Originally posted on 19 Jan 2013

I’ve tired of not knowing when (or whether) I’ve read a book so I’m going to start tracking them here. Yes, I know about Goodreads, but I don’t need yet another damn social network in my life.

The books are in reverse chronological order by date completed. The list only includes books I read for pleasure, not any of the innumerable books I read for professional reasons.

All ratings are out of five stars.


2016


  • Title: Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore: A Novel
  • Author: Robin Sloan
  • ISBN: 978-1250037756
  • Completed on: 2016-03-08
  • Book source: Amazon
  • Rating: Four stars
  • Notes: Highly recommended by dear friends. Very enjoyable piece of work. My familiarity with software, book scanning, libraries, etc. made it difficult for me to suspend disbelief & sink into the story as much as I’d have preferred to.

2015


  • Title: The Art of Fermentation
  • Author: Sandor Ellix Katz
  • ISBN: 978-1603582865
  • Completed on: 2015-08-24
  • Book source: Birthday gift
  • Rating: Five stars
  • Notes: I loved this book and read it all the way through rather than just using it as a reference. Well-researched and approachably written.
  • Title: If You Want To Write
  • Author: Brenda Ueland
  • ISBN: 978-1614271352
  • Completed on: 2015-05-20
  • Book source: A writer friend
  • Rating: Two and a half stars
  • Notes: My friend recommended this book, so I slogged through it out of respect for them. I found it an idealistic, repetitive, dull work obviously written from a place of privilege.
  • Title: Blackout
  • Author: Connie Willis
  • ISBN: 9780345519832
  • Completed on: 2015-05-10
  • Book source: Unknown
  • Rating: Three and a half stars
  • Notes: It was aggravating to get to the last page and be told the resolution was in the next (700pp) book.

2014


  • Title: Eating Wildly: Foraging for Life, Love and the Perfect Meal
  • Author: Ava Chin
  • ISBN: 978-1451656190
  • Completed on: 2014-12-30
  • Book source: Xmas gift
  • Rating: One and a half stars
  • Notes: Expected a book on foraging. Got a memoir. Do not enjoy memoirs. Shame on me for not reading more reviews.
  • Title: Doomsday Book
  • Author: Connie Willis
  • ISBN: 978-0553562736
  • Completed on: 2014-12-28
  • Book source: unknown
  • Rating: Four stars
  • Notes: A surprisingly original and engaging story. I now feel the need to look up some of her other works.
  • Title: All New Square Foot Gardening, Second Edition
  • Author: Mel Bartholomew
  • ISBN: 978-1591865483
  • Completed on: 2014-12-27
  • Book source: Xmas gift
  • Rating: Four stars
  • Notes: Very repetitive in parts, but an interesting approach.
  • Title: Darwin’s Radio
  • Author: Greg Bear
  • ISBN: 978-0345435248
  • Completed on: 2014-10-11
  • Book source: unknown
  • Rating: Four stars
  • Notes: I was surprised at how interesting and engaging this book was. Looking forward to reading the sequel.
  • Title: The Left Hand of Darkness
  • Author: Ursula K. Le Guin
  • ISBN: 978-0441007318
  • Completed on: 2014-08-12
  • Book source: Unknown
  • Rating: Two and a half stars
  • Notes: I barely made it through this one. I just couldn’t get into it. It was exceedingly slow and uninteresting to me.
  • Title: The Fountains of Paradise
  • Author: Arthur C. Clarke
  • ISBN: 978-0151327737
  • Completed on: 2014-06-12
  • Book source: Unknown
  • Rating: Two stars
  • Notes: I couldn’t get into it. It didn’t feel like it flowed at all.
  • Title: Clarkeworld, Issue 91
  • Author: Various
  • ISBN:
  • Completed on: 2014-05-09
  • Book source: Clarkesworld ePub subscription
  • Rating: Four stars
  • Notes:
  • Title: Mammoth Book of Nebula Awards
  • Author: Various; Editor: Kevin J. Anderson
  • ISBN: 978-1780334295
  • Completed on: 2014-04-04
  • Book source: Unknown
  • Rating: Three and a half stars
  • Notes:
  • Title: The Golem and the Jinni
  • Author: Helene Wecker
  • ISBN: 978-0062110831
  • Completed on: 2014-02-14
  • Book source: Unknown. Recommended by Kris A.
  • Rating: Four and a half stars
  • Notes:

2013


  • Title: The Republic of Thieves
  • Author: Scott Lynch
  • ISBN: 978-0553804690
  • Completed on: 2013-12-30
  • Book source: Unknown. Recommended by Strobel
  • Rating: Four stars
  • Notes:
  • Title: Red Seas Under Red Skies
  • Author: Scott Lynch
  • ISBN: 978-0553588958
  • Completed on: 2013-12-20
  • Book source: Unknown. Recommended by Strobel
  • Rating: Four stars
  • Notes:
  • Title: Lies of Locke Lamora
  • Author: Scott Lynch
  • ISBN: 978-0553588941
  • Completed on: 2013-12-03 (again)
  • Book source: Unknown. Recommended by Strobel
  • Rating: Four stars
  • Notes:
  • Title: The Jennifer Morgue
  • Author: Charles Stross
  • ISBN: 1-930846-45-2
  • Completed on: 2013-11-01
  • Book source: Unknown
  • Rating: Three stars
  • Notes:
  • Title: The Atrocity Archives
  • Author: Charles Stross
  • ISBN: 978-0441016686
  • Completed on: 2013-09-16
  • Book source: Unknown
  • Rating: Three stars
  • Notes:
  • Title: The Windup Girl
  • Author: Paolo Bacigalupi
  • ISBN: 978-1597801584
  • Completed on: 2013-09-12
  • Book source: Gift
  • Rating: Three stars
  • Notes:
  • Title: Lord of the Rings
  • Author: J. R. R. Tolkien
  • ISBN:
  • Completed on: Summer
  • Book source: Childhood
  • Rating: Five stars
  • Notes:
  • Title: Fellowship of the Ring
  • Author: J. R. R. Tolkien
  • ISBN: 978-0544003415
  • Completed on: 2013-04-28
  • Book source: Childhood
  • Rating: Five stars (duh)
  • Notes:
  • Title: Xenocide
  • Author: Orson Scott Card
  • ISBN: 978-0312861872
  • Completed on: 2013-03-21
  • Book source: Unknown
  • Rating: Two stars (if that)
  • Notes:
  • Title: The Hacker’s Diet
  • Author: John Walker
  • ISBN:
  • Completed on: 2013-03-11
  • Book source: Unknown
  • Rating: Three stars
  • Notes:
  • Title: The Hobbit
  • Author: J. R. R. Tolkien
  • ISBN: 978-0547928227
  • Completed on: 2013-03-10 (again)
  • Book source: Childhood
  • Rating: Five stars
  • Notes:
  • Title: Speaker for the Dead
  • Author: Orson Scott Card
  • ISBN: 978-0312853259
  • Completed on: 2013-02-21
  • Book source: Unknown
  • Rating: Two and a half stars
  • Notes:
  • Title: Confessions of a Public Speaker
  • Author: Scott Berkun
  • ISBN: 978-1449301958
  • Completed on: 2013-02-09
  • Book source: Unknown
  • Rating: Three and a half stars
  • Notes:
  • Title: Code of the Woosters
  • Author: P.G. Wodehouse
  • ISBN: 978-0393339819
  • Completed on: 2013-01-31
  • Book source: SFPL. Recommended by Skud.
  • Rating: Three stars
  • Notes:
  • Title: Bad Glass
  • Author: Richard E. Gropp
  • ISBN: 978-0345533937
  • Completed on: 2013-01-27
  • Book source: Humble Bundle
  • Rating: Three stars
  • Notes: