Reading Log 2012

I have decided to continue the reading log I began in 2010 and continued into 2011, listing all the books I complete in 2012. I will list by title, author, type of work, writer's country of origin, original date of publication with date of translation if not originally in English, and date read. An entry preceded by an (R) is a book that I am rereading, usually after many years. An asterisk indicates a book I particularly enjoyed. "SF/F" following "novel" means "Science Fiction/Fantasy"; "M" means "Mystery."

January:

*1. At the Point by Joseph Massey (poetry, U. S., 2011; January 1)

*2. Scar Night by Alan Campbell (novel SF/F -- Deepgate Codex Volume I, Scotland, 2006; January 1 - 4)

*3. Elegy For Kosovo by Ismail Kadare (connected short stories, Albania/France, 1998 in Albania and France, English translation of the Albanian 2000; January 5)

*4. The Sound of the Mountain by Yasunari Kawabata (novel, Japan, published 1954 in Japan, English translation 1970; January 6)

*5. The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett (novel, U. S., 1896; January 6 - 7)

*6. The Ipcress File by Len Deighton (novel M -- Secret File #1, England, 1962; January 7 - 9)

*7. The Wedding Wallah by Farahad Zama (novel -- Marriage Bureau #3, India/England, 2011; January 9 - 11)

*8. Madness of Flowers: A Novel of the City Imperishable by Jay Lake (novel SF/F -- City Imperishable #2, U. S., 2008; January 12 - 15)

*9. The Memory Chalet by Tony Judt (nonfiction essays -- memoir/cultural studies, England/U. S., 2010; January 15)

*10. Death Without Company by Craig Johnson (novel M -- Walt Longmire #2, U. S., 2007; January 16 - 17)

11. Secrets by Nuruddin Farah (novel -- Blood in the Sun trilogy Vol. 3, Somalia, 1998; January 18 - 20)

*12. The Other by Matthew Hughes (novel SF/F, England/Canada, 2011; January 20 - 21)

*13. Comedy in a Minor Key by Hans Keilson (novel, Germany/Netherlands, published Netherlands 1947, English translation 2010; January 22)

*14. Boneyards by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (novel SF/F -- Boss/stealth tech #3, U. S., 2012; January 22 - 23)

15. 1812: The War That Forged A Nation by Walter R. Borneman (nonfiction -- American history, U. S., 2004; January 24 - 28)

*16. The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine by Alina Bronsky (novel, Russia/Germany, 2010 in Germany, English translation of the German 2011; January 29 - 30

*(R)17. Rebels of the Red Planet by Charles L. Fontenay (novel SF/F, U. S., 1961; January 31)

February:

*18. Budapest Noir by Vilmos Kondor (novel M, Hungary, 2008 in Hungary, English translation 2012; February 1 - 3)

*19. Starclimber by Kenneth Oppel (novel SF/F -- Matt Cruse #3, Canada, 2009; February 4 - 5)

*20. Klee Wyck by Emily Carr (nonfiction essays -- memoirs/cultural studies, Canada, 1941; February 5 - 6)

*21. The Great Game by Lavie Tidhar (novel SF/F -- The Bookman Histories #3, Israel, 2012; February 7 - 10)

*22. Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow (novel, U. S., 1975; February 10 - 12)

*23. The Watcher in the Pine by Rebecca Pawel (novel M -- Lt. Carlos Tejada #3, U. S., 2005; February 12 - 13)

*24. Minaret by Leila Aboulela (novel, Sudan/Scotland, 2005; February 14 - 15)

*25. Shadow Pass by Sam Eastland (novel M -- Inspector Pekkala #2, England, 2011; February 16 - 17)

*(R)26. A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (novel SF/F -- John Carter #1, U. S., 1912; February 18 - 20)

*27. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt (novel, Canada/U. S., 2011; February 20 - 21)

*28. This Is Your Brain On Music: The Science of a Human Obsession by Daniel J. Levitin (nonfiction -- music/cognitive psychology, U. S., 2006; February 22 - 24)

*29. The Goat Woman of Largo Bay by Gillian Royes (novel M, Jamaica/U. S. Virgin Islands, 2011; February 25 - 26)

*30. License to Ensorcell by Katherine Kerr (novel SF/F/M -- Nola O'Grady #1, U. S., 2011; February 26 - 27)

*31. Water to Burn by Katherine Kerr (novel SF/F/M -- Nola O'Grady #2, U. S., 2011; February 28 - 29)

March:

*32. Apocalypse to Go by Katherine Kerr (novel SF/F/M -- Nola O'Grady #3, U. S., 2012; March 1 - 2)

*33. The Ghost Rider by Ismail Kadare (novel, Albania/France, originally published 1980 in Albania, French translation 1986, English translation of French 1988, English translation revised and updated 2010; March 2 - 3)

*34. Managing Death by Trent Jamieson (novel SF/F -- The Business of Death trilogy #2, Australia, 2010; March 3 - 5)

35. Triumvirate: The Story of the Unlikely Alliance That Saved the Constitution and United the Nation by Bruce Chadwick (nonfiction -- U. S. history, U. S., 2010; March 6 - 10)

*36. Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear (novel M -- Maisie Dobbs #6, England, 2009; March 10 - 12)

*37. Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan (novel, Canada, 2011; March 13 - 18)

*38. The Mystery of Dr. Fu - Manchu by Sax Rohmer (novel M -- Fu-Manchu #1, England, 1913; March 19 - 23)

*39. Forge by Jan Zwicky (poetry, Canada, 2011; March 23)

*40. Timeless by Gail Carriger (novel SF/F -- The Parasol Protectorate #5, U. S., 2012; March 24 - 26)

*41. The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party by Alexander McCall Smith (novel M -- Precious Ramotswe #12, Botswana/Scotland, 2011; March 26 - 28)

*42. Quicksand by Nella Larsen (novel, U. S., 1928; March 28 - 29)

*43. Vengeance Is Mine! by Mickey Spillane (novel M -- Mike Hammer #3, U. S., 1950; March 30)

*(R)44. Gulf by Robert A. Heinlein (novella SF/F, U. S., 1949; March 31)

*(R)45. John Carter and the Giant of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (novella SF/F, U. S., 1941; March 31)

April:

46. Baseball in the Garden of Eden: The Secret History of the Early Game by John Thorn (nonfiction -- baseball history, U. S., 2011; April 1 - 5)

*47. The Pyramid by Ismail Kadare (novel, Albania/France, France in French in 1992, English translation of revised French edition 1996; April 5 - 6)

*48. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (novel, Dominica, 1966; April 6 - 7)

*49. The Infernals by John Connolly (novel -- Sam Johnson #2, Ireland/U. S., 2011; April 7 - 8)

*50. Blood on the Mink by Robert Silverberg (novel M, U. S., 1962; April 9)

*51. Kosher Chinese: Living, Teaching, and Eating with China's Other Billion by Michael Levy (nonfiction -- memoir/cultural studies, U. S., 2011; April 10)

*52. The Business of Death by Trent Jamieson (novel SF/F -- The Business of Death trilogy #3, Australia, 2011; April 10 - 11)

*53. The Summer Snow by Rebecca Pawel (novel M -- Lt. Carlos Tejada #4, U. S., 2006; April 12 - 14)

*54. The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka (novel, U. S., 2011; April 14 - 15)
*55. March Violets by Philip Kerr (novel M -- Bernie Gunther #1, Scotland, 1989; April 16 - 18)
*(R)56. The Five Gold Bands by Jack Vance (novel SF/F, U. S., 1950; April 18)
57. Sanshiro  by Natsume Soseki (novel, Japan, 1909; April 19 - 21)
*58. The Young Wan by Brendan O'Carroll (novel -- prequel to the Agnes Browne Trilogy, Ireland, 2003; April 21)
*59. Live Free Or Die by John Ringo (novel SF/F -- Troy Rising #1, U. S., 2010; April 22 - 25)
*60. Sea Shells by Paul Valéry (nonfiction -- conchology/aesthetics, France, 1936; April 25)
*61. Ned Kelly & The City of the Bees by Thomas Keneally (novel, Australia, 1978; April 25)
*62. Potsdam Station by David Downing (novel M -- John Russell #4, England, 2010; April 26 - 28)
*63. Wigs on the Green by Nancy Mitford (novel, England, 1935; April 28 - 29)
*64. Chasing the Moon by A. Lee Martinez (novel SF/F, U. S., 2011; April 29 - 30)


May:


65. The Fashion in Shrouds by Margery Allingham (novel M -- Albert Campion #10, England, 1938; May 1 - 4)
*66. The Blacker The Berry:  A Novel of Negro Life by Wallace Thurman (novel, U. S., 1929; May 4 - 5)
67. Guy Noir and the Straight Skinny by Garrison Keillor (novel, U. S., 2012; May 6 - 7)
*68. A Wedding in Haiti:  The Story of a Friendship by Julia Alvarez (nonfiction -- memoir/cultural studies, U. S./Dominican Republic, 2012; May 8 - 10)
*69. The Damned Busters by Matthew Hughes (novel SF/F -- To Hell And Back #1, England/Canada, 2011; May 11 - 13)
70. The Decline and Fall of the Ottoman Empire by Alan Palmer (nonfiction -- history, England, 1992; May 13 - 15)
*71. Right Hand Magic by Nancy Collins (novel SF/F -- Golgotham #1, U. S., 2010; May 16 - 17)
*72. Left Hand Magic by Nancy Collins (novel SF/F -- Golgotham #2, U. S., 2011; May 17 - 18)
*73. Operation Napoleon by Arnaldur Indridason (novel M, Iceland, 1999 in Icelandic, English translation 2010; May 19 - 20)
*74. Plainsong by Kent Haruf (novel, U. S., 1999; May 21)
*75. The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin (novel M -- Investigator Yashim #1, England, 2006; May 22 - 24)
*76. Still Another Day by Pablo Neruda (book-length poem, Chile, published 1971 in Spanish, English translation 1984; May 24)
*77. Geist:  A Novel of the Order by Philippa Ballantine (novel SF/F -- Deacon Sorcha Faris #1, New Zealand/U. S., 2010; May 25 - 27)
*78. Turn Right at Machu Picchu:  Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time by Mark Adams (nonfiction -- history/travel/personal memoir, U. S., 2011; May 27 - 30)
*79. Braided Creek:  A Conversation in Poetry by Jim Harrison and Ted Kooser (poetry, U. S., 2003; May 30)
*80. Showdown in Blood by T. T. Flynn (novella, U. S., 1948; May 31)