My top eight in no particular order, as well as my two most disappointing books for the year.
Brian Send a noteboard - 21/12/2010 06:19:00 AM
Hyperion - Dan Simmons
Not much to say that hasn't been said around these parts a million times, it's a great book, and I really enjoyed the Canterbury Tales aspect of the book.
The Forever War - Joe Haldeman
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful old sci-fi book. Almost a more depressing version of Starship Troopers.
Gateway - Frederik Pohl
Another great old sci-fi book. It was fun, it was odd, it was terrifying in parts, and very enveloping. It drew me in, and kept interested from start to finish.
Born To Run - Christopher Macdougal
The only piece of non-fiction on the list. It's a great book about running, and oh so much more. It's one of the most inspiring books I've ever read.
Neverwhere - Gaiman
Kinda like Hyperion, not much to say that hasn't been said a million times. I enjoyed it a lot.
Stardust - Gaiman
Very different from the movie, and I can't decide if it was for the best or not.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep - Phillip K Dick
Loved it a lot. Very different from the movie, but neither particularly bothers me. I view them as two mildly related pieces of work that are both very enjoyable.
A Game of Thrones - GRRM
A lot has been said already, it was a good start to the series, and I really need to pick up the second book to get moving in the series again.
And just because I don't have any other books I feel like are top reads of the year, I'll give my most disappointing books of the year.
1984 - George Orwell
In my opinion a vastly overrated book, that at times was just plain silly. I didn't enjoy probably 60% of the book. There were parts that were good and captivating, but much of it was too over the top for me. I prefer Brave New World for my dystopian images of the future.
Dune - Frank Herbert
Confusingly bad in my opinion. I know it's a very loved book, but definitely not by me. It had the subtlety of a sledgehammer when trying to get across it's political and religious points, it was often boring, and just in general a book that exhausted me with its style of writing.
Not much to say that hasn't been said around these parts a million times, it's a great book, and I really enjoyed the Canterbury Tales aspect of the book.
The Forever War - Joe Haldeman
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful old sci-fi book. Almost a more depressing version of Starship Troopers.
Gateway - Frederik Pohl
Another great old sci-fi book. It was fun, it was odd, it was terrifying in parts, and very enveloping. It drew me in, and kept interested from start to finish.
Born To Run - Christopher Macdougal
The only piece of non-fiction on the list. It's a great book about running, and oh so much more. It's one of the most inspiring books I've ever read.
Neverwhere - Gaiman
Kinda like Hyperion, not much to say that hasn't been said a million times. I enjoyed it a lot.
Stardust - Gaiman
Very different from the movie, and I can't decide if it was for the best or not.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep - Phillip K Dick
Loved it a lot. Very different from the movie, but neither particularly bothers me. I view them as two mildly related pieces of work that are both very enjoyable.
A Game of Thrones - GRRM
A lot has been said already, it was a good start to the series, and I really need to pick up the second book to get moving in the series again.
And just because I don't have any other books I feel like are top reads of the year, I'll give my most disappointing books of the year.
1984 - George Orwell
In my opinion a vastly overrated book, that at times was just plain silly. I didn't enjoy probably 60% of the book. There were parts that were good and captivating, but much of it was too over the top for me. I prefer Brave New World for my dystopian images of the future.
Dune - Frank Herbert
Confusingly bad in my opinion. I know it's a very loved book, but definitely not by me. It had the subtlety of a sledgehammer when trying to get across it's political and religious points, it was often boring, and just in general a book that exhausted me with its style of writing.
This message last edited by Brian on 21/12/2010 at 06:23:39 AM
What are your top ten reads of 2010?
- 20/12/2010 12:07:54 PM
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I'll give you a top five. I only read about 25 books so the top 10 isn't necessarily "good".
- 20/12/2010 07:26:41 PM
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Let's see, this is an interesting exercise...
- 20/12/2010 08:48:20 PM
1056 Views
I enjoyed Mahfouz, but I agree the translation wasn't stellar
- 20/12/2010 11:27:39 PM
665 Views
I read a Dutch translation, so presumably not the same one as yours. 
- 21/12/2010 06:38:29 PM
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- 21/12/2010 06:38:29 PM
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Okay, have to add Yourcenar's Memoirs of Hadrian in there somewhere, see my review. *NM*
- 29/12/2010 09:41:22 PM
317 Views
Hmm.(New)
- 21/12/2010 02:21:40 AM
960 Views
You have to be the only person I've ever met who prefers Erikson's first book over the second.
- 21/12/2010 06:42:40 PM
695 Views
Well.
- 21/12/2010 09:19:42 PM
838 Views
Re: I'm with you on Felisin. Boring.
- 25/12/2010 12:45:03 AM
687 Views
Yeah. Whenever I think of DH- it's always the Chain of Dogs.
- 26/12/2010 09:47:49 PM
779 Views
Re: Yeah. Whenever I think of DH- it's always the Chain of Dogs.
- 26/12/2010 11:49:49 PM
646 Views
850? So you have the best 200 pages left? *NM*
- 27/12/2010 11:55:21 AM
329 Views
Hey hey hey no.
- 27/12/2010 02:07:38 PM
675 Views
My top eight in no particular order, as well as my two most disappointing books for the year.
- 21/12/2010 06:19:00 AM
999 Views
