A 2012 ACCOUNT OF ALL THE BOOKS READ.

Having participated in the 100+ Reading Challenge last year (see my wrap post by clicking HERE) I thought it might be fun to list all of the books I've read this year, making special mentions of those that I have enjoyed most/least as well as my favourite/least favourite authors etc, etc, etc.

January.

1. THE CASEBOOK OF VICTOR FRAKENSTEIN by Peter Ackroyd.
2. AUGUST HEAT by Andrea Camilleri. *
3. INNOCENT TRAITOR by Alison Weir.
4. BEYOND THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES: A GIANT PROBLEM by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. *
5. THE DAUGHTER OF TIME by Josephine Tey.
6. MY NAUGHTY LITTLE SISTER by Shirley Hughes.
7. MORE NAUGHTY LITTLE SISTER STORIES by Shirley Hughes. (Click on above link for review)
8. MY NAUGHTY LITTLE SISTER AND BAD HARRY by Shirley Hughes. (Click on the link for My Naughty Little Sister)
9. MY NAUGHTY LITTLE SISTER'S FRIENDS by Shirley Hughes. (Click on the link for My Naughty Little Sister)       
10. WHEN MY NAUGHTY LITTLE SISTER WAS GOOD by Shirley Hughes. (Click on the link for My Naughty Little Sister)
11. THE LOST PHROPHECIES by The Medieval Murderers.
12. THE PARLIAMENT HOUSE by Edward Marston. *

February.

1. THE JUDGEMENT OF THE MUMMY by Christian Jacq.
2. THE PATRIOT PARADOX by William Esmont.
3. NO RESERVATIONS by Fiona O'Brien.
4. PREY by Michael Crichton.
5. THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS by Lewis Carroll. *
6. THE LITTLE PRINCE by Antoine De Saint-Exupery.
7. THE GARGOYLE by Andrew Davidson.
8. THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE by Audrey Neffenegger.
9. NIGHT SONG OF THE LAST TRAM (A GLASGOW CHILDHOOD) by Robert Douglas.
10. DARK DESTINY by Christine Feehan.
11. SLEEP PALE SISTER by Joanne Harris.
12. THE HOUSE OF SILK: THE NEW SHERLOCK HOMES NOVEL by Anthony Horowitz.

March.

1. TURNING ANGEL by Greg Iles. *
2. PROPERTY by Valerie Martin.
3. GODIVA by Nerys Jones.
4. THIS IS NOT FORGIVENESS by Celia Rees.
5. NETHERWOOD by Jane Sanderson. 
6. LYRICS ALLEY by Leila Aboulela. **
7. THE TIGER'S WIFE by Tea Obreht.
8. VALLEY OF BONES by Michael Gruber.
9. KITTY AND THE MIDNIGHT HOUR by Carrie Vaughn.
10. KITTY TAKES A HOLIDAY by Carrie Vaughn. (Click on above link for review)
11. BOND GIRL by Erin Duffy. **
12. TOOTH AND NAIL by Ian Rankin. ** 

April.

1. BITTER CHOCOLATE by Lesley Lokko.
2. HOLLOW EARTH by John and Carole E Barrowman.
3. THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL by Deborah Moggach.
4. I'LL BE THERE by Holly Goldberg Sloan. **
5. THE LIEUTENANT by Kate Grenville.
6. DARK MATTER: A GHOST STORY by Michelle Paver.
7. THE LADY OF THE RIVERS by Philippa Gregory.
8. KITTY AND THE SILVER BULLET by Carrie Vaughn.
9. WHERE THE WEAVER BIRDS FLY by John Ellwood Nicholson. ** 

May.

1. NORTHWEST CORNER by John Burnham Schwartz. **
2. THE LAST VICTIM by Christopher Rudy with George Davis. **
3. THURSDAYS IN THE PARK by Hilary Boyd.
4. STRANGERS AND PILGRIMS by Maggie Bennett.
5. THE GERMAN BOY by Patricia Wastvedt.
6. AS MEAT LOVES SALT by Maria McCann.
7. ONE DAY by David Nicholls.
8. BECOMING MADAME MAO by Anchee Min.
9. MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN by Ransom Riggs.
10. CHELSEA WIVES by Anna-Lou Weatherly.
11. THE DESCENDANTS by Kaui Hart Hemmings. 

June.

1. DEAR JOHN by Nicholas Sparks.
2. A NAME IN BLOOD by Matt Rees.
3. JUST ONE MORE DAY by Susan Lewis.
4. CHANGELING by Philippa Gregory.
5. PLAIN TRUTH by Jodi Picoult. *
6. DEADLOCKED by Charlaine Harris.
7. BREAKING THE DEVIL'S HEART by H.A. Goodman. **
8. BREATHLESS by Anne Sward. **
9. THE SENSE OF AN ENDING by Julian Barnes.
10. DREAM ANGUS by Alexander McCall Smith. 

July.

1. HEARTSTONE by C.J. Sansom.
2. FRIENDS, LOVERS, CHOCOLATE by Alexander McCall Smith.
3. BUILD A BUSINESS FROM YOUR KITCHEN TABLE by Sophie Cornish and Holly Tucker. **
4. BLOOD RITES by S.J. Rozan. **
5. THE REDEEMER by Jo Nesbo.
6. A SEA OF TROUBLES by Donna Leon.
7. BLOOD FROM A STONE by Donna Leon (Click on above link for review)
8. THE INCIDENT by Kenneth Macleod. **
9. WE WILL NOT FIGHT: THE UNTOLD STORY OF WORLD WAR ONE'S CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS by Will Ellsworth-Jones. 

August.

1. CRAZY LIFE OF A WRITING MOM by EC Stilson. **
2. THE 5 MOONS OF TIIANA by Paul T Harry. **
3. THE CASE OF THE GOOD-LOOKING CORPSE by Caroline Lawrence.
4. THE MISSING ROSE by Serdar Ozkan.
5. NOAH'S COMPASS by Anne Tyler.
6. THE COOK by Wayne Macauley.**
7. THE BOOK LOVER'S TALE by Ivo Stourton. **
8. THE OWL KILLERS by Karen Maitland.
9. JUST ELLA by Margaret Peterson Haddix.
10. THE NIGHTINGALE GIRLS by Donna Douglas. **
11. HOMELAND by Clare Francis. 

September.

1. BLUEEYEDBOY by Joanne Harris.
2. SPIRIT OF LOST ANGELS by Liza Perrat. **
3. CLICK: AN ONLINE LOVE STORY by Lisa Booker. **
4. 12-21 by Dustin Thomason. **
5. THE HAUNTING by Alan Titchmarsh.
6. MIDWINTER by John Buchan.
7. DEAREST ROSE by Rowan Coleman. **
8. CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF A NOVEL by Molly D Campbell. **
9. THE MERDE FACTOR by Stephen Clarke. **
10. GREEN EGGS AND HAM by Dr Seuss. ***
11. THE ADVENTURES OF NANA BARB: LOST IN TIME by John Auckland. **
12. A PARACHUTE IN THE LIME TREE by Annemarie Neary. ** 

October.

1. WHITE DOVES AT MORNING by James Lee Burke.
2. EMILY WINDSNAP AND THE LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN by Liz Kesler.
3. ME, SUZY P by Karen Saunders. **
4. DEATH AT LE FENICE by Donna Leon.
5. DEATH IN A STRANGE COUNTRY by Donna Leon (Click on above link for review)
6. POLTERGEEKS by Sean Cummings.
7. WITCH BABY AND ME AFTER DARK by Debi Gliori.
8. THE KINGMAKER'S DAUGHTER by Philippa Gregory.
9. THE GREAT MAGICIAN by Christian Jacq.
10. GREY WALKER by Kat Richardson.
11. AMONG OTHERS by Jo Walton. **
12. HYPOTHERMIA by Arnaldur Indridason.
13. SIGN OF THE CROSS by Chris Kuzneski.
14. BIBLE GIRL AND THE BAD BOY by EC Stilson. 

November.

1. THE GLORY AND THE SHAME by Harry Bowling.
2. SHAKESPEARE'S LANDLORD by Charlaine Harris.
3. SHAKESPEARE'S CHAMPION by Charlaine Harris.(Click on above link for review)
4. OTHER PEOPLE'S DAUGHTERS: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE GOVERNESS by Ruth Brandon.
5. A FALCON FLIES by Wilbur Smith.
6. THE KEEPER OF DAWN by J.B. Hickman. **
7. THE CHARM BRACELET by Melissa Hill. *
8. A LAWMAN'S CHRISTMAS by Linda Lael Miller. *
9. A RHINESTONE BUTTON by Gail Anderson Dargatz.
10. THROUGH A GLASS, DARKLY by Jostein Gaarder. *
11. THE EARTH HUMS IN B FLAT by Mari Strachan.
12. MADAME DOUBTFIRE by Anne Fine. 

December.

1. DRESSED FOR DEATH by Donna Leon.
2. A VENETIAN RECKONING by Donna Leon (Click on above link for review).
3. SHAKESPEARE'S CHRISTMAS by Charlaine Harris.
4. SWALLOWING GRANDMA by Kate Long.
5. THE GIRL IN THE PAINTED CARAVAN: MEMORIES OF A ROMANY CHILDHOOD by Eva Petulengro.
6. HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS by Dr Seuss. *
7. THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS by Clement C Moore with illustrations by Lis Toft * (Click on above link for review) 
8. ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS by David Oxtoby * (Click on link for How The Grinch Stole Christmas)
9. THE BEAUTIFUL TRUTH by Belinda Seaward. 

My favourite book(s): So original, I loved The Gargoyle. Largely about a late 18th century coal mining community, I had a very personal reason for enjoying Netherwood as much as I did. Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children: Possibly my favourite book this year. A brilliant read, I loved The Owl Killers. Designed for much younger readers, as a nostalgic read Me, Suzy P brought back so many memories of my teenage self.

My least favourite book(s): Repetitive in the extreme just about sums up Dark Destiny. Northwest Corner: Not at all to my taste

Best loved character(s): Sherlock Holmes as written by Anthony Horowitz, such a great psychological insight.

Best villain(s): A fictional account of a real life individual, Richie Rich made a great villain in Heartstone.

Book(s) I was most disappointed by: The Judgement Of The Mummy -  not up to the authors normal high standard. Changeling - An ok read, probably more enjoyable to those who haven't read any of Philippa Gregory's  adult historical novels.

Book(s) that most surprised me: The House Of Silk: The New Sherlock Holmes Novel, much more gritty and contemporary than I expected. Dark Matter: A Ghost Story, Wonderfully atmospheric. Not my usual type of read, I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed The 5 Moons Of Tiiana.

Best series: The 'Kitty' Series.

Author(s) I'd like to read more of: Andrew Davidson. Jane Sanderson. John and Carole E Barrowman. Paul T Harry.

Most nostalgic read(s): Donna Leon's books which were set in and around Venice reminded me of our holiday there.

Favourite cover(s):

* A book challenge read.

** Reviewed for magazine/publisher/author.
*** Not my usual review, this was a one-off written for Banned Book Week.

SO ......

That's 133 books, 42,786 pages read in 2012: 379 books, 127,707 pages since I started blogging in April 2009.