Books I Read in 2011

Here’s a list of the books I read in 2011 and my ranking/thoughts on them.  Rankings are:

• 4 stars – An excellent/awesome/amazing book you must read!
• 3 stars – A very good read, definitely recommend.
• 2 stars – A good, average read. 
• 1 star – Not a good read, would not recommend.

1. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (3 stars) – Book 2 of the Hunger Games series, it picked up on the excitement of the first book.  Katniss’ rebellion is underway, and a return to the arena, while a little convenient, made for another action-packed book.  The love triangle got annoying in some places; Katniss definitely is one of the most naïve teenagers in the world.  But, the action and the cliffhanger ending made me pick up the next book right away.
2. Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut (3.5) – I was introduced to Vonnegut last year by Sara Tonje, and I thank her immensely for it.  What a wonderful mixture of intelligence and wit in the words and the depictions.  The chapter where Vonnegut describes a bombing backwards is probably one of the best examples of prose I’ve ever read in my life.  The book itself got a little weird in the jumps between settings, enough to cost it half a star in the ranking.  It’s famous for a reason, definitely a good intro to his work.
3. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (2) – A poor ending to a solid series.  The final battles of the rebellion were very puzzling, but Collins definitely had to cut out a lot of the background stuff to move the story along.  The annoying qualities of Katniss were on every page, probably what made it worse in my head.  How could someone so naïve achieve so much? The ending is what really cost it points, in spite of the good depiction of a martyr's life in a rebellion is like.  Too quick, too thin and too sappy.  Even still, it was a solid trilogy and worth the popularity it has achieved.  I’m looking forward to the movies.
4. Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll (2) – I loved “Alice in Wonderland,” but this sequel lacked the wonder (if you will) of the first book.  Dripping with analogies to chess, the book was tedious.  My excitement to learn more about the Jabberwocky was left unsatisfied.  The older Alice was less amusing.  Sure, I have a great sense of the immense world of Wonderland, but it seemed like Carroll was trying too hard.  Disappointing.
5. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rich Riodan (2) – Meh.  A nice take on ancient mythology I can get behind, although a little too much Harry Potter-like world for my tastes.  I think the timing of the publication would limit the actual impact of that series, so I keep them separate in my mind.  Even still, I’m sure it’s entertaining for those with a junior high school education in mythology.  For me, it was play and nothing more.
6. Pilgrims by Garrison Keillor (2) – A funny little story by one of my favorite authors, but just as slow and daunting as many of his novels.  Characters spend more time reflecting on their thoughts, emotions and religious perspectives than actually doing something.  The mass of pages setup a scene that ends quickly, the introduction hardly important to set the stage or add to the humor.  Even still, it’s a nice story of middle-aged fishes out of their pond (or frozen Minnesotan lake in this case), seeking adventure and purpose.  I doubt I’d ever go on a trip with them.
7. The Killing Dance by Laurel K. Hamilton (2) – I’ve tried to get into the Anita Blake books, I really have.  But this one turned me off.  There’s only so much sexual tension, innuendo and clichéd additions of monsters I can take.  The vampires and were-creatures (far too many) are too cool, and their menace is watered down.  The sex scene between Anita and Jean-Claude is steamy, no doubt there, definitely worth a read.  The rest of it is so packed with blood and waiting, I’m not in a hurry to read the next book.
8. Scanners Live in Vain by Cordwainer Smith (1) – Smith was listed in multiple books on writing SF as one of the best, this short story being a typical one for him.  While it’s a unique take on robots, the prose put me to sleep.  I didn’t feel like rooting for the characters.  I didn’t care about the tech.  Sure, it was ahead of its time and is one of the core SF works, but I’m glad we’ve come a long way since then.
9. 1984 by George Orwell (3.5) – Wow.  What a novel!  So packed with original perceptions.  Any dystopian work must bow down to it almost like fantasy novels to Tolkien.  The ending keeps it from getting 4 stars.  At the end of a typical dystopian novel the world must be left changed, and usually for the better.  Not in this case.  You feel depressed when you put the book down, hopelessly bound to the reality of the world just like the characters are.  Orwell did the same thing in Animal Farm.  Not quite the ending I would have written.  Even still, an amazing book that should be required reading for all high school students.
10. Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler (2) – Another great work in the history of SF, this was a pretty depressing book from page one.  As a dystopian novel, I suppose it’s meant to be.  It’s a perfect example of a well-written dystopian novel.  All the common elements are there, and the dire situation of life in her community creates tension even with its predictable ending.  With the addition of the quotes at the beginnings of the chapters, the ending of the book is known from the beginning leaving the story as a whole without any suspense or tension.  The philosophy of the religion in the book is interesting, but flawed in small ways.  A nice read, not much more than that.  Probably one of the few SF works I’ve read where the main character was a black woman.
11. Dune by Frank Herbert (4) – Quite possibly one of the greatest books ever written, even outside of SF!  Amazing ideas, characters, philosophies and writing make this book a true work of art.  I’ll let my blog speak for the rest.  I plan on reading it as often as possible to learn how to write really, really, really good SF.
12. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (3) – I’d listened to the audiobook of this years ago, and re-reading it in anticipation of the HBO series was just as enjoyable.  It’s not your typical king/knights/fantasy-realm fantasy novel, not when the character you’re rooting for is dead by the end.  Even still, the political intrigue and the character plot lines are excellent and compelling from start to finish.  A strong start to the series.
13. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (4) – My favorite read of the year.  I think my blog says why best.  Just a ton of fun with great uses of modern technology. 
14. A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin (2) – A pale sequel to AGoT.  While the chess pieces are continually moved and progress is made on all storylines, the tension and action is far less than the first novel leaving long periods of talking and planning and little more revealed as to what will happen with each character.  Tyrion’s chapters are by far the best, and his wit and scheming are at its best.  New or returning characters are given importance that we’ll have to see if they pay off.  Bran’s wolf story seems like a blatant steal from Robert Jordan, but I’m letting it pass as the presence and impact of magic in this world is as yet established or explained.  A slow sequel, but I still want to see what happens to the characters so I’ve already started on book 3.
15. Doctor Who – The Stone Rose by Jacqueline Rayner (1.5) – I’ve usually avoided the novelizations of TV shows and movies.  In most cases, the stories are not supported by the producers/creators of the shows, so they’re basically published fan fiction and rarely impact the actual “canon” stories.  But, I’ve always enjoyed reading Star Trek novels, so I thought I’d give this one a shot.  Read by David Tennant, the audiobook was barely 3 hours long, a nice short read.  The book is dialogue heavy, helped by Tennant reading it with his thick accent, so at times you feel like you’re watching the show.  I thought a Doctor Who story in ancient Rome would be fun, but the lack of prose, descriptions or interaction with historical figures make the story very simple.  I might give these books another shot, but really I don’t learn more about the characters or the worlds that impact the show, so I’m not sure it’s worth my time.   

Here’s hoping in 2011 I read more books to make the list almost too long to maintain!