welcome to the master plan

I spent part of this morning compiling a reading list.

My husband and I own a lot of books. A LOT. We've spent every Christmas since we've been together asking for bookstore gift cards. This has resulted in more books that I can possibly keep up with, especially considering how much of my reading has actually been fanfiction over the past two or three years. It's time to work through some of the list.

These are all books we own that I have not read and want to read. They are in no particular order.

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It looks incredibly daunting, to see it like this...wow. I need to spend less time online, clearly! I'm a fast reader, but that doesn't matter if I can't tear myself away from my laptop.

Anyone read any of these? Got comments? Recs? Warnings? I'd be curious to hear!

Just got back from the Patrick Rothfuss book signing. He was super-casual and cool and amazing, and it was just generally an awesome and inspiring experience. If anyone out there reads fantasy and has not yet come across The Name of the Wind, I whole-heartedly recommend it!

Oh, Scott Lynch, how do I love you? Let me count the ways!

1 - YOU DON'T CAPITALIZE GOD IN YOUR LJ. This is a huge, huge thing for me. I don't capitalize god either, and sometimes people get pissy at me. YAY YOU.

2 - On a similar note, you list atheism as one of your interests. HELL YES.

3 - Other interests of yours that make you awesome: age of sail, British television, brunettes, Dark Tower (EEE!!!), Firefly, geek women, George R. R. Martin, Ian Mckellen, Neil Gaiman, Star Trek, Star Wars, Stargate, and Tolkien.

4 - YOU EVEN HAVE A LIVEJOURNAL. THAT HAS OVER 900 ENTRIES.

5 - You posted on inauguration day about how fucking happy you were to see Bush leave office. YAY YOU.

6 - You find the thought of fanfic about your work "immensely flattering."

7 - You named your main character after a Final Fantasy character. That's just awesome.

8 - You'll sign my book if I mail it to you. That's...I have no other word...AWESOME.

9 - You collect old Choose Your Own Adventure novels!

10 - Finally, and most importantly: you are an absolutely fantastic writer. You make my heart pound with excitement. You make me laugh and cry. You take me away from the world for a while, to visit your beautiful, interesting, meticulously crafted one.

YOU. ARE. AWESOME.

1 - The Mirador by Sarah Monette 5/5
2 - Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale 4/5
3 - Transformation by Carol Berg 4.5/5
4 - The Phoenix by Ruth Sims 4/5
5 - I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert 4/5
6 - Sing the Four Quarters by Tanya Huff 3/5
7 - Regeneration by Pat Barker 5/5
8 - Atonement by Ian McEwan 3/5
9 - The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 4/5
10 - Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling 5/5
11 - Yarn Harlot - the Secret Life of a Knitter by Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee 5/5
12 - How Not to Write a Novel by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman 5/5
13 - The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro/ White Teeth by Zadie Smith/ The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor 3/5, 2/5, 4/5
14 - The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene 5/5
15 - Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch 5/5
16 - Bag of Bones by Stephen King 5/5
17 - Tangled Webs by Anne Bishop 4/5
18 - Stalking Darkness by Lynn Flewelling 5/5
19 - Kushiel's Mercy by Jacqueline Carey 4/5
20 - No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty 5/5
21 - Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King 4/5
22 - The Terror by Dan Simmons 5/5
23 - Traitor's Moon by Lynn Flewelling 4/5
24 - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams 5/5
25 - Shadows Return by Lynn Flewelling 4.5/5
26 - Raised by Wolves: Brethren by W. A. Hoffman 5/5

Three words: gay pirate romance. That alone would be enough to make this book awesome. But more than than...it's good. REALLY good. The writing is lovely, the story is exciting, the historical detail is wonderful, the romance is heartwarming and heartwrenching in turns, the characters are interesting and appealing, and there's just exactly the right amount of sex. I honestly could not think of a single way to make this book better. And guess what? THERE ARE THREE MORE.

1 - The Mirador by Sarah Monette 5/5
2 - Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale 4/5
3 - Transformation by Carol Berg 4.5/5
4 - The Phoenix by Ruth Sims 4/5
5 - I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert 4/5
6 - Sing the Four Quarters by Tanya Huff 3/5
7 - Regeneration by Pat Barker 5/5
8 - Atonement by Ian McEwan 3/5
9 - The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 4/5
10 - Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling 5/5
11 - Yarn Harlot - the Secret Life of a Knitter by Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee 5/5
12 - How Not to Write a Novel by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman 5/5
13 - The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro/ White Teeth by Zadie Smith/ The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor 3/5, 2/5, 4/5
14 - The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene 5/5
15 - Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch 5/5
16 - Bag of Bones by Stephen King 5/5
17 - Tangled Webs by Anne Bishop 4/5
18 - Stalking Darkness by Lynn Flewelling 5/5
19 - Kushiel's Mercy by Jacqueline Carey 4/5
20 - No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty 5/5
21 - Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King 4/5
22 - The Terror by Dan Simmons 5/5
23 - Traitor's Moon by Lynn Flewelling 4/5
24 - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams 5/5

23 - This book was really quite a disappointment after the first two. It definitely didn't suck me in, as the plot was boring and there was far too much time dedicated to establishing the setting. But Seregil and Alec are still some of my favorite main characters, and it was awesome to get to see them in an established relationship after the first two books of getting them together. I'll probably get the fourth book, but after this one, it's certainly not a priority.

24 - A reread. I've read this many, many times, and it still makes me laugh out loud. Awesome from the first word to the last!

I'm never going to catch up on this challenge. I spend too much time reading fanfic these days!

1 - The Mirador by Sarah Monette 5/5
2 - Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale 4/5
3 - Transformation by Carol Berg 4.5/5
4 - The Phoenix by Ruth Sims 4/5
5 - I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert 4/5
6 - Sing the Four Quarters by Tanya Huff 3/5
7 - Regeneration by Pat Barker 5/5
8 - Atonement by Ian McEwan 3/5
9 - The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 4/5
10 - Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling 5/5
11 - Yarn Harlot - the Secret Life of a Knitter by Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee 5/5
12 - How Not to Write a Novel by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman 5/5
13 - The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro/ White Teeth by Zadie Smith/ The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor 3/5, 2/5, 4/5
14 - The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene 5/5
15 - Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch 5/5
16 - Bag of Bones by Stephen King 5/5
17 - Tangled Webs by Anne Bishop 4/5
18 - Stalking Darkness by Lynn Flewelling 5/5
19 - Kushiel's Mercy by Jacqueline Carey 4/5
20 - No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty 5/5
21 - Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King 4/5
22 - The Terror by Dan Simmons 5/5

This book was pretty close to perfection. It was amazingly, AMAZINGLY written. It sucked me in from the very first page to the very last. I got extremely attached to the main character. I feel like I learned a LOT from reading it, just because of all the incredible historical detail. It was just completely awesome in every way. I would recommend it to anyone, and I'll definitely be reading it again. Along with all his other works... :-)

1 - The Mirador by Sarah Monette 5/5
2 - Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale 4/5
3 - Transformation by Carol Berg 4.5/5
4 - The Phoenix by Ruth Sims 4/5
5 - I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert 4/5
6 - Sing the Four Quarters by Tanya Huff 3/5
7 - Regeneration by Pat Barker 5/5
8 - Atonement by Ian McEwan 3/5
9 - The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 4/5
10 - Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling 5/5
11 - Yarn Harlot - the Secret Life of a Knitter by Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee 5/5
12 - How Not to Write a Novel by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman 5/5
13 - The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro/ White Teeth by Zadie Smith/ The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor 3/5, 2/5, 4/5
14 - The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene 5/5
15 - Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch 5/5
16 - Bag of Bones by Stephen King 5/5
17 - Tangled Webs by Anne Bishop 4/5
18 - Stalking Darkness by Lynn Flewelling 5/5
19 - Kushiel's Mercy by Jacqueline Carey 4/5
20 - No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty 5/5

This is my fifth or sixth time through this lovely little book. I read it whenever I miss NaNo, and it does a great job of scratching the itch. Chris has a real talent for motivation, and I usually find myself picking up an old project or starting a new one every time I read his book. Highly, highly recommended for any writer.

1 - The Mirador by Sarah Monette 5/5
2 - Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale 4/5
3 - Transformation by Carol Berg 4.5/5
4 - The Phoenix by Ruth Sims 4/5
5 - I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert 4/5
6 - Sing the Four Quarters by Tanya Huff 3/5
7 - Regeneration by Pat Barker 5/5
8 - Atonement by Ian McEwan 3/5
9 - The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 4/5
10 - Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling 5/5
11 - Yarn Harlot - the Secret Life of a Knitter by Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee 5/5
12 - How Not to Write a Novel by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman 5/5
13 - The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro/ White Teeth by Zadie Smith/ The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor 3/5, 2/5, 4/5
14 - The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene 5/5
15 - Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch 5/5
16 - Bag of Bones by Stephen King 5/5
17 - Tangled Webs by Anne Bishop 4/5
18 - Stalking Darkness by Lynn Flewelling 5/5

An excellent second volume of the Nightrunner series, with a heartwrenchingly lovely ending. I really love Seregil and Alec, and what's really remarkable is that I love reading about them doing plotty things almost as much as I love reading their slowly developing romance.

1 - The Mirador by Sarah Monette 5/5
2 - Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale 4/5
3 - Transformation by Carol Berg 4.5/5
4 - The Phoenix by Ruth Sims 4/5
5 - I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert 4/5
6 - Sing the Four Quarters by Tanya Huff 3/5
7 - Regeneration by Pat Barker 5/5
8 - Atonement by Ian McEwan 3/5
9 - The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 4/5
10 - Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling 5/5
11 - Yarn Harlot - the Secret Life of a Knitter by Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee 5/5
12 - How Not to Write a Novel by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman 5/5
13 - The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro/ White Teeth by Zadie Smith/ The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor 3/5, 2/5, 4/5
14 - The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene 5/5
15 - Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch 5/5
16 - Bag of Bones by Stephen King 5/5

731 pages in two days. That's pretty incredible, even for someone who reads as fast as me. King manages to suck me in pretty thoroughly more often than not, but this was ridiculous. Some of my fascination was because I was creeped out, and for some reason, my brain is convinced that if I can only finish the story, the fear will go away - which it generally does. Some of it was that I was emotionally invested in the characters. But more than that, this was an amazingly written story. The main character is a writer, so I was constantly reminded of writing and reading as a writer, and paying such close attention to the craft of this book made me truly admire just how tight it is. Though I love King, there are certainly flaws that show up in his work. Pacing problems, especially at the beginning. Tangents that take us away from the main story. Far too many characters and so many names that you find yourself having to look back to remember which belongs to who. None of these appear in Bag of Bones. This is King when he's simply on, and there's just no better storyteller than that.

1 - The Mirador by Sarah Monette 5/5
2 - Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale 4/5
3 - Transformation by Carol Berg 4.5/5
4 - The Phoenix by Ruth Sims 4/5
5 - I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert 4/5
6 - Sing the Four Quarters by Tanya Huff 3/5
7 - Regeneration by Pat Barker 5/5
8 - Atonement by Ian McEwan 3/5
9 - The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 4/5
10 - Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling 5/5
11 - Yarn Harlot - the Secret Life of a Knitter by Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee 5/5
12 - How Not to Write a Novel by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman 5/5
13 - The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro/ White Teeth by Zadie Smith/ The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor 3/5, 2/5, 4/5
14 - The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene 5/5

This was one of the most intense and challenging books I've ever read. I can't say I understood every sentence, but I do feel that I emerged with a solid general understanding of the theories of relativity, quantum mechanics, string theory, and M-theory. This book kept me interested and entertained throughout, and it seriously blew my mind time and again. I'm very glad I read it and would definitely recommend it to anyone I thought was smart enough to get through it.

I need to pick up the pace of my reading - I'll never make it to 50 books by the end of the year at this rate! If only I could count fanfiction and manga... :-)