Complete 2007 Reading List

Filed by: Darren Turpin on January 6, 2008 at 20:59
Filed under: Books

In 2007 I managed to read 41 full-length books: 34 novels or novellas and 7 short fiction collections or anthologies.

I made myself a promise at the start of the year that, knowing full well how little reading time I have available these days, I was going to try to steer myself towards titles that I thought I'd have a very good to excellent chance of enjoying as much as possible. As a result I probably didn't read quite as many new authors (or authors that were new to me, at any rate) as I could have done. I think I kept to my promise rather well, although there were two additional titles that I started but was unable to finish.

As for 2007 being my year of the short story - as I'd mused back in December 2006 - well, seven anthologies and/or collections might not be much by some folks' standards, but it's more than I've managed to read in earlier years, and it's a trend I hope to continue into this year as well. I do love a good short story well told.

I also read (or, mainly, re-read) 36 graphic novels during the course of the year, which I might or might not list separately, depending on how the whole time / inclination pans out.

But here's the full list of all 43 prose titles, in the approximate order that I read them, or attempted to read them. In a subsequent post I plan to list my actual Books of the Year selection for 2007 (better late than never), and at the same time I'll let you know which two I didn't manage to finish. Although please do feel free to amuse yourselves by guessing which two they were via the comments section, should you feel the urge... :)

Click the book titles for buying info from Amazon.co.uk (all referral fees gratefully received...) although a couple of them will go to PS Publishing and two more to Earthling Books (where applicable).

Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie (Gollancz)
Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill (Gollancz)
Solaris Book of New Science Fiction ed. by George Mann (Solaris)
The Intruders by Michael Marshall (Harper Collins)
Black Man by Richard Morgan (Gollancz)
The Steep Approach to Garbadale by Iain Banks (Little, Brown)
Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton (Arrow)
Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch (Gollancz)
Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher (Orbit)
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (Gollancz)
Spook Country by William Gibson (Penguin)
This is Now by Michael Marshall Smith (Earthling)
Unbecoming by Mike O'Driscoll (Elastic Press)
Debatable Space by Philip Palmer (Orbit)
Hunter's Moon by David Devereux (Gollancz)
From the Dust Returned by Ray Bradbury (Earthlight)
Scar Night by Alan Campbell (Tor UK)
Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman (Headline Review)
The Music of Razors by Cameron Rogers (Del Rey)
Bitterwood by James Maxey (Solaris)
No Dominion by Charlie Huston (Orbit)
Dark Hollow by John Connolly (Coronet)
Evil for Evil by K.J. Parker (Orbit)
The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes (Gollancz)
Looking For Jake by China Miéville (Macmillan)
White Time by Margo Lanagan (Eos)
Jigsaw Men by Gary Greenwood (PS Publishing)
Land of the Headless by Adam Roberts (Gollancz)
Postscripts #10 by Ed. Pete Crowther (PS Publishing)
Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman (Penguin)
Halting State by Charles Stross (Orbit)
Cowboy Angels by Paul McAuley (Gollancz)
The Servants by Michael Marshall Smith (Earthling)
The Modern World by Steph Swainston (Gollancz)
The Killing Kind by John Connolly (Headline)
The Religion by Tim Willocks (Arrow)
Dead Men's Boots by Mike Carey (Orbit)
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson (Gollancz)
Dusk by Tim Lebbon (Del Rey)
Dawn by Tim Lebbon (Del Rey)
Making Money by Terry Pratchett (Doubleday)
The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury (Earthlight)
Matter by Iain M Banks (Orbit)

This year I'm hoping to set aside an extra 30 minutes a day for reading, at lunchtime (to get away from the monitor if nothing else) and so I'm aiming to hit about 60 full-length books this year.

As usual I'll post Recommended Reading entries to TGF, along with occasional Reading Updates, just to help me keep track of where I'm up to, if nothing else. New Arrivals posts will likewise continue, and I'll keep an eye on things with Schedule Watch posts as and when. Just so you know... :)

Filed on: January 6, 2008
Filed under: Books
Tagged With: Reading List 2007

Comments

2 Responses to 'Complete 2007 Reading List'

Sayuri on January 8th, 2008 5:49 pm

I see a China MiÃ©ville in there that I will have to get. Loved Perdido Street Station and The Scar.

2008 is going to the year of the Sci-Fi novel for me.

I watch a lot of sci-fi but I don't read a lot. I keep meaning to try out Adam Roberts and Richard Morgan and I am finally going to blow the thick film of dust off those WIlliam Gibson novels I have had in my to read pile for the last 'x' years.
Darren on January 8th, 2008 5:55 pm

Ah, yes, I can heartily recommend Looking For Jake, it's a rather excellent collection of short fiction. It includes the PS novella The Tain, which has been Out of Print for a while now.

Mr Morgan and Mr Roberts are both well worth trying (and I'd say that even if they weren't both clients of mine). You can start anywhere with Adam's novels; he tends to write stand-alones. They're always challenging and interesting, but none of them are what you'd call easy-reading. Best start with Altered Carbon when it comes to Richard's work. It's a great introduction to his style, which he's polished and refined since, and he's written three books starring the main protagonist, Takeshi Kovacs, so it's worth reading them in order.

I think I'll be trying to specialise in gritty, heroic fantasy this year. It's always been my sub-genre of choice and there are some truly excellent writers with new books fresh out or due this year, as well as some newcomers that I definitely want to check out. Like that Richard Morgan: his next one is a heroic fantasy that sounds grittier than a Yorkshire slag-heap... :)