2006 Year in Review
Jan. 1st, 2007 03:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jmc_bksThanks to Rosario's handy dandy spreadsheet, I kept much better track of my reading last year than ever before. Although Ro has designed the spreadsheet to track a variety of things, I was paying attention to copyright date, subgenre and favorites. What did I learn?
Total books read and/or re-read: 306
Of that total, a little less than half were published in 2006 (144). The oldest was copyrighted in 1925...although I know I read another book that was written originally in the 1880s but has a copyright date of 2001. I'm wondering if that is because the copyright expired and 2001 was the year that it was first e-published. If I had more active curiousity, I'd investigate...but I didn't care enough to check.
I read the most in March (36 books) and November (30); the November books were a bump up because I did a lot of re-reading of the In Death series.
My favorite setting (according to the spreadsheet, that is): contemporary. Followed by Alternate Reality/Futuristic/Fantasy. Favorite type: straight romance by far, followed by romantic suspense and series romance in a tie.
Most frequently read publisher: Harlequin imprints, followed by Penguin-Putnam. I read as many "other" publishers as the Harlequin imprints; by "other" I mean smaller presses, ebook publishers, newer publishers, etc.
The thing that stands out to me is that there is only one straight romance on that list, and it was a historical, which is not my favorite sub-genre.
ETA: I originally did not list the books that I was most disappointed in. This was in part because if I was really disappointed in a book or disgusted by how it was progressing, I didn't finish it and it automatically got an F on the spreadsheet. How can I legitimately knock or praise a book I didn't finish? So the not so great books are separated into three lists below: DNF, disappointments and books I disliked. Note: disappointments weren't necessarily awful, but they also didn't live up to their hype.
Total books read and/or re-read: 306
Of that total, a little less than half were published in 2006 (144). The oldest was copyrighted in 1925...although I know I read another book that was written originally in the 1880s but has a copyright date of 2001. I'm wondering if that is because the copyright expired and 2001 was the year that it was first e-published. If I had more active curiousity, I'd investigate...but I didn't care enough to check.
I read the most in March (36 books) and November (30); the November books were a bump up because I did a lot of re-reading of the In Death series.
My favorite setting (according to the spreadsheet, that is): contemporary. Followed by Alternate Reality/Futuristic/Fantasy. Favorite type: straight romance by far, followed by romantic suspense and series romance in a tie.
Most frequently read publisher: Harlequin imprints, followed by Penguin-Putnam. I read as many "other" publishers as the Harlequin imprints; by "other" I mean smaller presses, ebook publishers, newer publishers, etc.
Best of 2006
Static, Amy Goodman (NF)
The Omnivore's Dilemma, Michael Pollan (NF)
His Majesty's Dragon, Naomi Novik (ARF/F)
Beguilement, Lois McMaster Bujold (Fant)
King of Attolia, Megan Whalen Turner (YA/ARF/F)
Memory in Death, J.D. Robb (ARF/F)
Smuggler's Bride, Darlene Marshall (Hist)
The thing that stands out to me is that there is only one straight romance on that list, and it was a historical, which is not my favorite sub-genre.
Keepers pre-2006
Born Confused, Tanuja Desai Hidier (YA, 2002)
The Thief & Queen of Attolia, Megan Whalen Turner (YA/ARF/F, 1997 & 2000)
Imaginary Men, Anjali Banerjee (Chicklit, 2005)
Poison Study, Maria Snyder (Fant, 05)
The Adventures of Alianore Audley, Brian Wainwright (Hist Fic, 2005)
Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson (YA, 1999)
Fluke, Christopher Moore (AR/F, 2003)
Other books that I enjoyed:
Captain Sinister’s Lady, Darlene Marshall (2006)
Pirate’s Price, Darlene Marshal (2006)
The Smoke Thief, Shana Abe (2006)
Exes and Ohs, Beth Kendrick (2005)
Liberty, Kimberly Iverson (2006)
New authors I "discovered"
Darlene Marshall
Megan Whalen Turner
Anjali Banerjee
Naomi Novik
ETA: I originally did not list the books that I was most disappointed in. This was in part because if I was really disappointed in a book or disgusted by how it was progressing, I didn't finish it and it automatically got an F on the spreadsheet. How can I legitimately knock or praise a book I didn't finish? So the not so great books are separated into three lists below: DNF, disappointments and books I disliked. Note: disappointments weren't necessarily awful, but they also didn't live up to their hype.
Books I couldn't be bothered to finish
Hunting the Hunter, Shiloh Walker
Blackmailed, Annmarie McKenna
Warsworn, Elizabeth Vaughan
Wolf Tales, Kate Douglas
Disappointments -- didn't live up to hype or author rep
Secret Society Girl, Diana Peterfreund
Drop Dead Gorgeous, Linda Howard
Books I actively disliked
Beyond the Rale, Savannah Russe
Cover of Night, Linda Howard
Talk Nerdy to Me, Vickie Lewis Thompson
The Rome Affair, Laura Caldwell
Crazy Love, Tara Janzen
From the First, Jessica Bird
Megan's Mark, Lora Leigh
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no subject
Date: 2007-01-01 09:33 pm (UTC)Happy New Year, and here's hoping for more time to read, and more quality books to fill that time.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-01 11:57 pm (UTC)Jane
Warlord
Date: 2007-01-02 11:30 am (UTC)I really liked Warprize and looked forward to Warsworn but it just didn't hold my interest. If the buzz is good for Warlord, I will probably try reading Warsworn again, so I can finish the trilogy.
~jmc
no subject
Date: 2007-01-02 07:00 am (UTC)And it looks like you and I got equally burned by Hunting the Hunter and Megan's Mark - sometimes it's a good thing to know that a book you are trying to read wasn't loved by everyone so you stop trying to force yourself ;)
CindyS
no subject
Date: 2007-01-02 11:28 am (UTC)I have two hours (more or less) of reading time built into my day -- the train to work :) -- which has really increased my reading.
By Harlequin imprints, I mean all of the labels/publishers covered by Harlequin Ltd., including the Silhouette books, Red Dress Ink, Kimani, Mira, HQN, Spice, etc.
It is nice to know that it isn't just me when it comes to certain books :)
~jmc
no subject
Date: 2007-01-02 03:21 pm (UTC)Every time I see it at the used book store, I keep wanting to snatch it off the shelves just so some other poor creature doesn't buy it!
no subject
Date: 2007-01-02 03:41 pm (UTC)Jessica Bird
Date: 2007-01-02 10:56 pm (UTC)I've just finished my second Jessica Bird book, A Man in A Million, a Jan '07 Silhouette Special Edition release that is part of a family series. I'm probably going to blog about it later, after I've worked through my thoughts.
Not that I'm trying to pawn off books or anything (heh, really I am), but would you like me to drop this one in the mail?
no subject
Date: 2007-01-02 05:00 pm (UTC)Our favourite settings and type are almost exact. The only difference is that my second place in type is alt. reality/fantasy, etc.
I have some of your keepers and books you enjoyed in my TBR, so I'm going to have to drag them out :-)
no subject
Date: 2007-01-02 10:58 pm (UTC)I'm looking forward to reading about your year!
no subject
Date: 2007-01-03 03:22 am (UTC)Of your best of list--I just bought His Majesty's Dragon (Twin is currently reading it and loving it) and I just put in a request at the library for Beguilement. I was all ready to buy it, but then realized it's only out in HC. :( I also want to try Megan Whalen Turner.
-jennie