Books of 2013

[brigdh]

I'm a few weeks behind in my bookblogging, but I'll get caught up eventually. In the meantime, here is my complete list of books I read in 2013. Most of these you can find a review of by following the bookblogging tag, but I am also always open to questions!

I read a total of 122 books this year. 45 were written or edited by people of color (37%), and 75 were written or edited by women (61%). I also- just barely- managed to succeed in my goal of reading 50 books about South Asia.


January
3. The Birth of Venus - Sarah Dunant
5. Theft of Swords - Michael J. Sullivan
9. Rise of Empire - Michael J. Sullivan
11. The Folded Earth - Anuradha Roy I#1
16. The Hindus: An Alternative History - Wendy Doniger I#2
17. The Heir of Novron - Michael J. Sullivan
19. Bedlam: London and its Mad - Catharine Arnold
21. Nectar in a Sieve - Kamala Markandaya I#3
22. Jherg - Steven Brust
24. Yendi - Steven Brust
25. Around Indian in 80 Trains - Monisha Rajesh I#4
27. Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat - Bee Wilson
30. The Inventor’s Companion - Ariel Tachna

February
3. Such a Long Journey - Rohinton Mistry I#5
4. Pink Sheep - Mahesh Natarajan I#6
7. Eels - James Prosek
12. Emma - Jane Austen (Audiobook)
19. Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie I#7
20. The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York - Deborah Blum
24. The White Tiger - Aravind Adiga I#8
25. The Turn of the Screw - Henry James
25. World Music: Traditions and Transformations - Michael B. Bakan

March
9. Villette - Charlotte Bronte (Audiobook)
12. The Discovery of India - Jawaharlal Nehru I#9
15. Point of Hopes - Melissa Scott and Lisa Barnett
16. Narcopolis - Jeet Thayil I#10
16. Whispers Underground - Ben Aaronovitch (Audiobook)
17. Heads in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality - Jacob Tomsky
19. Sister of My Heart - Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni I#11
19. Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary - David Sedaris
24. Point of Dreams - Melissa Scott and Lisa Barnett
25. The Artist of Disappearance - Anita Desai I#12
25. Point of Knives - Melissa Scott
27. Untouchable - Mulk Raj Anand I#13

April
1. A Free Man of Color - Barbara Hambly
6. The Secret of the Nagas - Amish I#14
7. Fever Season - Barbara Hambly
11. Graveyard Dust - Barbara Hambly
12. Sold Down the River - Barbara Hambly
14. Die Upon a Kiss - Barbara Hambly
16. Wet Grave - Barbara Hambly
19. Days of the Dead - Barbara Hambly
22. Dead Water - Barbara Hambly
22. Dead and Buried - Barbara Hambly
24. The Shirt on His Back - Barbara Hambly
26. Run Away - Barbara Hambly

May
1. Fever Season - Barbara Hambly (reread)
8. Good Man Friday - Barbara Hambly (audiobook)
11. A Free Man of Color - Barbara Hambly (reread)
13. Train to Pakistan - Khushwant Singh I#15
15. The Ghost Map: The Story of London’s Most Terrifying Epidemic- and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World - Steven Johnson
20. Saraswati Park - Anjali Joseph I#16
21. Graveyard Dust - Barbara Hambly (reread)
25. The Englishman’s Cameo - Madhulika Liddle I#17
26. Sold Down the River - Barbara Hambly (reread)
31. Die Upon a Kiss - Barbara Hambly (reread)
31. Swami and Friends - R. K. Narayan I#18

June
6. Bookless in Baghdad and Other Writings about Reading - Shashi Tharoor I#19
7. Wet Grave - Barbara Hambly (reread)
13. The Co-Wife and Other Stories - Premchand I#20
14. Days of the Dead - Barbara Hambly (reread)
16. Dead Water - Barbara Hambly (reread)
19. Dead and Buried - Barbara Hambly (reread)
20. A River Sutra - Gita Mehta I#21
29. Six Suspects - Vikas Swarup I#22

July
4. Liberty: The Lives and Times of Six Women in Revolutionary France - Lucy Moore
7. Breaking the Bow: Speculative Fiction Inspired by the Ramayana - Eds. Anil Menon and Vandana Singh I#23
14. The Shirt on His Back - Barbara Hambly (reread)
19. Liberty or Death: India's Journey to Independence and Division - Patrick French I#24
20. Ran Away - Barbara Hambly (reread)
22. Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before - Tony Horwitz
25. Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks - Ken Jennings
30. Good Man Friday - Barbara Hambly (reread)

August
3. India Calling: An Intimate Portrait of a Nation’s Remaking- Anand Giridharadas I#25
3. Broken Homes - Ben Aaronovitch
8. Untamed - Anna Cowan
16. The Eighth Guest & Other Muzaffar Jang Mysteries - Madhulika Liddle I#26
24. Bombay Time - Thrity Umrigar I#27
25. Spitting Blood: The History of Tuberculosis - Helen Bynum
30. Jim Corbett’s India - Selections by R.E. Hawkins - Jim Corbett I#28
31. Anything Goes: A Biography of the Roaring Twenties - Lucy Moore

September
4. An Atlas of Impossible Longing - Anuradha Roy I#29
10. The Inscrutable Americans - Anurag Mathur I#30
10. Venetia - Georgette Heyer
18. Sunlight on a Broken Column - Attia Hosain I#31
18. The Lotus Palace - Jeannie Lin
24. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith

October
1. Gora - Rabindranath Tagore I#32
1. Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age - Kevin Boyle
5. Shards of Honor - Lois McMaster Bujold
7. Barrayar - Lois McMaster Bujold
7. The Space Between Us - Thrity Umrigar I#33
10. I Am an Executioner - Rajesh Parameswaran I#34
11. The Warrior’s Apprentice - Lois McMaster Bujold
16. The Fire’s Stone - Tanya Huff
19. India: A Sacred Geography - Diana Eck I#35
21. The Vor Game - Lois McMaster Bujold
23. How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia - Mohsin Hamid I#36
26. Cetaganda - Lois McMaster Bujold
30. On Sal Mal Lane - Ru Freeman I#37
31. The Borders of Infinity - Lois McMaster Bujold

November
1. Quarantine - Rahul Mehta I#38
4. Brothers in Arms - Lois McMaster Bujold
6. When Dreams Travel - Githa Hariharan I#39
12. Between the Assassinations - Aravind Adiga I#40
15. The Thing About Thugs - Tabish Khair I#41
17. Mirror Dance - Lois McMaster Bujold
21. Riot: A Love Story - Shashi Tharoor I#42
22. Etiquette & Espionage - Gail Carriger
25. Curtsies & Conspiracies - Gail Carriger

December
2. The City of Devi - Manil Suri I#43
3. Memory - Lois McMaster Bujold
8. The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne
8. Secret Daughter - Shilpi Somaya Gowda I#44
11. The Case of the Love Commandos - Tarquin Hall I#45
14. Komarr - Lois McMaster Bujold
15. Indian Takeaway - Hardeep Singh Kohli I#46
17. A Civil Campaign - Lois McMaster Bujold
21. Born Confused - Tanuja Desai Hidier I#47
23. The Reluctant Fundamentalist - Mohsin Hamid I#48
26. Haunting Jasmine - Anjali Banerjee I#49
30. Ravan and Eddie - Kiran Nagarkar I#50



5. Indian Takeaway, Hardeep Singh Kohli. Boring, shallow, and despite being about food, featuring no worthwhile foodporn or even recipes. A waste of time.
4. Quarantine, Rahul Mehta. Every single short story was exactly the same barely-fictionalized nazel-gazey take on the author's life.
3. The Inventor's Companion, Ariel Tachna. Incredibly cliche, poorly down m/m steampunk romance. (One of the characters is sold into unwilling prostitution! Where the customers beat him up all the time! And despite his apparently being the Best Prostitute Ever, his owner doesn't care! That is how cliche this is.)
2. Villette, Charlotte Bronte. UGH I HATED EVERY CHARACTER IN THIS BOOK. Just wanted to slap them all.
1. Haunting Jasmine, Anjali Banerjee. Oh god, every terrible chick-lit cliche ever. Her husband cheated on her! But she will be healed by her eccentric aunt and her bookstore! Also, the ghost of Jane Austen talks to the main character for some reason.




5. Six Suspects, Vikas Swarup. Fun and clever and a nice take on modern Indian politics.
4. Untamed, Anna Cowan. YES GOOD. Everyone needs to read this, and also I want more books by the author immediately.
3. The Thing About Thugs, Tabish Khair. SOOOOOO GOOD. Smart and excellently written.
2. The Vorkosigan saga, Lois McMaster Bujold. Funny and exciting and moving and SO MANY wonderful characters. I love it.
1. The Benjamin January mysteries, Barbara Hambly. I'm going to count this series as one, because otherwise all top five places would have been taken by it. You may have noticed that, despite my obsession with all things Ben-January, I have not read anything else by Hambly. This is because I'm sort of afraid to. Either it won't be as good, and then I will be disappointed, or it will be as good, and then I'll become obsessed with it instead. At the moment I just want to wallow in my current love.

Comments

[rachel2205.livejournal.com]

Aw, sad that you hated Villette! I love C Bronte. But I can see why it's not everyone's cup of tea!

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

I had high hopes for it, because I do like Jane Eyre a lot, but alas, it just didn't work for me.

[hamsterwoman]

At the moment I just want to wallow in my current love.

Haha, I totally understand this feeling! :D

I haven't read the Ben January novels (and, whoa, you read most of them twice, basically back to back? I'm impressed by the strength of such devotion!), though I've heard really, really good things about them (but I think the genre is probably not really my thing). I have read bits and pieces of Hambly's fantasy series, and while I did like some of them (e.g. Dragonsbane, which features a Dragon I really like and a very nerdy dragonslayer and probably the best portrayal of the tensions between family and career I've seen in a fantasy setting), they didn't blow me away, so I think your strategy is sound.

All the <3 for the Vorkosigan Saga. I think this is the series that gives me "I LOVE EVERYBODY IN THIS BAR" feelings the most, heh. (I do think the post-ACC books start to become weaker, although I still had a blast with two of the three.)

I think, other than Vlad Taltos and Vorkosigan Saga, the only other book on y9our list I've read is Etiquette & Espionage, which I ended up enjoying more than the two Parasol Protectorate books I've read, but mainly for the same reason (namely: Vieve).

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

whoa, you read most of them twice, basically back to back?

Ha, yes, I was not exaggerating when I said 'obsession'. I have also spent a lot of time re-reading just my favorite scenes, but I only count it on my book list when I read an entire book. I LOVE them and recommend them highly to everyone.

I've been warned about the post-ACC books by several people, but I think I will probably go ahead and read them anyway, if just because I've loved all the rest of the series so much.

Etiquette & Espionage was great, and you should very much read the sequel, Curtsies & Conspiracies. It also has lots of Vieve!

[hamsterwoman]

The post-ACC books are still definitely worth reading! Captain Vorpatril's Alliance is incredibly charming, and most of CryoBurn is a great caper story; I don't like Diplomatic Immunity as much, but it has a lot of Ekaterin, if you like Ekaterin, and some other welcome appearances, too.

I only just recently found out the E&E had a sequel out already, so, definitely planning to read that one -- especially now that I know it has lots of Vieve!:D

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

I will definitely be reading at least up to Diplomatic Immunity, because I have heard it has Bel Thorne in it, and I love Bel. Honestly, I'll probably read all of them, if just because I'm curious.

[hamsterwoman]

Yes, Bel is in it, and I was very happy to see that! Bel's basically my favorite thing about it from what I recall (which is not a whole lot, because it's one of the books I have not reread).

I saw somewhere else that you were wanting an Ivan book, and a Simon and Alys book, and in that case you should definitely read Captain Vorpatril's Alliance (which comes after Diplomatic Immunity in internal chronology anyway, though not in publication order).

And CryoBurn has Mark and Kareen, though not enough of them for my taste :)

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Yay! Lots of good books to look forward to.

[egelantier.livejournal.com]

i've read one of hamblies fantasy series, portal fantasy, and just flat out wasn't impressed; i think i'll hold out for her new books from now on. not bad books, but not particularly good either, kinda mediocre.

also i did finish untamed on my flight! and ahhhh, on one hand this book is one hot mess, it's terribly plotted and paced, it would've been so much better if it was a fantasy mannerpunk or something instead of trying for regency; it makes, at times, negative amounts of sense; but on other, AHHH MY HEART THIS WAS WONDERRRRRFUL. yes. yes good, all the relationships, all the h/c, awesome.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

I've heard very good things about her Windrose series, and also the vampire series with the threesome. Oh, and also the one set in LA in the 20s. But I still have this weird superstition that's preventing me from reading all of them. Though I hear she's about to put some Sherlock Holmes short stories up on her website, so I may get over myself just long enough to read them.

UNTAMED IS SO WEIRD. Like, I don't even know how to talk about it. At one moment, I'm going "THIS IS SO TERRIBLE" and yet the next moment I love it with all my heart and only want more. All I can do it flail about and try to make more and more people read it, because maybe someone will be able to explain it to me.

IT IS SO H/C-Y. AND EVERYONE HAS A TERRIBLE CHILDHOOD BACKSTORY, LITERALLY EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER. AND THEN THERE'S A PIG IN CLOTHES. WHAT ARE YOU, UNTAMED?? WHAT ARE YOU?

[egelantier.livejournal.com]

IMAGINE UNTAMED SET IN A UNIVERSE LIKE SWORDSPOINT SO YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO GO HOLY SHIT THINGS DON'T WORK LIKE THIS EVERY GODDAMNED SECOND. wouldn't it be awesome?

although the plot is still terrible and makes zero sense. LESS THAN ZERO SENSE.

but the feelings! the feelings! the touchings! the kneelings! the intense starings! the huggings! the dueling! the crossdressing! the whole final thirds where kit just goes like, fuck the genre and historical period i'm, LET'S STEAMROLL EVERY LIVING THING INTO SUBMISSION.

i basically want a) all the aus and b) all the post-finale crazy things.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

SO AWESOME.

What do you mean, Alina, clearly the Corn Laws a vital part of the plot of Untamed and don't come out of nowhere and make no sense!! And the whole thing about the divorced lady... totally accurate to the Regency. 100%.

YESSSSS I AM DYING EVERY TIME KIT HAS TO LACE OR UNLACE JUDE'S CORSET OR SHAVE HIM OR JUDE WANDERS AROUND THE HOUSE IN AN INAPPROPRIATE ROBE OR THERE IS CLINGING LOTS OF CLINGING AND SECRETS AND KISSING IN LINEN CLOSETS AND BED SHARING AND FEEEEEEEEELINGS. It is like Anna Cowan filled out her whole 'trope bingo' card in one story.

the whole final thirds where kit just goes like, fuck the genre and historical period i'm, LET'S STEAMROLL EVERY LIVING THING INTO SUBMISSION.

Yes, perfect description, A+.

i basically want a) all the aus and b) all the post-finale crazy things.

Cough you should write them for me cough

[egelantier.livejournal.com]

hahahahah no i don't write things where i can't claim 'everything that doesn't make stylistic sense here is because steampunk' and run away screaming in a subtle and restrained fashion. you write it! you already did awesome, DO SOME MORE AWESOME.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

But if you wrote a steampunk AU, then you could! Kit could be an unfeminine inventor who wears gears and Jude could be her un-technically-aware investor!

[egelantier.livejournal.com]

if you watch onmyoji and write me awesome heyan slashy fantasy, I WILL CONSIDER IT.

::evilness::

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Hmmmm, this is a very tempting deal. Did you make chilla watch it yet? Should I acquire it myself, or do you want to watch together?

[egelantier.livejournal.com]

i'm trying to make chilla watch it and she's all for watching it, but apparently real life is against it. i'm fine with you watching it separately or together or rewatching it with me on the weekend, though! i wouldn't mind getting reacquainted with them :D

also you still owe me depressing russian cinema theater, just so you know.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

also you still owe me depressing russian cinema theater, just so you know.

I know! I still have the email saved! We just all have to find time. :D

[(Anonymous)]

Everything I've read by Hambly has been great- I've heard her Star Wars tie-in novels are no good, but they were pretty early in her career. I also wasn't the hugest fan of Reinfield, Slave of Dracula, but it wasn't entirely her work; she wrote it based off of the notes her ex-husband left behind when he died, as he had been unable to finish it himself.

My absolute favorite of her fantasy series, which I highly recommend, is the Windrose series, the Silent Tower, the Silicon Mage, and Dog Wizard. It's a very well done series which deals with portals between worlds in an excellent way; the two protagonists are from our world and another. Antryg Windrose, a wizard with a checkered history who has been in prison for years after violating his oath not to use magic to interfere with the affairs of non wizards, is widely assumed to be totally insane, albeit harmless. Nobody is sure how much he knows what he's going to do with it. Joanna Sherton, a computer programmer living in 1980s Los Angeles, has been dealing with a bizarre stalker for some time when she is kidnapped through a portal to Antryg's world, where it's unclear whether or not he is the kidnapper and whether or not she'll be able to get back. It then becomes clear that there's a plot afoot which affects both universes, and Antryg knows much more about it than he's willing to disclose.

Hambly was originally a medievalist, so the setting is reminiscent of a lot of high-fantasy, but much realer and grittier- she does for an imaginary early-industrial society in this series what she does for New Orleans in the January mysteries. The magic has a strong internal logic. The characters are very alive, and the story is gripping, with plenty of mystery and intrigue. I also believe they're now available on ebook.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I've heard a lot of good things about the Windrose series, as well as several others, so it's not that I think Hambly's writing will be bad, really. I don't even know why I have this weird superstition. I think it might be that I love the Benjamin January series so much I feel I have to sort of conserve Hambly's other writings, so that I have something to fall back on the next time it feels like there's nothing good to read. It's almost like she's a precious resource that I could accidentally use up and run out of it. Which is ridiculous, of course, but it's sort of oddly reassuring to know I have lots of good writing to look forward to it the future, and I just want to know it's there and waiting for me.

[dhampyresa.livejournal.com]

So many books! I'm a bit jealous. It's pretty funny how April is ALL BENJAMIN JANUARY ALL THE TIME.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Hahaha, yes, April was a good month. I told myself I would be good and read one Ben January, then one other book, but I didn't have the willpower to manage that.

[shifty-gardener.livejournal.com]

2. Villette, Charlotte Bronte. UGH I HATED EVERY CHARACTER IN THIS BOOK. Just wanted to slap them all.

Ahahahaha. I was so upset at the last page and a half of Vilette and so generally annoyed with the main character that I actually grew to respect Charlotte Bronte for it. It's not often that I'm still thinking about a book 5+ years later. Also the bit where she has a mental breakdown and pours out all of her woes to a priest that thought he knew what he was getting himself into was pretty funny.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

There were several funny bits in the book, and it is sort of remarkable to have a main characters who is just so bitter and isolated, and yet overall it's just not a very enjoyable book. I've never read anything by Anne Bronte; now that I've got Emily and Charlotte, I have to try her next.

[shifty-gardener.livejournal.com]

I found a Yuletide letter that was particularly effusive about (the miniseries of) Tenant of Wildfeld Hall. Maybe that would be a good one to read? And then you can tell me if it's worth reading. /ulterior motive

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

That's the one I've heard most about. And the plot summary sounds interesting! Better than Villette, at any rate.

[shifty-gardener.livejournal.com]

Hahaha you should end everything with that. "The second Hobbit movie was okay. Better than Villette, at any rate."