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2009 Books in Review
First off, here's the final list of books read in 2009,
Read Entirely in 2009
1. Heat Lightning - John Sandford (S) (M)
2. The Discworld Graphic Novels (The Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic)- Terry Pratchett (GN) (SF) (S)
3. Brisingr - Christopher Paolini (YA) (S) (F)
4. Stolen - Kelly Armstrong (S) (V)
5. MacBeth (original text graphic novel) (GN)
6. Blood Lite (anthology) (SW) (V)
7. Buried Onions - Gary Soto (AOC) (YA)
8. The Tattooed Potato and Other Clues - Ellen Raskin (YA) (R ) (M)
9. The Westing Game - Ellen Raskin (YA) (R ) (M)
10. The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy (AOC)
11. City of Ember - Jeanne DuPrau (YA) (SF) (S) (F)
12. Fables: Sons of Empire - Bill Willingham (GN) (S)
13. Wild Ducks Flying Backwards - Tom Robbins (SW)
14. Blue Light - Walter Mosley (AOC) (SF)
15. Snow White and Rose Red - Patricia Wrede (F)
16. Coraline - Neil Gaiman (R ) (YA)
17. Fledgling - Octavia Butler (AOC) (V)
18. Dawn - Octavia Butler (AOC) (S) (SF)
19. American Gods - Neil Gaiman (F) (R )
20. All the Colors of Darkness - Peter Robinson (M)(S)
21. White Witch, Black Curse - Kim Harrison (S) (V)
22. Blood Bound - Patricia Briggs (S) (V)
23. Chalice - Robin McKinley (F) (read a second time in December)
24. Beauty - Robin McKinley (F)
25. Dinosaur Tales - Ray Bradbury (R of most stories) (SF) (SW)
26. Wolfskin - Juliet Marillier (S) (F)
27. The Beast Under the Wizard's Bridge - John Bellairs/Brad Strickland (M) (S) (YA)
28. Wolf Tower - Tanith Lee (S) (F) (YA)
29. Superior Saturday - Garth Nix (F) (S) (SF) (YA)
30. Dime Store Magic - Kelly Armstrong (S) (V)
31. Industrial Magic - Kelly Armstrong (S) (V)
32. Four is a Crowd - Emily Chase (S) (YA)
33. Dead Girls are Easy - Terry Gerey (S) (V)
34. Lessons from the Fat-O-Sphere - Kate Harding & Marianne Kirby (NF)
35. Taste of Night - Vicki Pettersson (S)(V)
36. Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley (S) (SF)
37. Iron Kissed - Patricia Briggs (S) (V)
38. Tithe - Holly Black (S) (F) (YA)
39. Uglies - Scott Westerfeld (S) (SF) (YA)
40. A Match Made in Hell - Terry Garey (S) (V)
41. Pretties - Scott Westerfeld (S) (SF) (YA)
42. Dead and Gone - Charlaine Harris (S)(V)
43. Nation - Terry Pratchett (YA)(SF)
44. Damage Control - J.A. Jance (S)(M)
45. Haunted - Kelly Armstrong (S) (V)
46. Specials - Scott Westerfeld (S) (SF) (YA)
47. Broken - Kelly Armstrong (S) (V)
48. Hatter M - Frank Beddor, et al (S)(GN)(F)
49. A Child Across the Sky - Jonathan Carroll (F)
50. Stormy Weather - Carl Hiassen
51. Foxmask - Juliet Marillier (S) (F)
52. Jenny of the Tetons - Kristiana Gregory (YA)
53. Appointment with Death - Agatha Christie (M)
54. Adulthood Rites - Octavia Butler (AOC) (S) (SF)
55. Lucky You - Carl Hiassen
56. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (R ) (S) (F) (YA)
57. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (F) (R ) (S) (TA)
58. Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation - Ray Bradbury, Tim Hamilton (R for text) (GN) (SF)
59. Wicked Prey - John Sanford (M) (S)
60. Naamah's Kiss - Jacqueline Carey (S) (F)
61. 8th Confession - James Patterson (M) (S)
62. Extras - Scott Westerfeld (S) (SF) (YA)
63. The Forest House - Marion Zimmer Bradley (S) (F)
64. Heir to Sevenwaters - Juliet Marillier (S) (F)
65. Bone Crossed - Patricia Briggs (S) (V)
66. Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes - Neil Gaiman (GN) (R ) (S) (F)
67. Rose Daughter - Robin McKinley (F)
68. White Apples - Jonathan Carroll (F)
69. Making Money - Terry Pratchett (S) (SF)
70. The Dark Mirror - Juliet Marillier (S) (F)
71. Fables: The Good Prince - Bill Willingham (GN) (S)
72. Embroideries - Marjane Satrapi (AOC) (GN) (S)
73. The Blade of Fortiu - Juliet Marillier (S) (F)
74. Sandman: The Doll's House - Neil Gaiman (GN) (R ) (S) (F)
75. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (v.1) - Alan Moore (GN) (S) (SF)
76. Coraline: The Graphic Novel - Neil Gaiman (GN) (R ) (F) (YA)
77. Succubus Blues - Rachelle Mead (S) (V)
78. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (v.2) - Alan Moore (GN) (S) (SF)
79. Skin Tight - Laurel K. Hamilton (S)(V)
80. Palimpsest - Catherynne M. Valente (F)
81. A Wizard of Earthsea - Ursula K. LeGuin (F) (S)
82. A People's History of the American Empire - Howard Zinn, et al (GN) (NF)
83. The Sharing Knife: Beguilement - Lois McMaster Bujold (F) (S)
84. The Gates of Sleep - Mercedes Lackey (S) (F)
85. Sandman: Dream Country - Neil Gaiman (GN) (R ) (S) (F)
86. Wildwood Dancing - Juliet Marillier (S) (F) (YA)
87. Skinny Dip - Carl Hiassan
88. Bread and Butter Journey - Anne Culver (YA) (S) (R )
89. Cry Wolf - Patricia Briggs (S) (V)
90. No Humans Involved - Kelley Armstrong (S) (V)
91. Double Whammy - Carl Hiassan
92. The Wooden Sea - Jonathan Carroll (F)
93. Lady of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley (S) (F)
94. The House Where Nobody Lived - Brad Strikland (YA) (M) (S)
95. City of Bones - Cassandra Clare (S)(YA) (V)
96. Touch of Twilight - Vicki Pettersson (S)(V)
97. The Halloween Tree - Ray Bradbury (R ) (YA) (SF)
98. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
99. Sandman: Season of Mists - Neil Gaiman (GN) (R ) (S) (F)
100. Real Food for Mother and Baby - Nina Planck (NF) (S)
101. The Austure Academy - Lemony Snickett (YA) (S)
102. The Ersatz Elevator - Lemony Snickett (YA) (S)
103. The Vile Village - Lemony Snickett (YA) (S)
104. The Hostile Hospital - Lemony Snickett (YA) (S)
105. The Carniverous Carnival - Lemony Snickett (YA) (S)
106. The Slippery Slope - Lemony Snickett (YA) (S)
107. The Grim Grotto - Lemony Snickett (YA) (S)
108. The Pentultimate Peril - Lemony Snickett (YA) (S)
109. The End - Lemony Snickett (YA) (S)
110. Quicker than the Eye - Ray Bradbury (SW) (SF)
111. Feminist Theory from Margin to Center - bell hooks (NF) (AOC)
112. The Ghostway - Tony Hillerman (S) (M)
113. The Sharing Knife: Legacy - Lois McMaster Bujold (F) (S)
114. Sandman: Game of You - Neil Gaiman (GN) (R ) (S) (F)
115. The Sharing Knife: Passage - Lois McMaster Bujold (F) (S)
116. City of Ashes - Cassandra Clare (S)(YA) (V)
117. Kissing the Witch - Emma Donoghue (YA) (SW) (F)
118. The Sharing Knife: Horizon - Lois McMaster Bujold (F) (S)
119. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens (R )
120. Odd and the Frost Giants - Neil Gaiman (YA) (F)
Chapter books read with Son
1-7 The Magic School Bus Chapter Books (v. 5, 14, 16-20)
8-11. Captain Underpants (v. 1, 3-5)
Dinosaurs - Magic Treehouse Reference Book
Teddy Roosevelt and the Treasure of Ursa Major - Ron Kidd
Chasing George Washington - Ron Kidd
Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone - JK Rowling (R for me) (S)
Started in 2008 or before, finished in 2009
1. Shakespeare's Christmas - Charlaine Harris (2008) (S)
2. Divine Horsemen, The Living Gods of Haiti - Myra Deren (2006) (NF)
In progress (if not started in 2009, starting year in parens)
Ulysses - James Joyce (2005)
Jambalaya - L. Tisch (2007) (AOC) (NF)
Who Let the Dogs In - Molly Ivins (2008) (SW) (NF)
13 1/2 - Nevada Barr (M)
Lover Avenged - J.R. Ward (S) (V)
Island of the Could Not Finish
Guilty Pleasures v 2 - Laurel K. Hamilton (GN) (S) (V)
One for the Money - Janet Evanovich (S)(M)
Tag Against Time - Helen Hughes Vick (YA) (S) (SF)
Un Lun Dun - China Mieville (YA) (F)
No Defense - Kate Wilhelm (S)(M)
Some coding:
(AOC) = Author of Color
(F) = Fantasy
(GN) = Graphic Novel
(M) = Mystery
(NF) = Non-fiction
(R ) = Reread
(S) = Series
(SF) = Science Fiction
(SW) = Short Works
(V) = Vampires, werewolves, and witches, oh my!
(YA) = Young Adult
Read Entirely in 2009
1. Heat Lightning - John Sandford (S) (M)
2. The Discworld Graphic Novels (The Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic)- Terry Pratchett (GN) (SF) (S)
3. Brisingr - Christopher Paolini (YA) (S) (F)
4. Stolen - Kelly Armstrong (S) (V)
5. MacBeth (original text graphic novel) (GN)
6. Blood Lite (anthology) (SW) (V)
7. Buried Onions - Gary Soto (AOC) (YA)
8. The Tattooed Potato and Other Clues - Ellen Raskin (YA) (R ) (M)
9. The Westing Game - Ellen Raskin (YA) (R ) (M)
10. The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy (AOC)
11. City of Ember - Jeanne DuPrau (YA) (SF) (S) (F)
12. Fables: Sons of Empire - Bill Willingham (GN) (S)
13. Wild Ducks Flying Backwards - Tom Robbins (SW)
14. Blue Light - Walter Mosley (AOC) (SF)
15. Snow White and Rose Red - Patricia Wrede (F)
16. Coraline - Neil Gaiman (R ) (YA)
17. Fledgling - Octavia Butler (AOC) (V)
18. Dawn - Octavia Butler (AOC) (S) (SF)
19. American Gods - Neil Gaiman (F) (R )
20. All the Colors of Darkness - Peter Robinson (M)(S)
21. White Witch, Black Curse - Kim Harrison (S) (V)
22. Blood Bound - Patricia Briggs (S) (V)
23. Chalice - Robin McKinley (F) (read a second time in December)
24. Beauty - Robin McKinley (F)
25. Dinosaur Tales - Ray Bradbury (R of most stories) (SF) (SW)
26. Wolfskin - Juliet Marillier (S) (F)
27. The Beast Under the Wizard's Bridge - John Bellairs/Brad Strickland (M) (S) (YA)
28. Wolf Tower - Tanith Lee (S) (F) (YA)
29. Superior Saturday - Garth Nix (F) (S) (SF) (YA)
30. Dime Store Magic - Kelly Armstrong (S) (V)
31. Industrial Magic - Kelly Armstrong (S) (V)
32. Four is a Crowd - Emily Chase (S) (YA)
33. Dead Girls are Easy - Terry Gerey (S) (V)
34. Lessons from the Fat-O-Sphere - Kate Harding & Marianne Kirby (NF)
35. Taste of Night - Vicki Pettersson (S)(V)
36. Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley (S) (SF)
37. Iron Kissed - Patricia Briggs (S) (V)
38. Tithe - Holly Black (S) (F) (YA)
39. Uglies - Scott Westerfeld (S) (SF) (YA)
40. A Match Made in Hell - Terry Garey (S) (V)
41. Pretties - Scott Westerfeld (S) (SF) (YA)
42. Dead and Gone - Charlaine Harris (S)(V)
43. Nation - Terry Pratchett (YA)(SF)
44. Damage Control - J.A. Jance (S)(M)
45. Haunted - Kelly Armstrong (S) (V)
46. Specials - Scott Westerfeld (S) (SF) (YA)
47. Broken - Kelly Armstrong (S) (V)
48. Hatter M - Frank Beddor, et al (S)(GN)(F)
49. A Child Across the Sky - Jonathan Carroll (F)
50. Stormy Weather - Carl Hiassen
51. Foxmask - Juliet Marillier (S) (F)
52. Jenny of the Tetons - Kristiana Gregory (YA)
53. Appointment with Death - Agatha Christie (M)
54. Adulthood Rites - Octavia Butler (AOC) (S) (SF)
55. Lucky You - Carl Hiassen
56. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (R ) (S) (F) (YA)
57. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (F) (R ) (S) (TA)
58. Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation - Ray Bradbury, Tim Hamilton (R for text) (GN) (SF)
59. Wicked Prey - John Sanford (M) (S)
60. Naamah's Kiss - Jacqueline Carey (S) (F)
61. 8th Confession - James Patterson (M) (S)
62. Extras - Scott Westerfeld (S) (SF) (YA)
63. The Forest House - Marion Zimmer Bradley (S) (F)
64. Heir to Sevenwaters - Juliet Marillier (S) (F)
65. Bone Crossed - Patricia Briggs (S) (V)
66. Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes - Neil Gaiman (GN) (R ) (S) (F)
67. Rose Daughter - Robin McKinley (F)
68. White Apples - Jonathan Carroll (F)
69. Making Money - Terry Pratchett (S) (SF)
70. The Dark Mirror - Juliet Marillier (S) (F)
71. Fables: The Good Prince - Bill Willingham (GN) (S)
72. Embroideries - Marjane Satrapi (AOC) (GN) (S)
73. The Blade of Fortiu - Juliet Marillier (S) (F)
74. Sandman: The Doll's House - Neil Gaiman (GN) (R ) (S) (F)
75. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (v.1) - Alan Moore (GN) (S) (SF)
76. Coraline: The Graphic Novel - Neil Gaiman (GN) (R ) (F) (YA)
77. Succubus Blues - Rachelle Mead (S) (V)
78. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (v.2) - Alan Moore (GN) (S) (SF)
79. Skin Tight - Laurel K. Hamilton (S)(V)
80. Palimpsest - Catherynne M. Valente (F)
81. A Wizard of Earthsea - Ursula K. LeGuin (F) (S)
82. A People's History of the American Empire - Howard Zinn, et al (GN) (NF)
83. The Sharing Knife: Beguilement - Lois McMaster Bujold (F) (S)
84. The Gates of Sleep - Mercedes Lackey (S) (F)
85. Sandman: Dream Country - Neil Gaiman (GN) (R ) (S) (F)
86. Wildwood Dancing - Juliet Marillier (S) (F) (YA)
87. Skinny Dip - Carl Hiassan
88. Bread and Butter Journey - Anne Culver (YA) (S) (R )
89. Cry Wolf - Patricia Briggs (S) (V)
90. No Humans Involved - Kelley Armstrong (S) (V)
91. Double Whammy - Carl Hiassan
92. The Wooden Sea - Jonathan Carroll (F)
93. Lady of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley (S) (F)
94. The House Where Nobody Lived - Brad Strikland (YA) (M) (S)
95. City of Bones - Cassandra Clare (S)(YA) (V)
96. Touch of Twilight - Vicki Pettersson (S)(V)
97. The Halloween Tree - Ray Bradbury (R ) (YA) (SF)
98. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
99. Sandman: Season of Mists - Neil Gaiman (GN) (R ) (S) (F)
100. Real Food for Mother and Baby - Nina Planck (NF) (S)
101. The Austure Academy - Lemony Snickett (YA) (S)
102. The Ersatz Elevator - Lemony Snickett (YA) (S)
103. The Vile Village - Lemony Snickett (YA) (S)
104. The Hostile Hospital - Lemony Snickett (YA) (S)
105. The Carniverous Carnival - Lemony Snickett (YA) (S)
106. The Slippery Slope - Lemony Snickett (YA) (S)
107. The Grim Grotto - Lemony Snickett (YA) (S)
108. The Pentultimate Peril - Lemony Snickett (YA) (S)
109. The End - Lemony Snickett (YA) (S)
110. Quicker than the Eye - Ray Bradbury (SW) (SF)
111. Feminist Theory from Margin to Center - bell hooks (NF) (AOC)
112. The Ghostway - Tony Hillerman (S) (M)
113. The Sharing Knife: Legacy - Lois McMaster Bujold (F) (S)
114. Sandman: Game of You - Neil Gaiman (GN) (R ) (S) (F)
115. The Sharing Knife: Passage - Lois McMaster Bujold (F) (S)
116. City of Ashes - Cassandra Clare (S)(YA) (V)
117. Kissing the Witch - Emma Donoghue (YA) (SW) (F)
118. The Sharing Knife: Horizon - Lois McMaster Bujold (F) (S)
119. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens (R )
120. Odd and the Frost Giants - Neil Gaiman (YA) (F)
Chapter books read with Son
1-7 The Magic School Bus Chapter Books (v. 5, 14, 16-20)
8-11. Captain Underpants (v. 1, 3-5)
Dinosaurs - Magic Treehouse Reference Book
Teddy Roosevelt and the Treasure of Ursa Major - Ron Kidd
Chasing George Washington - Ron Kidd
Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone - JK Rowling (R for me) (S)
Started in 2008 or before, finished in 2009
1. Shakespeare's Christmas - Charlaine Harris (2008) (S)
2. Divine Horsemen, The Living Gods of Haiti - Myra Deren (2006) (NF)
In progress (if not started in 2009, starting year in parens)
Ulysses - James Joyce (2005)
Jambalaya - L. Tisch (2007) (AOC) (NF)
Who Let the Dogs In - Molly Ivins (2008) (SW) (NF)
13 1/2 - Nevada Barr (M)
Lover Avenged - J.R. Ward (S) (V)
Island of the Could Not Finish
One for the Money - Janet Evanovich (S)(M)
Tag Against Time - Helen Hughes Vick (YA) (S) (SF)
Un Lun Dun - China Mieville (YA) (F)
No Defense - Kate Wilhelm (S)(M)
Some coding:
(AOC) = Author of Color
(F) = Fantasy
(GN) = Graphic Novel
(M) = Mystery
(NF) = Non-fiction
(R ) = Reread
(S) = Series
(SF) = Science Fiction
(SW) = Short Works
(V) = Vampires, werewolves, and witches, oh my!
(YA) = Young Adult
And now for some analysis:
So, definitely met the standing 100+ books goal with 120 unique books last year.
In addition, there were 2 books that I started prior to this year and finished, one that’s part of a mystery series, another non-fiction history of Haitian voodoo.
I gave up on 5 books entirely. Of these, 3 were by authors I’ve read before and enjoyed, including one adaptation from a book I enjoyed originally and one sequel.
As of Jan. 1, I had 5 books still in progress (note that of the 2 started in 2009, 1 I’ve given up on and 1 is completed, but that’s for a year from now). The 3 remaining are from previous years. Maybe this will be the year I actually plow through Ulysses.
I got pretty haphazard about tracking reading with the boy this year. Ultimately, I just started noting books that I would/have read on my own as well. I’m just not up for keeping track of 40 Scooby Doo chapter books.
As for the rest of the analysis:
• 15 of these were rereads, and that doesn’t count that I read 1 book twice.
• 83 were books in series of various kinds.
• In terms of genre, 39 were fantasy (as defined personally), 37 were YA, 19 sci-fi, 22 involved vampires, werewolves or other staples of urban fantasy (I categorized these differently, because Anita Blake just feels different to me than, say, Mists of Avalon), 11 were mysteries
• In terms of form, 5 were short works (usually short stories), 17 were graphic novels and 4 were non-fiction (and 1 of those was a graphic novel)
• Looking at authors, only 8 books were written by authors identified as non-white, 26 total were new to me (accounting for roughly 38 books read) and approximately 58 distinct authors represented overall.
Every year I tend to beat myself up for the fact that I read a lot of genre fiction and not a lot of “classics” or books that are generally heralded as books of substance. But screw that. I read for entertainment and what entertains me are stories about vampires and fictional societies where magic exists in some form and dystopic alien worlds and mysteries where I can lose myself for a while. I could whip out my hairshirt about the fact that I don’t really enjoy biographies and non-fiction much outside of humorous pop-cult essays, but really, why bother. I still read more than probably 90% of the population and I’m teaching my kid to value reading for its own sake and am continuing to discover new sub-genres and authors that I thoroughly enjoy. So, go me. Or something like that.
So, definitely met the standing 100+ books goal with 120 unique books last year.
In addition, there were 2 books that I started prior to this year and finished, one that’s part of a mystery series, another non-fiction history of Haitian voodoo.
I gave up on 5 books entirely. Of these, 3 were by authors I’ve read before and enjoyed, including one adaptation from a book I enjoyed originally and one sequel.
As of Jan. 1, I had 5 books still in progress (note that of the 2 started in 2009, 1 I’ve given up on and 1 is completed, but that’s for a year from now). The 3 remaining are from previous years. Maybe this will be the year I actually plow through Ulysses.
I got pretty haphazard about tracking reading with the boy this year. Ultimately, I just started noting books that I would/have read on my own as well. I’m just not up for keeping track of 40 Scooby Doo chapter books.
As for the rest of the analysis:
• 15 of these were rereads, and that doesn’t count that I read 1 book twice.
• 83 were books in series of various kinds.
• In terms of genre, 39 were fantasy (as defined personally), 37 were YA, 19 sci-fi, 22 involved vampires, werewolves or other staples of urban fantasy (I categorized these differently, because Anita Blake just feels different to me than, say, Mists of Avalon), 11 were mysteries
• In terms of form, 5 were short works (usually short stories), 17 were graphic novels and 4 were non-fiction (and 1 of those was a graphic novel)
• Looking at authors, only 8 books were written by authors identified as non-white, 26 total were new to me (accounting for roughly 38 books read) and approximately 58 distinct authors represented overall.
Every year I tend to beat myself up for the fact that I read a lot of genre fiction and not a lot of “classics” or books that are generally heralded as books of substance. But screw that. I read for entertainment and what entertains me are stories about vampires and fictional societies where magic exists in some form and dystopic alien worlds and mysteries where I can lose myself for a while. I could whip out my hairshirt about the fact that I don’t really enjoy biographies and non-fiction much outside of humorous pop-cult essays, but really, why bother. I still read more than probably 90% of the population and I’m teaching my kid to value reading for its own sake and am continuing to discover new sub-genres and authors that I thoroughly enjoy. So, go me. Or something like that.
no subject
I love all the YA that you have listed. Do you read it as a prescreen for R. or is it just for your enjoyment? I've not read the Lemony Snickett series but I'm so very tempted--it was worth it?
no subject
The new stuff tends to skew a little older and is just for me - some of it is pretty borderline. I suspect in a more conservative community, some of what our local library shelves as YA would be in adult sci-fi/fantasy. Likewise, some of the McKinley and Marriller I have listed are actually shelved YA, but I don't personally think of them that way.
The Lemony Snickett is...okay. I started reading the series when it first came out and lost steam after the first 4 books. It is classic early YA in that the plots are highly repetitive, the villain is always the same, etc and after a while I just got bored and didn't go back to it when the next book came out. A couple of years ago I had a bunch of accumulated bookmooch points and slowly mooched the rest of the series and decided it would be fun to just plow through them this fall (it was definitely nice light reading when I had the flu in October). I doubt I'll ever read them again, except with the kids, but they are fun little reads and worth either getting from your local library or from a swap site. I don't know that I'd spend $13 a book (since the commercial releases are all hardcover), though it looks like you can get the whole 13 book set for less than $100 through Amazon. If you do decide to try to mooch them, a lot might be softcover, because Scholastic book clubs did softcover releases, so I have a mix (to the extent that consistent formats are important).