All right, here it is. The Great Big Books Page for 2011.

All the 73 (!!!) books I read in my spare time (six of them I read twice). I haven’t counted or included the four books I read in order to translate them for privacy reasons, but by rights they should count as another 12 because I read each of them at least three times in the process of translating them and then editing the translation.

As you can see, I’ve added lots of links. Links to the sequence of the various series. Links to the author websites. And of course links to the books themselves, either on Kobo or on Amazon.

My rating system this year is based on smileys.

Five smileys: I love it!
Four Smileys: I like it!
Three smileys: It was okay(-ish).
Two smileys: It was not too bad …
One smiley: I won’t read that again.

The uh, look of the smileys may or may not have something to do with the content or the rating of the book.

Also:

! Spoiler warning ! My comments may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk!

I. Stand Alone Titles

1. Please Stop Laughing at Me[Kindle Edition]
By Jodee Blanco

This was recommended to me ages ago by French Pony on LJ. At some point last year it was free for Kindle, and I’m really glad I finally got around to reading it. It was enlightening, shocking, and encouraging at the same time. Highly recommended for everyone who has experienced bullying or who has kids at school …

2. Promise Canyon
By Robyn Carr

Uh, as I recall this is a pretty bland romance novel. Not too bad. Some of the minor characters were quite nice I think.

3. Beastly
By Alex Flinn

At first I was very in doubt about this (there are passages written in chat lingo,urgh!), but it turned out to be really nice. A quite original, touching interpretation of the Beauty and the Beast.

4. Fools Rush In
By Kristan Higgins

Crazy stalker!heroine. But parts of this were quite funny.

5. The Search
By Nora Roberts

Technically well written, but not as nice as her series.

6. Histories (Louvre Editions) [Hardcover]
By Michal Rovner

I saw a few installations by Michal Rovner in the Louvre last year and was immediately captivated.

7. Schandweib: Roman [Kindle-Edition mit Audio/Video]
By Claudia Weiss

German historical novel. Written by a historian … proof that sometimes novels shouldn’t be written by experts. Dialogues are mostly random historical info-dumps. The interesting part of the story is only told after the fact in dialogue. And it’s incredibly longwinded. I guess it could have been worse, though. And it was pretty educating – I walked away with some clear ideas about what I want to avoid in my own writing.

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II. Series (arranged by author A-Z)

Kate Daniels Series

8. Magic Bleeds
By Ilona Andrews

9. Magic Slays
By Ilona Andrews

10. Curran: Volume I (Curran POV) [Kindle Edition]
By Ilona Andrews (Author), Gordon Andrews (Author) Download for free!

I started reading that series as paperbacks, but wasn’t quite sure if I liked it or not for the first few books. It’s very dark, bloody, Gothic, somewhat steampunk-y urban fantasy. Then I picked up “Magic Bleeds” as eBook and was blown away how the plot laid out in the previous books was coming together both in terms of action as in terms of emotional development. And the next book is just as good!

Next book: Gunmetal Magic, announced for August 2012!

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Starcrossed Trilogy

11. Starcrossed [Paperback]
By Josephine Angelini

Kind of sort of like a mixture of Percy Jackson and Twilight with a female heroine. I kind of liked it, and I’ll definitely get the next book.

Next book “Dreamless” announced for May 2012!

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Otherworld Novels

12. Bitten
By Kelley Armstrong

The book I liked least last year. The heroine was made a werewolf against her will by the hero who wants her as his lover. And because it’s fate or something she totally falls in love with the man who basically took her life (her normal life, with everything she wanted and dreamed of) in the course of the book. That just feels sick to me – the victim of abuse ends up fixated on the abuser. And that’s really nothing I want to read about, and certainly not portrayed in a positive light.

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Earth’s Children Series

13. The Land of Painted Caves. by Jean M. Auel (Earths Children 6)[Hardcover]
By Jean M. Auel

I loved the first books of the series as a very young teenager. But this last one I couldn’t get into at all. It felt completely random. But I’m glad I read it, because the series is just that epic, and because I so fondly remember reading those books as a kid … and lending them to my friends, too.

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Curse Workers Series

14. Red Glove
By Holly Black

The “Curse Workers” series is one of my new favourites. Definitely the best I’ve read by Holly Black so far (she tends to write a bit too dark for my taste). I don’t even know where to start to praise this book. It’s incredibly original world building, strong characters, great twisty plots … In short, it’s awesome.

Next book “Black Heart” announced for May 2012!

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Goddess Summoning Novels

15. Goddess of Spring
By P. C. Cast

16. Goddess of Legend
By P. C. Cast*

Kind of trashy romance with goddesses, mixing modern and historical settings. By no means great literature, but they work very well to while away a rainy afternoon or evening. I’m actually considering to get the rest of the series! This is sort of like comfort food in form of books.

* a gift from the wonderful Septentrion!

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Hunger Games Trilogy

17., 18., 19. The Hunger Games Trilogy
By Suzanne Collins

I quite liked the “Hunger Games” trilogy. The first book is fairly brilliant, and the unusual narrative technique of first person POV and present tense works very well. The second book is already not that good … at times it gets tedious and repetitive. And the third book is IMO the weakest of the series. It felt to me as if the author crashed headfirst into the complexity of the economic and political background of the world she created and never got back to her feet. At the end of it I was also pretty fed up with the heroine. I think another POV for books #2 and #3 would have improved the series immensely. (And some help with the problems of economy and politics in book #3.) That said, all of the books were extremely emotionally evocative, and I’m glad I read them. Also, while I really dislike the trailer (why on earth choose a style like the 1940ies or 50ies for costumes???), I’m really looking forward to seeing the movie, and I gave the books to my Dad as a gift.

Movie in 2012!

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“Liebe geht durch alle Zeiten”-Serie

20. Liebe geht durch alle Zeiten: Rubinrot [Gebundene Ausgabe]
By Kerstin Gier

English translation: Ruby Red

I really disliked this one. It’s the first book of a German fantasy series that I picked up because it has a very nice cover and is about time travel. However, the punctuation is atrocious, the writing is mediocre, the story is blah, and it features a pet peeve of mine concerning German literature: Why, oh why, do all those stories have to take place either in London or in the US when there is no discernible reason for it? If you’re a German writer and you want a big city as a setting, why not use Berlin? Or Vienna? Or Hamburg? If I run out of books to read, I might pick up the sequels as eBooks, but I deeply regret buying this as a hardcover.

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Anita Blake Series

21. Hit List [Hardcover]
Laurell K. Hamilton

Yes, I still read “Anita Blake” and enjoy it, too. This book not as much as the previous two, but the author seems to manage against all odds to use the mess she created in previous books to further character development. Also, I’ve managed to stick with this far, so now I’m determined to make it to the very end! If that ever happens, that is …

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All Souls Trilogy

22. A Discovery of Witches: A Novel
By Deborah Harkness
Read twice!

Definitely my favourite book of 2011, and the only one I also bought as a hardcover because I loved it so much. On my list for re-reading. By rights it shouldn’t work, because it’s all too much. A heroine who’s a super-witch, a vampire-version that really has nothing in common with traditional vampires, and assorted other supernatural creatures, add to that magic, time travel, conspiracy, medieval manuscripts, and forbidden love.

But for me, it absolutely works. In this book, I enjoy the leisurely pace, the richly detailed setting full of the author’s favourite things (good wine, Oxford, rowing …). This novel is also an example for how it can pay off if the author is an expert in her field. The way she works in the medieval history, the practical aspects of working with medieval manuscripts and the history of science was fascinating and entertaining to me.

The romance plot simply does it for me. Hmmm… strong, protective hero, willful, capricious heroine, cold vs. hot, old vs. young … and yes, I’m a sucker for forbidden love.

What I liked best about the book, though, is how the various characters gradually overcome their reservations and even hostility towards each other in order to form working relationships and even friendships and familial bonds. Those are dynamics I always enjoy reading about, and in this book I found them invariably entertaining and sometimes touching and charming.

Hmm… all in all the feel of the book kind of reminded me of the first book of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series, one of my all time favourites.

Next book announced for summer 2012!

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Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse Series

23. Dead Reckoning [Hardcover]
By Charlaine Harris

Hmm… I was a bit disappointed in this one because all relationships seem to obey the soap opera law of “there must not be HEA for anyone”. But still very entertaining.

New book announced for May 2012!

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Nero Corleone Books

24. Nero Corleone kehrt zurück: Es ist immer genug Liebe da [Gebundene Ausgabe]
By Elke Heidenreich (Autor), Quint Buchholz (Autor)

Warm and fuzzy feelings abound in this little book about cats and kittens and Italy.

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Vampire Shrink Series

25. The Vampire Shrink [Kindle Edition]
By Lynda Hilburn

Hmm… Not sure about this one. The idea of a psychologist offering therapy to vampire-wannabes is brilliant. The execution doesn’t live up to the premise mainly because the author seems to feel that her idea is not enough … the therapist turns out to be not an ordinary human being but a very speshiul snowflake, and the master vampire in town is fated to be her mate etc etc etc … I think this is yet another example for “less is more”. I would have much preferred it if the heroine was just a normal person. But it was okayish enough for me to get the sequel when it comes out. The publishing history of this series is somewhat convoluted, but the author seems to have acquired a reasonable contract with a good publisher now. So I’m hoping a professional editor will improve the story.

New version of the second book in the series announced for 2012!

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Trylle Trilogy

26. Switched (Trylle Trilogy #1)
By Amanda Hocking

27. Torn (Trylle Trilogy, #2)
By Amanda Hocking

28. Ascend (Trylle Trilogy, #3)
By Amanda Hocking

Tried this series because I’m fascinated with the success story of the self-published author. The writing is fanfic level, but the ideas are pretty solid. This is definitely an author to keep an eye on. And not just because of her interesting career!

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Skulduggery Pleasant Series

29. Skulduggery Pleasant: Death Bringer
By Derek Landy

I liked it, but it was a bit much in terms of violence, gore, and bloodshed for me. Though not as bad as the book with the Remnants …

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Wicked Lovely Novels

30. Wicked Lovely
By Melissa Marr
Read twice!

31. Ink Exchange
By Melissa Marr

32. Fragile Eternity
By Melissa Marr

33. Radiant Shadows
By Melissa Marr

34. Darkest Mercy
By Melissa Marr

After “Discovery of Witches” my favourite books of 2011. I didn’t expect that series to work for me. Faeries. In a modern setting. Meh. But ohhh, how wonderful it turned out to be! The author pulls lots of elements of her stories from medieval legends. And she isn’t satisfied with using the obvious figures most readers of the genre already know about. No, she picks really obscure characters and elements, and twists them to suit her purposes. Very creative! She also manages to use traditional fairy tale motifs in a way that is not stilted or boring. Instead those ancient, archetypal elements resonated with me deeply, and thrilled me emotionally and intellectually. What I enjoyed most about the books, though, was the – for me – incredibly satisfying resolutions of each story part as well as of the overall story. It’s become such a cliché that there must be no sensible, smart, good ending … This was such a pleasant surprise! And best of all, the author even manages to form an overarching plot throughout all five books and bring it to a satisfying conclusion that remains just open-ended enough for the reader’s imagination to continue roaming her world … Highly recommended!

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Graveminder Series

35. Graveminder
By Melissa Marr

Interesting idea, but not as good as the “Wicked Lovely” series. However, I’m looking forward to seeing what the author does with the concept in future books.

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Tuscany Series

36. The Hills of Tuscany: A New Life in an Old Land
By Ferenc Máté

37. A Vineyard in Tuscany: A Wine Lover’s Dream
By Ferenc Máté

38. The Wisdom of Tuscany: Simplicity, Security & the Good Life
By Ferenc Máté

Loved the first book, enjoyed the second, was bored and annoyed by the preachy tone of the third.

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Georgina Kincaid/Succubus Series

39. Succubus Blues
By Richelle Mead

40. Succubus On Top
By Richelle Mead

41. Succubus Dreams
By Richelle Mead

42. Succubus Heat
By Richelle Mead

43. Succubus Shadows
By Richelle Mead

44. Succubus Revealed
By Richelle Mead

I was taken by surprise how much I enjoyed this series. At first glance it’s kind of chick-lit urban fantasy, with the heroine being a succubus working for Hell. There’s action, comedy, drama, embarrassing and ridiculous moments aplenty, and the minor characters really shine. But what surprised me and delighted me was how the story slowly revealed more levels and more complexity than I expected. The resolution in the last book was very satisfying and even somewhat surprising for me, and it provided some completely unexpected food for thinky thoughts. Excellent!

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Dark Swan Series

45., 46., 47. Richelle Mead Dark Swan Bundle: Storm Born Thorn Queen & Iron Crowned
By Richelle Mead

I’m kind of amazed at how I can like one series by an author as much as I detest another … For some reason I find the plot and the heroine of the “Dark Swan” series immensely irritating. I still got the next book, though, because after making it thus far, I wanted to know what happens next.

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Chicagoland Vampires Series

48. Some Girls Bite: A Chicagoland Vampires Novel
By Chloe Neill

49. Friday Night Bites: A Chicagoland Vampires Novel
By Chloe Neill

50. Twice Bitten: A Chicagoland Vampires Novel
By Chloe Neill

51. Hard Bitten: A Chicagoland Vampires Novel
By Chloe Neill

52. Drink Deep: A Chicagoland Vampires Novel
By Chloe Neill

Kribu’s commentary on this series is excellent. (Although I admit that by book #4 I liked the hero a lot. The heroine … not so much. The plot remains interesting, and I quite like the minor characters. Also, the editing and the writing have improved book by book.

Next book “Biting Cold” announced for August 2012!

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The Legend of Beka Cooper Trilogy

53. Mastiff: The Legend of Beka Cooper #3 [hardcover]
By Tamora Pierce

One of the most amazing and satisfying books of the year. Wonderful characters, exciting story, great style. This book is one of Tamora Pierce’s best, and I’m sure I’ll read it again.

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Vampire for Hire Series

54. Moon Dance (Vampire for Hire #1)
By J.R. Rain

I loved the premise of this series a lot: a mother gets turned into a vampire – how does she cope, what happens next? Unfortunately the book didn’t live up to my expectations. But since the series is very cheap, I may get the next one just to see how things develop.

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Heroes of the Olympus, 2nd Percy Jackson Series

55. Heroes of Olympus: The Son of Neptune: The Son of Neptune
By Rick Riordan

Loved this one! I like the second Percy Jackson series much better than the first, and I enjoyed this second episode even more than the first. Perfect entertainment.

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Bride Quartet

56. Vision In White
By Nora Roberts

57. Bed of Roses
By Nora Roberts

58. Savor the Moment
By Nora Roberts

59. Happy Ever After
By Nora Roberts

As many of you probably already know, Nora Roberts series (not the stand alone titles) is my literary comfort food in times of stress. Small wonder then, that I turned to this series last year … But I really enjoyed the first three titles. The author manages to cast believable and likeable characters, and while the love stories are pretty predictable, there’s a lot of humour and warmth and friendship in these books. They are kind of like a literary bubble bath or your favourite chocolate in writing. And you neither get wrinkled like a prune reading them, nor fat!

Read twice!

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Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy

60. The Next Always: Book One of the Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy
By Nora Roberts

First book of a new series. So far I’m not convinced. Bland.

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Zombie Series

61. The Forest of Hands and Teeth
By Carrie Ryan

Not my kind of thing. Style of writing did nothing for me. Story was too gruesome. Meh. Not sure if I want to read the next book.

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Cats in Trouble Series

62. The Cat, the Lady and the Liar: A Cats in Trouble Mystery
By Leann Sweeney

63. The Cat The Professor and the Poison: A Cats in Trouble Mystery
By Leann Sweeney

64. The Cat The Quilt and The Corpse: A Cats in Trouble Mystery
By Leann Sweeney

Murder mysteries and crime thrillers are one of the genres I’m least interested in. But if you add an aspect I like, be it vampires, the Middle Ages, libraries or cats, I’ll be happy to read along. And this series is really, really nice. Well-drawn characters, interesting plots, and cats. Wonderful rainy afternoon reading, and I’m very much looking forward to the next book of this series!

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Lucy Valentine Novels

65. Truly, Madly: A Novel
By Heather Webber

66. Deeply, Desperately: A Lucy Valentine Novel
By Heather Webber

67. Absolutely, Positively: A Lucy Valentine Novel
By Heather Webber

Another example of crime thrillers with a little extra. In this case, magic. Love magic, to be precise. I really enjoyed these books. Lighthearted, original, easy reading. I hope very much that there will be another installment soon!

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III. Started in 2011

Just Desserts: Table for Two, Book 1 [Kindle Edition] (so far)
By Scarlet Blackwell

Slash. With a high cringe factor. But it’s about a French chef and a restaurant critic. When I’m in a certain mood, I’ll definitely continue this one.

The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women [Paperback] (so far)
By Gail McMeekin

Bathtub reading for more inspiration. I expect I will finish this sometime in 2012.

Shadow Heir: A Dark Swan Novel#4 (so far)
By Richelle Mead

What I’m reading right now. Not too bad, but the heroine is still annoying. Actually, at the moment I don’t like any character in this series, which makes for tedious reading.

Gin O’clock [Hardcover] (so far)
By Queen of Twitter

I was so much looking forward to read this, but I find that I much prefer the Tweets to the book. What’s hilarious in Tweets just doesn’t work when drawn out over a whole page.

Make Your Creative Dreams Real [Paperback] (so far)
By SARK

Current sauna reading. Only I seem to spend most of the chillout time in sauna napping at the moment. I think my biggest problem with this book is that right now I don’t have any creative dreams.

Palimpsest (so far)
By Catherynne Valente

I was so intrigued by the premise and the wonderful, colourful names of the characters. But I can’t get into the writing style at all. It’s too artsy. Too vague. I can’t get into the characters, and when I don’t care about any character or the story, it’s very hard for me to keep reading.