Lists: Worst Books Read in 2011 – # 1

Worst Books Read in 2011

1. Tomato Rhapsody: A Novel of Love, Lust, and Forbidden Fruit by Adam Schnell

Recipe for Worst Book Read in 2011

Take rhyming dialog and mix with a terrible author. Add in a small, prejudiced town in stereotyped Italy. Throw in a priest who’s been dyed eggplant and many statements regarding his being incredibly well hung, a couple of brainless teenagers, and some sex in a cauldron of tomatoes. Next time you want to be grossed out and cringing at the thought of acid on sensitive body parts, just pick up this book.

Original Review
My friend Ala also endured the horror. His review managed to be very funny & still a needed release after slugging through that schlock.

2. Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
3. Sequence by Adrian Dawson
4. Leaving Atocha Station by Ben Lerner
5. The Man Who Couldn’t Eat by Jon Reiner
6. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
7. Stolen World by Jennie Erin Smith
8. The Black Company by Glen Cook
9. A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
10. The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale

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Lists: Worst Books Read in 2011 – # 3

Worst Books Read in 2011

3. Sequence by Adrian Dawson

To quote myself, boring and an affront to scientists everywhere.

Original Review

4. Leaving Atocha Station by Ben Lerner
5. The Man Who Couldn’t Eat by Jon Reiner
6. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
7. Stolen World by Jennie Erin Smith
8. The Black Company by Glen Cook
9. A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
10. The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale

Lists: Best Books Read in 2011 – # 8

Best Books Read in 2011

8. Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey

Leviathan Wakes is an absolutely fantastic science fiction novel. I was skeptical when I read the description, but emerged a true believer. Without doubt the best scifi of many I read this year, and one of the best out of 200 books overall.

Original Review

9. A Great & Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
10. The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett

Lists: Worst Books Read in 2011 – # 8

Worst Books Read in 2011

8. The Black Company by Glen Cook

As I suspected at the time, The Black Company proved utterly forgettable. I also hated the naming convention and it felt like I was reading an idea for a book rather than the book itself.

Also, the big, bad wizard people had flying carpets. Seriously. Shame on you, Glen Cook. Shame on you.

Original Review

9. A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
10. The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale

Review: John Dies at the End

John Dies at the End by David Wong
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Warning: This Book Contains Multiple Scenes With Disgusting Huge Spiders

*ahem*

I had avoided adding John Dies at the End until a friend roped me into it through a challenge. I have to say, it was a pleasant surprise. Well, maybe not pleasant. That’s not a word that describes, well, anything in this book.

Review: Blameless

Blameless by Gail Carriger
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I don’t know quite how I would explain why I love Gail Carriger‘s Parasol Protectorate series so much, but I really do. While not so good as the others, Blameless has that same mixture of wit and “d’aww” reaction that I enjoyed in the previous books. As always, Alexia is involved in crazy adventures and Conall rages about wildly. Well, that isn’t all, but it does take up a fair amount. Basically, I continue to recommend these books to those who like Regency romances, even though these are set in Victorian times, as well as those who like light urban fantasy. There’s a little something for everyone here. For me, it’s on to Heartless! (Oh yes, ladybugs and pesto both play major roles in this. What’s not to love?)

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Review: Changeless

Changeless by Gail Carriger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While not quite as good as Soulless, Changeless was a delightful read and exactly what I needed to cleanse my brain after reading American Psycho. Gail Carriger writes good, funny yarns. There is a definite amount of repetition, but it can be forgiven. I can’t bring myself to say that her stories and characters are original, but there is a certain freshness to her stories. Perhaps it is the way her points of view are written or the very, very mild inclusion of a few steampunk elements. Regardless, I look forward to continuing the series. I mean, how often are Victorian romances & fantasy mixed without being tedious? Not often enough, I say.

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Review: American Psycho

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Well, I have now read American Psycho. I now feel completely justified in my previous suspicion that Bret Easton Ellis is not the author for me. Oh, when it isn’t taking itself seriously, the book is very well-written. Even the originally incredibly irritating repetitive detailing of brand names and prices and food became a part of the rhythm of the book in a way I was not expecting. Patrick Bateman is certainly a psychopath, whether his crimes are only in his head or real. With all of these things though, I would still love to give this one star. The reason it gets three is because of the way a consistent crawling horror was maintained. There was no respite, even in the seemingly innocuous sections. This takes talent. I still found it anything but enjoyable, and towards the end became annoyed when Ellis tried to make it somehow meaningful in a greater sense. Oh, and it’s certainly gory in every sense of the word, in case there was someone who missed that. I need a stiff drink now.

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Review: Dearly Departed by Lia Habel

Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Yeah…this was definitely not my thing. Both facepalmed and hoity-toity should not be in the same book. “Extra sparkly unicorn fart kind of special” also made an appearance. I use these to illustrate one of the most annoying aspects of the book; the bizarre swings between quasi-Victorian language and contemporary youthful slang. I also found the characters flat and, honestly, the basic premise of girl on zombie kind of grossed me out. I think I can quite definitely say that I will not be reading anything additional by Lia Habel. (Oh yes, did I mention that the series is named Gone With the Respiration. Seriously.)

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Review: The Maltese Falcon

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

I began reading The Maltese Falcon with every expectation that I would enjoy it. I have heard so many comparisons of Dashiell Hammett to Raymond Chandler that anything else seemed impossible. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Try as hard as I can, I cannot see where the brilliance supposedly lies. All of the ingredients are there: beautiful, lying and tragic woman; hard-boiled detective; copious amounts of booze and coffee; evil men slapping the beautiful women in the face. (Seriously, what is up with all the slapping in noir?) Somehow, despite everything, it came off less compelling than a third-rate Alistair MacLean. What’s up with that?

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