A paucity of good books this year

[flexagon]

Sadly, Christmas shopping has made me realize I didn't read enough great books in 2011. When 2010 was over I did a best books of the year post that had categories. This year? There's one book that a couple of you will get for Christmas, yes, but I've got nothing like my usual pool of great new stuff to draw on.

The books I was most anticipating, that came out this year from many favorite authors -- Embassytown, Reamde, Vortex, The Wise Man's Fear, Children of the Sky -- were either sequels or else not the author's best. And maybe I just haven't been reading enough... there's at least one book I was promised is really good that's sitting on my shelf waiting for me to finish slogging through A Dance With Dragons. At any rate, it's too late in the year for me to buy books for myself... so, cook_ting, although I took notes, those books you recommended me on Saturday are fair game for the holidays. I'm just saying. ;-)

Seeking both recommendations and Christmas presents.
(And on that latter note, Kindle editions are welcome.)

Comments

[miyyu.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. Sometimes I'm not good at predicting your taste, but there were several books I found really compelling this year: A Box of Darkness, Travels in Siberia, An Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life (that one is lighter than the others), Deathless, The Half Made World, and Swallow the Ocean.

[flexagon]

Thank you!

The SF-oriented books that cook_ting recommended, which I wanted to note here for posterity anyway, were The Half-Made World, Surface Detail, Seventh Sigma and possibly Halting State if I can handle any more Stross. So that's an overlap on The Half-Made World from two very different directions and I will definitely act on that if I don't get it for Christmas.

I read Swallow the Ocean after you posted about it, and liked it. And I have the first chapter of Deathless on my Kindle with intent to get the rest at some point, although I feel like I need to cool down after In the Cities of Coin and Spice before I tackle more Valente.

I'll check out the others... well, with the exception of the Siberia one. I really don't connect with travel memoirs. (I think travelogues, biographies and Bill Bryson are our main areas of disconnect, at least that I've seen from stuff you write about.) An Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life looks like a lot of fun and makes me want to write something similar. :-)

[miyyu.livejournal.com]

I've noticed that too about the travel memoirs. Travels in Siberia is a lot more reflective than most of those are, so if any travel writing will tempt you, that's it. :)

I think you will get a kick out of the clever format of An Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life. That's a quick read but a fun one.

I really hope the sequel to The Half Made World comes out soon. It really left me hanging; that book is very absorbing.

[dr-alycat.livejournal.com]

ooh, I am interested to hear how your Valente reading goes whenever you pick it up again. I'm stalled out on her right now, but I intend to pick her back up again at some point.

At the risk of ruining a surprise/gift idea, have you read The Windup Girl by Bacigalupi?

[flexagon]

Yes, it's too late to surprise me with Bacigalupi's existence and older books... in fact, Pump Six was one of the books I gave several times last Christmas. :-)

I don't have the new one though, The Alchemist.

[rifmeister.livejournal.com]

Nonfiction: I greatly enjoyed "Nothing To Envy" about people's lives in North Korea.
Fiction: "What Ho, Automaton", by Chris Dolley [bought the Kindle version]. It's steampunk Wodehouse; very silly. His sci-fi novel "Resonance" is also good.