I read 102 books last year and don't think I can maintain that kind of pace this year. I'm aiming for 50 this year.
01.
Known to Evil by Walter Mosley - Second Leonid McGill mystery. This book left me largely unimpressed. Very one dimensional and formulaic By the time we got to the end, I didn't care anymore whodunnit.
02.
Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen - I really liked this book. I liked the two different perspectives. Not a "feel good" book, but a rewarding read nonetheless.
03.
Follow the Stone by John Locke - A fun read. Recommended if you like westerns. There is not a lot of depth here, but there's enough story to carry it along.
04.
First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones - Not my cup of tea, but I am NOT her target demographic by any stretch of the imagination either. I thought it tried too hard to be funny.
05.
Moon Called by Patricia Briggs - (Sigh) another "paranormal' book that had SO much potential but went the cheap and easy route of vampires and werewolves.
06.
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker -
Wow. I really liked this one. Touching and lyrical story of two outcasts who must remain hidden who find each other. Highly recommended. Deeply atmospheric.
07.
On Account of a Wish by Curtis Cooper - I work with the author, and have known him for a long time. I had read one of his other books, and was not as enthusiastic as he might have wished in my final remarks on it. I went into this one with some degree of trepidation, but was pleasantly surprised. It is rough since it was his first book, but there is a good story in it.
08.
Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher - I enjoyed this one a lot. I like the world building, the characters and the pacing. I do NOT want to live in the world he created for these people, but I like reading about their struggles, defeats and triumphs.
09.
On The Matter of the Red Hand by J.M. Guillen - Densly written fantasy / noir detective story. Very entertaining.
10.
Academ's Fury by Jim Butcher - I liked it and I didn't like it. Tabling this series for now.
11.
Waking by Emily Thompson - A steampunk fairy tale that was very rewarding. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
12.
Snatched by Karin Slaughter - A Will Trent novella that takes place in one tense day. This is a great little thriller.
13.
The Woman Who Walked In Sunshine by Alexander McCall Smith - I can't say enough good things about the Ladies #1 Detective Agency series. These are TRUE escapism books.
14.
Crow Shine by Alan Baxter - a collection of short stories that take a hard look into some dark places and shows us that sometimes the "good guys" don't win.
15.
Nine Tales of Raffalon by Matthew Hughes - I got this ebook from the author's website for 99 cents, and got way more than my money's worth in content. Tremendously fun read.
16.
Revival by Stephen King - King is hit or miss with me. This was enjoyable, but some of King's biases are getting old, and the ending was lackluster, from my point of view.
17.
Britt-Marie Was Here by Frederik Backman - An unusual take on the coming of age story featuring a 63 year-old woman as the protagonist. A light-hearted read that is deeper than it appears to be.
18.
The Air War by Adrian Tchaikovsky - Book 8 of one of the best fantasy series' I have ever read.
19.
One Perfect Lie by Lisa Scottoline - Good story that suffers from being a bit one dimensional.
20.
My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry by Frederik Backman - Absolutely wonderful grown up fairy tale. One of the best books I have read this year.
21.
Faceoff edited by David Baldacci - Great collection of short stories each in which two authors collaborate with the heroes of their individual series of novels.
22.
A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman - A funny, poignant look at love and loss and growth.
23.
The Starlit Wood Edited by Dominik Parisien - A collection of short stories, each of which is a modern take on a classic fairy tale. Some very good reads in this volume.
24.
The Heavenly table by Donald Ray Pollock - Relentlessly bleak and grim and not worth reading at all.
25.
War Master's Gate by Adrian Tchaikovsky - The penultimate volume of the Shadows of the Apt series and a fantastic book. This series does not get the recognition that (IMHO) it deserves.
26.
Working For Bigfoot by Jim Butcher - Short(ish) stories featuring Harry Dresden and a really big guy named Strength of a River in His Shoulders. All around fun.
27.
The Innocent by David Baldacci - First in the Will Robie series, featuring a super agent for the CIA. Requires a lot of suspension of disbelief, but is an entertaining story. (It must be since I have since read the next two in the series.)
28.
MatchUp edited by Lee Child - A follow up volume to Face Off above. It has the same hook in each of the stories as above, and is just as much fun as the previous volume.
29.
Make Me by Lee Child - Jack Reacher #20 A satisfying read. I appreciate that the Jack Reacher novels do not need to be read in order.
30.
Red Sister by Mark Lawrence - An interesting book. I found the world to be pretty unique, and Lawrence's foreshadowing to have the subtlety of a bulldozer. However, it was still enjoyable for that.
31.
The Hit by David Baldacci - Will Robie #2 which features (gasp of surprise!) corruption at the head of the security agency. What a NEW and UNIQUE (yawn) twist! Very tropy, but still enjoyable to read. However, you've already read it in 100 other books.
32.
The Trespasser by Tana French - A Tana French novel is an emotional investment. Her books are dark and gripping, and they get better and better.
33.
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky - WOW! This is a great science fiction novel featuring a truly alien feeling "alien." Another of my best reads of 2017
34.
The Target by David Baldacci - Will Robie #3 - This is the one that pushed my ability to believe too far. It reads like a super-hero novel rather than a super agent novel. Even James Bond is not as invincible as Baldacci's hero.
35.
Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben - Not Coben's best novel by any stretch.
36.
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor - Oh what a fun book! Refreshing science fiction read.
37.
Prince of Fools by Mark Lawrence - An "Odd Couple" type of fantasy that, despite some shortcomings, works very well.
38.
The Girl In The Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz - Set in the Millennium world of Stieg Larsson, this novel tells another store of Salander and Blomkvist. A satisfying read.
39.
The Seal of the Worm by Adrian Tchaikovsky - The final volume in the Shadows of the Apt series.
. So time to set my sights a bit lower this year.
Since I've never tracked before all the goals were pulled from the clouds so it will be interesting to see how it all works out. Here is to a happy, healthy, and safe 2017! 