The Year in Books

I can tell I rode the bus much more often in 2007. I read over twice as many books as I did the year before! Sure, some of them were graphic novels, but those still count and it was my resolution last year to read more comics. I didn't do a very good job of reviewing what I read. I started out strong, then dropped off to just occasional, and finally not at all. We'll see if that changes this year. I hope to continue to get in at least one of my own choices in between each book club pick.

Apparently I was on quite the gothic horror kick at the beginning of last year. I also read more non-fiction that I realized. Hands-down my least favorite book was All the King's Men. Silas Marner was the most overrated. Favorite is a bit tougher to pick out. Suite Française is probably the one that is most univerally recommendable (if that's a word) because I really can't think of anyone that wouldn't love it to bits. The most clever is definitely Ella Minnow Pea and that's another I'd recommend, particularly to word nerds and English majors. Copper Sun I read in a single night and forced myself to hold back my tears of pain and suffering at the beginning until they could be transformed into tears of joy and relief at the end. I think that Eifelheim was the most creative sci-fi offering I read this year. It was thought provoking and alt-historical and uttering engrossing. Hmm, still don't know if I can pick a favorite. I mean, how do you choose between Harry and Frodo?


1. Rose in Bloom Louisa May Alcott
2. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Mark Haddon
3. Eifelheim Michael Flynn
4. B.P.R.D.: The Soul of Venice Mike Mignola
5. B.P.R.D.: Plague of Frogs Mike Mignola
6. B.P.R.D.: The Dead Mike Mignola
7. B.P.R.D.: The Black Flame Mike Mignola
8. B.P.R.D.: The Universal Machine Mike Mignola
9. Silas Marner George Elliot
10. The Five Fists of Science Matt Fraction and Steven Sanders
11. The Darkhorse Book of the Dead Edited by Scott Allie
12. Suite Française Irène Némirovsky
13. The Goon: Heaps of Ruination Eric Powell
14. Fray Joss Whedon
15. Memnoch the Devil Anne Rice
16. The Darkhorse Book of Witchcraft Edited by Scott Allie
17. Their Eyes Were Watching God Zora Neale Hurstone
18. Hellboy Animated: The Black Wedding Jim Pascoe
19. God of Mars Edgar Rice Burroughs
20. Bold Spirit: Helga Estby's Forgotten Walk Across Victorian America Linda Lawrence Hunt
21. Sea of Trolls Nancy Farmer
22. Ella Minnow Pea Mark Dunn
23. Fluke: Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings Christopher Moore
24. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix J.K. Rowling
25. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince J.K. Rowling
26. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows J.K. Rowling
27. All the King’s Men Robert Penn Warren
28. Five People You Meet in Heaven Mitch Albom
29. Uncle Mame: The Life of Patrick Dennis Eric Myers
30. The Photograph Penelope Lively
31. Jack Staff Volume 2: Soldiers Paul Grist
32. Revolt in 2100 / Methuselah’s Children Robert A. Heinlein
33. Angels and Demons Dan Brown
34. Star Wars: Dark Empire I Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy
35. Star Wars: Dark Empire II Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy
36. Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade Patrick Dennis
37. Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book1) Jim Butcher
38. Hellboy: Odder Jobs Edited by Christopher Golden
39. Time Enough for Love Robert A. Heinlein
40. Copper Sun Sharon Draper
41. The Nasty Bits: Collected Varietal Cuts, Usable Trim, Scraps, and Bones Anthony Bourdain
42. Split Infinity Piers Anthony
43. Blue Adept Piers Anthony
44. Juxtaposition Piers Anthony
45. The Lord of the Rings JRR Tolkien