Reading list 2012

New books: 40 ( 15,328 pgs ) 

Longest book: The Wise Man’s Fear (994 pgs)
Shortest book: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (160 pgs)
Oldest book: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964)
Newest book: Ruins (October 2012)
Best book: tie – Mistborn / The Name of the Wind
Best children’s/YA book: Walk Two Moons
Worst book: Our Tragic Universe
Most disappointing book: The Flame Alphabet

Kira Salak, The White Mary
Neil Gaiman, Stardust
Sunshine O’Donnell, Open Me
Joshua Ferris, The Unnamed
Michael Scott, The Alchemyst
Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Veronica Roth, Divergent
Chris Van Allsburg, The Chronicles of Harris Burdick
Alan Bradley, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
Ann Aguirre, Enclave
Roy F. Baumeister and John Tierney, Willpower
Lisa McMann, The Unwanteds
Sheridan Hay, The Secret of Lost Things
Susan Beth Pfeffer, Life As We Knew It
Brandon Sanderson, Mistborn
Brandon Sanderson, The Well of Ascension
Brandon Sanderson, The Hero of Ages
Jon Ronson, The Psychopath Test
Amy Stewart, Wicked Plants
The Arbinger Institute, Leadership and Self-Deception
Tony Hillerman, Listening Woman
Tony Hillerman, The Dark Wind
Ally Condie, Matched
Tony Hillerman, The First Eagle
Douglas Richards, Wired
Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind
Brian Jacques, Taggerung
Ransom Riggs, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
Pittacus Lore, I Am Number Four
Ben Marcus, The Flame Alphabet
Scarlett Thomas, Our Tragic Universe
Brandon Sanderson, Elantris
John Grisham, The Litigators
John Grisham, The Associate
John Grisham, The Appeal
Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man’s Fear
David Levithan, Every Day
Sharon Creech, Walk Two Moons
Orson Scott Card, Ruins
Brandon Sanderson, The Emperor’s Soul

Previous years: 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004

The Emperor’s Soul

by Brandon Sanderson | 176 pages, published 2012

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been reluctant to read more Brandon Sanderson books. But I enjoyed Elantris after finishing the Mistborn trilogy, so I thought I’d give this stand-alone book a go – especially since Jarom got it for me for Christmas! (Aren’t books the best presents?)

The Emperor’s Soul is definitely not as good as either Elantris or the Mistborn books, but it’s good. It was short, so it packed a lot into a small space. I liked it even more when I got to the end and found a note from the author that he got the idea from name stamps, which they use frequently in Asian countries like Korea, where he served his mission. Hey! Jarom did that too! And I have a name stamp!

This seems like a much less fantasy/magic-heavy book, although it did have elements of magic-ish-ness. With such a short read, I think you’d enjoy picking it up. It has a very different feel from the other Sanderson books I’ve read – which is good. I like when an author can capably write in several styles.

Buy The Emperor’s Soul on Amazon

Ruins

by Orson Scott Card | 544 pages, published 2012

This is the second of the Pathfinder series. It takes the story in a very different direction than I was imagining . . . I think I liked Pathfinder better, but who can stop at just one book? (Actually, I read quite a few first-in-a-series books this year that I have no intention of following up on. So I guess this is an exception.)

Not much to add to my recommendation of Pathfinder, which I do think you should read, but you might wait until all the books are out for a more satisfying read. I think Harry Potter was the exception to this rule.

Buy Ruins on Amazon