#101. The Amazing Adventures Of Kavalier And Clay by Michael Chabon

Title:	The Amazing Adventures Of Kavalier And Clay
Author:	Michael Chabon
Genre:	Historical Fiction
Synopsis:	A Czech Jew and his American cousin begin to write comic books in order to save money, their family and their sanity during World War II.
Verdict:	Very touching account of one family’s experience in a richly drawn picture of New York at the time.
Pages:	636
Read:	December 2010

#100. 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill

Title:	20th Century Ghosts
Author:	Joe Hill
Genre:	Horror/Short Fiction
Synopsis:	A collection of horror stories, some subtle, some quite blatant. Decent and not overbearing.
Verdict:	Joe Hill’s patience in building a scene and use of emotions rather than overdoing atmosphere or description is refreshing in horror stories.
Pages:	389
Read:	December 2010

#99. Horns by Joe Hill

Title:	Horns
Author:	Joe Hill
Genre:	Horror
Synopsis:	A young man who remains a suspect a year after his girlfriend’s murder awakens one morning to find horns on his growing on his head and associated powers which make him question the people around him and the event that wrecked his life.
Verdict:	An interesting look at deeper truths and how they are reflected in or are distorted by what happens on the surface. Not as good as Heart-shaped Box in my opinion but still pretty good.
Pages:	435
Read:	November 2010

#98. Death Du Jour by Kathy Reichs

Title:	Death Du Jour
Author:	Kathy Reichs
Genre:	Crime/Thriller/Forensics
Synopsis:	No matter where she goes Dr Brennan seems to find bodies and then a cult is linked to some of the deaths and more lives are in danger.
Verdict:	A bit more fluid than the first novel, a bit more outlandish but well held together.
Pages:	436
Read:	November 2010

#97. Déjà Dead by Kathy Reichs

Title:	Déjà Dead
Author:	Kathy Reichs
Genre:	Crime/Thriller/Forensics
Synopsis:	When the remains of a young woman are found, similarities to a pervious case lead to the discovery of a serial killer still at large.
Verdict:	Less ‘sensationalistic’ than ‘Cross Bones’, more immediate and enjoyable as an introduction to the characters, their workplace and environment and the work they do.
Pages:	509
Read:	November 2010

#96. Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs

Title:	Cross Bones
Author:	Kathy Reichs
Genre:	Crime/Thriller/Forensics
Synopsis:	A case that starts with a suspect suicide leads to bones stolen from the Holy Land and takes Temperance Brennan to seek their original lying place and the conspiracy that surrounds them.
Verdict:	The books are significantly different from the series but quite enjoyable for themselves. This one felt a bit forced, I’m not sure if it’s just because the suggested identity of the skeleton is a bit contentious or if there was something that just didn’t click with me about the plotting.
Pages:	497
Read:	November 2010

#95. No Logo by Naomi Klein

Title:	No Logo
Author:	Naomi Klein
Genre:	Non-fiction
Synopsis:	An examination of the origins of branding, its evolution and the influence it has had on society, individuals, economies, politics and human rights.
Verdict:	Confronting and depressing without being completely bleak. It acknowledges how much there is to be done to rectify the injustices caused without painting it as impossible.
Pages:	497
Read:	November 2010 – May 2011

#94. Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell

Title:	Faceless Killers
Author:	Henning Mankell
Genre:	Scandinavian Crime Fiction/Murder/Police Procedural
Synopsis:	An elderly couple are brutally murdered in their remote farmhouse and social unrest follows as foreigners are implicated.
Verdict:	The flawed officer and his shambles of a life contrasts nicely with his professional work behaviour.
Pages:	298
Read:	October 2010

#93. Blameless by Gail Carriger

Title:	Blameless
Author:	Gail Carriger
Genre:	Supernatural/Alternate History
Synopsis:	Cast out by her husband for being pregnant with a child that tradition says can’t be his, Alexia goes to Italy to investigate her past to inform her future.
Verdict:	First time in a long time I’ve felt like giving a character a real smack. A series that invites involvement.
Pages:	355
Read:	October 2010

#92. Changeless by Gail Carriger

Title:	Changeless
Author:	Gail Carriger
Genre:	Supernatural/Alternate History
Synopsis:	Something is causing London’s supernatural population to revert to human state which is throwing society and politics into disarray and the soulless Alexia takes it upon herself to solve the mystery.
Verdict:	Quick, nicely plotted, less racy than the last but only to be expected. Bloody cliff-hanger ending!
Pages:	374
Read:	October 2010

#91. Makers by Cory Doctorow

Title:	Makers
Author:	Cory Doctorow
Genre:	Fiction/Future
Synopsis:	We follow the fates of a couple of grassroots inventors and the people who invest in their creations into a future that is as familiar as it is strange.
Verdict:	This sort of speculative fiction is really starting to grab me recently, the potential and the pitfalls of humanity that might crop up during the lifetime of the current generation made very real. Excellent book
Pages:	416
Read:	October 2010

#90. I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett

Title:	I Shall Wear Midnight
Author:	Terry Pratchett
Genre:	Fantasy/Humour
Synopsis:	Something is turning people across the Disc against witches and Tiffany Aching must find out what.
Verdict:	Darker than the preceding Tiffany Aching books but beautiful and touching and well done.
Pages:	347
Read:	October 2010

#89. Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves by P. G. Wodhouse

Title:	Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves
Author:	P. G. Wodehouse
Genre:	Humour/Fiction
Synopsis:	Bertram Wooster is once again in danger of finding himself married and as he hurries to prevent this fate, tangles himself in other bothers.
Verdict:	Light, incredibly easy to read and gives a wonderful picture of a certain kind of Britishness.
Pages:	211
Read:	October 2010

#88. Soulless by Gail Carriger

Title:	Soulless
Author:	Gail Carriger
Genre:	Supernatural/Alternate History
Synopsis:	A young woman without a soul negotiates social and supernatural difficulties in a composite alternate-history Victorian society.
Verdict:	Hilarious, bald-faced entertainment with a fair wack of sauciness included. Great fun.
Pages:	373
Read:	October 2010

#87. Miss Smilla's Feeling For Snow by Peter Høeg

Title:	Miss Smilla’s Feeling For Snow
Author:	Peter Høeg
Genre:	Murder/Scandinavian Crime Fiction
Synopsis:	When a young boy apparently leaps to his death from the roof of an apartment building only his taciturn neighbour investigates.
Verdict:	Wow. This started off amazing and then went crazy. Think it went a bit far for me but still good.
Pages:	410
Read:	October 2010

#86. The Third Heaven Conspiracy by Giuio Leoni

Title:	The Third Heaven Conspiracy
Author:	Giulio Leoni
Genre:	Historical Fiction/Murder Mystery
Synopsis:	Dante Alighieri investigates a murder in a Florence rife with crime and political intrigue.
Verdict:	Interesting setting but Dante was a short-tempered, self-important fool and the ending lacked power and closure.
Pages:	303
Read:	October 2010

#85. Odd And The Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman

Title:	Odd And The Frost Giants
Author:	Neil Gaiman
Genre:	Children’s Book/Norse Mythology/Fiction
Synopsis:	A young boy who is an outcast in his village falls in with a group of animals – Gods in disguise – with the expected chaos and adventure that follows.
Verdict:	A nice, simply told tale with excellent illustrations, history and culture thrown in.
Pages:	117
Read:	September 2010

#84. To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

Title:	To The Lighthouse
Author:	Virginia Woolf
Genre:	Fiction/Stream of consciousness
Synopsis:	As a family and their guests at a summer home act and interact, their thoughts and actions are explored.
Verdict:	Dreamy, strange and at times slightly difficult to follow (passages that seem dreamlike turn out to be reality) but very nicely done. It has a very honest feel to it.
Pages:	339
Read:	September 2010 – January 2011

#83. The Scar by China Miéville

Title:	The Scar
Author:	China Miéville
Genre:	Fiction/Science Fiction/Steampunk
Synopsis:	Tells the story of a world of multiple races, steam technology and magic and the fate of a pirate city afloat on the ocean.
Verdict:	Intrigue, science, politics and beautiful world-building. A marvellous book.
Pages:	604
Read:	August – September 2010

#82. Vampire Universe by Jonathan Maberry

Title:	Vampire Universe
Author:	Jonathan Maberry
Genre:	Non-Fiction/Supernatural
Synopsis:	A catalogue of different kinds of vampiric entities, their practices and weaknesses.
Verdict:	Comparing the similarities and vast differences world-wide was interesting but repetitive.
Pages:	310
Read:	August 2010

#81. Black Coffee Blues by Henry Rollins

Title:	Black Coffee Blues
Author:	Henry Rollins
Genre:	Short Fiction/Non-Fiction/Autobiography
Synopsis:	A collection of short stories, observations and tour anecdotes and notes/essays from his time on the road.
Verdict:	Interesting stuff but sweet Jesus was it bleak at times! The descriptions of life on the road and insights into his youth were engaging but the cynicism (especially about relationships) got me a bit down.
Pages:	148
Read:	August 2010

#80. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Title:	The Bell Jar
Author:	Sylvia Plath
Genre:	Fiction
Synopsis:	A young woman with ‘everything going for her’ begins to lose control of her life.
Verdict:	The restrictive society and the sense of desperation were palpable. Good but depressing.
Pages:	234
Read:	August 2010

#79. The City And The City by China Miéville

Title:	The City And The City
Author:	China Miéville
Genre:	Fiction/Supernatural/Police Procedural
Synopsis:	A police officer living in a city that co-exists with another city, occupying the same space, must investigate a murder that crosses borders and invites disaster.
Verdict:	This book did my head in despite how mater-of-fact the delivery was. Bloody fantastic.
Pages:	312
Read:	July 2010

#78. The Master And Margarita by Mikhail Bugakov

Title:	The Master And Margarita
Author:	Mikhail Bulgakov
Genre:	Fiction/Supernatural/Russian Classic
Synopsis:	Across Moscow the lives of different citizens are plunged into chaos by a visit from Satan.
Verdict:	Beautiful, strange and something that will stay with me forever. Lyrical and surreal.
Pages:	446
Read:	July 2010

#77. Fathom by Cherie Priest

Title:	Fathom
Author:	Cherie Priest
Genre:	Fantasy/Supernatural
Synopsis:	A god-like being recruits humans to try awaken the Leviathan and destroy the Earth. Another works to foil her, driven by his own motives.
Verdict:	An amazingly quick read for its size. Things left unsaid left it nebulous but satisfying.
Pages:	380
Read:	July 2010

#76. Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Title:	Coraline
Author:	Neil Gaiman
Genre:	Fantasy/Supernatural
Synopsis:	A young girl exploring her family’s new home finds a mysterious second family hidden within.
Verdict:	I love how Gaiman writes for children, the sinister threat countered by matter-of-fact, hope and determination.
Pages:	185
Read:	July 2010

#75. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Title:	The Graveyard Book
Author:	Neil Gaiman
Genre:	Fantasy/Supernatural
Synopsis:	An orphaned child is taken in and raised by the resident ghosts of a graveyard after his family is murdered.
Verdict:	So pretty and such a swift read. Many details and strong characters are gleaned from a sparse outline.
Pages:	307
Read:	July 2010

#74. The Devil In Amber by Mark Gatiss

Title:	The Devil In Amber
Author:	Mark Gatiss
Genre:	Spy Fiction/Historical Fiction
Synopsis:	Lucifer Box, now approaching middle-age, tests his skills again against a new and dangerous conspiracy.
Verdict:	I thought it odd that the second book is set so many years after the first but it allowed some specific character development and is a bold move by the author. Saucy.
Pages:	248
Read:	June 2010

#73. The Treehouse by Naomi Wolf

Title:	The Treehouse
Author:	Naomi Wolf
Genre:	Memoir/Writing advice/Non-Fiction
Synopsis:	Naomi muses on writing, teaching, the nature of art and her relationships with her father as she and he reconnect and build a treehouse for her kids.
Verdict:	Interesting people, advice and stories. A bit slow at times and lest ‘feminist’ than expected but good.
Pages:	308
Read:	June – July 2010

#72. The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

Title:	The Dead Tossed Waves
Author:	Carrie Ryan
Genre:	Supernatural/Horror Fiction/Future Fiction/Post Apocalyptic/Zombies
Synopsis:	Mary’s daughter Gabrielle struggles with identity, fear of the undead, society and human relationships.
Verdict:	In the midst of an overrun Earth, Ryan shows humanity stripped bare, survival, hope and love.
Pages:	404
Read:	June 2010

#71. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

Title:	Boneshaker
Author:	Cherie Priest
Genre:	Steampunk/Science Fiction
Synopsis:	The widow of an infamous scientist whose invention left a city tainted, must enter the sealed off ruins again to find her son in the dangerous society that remained.
Verdict:	Steampunk, zombies, action, near misses and pure awesome. So very good.
Pages:	416
Read:	June 2010