“Deadline” has arrived

UPDATE: Add links and cover as I couldn’t do this from my phone — or I probably could, but couldn’t be bother to spend the time working out how to do it.

Was delighted to find at work today that the UPS guy had dropped off a package from my old address where it never would’ve reached me – because he’s awesome like that – and lo and behold it was a beautiful finished copy of Deadline by Mira Grant, the sequel to Feed which we’ve all been waiting for. Needless to say I’ll be reading it on my lunch break.

And for those waiting impatiently, be sure to check out Seanan McGuire’s blog, where every day this month leading up to the release of Deadline she has a post with a snippet.

When to Quit on a Book

It was interesting to discover that Nancy Pearl and I have something in common: we both know when to quit on a book.  In a recent article she wrote for The Globe and Mail, Pearl discussed her “Rule of 50,” which is one she has always employed when reading a book.  It is essentially that when she gets to page 50 she stops and decides whether she is still enjoying the book or not: if she is, she keeps reading; if she isn’t, she stops and gives up on the book and goes on to another.

I’ve developed pretty much the same rule over my years of reading and reviewing books.  It didn’t take me long to realize, and each year this “philosophy” is confirmed all the more: there are simply too many books in this world that I want to read, and more of them being published each and every month; also it’s not going to stop.  So over the years I’ve developed my own rule for starting a book: I’ll give it fifty pages to hook me and make me interested; if I’m not engrossed by that fiftieth page, I’ve got plenty more books to read, and in my opinion the author didn’t do their job, at least for what I was hoping to get out of the book.  Sometimes, if I’m mildly interested, I’ll give it a hundred pages and then decide.

I believe this is definitely a good practice to acquire and use when reading, and I encourage others to do it.  That way you’ll be wasting less time on reading something you’re not enjoying — just like wasting time on something else you don’t enjoy and don’t have to keep doing — and spending lots more time on reading books you want to read, and perhaps feel a little less like all this reading is hopeless, as you’ll never get to read everything you want.  This way at least, you stand a shot at it.

Books Read in 2010

And now it’s time for the annual round up of all the books, graphic novels, and audiobooks I read in 2010.  You can see past lists here: 2009, 2008 (PART 1, PART 2, PART 3), 2007, 2006, and 2005.

1 Death Masks Jim Butcher Fantasy Audiobook
2 Galileo’s Dream Kim Stanley Robinson Science Fiction
3 The Unwritten Volume 1 Mike Carey Graphic Novel
4 The Lost City of Z David Grann History
5 Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Seth Grahame-Smith Horror
6 The Stand: American Nightmares Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa Graphic Novel
7 Let the Right One In John Ajvide Lindqvist Horror
8 Altar of Eden James Rollins Thriller
9 Lightning Thief Rick Riordan Kids Audiobook
10 A Dark Matter Peter Straub Horror
11 Makers Cory Doctorow Science Fiction
12 Chew, Volume 1 John Layman Graphic Novel
13 The Splendid Magic of Penny Arcade Jerry Holkins, Mike Krahulik Graphic bio
14 A Local Habitation Seanan McGuire Fantasy
15 Burning Land Bernard Cornwell Historical Fiction
16 The Facts and Fictions of Minna Pratt Patricia MacLachlan Kids
17 Horns Joe Hill Horror
18 From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler E. L. Konigsburg Kids
19 Cat’s Claw Amber Benson Fantasy
20 Pleasure Model Christopher Rowley Science fiction
21 Alcestis Katharine Beutner Historical Fiction
22 Booth C. C. Colbert & Tanitoc Graphic Novel
23 Feed Seanan McGuire Horror
24 The 13th Hour Richard Doetsch Thriller
25 The Devil and Sherlock Holmes David Grann Collection
26 Hundred Thousand Kingdoms N. K. Jemisin Fantasy
27 Subterranean James Rollins Mystery
28 Fables Vol. 13 The Great Fables Crossover Bill Willingham Graphic Novel
29 Bodyworld Dash Shaw Graphic Novel
30 Peter & Max Bill Willingham Fantasy
31 The Popourrific Great Big Bag of Get Fuzzy Darby Conley Comic Strip
32 The History of the Medieval World Susan Wise Bauer History
33 Watch Robert J. Sawyer Science Fiction
34 Black Hills Dan Simmons Historical Fiction
35 I am Not a Serial Killer Dan Wells Horror
36 Northlanders Volume 3 Brian Wood Graphic Novel
37 The Name of the Wind Patrick Rothfuss Fantasy
38 Transmetropolitan Volume 1 Warren Ellis Graphic Novel
39 Under Heaven Guy Gavriel Kay Fantasy
40 Transmetropolitan Volume 2 Warren Ellis Graphic Novel
41 The Talisman: The Road of Trials Stephen King & Peter Straub Graphic Novel
42 Audrey’s Door Sarah Langan Horror
43 Reckless Andrew Gross Mystery
44 Blockade Billy Stephen King Mystery
45 Transmetropolitan Volume 3 Warren Ellis Graphic Novel
46 Blood Rites Jim Butcher Fantasy Audiobook
47 Transmetropolitan Volume 4 Warren Ellis Graphic Novel
48 Freedom Daniel Suarez Science Fiction
49 For the Win Cory Doctorow Young Adult
50 Warriors George R. R. Martin Anthology
51 One Bloody Thing After Another Joey Comeau Horror
52 Transmetropolitan Volume 5 Warren Ellis Graphic Novel
53 Transmetropolitan Volume 6 Warren Ellis Graphic Novel
54 Transmetropolitan Volume 7 Warren Ellis Graphic Novel
55 Transmetropolitan Volume 8 Warren Ellis Graphic Novel
56 Transmetropolitan Volume 9 Warren Ellis Graphic Novel
57 Transmetropolitan Volume 10 Warren Ellis Graphic Novel
58 Empires and Barbarians Peter Heather History
59 Neverland Douglas Clegg Horror
60 Deep Fathom James Rollins Mystery
61 Treasury of the Lost Litter Box Darby Conley Comic
62 Cro-Magnon Brian Fagan Anthropology
63 The Passage Justin Cronin Horror
64 Proven Guilty Jim Butcher Fantasy Audiobook
65 Flood Stephen Baxter Science Fiction
66 Ark Stephen Baxter Science Fiction
67 So Cold the River Michael Koryta Mystery
68 North by Northwestern Sig Hansen Biography
69 Little Brother Cory Doctorow Young Adult
70 Tongues of Serpents Naomi Novik Fantasy
71 Mockingjay Suzanne Collins Young Adult
72 Test William Sleator Middle Reader
73 Small Favor Jim Butcher Fantasy Audiobook
74 Cinderella: From Fabletown With Love Chris Roberson Graphic Novel
75 Mysterium Robert Charles Wilson Science Fiction
76 Turn Coat Jim Butcher Fantasy Audiobook
77 The Unwritten Vol 2: Inside Man Mike Carey Graphic Novel
78 The Chamber of Ten Christopher Golden Horror
79 The Grand Design Stephen Hawking Physics
80 Changes Jim Butcher Fantasy Audiobook
81 The Way of Kings Brandon Sanderson Fantasy
82 The Golden City John Twelve Hawks Science Fiction
83 Among the Ghosts Amber Benson Kids
84 An Artificial Night Seanan McGuire Fantasy
85 Handling the Undead John Ajvide Lindqvist Horror
86 Mr. Monster Dan Wells Mystery
87 Kraken China Mieville Fantasy Audiobook
88 Packing for Mars Mary Roach Astronomy
89 American Vampire Scott Snyder, Stephen King Graphic Novel
90 The Halloween Tree Ray Bradbury Children’s
91 The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Washington Irving Fiction
92 Johnny Halloween Norman Partridge Horror
93 Velocity Alan Jacobson Mystery
94 Luka and the Fire of Life Salman Rushdie Fiction
95 Amulet of Samarkand Graphic Novel Jonathan Stroud Graphic Novel
96 Bone Tall Tales Jeff Smith Graphic Novel
97 Broken Kingdoms N. J. Jemisin Fantasy
98 Full Dark, No Stars Stephen King Horror
99 Side Jobs Jim Butcher Fantasy
100 The Bards of Bone Plain Patricia A. McKillip Fantasy
101 The Fort Bernard Cornwell Fiction
102 Walking Dead1 Days Gone By Robert Kirkman Graphic Novel
103 Walking Dead 2 Miles Behind Us Robert Kirkman Graphic Novel
104 Walking Dead 3 Safety Behind Bars Robert Kirkman Graphic Novel
105 Walking Dead 4 Hearts Desire Robert Kirkman Graphic Novel
106 Walking Dead 5 The Best Defense Robert Kirkman Graphic Novel
107 Walking Dead 6 The Sorrowful Life Robert Kirkman Graphic Novel
109 Walking Dead 7 The Calm Before Robert Kirkman Graphic Novel
110 Walking Dead 8 Made to Suffer Robert Kirkman Graphic Novel
111 Walking Dead 9 Here We Remain Robert Kirkman Graphic Novel
112 Walking Dead 10 The Road Ahead Robert Kirkman Graphic Novel
113 Walking Dead 11 Fear the Hunters Robert Kirkman Graphic Novel
114 Walking Dead 12 Life Among Them Robert Kirkman Graphic Novel
115 Northlanders Vol 4: Plague Widow Brian Wood Graphic Novel
116 Emerald Storm Michael J. Sullivan Fantasy
117 Walking Dead 13 Too Far Gone Robert Kirkman Graphic Novel
118 A Christmas Carol Charles Dickens Fiction
119 Omnitopia Dawn Diane Duane Science Fiction
120 Fables Volume 14 Witches Bill Willingham Graphic Novel
121 The Chimes Charles Dickens Fiction
122 The Ring of Solomon Jonathan Stroud Kids
123 Sweet Tooth 2 In Captivity Jeff Lemire Graphic Novel
124 Tomten Astrid Lindgren Kids
125 A Game of Thrones George R. R. Martin Fantasy

A Halloween Post with Some Recommended Halloween Reads

It’s that time of year again — Hallowe’en — and this year I continue a tradition I started in 2007 where I read my personal favorite Halloween book: The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury.  Since ’07 I have built on the Halloween reading, adding some Edgar Allan Poe and whatever else I think my be fun and enjoyable and Halloweeny during the week leading up to the fated night.

This year I enjoyed:

“October in the Chair” by Neil Gaiman

“The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe

“The Pit and the Pendulum” by Edgar Allan Poe

“The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe

“The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe

“The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe

The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

And it seems like Neil Gaiman himself wants to do something similar with his modest proposal to have more days during the year where we give books as gifts, and proposes for Halloween to give scary books to people — kids or adults — as well as to read scary stories.  He even put up a quick website that will grow and build over the coming year in time for next Halloween.  On the site there’s a page of recommended articles with suggested Halloween reading from the Washington Post, Joe Hill’s blog, The Huffington Post, and How Stuff Works.

And here are some recommended reviews for books you might to read yourself or to each other this Halloween:

FOR KIDS (OR ADULTS) –

 

FOR ADULTS –

 

Another Great Serendipitous Crossover

In an earlier post, titled “Foiled Again,” I managed to get in a literary snag by reading two books at the same time about vampires.  Well, lo and behold, fate has struck me again.

I’m currently working my way through Cory Docotrow’s For the Win, a fun and entertaining book about massive multi-player online games such as World of Warcraft and the gold farmers and people who play them to make a profit.  And I also just finished up Daniel Suarez’s Freedom™, which is the sequel to Daemon, and all about a daemon being set loose through the internet and essentially bringing down the world.  A big part of Suarez’s novels involves MMOs and the people who play them.

Thankfully, while it was a little hard to keep the two vampire stories separate mentally, For the Win and Freedom™ are more two different sides to MMOs and the people who play them.

Foiled Again . . .

I’ve managed to do it again: read two books at the same time on a similar subject.  In this case, I’m currently reading Let the Right One in by John Ajvide Lindqvist and the forthcoming Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith.  Now don’t get me wrong, these are two good books that I’m enjoying to read, but they’re both on the subject of vampires.  And with something like vampires, each other has their own way of having vampires live and exist in the worlds they create, how they attack and defend themselves, and most importantly how they can be harmed or killed.  So I find myself starting to read and wondering for a moment, “Now, which vampires were these again?”  But it’s my own fault for doing this.

Oh well, I’m still enjoying both books a lot and I’ll get through it, and I’m sure they’ll be a time — perhaps even again this year — where the same thing will occur and the moons will align with the planets and I’ll be reading another two books on the same subject and be getting a little confused.

C’est la vie . . .

Top Eleven Books of the Last Decade

And here’s my roundup of the top ten eleven books that I liked most over the last ten years.  (Since I did a “top eleven” reads for 2009, I figured I’d stick with the same format for this list, plus again I was able to boil it down to eleven really good books.)  Now, I know I didn’t keep track of every book I read over the last ten years, but I did review a number of them, 275 of them to be exact — at least according to the reviews I still have.  I’m sure there were plenty that I read and didn’t review or perhaps even forgot that I read.

But enough blathering, here’s the Top Ten Books of the Last Decade (2000-2009) IMHO [reviews are linked]:

1. The Terror by Dan Simmons (2007)
2. World Without End by Ken Follett (2007)
3. The Little Book of Atheist Spirituality by Andre Compte-Sponville (2008)
4. The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins (2006)
5. The History of the Ancient World by Susan Wise Bauer (2007)
6. The Invisible Sex: Uncovering the True Roles of Women in Prehistory by J. M. Adovasio, Olga Soffer, and Jake Page (2007)
7. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (2008)
8. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (2007)
9. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon (2000)
10. Bonk by Mary Roach (2008)
11. Under the Banner of Heaven:A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer (2003)

Honorable Mention: Hyperion by Dan Simmons (1989), Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond (1997)

And there you have it.  Comments, opinions, and disagreements are always welcome!

BookBanter’s Top Eleven Books of 2009

As you can tell from my earlier post on all the books I’ve read this year, I read quite a variety of fiction and nonfiction in 2009. Usually I would do my top ten list, but this time I was able to whittle it down to eleven, which is just one over, and I really enjoyed all eleven books very much so (and many, unsurprisingly turned out to be books by authors I interviewed on BookBanter.  Gee, it’s almost like I intentionally pick authors to interview whose books I like; funny how that is.)  The review for each book is linked, just click on the title, and where possible, there’s the link to the BookBanter interview with the author.

So without further ado, here’s my Top Ten Eleven Books of 2009:

1. Drood by Dan Simmons (Episode 4)
2. Wake by Robert J. Sawyer (Episode 11)
3. Under the Dome by Stephen King
4. Agincourt by Bernard Cornwell (Episode 5)
5. Crush by Alan Jacobson (Episode 19)
6. Breathers by S. G. Browne (Review and interview appearing on a future episode of BookBanter.)
7. The End of Empire by Christopher Kelly
8. Booklife by Jeff VanderMeer (Episode 22)
9. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest (Review and interview appearing on a future episode of BookBanter.)
10. Death Troopers by Joe Schreiber (Episode 18)
11. Panama Fever by Matthew Parker

Honorable Mention: Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Hunger Games gets an honorable mention because while all the books mentioned above were published in 2009, Hunger Games wasn’t, but was still a truly incredible book and had it been published in 2009, it would’ve made it into the top three.

Coming up next: Since I’ve done a decent job of keeping track of what I’ve read over “most” of the last decade, especially the latter half, we’ll be having my Top Ten Reads of the Decade, from 2000-2009.

Books Read in 2009

And here’s the annual roundup of books read for the year, which I’ve been keeping track of since 2005.

List for 2005

List for 2006

List for 2007

List for 2008 Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

And here’s the list for 2009:

Number	Title	Author	Genre
1	Song of Kali	Dan Simmons	Horror
2	Buffy the Vampire Slayer 3: Wolves at the Gate	Joss Whedon	Graphic Novel
3	The Canterbury Tales	Geoffrey Chaucer	Fiction
4	Enchantress of Florence	Salman Rushdie	Fiction
5	Drood	Dan Simmons	Horror
6	Absolute Sandman	Neil Gaiman	Graphic Novel
7	Daemon	Daniel Suazez	Mystery
8	Wachmen	Alan Moore	Graphic Novel
9	The Somnamabulist	Jonathan Barnes	Science Fiction
10	Death’s Daughter	Amber Benson	Fantasy
11	The Black Mirror and Other Stories	Mike Mitchell	Scifi Anthology
12	I Saw You . . .	Edited by Juia Wertz	Graphic Novel
13	Summer of Night	Dan Simmons	Horror
14	Black Notice	Patricia Cornwell	Audiobook
15	Agincourt	Bernard Cornwelll	Historical Fiction
16	The Crown Cinspiracy	Michael J. Sullivan	Fantasy
17	Storm Front	Jim Butcher	Science Fiction
18	Lucy’s Legacy	Donald C. Johanson	Anthropology
19	Lamentation	Ken Scholes	Fantasy
20	Tales from Outer Suburbia	Shaun Tan	Graphic Novel
21	I Saw You . . .	Julia Wertz	Graphic Novel
22	Heroes of the Valley	Jonathan Stroud	Kids
23	Pride and Prejudice and Zombies	Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith	Horror
24	The Last Precinct	Patricia Cornwell	Audiobook
25	Jake Ransom and the Skull King’s Shadow	James Rollins	Kids
26	City of Thieves	David Benioff	Fiction
27	WWW: Wake	Robert J. Sawyer	Science Fiction
28	Vicious Circle	Mike Carey	Horror
29	Avempartha	Michael J. Sullivan	Fantasy
30	Long Walks, Last Flights and Other Strange Journey	Ken Scholes	Anthology
31	Doomsday Key	James Rollins	Mystery
32	Always Looking Up	Michael J. Fox	Biography
33	Our Story Begins	Tobias Wolff	Anthology
34	Star Trek: Countdown	Robert Orci	Graphic Novel
35	Cemetery Dance	Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child	Mystery
36	The Collected Works of Billy the Kid	Michael Ondaatje	Poetry
37	Fool Moon	Jim Butcher	Audiobook
38	The Gunslinger Born	Robin Furth	Graphic Novel
39	The Long Road Home	Robin Furth	Graphic Novel
40	Treachery	Robin Furth	Graphic Novel
41	The Strain	Guillermo del Toro	Horror
42	The Link	Colin Tudge	Anthropology
43	The Color of Earth	Kim Dong Hwa	Graphic Novel
44	Science Fiction Classics	H G. Wells, et. al	Graphic Novel
45	Alcatraz and the Evil Librarians	Brandon Sanderson	Kids
46	Road to Jerusalem	Jan Guillou	Historical Fiction
47	Summer Knight	Jim Butcher	Audiobook
48	Alcatraz and the Scrivener’s Bones	Brandon Sanderson	Kids
49	Panama Fever	Matthew Parker	Nonfiction
50	The Birthing House	Christopher Ransom	Horror
51	What’s Next	Max Brockman	Science
52	Dead Men’s Boots	Mike Carey	Horror
53	The Color of Water	Kim Dong Hwa	Graphic Novel
54	Binky the Space Cat	Ashley Spires	Graphic Novel
55	Cahokia	Timothy R. Pauketat	Anthropology
56	Hunger Games	Susan Collins	Young Adult
57	Flashforward	Robert J. Sawyer	Science Fiction
58	Rosemary and Rue	Seanan McGuire	Fantasy
59	Julian Comstock	Robert Charles Wilson	Fantasy
60	Color of Heaven	Kim Dong Hwa	Graphic Novel
61	Wireless	Charles Stross	Scifi Anthology
62	Hominids	Robert J. Sawyer	Audiobook
64	Her Fearful Symmetry	Audrey Niffenegger	Fiction
65	Humans	Robert J. Sawyer	Audiobook
66	Angel After the Fall Volume 2	Joss Whedon	Graphic Novel
67	Angel After the Fall Volume 3	Joss Whedon	Graphic Novel
68	Ball Peen Hammer	Adam Rapp	Graphic Novel
69	Green	Jay Lake	Fantasy
70	Frankenstein: Prodigal Son	Dean Koontz	Horror
71	Blood Born	Kathryn Fox	Mystery
72	The End of Empire	Christopher Kelly	History
73	Under the Dome	Stephen King	Horror
74	Inheritance of Rome	Chris Wickham	History
75	Hybrids	Robert J. Sawyer	Audiobook
76	Distant Early Warnings	Robert J. Sawyer	Science Fiction Anthology
77	Beowulf	Seamus Heaney	Audiobook
78	Beowulf	Seamus Heaney	History
79	Crush	Alan Jacobson	Mystery
80	Heat Wave	Richard Castle	Mystery
81	Booklife	Jeff Vandermeer	Writing
82	Death Troopers	Joe Schreiber	Horror
83	Calculating God	Robert J. Sawyer	Audiobook
84	No Doors, No Windows	Joe Schreiber	Horror
85	Fables 1: Legends in Exile	Bill Willingham	Graphic Novel
86	Fables 2: Animal Farm	Bill Willingham	Graphic Novel
87	Fables 3: Storybook Love	Bill Willingham	Graphic Novel
88	Fables 4: March of the Wooden Soldiers	Bill Willingham	Graphic Novel
89	Fables 5: The Mean Seasons	Bill Willingham	Graphic Novel
90	Fables 6: Homelands	Bill Willingham	Graphic Novel
91	Fables 7: Arabian Nights	Bill Willingham	Graphic Novel
92	Fables 8: Wolves	Bill Willingham	Graphic Novel
93	Fables 9: Sons of Empire	Bill Willingham	Graphic Novel
94	Fables 10: The Good Prince	Bill Willingham	Graphic Novel
95	Fables 11: War and Pieces	Bill Willingham	Graphic Novel
96	Fables 12: Dark Ages	Bill Willingham	Graphic Novel
97	Level 26	Anthony E. Zuiker	Horror
98	Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader	Neil Gaiman	Graphic Novel
99	Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia	Brandon Sanderson	Kids
100	Stephen Colbert’s Tek Jansen	John Layman	Graphic Novel
101	Flesh	Richard Laymon	Horror
102	Rollback	Robert J. Sawyer	Audiobook
103	Canticle	Ken Scholes	Fantasy
104	Leviathan	Scott Westerfeld	Young Adult
105	City of Night	Dean Koontz	Horror
106	The Waking: Dreams of the Dead	Thomas Randall	Young Adult
107	Dead and Alive	Dean Koontz	Horror
108	Catching Fire	Suzanne Collins	Young Adult
109	Last Night in Twisted River	John Irving	Fiction
110	Breathers	S. G. Browne	Horror
111	The Customer is Not Always Right	A. J. Adams	Humor
112	Boneshaker	Cherie Priest	Science Fiction
113	Stephen King The Stand: Captain Trips	Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa	Graphic Novel
114	A Christmas Carol	Charles Dickens	Fiction
115	The Greatest Show on Earth	Richard Dawkins	Biology
116	Nyphron Rising	Michael J. Sullivan	Fantasy