Category: Year End Round-up

2015 Audiobooks

Posted on by Greig

This year I discovered downloadable library audiobooks and I also had an Audible membership that helped to expand my audiobook listening.

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller narrated by Trevor White Rated A
An award winning satire of World War II this classic picaresque novel is superbly read by Trevor White. I’ve read this book twice previously and I got very different things from it each time. This time I really started to feel overwhelmed by the horror it all. The war, the insane bureaucracy, the corruption, and the abuse of civilians are all portrayed with vicious black humour but that doesn’t rob it of any of it’s power.

Dead Girl Walking by Chris Brookmyre narrated by Angus King and Kate Bracken rated A
Solid Jack Parlabane novel with the narration lifting it to greater levels. Bracken in particular is just brilliant narrating the diary entries of a naive Shetland violist thrust into the spotlight when she becomes a member of an upcoming band on their European tour.

Agent To The Stars by John Scalzi narrated by Wil Wheaton.
Reviewed before

Redshirts by John Scalzi narrated by Wil Wheaton
Reviewed before

The following titles were borrowed from the library. I’ve got some more promising titles to try out in 2016 than these less than impressive efforts.

The CEO’s Accidental Bride by Barbara Dunlop narrated by Laurence Bouvard rated C-
While the narration is decent (and the lead male sounds uncannily like Ashley Clement’s Darcy voice from The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet) the book is just awful.

Billionaire’s Contract Engagement by Maya Banks narrated by Harry Berkeley rated C-
I love “Fake Married” stories (this being a fake fiancee tale) but this is just painful.

Bride, Bought And Paid For by Helen Bianchin narrated by Susan Lyons rated D
Author can’t write for toffee. Also the happy ending makes no sense given the messed up forced marriage

The Tycoon Takes A Wife by Catherine Mann narrated by Harry Berkeley rated C-
It’s a terribly weak story with utterly forgettable narration doing nothing to help matters.

Bossman’s Baby Scandal by Catherine Mann narrated by Harry Berkeley rated C-
Again it’s a terribly weak story with utterly forgettable narration doing nothing to help matters.

2015 Books

Posted on by Greig

I read quite a few books this year – thankfully without the same compulsive need to escape into fiction that I felt in 2014. There’s still a fair amount of feel-good romances in this list (including my first proper foray into historical romance) but it’s better balanced out with works from other genres than I managed last year.

  1. Barefoot Season by Susan Mallery, rated C+
  2. Search For Senna by K.A. Applegate, rated B-
  3. The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson, rated B+
  4. Pocket Apocalypse by Seanan McGuire, rated B
  5. Instant Attraction by Jill Shalvis, rated C
  6. Double Trouble by Deborah Cooke, rated C-
  7. The Cinderella Deal by Jennifer Crusie, rated B
  8. Indexing by Seanan McGuire, rated B
  9. Sex, Lies & Online Dating by Rachel Gibson, rated C
  10. The DUFF by Kody Keplinger, rated B
  11. A Midsummer’s Nightmare by Kody Keplinger, rated B
  12. Pawn Of Prophecy by David Eddings, rated C+
  13. Queen Of Sorcery by David Eddings, rated C+
  14. Magician’s Gambit by David Eddings, rated C+
  15. Castle Of Wizardry by David Eddings, rated C+
  16. Enchanter’s End Game by David Eddings, rated C+
  17. The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison, rated B+
  18. Romancing The Duke by Tessa Dare, rated C+
  19. Hired Bride by Noelle Adams, rated C
  20. Stripping The Billionaire by Noelle Adams, rated C
  21. A Hero At The End Of The World by Erin Claiborne, rated B+
  22. Love Handles by Gretchen Galway, rated C
  23. Armada by Ernest Cline, rated B-
  24. From This Moment On by Bella Andre, rated C
  25. The Duchess War by Courtney Milan, rated B
  26. A Kiss For Midwinter by Courtney Milan, rated B-
  27. The Heiress Effect by Courtney Milan, rated B
  28. The Countess Conspiracy by Courtney Milan, rated B
  29. The Suffragette Scandal by Courtney Milan, rated B
  30. Talk Sweetly To Me by Courtney Milan, rated B-
  31. A Night To Surrender by Tessa Dare, rated B-
  32. Long Way Home by Neve Cottrell, rated C
  33. A Week To Be Wicked by Tessa Dare, rated B-
  34. Trade Me by Courtney Milan, rated B-
  35. Off To Be The Wizard by Scott Meyer, rated B-
  36. A Red-Rose Chain by Seanan McGuire, rated A-
  37. The Martian by Andy Weir, rated A
  38. Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aaron, rated B+
  39. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, rated A-
  40. First & Then by Emma Mills, rated B
  41. Lock in by John Scalzi, rated B+
  42. The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey, rated A
  43. The Nine Lives of Christmas by Sheila Roberts, rated C
  44. Sleigh Bells In The Snow by Sarah Morgan, rated C+
  45. Suddenly Last Summer by Sarah Morgan, rated C
  46. Maybe This Christmas by Sarah Morgan, rated C+
  47. What I Did For Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, rated B-
  48. Only You Can Save Mankind by Terry Pratchett, rated A-

2014 Albums of the Year

Posted on by Greig

1O’Hooley & Tidow
The Hum

The Hum 150

2St. Vincent
St. Vincent

St_Vincent_artwork 150

3Jenny Lewis
The Voyager

The Voyager 150

4Angel Olsen
Burn Your Fire For No Witness

Burn Your Fire For No Witness 150

5Sharon Van Etten
Are We There

Are We There 150

6Perfume Genius
Too Bright

Perfume-Genius-Too-Bright 150

7Damien Jurado
Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son

Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son 150

8Morgan Delt
Morgan Delt

Morgan Delt 150

9Mark Lanegan Band
Phantom Radio

Phantom Radio 150

10King Creosote
From Scotland With Love

17118-from-scotland-with-love 150

11EMA
The Future’s Void

12Wye Oak
Shriek

13The New Pornographers
Brill Bruisers

14Elbow
The Take Off and Landing of Everything

15The Afghan Whigs
Do The Beast

16Grouper
Ruins

17Lucius
Wildewoman

18Wild Beasts
Present Tense

19The War On Drugs
Lost In The Dream

20Mirel Wagner
When the Cellar Children See the Light of Day

21Sturgill Simpson
Metamodern Sounds In Country Music

22The Rural Alberta Advantage
Mended With Gold

23J Mascis
Tied To A Star

24Spoon
They Want My Soul

25Honeyblood
Honeyblood

The Hum and St. Vincent were released a week apart in February 2014 and it’s a testament to their quality that even with the toll of many months listening that my pick for record of the year was a straight choice between the two.
It was a hard decision but I picked the O’Hooley & Tidow record for my number one. It’s a very beautiful record packed with personality and humanity. That sense of personality edged it ahead of St. Vincent’s seamless, jeweled, statement of intent.

Gig of the year was Neutral Milk Hotel at the Corn Exchange. A joyous experience from beginning to end despite the slightly rubbish venue.

My favourite new-to-me song of the year was You, Sailor by Erin McKeown.
My most listened to song from a 2014 record was Coil & Spring by O’Hooley & Tidow

2014 Alternates

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Audiobooks listened to in 2014

The Secret Diary Of Lizzie Bennet by Kate Rorick and Bernie Su read by Ashley Clements
Ashley does a wonderful job of representing the various characters from The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, usually taking the costume theatre versions from the show and toning them down a little to make them seem like authentic recreations.
Read my review for my reservations over the book in general, but I will say that her performance here does elevate the material a good deal.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline read by Wil Wheaton
It’s really striking from the audio version of this book how large a percentage of this book is infodump and nostalgic remembrance of 80’s US pop culture and how little is actually stuff happening!

2014

Posted on by Greig

Books Read in 2014

2014 was not a great year for me. There was a lot of loss, I had my fair share of physical issues, and I was unhappy a great deal of the time.
One of my escapes was into the world of straightforward uncomplicated romance. As a result I read a LOT of books this year.
I freely recognize that most of them were complete trash, but they were quick, easy to read, and usually at the least diverting.
Hopefully this will be the only year where I’m unhappy enough to plough through 171 books. It’s certainly not a year I’d be keen to repeat.

  1. Rule 34 by Charles Stross, rated A-
  2. Faking It by Jennifer Crusie, rated B
  3. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, rated A
  4. The Summer I Became A Nerd by Leah Rae Miller, rated B
  5. The Cinderella Pact by Sarah Strohmeyer, rated B
  6. Blossom by Lesley Riddoch, rated A-
  7. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell, rated B+
  8. Double Star by Robert A Heinlein, rated B+
  9. The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau, rated B
  10. The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., rated A-
  11. Bedlam by Christopher Brookmyre, rated A-
  12. All My Friends Are Superheroes by Andrew Kaufman, rated B+
  13. Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett, rated A-
  14. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, rated A-
  15. The Disreputable History Of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart, rated A-
  16. The Cormorant by Chuck Wendig, rated A-
  17. Pacific Rim by Alex Irvine, rated B
  18. Half-Off Ragnarok by Seanan McGuire, rated B
  19. Veronica Mars: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham, rated B+
  20. The Name Of The Star by Maureen Johnson, rated B+
  21. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, rated B
  22. Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, rated B+
  23. The Language of Spells by Sarah Painter, rated B
  24. The Portable Door by Tom Holt, rated B
  25. Flat-Out Celeste by Jessica Park, rated B-
  26. The Secrets Of Ghosts by Sarah Painter, rated B-
  27. Strange Bedpersons by Jennifer Crusie, rated B-
  28. Married By Mistake by Abby Gaines, rated C
  29. I Married A Billionaire by Melanie Marchande, rated C-
  30. Waking Up Married by Mira Lyn Kelly, rated D
  31. Twisted Sisters by Jen Lancaster, rated C
  32. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, rated B
  33. The Secret Diary Of Lizzie Bennet by Kate Rorick and Bernie Su, rated B+
  34. Keeping The Moon by Sarah Dessen, rated B
  35. Charlie All Night by Jennifer Crusie, rated B
  36. Will Work For Prom Dress by Aimee Ferris, rated C
  37. Along For the Ride by Sarah Dessen, rated B
  38. It Must Be Love by Rachel Gibson, rated C
  39. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin, rated A-
  40. Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie, rated B
  41. Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews, rated C+
  42. Angelfall by Susan Ee, rated C+
  43. Nearlyweds by Beth Kendrick, rated B-
  44. Getting Rid Of Bradley by Jennifer Crusie, rated B-
  45. Trust Me On This by Jennifer Crusie, rated B-
  46. Manhunting by Jennifer Crusie, rated B
  47. The Cinderella Deal by Jennifer Crusie, rated B+
  48. Crazy For You by Jennifer Crusie, rated B-
  49. Fast Women by Jennifer Crusie, rated B-
  50. Welcome To Temptation by Jennifer Crusie, rated B
  51. Anyone But You by Jennifer Crusie, rated B-
  52. Nothing But Trouble by Rachel Gibson, rated C+
  53. I’m In No Mood For Love by Rachel Gibson, rated B-
  54. Sex, Lies and Online Dating by Rachel Gibson, rated C+
  55. Tangled Up In You by Rachel Gibson, rated C+
  56. Not Another Bad Date by Rachel Gibson, rated B-
  57. Any Man Of Mine by Rachel Gibson, rated B-
  58. What I Did For Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, rated C
  59. What The Lady Wants by Jennifer Crusie, rated B
  60. True Love and Other Disasters by Rachel Gibson, rated C
  61. Truly Madly Yours by Rachel Gibson, rated B-
  62. Daisy’s Back In Town by Rachel Gibson, rated C+
  63. Rescue Me by Rachel Gibson, rated B-
  64. See Jane Score by Rachel Gibson, rated B-
  65. The Trouble With Valentine’s Day by Rachel Gibson, rated B-
  66. The Writer’s Tale: The Final Chapter by Russell T Davies and Benjamin Cook, rated A-
  67. Unexpectedly Expecting by Susan Mallery, rated C
  68. Chasing Perfect by Susan Mallery, rated C+
  69. Finding Perfect by Susan Mallery, rated C+
  70. Almost Perfect by Susan Mallery, rated C+
  71. Only Mine by Susan Mallery, rated C+
  72. Only Yours by Susan Mallery, rated C+
  73. Only His by Susan Mallery, rated C+
  74. The Kept Woman by Susan Donovan, rated C+
  75. Summer Days by Susan Mallery, rated C+
  76. Summer Nights by Susan Mallery, rated C+
  77. All Summer Long by Susan Mallery, rated B-
  78. A Fool’s Gold Christmas by Susan Mallery, rated C+
  79. Just One Kiss by Susan Mallery, rated C+
  80. Two Of A Kind by Susan Mallery, rated C+
  81. Three Little Words by Susan Mallery, rated C+
  82. When We Met by Susan Mallery, rated C+
  83. Before We Kiss by Susan Mallery, rated C+
  84. Until We Touch by Susan Mallery, rated C+
  85. Sister Of The Bride by Susan Mallery, rated C+
  86. His Virgin Acquisition by Maisey Yates, rated D
  87. Coming Home by Mariah Stewart, rated C
  88. Alec by L.A. Casey, rated C-
  89. Christmas on 4th Street by Susan Mallery, rated C+
  90. Perfect For You by Kate Perry, rated C-
  91. Return To You by Kate Perry, rated C-
  92. Looking For You by Kate Perry, rated C-
  93. Dream Of You by Kate Perry, rated C-
  94. Sweet On You by Kate Perry, rated C-
  95. Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis, rated C+
  96. The Sweetest Thing by Jill Shalvis, rated C+
  97. Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis, rated C+
  98. Lucky In Love by Jill Shalvis, rated C+
  99. At Last by Jill Shalvis, rated B-
  100. Forever And A Day by Jill Shalvis, rated C+
  101. The Winter Long by Seanan McGuire, rated B+
  102. It Had To Be You by Jill Shalvis, rated C+
  103. Always On My Mind by Jill Shalvis, rated C+
  104. Once In A Lifetime by Jill Shalvis, rated C+
  105. It’s In His Kiss by Jill Shalvis, rated C+
  106. One Reckless Summer by Toni Blake, rated C
  107. Sugar Creek by Toni Blake, rated C
  108. Whisper Falls by Toni Blake, rated C-
  109. A Husband Of Her Own by Brenda Novak, rated C
  110. Jilted In January by Clarice Wynter, rated C
  111. Fixed Up In February by Clarice Wynter, rated C
  112. Heat Of The Moment by Locklyn Marx, rated C-
  113. Faking It by Cora Cormack, rated C
  114. Some Like It Perfect by Megan Bryce, rated C
  115. Engaging The Boss by Noelle Adams, rated C
  116. Just My Luck by Kelley Vitollo, rated C-
  117. He’s So Fine by Jill Shalvis, rated B-
  118. Double Play by Jill Shalvis, rated C
  119. Slow Heat by Jill Shalvis, rated C
  120. Anything But Sweet by Candis Terry, rated C
  121. Sweetest Mistake by Candis Terry, rated C
  122. Something Sweeter by Candis Terry, rated C
  123. One In A Million by Jill Shalvis, rated C+
  124. Best Of Friends by Susan Mallery, rated C-
  125. Be My Love by Lucy Kevin, rated C-
  126. Breakaway by Catherine Gayle, rated C
  127. On The Fly by Catherine Gayle, rated C+
  128. Taking A Shot by Catherine Gayle, rated C
  129. The Rook by Daniel O’Malley, rated B+
  130. Light The Lamp by Catherine Gayle, rated C-
  131. Delay of Game by Catherine Gayle, rated C
  132. Let Me Love You by Kristin Miller, rated C-
  133. Love, Lies and High Heels by Debby Conrad, rated C
  134. Talk of the Town by Karen Hawkins, rated C+
  135. Lois Lane Tells All by Karen Hawkins, rated C+
  136. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs, rated B-
  137. The Wedding Trap by Adrienne Bell, rated C
  138. Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs, rated B-
  139. Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs, rated B-
  140. Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs, rated B-
  141. Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs, rated B-
  142. Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh, rated A
  143. River Marked by Patricia Briggs, rated B-
  144. Awakened By A Kiss by Laurie LeClair, rated C-
  145. Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs, rated C
  146. Marriage By Mistake by Alyssa Kress, rated B-
  147. Seducing Zeb by Elizabeth Rose, rated D
  148. The Practice Proposal by Tracy March, rated C
  149. Kiss Me, Katie! / Hug Me, Holly! by Jill Shalvis, rated C
  150. Advertising For Love by Darcee Tana, rated D
  151. Unexpected Gifts by Elena Aitken, rated C
  152. A SEAL’s Kiss by Tawny Weber, rated C-
  153. Summer of Change by Elena Aitken, rated C-
  154. Breathing Room by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, rated B-
  155. Ain’t She Sweet by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, rated B-
  156. In The Zone by Catherine Gayle, rated C
  157. Kiss An Angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, rated C+
  158. Tempting Her Fake Fiancé by Julie Particka, rated C-
  159. Getting Out Of Hand by Erin Nicholas, rated C
  160. First Lady by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, rated B-
  161. Resisting Her Rival by Sonya Weiss, rated C
  162. Stealing The Groom by Sonya Weiss, rated C
  163. What I Love About You by Rachel Gibson, rated C
  164. Shrinking Violet by Danielle Joseph, rated B-
  165. Crush On You by Christie Ridgway, rated C
  166. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, rated A
  167. Married For Christmas by Noelle Adams, rated C+
  168. The Bet by Rachel Van Dyken, rated C
  169. The Wager by Rachel Van Dyken, rated C
  170. Accidentally Married On Purpose by Rachel Harris, rated C
  171. The Opposite Of Wild by Kylie Gilmore, rated C

2013?

Posted on by Greig

Books I read in 2013

  1. Microserfs by Douglas Coupland, rated A-
  2. The Rook by Daniel O’Malley, rated A-
  3. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green, rated A-
  4. All Fun and Games Until Somebody Loses an Eye by Christopher Brookmyre, rated A-
  5. Redshirts by John Scalzi, rated B+
  6. Midnight Blue-Light Special by Seanan McGuire, rated B+
  7. City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare, rated B-
  8. Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey, rated B+
  9. Mr Darcy’s Diary by Amanda Grange, rated B
  10. Fletch by Gregory Mcdonald, rated B+
  11. The Knife Of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness, rated A-
  12. This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen, rated B+
  13. Rosemary & Rue by Seanan McGuire, rated B+
  14. The Song Of The Quarkbeast by Jasper Fforde, rated B+
  15. Kill The Dead by Richard Kadrey, rated B+
  16. Flat Out Love by Jessica Park, rated C+
  17. Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig, rated B+
  18. Feed by Mira Grant, rated A-
  19. Deadline by Mira Grant, rated B+
  20. Blackout by Mira Grant, rated A
  21. I Love You, You Idiot by Cathy East Dubowski, rated B-
  22. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, rated B+
  23. Mockingbird by Chuck Wendig, rated B+
  24. The Language of Spells by Sarah Painter, rated B
  25. Divergent by Veronica Roth, rated B+
  26. Struck by Lightning by Chris Colfer, rated B
  27. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, rated A
  28. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, rated A
  29. Something About You by Julie James, rated C
  30. Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson, rated A
  31. Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire, rated B+
  32. Insurgent by Veronica Roth, rated B+
  33. I Am The Secret Footballer by The Secret Footballer, rated B
  34. The Wedding Date by Liz Young, rated B
  35. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, rated A-
  36. The Apocalypse Codex by Charles Stross, rated A-
  37. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling, rated B+
  38. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling, rated A-
  39. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling, rated A-
  40. Gingerbread by Rachel Cohn, rated C
  41. Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett, rated B
  42. Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh, rated A
  43. The Sacred Art of Stealing by Christopher Brookmyre, rated B+
  44. The Shambling Guide to New York by Mur Lafferty, rated B

2013alternates

Posted on by Greig

This is an addendum to the books read in 2013 list as I don’t feel that books in these formats strictly belong on that list.

Graphic Novels
Planet Hulk Omnibus by Greg Pak, Carlo Pagulayan, Aaron Lopresti and Michael Avon Oeming
Phonogram Vol 2. by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie (the floppies with extra material via Comixology)
Freak angels volume by 1 Warren Ellis & Paul Duffield
Freak angels volume by 2 Warren Ellis & Paul Duffield
Freak angels volume by 3 Warren Ellis & Paul Duffield
Freak angels volume by Warren Ellis & Paul Duffield
Freak angels volume by 5 Warren Ellis & Paul Duffield
(also vol 6, but online) www.freakangels.com

Audiobooks
Bellwether by Connie Willis, read by Kate Reading
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, read by Stephen Fry

2013 Albums of the year

Posted on by Greig

1.Queens of the Stone Age
…like clockwork

qotsa

2.Agnes Obel
Aventine

Aventine-cover

3.Retribution Gospel Choir
3

12814

4.Trentemøller
Lost

trentemoller-lost-655x655

5.The Soft Hills
Chromatisms

artworks-000039996861-13ch7g-crop

6.Lloyd Cole
Standards

cole.lloyd-standards

7.Alela Diane
About Farewell

CS497695-01A-BIG

8.John Grant
Pale Green Ghosts

Pale Green Ghosts

9.Chvrches
The Bones of What You Believe

Chvrches-The-Bones-Of-What-You-Believe1

10.The Joy Formidable
Wolf’s Law

the-joy-formidable-wolfs-law-album-cover-art

11.Woodkid
The Golden Age

12.Laura Stevenson
Wheel

13.Low
The Invisible Way

14.Villagers
{Awayland}

15.Wax Idols
Discipline & Desire

16.Laura Veirs
Warp & Weft

17.David Bowie
The Next Day

18.Mark Mulcahy
Dear Mark J. Mulcahy, I Love You

19.Marnie
Crystal World

20.Volcano Choir
Repave

21.Jim James
Regions of Light and Sound of God

22.James Blake
Overgrown

23.Neko Case
The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You

24.Goldfrapp
Tales of Us

25.Lorde
Pure Heroine

There was no competition for best album of the year. Nine of the ten tracks on “…like clockwork” are in my top ten most listened to tracks for 2013 (the other one is all the way down at 13th most listened to).

Gig of the year goes to John Grant at the Queen’s Hall – which is just one of the most extraordinary gigs I’ve ever been to.

Track of the year goes to Seven by Retribution Gospel Choir. Over twenty minutes of transcendent beauty to get yourself lost in.

A playlist of all these albums on Spotify

twenty2012?

Posted on by Greig

My Top 20 Albums of 2012

The thinking behind this list is to simply pick my top twenty favourite albums released in 2012. I make no claims of special critical insight.
It was relatively easy to pick a top ten but pulling a further ten records from the sheer number I’ve listened to over the last twelve months was not easy and changes were made even in the final seconds before posting this!

  1. Maraqopa by Damien Jurado
  2. Blues Funeral by Mark Lanegan Band
  3. Mid Air by Paul Buchanan
  4. Traces by Karine Polwart
  5. Spooky Action At A Distance by Lotus Plaza
  6. Oh Holy Molar by Félix
  7. Animal Joy by Shearwater
  8. Attack On Memory by Cloud Nothings
  9. Tramp by Sharon Van Etten
  10. Yellow and Green by Baroness
  11. Bloom by Beach House
  12. The Marble Downs by Trembling Bells and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy
  13. Banga by Patti Smith
  14. Toy by Toy
  15. Devotion by Jessie Ware
  16. Come Home To Mama by Martha Wainwright
  17. The Hunger Games: Songs From District 12 by Various Artists
  18. Channel Orange by Frank Ocean
  19. The Light The Dead See by Soulsavers
  20. The Something Rain by Tindersticks

Spotify playlist of all these albums

Maraqopa went from being in the top ten to the top three after seeing Jurado perform in Glasgow. It guaranteed the album of the year spot with the release of the deluxe edition at the end of the year that includes a song called Let Us All In (a particular highlight of the live show) and a cover of Christmas Time Is Here from the ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ soundtrack that earwormed me for the whole of December. Sadly these extra tracks are missing from the Spotify playlist

alternates?

Posted on by Greig

Graphic Novels and Audiobooks of 2012

This is an addendum to the books read in 2012 list as I don’t feel that books in these formats strictly belong on that list.

Graphic Novels

Phonogram 1 & 2 by Kieron Gillen and and Jamie McKelvie – Gillen & McKelvie play with the ghosts of Britpop and the magic of pop music to marvellous effect
Scott Pilgrim 1 & 2 by Bryan Lee O’Malley – The first book is OK, the second is good with promise to get even better
Hellblazer vol 1 by Jamie Delano, Rick Veitch, John Ridgway and Alfredo Alcala – Apart from the weird Swamp Thing section this whole collection is really good.
Gotham Central vol 1 by Greg Rucka, Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark – Batman from the perspective of the ordinary cop. Highly praised for a reason
Transmetropolitan vol 1 by Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson – The insane, profane and wonderful introduction to Spider Jerusalem.
Thor: Siege by Jeff Parker, Kieron Gillen, Christos Gage and Miguel Sepulvida – Blah collection of Thor as Asgard comes under attack due to the machinations of Loki. Again.
Gotham Central vol 3 by Greg Rucka, Ed Brubaker, Stefano Gaudiano, Michael Lark, Jason Alexander, Kano

Audiobooks

Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi and read by Wil Wheaton – Wheaton does a great job with Scalzi’s ‘practice’ novel. It’s a lot of fun to listen to. Reviews of this book from 2011 and 2010.
The Android’s Dream by John Scalzi and read by Wil Wheaton – This is a funny book and the audiobook is it’s equal in every respect. Reviews of this one from 2009 and 2008.
Redshirts by John Scalzi and read by Wil Wheaton – The first time I’ve listened to book before reading it (It was substantially cheaper to buy the audiobook than import the hardback). This affectionate parody of Star Trek is also a deeply meta piece about being a writer. Very funny with unexpectedly moving ‘codas’.
Consider Phlebas by Iain M Banks and read by Peter Kenny – Wow this is a mental book. There is so much happening that you could fill a trilogy of space adventure movies from the content. Superbly read by Kenny.
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman and read by Neil Gaiman – An exceptional book. The author reads it himself and does a fine job.
Jingo by Terry Pratchett and read by Nigel Planer – The weakest of the Guards books is done no favours by Nigel Planer (Glad this is the one I borrowed from the library rather than buying). Reviewed in 2005.
The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides and read by David Pittu – I listened to a substantial part of this but I hated the characters so much I stopped listening.