Counting Up the Vampires

Posted in Bookish Thoughts by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

I used to read a lot of vampire books. Then I lost interest. Then I got interested again. Then I lost interest again. But for some random reason, the topic of reading vampire books came up the other day in a casual conversation. These things happen. And I got to thinking about how many vampire books I’ve read — and from there, started wondering just how many vampire books I actually have in my house.

Being the numbers geek that I am, I decided to find out. So I marched around my house with a clipboard, writing down the title of every book under my roof that includes at least one vampire character. After some debate, I even threw in books that are on my children’s shelves and are not, strictly speaking, mine.

Et voilà!

Here is my list of vampire books that can currently be found in my house. Please note that this is NOT a list of every vampire book I’ve ever read — just the ones that still live with me. Consider them all part of my collection, except for the ones marked oh-so-cleverly with a (k) — that means they belong to one of my kids.

Dracula Vamped Salem's Lot Twilight (Twilight, #1) Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse, #1) The Radleys

Alphabetically by title, with books in a series listed together:

All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness
- A Discovery of Witches
- Shadow of Night
Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter by Laurell K. Hamilton
- Guilty Pleasures
- Blue Moon
- Micah
- The Laughing Corpse
Anno Dracula by Kim Newman
Attack of the Vampire Weenies by David Lubar (k)
Backup by Jim Butcher
Bites and Bones by Lois Metzger (k)
Bloodshot by Cherie Priest
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (graphic novels)
- Season 8, volumes 1 – 8
- Season 9, volumes 1 – 3
- Angel & Faith, volumes 1 – 3
- Buffy Omnibus, volumes 1 – 4
- Tales of the Slayers
- Tales of the Vampires
- Fray
- Spike
- Spike vs. Dracula
- Spike: Asylum
Bunnicula by James Howe (k)
Children of the Night by Dan Simmons
Dracula by Bram Stoker
The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
- Storm Front
- Fool Moon
- Grave Peril
- Summer Knight
- Death Masks
- Blood Rites
- Dead Beat
- Proven Guilty
- White Night
- Small Favor
- Turn Coat
- Changes
- Ghost Story
Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
Fevre Dream by George R. R. Martin
Fledgling by Octavia Butler
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
The Hunger by Whitley Streiber
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
In the Forest of the Night by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes (k)
Jane True series by Nicole Peeler
- Tempest Rising
- Tracking the Tempest
- Tempest’s Legacy
- Eye of the Tempest
- Tempest’s Fury
Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs
- Moon Called
- Blood Bound
- Iron Kissed
- Bone Crossed
- Silver Borne
- River Marked
- Frost Burned
- Homecoming (graphic novel)
- Moon Called, volume 1 (graphic novel)
- Moon Called, volume 2 (graphic novel)
The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger
- Soulless
- Changeless
- Blameless
- Heartless
- Timeless
- Soulless (manga) volumes 1 & 2
The Passage by Justin Cronin
The Radleys by Matt Haig
Salem’s Lot by Stephen King
Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris
- Dead Until Dark
- Living Dead in Dallas
- Club Dead
- Dead to the World
- Dead as a Doornail
- Definitely Dead
- All Together Dead
- A Touch of Dead
Sunshine by Robin McKinley
Teeth: Vampire Tales by Ellen Datlow (editor)
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
- Twilight
- New Moon
- Eclipse
- Breaking Dawn
- The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner
- Twilight: The Graphic Novel (volumes 1 & 2)
Vamped by David Sosnowski
Vampire Trilogy by Christopher Moore
- Bloodsucking Fiends
- You Suck
- Bite Me
The Vampire Archives by Otto Penzler (editor)
The Vampire Survival Guide by Scott Bowen
The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice
- Interview With The Vampire
- The Vampire Lestat
- The Queen of the Damned
- The Tale of the Body Thief

Children of the Night You Suck (A Love Story, #2) Interview with the Vampire (The Vampire Chronicles, #1) Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson, #2) Soulless (Parasol Protectorate, #1) Soulless: The Manga, Vol. 1 (The Parasol Protectorate Manga) Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy, #2) Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 1 (Twilight: The Graphic Novel, #1) Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Freefall (Season 9, #1)

Again, I’m not including here all the various borrowed/lent/lost/given away books which I’ve read over the years, such as the rest of the Sookie Stackhouse series, Meg Cabot’s two vampire books, and oodles more. I also did not go through my various supernatural-themed anthologies and short story collections to hunt for vampires. (Honestly, I was running out of steam). Feel free to jump in and correct me if I’ve included anything that shouldn’t be here; for example, I’m assuming there’s some form of vampire (White, Red, or Black Court) in each of the Dresden Files books, but I didn’t actually go back and check.

My head is spinning a bit, but if my count is correct, that makes 112 vampire books living in my house. Sheesh. I’m not sure what conclusion to draw from all this, except the obvious: That’s a lot of vampires.

Still, this was a fun little exercise, and certainly any excuse for pawing through my bookshelves works for me.

So how many vampires are lurking on your shelves?

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25Feb2013

Resolutions, kept and broken

Posted in The Reading Life by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Perhaps the end of February is too soon to really take stock, but certain trends are becoming crystal clear to me — namely, that my well-intentioned resolutions for 2013 just aren’t all recipes for success. I can see which way these things are going already… and it’s truly a mixed bag.

Let’s start with where I’m safely on track:

I resolved to organize my bookshelves. Well, I can’t say that I’ve completed the task, but in little chunks and bites, I’m making a dent. My books and their neighbors are starting to make some sort of weird sense. I can more or less find whatever I want within one or two tries. And hey — I’ve got ten more months to get it right!

I resolved to not start any new series, other than a) those written by authors whose works I read no matter what, or b) series that are new to me but have, in fact, already been completed by the author. So far, so good. The only new series I’ve allowed myself thus far is Gail Carriger’s new Finishing School series, starting with the newly published Etiquette & Espionage — and Gail C. is on my “read no matter what” list, so it’s all good.

I resolved to dive in and slowly work my way through the book of fairy tales I’d been coveting all of last fall. I’m happy to report that I’m making steady progress, and have now read about 1/3 of the stories. Seeing as how I usually abandon all short story books I attempt to read, I’d say I’m on the path of righteousness here.

I resolved to break out of my fiction-loving world and read 3 – 5 books from non-fiction genres. And here I am, two months into 2013, and I’ve just finished reading my first one! I read Cheryl Strayed’s memoir Wild this past week, and really enjoyed it. Next up in my non-fiction quest? I’m not 100% sure yet, but I’m leaning toward science or history. Stay tuned…

So far, so good. I seem to be sticking with my resolutions. Until, of course, you consider the #1 resolution on my list:

Maintain a healthy ratio of old to new: I have piles and piles of unread books in my house, at least 20 unread books on my Kindle, and yet I still gravitate toward grabbing the newest releases, checking new titles out from the library, and ignoring what I already have. Well, it has to stop! Stop, I tell you! My resolution for 2013 is to aim for at least a 2:1 ratio. For every new book, whether purchased or borrowed from the library, I will read at least two that are already in my collection. I think this will be my biggest challenge, to be honest, and I thought of settling for even a 1:1 ratio… but hey, let’s aim high.

FAIL! I am utterly and completely failing at sticking to this goal. Yes, I’ve read a few good books from off the shelves… but I can’t help myself! I keep acquiring more… and more… and more. Library or purchase, new or used, the books keep coming. I read book reviews, or I stumble across something interesting in a store window display, or I see what my friend is reading, and I just have to get it. Now. Even if I’m not going to read it for a while. Here are the new-to-me books that have made their way into my home since January 1st:

A Small Death in the Great Glen by A. D. Scott
Zombie Spaceship Wasteland by Patton Oswalt
Hanging By A Thread by Sophie Littlefield
The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain
Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick
The Child’s Child by Barbara Vine
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
Black Swan Rising by Lee Carroll
The Reinvention of Love by HelenHumphreys
Blood and Iron by Elizabeth Bear
My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier
Graphic novel series Y: The Last Man and Runaways
About 15 books picked up at my workplace book swap
Library books, including my current read, The Imposter Bride by Nancy Richler

So, yeah. Not doing so great on the no new books front. My healthy ratios are kaput.

But I may be okay with that. I guess I should just pat myself on the back for my small successes, and keep plowing forward. I solemnly swear that I will make a dent in the numbers of books sitting unread on my shelves by the end of 2013 — just maybe not as big a dent as I’d naively assumed I could make.

1Jan2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Resolve To Read In 2013

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is:

Top Ten Books I Resolve To Read in 2013

I’ve done a few blog posts already about my reading intentions for 2013, including my reading resolutions and my participation in a reading challenge focused on reading books languishing on the ubiquitous “TBR” (to-be-read) shelf. Bearing those in mind, but thinking also about what I just really, really want to read in 2012, here goes:

The ten books I absolutely, positively want to read in 2013 are:

1. The Round House by Louise Erdrich

2. Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

3. Written In My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon (This is the only one either not yet published or without a definite release date, but the author’s website says “fall 2013” — good enough for me!)

4. Tempest Reborn by Nicole Peeler

5. Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell

6. The Child’s Child by Barbara Vine

7. The Crane’s Dance by Meg Howrey

8. Other Kingdoms by Richard Matheson

9. Mariana by Susanna Kearsley

10. Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs

Granted, some of these aren’t much of a stretch for me. Three are new entries in series that I already read, and one is the beginning of a new series by an author I adore. Others are by authors who have written at least one other book that I’ve read and enjoyed. Still, given that I intend to read LOTS and LOTS of books in 2013, I think I can safely commit to including these ten.

What are you excited to read in 2013?

HAPPY NEW YEAR! May your reading year be filled with joy!

17Dec2012

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Read in 2012

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top 10 Tuesday new Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is:

Top Ten Books I Read In 2012

I almost passed on this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, as I’m putting together one or two “best of ” lists for year-end and didn’t want to end up repeating myself. Then I thought I’d take a purely quantitative approach for this week’s topic, so I scooted on over to Goodreads, downloaded my books into an Excel spreadsheet (call me a nerd, but I really love spreadsheets), and sorted all of my 2012 books by the ratings I gave them.

I try to be consistent with my stars on Goodreads, and only give 5 stars to books that I consider to have excellent writing and/or an unforgettable or unique plot, or books that have had an indelible impact on me as a person and as a reader. The books included on this week’s Top Ten list are all books that I rated 5 stars. Some of these have reviews elsewhere on this blog, so if you want to know more, click on the links provided below.

Let’s get on with it! Here are my top-rated books of 2012, according to my oh-so-scientific Goodreads ratings:

1) Doc by Mary Doria Russell: Mary Doria Russell never fails to impress me, and all of the books I’ve read by her have simply blown me away. The Sparrow is and will always be my favorite, but Doc — historical fiction centering on Doc Holliday — surprised me by how much it got under my skin.

2) The Fault In Our Stars by John Green: I cried buckets. A powerful, amazing, wonderful book.

3) Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple: Funny, fresh, utterly delightful. (review)

4) The Dog Stars by Peter Heller: I loved this book about survival and love. Gorgeous writing plus a breathtaking plot. (review)

5) The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan: Margo Lanagan uses words and language in a way unmatched in anything else I’ve read. Beautiful. (review)

6) Locke and Key (graphic novel series) by Joe Hill: Creepy, scary, and wonderful.

7) Fables (graphic novel series) by Bill Willingham: I am head over heels in love with this series, and can’t wait for the next installment.

8) Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein: Another young adult novel that left me in tears and kept me guessing until the end. Outstanding. (review)

9) Fevre Dream by George R. R. Martin: An early work by George R. R. Martin, Fevre Dream is both historical fiction and a new and haunting twist on the vampire genre, with the terrific writing and world-building you’d expect from this author.

10) All Men of Genius by Lev AC Rosen: Steampunk, Oscar Wilde, Shakespeare, cross-dressing, rampaging automata… this book has it all! All Men of Genius was impossible to put down and just an incredible amount of fun.

There’s so many more that I read and enjoyed this past year! Overall, I’d say that 2012 was a reading year that rocked.

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