This year’s reading. Hmmm….

Four years running I have kept track of my reading. For the previous three years (2012 (85 books), 2013 (95 books), 2014 (106 books)) I have been posting all the books I read. So as again not to break with tradition, my first post of 2016 will once again share with the world the bizarre list of literary crapola I fill my mind with. How many this year? Well you’ll have to scroll down to find out.

So here they are, appearing in the order in which they were read, with a few months as subtitles:

January

Strong Arm Tactics Jody Lynn Nye (2013 [2005])
— ebook;

The Sleeper and the Spindle Neil Gaiman (2013)
– HC;

Oath of Swords David Weber (1995)
War God Book 1 – ebook; reread

The War God’s Own David Weber (1998)
War God Book 2 – ebook; reread

Humans of New York Brandon Stanton (2013)
-HC;

Wind Rider’s Oath David Weber (2004)
War God Book 3 – ebook; reread

War Maid’s Choice David Weber (2012)
War God Book 4 – ebook; reread

Caliphate Tom Kratman (2008)
– ebook

War Dogs Greg Bear (2014)
– ebook

Fortune’s Pawn Rachel Bach (2013)
Paradox Book 1 — ebook;

Honor’s Knight Rachel Bach (2014)
Paradox Book 2 — ebook;

Heaven’s Queen Rachel Bach (2014)
Paradox Book 3 — ebook;

Fireworks in the Rain Stephen Brust (2014)
Incrementalist Novella – ebook;

The Curse of Chalion Lois McMaster Bujold (2001)
Chalion Book 1- ebook; reread

Paladin of Souls Lois McMaster Bujold (2003)
Chalion Book 2 – ebook; reread

Stormdancer Jay Kristoff (2012)
The Lotus War Book 1 – ebook; reread

Kinslayer Jay Kristoff (2013)
The Lotus War Book 2 – ebook; reread

Endsinger Jay Kristoff (2014)
The Lotus War Book 3 – ebook;

Damnation Jean Johnson (2014)
Theirs Not To Reason Why Book 4 – ebook;

Dragon in Exile – eARC Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (2015)
Liaden Book 18 – ebook;

Strands of Sorrow John Ringo (2015)
Black Tide Rising Book 4 – ebook;

Karen Memory Elizabeth Bear (2015)
– ebook;

The Armor of Light Melissa Scott & Lisa Barnett (1988)
– ebook;

Ender in Exile Orson Scott Card (2008)
Ender’s Game Book 4 – ebook

Dauntless Jack Campbell (2006)
The Lost Fleet Book 1 – ebook

Fearless Jack Campbell (2007)
The Lost Fleet Book 2 – ebook

Courageous Jack Campbell (2007)
The Lost Fleet Book 3 – ebook

Valiant Jack Campbell (2008)
The Lost Fleet Book 4 – ebook

April

Relentless Jack Campbell (2009)
The Lost Fleet Book 5 – ebook

Victorious Jack Campbell (2010)
The Lost Fleet Book 6 – ebook

Unbound Jim Hines (2014)
Magic ex Libris Book 3 – ebook;

Stark’s War Jack Campbell (2000)
Starks’ War Book 1 – ebook;

Stark’s Command Jack Campbell (2001)
Starks’ War Book 2 – ebook;

Stark’s Crusade Jack Campbell (2002)
Starks’ War Book 3 – ebook;

The Future Falls Tanya Huff (2014)
Enchantment Emporium Book 3 – ebook;

Mutineers’ Moon David Weber (1991)
Dahak Book 1 – ebook; reread

The Armageddon Inheritance David Weber (1994)
Dahak Book 1 – ebook; reread

Heirs of Empire David Weber (1996)
Dahak Book 1 – ebook; reread

Warning Do Not Open this Book! Adam Lehrhaupt & Matthew Forsythe (2013)
-HC

A Fire upon the Deep Vernor Vinge (1992)
-ebook;

The Hub: Dangerous Territory James H. Schmitz (2001)
The Hub Book 4 – ebook;

June

Old Man’s War John Scalzi (2005)
Old Man’s War Book 1 – ebook; reread

The Ghost Brigade John Scalzi (2006)
Old Man’s War Book 2 – paperback; reread

Monster Hunters International Larry Correia (2007)
Monster Hunters Book 1 – ebook; reread

Monster Hunters Vendetta Larry Correia (2010)
Monster Hunters Book 2 – ebook; reread

Monster Hunters Alpha Larry Correia (2011)
Monster Hunters Book 3 – ebook;

Monster Hunters Legion Larry Correia (2012)
Monster Hunters Book 4 – ebook;

Monster Hunters Nemesis Larry Correia (2014)
Monster Hunters Book 5 – ebook;

Ancillary Justice Anne Leckie (2013)
Imperial Radch Book 1 – ebook;

Ancillary Sword Anne Leckie (2014)
Imperial Radch Book 2 – ebook;

Green Jay Lake (2009)
Green Book 1 – ebook; reread

July

Endurance Jay Lake (2011)
Green Book 2 – ebook; reread

Kalimpura Jay Lake (2013)
Green Book 3 – ebook; reread

Lord Penric’s Demon Lois McMaster Bujold (2015)
Chalion Book 3.5 – ebook;

Space Viking H. Beam Piper (1963)
– ebook; reread

The Cloud Roads Martha Wells (2011)
Books of the Raksura Book 1 – ebook

The Serpent Sea Martha Wells (2012)
Books of the Raksura Book 2 – ebook

The Siren Depths Martha Wells (2012)
Books of the Raksura Book 3 – ebook

A Call to Duty David Weber & Timothy Zahn (2013)
Manticore Ascendant Book 1 – ebook; reread

A Call to Arms -eArc David Weber & Timothy Zahn (2015)
Manticore Ascendant Book 2 – ebook;

Fire with Fire Charles Gannon (2013)
Caine Riordan Book 1 – ebook

Earth Unaware Orson Scott Card & Aardon Johnstone (2012)
The First Formic War Book 1 – ebook

Live Free or Die John Ringo (2010)
Troy Rising Book 1 – ebook; reread

Citadel John Ringo (2011)
Troy Rising Book 2 – ebook; reread

The Hot Gate John Ringo (2011)
Troy Rising Book 1 – ebook; reread

Earth Afire Orson Scott Card & Aardon Johnstone (2013)
The First Formic War Book 2 – ebook

Earth Awakens Orson Scott Card & Aardon Johnstone (2014)
The First Formic War Book 3 – ebook

His Majesty’s Dragon Naomi Novik (2006)
Temeraire Book 1 – ebook; reread

Throne of Jade Naomi Novik (2006)
Temeraire Book 2 – ebook; reread

Black Powder War Naomi Novik (2006)
Temeraire Book 3 – ebook; reread

Empire of Ivory Naomi Novik (2007)
Temeraire Book 4 – ebook; reread

Victory of Eagles Naomi Novik (2008)
Temeraire Book 5 – ebook; reread

Tongues of Serpents Naomi Novik(2010)
Temeraire Book 6 – ebook; reread

Crucible of Gold Naomi Novik (2012)
Temeraire Book 7 – ebook; reread

Blood of Tyrants Naomi Novik (2013)
Temeraire Book 8 – ebook; reread

1632 John Ringo (2000)
Ring of Fire Book 1 – ebook; reread

Between Planets Robert Heinlein (1951)
– ebook; reread

Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen – eARC Lois McMaster Bujold (2015)
The Vorkosigan Saga Book 15 – ebook;

November

Arrows of the Queen Mercedes Lackey (1987)
The Heralds of Valdemar Book 1 – ebook;

Arrow’s Flight Mercedes Lackey (1987)
The Heralds of Valdemar Book 2 – ebook;

Arrow’s Fall Mercedes Lackey (1988)
The Heralds of Valdemar Book 3 – ebook;

An Ancient Peace Tanya Huff (2015)
Peacekeepers Book 1 – ebook;

Ancillary Mercy Anne Leckie (2015)
Imperial Radch Book 3 – ebook;

Uprooted Naomi Novik (2015)
– ebook;

The Human Division John Scalzi (2013)
Old Man’s War Book 5 – ebook; reread

The End of All Things John Scalzi (2015)
Old Man’s War Book 6 – ebook;

Mr. Midshipman Hornblower C.S. Forester (1950)
Horatio Hornblower Book 1 – ebook;

Hornblower and the Big Decision C.S. Forester (1951)
Horatio Hornblower Book 1.1 Short Story – ebook;

Lieutenant Hornblower C.S. Forester (1952)
Horatio Hornblower Book 2 – ebook;

Hornblower and the Hotspur C.S. Forester (1962)
Horatio Hornblower Book 3 – ebook;

Hornblower and the Crisis C.S. Forester (1967 – unfinished)
Horatio Hornblower Book 3.5 – ebook;

Hornblower and the Atropos C.S. Forester (1953)
Horatio Hornblower Book 4 – ebook;

Total: 92 books,  7.66 books a month, 1.77 books a week, .25 books a day
58 new books
34 rereads

92 is down from the last two years, but considering we spent half the year sailing, I think its not too shabby. There is much less leisure time available on the boat and generally what leisure time you have you dedicate to experiencing new things. And, since you are generally a bit more tired, the evening reading is much shorter than usual. That’s my excuse and I am sticking to it.

All but four were ebooks. On the other hand, that means my ebook collection is up to 429 ebooks. W00t! And with the Hornblower collection I moved away from my Sci-Fi/Fantasy fetish a bit more than I have in previous years. Good for me.

Interestingly, all but 11 books were part of series of some sort. I guess I am a lazy reader and once I find something I like I don’t want to explore further afield. And it gives me an excuse to go back and reread the first few books in a series to get caught back up.

Books that are part of a series: 81
Total different series: 30
Series read/reread in their entirety: 16
Total authors: 35
New authors: 6

Books published in 2015: 10
Oldest book read: 1950

I pretty much stuck with my Kobo Aura. It is a pretty damn good little reader if you can get over the proprietary nature of the hardware—and obviously I still haven’t. I really can’t understand why the publishing industry is letting booksellers control distribution like that; it marginalizes one of the more significant aspects of publishing and leaves them increasingly more prey to the booksellers’ predatory instincts. Yup, still not over it.

Speaking of the Aura, one of the boons of the ebook is that I can remain in denial about my need for glasses. With adjustable text size and backlights I can comfortably read in bed in the bad light and pretend  its all like it used to be.  A print book however necessitates the use of reading glasses in anything other than perfect lighting. Sigh. I do have a few print books on my pile—I just keep putting them off.

And that was 2015.


As for the people who started this nonsense, here is Earl’s list for 2015 and Leslie’s limited contribution as well.