[pdurrant]

My challenge for 2014 is to spend, on average, no more than $40 on ebooks per month. That's a total of $480 for the year.

In 2010 I read ebooks costing a total of $512.48 and spent $231.90 on ebooks
In 2011 I read ebooks costing a total of $544.33 and spent $517.37 on ebooks
In 2012 I read ebooks costing a total of $504.27 and spent $311.60 on ebooks.
In 2013 I read ebooks costing a total of $546.20 and spent $702.54 on ebooks.

I hope that by restricting my spending I might bring my TBR pile under control, as it grew by over 70 ebooks in 2013.


In addition to the spending goal, I have a couple of subsidiary goals:

• To read all my unread bought books from 2003 and 2004 (that's not a typo)
• To read all the books I buy in 2014, unless doing so would mean reading a series out of order, or would mean reading a series too fast.

At the start of 2014, my TBR pile (as listed in my calibre database) was 800 books


Books read in 2014

1. January 1st: What Ho!, Automaton! by Chris Dolley - $1.49 - 4/5 - 143pp
   An enjoyable romp with steampunk versions of Jeeves and Wooster.
2. January 1st: Grantville Gazette #51 edited by Paula Goodlett - $4.50 - 3/5 - 164pp
   Some fun stories but nothing that raised it above average.
3. January 2nd: F&SF, Jan/Feb 2014 edited by Gordon van Gelder - $3.00 - 3/5 - 246pp
   Some I really liked, some I didn't like. Overall, average.
4. January 3nd: Analog SFF, Mar 2014 edited by Trevor Quachri - $3.00 - 3/5 - 179pp
   Again, some I liked, and some I didn't like so much. Average.
5. January 4th: Life After Life by Kate Atkinson - $1.49 - 2/5 - 435pp
   Interesting, and well-written, but an unsatisfactory ending spoiled it for me.
6. January 6th: Escape to Other Worlds with Science Fiction by Jo Walton - $0.56 - 2/5 - 20pp
   A few glimpses into her "Farthing" world, rather than a story.
7. January 6th: Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett - $1.49 - 4/5 - 333pp
   An average discworld novel, and so above the general average.
8. January 7th: The Colour of Magic/The Light Fantastic Graphic Novel by Terry Pratchett - Gift - 4/5 - 150pp
   An enjoyable conversion to graphic novel form
9. January 8th: Asimov's SF, Feb 2014 edited by Sheila Williams - $3.00 - 4/5 - 160pp
   A good issue with some excellent stories.
10. January 10th: Terra by Mitch Benn - Gift- 3/5 - 255pp
    OK, but felt allegorical to me, and too easy a resolution.
11. January 10th: The Forever Engine by Frank Chadwick - $4.50 - 5/5 - 340pp
    A splendid time-travel/steam-punk story, mainly set in a steam-punk 1888.
12. January 11th: The Incompleat Nifft by Michael Shea - $2.50 - 2/5 - 568pp
    [ABANDONED: I think I've read it before, and just not to my taste.]
13. January 11th: Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz - $1.49 - 2/5 - 132pp
    A little too much YA, for which read impossible with silly villains
14. January 12th: The Shadow of the Lion by Mecedes Lackey, Eric Flint and Dave Freer - $3.00 - 5/5 - 841pp
    That was an enjoyable romp. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
15. January 15th: Tea with the Black Dragon by R. A. MacAvoy - $6.98 - 4/5 - 333pp
    An enjoyable mystery/adventure, with excellent main characters.
16. January 16th: To Sail a Darkliing Sea by John Ringo - $4.50 - 4/5 - 339pp
    Good continuation of Ringo's "Zombie Apocalypse" series.
17. January 18th: This Rough Magic by Mercedes Lackey, Eric Flint & Dave Freer - $2.50 - 4/5 - 834pp
    An excellent continuation of the series starting with The Shadow of the Lion.
18. January 20th: The History of the English Speaking Peoples, Vol.1 by Sir Winston S Churchill - $1.49 - 4/5 - 416pp
    An interesting overview of the history of the British Isles from 55BCE to 1485CE
19. January 21st: Nothing edited by Jeremy Webb - Gift - 3/5 - 266pp
    An enjoyable collection of science essays
20. January 24th: A Hunger in the Soul by Mike Resnick - $3.51 - 3/5 - 165pp
    A good but slightly disturbing story of a man with an obsession
21. January 24th: The Harper's Quine by Pam McIntosh - $1.26 - 4/5 - 236pp
    A good historical murder mystery, set in 15th century Glasgow
22. January 25th: Blood Relations by A. L. Sirois - $4.25 - 2/5 - 185pp
    Too much going on, too many 'impossible' things, in need of editing.
23. January 28th: The Eagle and the Nightingale by Mercedes Lackey - $4.50 - 4/5 - 273pp
    Enjoyable, but a rather simplistic resolution.
24. January 29th: Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters - $1.26 - 5/5 - 235pp
    A splendid mystery set in Victorian Egypt. I'm looking forward to reading the rest.
25. January 29th: Fictionwise Anthology by James Patrick Kelley - $14.96 - 4/5 - 470pp
    A good range of his shorter fiction mainly from the 1990s
26. February 1st: Asimov's SF, March 2014 edited by Sheila Williams - $3.00 - 4/5 - 164pp
    An average issue, which is above the general average.
27. February 3rd: The Tower of Glass by Robert Silverberg - $1.79 - 2/5 - 163pp
    Unconvincing in every way.
28. February 3rd: The Unfinished Clue by Georgette Heyer - $1.80 - 5/5 - 210pp
    A delightful country house murder mystery
29. February 4th: Analog SFF, Apr 2014 edited by Trevor Quachri - $3.00 - 4/5 - 179pp
    A good serial (conclusion this issue), and the rest was good too.
30. February 7th: Twisting the Rope by R. A. MacAvoy - $5.58 - 5/5 - 459pp
    An excellent follow-up to the "Tea with the Black Dragon" fantasy mystery.
31. February 8th: Dragon's Eye by Christopher Stasheff - $4.50 - 3/5 - 203pp
    A good but not outstanding collection of Dragon stories.
32. February 10th: The Rackham Files by Dean Ing - $3.00 - 3/5 - 259pp
    Three different stories about one character. Would have been better re-worked as a cohesive novel.
33. February 11th: Carousel Sun by Sharon Lee - $4.50 - 4/5 - 305pp
    A good sequel to Carousel Tides, if sometimes a bit arbitrary.
34. February 12th: Elisabeth Waters Anthology by Elisabeth Waters et al. - $15.81 -4/5 - 377pp
    A good collection of short stories, both Darkover based and general fantasy.
35. February 14th: Murder in Ancient China by Robert van Gulik - Free - 4/5 - 30pp
    Two excellent short mystery stories. I'll shall add Judge Dee to my wish list.
36. February 14th: Sequences by Eliezer Yudkowsky - Free - 3/5 - 227pp
    Great ideas, but the version I had was badly organised and formatted.
37. February 16th: Lord Darcy by Randall Garrett - $3.00 - 5/5 - 539pp
    Excellent Magical Mystery. Well worth a re-read.
38. February 21st: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - Free - 2/5 - 821pp
    [ABANDONED]Too many historical errors for me to enjoy it.
39. February 23rd: Analog SFF, May 2014 edited by Trevor Quachri - $3.00 - 3/5 - 186pp
    Not quite up to the usual standard
40. February 24th: Asimov's SF, March/April 2014 edited by Sheila Williams - $6.00 - 4/5 - 276pp
    A good double issue with a lovely modern-day 'Doc Savage' ish story.
41. February 26th: Resurgence by Charles Sheffield - $2.50 - 4/5 - 316pp
    Good, but disappointing that it's the last one, with so much left to find out.
42. March 1st: Grantville Gazette #52 edited by Paula Goodlett - $4.50 - 3/5 - 192pp
    A very bitty story with a massive cast from Virginia DeMarco brought the issue down to average for me.
43. March 3rd: Changespell by Doranna Durgin - $2.24 - **** - 247pp
    An enjoyable light fantasy
44. March 4th: Hour of the Gremlins by Gordon R. Dickinson and Ben Bova - $2.14 - 2/5 - 544pp
    Three unrelated short novels. A bit too human supremicist for me.
45. March 6th: Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson - $0.00 - 5/5 - 281pp
    A wonderful new series in the Mistborn Universe
46. March 7th: F&SF, Mar/Apr 2014 edited by Gordon van Gelder - $3.00 - 4/5 - 252pp
    An above-average issue
47. March 9th: Night & Demons by David Drake - $3.60 - 4/5 - 482pp
    Expanded version of his excellent Balefires collection.
48. March 11th: Lazerwarz by Mark Shepherd - $2.14 - 3/5 - 210pp
    OK, but nothing special.
49. March 12th: International Kittens of Mystery by Chris Dolley - $0.30 - 1/5 - 48pp
    A cute idea, but it doesn't work for me.
50. March 12th: Medium Dead by Chris Dolley - $1.99 - 2/5 - 280pp
    Fun, but the underlying premise doesn't work for me - too many things to accept.
51. March 13th: Old Scores by Aaron Elkins - $1.36 - 4/5 - 204pp
    A most enjoyable murder/art mystery
52. March 14th: Lightspeed Magazine, March 2014 - $0.70 - 4/5 - 260pp
    A particularly good novella by Jo Walton, but not the only bright spot.
53. March 14th: Like a Mighty Army by David Weber - $1.97 - 3/5 - 752pp
    The Names! But despite those, I enjoyed it a lot.
54. March 17th: Waldo and Magic, Inc. by Robert A. Heinlein - $4.50 - 4/5 - 180pppp
    Well worth the re-read.
55. March 19th: Harry Potter and the Sun Source by Clell65619 - Free - 4/5 - 256pp
    A fun bit of HP fan fic
56. March 20th: Cauldron of Ghosts by David Weber and Eric Flint - $4.50 - 4/5 - 605pp
    A very enjoyable Honorverse. Not too many infodumps.
57. March 23rd: Climbing Olympus by Kevin J. Anderson - $1.96 - 3/5 - 301pp
    An OK tale of early terrforming/colonisation of Mars
58. March 25th: I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire by P N Elrod - $0.74 - 3/5 - 191ppp
    An unsatisfying Vampire tale overall, although good in bits. Perhaps the sequel will compete things
59. March 26th: Pittsburgh Backyard and Garden by Wen Spencer - Free - 5/5 - 63pp
    An excellent short story in the ElfHome series
60. March 26th: Balance Point by Robert Buettner - $4.50 - 4/5 - 298pp
    Very good conclusion to the trilogy.
61. March 27th Death in the Stocks by Georgette Heyer - $1.80 - 4/5 - 208pp
    An enjoyable murder mystery, although for character rather than the mystery.
62. March 28th: Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone - $0.35 - 5/5 - 291pp
    An excellent Fantasy Murder Mystery. Very satisfying.
63. March 30th: Asimov's SF, June 2014 edited by Sheila Williams - $3.00 3/5 - 173pp
    Below average (for Asimov's) edition for me. One steampunk I really didn't get on with.
64. April 1st: Analog SFF, June 2014 edition by Trevor Quachri - $3.00 - 4/5 - 185pp
    A good issue.
65. April 3rd: No Going Back by Mark L Van Name - $2.79 - 5/5 - 296pp
    An excellent continuation of the Jon and Lobo series.
66. April 4th: Reboots by Mercedes Lackey - $0.99 - 4/5 - 120pp
    An enjoyable supernaturals in space romp.
67. April 6th: Much Fall of Blood by Mercedes Lackey, Eric Flint and Dave Freer - $6.00 - 5/5 - 587pp
    An excellent continuation of the story.
68. April 9th: Reboots — Diabolical Streak by Mercedes Lackey & Cody Martin - $1.00 - 3/5 - 116pp
    Still fun, but seems to be lacking enough thought.
69. April 10th: Lightspeed Magazine, April 2014 - $0.70 - 4/5 - 252pp
    A good issue. I'm pleased I have the subscription.
70. April 12th: Hard Magic by Larry Correia - $3.53 - 5/5 - 383pp
    An excellent start for a new series. Alternate history with magic.
71. April 13th: The Toymaker by Raymond F Jones - $2.75 - 3/5 - 157pp
    Holds up remarkably well for 60-year-old SF
72. April 14th: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snickett - $1.49 - 3/5 - 84pp
    OK, but more 'just' a children's book than I'd hoped.
73. April 14th: Half a Crown by Jo Walton - $0.93 - 4/5 - 258pp
    Excellent alternate history.
74. April 15th: The Reptile Room by Lemony Snickett - Free - 3/5 - 101pp
    Much like the first.
75. April 16th: Burdens of the Dead by Mercedes Lackey, Eric Flint and Dave Freer - $2.57 - 5/5 - 410pp
    Excellent. I'm looking forward to the next instalment, whenever it arrives.
76. April 17th: Regency Buck by Georgette Heyer - $1.80 - 4/5 - 336pp
    A delightful regency romance.
77. April 18th: The Sea Without a Shore by David Drake - $2.81 - 5/5 - 351pp
    An excellent adventure, as usual.
78. April 19th: The Complete Lythande by Marion Zimmer Bradley - $3.49 - 4/5 - 283pp
    An entertaining set of stories
79. April 21st: Grand Central Arena by Ryk Spoor - $2.87 - 5/5 - 504pp
    Excellent SF with the vision of grand space opera.
80. April 23rd: For Richer, For Poorer: A Love Affair with Poker - $1.49 - 5/5 - 290pp
    An absolutely splendid autobiography about poker playing
81. April 25th: A Liaden Universe® Constellation: Volume Two by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller - $4.50 - 5/5 - 387pp
    Excellent as usual, filling in minor characters' stories around the main events.
82. April 26th: Mrs McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie - $0.95 - 5/5 - 210pp
    Intriguing Hercule Poirot mystery.
83. April 27th: Cobra Guardian by Timothy Zahn - $0.78 - 3/5 - 270pp
    A good continuation of the story
84. April 29th: Cobra Gamble by Timothy Zahn - $2.00 - 3/5 - 275pp
    Another good continuation, leading to a reasonable pause before the next series
85. April 30th: F&SF, May/Jun 2014 edited by Gordon van Gelder - $3.00 - 4/5 - 247pp
    Two excellent 'continuing' stories save the issue.
86. April 30th: The Limpopo Academy Of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith - $3.38 - 5/5 - 202pp
    Wonderful, as usual.
87. May 1st: Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams - $0.74 - 3/5 - 227pp
    OK, with some splendid ideas, but not as good as I'd hoped.
88. May 3rd: The Warlock In Spite of Himself by Christopher Stasheff - Free - 3/5 - 281pp
    Enjoyable, but showing its age a little.
89. May 4th: Grantville Gazette #53 edited by Paula Goodlett - $4.50 - 4/5 - 201pp
    Some good continuing stories, only one I wasn't fond of, overall very good.
90. May 5th: Renaissance by Raymond F. Jones - $2.75 - 3/5 - 223pp
    Interesting, not too dated, but the plot wasn't brilliant
91. May 6th: Lightspeed Magazine, May 2014 - $0.70 - 4/5 - 271pp
    A very good collection of stories. Most enjoyable.
92. May 8th: An Unsafe Pair of Hands by Chris Dolley - $1.99 - 5/5 - 318pp
    An excellent Police/Murder/Mystery story.
93. May 9th: Spheres of Influence by Ryk Spoor - $4.50 - 5/5 - 445pp
    Excellent second volume in the new Grand Central Arena series.
94. May 10th: The Good, The Bad and the Undead by Kim Harrison - $2.99 - 3/5 - 371pp
    I'm finding it hard to suspend disbelief. Too many things don't ring true.
95. May 13th: The Grail Tree by Jonathan Gash - $1.49 - 3/5 - 195pp
    OK, but the 1970s attitudes grate a bit.
96. May 14th: Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson - $4.86 - 5/5 - 314pp
    Excellent, a very enjoyable read with interesting ideas and characters.
97. May 15th: Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb - $1.49 - 4/5 - 399pp
    A good start to a coming-of-age tale in a magic/psychical fantasy.
98. May 16th: The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Stories edited by Mike Ashley - $1.49 - 3/5 - 481pp
    A wide variety of time travel stories, as advertised.
99. May 19th: 1636: Commander Cantrell in the West Indies by Eric Flint and Charles Gannon - $2.81 - 4/5 - 614pp
    Good, but not quite as good as some of the Grantville novels
100. May 22nd: Analog SFF, July-August 2014 edited by Trevor Quachri - $6.00 - 4/5 - 308pp
     A solid collection of stories.
101. May 25th: Asimov's SF, July 2014, edited by Sheila Williams - $3.00 - 4/5 - 168pp
     Also a good issue.
102. May 26th: The Sea of Time by P C Hodgell - $2.52 - 4/5 - 336pp
     Good, but an oddly short ending chapter.
103. May 28th: A Dangereous Talent by Aaron and Charlotte Elkins - $1.49 - 4/5 - 280pp
     An enjoyable art-based murder mystery
104. May 29th: Back to the Moon by Travis S. Taylor and Les Johnson - $1.97 - 3/5 - 280pp
     Near-future SF/race to the moon.
105. May 30th: Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb - $1.49 - 5/5 - 619pp
     An excellent continuation of the story.
106. June 2nd: LightSpeed #49 edited by Christie Yant - $1.66 - 4/5 - 544pp
     Women Destroy SF! issue
107. June 6th: Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb - $1.49 - 5/5 - 771pp
     An excellent conclusion to the trilogy
108. June 10th: The Mammoth Book of Mind-Blowing SF by Mike Ashley - $1.49 - 4/5 - 491pp
     An excellent collection of 'sense of wonder' SF stories.
109. June 12th: Asimov's SF, August 2014 edited by Sheila Williams - $3.00 - 5/5 - 167pp
     An excellent set of stories I can't fault this issue.
110. June 13th: Heart's Fire by Sarah A Hoyt - Free - 4/5 - 17pp
     A delightful little fantasy romance.
111. June 13th: Ralph 124C 41+ by Hugo Gernsback - $2.89 - 2/5 - 309pp
     Very dated and clunky, but fascinating.
112. June 15th: Analog SFF, September 2014 edited by Trevor Quachri - $3.00 - 3/5 - 185pp
     An OK issue. One story was in a tense I really hate. "You are..." etc.
     
113. June 17th: The Long War Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter - $1.02 - 4/5 - 392pp
     Good, but it seems almost a prelude to the next book.
114. June 20th: Ghosts of Time by Steve White - $2.52 - 3/5 - 260pp
     Enjoyable, but I'm not involved with the characters.
115. June 20th: The Nicholas Feast by Pat McIntosh - $1.26 - 4/5 - 238pp
     A nice mystery, spoiled a little by some unecessary psychic/supernatural stuff.
116. June 23rd: Crown of Renewal by Elizabeth Moon - $3.00 - 4/5 - 478pp
     A pretty satisfying conclusion to the series.
117. June 26th: Knight Moves by Walter Jon Williams - $0.74 - 3/5 - 247pp
     OK, but not outstanding. 800-year old man viewpoint is hard
118. June 27th: Monster Hunter Nemesis by Larry Correira - $2.81 - 4/5 - 337pp
     A good continuation of the Monster Hunter series
119. June 28th: A Rare Benedictine by Ellis Peters - Free - 5/5 - 128pp
     Three delightful short stories of Cadfael before we first met him.
120. June 29th: Ninety Percent of Everything by James Patrick Kelly, John Kessel & Jonathan Lethem - $1.76 - 3/5 - 62pp
     A pleasant little novella. Sturgeon's Law, of course. :)
121. June 30th: The Fish Merchant by Tobias S. Buckell - Free - 4/5 - 16pp
     A very good short story
122. June 30th: The Spartacus File by Lawrence Watt-Evans - $5.81 - 4/5 - 351pp
     A very good SF/Dystopia/Revolution novel indeed.
123. June 30th: Every Which Way But Dead by Kim Harrison - $1.49 - 3/5 - 439pp
     OK, but I'm not interested enough to continue the series.
124. July 3rd: GrantVille Gazette #54, edited by Paula Goodlett - $4.50 - 3/5 - 195pp
     One story was much too bitty, making it very hard to follow.
125. July 4th: F&SF, Jul/Aug 2014 guest edited by C. C. Finlay - $3.00 - 3/5 - 251pp
     Good SF/Fantasy mix but a bit sad/dark for me
126. July 6th: Lightspeed Magazine, July 2014, edited by John Joseph Adams - $0.54 - 4/5 - 257pp
     A good mix. I'm pleased with my subscription.
127. July 7th: Rescue Mode by Ben Bova and Les Johnson - $2.81 - 3/5 - 391pp
     A fun journey to Mars adventure.
128. July 8th: The Light of Other Days by Arthur C Clarke and Stephen Baxter - $1.47 - 4/5 - 309pp
     An excellent near-future/deep time novel.
129. July 9th: The Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer - $1.80 - 4/5 - 222pp
     A delightful Regency romance.
130. July 10th: Time by Stephen Baxter - $1.47 - 4/5 - 406pp
     A good SF story of cosmic scope.
131. July 15th: The Do It With Mirrors by Agatha Christie - $0.95 - 3/5 - 169pp
     An enjoyable, but obvious, Miss Marple mystery
132. July 16th: Barrenlands by Doranna Durgin - Free - 3/5 - 694 pp
     A quick fantasy - I'm sure that page count is inflated by bad coding.
133. July 18th: Islands of Rage and Hope by John Ringo - $2.81 - 5/5 - 362pp
     Excellent.
134. July 19th: Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters - $1.26 - 4/5 - 289pp
     A good follow-up, looking forward to the rest.
135. July 21st: Neptune's Brood by Charles Stross - $2.99 - 5/5 - 306pp
     An excellent addition to the Saturn's Children universe
136. July 22nd: Don't Panic by Neil Gailman- Loan - 5/5 - 242pp
     Unmissable info about the creation of H2G2. Very good indeed.
137. July 23rd: Asimov's SF, September 2014 edited by Sheila Williams - $3.00 - 3/5 - 176pp
     I found one of the longer stories unreadable, but brought up to average by excellent shorter works.
138. July 23rd: Harvest Moon by Mercedes Lackey et al. - $3.18 - 5/5 - 240pp
     Three excellent Novellas. Very enjoyable fantasies.
139. July 24th: The Reluctant Swordsman by Dave Duncan - $0.25 - 4/5 - 293pp
     An enjoyable gods and swords fantasy
140. July 25th: Analog SFF, October 2014 edited by Trevor Quachri - $3.00 - 4/5 - 187pp
     An enjoyable issue
141. July 26th: All The Way to the Gallows by David Drake - $1.97 - 3/5 - 231pp
     OK, but humour isn't his forte IMO
142. July 26th: Waking in Dreamland by Jody Lynn Nye - $1.97 - 3/5 - 368pp
     OK, but the sequel, School of Light, was better.
143. July 27th: Extremis by Steve White and Charles E Gannon - $1.97 - 4/5 - 601pp
     Very good space opera.
144. July 29th: Selected Stories, Vol. 1 by Ursula K. LeGuin - $1.01 - 2/5 - 269pp
     Not to my taste - mostly literary shorts.
145. July 30th: Future Perfect by Nancy Kress - $0.60 - 4/5 - 205pp
     A very good set of nearish-future SF about gene modifications
146. August 1st: Space by Stephen Baxter - $1.47 - 3/5 - 482pp
     Fantastic vision, but I didn't care about anyone.
147. August 5th:Beyond the Doors of Death by Robert Silverberg and Damien Broderick - Free - 2/5 - 199pp
     A bit disappointing. A mismatch between the original and the sequel
148. August 6th: The Dragon Lord by David Drake - $1.97 - 3/5 - 203pp
     A good read, but nothing special. Two adventurers in Arthurian Britain.
149. July & August: Peanuts, 1973-1974 by Charles M Schultz - Gift - 5/5 - 323pp
     Timeless. Most enjoyable.
150. August 7th: What Makes This Book So Great by Jo Walton - $1.41 - 4/5 - 450pp
     A very interesting and enjoyable collection of essays.
151. August 11th: The Man Who Counted - loan - 4/5 - 244pp
     Delightful setting for mathematical problems, although the last wasn't perfect
152. August 11th: Lightspeed Magazine, August 2014, edited by John Joseph Adams - $0.54 - 4/5 - 257pp
     A very good issue.
153. August 12th: The Bloodline Feud by Charles Stross - $0.90 - 4/5 - 530pp
     Excellent "travel to alternate Earth" adventure.
154. August 15th: After the Funeral by Agatha Christie - $0.95 - 4/5 - 234pp
     Excellent Mystery. The clues were there!
155. August 16th: The Traders' War by Charles Stross - $0.90 - 4/5 - 595pp
     Lots of action in parallel world SF story, but ends on a cliffhanger
156. August 18th: Dinosaurs and a Dirigible by David Drake - $3.60 - 3/5 - 225pp
     An enjoyable set of time travel stories
157. August 19th: The Revolution Trade by Charles Stross - $0.90 - 4/5 - 545pp
     A reasonable stopping place in an interesting multiple worlds story.
158. August 21st: Cleopatra 7.2 by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough - $0.36 - 2/5 - 279pp
     I prefer not to have six different impossible things in my stories.
159. August 22nd: Legions of Space by Keith Laumer - $2.50 - 3/5 - 337pp
     OK, but not his best stuff
160. August 24th: Medics Wild by Darrell Bain - Free - 2/5 - 194pp
     An odd mix of humour and tragedy
161. August 27th: Into the Hinterlands by David Drake and John Lambshead - $1.97 - 3/5 - 356pp
     An OK space opera/Mil SF, but not as good as I'd hoped.
162. August 29th: Touched by the Gods by Lawrence Watt-Evans - $2.90 - 4/5 - 492pp
     A most enjoyable "chosen one" fantasy
163. August 31st: Analog SFF, Nov 2014 edited by Trevor Quachri - $3.00 - 4/5 - 191pp
     Another good issue.
164. September 2nd: Citadel by John Ringo - $1.97 - 4/5 - 360pp
     A most enjoyable space opera/fighting off the aliens adventure.
165. September 5th: Asimov's SF, October/November 2014 edited by Sheila Williams - $6.00 - 3/5 - 288pp
     A good collection of stories. I enjoyed most of them.
166. September 5th: Grantville Gazette #55 edited by Paula Goodlett - $4.50 - 3/5 - 178pp
     An OK issue, but the Virginia DeMarce piece was too bitty.
167. September 7th: F&SF, Sep/Oct 2014 edited by Gordon van Gelder - $3.00 - 3/5 - 241pp
     Another OK issue. Liked some, didn't hate any.
168. September 9th: The Hot Gate by John Ringo - $1.97 - 5/5 - 362pp
     A satisfying continuation of the Troy Rising series.
169. September 10th: Lightspeed Magazine, September 2014, edited by John Joseph Adams - $0.54 - 3/5 - 287pp
     I liked the shorter stories but not the big Novella, which dragged the rating down.
170. September 12th: First Action by G. Harry Stine - $3.06 - 1/5 - 485pp
     Abandoned. there might be a good story in there, but it's obscured by dreadful rubbish.
171. September 15th: The Savior by Tony Daniels and David Drake - $3.60 - 4/5 - 397pp
     An excellent conclusion.
172. September 17th: Wood Sprites by Wen Spencer - $3.60 - 5/5 - 417pp
     An excellent tale. Looking forward to the next installment.
173. September 19th: The Martian by Andy Weir - $3.00 - 5/5 - 384pp
     An excellent near/nearby future space travel adventure
174. September 20th: The Dracula Tape by Fred Saberhagen - $1.13 - 4/5 - 186pp
     A most enjoyable take on Bram Stoker's Dracula
175. September 22nd: The Holmes-Dracula File by Fred Saberhagen - $2.25 - 4/5 - 188pp
     It doesn't disappoint. Great fun.
176. September 23rd: My Real Children by Jo Walton - $2.52 - 5/5 - 258pp
     An excellent and moving story.
177. September 24th: The Cybernetic Brains by Raymond F. Jones - $3.40 - 2/5 - 128pp
     Outdated, simplistic, pessimistic, overtly political dystopian utopia.
178. September 25th: Fool's Errand by Robin Hobb - $1.49 - 5/5 - 552pp
     Great. Nice start to the trilogy, but with its own story.
179. September 28th: A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters - $0.89 - 4/5 - 212pp
     A well-told murder mystery.
180. September 30th: The Golden Fool by Robin Hobb - $1.49 - 4/5 - 580pp
     Very good, but more part two of three than second novel in a trilogy
181. October 2nd: Fantasy Magazine: Women Destroy Fantasy edited by Cat Rambo - $1.66 - 4/5 - 268pp
     A very good issue of new and reprint fantasy stories.
182. October 5th: Lightspeed Magazine #53 edited by John Joseph Adams - $0.54 - 3/5 - 291pp
     A good set of stories.
183. October 6th: A Call to Duty by David Weber and Timothy Zahn - $2.81 - 4/5 - 362pp
     A good start to a new series, but complete in itself.
184. October 7th: The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson - $0.75 - 4/5 - 286pp
     An enjoyable YA with an interesting magic system
185. October 9th: The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross - $2.99 - 4/5 - 309pp
     An enjoyable thriller in an occult secret service.
186. October 10th: Asimov's SF, December 2014 edited by Sheila Williams - $3.00 - 3/5 - 156pp
     OK, but nothing that really struck me.
187. October 12th: Analog SFF, December 2014 edited by Trevor Quachri - $3.00 - 4/5 - 185pp
     A good issue.
188. October 14th: The Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey - $1.97 - 3/5 - 313pp
     An entertaining fantasy romance.
189. October 15th: One Corpse Too Many by Ellis Peters - $1.49 - 4/5 - 243pp
     A splendid second novel in her Cadfael series.
190. October 15th: Turncoat by Aaron Elkins - $1.36 - 3/5 - 185pp
     An interesting stand-alone post-WWII mystery/thriller story
191. October 17th: Fool's Fate by Robin Hobb - $1.49 - 4/5 - 739pp
     An excellent conclusion.
192. October 19th: Origin by Stephen Baxter - $1.47 - 2/5 - 398pp
     Fascinating ideas, but not engaging
193. October 24th: The Mummy Case by Elizabeth Peters - $1.26 - 3/5 - 260pp
     An enjoyable caper, although I find the transcription of the child's speech irritating.
194. October 26th: Psychlone by Greg Bear - $1.49 - 2/5 - 510pp
     [ABANDONED - set up too horror-movie-ish for me. Just not interested.]
195. October 27th: The Forlorn by Dave Freer - $4.00 - 3/5 - 266pp
     An enjoyable coming-of-age/action/SF adventure. Andre Norton-y
196. October 28th: Nightmare Magazine: Women Destroy Horror edited by Ellen Datlow - $1.66 - 3/5 - 256pp
     Not really my thing, but some interesting stories.
197. October 30th: Hexes and Haunts by Nancy Fulda - $1.1.2 - 4/5 - 44pp
     A most enjoyable collection of five spooky tales.
198. October 30th: Two Serpents Rise by Max Gladstone - $2.97 - 5/5 - 316pp
     An excellent novel in the world first introduced in Three Parts Dead
199. October 31st: 1636: The Viennese Waltz by Paula Goodlett and Geog Huff - $2.81 - 5/5 - 361pp
     A splendid look at things from the Austro-Hungarian perspective.
200. November 2nd: Grantville Gazette #56 edited by Paula Goodlett - $4.50 - 3/5 - 187pp
     All good, except the deMarco story which suffers from bittiness
201. November 3rd: F&SF November 2014 edited by Gordon van Gelder - $3.00 - 4/5 - 249pp
202. November 5th: Lightspeed Magazine, November 2014, edited by John Joseph Adams - $0.54 - 4/5 - 262pp
     A really good issue
203. November 6th: The Man Who Murdered Himself by Nancy Fulda - Free - 4/5 - 16pp
     A very good short story.
204. November 6th: Moonbase One by Raymond F. Jones - $2.74 - 2/5 - 96pp
     A lightwieght YA about a moon colony. The plot has a poor foundation.
205. November 7th: A Pocketful of Rye by Agatha Christie - $5.99 - 4/5 - 225pp
     A good Miss Marple mystery
206. November 9th: Shining Steel by Lawrence Watt-Evans - $4.73 - 3/5 - 186pp
     A story of a 'lost' colony of religious fanatics
207. November 10th: The Mammoth Book of New Sherlock Holmes Adventures edited by Mike Ashley - $1.49 - 4/5 - 546pp
     An excellent and well organised collection of new stories
208. November 13th: Infinity Blade: Awakening by Brandon Sanderson - $0.75 - 3/5 - 102pp
209. November 14th: Infinity Blade: Redemption by Brandon Sanderson - $0.75 - 3/5 - 134pp
     Pretty good for a game tie-in, but not as good as his own backgrounds.
210. November 15th: Genus Homo by L. Sprague de Camp - $3.60 - 3/5 - 161pp
     Set in the far future, featuring some 1939 humans.
211. November 15th: Invasion by Mercedes Lackey - $1.97 - 3/5 - 388pp
     OK, but I'm not sure about bringing in God (although God not being omnibenevolent could work).
212. November 17th: The Year of the Warrior by Lars Walker - $4.00 - 3/5 - 441pp
     A very readable fantasy rendition of some Norse history of the late 990s.
213. November 19th: Behold, Here's Poison by Georgette Heyer - $1.80 - 3/5 - 208pp
     An enjoyable murder mystery
214. November 20th: Renegades of Time by Raymond F. Jones - $2.72 - 2/5 - 135pp
     A bit simplistic and with not much depth.
215. November 21st: Professor Jameson's Interstellar Adventures #1 by Neil R. Jones - $2.72 - 2/5 - 100pp
     Only interesting as historical SF
216. November 23rd: Realms of Light by Lawrence Watt-Evans - $3.86 - 4/5 - 184pp
     A very good sequel, and complete in itself.
217. November 25th: The Last Generation to Die by Carlos Hernandez - $3.57 - 1/5 - 87pp
     Awful. Interesting idea, but really badly done.
218. November 25th: An Infamous Army by Georgette Heyer - $2.00 - 3/5 - 373pp
     An odd amalgm of a history of the battle of Waterloo and a regency romance
219. November 29th: The First Misadventure of Fragger Sparks by Steven D. Fisher - $4.06 - 3/5 - 645pp
     An Interesting rip-van-winkle kind of tale
220. December 1st: Analog SFF, Jan-Feb 2015 edited by Trevor Quachri - $6.00 - 4/5 - 300pp
     A very good issue, with the return of some continuing stories
221. December 3rd: The Hall of Elders' Crossing by G. Norman Lippert - Free - 3/5 - 446pp
     OK, but not as good as my expectations.
222. December 4th: Asimov's SF, Jan 2015 edited by Sheila Williams - $3.00 - 4/5 - 170pp
     A very good issue, I liked all the stories.
223. December 6th: A Wicked Slice by Charlotte and Aaron Elkins - $3.75 - 4/5 - 158pp
     A very readable murder mystery set in the world of pro golf.
224. December 7th: Lightspeed Magazine, December 2014, edited by John Joseph Adams - $0.54 - 3/5 - 268pp
     An OK issue. The novella seemed to be just a mainstream story, which was odd.
225. December 11th: Monk's Hood by Ellis Peters - $1.49 - 4/5 - 185pp
     An enjoyable re-read, and an interesting murder mystery.
226. December 13th: Wingman by Mack Maloney - $0.25 - 1/5 - 317pp
     ABANDONED. Dreadful, improbable, info-dump laden near future (at time of writing).
227. December 13th: Freehold by William C. Dietz - $0.25 - 2/5 - 218pp
     Poor quality Mil SF with bad romance sub plot
228. December 15th: The Human Divisions Extras by John Scalzi - Free - 3/5 - 30pp
     OK, but not great, and adds nothing special
229. December 15th: Whom The Gods Love by Sarah A. Hoyt - Free - 4/5 - 25pp
     Very good post-trans human story
230. December 15th: The Big Ship and The Wise Old OWl by Sarah A. Hoyt - Free - 4/5 - 29pp
     Excellent generation ship story
231. December 15th: The Blood Like Wine by Sarah A. Hoyt - Free - 3/5 - 17pp
     OK Vampire story
232. December 15th: Children of the Wolf by Jane Yolen - $1.53 - 2/5 - 99pp
     A fictionalised account of real events in India in the 1920s.
233. December 17th: The Time of the Dark by Barbara Hambley - $0.25 - 4/5 - 291pp
     A good start to a parallel magical universe fantasy trilogy.
234. December 20th: Trial by Fire by Charles E Gannon - $2.52 - 3/5 - 631pp
     OK, but didn't really engage me.
235. December 26th: Relics of War by Lawrence Watt-Evans - $2.01 - 4/5 - 195pp
     A good tale from 20 years after the war.
236. December 28th: Strands of Sorrow by John Ringo - $2.81 - 4/5 - 320pp
     Not quite as good as the rest, but still good. A satisfying conclusion.
237. December 29th: The Aunt Paradox by Chris Dolley - $1.49 - 3/5 - 92pp
     A humorous time-travel adventure.
238. December 29th: Carousel Seas by Sharon Lee - $3.53 - 4/5 - 313pp
     A most enjoyable continuation of the story
239. December 31st: The Forever Girl by Alexander McCall Smith - $1.64 - - 272pp
     [Moved to 2015 list]

Gifts
The Colour of Magic/The Light Fantastic Graphic Novel, Terra, Nothing, Peanuts, 1973-1974
Loans
Don't Panic, The Man Who Counted


Books bought in 2014

• January (50/$84.41): Grantville Gazette #51, F&SF January 2014, Baen February 2014 Bundle (To Sail a Darkling Sea, Carousel Sun, The Eagle and the Nightingale, Dragon’s Eye), Escape to Other Worlds with Science Fiction, Raising Steam, Life After Life, The History of the English-Speaking People, Vol. 1, Analog SFF April 2014, Asimov's SF March 2014, 1st ten "Gil Cunningham" mysteries, Lovejoy 5,6&7, 19 "Amelia Peabody" mysteries, 6 "Vicky Bliss" mysteries.
• February (2/$9.00): Analog SF May 2014, Asimov's SFF April/May 2014
• March (92/$89.20): Grantville Gazette #52, F&SF March 2014, Baen April 2014 Bundle (Cauldron of Ghosts, Balance Point, Waldo & Magic, Inc., Between the Sea of Stars) + 48 from Kobo, 36 back-issues of Lightspeed Magazine from Kickstarter (including March 2014), Analog SFF June 2014, Asimov's SF June 2014
• April (9/$16.66): Lightspeed April 2014, No Going Back, Hard Magic, Reboots, Reboots:Diabolical Streak, The Sea Without a Shore, Grand Central Arena, Into the Hinterlands, For Richer, For Poorer: A Love Affair with Poker
• May (41/$61.94): Grantville Gazette #53, F&SF May 2014, Lightspeed May 2014, Sun Wolf & Starhawk Omnibus, 6 cookbooks, Children of the Wolf, The Magic Three of Solatia, Jeeves 1, Jeeves 2, Back To The Moon, 19 Dr Who Comic volumes, 1636:Commander Cantrell, The Sea of Time, Rescue Mode, Analog SFF July/August 2014, Asimov's July 2014, The Mammoth Book of Mindblowing SF, A Dangerous Talent
• June (11/$23.34): Lightspeed Special Editions June 2014, Asimov's SFF August 2014, Analog SFF September 2014, Monster Hunter Nemesis, Ghosts of Time, Crown of Renewal, Time, Space, Origin, Phase Space, The Light of Other Days
• July (22/$43.06): Grantville Gazette #54, F&SF July 2014, Lightspeed July 2014, The Reluctant Swordsman, Freehold, The Time of the Dark, Wingman, Islands of Rage and Hope, Trial by Fire, Invasion, The Death of Sleep, Into the Hinterlands, The Dragon Lord, Extremis, Citadel, Waking to Dreamland, The Fire Rose, The Hot Gate, All the Way to the Gallows, Analog SFF October 2014, Asimov's SF September 2014, Neptune's Brood
• August (20/$50.38): Lightspeed August 2014, The Savior, Wood Sprites, Fortunes of the Imperium, Dinosaurs and a Dirigible, Genus Homo, Infinity Blade: Awakening, Infinity Blade Redemption, The Rithmatist, The Dracula Tape, The Homes-Dracula File, Rabbi Small (Saturday, Sunday, Thursday, Tuesday), The Martian, My Real Children, Two Serpents Rise, Analog SFF November 2014, Asimov's SF October/November 2014
• September (24/$40.11):Grantville Gazette #55, F&SF September 2014, Lightspeed September 2014,A Call to Duty, all 20 Cadfael novels.
• October (7/$13.81): Lightspeed October 2014, Fantasy Special Edition, Horror Special Edition, Analog SFF December 2014, Asimov's SF December 2014, Hexes & Haunts, The Viennese Waltz
• November (5/$17.04): F&SF November 2014, Grantville Gazette #56, Lightspeed November 2014, Analog SFF January/February 2015, Asimov's SF January 2015
• December (12/$29.49): Lightspeed December 2015, A Wicked Slice, The Land of Ingary Trilogy, Friday The Rabbi Slept Late, Wednesday The Rabbi Got Wet, Strands of Sorrow, Relics of War, Carousel Seas, The Aunt Paradox, Analog SFF March 2015, Asimov's SF February 2015

Analysis
TBR: 750
Books read: 238 (including 20 freebies, 4 gifts, 2 loans)
Books otherwise removed from TBR pile: 131 (5 previously read, 1 dictionary, 6 cookbooks, 4 discarded, 22->1 Anthology, 33->1 Anthology, 50 Grafton/Evanovitch freebies, 1 duplicate, 1 freebie, 10 MZB titles discarded)

Books removed from TBR pile: 369
Books added to TBR pile: 319 (including 18 freebies, 4 gifts, 2 loans)
Removed/Added: 1.16
Net reduction for 2014: 50

Non-free books read (or abandoned): 212 (including 0 re-reads and 4 abandoned)
Total cost of books read: $540.92
Average cost of books read: $2.55

Non-free books bought: 295
Total cost of books bought: $478.44/$480
Average cost of books bought: $1.62

Unallocated budget: $1.56

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


Rating System:
1: Bad.
2: Poor. (Or just not to my taste.)
3: Satisfactory.
4: Good.
5: Excellent.

Pages are as given by the ADE algorithm in Calibre.