Blind Prophecy

Well, it’s getting to be close enough to the end of the year to start recapping a bit. Today, books.

Books I read in 2005

• The Outstretched Shadow, Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory
• To Light a Candle, Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory
• Light Before Day, Christopher Rice
• Stardust, Neil Gaiman
• The Last Light of the Sun, Guy Gavriel Kay
• Mist of Avalon*, Marion Zimmer Bradley
• A Stroke of Midnight, Laurell K. Hamilton
• The Sacrifice*, Gordon Linton
• The Spiral Dance, Starhawk
• The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
• Don’t Think of an Elephant, George Lakoff
• Circle Round, Starhawk et. al
• Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Gregory Maguire
• Haunted, Chuck Palahniuk
• The Summer Tree, Guy Gavriel Kay
• The Onion Girl, Charles de Lint
• The Wandering Fire, Guy Gavriel Kay
• The Darkest Road, Guy Gavriel Kay
• Sanctuary, Mercedes Lackey
• The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*, J.K. Rowling
• Mysterious Skin, Scott Heim
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling
• Specimen Days, Scott Cunningham
• Leaves of Grass*, Walt Whitman
• The Little Country, Charles de Lint
• Full Contact Magic, Kerr Cuhulain
• Anansi Boys, Neil Gaiman
• Son of a Witch, Gregory Maguire
• The City of Falling Angels, John Berendt
• Every Which Way but Dead, Kim Harrison (utter, utter crap)
• Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, Anne Rice
• Dreams Underfoot, Charles de Lint
• Someplace to be Flying, Charles de Lint
• Magic’s Pawn*, Mercedes Lackey
• Magic’s Promise*, Merecedes Lackey
• Magic’s Price*, Mercedes Lackey
  * re-read in 2005.

The list “feels” a little skimpy to me (and it’s possible I’ve missed a few from the beginning of the year or if I didn’t mention them in a “book” tagged LJ entry), but I think it’s more or less accurate. I know I read a lot more if you add in all the comic books… notably Astonishing X-Men, Marvel 1602, Serenity, The Freshmen, and nearly everything tied into the House of M crossover extravaganza in Marvel this year. I’ve also picked up dozens of X-Men related trade paperbacks.

My favorite discovery of the year was the Fionavar Tapestry (The Summer Tree, The Wandering Fire, and The Longest Road) by Guy Gavriel Kay. These are books I will read again and again in future years. A close second was the work of Charles de Lint, whose books are a little more hit-or-miss with me.

Worst book of the year I actually read was Every Which Way But Dead, a paperback I grabbed off a supermarket shelf in desperation for reading materials on the bus. Although, Laurell K. Hamilton’s A Stroke of Midnight came very close to winning the title, but was only saved by having a few genuine moments of creative inspiration amid the sex and indulgent, boring characters.

Biggest dissapointment of the year were the Narnia books, but as someone (Rob, I think) pointed out, you’re supposed to read them as a child before you’re old enough to be bothered by the not-so-thinly-veiled Christian metaphors. Sadly, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy came in second in this category. I’m afraid it was just too over-hyped by the time I got to reading it and couldn’t live up to what I was waiting for.

Biggest surprise of the year was City of Falling Angels by John Berendt. Nothing about this book (nonfiction, about Venice, etc.) would have appealed to me if I hadn’t taken a chance. I ended up not being able to tear myself away from it. Superbly written and fascinatingly detailed, I’m thrilled I found this book.

The best book of the year is going to also fall to Guy Gavriel Kay, with The Longest Road (although, he only gets it because I disqualified books I re-read). Expertly crafted, emotionally unstoppable, and astonishingly powerful, the conclusion to the Fionavar Tapesty trilogy is my choice for the best book I read in 2005.

So, any reccomendations of books which should pop up on my last-minute Christmas gifts list?

Filed under: livejournal by Jere Keys