2017 books in review

In 2017 I reviewed 78 books and novellas. I read a couple of more novellas which I didn’t review and a bunch of short stories, too.
Genre-wise, I reviewed 2 steampunk books (which are listed as both sf and fantasy on Goodreads), 5 mysteries and thrillers, 1 non-fiction book, 34 science fiction books, and 37 fantasy books.

By author gender:
in steampunk 1 female author and 1 authored by a man and a woman
in thrillers/mysteries 1 male author and 4 females
in SF 15 males, 15 females, 2 authored by both a male and a female, 2 short story collections with both male and female authors. Includes 6 Star Trek: TNG and three Babylon 5 books.
in fantasy 11 males and 26 females

This outcome isn’t a surprise considering that I ended up listening almost all of Mercedes Lackey’s Five Hundred Kingdoms series, a bunch of SF books/novellas from Kristine Kathryn Rusch, and three books/novellas from Seanan McGuire.

I think this trend will continue because I’ve only read the first book in Marie Brennan’s Memoires of Lady Trent series (and I need some more dragons in my reading!) and I’m going to continue with Elizabeth Moon’s Vatta’s War series.

Reading challenges:
I took part in four challenges and completed them all.
Graphic novel challenge: originally, I aimed for the Modern age with 12. Ended up with 30 reviews.
Action heroine: originally aimed for 10. Ended up reviewing 31 books and comics.
Pick&mix: reviewed all 40 books.
Author, author: I chose four books from Brackett and four from Bear, and I reviewed them.
I also took part in Sci-fi experience, Vintage SF, and R.I.P. and reviewed at least 3 books for each.

On GoodReads my average score was 3,3 from 122 books, novellas, short stories, and comics that I graded in 2017. I gave only one book 5 stars (City of Blades by Robert Jackson Bennett). On the other hand, I gave 53 books and comics 4 stars, so I was very happy with most of my reading. 🙂 Only two comics received one star.

Overall, a good reading year!

 

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril XII

Yikes, time has gone by so quickly that I’m only now joining in R.I.P. XII:

Every September 1 through October 31 for the last 11 years Carl from Stainless Steel Droppings
has hosted the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril Challenge, affectionately known as the R.I.P. Challenge. Carl has been kind enough to entrust the event to us, Heather and Andi, from now on, and we hope to do him proud. We know all of you readers will!
The purpose of the R.I.P. Challenge is to enjoy books that could be classified as:
Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural.
The emphasis is never on the word challenge, instead it is about coming together as a community and embracing the autumnal mood, whether the weather is cooperative where you live or not.
There are two simple goals for the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril XII Challenge:
1. Have fun reading.
2. Share that fun with others.
As we do each and every year, there are multiple levels of participation (Perils) that allow you to be a part of R.I.P. XII without adding the burden of another commitment to your already busy lives. There is even a one book only option for those who feel that this sort of reading is not their cup of tea (or who have many other commitments) but want to participate all the same.

Well, I’m really late this year so I’m participating only in
Peril the Second:
Read two books of any length that you believe fit within the challenge categories.

The books I’ve chose are
Seanan McGuire’s new Toby Daye book The Brightest Fell
Kate Carlisle’s Homicide in Harcover.

This year, the challenge is hosted by Andi and Heather at Estella’s Revenge.

I’m such a huge reader of series that it’s very appropriate that one is the 11th book in the series and the other is a first one. 🙂
Happy reading!

Read:
1, Seanan McGuire: The Brightest Fell
2, Kate Carlisle: Homicide in Hardcover
3, Holly Evans: Infernal Ties

 

10th annual graphic novel and manga reading challenge

The 10th annual graphic novel and manga reading challenge has started and I’m joining it.

Please write a sign-up post on your blog and then sign-up below with a link to your specific sign-up post (NOT to your home page).

What counts: graphic novels, collected trade editions, manga, comic strip collections, comic books or combinations of text and bubbles all in the same book. In print or digital. Anything else you feel is suitable. My personal criteria is if it has either frames OR speech bubbles it counts. I’m not going to be the comic police but if you are unsure, ask me in the comments any given month.

You must write a review and link to it for it to count towards the challenge. Reviews may be posted on your blog or goodreads or similar places. Several reviews may be gathered and posted in one link on your blog, but each book must be linked back here in the monthly linkies to count. Come back every month to record your progress.

Here is how the Challenge plays out:

runs from Jan.1 – Dec. 31, 2017
Levels

Modern Age: read and review 12 books during the year (that’s only 1 book a month)
Bronze Age: read and review 24 books during the year (Can you handle 2 books a month.)
Silver Age: read and review 52 books during the year (Are you up to a book a week!)

Golden Age: read and review 104 books during the year (Are you addicted? 2 books a week!)

I’m joining at the Modern age level. Last year I managed to reach Bronze Age and I’m hoping to do the same this year. I’m going to start with Xena, Star Trek, and Star Wars collections.

Comics read:
1, Xena: Warrior Princess
2, Star Wars: Mara Jade: By the Emperor’s Hand
3, Star Trek: Deep Space 9: The Maquis
4, Mockingbird vol. 1: I can explain
5, Silk vol. 0: The Life and Times of Cindy Moon
6, Silk vol. 1: Sinister
7, Batman/Tarzan: Claws of the Cat-Woman
8, Secret Wars
9, X-Men: Years of Future Past
10, Age of Apocalypse: Warzones
11, Inferno: Warzones
12, Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps
13, Star Wars: Skywalker strikes vol. 1
14, Avengers: The Bride of Ultron
15, Guardians of Knowhere
16, Captain Marvel: Rise of the Alpha Flight
17, Future Imperfect: Warzones
18, The Mighty Thor vol. 2: Lords of Midgard
19, Buffy the Vampire Slayer omnibus vol. 1
20, Buffy the Vampire Slayer omnibus vol. 2
21, Wonder Woman: The True Amazon
22, Buffy the Vampire Slayer omnibus vol. 3
23, Infinity Gauntlet: Warzones
24, Birds of Prey
25, X-Tinction Agenda: Warzones
26, Secret Wars 2099
27, Marvel Platinum: the definitive Doctor Strange
28, DC Comics: Bombshells vol. 1: Enlisted
29, Astro City: vol. 6: the Dark Age, Book one: Brothers and other strangers
30,

 

Author! Author! reading challenge 2017

Worlds without end is hosting the Author! Author! reading challenge:

This challenge is for those wishing to delve further into a favorite author, or pursue a new discovery, by reading several books by a single author during 2017.

The “Experienced” reading level represents a commitment to read four books one author. As you move up the reading levels, each level should consist of another four books by that same author or four by another author. You can choose to read four, eight, twelve, or sixteen books by one author, or read four (or a multiple of four) by more than one author. For example, if you choose the “Virtuoso” reading level, you could choose sixteen books by C. J. Cherryh, or eight by Cherryh and eight by Frank Herbert, or four each by Cherryh, Herbert, Le Guin, and Gibson. Rereads of old favorites are also fair game for this challenge.

Reading multiple books by the same author within a fairly short timeframe can give you insights into that author’s themes, style, or obsessions not apparent from an individual book. Consider sharing your insights on the forum thread dedicated to this challenge!

Challenge Details
Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror
Challenge Span: January 2017 – December 2017

I have lots of authors I want to read more but I’m joining at first for Afficionado level with eight books, with four books from Elizabeth Bear and four from Leigh Brackett. Later, I could well end up adding more authors.

Books read:
1, Leigh Brackett: The Sword of Rhiannon
2, Leigh Brackett: The Ginger Star
3, Elizabeth Bear: Karen Memory
4, Leigh Brackett: the Hounds of Skaith
5, Leigh Brackett: the Reavers of Skaith
6, Elizabeth Bear: Range of Ghosts
7, Elizabeth Bear: Shattered Pillars
8, Elizabeth Bear: Steles of the Sky

 

Pick & Mix reading challenge 2017

I’m going to join the Pick & Mix reading challenge for this year, too, with the goal of 20.

For a while now I’ve wanted to read (or reread) Star Trek: TNG books. This year I’m going to go through some of my collection. I’m starting with the six part series Double Helix in which the crew of the Enterprise-D battles a disease which returns every year. Each book is set during a different TNG season. And that’s all I remember of the whole series.

In the spirit of Pick&Mix I’m also going to include other books which don’t fit into the other challenges I’m joining.

Books read:
1: John Gregory Betancourt: Infection
2, Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch: Vectors
3, Kristine Kathryn Rusch: the Falls
4, Emmi Itäranta: The Weaver/ The City of Woven Streets
5, Jim C. Hines: Unbound
6, Becky Chambers: A Closed and Common Orbit
7, Genevieve Cogman: The Masked City
8, Genevieve Cogman: The Burning Page
9, Diane Carey: Red Sector
10, Lois McMaster Bujold: Penric and the Shaman
11, Ada Palmer: Too Like the Lighting
12, Lois McMaster Bujold: Penric’s Mission
13, Jim C. Hines: Revisionary
14, John Vornholt: Quarantine
15, Peter David: Double or nothing
16, Michael Jan Friedman and Christie Golden: the First Virtue
17, Pierre Pevel: The Cardinal’s Blades
18, Mercedes Lackey: The Fairy Godmother
19, Michael Flynn: The January Dancer
20, Seanan McGuire: Reflections
21, N. K. Jemisin: The Fifth Season
22, N. K. Jemisin: The Obelisk Gate
23, Mercedes Lackey: One Good Knight
24, Charlie Jane Anders: All the Birds in the Sky
25, Elizabeth Moon: Trading in Danger
26, Lois Tilton: Accusations
27, John Vornholt: Blood Oath
28, Jordanna Max Brosky: Winter of the Gods
29, Jim Mortimore: Clark’s Law
30, Marie Brennan: A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent
31, Seanan McGuire: The Brightest Fell
32, Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris: Dawn’s Early Light
33, Mercedes Lackey: Fortune’s Fool
34, Mercedes Lackey: The Sleeping Beauty
35, Kristine Kathryn Rusch: the Runabout
36, Yoon Ha Yee: Ninefox Gambit
37, Carol Berg: Flesh and Spirit
38, Kristine Kathryn Rusch: Traitors
39, Kristine Kathryn Rusch: The Application of Hope
40, Lois McMaster Bujold: Mira’s Last Dance

 

Books read 2017

Challenges:
Action heroine (27) 31
Pick & Mix (40) 40
Author, author (2×4) 4, 4
graphic novels (24) 30
vintage (1) 4
sci-fi experience (1) 11

January
1, John Gregory Betancourt: Infection (p&m, sf exp)
2, Isaac Asimov: End of Eternity (vintage, sf exp)
3, Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch: Vectors (sf exp, p&m)
4, Leigh Brackett: The Sword of Rhiannon (vintage, author, sf exp)
5, Leigh Brackett: The Ginger Star (vintage, author, sf exp)
6, Kristine Kathryn Rusch: the Falls (p&m, sf exp)
7, Leigh Brackett ed.: The Best of Planet Stories #1 (vintage, scifi ex)
8, Emmi Itäranta: The Weaver/ The City of Woven Streets (p&m)

Comics
1, Xena: Warrior Princess (action heroine)
2, Star Wars: Mara Jade: By the Emperor’s Hand

January round-up

February
9, Jim C. Hines: Unbound (p&m)
10, Becky Chambers: A Closed and Common Orbit (p&m)
11, Genevieve Cogman: The Masked City (p&m)
12, Genevieve Cogman: The Burning Page (p&m)
13, Lois McMaster Bujold: Penric and the Shaman (p&m)
14, Diane Carey: Red Sector (p&m)

February round-up

March
15, Yoon Ha Yee: Ninefox Gambit
16, Ada Palmer: Too Like the Lighting (p&m)
17, Lois McMaster Bujold: Penric’s Mission (p&m)
18, Elizabeth Bear: Karen Memory (author)
19, Robert Jackson Bennett: City of Stairs
20, Jim C. Hines: Revisionary (p&m)

Comics
3, Mockingbird vol. 1: I can explain
4, Star Trek: Deep Space 9: The Maquis
5, Silk vol. 0: The Life and Times of Cindy Moon
6, Silk vol. 1: Sinister
7, Batman/Tarzan: Claws of the Cat-Woman

March round-up

April

21, Kerry Greenwood: Murder and Mendelssohn
22, Robert Jackson Bennett: City of Blades
23, Dan Koboldt: The Island Deception
24, Leigh Brackett: the Hounds of Skaith (author, author)
25, Leigh Brackett: the Reavers of Skaith (author, author)
26, John Vornholt: Quarantine (p&m)
27, Anthea Sharp: The Dark Realm

May

28, Peter David: Double or nothing (p&m)
29, Seanan McGuire: Indexing
30, Michael Jan Friedman and Christie Golden: the First Virtue (p&m)
31, Glenn Song: The Mechanical Bird: A Tale of Two Ladies
32, Pierre Pevel: The Cardinal’s Blades (p&m)
33, C. Hope Clark: Lowcountry Bribe
34, Peter O’Donnell: A Taste for Death

Comics
8, Secret Wars
9, X-Men: Years of Future Past
10, Age of Apocalypse: Warzones
11, Inferno: Warzones
12, Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps

May round-up

June
35, Mercedes Lackey: The Fairy Godmother (p&m)
36, Michael Flynn: The January Dancer (p&m)
37, Seanan McGuire: Reflections (p&m)
38, N. K. Jemisin: The Fifth Season (p&m)
39, C. T. Phipps: The Rules of Supervillainy

Comics
13, Star Wars: Skywalker strikes vol. 1
14, Avengers: The Bride of Ultron
15, Guardians of Knowhere
16, Captain Marvel: Rise of the Alpha Flight
17, Future Imperfect: Warzones

July

40, Seanan McGuire: Every Heart a Doorway
41, N. K. Jemisin: The Obelisk Gate (p&m)
42, Kij Johnson: The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe
43, Mercedes Lackey: One Good Knight (p&m)
44, Charlie Jane Anders: All the Birds in the Sky (p&m)
45, Lois Tilton: Accusations

Comics
18, The Mighty Thor vol. 2: Lords of Midgard
19, Buffy the Vampire Slayer omnibus vol. 1
20, Buffy the Vampire Slayer omnibus vol. 2
21, Wonder Woman: The True Amazon

July round-up

August
46, Elizabeth Moon: Trading in Danger (p&m)
47, Dean F. Wilson: Coilhunter
48, Hope Nicholson: the Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwomen
49, John Vornholt: Blood Oath (p&m)
50, Bill Hargenrader: Mars Journey: Call to Action
51, Jordanna Max Brosky: Winter of the Gods (p&m)
52, Jim Mortimore: Clark’s Law (p&m)
53, D.M. Pruden: Ares Weapon

Comics
22, Buffy the Vampire Slayer omnibus vol. 3
23, Infinity Gauntlet: Warzones
24, Birds of Prey

September
54, Michael Buckley: The Fairy-Tale Detectives
55, X-Files: Cold Cases
56, Drew Hayes: NPCs</a
57, Judith Tarr: King and Goddess
58, John Helfers ed.: Fiction River: How to Save the World
59, Marie Brennan: A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent (p&m)

Comics
25, X-Tinction Agenda: Warzones
26, Secret Wars 2099
27, Marvel Platinum: the definitive Doctor Strange
28, DC Comics: Bombshells vol. 1: Enlisted

October
60, Karl K. Gallagher: Torchship Captain
61, Seanan McGuire: The Brightest Fell (p&m, rip)
62, Kimberli A. Bindschatel: Operation Tropical Affair
63, Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris: Dawn’s Early Light (p&m)
64, Kate Carlisle: Homicide in Hardcover (rip)
65, Mercedes Lackey: Fortune’s Fool (p&m)
66, Holly Evans: Infernal Ties

November
67, Elizabeth Bear: Range of Ghosts (author, author)
68, Mercedes Lackey: The Sleeping Beauty (p&m)
69, S. C. Flynn: The Hidden Face
70, Kristine Kathryn Rusch: the Runabout /(p&m)
71, Kristine Kathryn Rusch: Traitors (p&m)
72, Kristine Kathryn Rusch: The Application of Hope (p&m)
73,Scott Warren: Vick’s Vultures

Comics
29, Astro City: vol. 6: the Dark Age, Book one: Brothers and other strangers

December
74, Lois McMaster Bujold: Mira’s Last Dance (p&m)
75, Greg Cox: Underworld (action heroine)
76, Alison Morton: Inceptio (action heroine)
77, Elizabeth Bear: Shattered Pillars (author)
78, Elizabeth Bear: Steles of the Sky (author)

Comics
30, Xena: All roads

 

Vintage Science Fiction month 2017

Andrea is hosting Vintage Science Fiction Month in January. I’m joining the fun with a batch of Leigh Brackett books.

Ok, so Vintage Month. The idea is to read (or watch or listen to) anything scifi / fantasy / spec fic / fantastika from 1979 or earlier. You can read a book, listen to an audio book, watch old movies or TV shows. Then talk about it online. Or comment on someone else’s post online. Don’t have time to experience something Vintage-y in January? That’s OK too. If you comment on someone else’s Vintage post, guess what? You’re a participant in Vintage Month. Why 1979 you ask? It’s the year I was born.

My tbr:
The Ginger Star (1975), The Hounds of Skaith (1976), The Sword of Rhiannon (1953), The Reavers of Skaith (1976), and Planet Stories 1 (1975) where Brackett is the editor.

Happy reading, everyone!

Books read:
1, Isaac Asimov: End of Eternity
2, Leigh Brackett: The Sword of Rhiannon
3, Leigh Brackett: The Ginger Star
4, Leigh Brackett ed.: The Best of Planet Stories #1

 

2017 Sci-Fi Experience

Carl invites all of us to take part in his Sci-Fi experience:

The Sci-Fi Experience will hopefully give people an opportunity to:

a) Continue their love affair with science fiction
b) Return to science fiction after an absence, or
c) Experience for the first time just how exhilarating science fiction can be.

If you have ever wanted to give science fiction a try, or are already a fan of the genre and are looking for a group of kindred spirits, this is the event for you.

This is the most laid back of the events I host here. There are no challenges to meet, no limits to how little or much you can participate. You can read short stories, novels, comics, art books…anything with a science fictional bent. You can read nonfiction about space, space travel, other planets, etc. You can watch television shows, films, YouTube series. You can play video or table top games.

The event runs from start of December to end of January.

I’m gleefully joining again. I have a lot of SF books to read both on my on shelves and from libraries. I just finished watching the Expance at Netflix so I’m thinking of reading Leviathan Wakes by James R. A. Carey. But I have five Leigh Brackett books which I managed to recently acquire, Karen Wyle’s thoughtful near-future book Who, Ann Leckie’s Ancillery Justice, and many others.

The first books I’ll read for this event is likely Timothy Zahn’s Cobra and John David Krygelski’s Time Cursor. I’ve haven’t read anything from Krygelski and only Star Wars novels from Zahn but not his own fiction before.

Books read:
1, John David Krygelski: Time Cursor
2, Timothy Zahn: Cobra
3, Karen A. Wyle: Who: a novel of the near future
4, Roger Zelazny: Damnation Alley
5, John Gregory Betancourt: Infection
6, Isaac Asimov: End of Eternity
7, Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch: Vectors
8, Leigh Brackett: The Sword of Rhiannon
9, Star Wars: Mara Jade: By the Emperor’s Hand
10, Kristine Kathryn Rusch: the Falls
11, Leigh Brackett ed.: The Best of Planet Stories #1
12, Leigh Brackett: The Ginger Star