Toast to the Professor, Books Read in 2013, and Visiting Deanna Raybourn's Blog

oin me on 3 December for a toast to Tolkien!

I shared a post over at Deanna Raybourn's blog the other day, all about how to kick start your writing!

And now... The annual Books Read Statistics!

Books read: 188, of which 124 were novels and kids' books (I count 'em all!), 21 were short stories, 13 were poems, and 30 were essay collections and comics and the Bathroom Reader, and so on.

This is compared to 142 novels and short stories in 2012 (plus poetry), 124 in 2011, 92 in 2010, 131 in 2009 and 101 in 2008. That's not counting the thousands of words written and read for writers' houseparties over at the Compuserve Books and Writers Forum, plus other forum writings, and magazines and newspapers, etc.


My average over 50 weeks, not counting the poems, is one more than the last couple of years, 3.5 books per week (or three books and two short stories). I think I read more non-fiction this year than usual.


Authors read: 88 (counting board books and poets and betas this year), compared to 105 in 2012, 89 in 2011, 63 in 2010, 57 in 2009 and 69 in 2008 (not counting anthologies). So a definite drop from last year. That happens when you reread a lot of favourite series...


Most Books by One Author is still Neil Gaiman with eight books, three short stories, two poems, a speech, and five Sandmans. Also nine by L. M. Montgomery (I reread the Anne of Green Gables series again), eight by Josephine Tey, and eight by Tolkien (including a poem; I'm rereading the twelve books of the History of Middle-earth). Also Brenda Novak, Stephen King, E. L. Konigsburg, and Budge Wilson (she's the author of the authorised prequel to Anne of Green Gables, and I realised how much I loved her MG The Best Worst Christmas Present Ever, so I got a bunch of her other books in that series from Abebooks).

Last year I read Tolkien and Stephen King, plus four Talli Roland books! The year before I reread The Lord of the Rings and the Silmarillion, Outlander, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and The Tales of Beedle the Bard (before seeing the last movie), and in 2010 I again reread L. M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series, including The Road To Yesterday. Rereads in 2009 included J. K. Rowling, Diana Gabaldon, and Agatha Christie.


Oldest book: This year it was Keats and Byron's poetry, plus The Count of Monte Cristo and, if you go by the stories themselves and not the publication date, Land of the Seal People by Duncan Williamson, which is a collection of retellings of ancient silkie stories from the Scottish islands. Along with a John Clare poem and an old song from the Shetlands that I read on Kate Davies' blog. Then there was the short story "Why, Of Course" by James Edmond Casey (published in 1912 in Top Notch Magazine), which was a sort-of-predictable-but-mostly-unsatisfying tale of a con artist.

Last year Cyrano de Bergerac and Voltaire were the oldest, and the oldest published books (not reprints) were the two anthologies, The Land of My Fathers - A Welsh Gift Book, and Princess Mary's Gift Book, both from 1914, including stories and poems by Arthur Conan Doyle, Kipling, etc. There was also Ah King by Somerset Maugham, Shakespeare in London by Marchette Chute, and Helena by Evelyn Waugh. In 2011 it was the 14th Century Book of Good Love by Archpriest Juan Ruiz, though the translation was only a hundred years old. After that, it was the chapter on the Earl of Rochester from Samuel Johnson's Lives of the Poets, and Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers, as well as P. G. Wodehouse. In 2010 it was the Earl of Rochester as well (and Perreault's fairy tales), plus Hours at the Glasgow Art Galleries by T. C. F. Brotchie, An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott and When the Going Was Good by Evelyn Waugh; in 2009, there was Shakespeare and a handful of books from pre-1950; in 2008, the oldest authors were Aesop and Pliny, but the oldest original book was by Dorothy L. Sayers, followed by John Fante and John Steinbeck.


Newest book: 37 this year, including some amazing short stories on the Cabinet of Curiosities site, and the 60th anniversary edition of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (with an introduction by Neil Gaiman).

I had 36 in 2012, including nine Forumites, 44 in 2011, and 13 in 2010 plus 10 new books by Forumites. In 2008 I had only two books, by Joanna Bourne and Marilynne Robinson. Many more in 2009, including books by kc dyer, Hélène Boudreau, Linda Gerber and Diana Gabaldon - Forumites all!

This year, Forumites have done it once again:
Voices of the Deep Forest by Ron Wodaski (poem)
Ramshackle Wisdom by Ron Wodaski (poem)
Real Mermaids Don't Need High Heels by Helene Boudreau
A Dangerous Fiction by Barbara Rogan
Quick Fix by Linda Grimes
In A Fix by Linda Grimes

New stories and poems by blogging buddies:
"The Dead Party" by Shah Wharton
Riven by Kait Nolan
Vampire Games by Tiffany Allee
"Masked Love" by Nicole Zoltack
Last Christmas by Talli Roland
Harwich, Essex, England by Glynis Smy (poem)


Stories/Authors I didn't like: Last year there were no books I actively disliked, but there were two I distinctly felt "meh" about: Before Versailles, and Inkheart. The year before that featured Jonathan Franzen, Philippa Gregory and Gillian Bagwell, and 2010 Libba Bray and Thomas Cobb. One author in 2009 (Ilyas Halil) and three authors (Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Ian McEwan and Ian Rankin) and one story ("Hairball" by Margaret Atwood) in 2008.

This year I only have two! I think I'm getting better at not forcing myself to slog through books I'm not instantly attracted to. The one book I didn't like, but finished, was Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. The one book I didn't like and didn't force myself to finish was Jenny Lawson's semi-autobiographical memoir. I explain a bit about why on the Forum (will add the links once the Forum's search function is reinstated).


Books that made me cry:
Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi
The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien (reread)
The Lay of Aoutrou and Itroun by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Year of Shadows by Claire Legrand
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb (skimming reread) (it's that last line ("Thayer, I saw her!" I yell. "I saw!") that gets me. Every. Single. Time.)

I'm thinking that this isn't a very accurate list, because I don't seem to have noted, when adding it to a list, whether a book made me cry or not. I'm sure I cried on rereading Rilla of Ingleside, but who knows? I'll have to remember to note this category throughout the year in 2014.

In 2012 I listed: Bag of Bones by Stephen King; Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury; The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman; All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque; The Fault In Our Stars by John Green; The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling (because of Krystal); and Lunatic Heroes by C. Anthony Martignetti (if you haven't yet, you have to listen to him reading the chapter The Swamp. Bullfrog.).

In 2011 (the first year of this category) I had many books that made me cry: The Scottish Prisoner, and Outlander, both by Diana Gabaldon, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling, and The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, all of which were rereads, but there was also Rowing in Eden by Barbara Rogan, The Only Alien on the Planet by Kristen Randle, This and That by Emily Carr, The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells, Dancing Through the Snow by Jean Little, Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay, The Day of the Pelican by Katherine Paterson, and Fifteen by Beverly Cleary.


Youngest books: Quite a few board books, just as in the last few years, including: two Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems; Chu's Day by Neil Gaiman; The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish by Neil Gaiman; The Dangerous Alphabet by Neil Gaiman; Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman; To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street by Dr Seuss; Who's A Pest? by Crosby Newell Bonsall; Star Trek Book of Opposites (board book); Alligator Baby by Robert Munsch; and Rainy Days with Bear by Maureen Hull (this one should appeal to writers!). Also quite a bit of YA and MG. Old favourites never leave you.


Fluff but Fun books: The year before I read Andy Capp, MAD, and an Archie, which was fewer than the past three years. Last year was even fewer than that, with only two issues of MAD. This year, I reread some more Andy Capp, the Far Side, and Uncle John's Bathroom Reader, the Music edition. Lots of interesting tidbits in that!


Books/Authors I'd recommend: Last year I recommended the books that made me cry, and the year before that I gave a shout out to Forumites, and to my old favourites, Tolkien et al. This year, I’d recommend (besides all Forumites and blogging buddies!), bearing in mind that this is not an exhaustive list, all of Josephine Tey and E. L. Konigsburg, plus:
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson (for general intriguingness)
The Reader Over Your Shoulder by Robert Graves and Alan Hodge (for writers)
A Calendar of Tales by Neil Gaiman (for storytelling)
The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks (for all-around strength of purpose)
Esio Trot by Roald Dahl (for the sweetness of it all)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (for the wonderfulness of it, and the fact that it's a wartime story)
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka (for the wonderful tone)
A Dangerous Fiction by Barbara Rogan (for the keep-you-on-your-toes mystery, and the characters)
the Elephant and Piggie series by Mo Willems (for the witty kid in all of us)


Shortest book: Last year I recommended the longest of the short pieces: The Space Between, a long novella by Diana Gabaldon. In 2011 the shortest was The Tales of Beedle the Bard, same as in 2008 and 2010, and The Object Lesson by Edward Gorey (besides the short stories, the youngest books, Andy Capp, Archie, and MAD). This year I read a lot more essays and short stories in general, so it's hard to single out just one.


Longest book: Every year there's a Tolkien or Gabaldon in there, and this year was no exception. All the others seem to be about the same length. Last year I had no long series that I could count as one book, so I decided to mention Neil Gaiman. This year I reread the Anne of Green Gables series, read all of Josephine Tey's books, and also read John Scalzi's wonderful Old Man's War series. Also some long Stephen King: Under the Dome; the uncut The Stand; and 11/22/63. I also read The Count of Monte Cristo. In French.


Research books: I had a hodgepodge in the last two years, including books on English history, poetry, Mediterranean flora, Ottoman history, and the Renaissance. This year's crop was just as varied, given that I was reading for Druid's Moon (contemporary paranormal romance), Captive of the Sea (15th Century historical romance), and Larksong (pre-WWI Canadian romance). Some of the novels I read (especially Forrester's) doubled as research. I loved Archaeology is Rubbish by Prof. Mick Aston and Tony Robinson. And I skimmed the following:
Medieval Civilisation by Jacques le Goff
The Great Explorers (Folio Society edition)
Parragon's Encyclopedia of Animals: a Family Reference Guide
Celtic Myths and Legends by Mike Dixon-Kennedy


Books from the 19th Century: Only one! Le Comte de Monte-Cristo par Alexandre Dumas. And a handful of poems. And the Grimm brothers' story "The Blue Light". Last year: The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley, plus poems by Longfellow and Browning, and "The Pit and the Pendulum" by Edgar Allan Poe. I must read more in this category.


Books from 1900-1960: Counting the short stories, I had a lot in 2012, including all the Tolkien, plus Christie, Sayers, Milne, Bradbury, Waugh, Chute, Maugham, Remarque, Chesterton, and Bodies and Souls (1950s Dell Paperback featuring crime stories by Agatha Christie, G. K. Chesterton, etc.).In 2011 there were only 12 novels and two short stories. Honourable mention went to The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson, which is all about growing up in a small midwestern US town in the 50s. There were 27 such books in 2010, 17 in 2009, and in 2008 this time period made up 1/4 of my list.

This year was no exception. Lots of Tolkien, all the Josephine Tey and L. M. Montgomery, plus:
Esio Trot by Roald Dahl (such a sweet love story!)
Poet's Pub by Eric Linklater (so much fun!)
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (reread)
To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street by Dr Seuss
The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis (reread)
"Four Fables for Our Time" by James Thurber (short story) (reread)
"You Should Have Seen the Mess" by Muriel Spark (short story) (reread)
"Ha'penny" by Alan Paton (short story) (reread)
The Screwtape Letters, Chapter 1 by C. S. Lewis (read by John Cleese) (reread)
"Why, Of Course" by James Edmond Casey (short story)
Acquainted With the Night by Robert Frost (poem)
Medieval Civilisation by Jacques le Goff
All My Life Before Me: the diary of C. S. Lewis (finally finished this one – I’ve been reading it in fits and starts for over 15 years!)
Stories in Words by C. S. Lewis
Emerson (bits and pieces of his essays on his travels through England and Scotland; read aloud to me)
The Reader Over Your Shoulder by Robert Graves and Alan Hodge


I also had two beta reads this year, two fewer than last year. And, here's the list of poems:
The Lay of Aoutrou and Itroun by J. R. R. Tolkien
On This Day I Complete My Thirty-sixth Year by Lord Byron
Acquainted With the Night by Robert Frost (read by Amanda Palmer)
muckle osla's flitting
Flitting by John Clare
Home by Neil Gaiman
the [backspace] merchants by Neil Gaiman
HAPPY is England! I could be content by John Keats (reread)
KEEN, fitful gusts are whisp'ring here and there by John Keats (reread)
Harwich, Essex, England by Glynis Smy
His Last Party by Michael Tolkien
Voices of the Deep Forest by Ron Wodaski
Ramshackle Wisdom by Ron Wodaski

And then there's the lovely Year Round Things To Do, which really doesn't fit into any category:

Finally, a category introduced this year as a result of comments from last year: Most Surprising Book.
Last year it was World War Z by Max Brooks. This year I'll list three: Poet's Pub by Eric Linklater (a fun, romantic romp through 1930s England), The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks (I was not expecting anything about this story. It's truly different), and Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith aka J. K. Rowling (I sort of wish I'd discovered the book before I knew it was her!).

Which surprising books have you read this year?

Happy New Year to all!

Here's the full, unedited list for 2013:
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien (reread)
Chu's Day by Neil Gaiman (reread)
Listen to My Trumpet by Mo Willems
Let’s Go For a Drive by Mo Willems
The Lemon Table by Julian Barnes
Poet's Pub by Linklater
You're a Riot Andy Capp by Smythe (reread)
The Blue Light by the Grimm brothers (short story)
Wicked Business by Janet Evanovich
Exploring J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit by Corey Olsen
The Reader Over Your Shoulder by Robert Graves and Alan Hodge
A Christmas Walk by Zan Marie Steadham (reread)
Interworld by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves
The Human Division by John Scalzi
Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi
The Last Colony by John Scalzi
Make Good Art by Neil Gaiman
Riven by Kait Nolan
The Final Sacrament by James Forrester
A Dream of You Sandman #5 by Neil Gaiman
Vampire Games by Tiffany Allee
The Lay of Aoutrou and Itroun by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire Legrand
Through the Smoke by Brenda Novak
Take Me Home for Christmas by Brenda Novak
Last Christmas by Talli Roland
secret beta read!
Masked Love by Nicole Zoltack
A Room Made of Windows by Eleanor Cameron
Year Round Things To Do
Margaret in the Middle by Bernice Thurman Hunter (reread)
Masked Love by Nicole Zoltack
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Clarence Goes to Town by Patricia Lauber
The Blooding of Jack Absolute by C. C. Humphreys
The Grey King by Susan Cooper (reread)
The Screwtape Letters, Chapter 1 by C. S. Lewis (read by John Cleese) (reread)
Why, Of Course by James Edmond Casey (short story, 1912 Top N
otch Magazine)
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka To Love and Be Wise by Josephine Tey
Ramshackle Wisdom by Ron Wodaski (poem)
The Year of Shadows by Claire Legrand
The Stand by Stephen King (uncut edition) (reread except for new bits)
The Girl in Room Fourteen by Carol Drinkwater
Under the Empyrean Sky by Chuck Wending
My Mother's Ghost by Margaret Buffie
Fortunately the Milk by Neil Gaiman
the [backspace] merchants by Neil Gaiman
His Last Party by Michael Tolkien
muckle osla's flitting (half a Shetland song from Kate Davies' blog)
Flitting by John Clare
Voices of the Deep Forest by Ron Wodaski (poem)
Still Life by Louise Penny
Andy Capp Man of the Hour by Smythe (reread)
Four Fables for Our Time by James Thurber (short story) (reread)
You Should Have Seen the Mess by Muriel Spark (short story) (reread)
Ha'penny by Alan Paton (short story) (reread)
Joyland by Stephen King
Land of the Seal People by Duncan Williamson
Singing Sands by Josephine Tey
The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey (reread)
Miss Pym Disposes by Josephine Tey
Knitwits by William Taylor
A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tey
Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey
Trucks by Stephen King (short story) (reread)
Stories in Words by C. S. Lewis
Sandman: Season of Mists by Neil Gaiman
Sinister Scenes by P. J. Bracegirdle
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (reread)
The Cuckoo's Calling by Galbraith/Rowling
T-backs, T-shirts, COAT and Suit by E. L. Konigsburg
A Dangerous Fiction by Barbara Rogan
The Return of the Shadow - Book 6 in the History of Middle Earth series by Christopher Tolkien and J R R Tolkien (reread)
Night at the Museum (our latest writers' houseparty)
When We Touch by Brenda Novak
Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things 1 by Cynthia Voigt (arc)
The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish by Neil Gaiman
The Dangerous Alphabet by Neil Gaiman
Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman
It's So Easy and other lies by Duff McKagan
The Blythes Are Quoted by L. M. Montgomery
Rilla of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery
Rainbow Valley by L. M. Montgomery
She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb (skimming reread)
Anne of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery
The Time of My Life by Cecelia Ahern
Anne's House of Dreams by L. M. Montgomery (reread)
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Under the Dome by Stephen King
Archaeology is Rubbish by Prof. Mick Aston and Tony Robinson
Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon (pre-publication booklet)
Just A Geek by Wil Wheaton
Anne of Windy Poplars by L. M. Montgomery (reread)
Anne of the Island by L. M. Montgomery (reread)
Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery (reread)
Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery (reread)
Harwich, Essex, England by Glynis Smy (poem)
Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson (prequel authorised by the L. M. Montgomery estate)
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (reread, but this one's the 60th anniversary edition with an introduction by Neil Gaiman)
Feminine Endings by Neil Gaiman (short story)
Home by Neil Gaiman (poem)
HAPPY is England! I could be content by John Keats (poem) (reread)
KEEN, fitful gusts are whisp’ring here and there by John Keats (poem) (reread)
The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks
Lorinda's Diary by Budge Wilson
Thirteen Never Changes by Budge Wilson
Mystery Lights at Blue Harbour by Budge Wilson
Home to Whiskey Creek by Brenda Novak
A House Far From Home by Budge Wilson
Breakdown by Budge Wilson
The Fall of Arthur by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Dead Party by Shah Wharton
To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street by Dr Seuss
Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson (half/skimmed)
Magic Tree House #6 by Mary Pope Osborne
Who Is Frances Rain? by Margaret Buffie (reread)
Blubber by Judy Blume
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (reread)
Esio Trot by Roald Dahl
Runaway by Bernice Therman Hunter
Magic Tree House #5 by Mary Pope Osborne
Magic Tree House #4 by Mary Pope Osborne
Who's A Pest? by Crosby Newell Bonsall
Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great by Judy Blume
Don't Look Down by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer
The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Silent to the Bone by E. L. Konigsburg
Sandman: Dream Country by Neil Gaiman
Acquainted With the Night by Robert Frost (poem) (read by Amanda Palmer)
Star Trek Book of Opposites (board book)
Alligator Baby by Robert Munsch
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (reread)
Poison by Bridget Zinn
Causeries: l'Etat Civil du Comte de Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (essay)
Le Comte de Monte-Cristo par Alexandre Dumas
About the B'nai Bagels by E. L. Konigsburg
Parragon's Encyclopedia of Animals a Family Reference Guide (skimmed)
Throwing Shadows by E. L. Konigsburg
The Devil on the Staircase by Joe Hill (short story)
Horns by Joe Hill
Altogether One at a Time by E. L. Konigsburg
Orders From Berlin by Simon Tolkien
The King of Diamonds by Simon Tolkien
Quick Fix by Linda Grimes (arc)
Jack Absolute by C. C. Humphreys
The Lost Road - Book 5 in the History of Middle Earth series by Christopher Tolkien and J R R Tolkien (reread)
The Roots of Betrayal by James Forrester
Leaf by Niggle by J. R. R. Tolkien (short story) (reread)
The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien (reread)
Sandman: Doll's House by Neil Gaiman
secret beta read!
An Easter Walk by Zan Marie Steadham (reread)
Celtic Myths and Legends by Mike Dixon-Kennedy (reread) (skimmed)
Rainy Days with Bear by Maureen Hull
Down to a Sunless Sea by Neil Gaiman (short story)
Sandman: Prologues and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman
Uncle John's Bathroom Reader, the Music edition
The Circus by Emma Trevayne (short story)
Ghost Stories of Canada (compilation) (read a few)
Red Shoes and Doll Parts by Claire Legrand (short story)
In A Fix by Linda Grimes
A Calendar of Tales by Neil Gaiman
It Came from the Far Side by Gary Larson
Boy O'Boy by Brian Doyle
Mary Ann Alice by Brian Doyle (so sweet! I wish there was a sequel)
The Man Who Loved Flowers by Stephen King (short story) (reread)
Night Surf by Stephen King (short story) (reread)
On This Day I Complete My Thirty-sixth Year by Lord Byron (poem)
11/22/63 by Stephen King (brilliant)
When Summer Comes by Brenda Novak
All My Life Before Me - the diary of C. S. Lewis (finally! after 15 years!)
The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey
The Cake Made Out of Teeth by Claire Legrand (short story)
Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey (wonderful!)
Real Mermaids Don't Need High Heels by Helene Boudreau (arc)
The Great Explorers (Folio Society edition) (skimmed)
The Shaping of Middle-Earth - Book 4 in the History of Middle Earth series by Christopher Tolkien and J R R Tolkien (reread)
Medieval Civilisation by Jacques le Goff (skimmed)
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson (sooo many questions!)
Highland Moonlight by Teresa J. Reasor (skimmed very fast)
Not So Funny When It Happened (a travel humour anthology; I read a few of the essays, specifically by Douglas Adams, Dave Barry, Bill Bryson, Anne Lamott, etc.)
Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper (reread)
Greenwitch by Susan Cooper (reread)
The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis (reread)
Emerson (bits and pieces of his essays on his travels through England and Scotland; read aloud to me)
The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams
Old Man's War by John Scalzi
The Cove by Ron Rash