Saturday, December 29, 2012

Books I read in 2012

I read fewer than 50 books in 2012. Slow reading, personal and professional preoccupations, lack of discipline, and too much non-fiction, including current affairs and political commentary, both print and online, is no excuse for not reading more novels this year.

The 50 books include physical books and ebooks but not the many short stories, comic-books, poetry, anthologies, and journals and magazines I read.

Again, of the 50 books I reviewed less than 20, most of them for Friday’s Forgotten Books at Patti Abbott’s blog, Pattinase, in what was an informative and fun-filled challenge. It is with renewed enthusiasm that I look forward to participating in FFB and Tuesday’s Overlooked Films at Todd Mason’s blog, Sweet Freedom, in 2013.

Looking back, there were quite a few books I enjoyed reading, though I didn't review all of them. I have put together a list of 20 books that I liked for various reasons including cover and originality.


Western
01. Saddle on a Cloud, 1952, by Frank C. Robertson
02. The Lone Deputy, 1960, by Wayne D. Overholser
03. Gun Man, 1985, by Loren D. Estleman

Mystery
04. The Doctor, His Wife, and the Clock, 1895, by Anna Katharine Green
05. The Secret Adversary, 1922, by Agatha Christie
06. The Murder on the Links, 1923, by Agatha Christie
07. The Case of the Gilded Lily, 1959, Erle Stanley Gardner

Thriller
08. Cape Fear (The Executioners), 1957, by John D. MacDonald
09. Run, Mann, Run!, 1975, by James Keenan
10. The Ninth Configuration, 1978, by William Peter Blatty

Espionage 
11. A Fine Night for Dying, 1969, by Jack Higgins
12. A Prayer for the Dying, 1973, by Jack Higgins
13. The Payoff, 1973, by Don Smith
14. Atlantic Scramble, 1982, by Don Pendleton and Gar Wilson
15. Journey Toward Death, 1983, by Amos Aricha
16. Black Dice: Mack Bolan, The Executioner, 1987, by Don Pendleton

Drama
17. A Prairie Infanta, 1904, by Eva Wilder Brodhead
18. Beyond the Black Stump, 1956, by Nevil Shute
19. The Summer Man, 1967, by Jory Sherman

SF & Fantasy
20. Tarzan at the Earth’s Core, 1929, by Edgar Rice Burroughs

My reading of western, mystery, and sf/fantasy is badly in need of overhaul. I simply need to read more books in these spellbinding genres. Apart from this 
I have only one other challenge, one other resolution, for 2013: to read a hundred books which, hopefully, will include fiction by non-Western authors. About this time, next year, I’ll do a similar post and let you know whether I breasted the finish line and set a new record. Fingers crossed. 

8 comments:

  1. Hi Prashant - I don't think you should ever feel guilty about reading no-fiction books. But if you're like me they take me an age to read as opposed to crime fiction which I can read in an afternoon.
    You have slightly different reading tastes to me which is why your reviews are so enjoyable. I often find something that I wouldn't have though of reading. I'm looking forward to your 2013 reviews.

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    1. Sarah, no guilt, only I wish I could have read more fiction than I managed. Funny thing is I tend to read non-fiction faster than fiction. I also tend to get confused with too many characters in a novel, which is why I liked Perry Mason novels where the main characters and their roles were set out right in the beginning. Thanks very much for your appreciation of my reviews. Likewise, I have discovered some wonderful authors and books at other interesting blogs.

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  2. I read a LOT last year. Lots of hours spent in hospital waiting rooms is how it worked out.

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    1. Charles, not the most suitable place to read but I understand the circumstances under which you had to do all your reading.

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  3. I read 42 books, 365 short stories, and saw 59 movies.

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    1. Patti, a short story a day, that's wonderful. It looks like something I can try starting January 1.

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  4. I didn't read as much as I would have liked last year either, Prashant. Same excuses. Going to try harder this year. I never know what you're going to read and talk about. It's always a smart surprise.

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    1. Yvette, thanks for the kind words. I hope to make 2013 a better book reading year for myself but that will depend on how fast I read my books. I usually read at an even pace. I do admit to having a perverse streak when it comes to the choice of books, spread across nearly a dozen categories. The idea is to pick a book not many have heard of which, of course, is rarely the case in the world of internet.

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