2014 in review

As I didn't post during the year, this is just a short summary of the books I read this year, and notes on what was the good, memorable, or just odd.

I delved into Elizabeth George, an English mystery writer whose long series featuring Inspector Lynley is very popular.  I had read a book here or there in the series, but thought this time that I would begin from book one, as the backgrounds of the characters in later books often seemed to assume the reader knew earlier events.  I did order the first seven in the series. and read those over the summer.  Meaning to go back after and order another batch, I got distracted and never did.  Something to look forward to, then, in 2015.  The mysteries themselves are not all that - perfectly serviceable, to be sure -- but the reason for these books is to explore the characters and trials of the police in their personal lives. 

I was disappointed in The Magicians, by Lev Grossman - a reworking of Harry Potter without most of the humor or clever inventions, and didn't think I would bother with the two following books.

On the other hand, The Expats by Chris Pavone did cover a married couple with secrets, somewhat in the vein of Gone Girl, but at least this one had some new twists and turns, and so I didn't feel as if the author was covering the same ground.  This one at least, was worth the time invested.

Finally, I did read an opinion of a respected author that Diana Wynne Jones wrote the best YA fantasy he had ever read.  It may have been colored by when he read it, because I can see that it would have appealed to me at 14, but not so much in my 50s.  I tried Dogsbody and A Tale of Time City - neither of them did much for me.

Starz television network began this year to make the Outlander books by Diana Gabaldon into a series.  Although neither of the actors look like my imagined version of Claire and Jamie, the series is beautifully made.  It caused me to go back to the novels over the last two months and re-read them all.  (I hear a new one will be released soon.) 

It was, in part, the large number of books I read again that kept me from reaching my goal of new books for this year.  I had a sadly small number of new books in 2014, missing my goal yet again.  I only read 34.

Perhaps I will have more opportunity in the new year.  I do have a stack of 14 books upon my shelf awaiting me.

2013 Summary

The final new book I read in 2013 was actually a collection of short stories that I read for my evening class on "The Hard-Boiled Detective". I thought it would be fun to take a course on fun fiction, and this course introduced me to a few new authors and some folks who also like to read. So I read, in full, The Mammoth Book of Private Eye Stories. That was book 55 for the year, so I did accomplish my goal to Read a Book a Week this year.

There wasn't much memorable this year in fiction. A good non-fiction read this year, however, was Going Clear by Lawrence Wright, an expose of Scientology's origins and practices. As one might suspect, it's a story of a massive con game, mixed with a level of intimidation that is frightening. Great that this was published, but I am sure it simply is not getting the attention that it should. One wonders how often the church tried to cover up or suppress knowledge of this book or coverage of it in the media.

Other books I read included Under the Dome by Stephen King, which I read because the book was adapted to the television show. I disliked the book enough to avoid the television show completely. Not that it was badly written, but because King shows people in all their ugliness.

Early Decision by Lacy Crawford was a book on admissions to university that I picked up because of professional interest. It is about a "coach" who helps students with their applications to elite universities. As with Admission, last year, it was an interesting background for a fairly traditional 'reexamine your life' story.

I have a few new books waiting on my shelf, but I actually am seeing out the old year and beginning the new by re-reading Shogun by James Clavell, an epic novel about Japan in the early 1600s. Ripe with culture, custom, love and war and politics, it is one of my favorite books.

Hoping for happy reading in the new year!