Books 2018

Below I have added a list of books I read in 2018, as well as some comments and observations. As usual ‘f’ = fiction, ‘m’ = miscellaneous, ‘nf’ = non-fiction; the numbers in parentheses indicate my goodreads ratings of the books (from 1-5). The post contains links to the books’ goodreads profiles as well as links to reviews and blog posts I’ve written about them.

Of the 150 books I read, 40 were non-fiction, 108 were fiction, and 2 I categorized as miscellaneous. You can see an overview of the books on goodreads here. According to the goodreads count, I read 42,069 pages during the year, or slightly more than 115 pages per day. This is significantly less than the -count for 2017, where I read ~125 pages/day. The average page count of the books I read was 280 pages, with a minimum page count of 120 pages and a maximum page count of 934.

2018 was the year where I finished Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey & Maturin series, as I read the last 17 of the novels in that series. Other fiction authors I’ve read include Tom Holt (33 books), Erle Stanley Gardner (19), P. G. Wodehouse (18) (I’d read all of the Wodehouse books before, but I see no reason not to include them in this list/count despite this fact), and Ngaio Marsh (14). I don’t actually think either Marsh or Gardner’s books are all that good, a fact the ratings of the books below should also indicate, but I don’t like spending a lot of time looking for new books to read and new authors to try out and given that, they were sort of ‘good enough at the time’; however I can’t really recommend these authors. O’Brian’s a different matter, as is Wodehouse – and the good Tom Holt books are actually very decent, even if he’s also written a few which were certainly nothing special.

I have been less active this year than I have been in recent years on the blog, but I did post a total of 83 book-related posts on the blog during 2018 (one every 4,4 days on average). As usual not all book-related posts published on the blog this year are included in/-linked from this post; the posts in which I have included lists of new/interesting words I’ve encountered while reading mainly fiction books are not included, and neither are the posts containing quotes and aphorisms from books I read – I decided some time ago that it’s too much work trying to link that kind of stuff up here as well; people who are interested can check out the relevant categories themselves if they feel like it.

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1. Complexity: A Very Short Introduction (nf. Oxford University Press). Blog coverage here.

2. Rivers: A Very Short Introduction (1, nf. Oxford University Press). Short goodreads review here. Blog coverage here and here.

3. Something for the Pain: Compassion and Burnout in the ER (2, m. W. W. Norton & Company/Paul Austin).

4. Mountains: A Very Short Introduction (1, nf. Oxford University Press). Short goodreads review here.

5. Water: A Very Short Introduction (4, nf. Oxford University Press). Goodreads review here.

6. Assassin’s Quest (3, f). Robin Hobb. Goodreads review here.

7. Oxford Handbook of Endocrinology and Diabetes (3rd edition) (5, nf. Oxford University Press). Goodreads review here. Blog coverage here, here, here, here, here, and here. I added this book to my list of favourite books on goodreads. Some of the specific chapters included are ‘book-equivalents’; this book is very long and takes a lot of work.

8. Desolation Island (Aubrey & Maturin #5) (3, f). Patrick O’Brian.

9. The Fortune of War (Aubrey & Maturin #6) (4, f). Patrick O’Brian.

10. Lakes: A Very Short Introduction (4, nf. Oxford University Press). Blog coverage here and here.

11. The Surgeon’s Mate (Aubrey & Maturin #7) (4, f). Patrick O’Brian. Short goodreads review here.

12. Domestication of Plants in the Old World: The Origin and Spread of Domesticated Plants in South-West Asia, Europe, and the Mediterranean Basin (5, nf. Oxford University Press). Goodreads review here. I added this book to my list of favourite books on goodreads.

13. The Ionian Mission (Aubrey & Maturin #8) (4, f). Patrick O’Brian.

14. Systems Biology: Functional Strategies of Living Organisms (4, nf. Springer). Blog coverage here, here, and here.

15. Treason’s Harbour (Aubrey & Maturin #9) (4, f). Patrick O’Brian.

16. Peripheral Neuropathy – A New Insight into the Mechanism, Evaluation and Management of a Complex Disorder (3, nf. InTech). Blog coverage here and here.

17. The portable door (5, f). Tom Holt. Goodreads review here.

18. Prevention of Late-Life Depression: Current Clinical Challenges and Priorities (2, nf. Humana Press). Blog coverage here and here.

19. In your dreams (4, f). Tom Holt.

20. Earth, Air, Fire and Custard (3, f). Tom Holt. Short goodreads review here.

21. You Don’t Have to Be Evil to Work Here, But it Helps (3, f). Tom Holt.

22. The Ice Age: A Very Short Introduction (4, nf. Oxford University Press). Blog coverage here and here.

23. The Better Mousetrap (4, f). Tom Holt.

24. May Contain Traces of Magic (2, f). Tom Holt.

25. Expecting Someone Taller (4, f). Tom Holt.

26. The Computer: A Very Short Introduction (2, nf. Oxford University Press). Short goodreads review here. Blog coverage here.

27. Who’s Afraid of Beowulf? (5, f). Tom Holt.

28. Flying Dutch (4, f). Tom Holt.

29. Ye Gods! (2, f). Tom Holt.

30. Marine Biology: A Very Short Introduction (2, nf. Oxford University Press). Blog coverage here and here.

31. Here Comes The Sun (2, f). Tom Holt.

32. Grailblazers (4, f). Tom Holt.

33. Oceans: A Very Short Introduction (2, nf. Oxford University Press). Very short goodreads review here. Blog coverage and here.

34. Oxford Handbook of Medical Statistics (2, nf. Oxford University Press). Long, takes some work. Goodreads review here. Blog coverage here, here, and here.

35. Faust Among Equals (3, f). Tom Holt.

36. My Hero (3, f). Tom Holt. Short goodreads review here.

37. Odds and Gods (3, f). Tom Holt.

38. Networks: A Very Short Introduction (4, nf. Oxford University Press). Blog coverage here.

39. Paint Your Dragon (2, f). Tom Holt. Very short goodreads review here.

40. Wish You Were Here (2, f). Tom Holt.

41. Djinn Rummy (2, f). Tom Holt.

42. Structural Engineering: A Very Short Introduction (2, nf. Oxford University Press). Blog coverage here.

43. Open Sesame (3, f). Tom Holt.

44. The Far Side of the World (Aubrey & Maturin #10) (4, f). Patrick O’Brian.

45. 100 Cases in Surgery (3, nf. CRC Press). Blog coverage here and here.

46. The Reverse of the Medal (Aubrey & Maturin #11) (3, f). Patrick O’Brian.

47. 100 Cases in Emergency Medicine and Critical Care (4, nf. CRC Press). Blog coverage here and here.

48. The Letter of Marque (Aubrey & Maturin #12) (4, f). Patrick O’Brian.

49. Molecular Biology: A Very Short Introduction (5, nf. Oxford University Press). Short goodreads review here. Blog coverage here, here, and here.

50. Frozen Assets (4, f). P. G. Wodehouse.

51. Galahad at Blandings (5, f). P. G. Wodehouse.

52. Spring Fever (4, f). P. G. Wodehouse.

53. Intermediate Excel (Excel Essentials, #2) (nf., M.L. Humphrey). Goodreads review here.

54. A Gentleman of Leisure (3, f). P. G. Wodehouse.

55. Bachelors Anonymous (5, f). P. G. Wodehouse.

56. Money in the Bank (5, f). P. G. Wodehouse.

57. Company for Henry (4, f). P. G. Wodehouse.

58. The Old Reliable (4, f). P. G. Wodehouse.

59. The Thirteen-Gun Salute (Aubrey & Maturin #13) (4, f). Patrick O’Brian.

60. Alcohol and Aging: Clinical and Public Health Perspectives (3, nf. Springer). Blog coverage here and here.

61. Ice in the Bedroom (5, f). P. G. Wodehouse.

62. Enter a Murderer (3, f). Ngaio Marsh.

63. The Nursing Home Murder (2, f). Ngaio Marsh. Very short goodreads review here.

64. Death in Ecstasy (2, f). Ngaio Marsh.

65. Vintage Murder (3, f). Ngaio Marsh.

66. Blood: A Very Short Introduction (3, nf. Oxford University Press). Short goodreads review here. Blog coverage here and here.

67. Artists in Crime (3, f). Ngaio Marsh.

68. Developmental Biology: A Very Short Introduction (5, nf. Oxford University Press). Very short goodreads review here. Blog coverage here and here.

69. Death in a White Tie (2, f). Ngaio Marsh.

70. Robotics: A Very Short Introduction (4, nf. Oxford University Press). Blog coverage here.

71. Overture to death (3, f). Ngaio Marsh. Very short goodreads review here.

72. Death at the bar (3, f). Ngaio Marsh.

73. 100 Cases in Orthopaedics and Rheumatology (2, nf. CRC Press). Blog coverage here and here.

74. A Surfeit of Lampreys (4, f). Ngaio Marsh.

75. Managing Gastrointestinal Complications of Diabetes (4, nf. Adis (/Springer)). Blog coverage here and here.

76. Colour Scheme (2, f). Ngaio Marsh.

77. American Naval History: A Very Short Introduction (2, nf. Oxford University Press). Blog coverage here and here.

78. The Nutmeg of Consolation (Aubrey & Maturin #14) (4, f). Patrick O’Brian.

79. Blonde Bombshell (4, f). Tom Holt.

80. Big Data: A Very Short Introduction (2, nf. Oxford University Press). Blog coverage here.

81. Little People (2, f). Tom Holt.

82. Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Sausages (4, f). Tom Holt.

83. Pocket Oncology (2, nf. Wolters Kluwer Health). Goodreads review here. Dense, very informative, takes a lot of work to read from cover to cover. There were very specific reasons why I did not give this book a much higher rating, see the goodreads review for details. Blog coverage here and here.

84. The Girl in Blue (4, f). P. G. Wodehouse.

85. Service With a Smile (5, f). P. G. Wodehouse.

86. Military Strategy: A Very Short Introduction (3, nf. Oxford University Press).

87. Died in the Wool (2, f). Ngaio Marsh.

88. When It’s A Jar (3, f). Tom Holt.

89. The Truelove (Aubrey & Maturin #15) (3, f). Patrick O’Brian.

90. Combinatorics: A Very short Introduction (4, nf. Oxford University Press). Blog coverage here and here.

91. The Wine-Dark Sea (Aubrey & Maturin #16) (3, f). Patrick O’Brian.

92. Jeeves in the Offing (4, f). P. G. Wodehouse.

93. Blandings Castle … and Elsewhere (Blandings Castle #3) (4, f). P. G. Wodehouse.

94. Something Fresh (5, f). P. G. Wodehouse.

95. Psmith, Journalist (4, f). P. G. Wodehouse.

96. Personal Relationships: The Effect on Employee Attitudes, Behavior, and Well-being (SIOP Organizational Frontiers Series) (2, nf. Routledge). Long. Blog coverage here, here, and here.

97. Final Curtain (2, f). Ngaio Marsh.

98. Circadian Rhythms: A Very Short Introduction (4, nf. Oxford University Press). Short goodreads review here. Blog coverage here and here.

99. A Wreath for Rivera (2, f). Ngaio Marsh. Very short goodreads review here.

100. The Commodore (Aubrey & Maturin #17) (3, f). Patrick O’Brian.

101. Quick Service (4, f). P. G. Wodehouse.

102. The Yellow Admiral (Aubrey & Maturin #18) (3, f). Patrick O’Brian.

103. French Leave (4, f). P. G. Wodehouse.

104. Jingo (5, f). Terry Pratchett. I added this book to my list of favourite books on goodreads.

105. Principles of Memory (2, nf. Psychology Press). Blog coverage here, here, and here.

106. Spring Fever (4, f). P. G. Wodehouse.

107. The Hundred Days (Aubrey & Maturin #19) (2, f). Patrick O’Brian.

108. Night at the Vulcan (2, f). Ngaio Marsh.

109. The Overcoat and Other Short Stories (3, f). Nikolai Gogol.

110. Feet of Clay (4, f). Terry Pratchett.

111. Blue at the Mizzen (Aubrey & Maturin #20) (4, f). Patrick O’Brian. Very short goodreads review here.

112. The Case of the Velvet Claws (Perry Mason #1) (3, f). Erle Stanley Gardner.

113. Perception: A Very Short Introduction (3, nf. Oxford University Press). Short goodreads review here. Blog coverage here.

114. The Case of the Sulky Girl (Perry Mason #2) (3, f). Erle Stanley Gardner.

115. The Case of the Howling Dog (2, f). Erle Stanley Gardner.

116. 21: The Final Unfinished Voyage of Jack Aubrey (Aubrey & Maturin #21) (2, f). Patrick O’Brian. Short goodreads review here.

117. The Case of the Curious Bride (2, f). Erle Stanley Gardner.

118. Sleep: A Very Short Introduction (2, nf. Oxford University Press).

119. The Case of the Counterfeit Eye (2, f). Erle Stanley Gardner.

120. The Case of the Caretaker’s Cat (3, f). Erle Stanley Gardner.

121. The Case of the Sleepwalker’s Niece (2, f). Erle Stanley Gardner.

122. The Case of the Dangerous Dowager (3, f). Erle Stanley Gardner.

123. The Case of the Substitute Face (2, f). Erle Stanley Gardner.

124. Geophysics: A Very Short Introduction (5, nf. Oxford University Press). Very short goodreads review here. Blog coverage here and here.

125. The Case of the Lame Canary (2, f). Erle Stanley Gardner.

126. The Case of the Rolling Bones (3, f). Erle Stanley Gardner.

127. The Case of the Silent Partner (2, f). Erle Stanley Gardner. Goodreads review here.

128. The Case of the Haunted Husband (2, f). Erle Stanley Gardner.

129. Reaper Man (5, f). Terry Pratchett.

130. The Case of the Empty Tin (2, f). Erle Stanley Gardner.

131. The Case of the Drowning Duck (2, f). Erle Stanley Gardner.

132. Early Riser (5, f). Jasper Fforde.

133. Bacteria: A Very Short Introduction (3, nf. Oxford University Press).

134. The Outsorcerer’s Apprentice (5, f). Tom Holt. Goodreads review here.

135. Doughnut (3, f). Tom Holt.

136. The Case of the Buried Clock (1, f). Erle Stanley Gardner.

137. The Good, the Bad and the Smug (4, f). Tom Holt.

138. The Management Style of the Supreme Beings (3, f). Tom Holt.

139. Nothing But Blue Skies (2, f). Tom Holt.

140. Leaving Las Vegas (5, f). John O’Brien. Short goodreads review here.

141. Overtime (2, f). Tom Holt.

142. Barking (2, f). Tom Holt.

143. Lucia in Wartime (1, f). Tom Holt. Short goodreads review here.

144. Falling Sideways (2, f). Tom Holt. Very short goodreads review here.

145. Snow White and the Seven Samurai (4, f). Tom Holt.

146. The Case of the Lonely Heiress (3, f). Erle Stanley Gardner.

147. The Case of the Crooked Candle (2, f). Erle Stanley Gardner.

148. The Case of the Gilded Lily (2, f). Erle Stanley Gardner.

149. The Science of Discworld (2, m.). Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart & Jack Cohen. Goodreads review here.

150. Artificial Intelligence: A Very Short Introduction (2, nf. Oxford University Press).