Rio Linda Annie's 100 printed books in 2011

And here I go again. I started the 2010 challenge late and ran out of steam some where between Halloween and Thanksgiving.

This time I am going to keep track of first listens to audiobooks too just for fun (won't try for the 100 in audio). Those will have a number and "-audio" after the count.

#1 - audio
Ringworld by Larry Niven. I read this about 20 years ago and only remembered two things about the book - the puppeteer's cowardice and Teela's luck was lucky for her and not necessarily anyone else. The reader was very good although I did get bogged down in the science a couple of times.

Welcome back! And better luck for 2011. :)

Ringworld is one of those classics of sci fi I somehow missed growing up. I keep meaning to pick it up someday.

#1 - Grimrose Path by Rob Thurman

Sequel to Trick of the Light. Trixa (of the Trickster species - aka Raven, Coyote, Anansi etc.) must stop an ancient evil while limited to human form.

I enjoyed this one, but I must admit my favorite character(s) are Zeke and Griffin, not the protagonist. I really enjoy those two guys and the dynamic between them. Rob Thurman is very good at creating interesting relationships between characters in both of her series.

#2 - Alien Tango by Gina Koch

Great followup to Touched by an Alien

I loved using alligators as weapons. There was a room full of bad guys and hostages. She got her alien friends to grab two alligators and threw them into the room to distract the bad guys, yelling "Alligator in the room" as she slammed the door after throwing the alligator in.

#3 - Angel's Blood by Nalini Singh

First in a new series. It took me a while to get into this book, then enjoyed the last two thirds.

#2 - audio
Burn Me Deadly by Alex Bledsoe

Quite a sense of deja vu in the first chapter. The first chapter and the title are a tribute to Kiss Me Deadly by Mickey Spillane. Sword Jockey (P.I. in medieval world) picks up a woman in distress. They are ambushed and she is tortured to death, man's valued horse is killed and he is left for dead. When he recovers, he investigates.

#4 Hawkes Harbor by S. E. Hinton - started out as a dark tale about a man who accidentally wakes up a vampire and ends up broken in mind and body, but evolves into a story of hope and change.

#3 - audio
Jingo by Terry Pratchett. Read this a few years ago but did not remember the details. Another thoroughly enjoyable Discworld novel.

Well...finished two books in one week and bought three. Somehow that does not work for emptying out my TBR shelves.

#4 - Monster Hunter Vendetta by Larry Correia. Sequel to Monster Hunter International

Gangsta Lawn Gnomes - "You go gnome you never go home."

#4 - audio
A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George. Very well read by Derek Jacoby.

#5 - audio
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. I loved this. Neil Gaiman is a wonderful storyteller and he read as well as wrote this.

#5 Trapped by James Alan Gardner. Good book in a series. I just wish Pelinor had not died (although the author gave good warning that there would be a lot of deaths in this particular quest).

Yes Gaiman is a wonderful storyteller. Love his stuff!

#6 - Masques by Patricia Briggs. Rewrite of her first novel that was on my keeper shelves in its original form. This got me in a Patricia Briggs mood, so I am reading Raven's Shadow and Raven's Strike until I can buy the sequel to Masques.

#6 - audio
Monkeewrench by P. J. Tracy. Actually this is the first listen of a book I read a couple of years ago (needed to get back into the rhythm before reading one in the series - plus a wonderful reader). Listening to this made a rough week smoother - and I only remembered part of the who did it and why.

I know I finished a printed book in the last month, but what it was escapes me at the moment. Ah well.

#7 both print and audio
Skull Sessions by Daniel Hecht

I started with the audio, then when it was not progressing fast enough I switched to the print version. Good book with good twists and an unusual protagonist.

* corrected for a misphrasing (unusual instead of usual).

#8 The Good, The Bad, and The Uncanny by Simon R. Green

Good escapism while waiting for bad news from a plumber. If I could, I would hang out in Strangefellows a lot lately.

#9 Blackout by Rob Thurman

Excellent entry in the Cal Leandros series. 'Love those mummy cats :) I was laughing out loud at their antics.

#10 Falling Awake by Jayne Ann Krentz

#11 White Lies by same.

Felt like reading some romantic suspense as a break from urban fantasy.

#12 Alien in the Family by Gini Koch

I actually read about this fictional and fun wedding while the royal wedding was going on a month ago. Just coincidence.

#13 The Cat, the Quilt, and the Corpse by Leann Sweeney.

The first in a mystery series that was great fun. The protagonist loves cats as much as I do. She was in a house with a corpse but was more worried about making sure the cats were safe.

#14 Silver Born and
#15 River Marked by Patricia Briggs.

I love this series. I both read them and listen to the audiobooks. I love how the main character has grown.

#8 audio Nightingale's Lament by Simon R. Green

Love revisiting the Nightside in audio form while waiting for the next book in print.

#16 Running Hot and
#17 Fired Up by Jayne Ann Krentz

Two books in the Arcane Society series. Always a fun read. My attention span has been very short lately, so I am gravitating toward the quick reads.

#9 audio Coyote Wind by Peter Bowen

Love the reading of this book. Wish all the books in the series were available in audio.

#18 and #10 audio Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

This one started out as audio and ended in print when I realized I did not have the patience to listen for over 30 hours (800+ pages). It was good but I am not ready to tackle the next one in the series
yet because it is even longer :O

#11 audio Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia.

A favorite book of mine that I could not resist listening to.

#19 Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

Another good entry in the Sookie universe.

Okay, now to finish the other book I am halfway through. I think it will take me about an hour.

Well...it was 90 minutes instead of 60, but it is finished.

#20 Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

First book in a trilogy of young adult fantasy novels. Very enjoyable. Definitely will read more by this author.

#21 Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

First book in a series...unsure if I am going to continue in it though. Well-written but did not grab me.

#22 Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnson

Another Longmire mystery. I cannot wait to see if the pilot film based on this series makes it to t.v.!

#23 Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger

Spotted this author's work while looking for Craig Johnson at Barnes and Noble. The titles intrigued me so I picked up the first in the series and read it over two nights. I got a little teary-eyed when my favorite character died.

23.5 Covenants: A Borderlands Novel by Lorna Freeman

This is a re-read of something I read last year so that I can read the next in the series without straining my memory :P

24 Alex Archer's Rogue Angel: Destiny

First in a action + urban fantasy series. I saw this series everywhere but never found book one until I visited a used book store in a neighboring town. It actually was a fun read and I look forward to the others in the series.

#25 King's Own: A Borderlands Novel by Lorna Freeman

Sequel to Covenants. L. Freeman writes a fun fantasy. On to book 3 in the series! I love the fact that the main character does not eat meat (except for fish) because growing up in an area where the local family of boars call out greetings in your language tends to put you off of pork.

#26 Rogue Angel: Solomon's Jar by Alex Archer

Second book in adventure/urban fantasy series. I wondered who would play the main character in a movie :)

#12 audio Hogfather by Terry Pratchett. Pratchett takes on Christmas with hilarious results.

#27 Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman

Horror novel set in 1935. Interesting twist on an old theme. I got this one because both Charlaine Harris and Patricia Briggs wrote a favorable review of this author's first novel.

#28 Basilisk by Rob Thurman

Another fun book by R. Thurman; I must admit, my favorite scenes are the ones with the pet ferret.

This is another double. Started listening then switched back and forth between listening and reading.
#13 audio and #29 (old fashioned paper book)

A Hymn Before Battle by John Ringo

Enjoyable beginning to a space battle saga, although I must admit I skimmed over some of the science in the science fiction.

#30 Haunting Jordan by P. J. Alderman

Just a very fun read about a woman starting up in a haunted fixer-upper of a Victorian.

Well, perimenopause has really kicked my attention span out the window (Only 30 books in 10 months! Shocking!)

#31 A Winter Haunting by Dan Simmons
#32 Doppelgangster by Laura Resnick

#14 audio Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett

Uh oh - my TBR shelves are in jeopardy for a longer wait - my sister-in-law gave me her Kindle for Thanksgiving and it has at least 50 books in it....oh my temptation!

What a fabulous sister-in-law!

Some of her tastes do not match mine, but even after getting rid of those, I acquired 50 books in the Kindle. I won't be buying any new books for a while :)

#33 Hide by Lisa Gardner - first item read off of my new-used Kindle and first item I have read by Lisa Gardner. Enjoyable suspence. I am so glad the dog survived the attack by the bad guy (I hate it when pets are killed in books).

#34 Alien Proliferation by Gini Koch - nice entry in her series, however not my favorite.

#15 audio - Frankenstein: Dead and Alive by Dean Koontz - book 3 in Dean Koontz's reimagining of the Frankenstein story.