Top Reads in 2013

My current DayZero list does not include a specific goal for the number of books to read in a calendar year; I decided that my volume is fairly consistent from one year to the next (and I could use that goal slot for something else).  However, I enjoyed the opportunity to make a highlights list of my reading in the past years, so I am going to continue that practice.  Here are the titles that stuck with me in some way from the past year (in roughly the order that I completed them) ...

Fated by Benedict Jacka
A wonderful new find for urban fantasy, this is the first in a series set in London (one of my favorite cities).  The hero is an ordinary guy who just happens to be a wizard.  Creatures from fairy tales and myths move in and out of the stories - but never quite as the storybooks portrayed them.  Sound like Jim Butcher's Dresden novels, well, they are ... and they aren't - definitely worth a read if you like this genre.

What the Cat Saw by Carolyn Hart
I liked this one much less for the central mystery than for the skillful handling of the character of the cat.  How do our pets really see us as companions and do they grieve us when we are suddenly gone?

Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible by Tim Gunn
I'm not a person who wears the latest fashions.  In fact, my wardrobe - both at work and at home - was chosen more for comfort than to make any sort of statement but reading this title made me realize that I do have some strong opinions on fashion.  And, it had some helpful tips for how to chose clothes that help you feel comfortable while looking your best.

The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
I picked up this book because I saw that it was at the top of the bestseller lists in several European countries.  I liked it because of its frank acknowledgment of the fact that the elderly can still feel young inside.

Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
This book made me feel hope.

Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini
I never realized that Mary Todd Lincoln had her dresses made by a black ex-slave dressmaker.  This title gave a fascinating look into a well known period of American history from an unusual viewpoint.

Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carringer
This title is the first in a new young adult series by the author of the adult Soulless series and set in the same world.  If you've read the young adult "Gallager Girls" spy school series, imagine setting it into a steampunk world with vampires, werewolves, and many other interesting characters.

On Basilisk Station by David Weber
The first book in the Honor Harrington series ... I have been reading my way through this science fiction series since March - picking them up when my pile from the library dwindles.  They are based on the Forester novels of Horatio Hornblower.  I have been viewing them as an odd sort of comfort read - no matter how bad the political situation that I am dealing with, Honor is surely dealing with something worse!

Coronets and Steel by Sherwood Smith
This series is a light and easy wish fulfillment - a little fantasy, a little romance, and a secret (surprised) heiress to a tiny kingdom in Europe.

Moving Your Library by Steven Carl Fortriede
This book is not really of interest to a wide audience; however, I wanted to include it in this list.  My city will build a new library building this year, and I read over a dozen books in 2013 about library design, construction and various other related topics in preparation.  This one had the most concise and practical information of any of them.

Lady at the OK Corral by Ann Kirschner
I must admit that my main mental pictures of the famous shootout in Tombstone come from the movie starring Kurt Russell.  It was interesting to take a historical look at what happened from the view of the woman in his life (who was not his wife at that time) and what followed after.

I Could Pee on This and Other Poems by Cats by Francesco Marciuliano
I savored this little collection of poetry.  It was a Christmas gift, and I made it last all the way into summer by only allowing myself one tidbit at a time.  Sadly, my cat just couldn't understand why I would read something from it to him and then laugh hysterically; at times, he even seemed a bit affronted.  If you've lived with a cat, you will recognize these poems.

The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel
I've read The Right Stuff and several other biographies and histories about the men in the space race; this book looked at what the wives were experiencing in the background.  I cringe to think of the amount of pressure that the media put on those women.

William Shakespeare's Star Wars by Ian Doescher
Kudos to the author - what a successful mashup novel.  It has the plot and even some of the lines from "A New Hope" but reads exactly like a Shakespearean play. I'm plotting to try it as reader's theater!

Platypus Police Squad : the Frog who Croaked by Jarrett Krosoczka
My stand-out children's title for the year.  This was a fun mystery set in Sydney, Australia with the classic rookie/veteran cop pair ... they just happen to be platypuses.  A great way to introduce kids to the hard-boiled detective and police procedural subgenres.

The Circle by Dave Eggers
 What does social media do to us?  Does it make us more connected to our friends, safer, happier?  Think you can easily answer those questions ... read this book and see if your answers change.

#74 - Fire / Ice - Direwolves / Dragons - Lannister / Stark

The Song of Fire and Ice books by George R. R. Martin

4,705 pages later (plus one very intense weekend of video-watching), I finally know what all of the buzz is about.  The miniseries of these books is one of the most popular shows in my library and THE one that people ask me if I've watched wanting to get my opinion.  I had been putting off the visual rendition until I read the books though.  Now I can discuss...

If you know epic fantasy novels or even historical fiction of certain eras, you will recognize many of the plots and themes in this series.  The biggest variation from standard epic fantasy is that characters who the reader early on identifies as "major" can suddenly die - no last minute rescues, no reappearance after they've fallen off a cliff fighting some bad guy - totally and irrevocably dead.  In some ways, I liked not being able to count on the "good guy" winning through; however, I will also admit that I became frustrated with the introduction of new plot lines that I didn't really care about started because of the cessation of another character's line (because that character was, yes, dead) that I was rooting for. 

Another item of patron comment has been the amount of sex in the story.  Hmmm... I will admit that the first season (all I've watched yet) does have much nudity that doesn't really seem relevant.  The books do a better job - there are some pretty graphic sexual descriptions (especially for those only used to the fantasy genre - romance readers will not be shocked at all), but all are consistent with the characters involved and what's happening in their lives.

The third area I heard and read comments about is the depiction of women in the series.  To this I say HUZZAH!  As a female reader of fantasy, it gets hard to read one adult novel after another with only a token female character or none onstage - only lingering in the background as an inspiration for the male heroes (Arwen, I'm looking at you!).  In juvenile fantasy literature, the balance of genders is much more equal.  I would much rather read an accurate range of women in the world the author has built (from queens to whores) than not have any at all.  Yes, the women in this series do not get a fair shake when you consider today's morals, but the novels are not set in a contemporary world.  And, many of the female characters actually have many more options available to them than historical women of our world have.  Brienne of Tarth may be mocked by the men, but she isn't burned at the stake like Joan of Arc.  Plus, Arya Stark is definitely my favorite character in the entire series.

So, that's my take on the Game of Thrones / Song of Fire and Ice.

On a different subject,  I also completed another goal today (which I will blog about in my next post) which led to an idea for the completion of a third goal ...  the next part of this post is a contest (for goal #99).  If you are the first person identify what the item in the photo below is used for and post that use in the comments, I will send you an item that I have made as a prize.  The prize will depend on how far I need to ship it.  I will give you a hint on the item ... I used it in completing one of my goals.

In front of the basket is ?????

#2, #22, #68 (part 4) - Three in a weekend

I have resigned myself to the fact that I will not, at this point, even come close to finishing all 101 goals in my final two weeks.  However, I have been trying to wrap up those goals that I can in my limited time and have completed 3 in the last week.

First, I finished making out a living will.  I found it took a considerable amount of thought to get my wishes down on paper in a way that would be clear for someone else to understand.  I used a form called Five Wishes which goes past the normal health care directives and includes items like funeral planning and how you might want to be treated in a nursing home.  I was surprised at how emotional I felt while trying to work out things even though I already had a sense of what I wanted to say when I began.

The second goal I finished was reading book #80 for this year.  I have posted end-of-the-year updates on the other parts of this goal, and, since I plan to do a second round of the Day Zero Project, I will wait to discuss the books I've read this year until December.

The third goal is in the oven right now! :)  For a year, I have been trying new recipes every month in hopes of finding some new yummy additions to the dishes that I already make.  The list was:

• May - Fiesta Dip ... Brought on by my sister Diana bringing it to a shower we were co-hosting.  Very good - a new party staple.
• June - Strawberry Fool ... I had fresh strawberries and always wanted to try making a "fool" recipe just because it sounds fun.  Perfect for those moments when I have just picked several flats of berries!

  

  Some (but not all) of the flats of strawberries I picked in June

• July - Blueberry Super Salad ... I read something about "power" foods and decided to put them all together into a recipe of my own.  It was pretty good.

  

  Blueberry Super Salad

• August - Filler-up Hotdish ... This was something that is in our family cookbook by a different name.  As you might guess, it's very filling; however, it's also very high in carbs, so I don't see myself making it often.
• September - Tacos ... Don't laugh, but this was not something my family ate and my early taco experiences were of the really disgusting school cafeteria variety!  Homemade was much better.
• October - Baked Lemon Chicken ... The biggest success of this goal; I am now making this dish regularly (2 or 3 times a month) for myself - and it's on the menu for supper tonight!
• November - Chocolate Caramel Truffles ... I was trying to stay away from sweets for this goal, but I couldn't resist trying a new candy for my Christmas trays.  I know I'll be making this one again!
• December - Chicken a la Paiva with Ceylonese Hot Rice ... These dishes were recipes from family friends (named Paiva) from Sri Lanka many years ago, but I couldn't really remember what they tasted like.  I liked them but expected the hot rice to be more pepper hot and not just spicy flavored.

  

  Chicken a la Paiva with Ceylonese Hot Rice

• January - Homemade Mac & Cheese with Ham ... Another recipe from Diana ... I had never tried making mac and cheese from scratch before.  Good, but not something I expect to make often.
• February - Green Bean Casserole ... Again you may be laughing, but another standard I hadn't made myself ... easier to make than I thought, but probably won't make it again unless for company.
• March - Cochinita Pibil ... I fell in love with this Mayan dish last year while I was on vacation.  This was the most labor-intensive recipe I tried.  It didn't taste quite like what I remembered, but was pretty close.  Definitely something to make again when I have the time.
• April - Spinach Phyllo Tartlets ... I like spanokopita, and these are pretty close.  I had forgotten how much fun I have working with phyllo dough and had to restrain myself from making baklava!  This recipe made LOTS, so I hope they freeze well.

  

  The Spinach Phyllo Tartlets just out of the oven

#68 - Part Three - 235 Books in 2012

The past year didn't hold as much time as I had hope to work on my DayZero goals; however, I did still carve out time to read regularly.  In fact, sometimes knowing that I could go home and immerse myself in another world was what got me through my workdays.  Here are some of the titles that stand out for me in some way when I look back over my 2012 reading list.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger - This book interested me less in a personal reading light than in a professional one.  It's a great boy book - perfect for that hard-to-recommend-for upper-elementary age boy that's starting to lose interest in reading in favor of other activities (or, regrettably, because they think reading is no longer cool).  Mix Star Wars, the eternal hope of kids to be seen as cool not odd, and some origami ... it will bring you to this funny start of a series.

Theft of Swords (first of a trilogy) by Michael J. Sullivan - I read a great deal of science fiction and fantasy, but this trilogy was one this year that I just couldn't put down.  It was great to tag along as two thieves get caught up in the turmoil of kingdoms rising and falling.  A very classic epic fantasy that proves the point that small press books can be among the very best out there ... they just get less publicity.

A History of the World in 100 Objects by Neil MacGregor - What objects would you choose to illustrate all of history?  Even limiting himself to the collection of the British Museum, the author faced a daunting task in just choosing which 100 objects to write about.  However, somehow these 100 things all get tied together to show the story of humanity as it encompasses thousands of years.

The Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn - I did read some very good books full of recipes in the past year.  This book caught my attention less because of the recipes and more because of the concept.  A chef who is willing to teach her practical skills to others - not fancy cooking, but what you can (and should) do every day.  I believe that everyone over the age of 25 should know how to cook at least one company meal and half a dozen other meals that they are willing to eat on a regular basis.  This title shows a chef that takes a similar belief and makes it into reality.

Quiet! the Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain - This was the book that was most talked about in my library this summer.  Introverts (I include myself in this category) LOVE it because it points out our strengths.  Extroverts find that it makes so many things clearer about how their introverted friends, spouses, children, etc react to things that they say and do.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer - I like fairy tales, young adult literature, science fiction, and strong female characters.  This title (the first of a projected series) brings all of these elements together into a futuristic world that reminded me of young Anakin's workshop on Tattoine. 

Below Stairs by Margaret Powell - If you have been caught in the recent Downton Abbey craze, this book is for you.  A memoir of an actual kitchen maid around the turn of the last century that describes the grueling physical work that went on behind the scenes in large manor houses along with the quirks of some of her employers ... ironed shoelaces, anyone?

 Skating around the Law by Joelle Charbonneau - My new popcorn reading series.  This book reads very similar to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, but I found it more enjoyable due to the smaller town setting and the quirky descriptions of running a failing rollerskating rink.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel - I didn't read this book when it first was published because I was so tired of reading about the Tudors.  But when the sequel (Bring Up the Bodies) came out this year, I decided to read them both.  It is obvious that much research went into these titles.  Yet, they still managed to bring Cromwell - and his fictional hopes and fears - to life.  I found the portrayal of his relationship to Cardinal Woolsey and how it kept haunting him later especially interesting.

Darth Vader and Son by Jeffrey Brown - If you are a Star Wars fan, give yourself ten minutes some day to read this book and get a giggle or two.

Steamdrunks by Chris-Rachael Oseland - It works as a Victorian drink recipe book for Dickens recreators.  It works as a humor book.  And it definitely works if you are looking to mix up some drinks for fellow steampunk lovers.

Trafficked by Kim Purcell - Do you think that human trafficking doesn't happen in the U.S.?  Do you think it doesn't happen in suburban neighborhoods?  Do you think that it only involves the sex trade?  Think again.  A sobering read.

Things Your Dog Doesn't Want You to Know by Hy Conrad and Jeff Johnson - I know many of these dogs; you probably do too.  Here they answer your questions and let you know how a dog's mind works.  Axlerod is my favorite "author".

Cold Days by Jim Butcher - I was worried about this series.  I didn't want to abandon Harry Dresden, but the last couple of books were moving in a direction that I didn't particularly care for.  I'm happy to say that this one restored my faith in the series and made me long to read the next chapter.

Captain Vorpatril's Alliance by Lois McMaster Bujold - I waited literally years for this book.  Patrons at the library have been known to tease me about it.  I know, I know ... Miles is the guy that makes the series possible, but Ivan is the one I wanted to read about.  Thank you, Lois, it didn't disappoint and I loved hearing more about Simon as well.

#38 - Following the News

It's an oddity of the area where I live that you cannot pick up television stations without either a cable subscription or a satellite dish.  Since I know I wouldn't spend much time watching, I don't bother to pay for either of those options.  I also despise listening to talk radio and spend very little time just surfing the internet.  So, sometimes I feel like I'm in a bit of a news vacuum - especially when it comes to national and international events (with local things I'm usually ahead of the curve due to the number of city meetings that I attend as part of my job).

So, with this goal, I tried to correct that problem as well as accustom myself to using my new Kindle for reading.  I set myself the parameters that I had to read all of the articles in the e-version with the exception of the sports section.  The two days that I missed on my Kindle (I was out of town at a wedding), I went back and read in paper form later.  I also tried to read as much of it as time allowed before I left for work - most days this was about half - to see if I felt more informed in my daily conversations.

Kindle vs. paper format - hmmm...  It was interesting to see when I dealt with the daily papers coming through the library what the e-version of the paper left out despite both being a paid subscription to exactly the same paper.  I was prepared (from reading reviews of e-subscriptions) to not see the comics, horoscopes, stock reports, etc - I did not expect that actual full articles would sometimes be left out.  Some of these are included in the Sunday paper at the end/beginning of the week - why?  I didn't see an option to only receive a Sunday paper, so it didn't give the Sunday editions extra value.  I'm not really sure why articles in the variety section (especially those dealing with fashion) did not include the photos they were explaining while other e-articles had stock photos (often reused) not included in the physical format.  I did like the fact that reading the articles did not involve flipping back and forth through several pages in a section.  Overall, I am less than convinced that the evolution from print to e-versions is finished - the regular variety columns (comics, etc mentioned above) could be included as easily as a photo and more photos overall could be included plus the reused (and purposeless) stock photos could be eliminated.

The news ... it's been about 20 years since I read a daily newspaper regularly.  I feel like news reporting has changed a lot since then.  There are many more articles regarding the daily lives of celebrities (I use that term loosely to include athletes, political figures, entertainment figures, etc) than I recall - all in the news sections, not variety where I would have expected to find them.  If I wanted that sort of information, I would read People magazine.  There is much much less science news than I hoped - I still find some specific internet sites to be the best source for this.  The lack of science reporting makes me a little sad because I find it to be one of the most hopeful, exciting, and relevant areas of change in our world.  I found that articles on international news tended to come in clusters about a topic and then the topic would disappear with no concluding story (I think this stems from a reliance on larger news aggregates for this type of information) which is a little disconcerting.  The biggest surprise was the business section; a part of the paper that I had never paid much attention to in the past.  I found a large amount of actual relevant information here when reading closely that explained price changes I'd noticed in stores, informed possible changes that I might make in the way I travel, and many other life areas.  I won't overlook this section anymore.

Feeling informed ... I have many casual conversations with people as part of my day.  I was curious to see if, after starting this goal, I felt more informed about things people might bring up.  I did feel more informed and sometimes I would refer to something I had read, but often I was the one who made the connection, not my conversational partner.  This part of the goal seemed to be more a personal benefit than a conversational one.

#68 part two - 231 books in 2011

Of all the goals on my list, this is the one that I can achieve without making too much of a special effort.  I have always loved to read, but I never had kept track of how many new titles I read until just a few years ago.  Even in graduate school, when I needed to abstract popular reading for the materials courses, it didn't really sink in that I go through more than a book every other day.  Naturally, with so much practice, I'm a fast reader too ... otherwise I'd be spending all my time with my nose in a book!

So, in looking through my list from this year, here's the titles that were standouts for one reason or another in the order that I read them (a bit disappointed that there were no knockout children's titles this year):

Travels in Siberia by Ian Frazier - When I was in college, I took several classes in Russian history - all pre-Soviet Union.  This book is set firmly in the post-Soviet Union; however, it's all about the landscape, the weather, how the people interact, and I could see many echoes of that earlier time period that I had studied.  My favorite bit - the description of traveling the "ice road".

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen - I liked this author's depiction of the Gilded Age in her Luxe series.  This title (along with the second in the series - Beautiful Days - which I read just a couple of nights ago) turns to the society of flappers, speakeasies, and bootleggers in 1929.  Expect lots of description of glamorous society, gorgeous dresses, and the "it" places of New York.  These titles would make excellent gifts for older teens interested in intrigue and spunky heroines.

The Girl in the Song by Michael Heatley - What inspires writers or songwriters?  Sometimes the answer to that question is so obscure that they probably can't verbalize it themselves.  But other stories are more straightforward ... and included in this book.  What I found interesting is how connected the different facets of the entertainment industry are - there were not just connections between individual songwriters and actresses, but, in places, those ties seemed to be clustered.

Soulless by Gail Carriger - This title is the first of a series that became my brain popcorn choice of the year (thanks to a gift from my sister Diana).  I'm not usually a huge fan of steampunk but when you mix in vampires, werewolves, and (in the later books) a truly fantastic parasol, it becomes sublime.  Or perhaps that's just the influence of Alexia Tarabotti who is appalled by rudeness and the lack of decent cakes at teatime.

The Naked Lady Who Stood on Her Head by Gary Small - There is an specific emotion - not really schadenfreude - combined of relief that someone else has problems harder than yours and fascination with the weirdness that individuals can exhibit.  This book will definitely satisfies that emotion.

Georgia Bottoms by Mark Childress - So many times I put down a book and think "wow, what a great concept but I wish they would have stuck to it".  This was not one of those times - the concept of a small town woman living with her mother who manages to finance her life through providing sexual services to six prominent men in town, has kept everyone in the dark about all six affairs, and suddenly finds it all crashing down through circumstances both in and out of her control follows through to the end. 

Complete Without Kids by Ellen Walker - I don't have children ... that's just not where life's path has taken me.  I am completely okay with this.  I like kids and have a philosophy that sometimes young people need an encouraging adult in their life who isn't a parent and enjoy opportunities to put that philosophy into action.  However, there have been many uncomfortable moments in my life where a parent (including people that are close to me) has said something that left me feeling like a second-class citizen because I haven't reproduced, and I've found as I get older that it's sometimes easier to maintain friendships with people who don't have children at home.  I don't think this book totally covers the spectrum of childless adults - most examples seem to be taken from people who have (and want) no interaction with kids, but it was helpful as a reminder that there are lifestyles that do not involve teacher conferences, diapers, or playdates.

The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure - One of the first sets of books that I owned was the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder; I've lost count of how many times I've read them, and I've read a couple of biographies about Laura as well.  I had never contemplated actually visiting the sites where she lived though - and now I don't need to.  Wendy McClure took a year to immerse herself in the present day pilgrimage that Little House fans sometimes take.  A funny side note to this book ... I recommended it to a library patron who I knew would be visiting Little House sites this summer, and she said that it became her guidebook for the trip ... even down to the speed limits in some of the small towns.

Hiking the North Shore by Andrew  Slade -  A more traditional guidebook than the last title, this is the book you want along on a vacation to Minnesota's North Shore region if you think you will be doing any hiking.  The trails are nicely detailed - even down to whether you need to bring a sunhat and extra water due to a lack of shade - I agreed with the difficulty ratings on all of the trails that I've personally been on, there are suggestions for places to eat and other things to do near each location, and there are even lists of which trails are more interesting for kids, dog-friendly, less likely to be full of other hikers, etc.

Divergent by Veronica Roth - I generally enjoy dystopian novels (though living in those worlds sounds much less appealing).  This one reminded me of The Host by Stephenie Meyer, the Harry Potter books, and the Hunger Games trilogy.  I've been recommending it to the teens who are looking for something after they finish Mockingjay.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray - Another young adult novel, this one has the interesting premise of teen pageant contestants that end up surviving a plane crash on a deserted island.  Sort of Miss American meets Lord of the Flies - it was total fluff but very amusing.

The Way I See It by Temple Grandin - A first hand look at autism along with some interesting advice to parents of autistic children that I think might apply to all kids in general.  After I had finished reading it, I watched the movie Temple Grandin starring Claire Danes.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline - Although I don't think that it was the best written novel I read this year, I think it may have been my favorite.  A total nostalgia fest for those of us who grew up in the '80s that included arcade games, music, movies, and roleplaying games.

Sex on the Moon by Ben Mezrich - My family is very into collecting rocks, so this true story of a man who worked his way into the NASA community and managed to actually steal rocks from the Apollo missions was interesting.  His motivation - as you may guess from the title - was not money but to impress a potential romance.

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh - Basically everyone can tell you that a rose is a symbol of love, but did you know that an iris means message?  I've always thought that the (now mostly unused) language of flowers is fascinating, but I haven't ever tried to use it in real life.  The heroine in this book, however, uses flowers as her main form of communication - especially regarding her emotions.  Give it a read and then make a bouquet from the brief dictionary in the back of the book ...