Books of 2008
Mar. 23rd, 2009 11:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meteordustIn 2008, I read 30 books:
24 were fiction
6 were non-fiction
21 were novels
2 were collections
1 was an anthology
17 were by authors I had read before
13 were by authors I had never read before
2 were first novels in a series
9 were other novels in a series
Highlights:
Iron Council by China Mieville
This is the third novel set in the fantastical world of Bas-Lag, but like the others it works as a standalone. The story of a rebellion against the tyrannical government of New Crobuzon, it makes the highlights list on the strength of 'Anamnesis' alone, which is one hundred pages of pure epic.
The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald
Sometimes when you read a classic, you discover it really does live up to its reputation. The Great American Novel always seems to be about someone who believes in the Great American Dream, and how that dream betrays them. The Great Gatsby is a perfect example. The story of millionaire Jay Gatsby and his hopeless love for Daisy, as seen through the eyes of his friend Nick. Also, Fitzgerald writes like a dream. Fabulous prose, so clean, so concise.
Growing Up Asian in Australia edited by Alice Pung
Like another reviewer said, I wish I had this book to read when I was growing up. Personal stories from Asian-Australians young and old, from many different cultures and backgrounds, covering subjects as diverse as family, friendship, love, work, school, and life. More than one sparked a pang of recognition.
Extras by Scott Westerfeld
The unexpected fourth book in the Uglies trilogy, this novel is set several years later in a much changed world. Aya lives in a society where face rank, or online popularity, determines your real life status, wealth, and privileges. Her investigation of a secret clique who shun the spotlight could be her route to fame, but what she discovers instead is far more dangerous. I like the very matter of fact way that all the main characters are Japanese, and the exploration of a social networking culture extended to its limits.
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
Marcus and his friends are smart hacker kids who like to mess around. But when a terrorist attack strikes San Francisco, they are snatched off the streets by the Department of Homeland Security and put through days of interrogation. Although eventually released, from that moment, their lives are not their own, monitored and controlled. Except they decide to fight back. This book is a call to arms, an instructional manual, and a suspenseful adventure story all rolled into one. Not just the why but the how of resisting the erosion of civil liberties and human rights in a post-9/11 world. And the many geeky references are a delight. Available as a free download from the official site.
Victory of Eagles by Naomi Novike
The latest book in the Temeraire series is tremendous fun, despite the grim events that hang over Laurence. We get lots of delicious Temeraire POV, along with him taking charge of a new group of dragons with interesting personalities. This seems to bring the arc of the first five books to a close. Looking forward to the next one - set in colonial Australia!
Nation by Terry Pratchett
This is not a Discworld book, but it is a book that Terry Pratchett says he has been wanting to write for years. I knew little about the premise when I started reading it, and for me the story packed a powerful emotional punch. Mau is a boy on the verge of becoming a man, who, when catastrophe strikes his island home, takes on the task of rebuilding a nation along with other strays and castaways. A wonderful, moving story about home and communication and bridging the gap across cultures.
Beyond This Dark House by Guy Gavriel Kay
If you love the gorgeous prose of Guy Gavriel Kay, and the fragments of poetry seeded throughout his novels, you will, like me, be delighted that this collection is now available as a mass market paperback. A range of works, long and short, fantastical and realistic. Not every poem is as beautiful and profound as those in his novels, but there is enough interesting stuff to make it worthwhile.
24 were fiction
6 were non-fiction
21 were novels
2 were collections
1 was an anthology
17 were by authors I had read before
13 were by authors I had never read before
2 were first novels in a series
9 were other novels in a series
Highlights:
Iron Council by China Mieville
This is the third novel set in the fantastical world of Bas-Lag, but like the others it works as a standalone. The story of a rebellion against the tyrannical government of New Crobuzon, it makes the highlights list on the strength of 'Anamnesis' alone, which is one hundred pages of pure epic.
The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald
Sometimes when you read a classic, you discover it really does live up to its reputation. The Great American Novel always seems to be about someone who believes in the Great American Dream, and how that dream betrays them. The Great Gatsby is a perfect example. The story of millionaire Jay Gatsby and his hopeless love for Daisy, as seen through the eyes of his friend Nick. Also, Fitzgerald writes like a dream. Fabulous prose, so clean, so concise.
Growing Up Asian in Australia edited by Alice Pung
Like another reviewer said, I wish I had this book to read when I was growing up. Personal stories from Asian-Australians young and old, from many different cultures and backgrounds, covering subjects as diverse as family, friendship, love, work, school, and life. More than one sparked a pang of recognition.
Extras by Scott Westerfeld
The unexpected fourth book in the Uglies trilogy, this novel is set several years later in a much changed world. Aya lives in a society where face rank, or online popularity, determines your real life status, wealth, and privileges. Her investigation of a secret clique who shun the spotlight could be her route to fame, but what she discovers instead is far more dangerous. I like the very matter of fact way that all the main characters are Japanese, and the exploration of a social networking culture extended to its limits.
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
Marcus and his friends are smart hacker kids who like to mess around. But when a terrorist attack strikes San Francisco, they are snatched off the streets by the Department of Homeland Security and put through days of interrogation. Although eventually released, from that moment, their lives are not their own, monitored and controlled. Except they decide to fight back. This book is a call to arms, an instructional manual, and a suspenseful adventure story all rolled into one. Not just the why but the how of resisting the erosion of civil liberties and human rights in a post-9/11 world. And the many geeky references are a delight. Available as a free download from the official site.
Victory of Eagles by Naomi Novike
The latest book in the Temeraire series is tremendous fun, despite the grim events that hang over Laurence. We get lots of delicious Temeraire POV, along with him taking charge of a new group of dragons with interesting personalities. This seems to bring the arc of the first five books to a close. Looking forward to the next one - set in colonial Australia!
Nation by Terry Pratchett
This is not a Discworld book, but it is a book that Terry Pratchett says he has been wanting to write for years. I knew little about the premise when I started reading it, and for me the story packed a powerful emotional punch. Mau is a boy on the verge of becoming a man, who, when catastrophe strikes his island home, takes on the task of rebuilding a nation along with other strays and castaways. A wonderful, moving story about home and communication and bridging the gap across cultures.
Beyond This Dark House by Guy Gavriel Kay
If you love the gorgeous prose of Guy Gavriel Kay, and the fragments of poetry seeded throughout his novels, you will, like me, be delighted that this collection is now available as a mass market paperback. A range of works, long and short, fantastical and realistic. Not every poem is as beautiful and profound as those in his novels, but there is enough interesting stuff to make it worthwhile.
