2009 booklist (how exciting)

So here I sit, a glass of metaphorical champagne in hand, and contemplating this year's book list. I, Rahina McWethy, have read fourty books this year, and am now going to bore everybody with a nice juicy list of them.

The Well of the Unicorn - Fletcher Pratt

Pratt was a contemporary of Tolkien, and a historian. So this fantasy is surprisingly sane, with a greater emphasis on battles and sieges than spellcasting. The archaic style is off-putting, but I found it refreshingly different.

The Norse Myths - Kevin Crossley-Holland

Retellings of a bunch of Norse myths. Other than the druggy imagery, total lack of morality in the Gods' actions and flat characterizations, I suppose I was entertained.

Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians - Brandon Sanderson

About as silly as it sounds. Lots of snark, so you're guaranteed at least one good laugh every chapter. Wonderful narrator and a plot that keeps you turning pages frantically. I had a lot of fun with this book.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - Kate DiCamillo

One of my favorite authors, this dark little story is of a selfish china rabbit passed from owner to owner, who slowly learns how to love. And consequently gets his heart broken. Complimented by beautiful illustrations.

Wolf Brother - Michelle Paver

Nothing deep, just a rip-roaring fantasy set in prehistory. I tore through it.

By These Ten Bones - Clare B. Dunkle

An incredibly gothic horror story. Werewolves in Scotland, set in a time when everyone believed in monsters. Dripping atmosphere. Grisly murders, romance, self-sacrifice... This has it all.

War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy

I can't really count this one, since the reading dates took me from April 2008 to March 2009. But this year's when I finished it, so this is where it goes. Simply the greatest novel ever written. Save yourself the trouble and skip the epilogues though.

Beauty That Must Die - Barbara James

Nominally a "gothic novel," but useless at it. More along the lines of romantic suspense. A bit of a murder mystery, with an actress the heroine suspects was having an affair with her husband getting killed. She goes poking about trying to solve the murder and win her husband back. A quick, entertaining trifle.

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

Set in Nazi Germany, narrated by Death, this is of course a very dark read. But brimming with humanity, full of characters I truly cared about. It packed an emotional wallop and was intensely evocative. No real plot, just the story of a girl who learns to read living from day to day. I thought it was beautiful.

The Trimmed Lamp and Other Stories - O. Henry

Henry was a great storyteller. Humorous and quirky, clearly a fan of New York City, and a master at twist endings. The formula does wear thin after a while, but until then, I was entertained.

Poison Study - Maria V. Snyder

One of the best fantasies I've ever read. It got everything right, from characters to worldbuilding, getting plot, magic system, emotional resonance, pacing and writing down pat. Flawless.

The Shell Seekers - Rosamunde Pilcher

My mind still boggles at this one. Mainstream women's entertainment - not at all my style. And it proves that a good author can pull off anything, even an epic family saga with star-crossed lovers tossed in. I'm still amazed at how good this was.

By Fire, By Moonlight - Mary Stanton

Book 4 in an ancient kids series called Unicorns of Balinor. Read on a whim, took next to no time, and that is also how long I continued to think about it. Can't remember much about it now. Had unicorns in it, I think...

Close Kin - Clare B. Dunkle

Sequel to The Hollow Kingdom, which I read last year and adored. This was a worthy successor, almost as good as the previous one. Part of one of my favorite trilogies.

The Beginning - Skyla Dawn Cameron

Part one in a hokey sounding e-serial called Children of the Apocalypse. This first story is somewhat action-orientated, but is really driven by character evolutions. Skyla is a very talented author when it comes to characters and dialouge.

The Immortal - Skyla Dawn Cameron

Sequel to the above book. Longer, far more complicated, and therefore, in my opinion, the better of the two.

I, Coriander - Sally Gardner

Great fantasy imagery, but really awkward pacing. Black and white characters, and just a so-so plot. My hopes were too high for this one.

In the Coils of the Snake - Clare B. Dunkle

Last in The Hollow Kingdom trilogy, and a wonderful wrap-up. An integral character dies in the beginning, yet Clare keeps her head above water and makes this a tour de force on level with the other two. Great moral questions too.

The Party and Other Stories - Anton Chekhov

Too much of this guy can really bring you down... But despite that, I mostly enjoyed this set. A Trifle From Life, A Woman's Kingdom and The Kiss were the best of the lot.

Haunted Heirloom - Marjorie Eatock

One of those rare gothics that takes its time with the set-up, and doesn't throw everything at you at once. Very plausible, much more suspenseful than most, and with a really good setting. The ending completely flakes out and is a mess, but up 'till that, it was one of the best of the genre.

The Ruby in the Smoke - Philip Pullman

A mystery set in Victorian England, containing an intrepid heroine with a mysterious past, a stolen ruby, opium dens, an irredeemably evil old hag, and a likable supporting cast. It started out perfectly, yet for some inexplicable reason, wound down as it went. Good, but not brilliant. Again with the too high expectations...

A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'engle

Famous. Won a Newbery medal. Adventures in time and space, demanding a surprising amount from the imagination and giving great rewards. Short, thought-provoking, charming and a bit dated.

Bozo the Woodchuck - .....forgot the name.....

Being very bored one fine summer day, I picked up this deservedly forgotten childrens book and read it. Cute woodchuck does endearing things while looked after by a score of humans spouting incredibly wooden dialogue...

The Master of Ballantrae - Robert Louis Stevenson

A ripping good yarn. Short and dense, and rather ignored minor classic. Covers a lot of ground, keeps you turning pages, and despite a predictable setup, quickly goes in unexpected directions...

A Wind in the Door - Madeleine L'engle

Sequel to A Wrinkle in Time. Or rather a companion, since the events of that installment seem to have been completely forgotten by the Murray family. Nevertheless, it contains the same set of pros and cons.

Magic Study - Maria V. Snyder

Sequel to Poison Study, and almost its equal. But in the last quarter it becomes action-orientated, Yelena becomes almost superhumanly powerful, banter replaces character interaction and all problems are resolved with off-putting ease. Rather diminished my enthusiasm to read book three.

In Watermelon Sugar - Richard Brautigan

Really short, unbelievably odd story. Almost plotless, but very readable. Weirdest thing I've ever read. Seemingly pointless, but thought-provoking. I'm glad I read it. I guess.

Anna of Byzantium - Tracy Barrett

Historical fiction about Anna Comnena. Heavily fictionalised account of her life, and rather uneventful. It gave me a slight interest in the time period, and had evocative narration, but it didn't really stay in my head after I finished it.

Ravenscroft - Dorothy Eden

Eden is one of the best writers of gothic suspense. It certainly benefits this book. Unfortunately, all the characters are dislikable. Our heroine is an elitist, opinionated bitch, her nice sister goes insane under stress, the hero is repugnantly cold, the servants are scheming devils, etc. Not recommended.

The Oxford Book of Narrative Verse - Chosen by Iona and Peter Opie

An excellent introduction to poetry, as every one of these selections (some edited down from larger texts) tells a story. Humor, romance, adventure, murder, the supernatural... It's all here. Some works aren't much to talk about (The Rape of the Lock bored me near death), but it's pretty good overall.

Lassie Come-Home - Eric Knight

I wasn't expecting much, given the slow start, but once Lassie starts out on her famous travels, it really got going. Mr. Knight really brings out the incredible hardship of her cross-country trek, and has her behave as a real dog, not like the wonderdog pop culture transformed her into. Deserves to be remembered as a classic dog story.

How to Learn Another Language - Barry Farber

A very convincing portrait of how and why to learn another language. Made me almost believe I could, and Barry has a wonderful sense of humour that makes it worth reading just for entertainment. It didn't manage to convert me, as I lost a friend shortly upon completion. Naturally, that rather took the wind out of my sails for learning French or Latin... Maybe someday.

Never Trust a Dead Man - Vivian Vande Velde

A weekend read. Short little fantasy. A mystery in which a condemned man summons the spirit of the man he's been accused of murdering, to snuff out the real killer. Unfortunately, the dead man doesn't know who did it either. A comedy adventure

Standing in the Light - Mary Pope Osborne

One of the seemingly endless books in the Dear America series. Told via a girl's diary, it details the story of her capture by Indians and intergration into their society. Surprisingly realistic character development, and also quite dark for this sort of thing.

The Autobiography - Benjamin Franklin

I actually read this twice (second time out loud to my brother), so one could argue I read 41 books this year. But whether or not, this was marvelous, even in its unfinished state. Franklin could tell great anecdotes, was very intelligent and had a perfect sense of humour. Highly enjoyable.

Dracula - Bram Stoker

You bloggers already know my opnions on this one. See [Dracula notes].

No Blade of Grass - John Christopher

An apocalypse novel from the seventies. Impossibly well done. Kept me turning the pages, had a surprisingly dynamic (not to mention amoral) cast, and a plausible reaction to a really bad situation. Good writing too.

Pudd'nhead Wilson - Mark Twain

Again, I won't take space and repeat myself. See [A problem].

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J. K. Rowling

Oh my GOD, does Ms. Rowling need an editor. Yet it is impressive, that she manages to make something so overstuffed with periphory details as readable as this book was.

The Annotated Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

See [A fine ode to benevolence].

Moonage Daydream - David Bowie and Mick Rock

In a fit of depression, I sat down one evening and read this cover to cover. Not that that's much to boast about, since it's mostly pictures. A chronicle of sorts, looking at the entirety of Bowie's Ziggy Stardust era in pictures. Bowie himself provides a great set of rather humourous memories of the time. Good information is included.


If you're still here after that, I'm very impressed. So, we have reached the metaphorical twelve o'clock, and I have ranted as much as I'm going to today. Cheers. (Smashes champagne glass in the fireplace)

Happy New Year, and thank God for the old one.