Reading List - 2011

Having successfully participated in this activity last year, I figured I'd continue. Again, anything listed as [re-read] is either in preparation for the next book in a series or for my own pleasure 'cause it was a good read. So, my reading list for 2011:

Currently Reading

• Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon by Mark Hodder (Burton & Swinburne , #3)
  
• One Salt Sea by Seanan McGuire (October Daye, #5)
  
• The Magicians and Mrs. Quent by Galen Beckett

Started and Abandoned (either I didn't like it or found something more interesting)

• Bitterwood by James Maxey
  
• Bright of the Sky by Kay Kenyon (via iPhone Kindle)
  
• [re-read] The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (Gentlemen Bastards, #1)
  
• Opening Atlantis by Harry Turtledove
  
• The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters, Vol. 1 by Gordon Dahlquist

Completed

1. Patriots by David Drake
   
2. Recursion by Tony Ballantyne
   
3. The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder (Burton & Swinburne, #1)
   
4. Fevre Dream by George R.R. Martin
   
5. Death Day by William C. Deitz
   
6. [re-read] Mars by Ben Bova
   
7. A Kiss Before the Apocalypse by Thomas E. Sniegoski
   
8. The Buntline Special by Mike Resnick
   
9. Return to Mars by Ben Bova
   
10. Dancing on the Head of a Pin by Thomas E. Sniegoski
    
11. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
    
12. Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovich
    
13. Where Angels Fear to Tread by Thomas E. Sniegoski
    
14. Deadtown by Nancy Holzner
    
15. Bloodshot by Cherie Priest (Cheshire Red, #1)
    
16. Play Dead by John Levitt
    
17. Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire (October Daye, #4)
    
18. Vampire Earth: The Greyfriar by Clay and Susan Griffith (Vampire Earth #1)
    
19. The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie (The First Law trilogy, #1)
    
20. [re-read] Soulless by Gail Carrigar
    
21. Crossover: A Cassandra Kresnov Novel by Joel Shepherd
    
22. [re-read] Covenants by Lorna Freeman (The Borderlands, #1)
    
23. [re-read] The King's Own by Lorna Freeman (The Borderlands, #2)
    
24. Shadows Past by Lorna Freeman (The Borderlands, #3)
    
25. Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie (The First Law trilogy, #2)
    
26. Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie (The First Law trilogy, #3)
    
27. Changeless by Gail Carriger (The Parasol Protectorate, #2)
    
28. [re-read] The Battle at the Moons of Hell by Graham Sharp Paul
    
29. Sixty-One Nails by Mike Shevdon (Courts of the Feyre, #1)
    
30. [re-read] The Battle of the Hammer Worlds by Graham Sharp Paul (Helfort's War, #2)
    
31. Among Thieves by Douglas Hulick (Tales of the Kin, #1)
    
32. The Battle of Devastation Reef by Graham Sharp Paul (Helfort's War, #3)
    
33. The Battle for Commitment Planet by Graham Sharp Paul (Helfort's War, #4)
    
34. [re-read] Dorsai! by Gordon R. Dickson (Childe Cycle, #1)
    
35. Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding (Tales of the Ketty Jay, #1)
    
36. [re-read] St. Patrick's Gargoyle by Katherine Kurtz
    
37. [re-read] Unshapely Things by Mark del Franco (Connor Grey, #1)
    
38. [re-read] Unquiet Dreams by Mark del Franco (Connor Grey, #2)
    
39. Unfallen Dead by Mark del Franco (Connor Grey, #3)
    
40. A Soldier's Duty by Jean Johnson (Theirs Not to Reason Why #1)
    
41. Unperfect Souls by Mark del Franco (Connor Grey, #4)
    
42. Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey (Sandman Slim #1)
    
43. The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man by Mark Hodder (Burton & Swinburne, #2)
    
44. Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie
    
45. The Black Lung Captain by Chris Wooding (Tales of the Ketty Jay, #2)
    
46. Island in the Sea of Time by S.M. Stirling (Island in the Sea of Time, #1)
    
47. [re-read] Bloodshot by Cherie Priest (Cheshire Red, #1)
    
48. Hellbent by Cherie Priest (Cheshire Red, #2)
    
49. Against the Tide of Years by S.M. Stirling (Island in the Sea of Time, #2)
    
50. The Stress of Her Regard by Tim Powers
    
51. Goliath by Scott Westerfeld (Leviathan, #3)
    
52. Dead Iron by Devon Monk
    
53. On the Oceans of Eternity by S.M. Stirling (Island in the Sea of Time, #3)
    
54. War Machine by Andy Remic (Combat-K #1)
    
55. The Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay (Charlie Madigan #1)
    
56. Triumff: Her Majesty's Hero by Dan Abnett
    
57. Ganymede by Cherie Priest (Clockwork Century, #4)

Outstanding (& Very Highly Recommended) Reads from 2011
First let me mention that Cherie M. Priest's Ganymede has been added to the Best of 2010 review listing below. Her "Clockwork Century" series continues expand and delight with each new volume written. She still ranks #1 overall. Having said that, this year I also pick the following:

The "Tales of the Ketty Jay" series by Chris Wooding

1. Retribution Falls
   
2. The Black Lung Captain

This series has been pure fun to read. Lots of action and intrigue, plenty of mystery as we learn bits and pieces of the past of the Ketty Jay's crew, sliding under and around the authorities, and a little bit of a steampunk flavor. I'll tell you what this series is ... it's Joss Whedon's "Firefly" meets Microsoft's "Crimson Skies". I was a little leery at first, but found it to be an excellent series. Time for me to pick up book #3.

The "Vampire Earth" series by Clay and Susan Griffith

1. The Greyfriar
   
2. The Rift Walker

What Cherie M. Priest's "Clockwork Century" did for zombies, Clay and Susan have done for vampires. While it seems that just everybody has to do something about vampiric (even David Weber and Out of the Dark, I found this series quite refreshing, from the conflict between the tropical-dwelling humans and northern-dwelling vampires to the politics of the vampire hierarchy. I could probably live without Senator Clarke of the American Republic, but I understand the alliance required to accomplish the Reconquest of the north, taking the fight back to the vampires who drove the surviving humans out during The Great Killing. The Greyfriar himself makes for a great hero.

Outstanding (& Very Highly Recommended) Reads from 2010
The "Clockwork Century" series by Cherie M. Priest

1. Boneshaker
   
2. Clementine
   
3. Dreadnought
   
4. Ganymede
   
5. Inexplicables (forthcoming 2012)
   
6. Fiddlehead (forthcoming Fall 2013)

In a year that has seen a flood of "steampunk" novels hitting the market (thanks to Tor's Oct. 2009 Steampunk month), Cherie M. Priest's new Clockwork Century series stand out. The series excels, as evidenced by the fact that the first novel in the series, Boneshaker, was a Hugo and Nebula award nominee this year. One of the more interesting aspects of this series is the fact that we have supporting characters playing major roles in the subsequent novels. Although I was hesitant to delve into this series, primarily due to the whole "zombie" thing (she calls them rotters), Ms. Priest's explanation of their coming into existence was quite plausible and they did not play a major role in the initial novel. The second novel, Clementine is a bit more difficult to acquire as it was only offered through the (thrice-damned) Subterranean Press. Even so, it was an enjoyable read as one of the side characters from novel #1 played a more substantial role here as the action shifts from the west coast to the east and the on-going Civil War. The third (so far) novel in the series, Dreadnought sees the action shift, yet again, from the Civil War in the east back toward the west coast. This was an even more exciting book than the previous two. Truth to tell, I was physically drained by the time I got through the chapter where the "Dreadnought" finally meets it's Northern equivalent outside Salt Lake City. I highly recommend this series, and while each stands well on its own I found that you really need to have read Boneshaker to understand the interconnecting thread of the gas and "rotters" introduced in the first book.

Outstanding (& Very Highly Recommended) Reads from 2009
The "Western Lights" series by Jeffrey Barlough

1. Dark Sleeper
   
2. The House in the High Wood
   
3. Strange Cargo

Jeffrey Barlough's "Western Lights" series was a pleasure and a surprise. Although the setting was intriguing enough to cause me to acquire these novels, the characters are what really drives them home. Barlough has a wonderful way of portraying both his main characters as well as incidental sub-characters. You end up caring about every one of them as if they were old friends and acquaintances and the descriptive settings make you feel like you'd actually been there.