The Book Count 2021

[Greg]

I see these articles about how people only read a book a year or not at all. And I'm curious to keep a log of how many books I actually read in a year. I will go out on a limb and say it is more than 1. I will be a good boy and only post books I finish, not books I start. I find myself losing patience with books very quickly and abandoning them. Case in point would be 'Ready Player 2'. I will also have a chance to see what a bunch of crap I read.

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik Jan 2, 2021 (Kind of a cheat since I started in 2020) Rating A (1 of a trilogy)
Ghost Money by Stephen Blackmoore Jan 7, 2021 (Eric Carter #5) Rating B
Dying with Her Cheer Pants on by Seanan McGuire Jan 12, 2021 Short story collection about cheerleaders and evil Rating C
Tales of the Folly: A Rivers of London Short Story Collection by Ben Aaronovitch Jan 15, 2021 Rating C
The Final Game by Caimh McDonnell Jan 17, 2021  Rating A (Dublin Trilogy #5)
The Quiet Man by Caimh McDonnell Jan 21, 2021 Rating A (Bunny in the USA #4)
The Expert Systems Brother by Adrian Tchaikovsky Jan 23, 2021 Rating B (1 of a series)
No Way by S.E. Morden Jan 24, 2021 Rating B (2 of a series)
The Wrong Stars by Tim Pratt Jan 27, 2021 Rating B (1 of 3)
Hench by Natalia Zina Walschotts Jan 30, 2021 Rating A Possibly stand alone

December Books read: 10

Slow Horses by Mick Herron Feb 2, 2021 Rating A+ (1 of an ongoing series) Review
Dead Lions by Mick Hermon Feb 6, 2021 Rating A (2 of an ongoing series)
Real Tigers by Mick Hermon Feb 6, 2021 Rating A (3 of an ongoing series)(Yes I read a book in a day)
Machine by Elizabeth Bear Feb 13, 2021 Rating C- (2 of an ongoing series)
False Value by Ben Aronovitch Feb 16, 2021 Rating B ( 8 of the Rivers of London Series)
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles Feb 20, 2021 Rating B Review
Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky Feb 25, 2021 Rating B Review
Cardinal Black by Robert McCammon Feb 27, 2021 (Matthew Corbett Series #7) Rating B+

February Books read: 8

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones Mar 2, 2021 Rating C+ Review
The 10,000 Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow Mar 5, 2021 Rating B Review
Robert B. Parker's "Someone to Watch Over Me" by Ace Atkins  (Part of the ongoing series Maybe #50?) Rating C
Spook Street by Mick Herron Mar 12, 2021 (4 of an ongoing series) Rating A
Joe Country by Mick Herron Mar 13, 2021 (5 of an ongoing series) Rating A
London Rules by Mick Herron Mar 14, 2021 (6 of an ongoing series) Rating B+
Mad as Hell: The Life and Work of Paddy Chayefsky by Shaun Considine Mar 17, 2021 Rating B
Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty Mar 21, 2021 Rating C
Win by Harlan Coban Mar 21, 2021 (A side story in his Myron Bolitar Series) Rating B
Nobody Walks by Mick Herron Mar 22, 2021 (In the world of Slough House) Rating B
Ragdoll by Daniel Cole Mar 25, 2021 (1 of 2) Rating D
As I Knew Him: My Dad, Rod Serling by Anne Serling Mar 27, 2021 Rating B
Down Cemetery Road by Mick Herron Mar 31, 2021 (1 of a trilogy) Rating C

March Books read: 13

Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell Apr 3, 2021 (1 of a series. Wallander) Rating C
Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan Macguire Apr 4, 2021 (6 of a Series. Wayward Children) Rating B+
16 Ways to Defend a Walled City by K.J. Parker Apr 9, 2021 (1 of a series) Rating A
Indexing by Seanan Macguire Apr 12, 2021 (1 of 2) Rating B-
Dogs of Riga by Henning Mankell Apr 13, 2021 (2 of a series) Rating B
The Last Voice you Hear by Mick Herron Apr 15, 2021 (2 of 3) Rating B-
The Boy on the Bridge by M.R. Carey Apr 17, 2021 (2 of 2) Rating B+
The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey Apr 20, 2021 (1 of 3 The Rampart Trilogy) Rating B
The Trials of Koli by M. R. Carey Apr 22, 2021 ( 2 of 3 The Rampart Trilogy) Rating B
The Fall of Koli by M.R. Carey Apr 24, 2021 (3 0f 3 The Rampart Trilogy) Rating B+
This is What Happened by Mick Herron Apr 25, 2021 (Stand Alone) Rating C
White Tears by Hari Kunzru Apr 28, 2021 Rating B

April Books read: 12

Why We Die by Mick Herron May 1, 2021 (3 of 3 Zoe Bohm Trilogy) Rating B
Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay May 4, 2021 Rating B
Reconstruction by Mick Herron May 7, 2021 (Part of the Slough House Universe) B+
Survivor's Song by Paul Tremblay May 8, 2021 Rating B
A Dark Matter by Doug Johnstone May 12, 2021 (1 of 3 The Skelf Trilogy) Rating B
Tis Herself by Maureen O'Hara May 14, 2021 Rating B+
Ink and Sigil by Kevin Hearne May 17, 2021 (1 of a series) Rating C+
The Little Sleep by Paul Tremblay May 19, 2021 (1 0f 2) Rating B
No Sleep Till Wonderland by Paul Tremblay May 21, 2021 (2 of 2) Rating B-
Full Dark House by Christopher Fowler May 28, 2021 (1 of a series) Rating B
The Burning by Jane Casey May 30, 2021 (1 of a series) Rating B

May Books read: 11

The Reckoning by Jane Casey June 2, 2021 (2 of a series) Rating B
The Last Girl by Jane Casey June 5, 2021 (3 of a series) Rating B
The Stranger You Know by Jane Casey June 6, 2021 (4 of a series) Rating B
The Plea by Steve Cavanaugh June 8, 2021 (2 of a series) Rating B
Thirteen by Steve Cavanuagh June  11, 2021 (3 of a series) Rating B
A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee June 14, 2021 (1 of a series) Rating B
Ghost Trail to Yosemite by Georgia Waltz June 16, 2021 (Stand alone) Rating B-
Winter Tide by Ruthana Emrys June 19, 2021 (1 of 2) Rating C
The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths June 19, 2021 (1 of a series) Rating B
The Janus Stones by Elly Griffiths June 20, 2021 (2 of a series) Rating B
To Yosemite by Stage: Raymond to Wawona and Remembering Cedarbrook Inn by Zelda Garey Dubel (Standalone) Rating A
The Yosemite Grant 1864-1906 by Hank Johnston June 23, 2021 Rating B
Ho! For Yo-Semite  by Hank Johnston June 24, 2021 Rating B
The Water Room by Christopher Fowler June 25, 2021 (2 of a series) Rating B
Penric's Progress by Lois McMaster Bujold June 27, 2021 (1 of 2) Rating B+
The Trains of the Yosemite Valley by Hank Johnston June 28, 2021 Rating B
Penric's Travels by Lois McMaster Bujold June 27, 2021 (2 of 2) Rating B+

June Books read: 17

Direct from Nature: The Oil Sketches of Thomas Hill by Janice T. Driesbach July 2, 2021 Rating B
Gods without Men by Hari Kunzru July 3, 2021 Rating B-
Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells July 4, 2021 (3 in a series) Rating B+
Galen Clark: Yosemite Guardian July 4, 2021 Rating B
Dead Man's Sins by Caimh McDonnell July 8, 2021 (5 in a series) Rating B
Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman July 13, 2021 Rating B
We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker July 15, 2021 Rating B+
The Necromancer's House by Christopher Buehlman July 19, 2021 Rating B+
The Kill by Jane Casey July 21, 2021 (5 of a series) Rating B
After The Fire by Jane Casey July 22, 2021 (6 of a series) Rating B
Let the Dead Speak by Jane Casey July 24, 2021 (7 of a series) Rating B
A Necessary Evil by Abir Mukherjee July 29, 2021 (2 of a series) Rating B
Thunder in the Mountains by Hank Johnston July 30, 2021 Rating B

July Books read: 13

How to Rule an Empire and Get away with it by K.J. Parker Aug 1, 2021 (2 of a series) Rating B-
Smoke and Ashes by Abir Mukherjee Aug 3, 2021 (3 of a series) Rating B
The Yosemite Guide Book by J.P. Whitney Aug 4, 2021 Rating B
Death in the East by Abir Mukherjee Aug 6, 2021 (4 of a series) Rating B+
Seventy Seven Clocks by Christopher Fowler Aug 10, 2021 (3 of a series) Rating B
As We Were Told by Coarsegold Historical Society Aug 13, 2021 Rating A for content, C for organization
Twenty Years in the Backwoods of California by John Shay Aug 13, 2021 Rating C
Between Two Fires by Christopher Buelhman Aug 13, 2021 Rating A
The Lesser Dead by Christopher Buelhman Aug 18, 2021 Rating B
Discovery of the Yosemite & The Indian War of 1851 by Lafayette Houghton Bunnell Aug 20, 2021 Rating A-
Cruel Acts by Jane Casey Aug 21, 2021 (Book 8 of a series) Rating B+
The Cutting Place by Jane Casey Aug 22, 2021 (Book 9 of a series) Rating B+
Teddy Roosevelt in California: The Whistle Stop Tour that changed America by Chris Epting Aug 24, 2021 Rating B
The Orphans of Raspay by Lois Mcaster Bujold Aug 24, 2021 (Book 8 of a series) Rating B
The Physicians of Vilnoc by Lois Mcaster Bujold Aug 25, 2021 (Book 9 of a series) Rating B-
As We Were Told, Volume II by Coarsegold Historical Society Aug 26, 2021 (Book 2 of a series) Rating B
Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho Aug 28, 2021 Rating C

August Books read: 17

City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty Sep 2, 2021 (Book 1 0f 3) Rating B
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro Sep 5, 2021 Rating B
In the Heart of the Sierras: Yo Semite Valley and the Big Trees by James M. Hutchings Sep 7, 2021 Rating B+
The Making of Yosemite by Jen A. Huntley Sep 9, 2021 Rating A
Radiance by Catherine Valente Sep 15, 2021 Rating B-
The Last of the California Rangers by Jill L. Cossley-Batt Sep 15, 2021 Rating B-
Indians of the Yosemite by Galen Clark Sep 16, 2021 Rating B
Off the Wall: Death in Yosemite by Michael Ghiglieri and Charles Farabee, Jr Sep 21, 2021 Rating A (Rating C for making me queasy)
The Heathens by Ace Atkins Sep 21, 2021 (Book 11 in the series) Rating B
The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey Sep 24, 2021 Rating A
Imperfect Union by Steve Inskeep Sep 28, 2021 Rating B+
Yosemite's Innkeepers by Shirley Sargent Sep 29, 2021 Rating B
A Stranger in Olondria by Sofia Samatar Sep 30, 2021 Rating B
Shirley Sargent: Yosemite Historian by Fernando Peñalosa Sep 30, 2021 Rating B+

September Books read: 14

Revenge of the Nerd by Curtis Armstrong Oct 2, 2021 Rating B
100 Years in Yosemite by Carl P. Russell Oct 4, 2021 Rating B+
Imperial San Francisco by Gray Brechin Oct 7, 2021 Rating A-
Devil's Garden by Ace Atkins Oct 7, 2021 Rating B
John Muir in Yosemite by Shirley Sargent Oct 14, 2021 Rating B+
Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty Oct 16, 2021 (2 of 3) Rating B-
Kenneyvile: Yosemite's Forgotten Village by Edward W. Wade Oct 20, 2021 Rating C
Yosemite's Historic Wawona by Shirley Sargent Oct 21, 2021 Rating B
Galen Clark: Yosemite Guardian by Shirley Sargent Oct 22, 2021 Rating B+
The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty Oct 23, 2021 (Book 3 0f 3) Rating B-
Yosemite in Time by Mark Kleet, Rebecca Solnit and Byron White Oct 23, 2021 Rating A
Grace Slick: Someone to Love by Grace Slick Oct 24, 2021 Rating B
Daughter of the Morning Star by Craig Johnson Oct 25, 2021 (Book 17 of a series) Rating B+
Yosemite: Art of an American Icon Edited by Amy Scott Oct 26, 2021 Rating B+
West of Eden by David Robertson Oct 29, 2021 Rating A
The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik Oct 30, 2021 (Book 2 of a series) Rating A

October Books read: 16

The Yosemite by John Muir Nov 2, 2021 Rating C
Master of Djinn by P Djéli Clarke Nov 3, 2021 (part of a series) B-
Yosemite: The Embattled Wilderness by Alfred Runte Nov 4, 2021 Rating A
Farewell, Promised Land: Waking from the California Dream by Robert Dawson & Gray Brechin Nov 5, 2021 Rating A
A Killing Frost by Seanan McGuire Nov 6, 2021 (Book 14 of a series) Rating B-
Solomons of the Sierra by Shirley Sargent Nov 10, 2021 Rating B
The Wisdom of Crowds by Joe Abercrombie Nov 18, 2021 (Book 3 of 3 sort of) Rating B+
The Great Persuader by David Lavender Nov 24, 2021 Rating B
Billy Summers by Stephen King Nov 25, 2021 Rating B-
Zero Day by  C. Robert Cargill Nov 27, 2021 Rating B+

November Books read: 10

A Murder of Mages by Marshall Ryan Maresca Dec 1, 2021 (1 of a series) Rating B
An Import of Intrigue by Marshall Ryan Maresca Dec 5, 2021 (2 of a series) Rating B
An American Genocide: The United States and the California Indian Catastrophe by Benjamin Madley Dec 9, 2021 Rating B+
The Nameless Ones by John Connolly Dec 9, 2021 (Book 20 of a series) Rating B+
Savage Dreams: A Journey into the Hidden Wars of the American West by Rebecca Solnit Dec 16, 2021 Rating A
The Associates: Four Capitalists who created California by Richard Rayner Dec 21, 2021 Rating A
The Last First Snow by Max Gladstone Dec 29, 2021 (1 of a series) Rating B+
Fuzz: When Nature breaks the Law by Mary Roach Dec 31, 2021 Rating B+
River of Shadows: Eadward Muybridge and the technological Wild West by Rebecca Solnit Rating B+

December Books read: 9

Total books for 2021: 150

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Considering that I very nearly chucked “Ready Player 1”, I can see the sequel being imminently chuckable. The first book was a one-trick book and he didn’t seem like he has another trick in him. This is like the dude who wrote “The Martian”. One trick, a good one, but all he had.

[Drunk Monk]

One trick, a good one, but all he had.

Better to have one good trick than none at all. Or a lot of mediocre tricks.

Should I list the books I read for work here? Nah, that'd be like reading a list of tQ's romance novels...

[Drunk Monk]

Okay, I’ll play. But I’ll list my research & work books here and give the actual novels their own threads. I don’t read much fiction anymore as y’all well know already.

My first completed book of 2021 is The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Dogs: Breeds & Care. Twas an Xmas gift. The bothersome thing is this is a British publication and the brits have different classifications for dog breeds than here in the US. Brits = hounds, gundogs, terriers, utility, working & toy. US = sporting, hounds, working, terriers, toy, non-sporting & herding. It’s like metric vs standard but the canine version.

1/16: Welcome to Karate by Bruce Costas. I'm tasked to promote this upcoming book. I read an initial draft. It's an introductory primer for Shotokan, which was the style of Karate that I dabbled in when I was like 8 or 9 and first moved here to Cali. It was a decent primer, simple yet clear and he explained a lot of the meanings behind the ritual etiquette, which is something that has always impressed me about Japanese styles. He's planning a whole series, one book per belt.

[Greg]

There's always a twist. Please note, I just keep adding books to my initial post so all the books a I read will be in one post. The eagle eyed will note a second book in the list.

[thatguy]

There's always a twist. Please note, I just keep adding books to my initial post so all the books a I read will be in one post. The eagle eyed will note a second book in the list.

You should add change notes...

:-)

--tg
PS: I'm trying to read Confederacy of Dunces. I'm about 3 chapters in, but can't find solid blocks of time to read, what with the end of democracy and all...

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

TG, I have a theory about Confed of Duncii. When you are done with it, lemme know and I’ll tell you. It is another book that I chucked after 100 pages. My main regret is that when the author committed suicide, he didn’t take the novel with him to his grave.

[King Bob]

PIcked up and laid down several books around New Years. Fortunately they were all from the library. Finally found one that was interesting.

Certainly we all read far more than the average person. (Certainly I know no average people because everyone I know reads.) Depending on length, I'd say I get through at least a book a month, two if they're short, so that's 12-18 a year I guess. Less than when I was a teenager, but I think that's been a pretty steady rate for years.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

For the last couple years my reading output has wavered depending on what level my depression is at. There are some weeks, sometimes several weeks, that I can’t focus on a book. I picked up about 10 books before xmas and all but one are read, and I’ve picked up another stack on Monday. Normally I would say that I read about a book a week.

[Drunk Monk]

I seldom read for ‘fun’ anymore. That sounds sad but writing is my trade. I read for work - must keep up with the new research and such. Even when I read for ‘fun’ I’m constantly looking for style to poach. 

Before the Dog Encyclopedia, I read Willie ‘the Bam’s’ The Complete Martial Artist. It was terrible - a self absorbed life story that meandered between random episodes in his life to preachy crap about faith. I like the guy but he can’t write. When he heard I was working for YMAA (who republished this book - I read it for some marketing copy) he sent me another book that he’s working ohoping I’d give him an endorsements quote. Awkward. I didn’t list this here because that was December.

[Drunk Monk]

Please note, I just keep adding books to my initial post so all the books a I read will be in one post. 

I wasn't planning on doing this but now I am, just to see how it goes. 

I'll post them here: http://www.brotherhoodofdoom.com/doomFor...3#pid44293

I may ttt this when I bother to post new entries.

---

Dying with Her Cheer Pants on by Seanan McGuire Jan 12, 2021 Short story collection about cheerleaders and evil

Hold the phone...you're not treating us to a review of this?  

Were there sword fights?

[King Bob]

I just looked at my checkout history from the library, and there were a bunch of books in there that I had read but had no memory of. Some I could remember that I had checked them out but then didn't read them, but others I had read. I looked up some on Amazon, and usually it jogged my memory, but for a few of them I only had a vague memory of seeing the cover. I was kind of shocked by it. So some of my reading is apparently a waste of time.

[Drunk Monk]

See now the problem with Greg updating this thread via post editing is that it doesn't ttt, but I imagine the point here is like me, Greg stores a lot of his memories here and he wants that topmost post to grow more than the Reading books you've read before.... thread.

That being said, I'm updating this post like a normal DOOMer, at random, whenever I remember to do so.

Welcome to Karate by Bruce Costas. This is a book that I'm promoting for YMAA. It's an introduction and the first of a series based on Shotokan. It's a good beginner treatise and I'm looking forward to working on it. 

The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2019, edited by Sy Montgomery. This has been on my bedside nitestand for way too long. Stacy reads this compilation every year like I used to read the Best Magazine articles compilations, and she told me to Gary Greenberg's 'What If the Placebo Effect Is Not a Trick?" from the NYT magazine. That was great but what really got me was Ed Yong's 'When the Next Plague Hits' from The Atlantic. Yong is a chilling writer and he nailed it a year ahead (actually two - here's the original version https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...ts/561734/). I didn't read all of the other articles, but most of them.

[Greg]

What is this normal "DOOMer" you speak of?

[Drunk Monk]

fair?