Books Read, 2012

Jon Courtenay Grimwood, 9Tail Fox*
Harry Connolly, Child of Fire
Harry Connolly, Game of Cages
Joshua Foer, Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything
Harry Connolly, Circle of Enemies
Leni Riefenstahl, A Memoir
Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto Vol 53
Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto Vol 54
Hiromu Arakawa, Fullmetal Alchemist Vol 10
Hiromu Arakawa, Fullmetal Alchemist Vol 11
Hiromu Arakawa, Fullmetal Alchemist Vol 12
Joseph Heller, Catch-22
Joseph Heller, Closing Time
Pseudonymous Bosch, You Have to Stop This
Raina Telgemeier, Smile (A Dental Drama)
Brian Selznick, Wonderstruck
Hiromu Arakawa, Fullmetal Alchemist Vol 13
Hiromu Arakawa, Fullmetal Alchemist Vol 14
Hiromu Arakawa, Fullmetal Alchemist Vol 15
Andrew Peters, Ravenwood*
Tony DiTerlizzi, The Search for WondLa
Michael Lang, The Road to Woodstock
David Browne, Fire and Rain: The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor, CSNY, and the Lost Story of 1970
Greil Marcus, Ranters and Crowd Pleasers: Punk in Pop Music, 1977-92
Hiromu Arakawa, Fullmetal Alchemist Vol 16
Hiromu Arakawa, Fullmetal Alchemist Vol 17
Hiromu Arakawa, Fullmetal Alchemist Vol 18
Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto Vol 55
Kent Hartman, The Wrecking Crew: The Inside Story of Rock and Roll's Best-Kept Secret
Hiromu Arakawa, Fullmetal Alchemist Vol 19
Hiromu Arakawa, Fullmetal Alchemist Vol 20
Hiromu Arakawa, Fullmetal Alchemist Vol 21
Simon Spence, Just Can't Get Enough: The Making of Depeche Mode
Robert W. Boyczuk, Nexus: Ascension*
Galina Mindlin, Don Durousseau & Joseph Cardillo, Your Playlist Can Change Your Life*
Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto: The Official Character Data Book
Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto Vol 56
Lev AC Rosen, All Men of Genius
Hiromu Arakawa, Fullmetal Alchemist Vol 22
Hiromu Arakawa, Fullmetal Alchemist Vol 23
Hiromu Arakawa, Fullmetal Alchemist Vol 24
Kim Stanley Robinson, 2312
Hisae Iwaoka, Saturn Apartments Vol 1
Hisae Iwaoka, Saturn Apartments Vol 2
Hiromu Arakawa, Fullmetal Alchemist Vol 25
Hiromu Arakawa, Fullmetal Alchemist Vol 26
Hiromu Arakawa, Fullmetal Alchemist Vol 27
Arne Bellstorf, Baby's in Black: Astrid Kirchherr, Stuart Sutcliffe, and The Beatles in Hamburg
Seanan McGuire, Discount Armageddon
Katharine Kerr, Apocalypse to Go
Hisae Iwaoka, Saturn Apartments Vol 3
Chuck Wendig, Blackbirds*
C.L. Anderson, Bitter Angels
Brooke Gladstone & Josh Neufeld, The Influencing Machine
Tony DiTerlizzi, A Hero for WondLa
Haruki Murakami, 1Q84
J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (reread)
J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (reread)
J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (reread)
J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (reread)
Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto Vol 57
Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto Vol 58
Raina Telgemeier, Drama
Maile Meloy, The Apothecary
Johan Harstad, 172 Hours on the Moon*
Ransom Riggs, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Hisae Iwaoka, Saturn Apartments Vol 4
Hisae Iwaoka, Saturn Apartments Vol 5
Rachel Hartman, Seraphina
J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (reread)
Laini Taylor, Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Katharine Kerr, Love On the Run
David Byrne, How Music Works
Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto Vol 59
Rhiannon Lassiter, Void
Christopher Moore, Sacré Bleu
Rob Reid, Year Zero
J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (reread)
Hisae Iwaoka, Saturn Apartments Vol 6
Matthew Jarpe, Radio Freefall*
Adam Christopher, Empire State

* - Did not finish, for varying reasons.

[Writing] Yet ANOTHER resolution post

One of the things I forgot to mention on my previous year-end posts was my plans for reaching out in terms of writing. I'm pretty much a solo person when it comes to writing, as I kind of need to be in my own cloud to focus on what I'm working on (playing music is still inspiration fuel, but it also works as a white-noise canceller in a way too, blocking out any errant things such as neighbors or Emm watching TV in the other room). I can work around that, of course, but it takes a bit longer for me to acclimate to it.

I was contemplating going to the San Francisco Writer's Conference in 2013 as I had lots of fun and learned many things at the one this past February, but I've decided I'm going to pass it up. It's well worth the $500+ for the three days, but I came to the conclusion that a conference isn't exactly what I need as a writer. [This doesn't include the next two Worldcons, which we're going to--we have multiple reasons for going to these!]

I was thinking I'd like to be more social in my writing this coming year. I'd like to get more beta readers for the Eden Cycle. I'd also like to find some kind of writer's group in the area. I know there are a few kicking around in the city.

I've been thinking, though...why not try to start one up myself? Once a week or every other week in one of the myriad of coffeehouses in the immediate neighborhood. Focused on science fiction and fantasy. Sure, I could go to one of the many groups down in the Mission, but it's not always easy to head down that way (it's on the other side of town, takes forever via bus, and parking isn't always available). It doesn't have to be big. Or failing that, maybe setting something up to meet online, sort of like how I used to join in the Think Tank chats on Forward Motion back in the day.

I think my point here is that as much as I enjoy the solo flight of being a writer, I also enjoy hanging with other writers and bouncing ideas off them, and I don't get to do that nearly as often as I should.


Something to think about, I guess!