilcox - $3.60 - 2/5 - 100pp
    A pulp novella from 1946. Essentially rubbish.
80. May 19th: Pandora's Legions by Christopher Anvil - $3.00 - - 379pp

Books bought in 2013

• January (13): Feb 2013 Bundle (Necessity's Child, How Dark the World Became, The Ship Who Searched, Man-Kzin Wars XIII, Sixth Column, Keeper of the King), F&SF January-February 2013, Grantville Gazette #45., How Firm A Foundation, Asimov's SF February 2013, Asimov's SF March 2013, Analog SFF March 2013, Analog SFF April 2013
• February (24): Bundles Dec 2012 (Rising Sun, Darkship Renegades, Grantville Gazette VI, Honor's Paradox, Moonsinger's Quest, Crisis of Empire Book II: Cluster Command, Crisis of Empire Book III: The War Machine), Jan 2013 (Tiger by the Tail, Sunset of the Gods, The Iron Breed, Spellbound: Book II of the Grimnoir Chronicles, Cobra Gamble: Cobra War Book III, Crown of Empire), Mar 2013 (Guardian of Night, The Road of Danger, Shadow of Freedom, A Few Good Men, The Harriers Book One: Of War and Honor), Life of Pi, Winter in Madrid, 1227 QI Facts To Blow Your Socks Off, Assault on the Gods, Asimov's SF April/May 2013, Analog SFF May 2013
• March (12): April 2013 Bundle (The Heretic, Fire with Fire, Dog and Dragon, Blood and War, The Gods of War), Grantville Gazette #46, F&SF March-April 2013, Starborne (Free), Thebes of the Hundred Gates, The Masks of Time, Asimov's SF June 2013, Analog SFF June 2013
• April (8): May 2013 Bundle (Portal, House of Steel, Children of the Gates, World Divided, The Enhanter Reborn), Tooth and Claw, Austenland, In Fire Forged
• May (13): June 2013 Bundle (Burdens of the Dead, Eight Million Gods, Cobra Slave, Man-Kzin Wars 25th Anniversary Edition, Elfhome), Grantville Gazette #47, F&SF May-June 2013, Asimov's SF July 2013, Analog SFF July 2013, Lovejoy books 1-4

Spoiler:

• June (6): July 2013 Bundle (Beginnings, Noah's Boy, Wolf in Shadow, Constellation, Monster Hunter Legion, When Diplomacy Fails)
• July (10): August 2013 Bundle (Warbound, Pirates of the Timestream, Fire Season, Tour of Duty, Queen of Wands, Assignment in Eternity, Ice and Shadow, The Day the Magic Stopped), Grantville Gazette #48, F&SF July-August 2013
• August (0):
• September (2): Grantville Gazette #49, F&SF September-October 2013
• October (0):
• November (2): Grantville Gazette #50, F&SF November-December 2013
• December (0):

Analysis
TBR: 298
Books read: 78 (incl. 7 abandoned and 1 not from TBR pile)
Books otherwise removed from TBR pile: 2 (1 previously read, 1 misc. freebie)

Books removed from TBR pile: 79
Books added to TBR pile: 70 (including 1 free ebook)
Removed/Added: 1.13
Net reduction for 2013: 9

Non-free books read (or abandoned): 68
Total cost of books read: $226.58
Average cost of books read: $3.33

Non-free books bought: 70
Total cost of books bought: $209.12
Average cost of books bought: $2.99

(£ prices converted to $ prices at £1:$1.5)


Rating System:
0: Stinker! I almost certainly abandoned this one. I doubt that anyone would like it.

1: Bad. Not for me. I might even have abandoned it, but it's possible others might like it
2: Poor. Readable, but not to my taste.
3: Average. An OK read, but nothing special.
4: Good. An enjoyable read that kept my attention.
5: Excellent. Read it quickly, one of the best this year.

5++: Wow! How could I have missed this before now?



* Actually a 100% rebate purchase, but I'm counting it as 50% off.[/INDENT]

[Catlady]

Reserved.

[Dazrin]

After two experimentation years, I am going to up my page goal a little this year to 22,500 pages which is a better representation of the pages I have been able to read the last couple years.

This year I want to read less fantasy and therefore more of other genres since over the last two years about half of my reading (by pages) has been fantasy. I really feel like I should try to read some new or at least more diverse books/genres. It may slow me down a bit, but I should have enough material to be able to succeed. This will be a combination of book club reads, my own to-be-read list and whatever else I can find. I have a couple science fiction series that I want to return to that should also help (Honor Harrington, Shift/Silo series, Spinward Fringe). Hopefully my overall percentage of fantasy books can get down to ~40% from about 50%.

Status as of May 17:
Page Goal Status: 9,386 pages read, 30 books/short stories completed, on track for enough total pages.
Diversity Goal Status: Getting better.

2011/2012: 49.0% fantasy
2013: 14.5% fantasy
Overall: 43.1%

Current Book(s) and Upcoming Books: Bold indicates current book or books.

• The Man with Two Left Feet - P.G. Wodehouse - The first collection that has Jeeves in it. Will continue onto My Man Jeeves when this is done.

Completed books (in order of date finished):

Spoiler:

1. The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas - Ursula K. LeGuin - 1974 Hugo winning short story
2. Charon's Claw (Neverwinter 3) - R.A. Salvatore
3. A Memory of Light (Wheel of Time 14) - Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
4. 11/22/63 - Stephen King
5. Shift Omnibus (Silo 6, 7 and 8) - Hugh Howey
6. The Runner - WJ Davies - Silo fan fiction
7. Executable - Hugh Howey - From "The End: Visions of Apocalypse" short story anthology
8. Lockdown (Ryan Lock 1) - Sean Black
9. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell - From Overdrive through my local library
10. Confessions of a Las Vegas Motorcop - H. D. Justice
11. Fire and Ice (Liam Campbell 1) - Dana Stabenow
12. Second Star (Star Svensdotter 1) - Dana Stabenow
13. The Second Ship (The Rho Agenda 1) - Richard Phillips
14. Immune (The Rho Agenda 2) - Richard Phillips
15. Wormhole (The Rho Agenda 3) - Richard Phillips
16. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (SH 4) - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
17. The Hound of the Baskervilles (SH 5) - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
18. Jigsaw - Douglas Smith
19. The Moon is Green - Fritz Leiber
20. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi - Rudyard Kipling
21. EntreLeadership: 20 Years of Practical Business Wisdom from the Trenches - Dave Ramsey
22. Slow Life - Michael Swanwick - Hugo Award winning Novelette for 2003
23. Spinward Fringe Broadcast 5: Fracture - Randolph Lalonde
24. A Clean Kill in Tokyo (John Rain 1) - Barry Eisler
25. A Lonely Resurrection (John Rain 2) - Barry Eisler
26. The Finite Canvas - Brit Mandelo - Nebula Award Nominee 2012
27. Swift, Brutal Retaliation - Meghan McCarron - Nebula Award Nominee 2012
28. The Short Victorious War (HH3) - David Weber
29. The Big Sleep (Philip Marlowe 1) - Raymond Chandler - May book club selection
30. Farewell, My Lovely (Philip Marlowe 2) - Raymond Chandler
31. -

Progress Chart:

Other progress charts in the spoiler below.

Spoiler:

My up-to-date page reading stats and projection:

Spoiler:

Misc Stats:

(These charts may not always show, Google Docs appears to have some limits when sharing graphs.)