So, first of all: I completed my 2010 Challenge to read 20 books of my choice. Hooray!! But, I never finished my Harry Potter Reread Mini Challenge. I reread books 1-5, but haven't yet gotten to the 6th and 7th. I will read them before the last movie though. In the last few months, I've read:
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray 
My goodness, this book was long. Heinously long. I'm sorry I made my book club read it. Seriously, you need quite a lot of stamina to get through this one. It is a perfect example of those "loose, baggy monsters" of Victorian fiction.
Regardless of its frequent tedium and digressions on contemporary politics, I enjoyed this book well enough. Thackeray can be very funny when he wants to be. Once the plot finally appeared, it kept me entertained. I loved Rawdon and Rawdon Jr. of course. I adored Dobbin, if only because in the BBC adaptation, he is played by Philip Glenister of Gene Hunt-fame. If only this book was 200 pages shorter, I could have enjoyed it a lot more.
The Looking Glass Wars by Frank BeddorThis YA book came highly recommended from a friend, so I hate to say that it disappointed me. It could have been amazing, a little bit steampunky, a little bit urban fairytale, but instead it was just regular old YA fantasy trash. Rehashed tropes all over the place without innovative writing to help it along. It's the first piece in a series, but I won't be reading the rest of them.
The Difference Machine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling
Another book which I expected to blow my mind, but just left me kind of unsatisfied. I really don't like this trend. As the "definitive" steampunk novel, I was expecting a lot from this book. However, the steampunk aspect was the only good part of the novel, and even that was only half-way decent. I would have liked more description on all the steam-powered technology, but as the book that began the whole genre, I can let it slide.
However, the rest of the book was just too frustrating. The characters were boring, even though one was a prostitute and the other was an archaeologist, and I found myself struggling to care about anything that was happening to them. In addition, the plot just never really took off, and I still don't really understand what went on. There were just too many loose ends that were never tied up. And the big revelation at the end was a huge let down, especially since this book was structured as a mystery story. I was expecting something much bigger and significantly more exciting. In the end, this book was a let down, and I hate it when a book leaves me feeling that way.
So that's all for the 2010 wrap up. What are my resolutions for 2011? I'm going to repeat my free choice challenge, though maybe I'll up it to 21 books. I also want to blog a lot more. I've forgotten half the books I read this year, and that was the whole point of this blog. So I promise: I will update soon!
