Year-end Book Roundup: 2010

Posted by melydia on January 1, 2011 8 comments

Books Read in 2010:
1. CauseWired by Tom Watson
2. Heresy by S.J. Parris
3. Dreaming Again edited by Jack Dann
4. Malice by Chris Wooding
5. High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
6. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
7. No Greater Sacrifice by John Stipa
8. I Love Everybody (and Other Atrocious Lies) by Laurie Notaro
9. Stupid History by Leland Gregory
10. Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris
11. The Blind Geometer/The New Atlantis by Kim Stanley Robinson/Ursula K. Le Guin
12. A Secret Atlas by Michael A. Stackpole
13. Bones of the Moon by Jonathan Carroll
14. BookCrossing Though Middle-Earth by Skyring
15. Death Comes as Epiphany by Sharan Newman
16. The Fire Within by Chris D’Lacey
17. Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams
18. Shakespeare’s Landlord by Charlaine Harris
19. Marooned in Fraggle Rock by David Young
20. A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar
21. Brothel by Alexa Albert
22. A Golfer’s Tail by Roscoe Watkins
23. Juliet by Anne Fortier
24. Leaving Fishers by Margaret Peterson Haddix
25. The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld
26. Accomodating Brocolli in the Cemetary by Vivian Cook
27. Some Fools, A Turtle and Queen Elizabeth by A. M. Lascurain
28. The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
29. The Russian Dreambook of Color and Flight by Gina Ochsner
30. Don’t Know Much About History by Kenneth C. Davis
31. Comet in Moominland by Tove Jansson
32. Ishmael by Daniel Quinn
33. The Immortal Ones by John F. Ferrer
34. Time of the Twins by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
35. Moominland Midwinter by Tove Jansson
36. Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi
37. Jack Fell Down by Kenneth Underwood
38. Conversations with the Fat Girl by Liza Palmer
39. A Place to Die by Dorothy James
40. Perfume by Patrick Suskind
41. The Creative Writer’s Survival Guide by John McNally
42. Moominpappa’s Memoirs by Tove Jansson
43. Twilight: The Graphic Novel, vol. 1 by Stephenie Meyer and Young Kim
44. Heroes A2Z #1: Alien Ice Cream by David Anthony and Charles David
45. Knightscares #1: Cauldron Cooker’s Night by David Anthony and Charles David

Books Listened to in 2010:
1. The Taking by Dean Koontz
2. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
3. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
4. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
5. Hollywood Moon by Joseph Wambaugh
6. Messenger by Lois Lowry
7. The Darkest Evening of the Year by Dean Koontz
8. The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde
9. The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova
10. Absolute Power by David Baldacci
11. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
12. The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus (abridged)
13. Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher
14. A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore
15. The Host by Stephenie Meyer
16. Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella
17. Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
18. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
19. Looking for Alaska by John Green
20. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
21. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
22. Holes by Louis Sachar
23. Foundation by Isaac Asimov
24. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
25. The Last Days of Dogtown by Anita Diamant
26. Good Harbor by Anita Diamant
27. Anthem by Ayn Rand
28. Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke
29. The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket
30. Ella Enchanted by Gail Levine
31. Rules by Cynthia Lord
32. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
33. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
34. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
35. Paper Towns by John Green
36. Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
37. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Books Started but Not Finished
* The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards (left on a plane – whoops!)
* Making History by Stephen Fry (couldn’t follow it)
* The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry (never did encounter any plot)
* The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (it was just too stupid)
* Atonement by Ian McEwan (disc 4 of audiobook too scratched)
* Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner (disc 5 of audiobook too scratched)

Previous years: 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | Review Archive

2010 Stats

Posted by melydia on December 31, 2010 4 comments

Does anybody really read these? I don’t, but since blogs are all about celebrating narcissism, I’m going to do some year-end navel-gazing for my own amusement. Enjoy.

From a stats point of view, it’s been an interesting year. I received an substantial bump in hits this fall, probably because that’s about when I started branching out into art journaling and my notebook obsession. I’m still primarily a book blogger (not something I set out to do, but reviews do make up the vast majority of my entries) but it’s fun to post about other things too. This was also my first year as a “real” book reviewer – that is, where I am contacted more or less regularly by people seeking a review.

My top page, as should come as a surprise to no one, was my list of writing prompt websites. It received almost three times the hits as my main page. This is awesome, by the way: I’m happy to provide a service that so many find so useful.

My most popular review in terms of page views was, oddly enough, Number the Stars. I guess people were looking for help on their homework.

Lastly, I am sad to announce that not a single person from Iceland visited my blog all year. Clearly I am doing something terribly, terribly wrong.

Okay, that’s enough of that. What would you like to see more or less of in 2011?

Moominpappa’s Memoirs by Tove Jansson

Posted by melydia on December 30, 2010 No comment

Moominpappa’s Memoirs by Tove Jansson: I admit to being a little disappointed when I discovered that this was not the story of Moominpappa’s adventures following the Hattifatteners, but I soon came round to embrace this strange tale of fathers: Moomintroll’s, Sniff’s, and Snufkin’s, respectively. I was a little concerned that Sniff and Snufkin appeared to have never even met their parents, but I guess in Moominland that’s not such a crazy notion. Anyway, this is Moominpappa’s somewhat embellished account of his early years, from his abandonment at a Hemulen-run orphanage to the day he met Moominmamma. I was truly entertained by the Autocrat’s speeches, and the art was wonderful as always, but this was not my favorite Moomin book. Moominpappa’s inflated sense of self-importance was amusing at first, but became tiresome by the end. Luckily, it’s a very short book, and does not overstay its welcome.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine

Posted by melydia on December 29, 2010 No comment

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine: Aza is not a pretty girl. She is tall and stout with a chalky complexion and black hair. However, in a kingdom where people sing as often as speak, her voice is the loveliest in the land. When a duchess stays at her parents’ inn and invites her to accompany her to the king’s wedding, Aza’s life is turned upside down. Before she knows it, the new queen has asked her to be her lady-in-waiting, and a budding friendship begins with the king’s nephew, Prince Ijori. This take on the classic tale of Snow White is charming and engrossing; I couldn’t wait to see what happens next. Aza is introspective and clever, always at odds with her appearance. I laughed in several places, and the ending found me with a big silly grin on my face. Definitely recommended to lovers of fairy tales.

A note on the audio version: There is a lot of singing in this book, and the audio version actually includes a large amount of original music. Aza’s soprano voice is lovely. Many of the songs are similar, and several are slower than I would have expected them, but it’s all pleasant to hear. My favorite songs were those sung by Frying Pan, though Ijori’s tune at the Healing Sing was hauntingly beautiful. I’m glad I listened to this book instead of just reading it, as the lyrics would have come across as far more dull as poetry. The melodies really added to the emotion of the scene.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Nostalgic Musings – another update

Posted by melydia on December 28, 2010 4 comments

I thought I’d do one big post when I finished the course, but I’ve decided against it for two reasons: first, I’m making such slow progress that it might be June before I ever mention it again, and second, I’m taking a lot more photos/scans than I’d expected. So I’ve decided to talk about the prompts and exercises I’ve completed over the last few weeks.

No, I don't know what day Thursda is. Shut up.

Exercise 2 involved writing about someone special to you. The example was about a dog, so I made mine about my cat, Echo. It’s easier to write mushy things about animals than people, I find.  The “kitty” flap opens twice:

I used a lot of old book pages for this one. I am not the sort of person to wantonly destroy books, but when two old paperbacks started shedding pages by the dozen, I figured it was time for them to be recycled. One was an Isaac Asimov novel (I don’t recall which one just now – maybe The Martian Way) and the other is 1001 Arabian Nights, so they make for interesting backgrounds. The other ephemera I used includes art from an old star chart calendar, printables provided with the e-course and from Creativity Prompt, and a print of some of my own artwork.

The task for this one was to write ten honest and interesting things about yourself. This is not easy for me: I’m not very interesting when I’m honest. First off, yes, that photo is of me. It’s from a photobooth at Centraal Station in Amsterdam. I think I look frightened, but I wasn’t sure what else to do with four identical pictures of my face, so I used one to help fill this spread. Most of the other bits are either more of my own art or assorted clippings from my stash. The facts are not in order, nor are they supposed to be. The sheep at the top of the right side are from an advertisement that regularly appears in one of the optics magazines I receive, and I felt it was fitting, this being a kind of internet survey and all.

This prompt was largely about our childhood loves and how (or if) they’ve transformed as we’ve become adults. The photo is me again, probably around five years old. It’s one of my favorites because I look like a Muppet. (Specifically Prairie Dawn.) The background was from a magazine; between it and my gingham I look like I was raised in rural Kansas. Both the butterfly and the Hollywood Bear fold out:

I was pleased when I found the Hollywood Bear notecard in my stationery box, both because it was small enough to fit below my photo, and because I was such a sticker fanatic as a child and Lisa Frank was a particular favorite.

That’s all for now. I find art journaling to be very therapeutic, but too time-consuming to replace my regular written diary as my primary chronology. I’d hoped to finish this course before the first of the year, but it looks like that’s not going to happen. And that’s fine. There’s no rush.

Pac-Man Moleskine Quandary

Posted by melydia on December 27, 2010 4 comments

A blurry iPhone photo of my newest acquisition

I recently purchased one of those limited edition Pac-Man Moleskine notebooks from ThinkGeek. I purchased the small yellow notebook, which I think was best for my needs anyway. The thing is just adorable: bright yellow with that iconic Pac-Man font (which I associate more with the original GameBoy, but whatever), and two sheets of stickers. My husband is jealous.

But now I need your help, dear reader: whatever shall I use it for?

Happy Holidays, y’all.

Posted by melydia on December 24, 2010 1 comment

melydia: queen of holiday fashion

I’d like to thank the Academy…

Posted by melydia on December 23, 2010 1 comment

Well, here’s something pretty nifty: I’ve been nominated (by someone who is not me, believe it or not) for some Blogger’s Choice Awards for 2011. Care to vote for me?

My site was nominated for Best Blog of All Time!My site was nominated for Best Hobby Blog!My site was nominated for Best Pop Culture Blog!

(Also, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this page to vote for the charming and talented Laura.)

Reading Challenges for 2011

Posted by melydia on December 22, 2010 2 comments

The lovely and talented kel_light has inspired me to sign up for some reading challenges for the coming year.

Bewitched Bookworms

Whisper Stories in my Ear, hosted by Bewitched Bookworms, is an interesting audiobook challenge based on the number of hours you spend listening. This means I’ll have to start paying attention to the length of these books beyond the number of discs.

Speaking of audiobooks…

Teresa’s Reading Corner is also hosting a 2011 Audio Book Challenge. This one is in terms of number of audio books completed. Unless something drastic changes in my commute time, I fully expect to earn the “obsessed” badge on this one.

Last but not least:


MizB is hosting what appears to be a fairly casual Read’n’Review Challenge. I review pretty much every book I read as it is, so I figure I’m a shoo-in for this challenge. :)

Okay, so I admit that these aren’t exactly the most challenging of challenges for me. But to be honest, I am so behind on my reading – especially books sent to me for review – that I am wary to sign up for more, particularly if they require me to accumulate more books just to fit the theme. My TBR pile is already set to topple.

What about you? Are you participating in any reading challenges this year?

The 2011 TBR Pile Challenge

Posted by melydia on December 21, 2010 7 comments


2011TBR

I happened upon this 2011 TBR Pile Challenge over at A Novel Challenge and figured, “12 books is nothing. I can do this.” And so I’ve signed up.  At worst, it’ll get some oldies off the shelf to make room for newbies.

My list:

  1. The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells
  2. Why People Believe Weird Things by Michael Shermer
  3. Adventures by Mike Resnick
  4. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
  5. Jennifer Government by Max Barry
  6. A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
  7. Suburban Safari by Hannah Holmes
  8. As Nature Made Him by John Colapinto
  9. Uncivilized Beasts and Shameless Hellions by John F. Burnett
  10. Make Love the Bruce Campbell Way by Bruce Campbell
  11. Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke
  12. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

My alternates:

  1. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
  2. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami

© 2010-2026 kate weber All Rights Reserved -- Copyright notice by Blog Copyright