(Image Credit)

“I never feel lonely if I’ve got a book – they’re like old friends. Even if you’re not reading them over and over again, you know they are there. And they’re part of your history. They sort of tell a story about your journey through life.”

~Emilia Fox

Mid-January will mark a decade of blogging here at Stainless Steel Droppings. I have blogged about many different things here, but one consistent subject is reading, and one of the things I enjoy most about being a blogger is this time of year. The end of one year and the beginning of another brings about conversations of favorite reading, viewing and listening experiences of the year.

While the reading output of 2014 is likely the lowest I have had since I started blogging, the decisions I made about what to read resulted in many new friends, friends that will one day become some of those old friends that Emilia Fox (one of my favorite audio book narrators) references above.

The image I chose for the header accurately reflects the way I feel about a good book…like I am crawling inside it to get swept up in the story.

These are the various stories I read in 2014 that made the biggest impression.

…when you see beauty in desolation it changes something inside you. Desolation tries to colonize you.

Jeff Vandermeer’s first novel in the Southern Reach Trilogy weighs in at 195 pages, which is slight by contemporary standards. But in those pages he delivers a tight, menacing tale that begins shrouded in mystery and progresses with revelations that serve to deepen that mystery while wrapping the reader in an ever tightening grip of suspense.

The nameless characters and enigmatic Area X create an atmosphere that subtly surrounds the reader via the journal of the biologist narrator.

My experience with the short and long fiction of Jeff Vandermeer heightened my expectations for Annihilation.

Annihilation exceeded those expectations. (My Review)

The marble tombs that rise on high, Whose dead in vaulted arches lie…

From A Night-Piece on Death
~Thomas Parnell

It has been nearly five years since I fell in love with an apple-green book cover, and upon bringing it home, fell under the spell of a precocious eleven-year-old girl by the name of Flavia de Luce. Alan Bradley’s sixth Flavia novel, The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches, brings to a close the overall family story arc that began with The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.

It is hard to pick a favorite in this series, as the six novels form one continuous story, populated by novel-specific mysteries for our young sleuth to solve.

Jayne Entwistle brings Buckshaw and the entire de Luce entourage to life with her audio narration. She is fantastic. (My Review)

Andy Weir’s debut novel has been a hit with passionate science fiction readers and with readers who rarely or never read science fiction. So much so that it was optioned for a film which is slated to come out in 2015 starring Matt Damon.

When weather on Mars causes a small expedition to abandon the planet ahead of schedule, engineer Mark Watney is injured, lost, and presumed dead. When he awakens to discover himself the lone life form on the red planet, he utilizes his knowledge base and the materials left behind to try to keep himself alive until the next Mars expedition arrives, several years away.

The Martian is a novel that attempts to get the science right, and maintains a scientific focus, while not alienating the average reader. The novel’s success rests in its likable characters, intense survival-based adventure and ability to make science interesting and palatable without detracting from the story’s tension.

Do not wait for the movie, experience Mark Watney’s journey now. (My Review)

Travis Uriah Long craved order, something his neglectful mother made no effort to provide. When he comes of age, it seems like the most logical thing in the world to join the Royal Manticoran Navy, the military is built on the concepts of structure and order. So without even a farewell to his mother, Long becomes the newest volunteer in the RMN.

For Travis Uriah Long, order is a mixed blessing. Long desires order and he quickly becomes a very strict rules and procedures navy man, only to discover that not everyone is as dedicated to following the rules as he is, nor is everyone appreciative of a team member who knows the rules inside and out and expects them to be fully honored.

Adding to Long’s difficulties is the fact that he has enlisted in a time when various political factions are viewing the Royal Manticoran Navy as increasingly obsolete and are working behind the scenes to shift the focus of the Star Kingdom of Manticore’s budget to areas domestic, rather than foreign.

David Weber, creator and author of the best-selling Honor Harrington series, teams up with award-winning author Timothy Zahn to explore a time period in the Honorverse several hundred years earlier than time time in which Honor lives. In so doing they create a great jumping-on point for new readers while giving fans of Honor Harrington a new set of characters to root for.

A Call to Duty is an accessible, engaging military science fiction novel with interesting characters, political intrigue, and the kind of life-in-space adventure that makes fans of science fiction long for a future in which mankind ventures out among the stars. (My Review)

“To the rest of the Galaxy, if they are aware of us at all, Earth is but a pebble in the sky. To us it is home, and all the home we know.”

Sixty-two year old Joseph Schwartz, a retired tailor, is walking down the streets of Chicago in 1949 when, with a single step, he finds himself transported in time to a far distant future in which Earth is no longer recognizable. When he stumbles upon a local farmhouse he discovers that the people who answer the door are speaking a language that he does not understand, soon after that he discovers that this world, no longer his world, is a very dangerous place.

Isaac Asimov’s first published novel, set in the same universe as the later-published Foundation series, is a suspenseful page-turner, filled with a number of what are now considered science fiction tropes.

Conspiracy, prejudice, fear, suspicion, plots of galaxy-wide destruction, euthanasia and mind-control stand side-by-side with romance, adventure, scientific theory and an historic game of chess in the novel that started the Galactic Empire.

If you are a fan of Asimov’s Foundation novels, this is a must-read look at a time long before Hari Seldon posited his psychohistory. If you are unfamiliar with Asimov’s Foundation stories, Pebble in the Sky would be a great place to get acquainted. (My Review)

The third novel in the Legion of the Damned prequel series brings this arc of Andromeda McKee’s story to a close, the internal and external battles keeping the pages turning quickly.

William C. Dietz has created an engaging, interesting and morally complicated character in Lady Catherine Carletto, aka, Andromeda McKee. Andromeda’s War continues with the events laid out in the previous two novels, while quickly propelling the story forward.

Andromeda’s War gives readers the opportunity to see McKee and her regulation-defying lover, John Avery, together again which lends the story a humanity that it may not otherwise possess given its intense action focus. If this is the final Andromeda McKee novel, and it is hard to see how it could not be, William C. Dietz has given readers a fantastic, satisfying trilogy.

All the same, I will miss Andromeda McKee. (Review on SF Signal forthcoming)

My first experience with the work of the married writing team of Sharon Lee and Steve Miller was also my first finished read of 2014, and it set the bar very high for the remainder of the year.

Wow, did I love these stories! Still do. The varied stories in this collection introduce readers to the full range of the wider Liaden universe and my enjoyment of them lead to readings of the novels Fledgling and Saltation, both of which I enjoyed.

It was a great pleasure to discover the Liaden Universe this year, and I expect I will be spending a great deal of time there in the years to come. There are several short stories and novels awaiting my attention and Lee and Miller continue to write in this universe.

With the first volume of A Liaden Universe Constellation, Baen Books brings together a series of 17 short stories that demonstrate the way in which Sharon Lee and Steve Miller defy the common conception that short fiction is devoid of strong characterization or satisfying world-building. Taken as a whole these 17 stories reveal a universe of intrigue, tradition, ceremony, magic, trade, exploration, love and devotion. (My Review)

Suckers for…or fans of…the Expanse series are going to want to read this. Each work of short fiction set in this universe has proven to be worthwhile reading, if only because they give readers a glimpse back to see how various aspects of these stories began. The story is tight, suspenseful and whets the appetite nicely while readers wait for the next Expanse novel.

This novella moves the focus away from solar system travel of the novels and places it Earthside, in the city of Baltimore. In doing so it provides an interesting, if sad, view of the state of affairs on Earth. It fits well within the confines of the story to paint a bleak future as part of the kick-in-the-butt humanity needed to reach out into the solar system.

The Churn gives readers an opportunity to know more about a character in the Expanse novels, which adds depth to these already-intriguing characters. (My Review)

In anticipation of the August 2014 release of his novel, Lock In, John Scalzi released an early prequel novella that covers the rise of the epidemic which is the cause of the condition for which the novel is named.

Fifteen years in our future a virus arises worldwide that causes minor symptoms in most cases, but in extreme cases causes victims to be “locked in”. Those experiencing this reaction to the virus are alert and aware but are unable to communicate or function in any meaningful way, they are trapped within a no longer fully functional body.

Unlocked is told in the form of interviews from doctors, scientists, politicians, journalists and regular people who were affected by Haden’s Syndrome and/or played a significant role in the world’s response to and investigation of the disease and its most devastating effects.

Unlocked is a story with an unsettling air of plausibility that examines a broad spectrum of the history of this virus in a way that feels intimate and personal. It is a story filled with characters that are easy to relate to–-they are us–-and as such it overcomes a criticism often leveled at short stories, which is that there is little to no character development.

I have been a fan of Bill Bryson’s work for years. His sense of humor can have a caustic edge, yet he is one of the few authors I’ve read who can have me guffawing aloud. One Summer, America 1927 has a more serious focus as an examination of the many still-remembered and forgotten historical events that began or culminated in 1927 that continue to resonate in the present. That isn’t to say that Bill Bryson’s humor is missing, for he weaves humorous threads throughout the book.

Two of the larger areas of focus are the history of aviation, leading to Charles Lindbergh’s historic flight, and Babe Ruth’s magical baseball season. Those areas of history would not have necessarily excited me on their own, but this is Bill Bryson we are talking about. He brings history alive in such a fascinated way. I listened to the author’s narration of the book, and he is an engaging reader. (My Review)

I am a long-time fan of the art of John Harris. His science fiction imagery is iconic, and he brings an impressionistic sensibility to his bold, massive space landscapes that make each piece stand out as a distinct work of art. Generations of readers have discovered his work because of the science fiction novels graced with his creations.

I was so excited when I first became aware that Titan Books would be releasing a retrospective of his work, and I was not disappointed in the results. Whether you pick up the standard version or the slip-cased limited edition, you will find yourself with a high-quality publication. Harris’ work is reproduced beautifully.

This is a superb way to experience the work of John Harris. (My Review)

I have been collecting the Flesk Publications editions of Mark Schultz’s Various Drawings books for several years and was excited to see this new project come to fruition. Mark Schultz is a contemporary illustrator who channels the spirits of past pulp masters like no one else. Each work exudes a sense of adventure, a sense of story, and this gorgeous volume of recently completed art is a perfect introduction for those unfamiliar with his work and a must-have collectible for anyone who considers themselves a fan.

It is impossible to adequately describe just how gorgeous are these pages. It is obvious to anyone who looks that these illustrations are reproduced by a company passionate about this artist’s work. (My Review)

Wow!

Need I say anything else? Wow!

I am a mere two days away from my first perusal of Spectrum 21, the first outing of the art annual under the direction of John Fleskes, and I am still quite geeked about the end results. There is such a wide variety of fantastic art here, art that inspires me to be a better patron of the fantastic arts. The Spectrum annuals are a unique, affordable way for fans to get a glimpse at the contemporary fantastic art scene.

I look forward to Spectrum every year and this first volume helmed by Flesk Publications proves that founders Cathy and Arnie Fenner have placed their creation in good hands. (My Review)

This self-published story was recommended by a number of readers at the science fiction book club to which I belong, and when I popped over to Amazon and saw the cover, I was sorely tempted to move on, despite the free price tag, because of my aversion to the cover image.

Surprise. Sometimes you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

E.M. Foner’s three part (currently) series, that begins with Date Night on Union Station, is a fun future vision of humanity’s place in the greater universe that brings with it a retro sensibility that expertly plucked my nostalgic heart strings. Foner’s primary character, diplomat Kelly Frank, is a capable liaison between Earth and the various alien races represented on Union Station, although her frazzled demeanor sometimes belies this capability.

As Foner’s stories continue in Alien Night on Union Station and High Priest on Union Station, Kelly Frank’s confidence and ability grows and she manages to balance both familial responsibilities and diplomatic responsibilities in a way that is both clever and entertaining. There are several elements in these stories that remind me of the juvenile fiction of Robert A. Heinlein, and that similar sensibility helped endear me to these characters, despite my initial trepidation. (My Review)

Despite several worthy contenders, it was never any contest as to which novel would be my Favorite Overall Read of 2014. I knew it the moment I closed the final page of the novel in late May. Mary Rickert’s debut novel, The Memory Garden, is a delightful book rooted in seasons, those in the world outside our doors and those that form the cyclical patterns of our lives. It is a love story, though not of standard romantic fare, that celebrates family and friendship and the importance of looking beyond the veil of our own assumptions and prejudices. It is a novel that will stir your hunger for good food, beautiful gardens, and lasting relationships.

I loved this novel, and my affection for it has only grown over the months since I read it. It is a novel I hope to revisit next Spring, as Winter gives over to the time of rebirth. I am so happy for Mary Rickert. I have heard and read much praise for this novel, beginning just prior to its release, and it is all well-earned. This is a beautiful piece of art. In reading it I was reminded of the precious gift of strong relationships and the wonders of the world around us. Those sentiments linger as the year comes to a close.

Well, those are my favorites of 2014. As I look over the list I cannot help but smile, there are some great reading memories there.

Some of you are stats geeks, others are not, hence my leaving this until the end. If you are not interested, please scroll down to the end. If you have created a “Best Of” list on your own website, I would ask you to link to it in the area at the end of this post so that others can come and be tempted to expand their “Books to Read” lists because of your recommendations. If you are not creating a list, or do not have a blog, please feel free to list your favorites of the year in the comments section.

Total Reads in 2014: 43

Written by Males: 25
Written by Females: 10
Featuring both Male and Female writers/contributors: 8

Books read on Kindle: 18
Books read the old-fashioned way: 19
Books read via unabridged audio: 6

Books read that I purchased new in 2014 (any format): 32
Books that were gifts/review copies: 6
Books that were owned prior to 2014: 5

Books stared that will remain unfinished in 2014: Many

That was my reading year in review. Please link to yours if you have done one, and feel free to link to more than one if you have done multiple Best Of posts.