Dogeared Copy's Lesegarten

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Dogeared Copy's Lesegarten

1Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: feb. 8, 2015, 12:14 am

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INTRO

The idea behind the Lesegarten ("Reading Garden") is that I'm seeding 15 surprise flower beds (categories) along a super lattice (the 2015 Category Challenge itself.) The first couple of dozen books that I read in 2015 will most likely inform what the categories will look like. Some flowers will flourish, some will probably be transplanted, and some may very well turn out to be weeds! For example, if the very first title I read in 2015 is a Dresden Files audiobook, I have the choice of making a "15th in series" category, creating a "Wizards" cat, creating an audiobook category and/or putting it in the SFFFCAT if it fits... If later on in the year, the title would fit better in another category, or I need to make room on the lattice for a more promising category, then I could move it.

After I set up a category, then I can decide on an appropriate picture.

This is an experiment to wean myself away from the addiction of making lists and locking myself into them; but at the same time appeasing my sorting compulsions! :-)

2Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: nov. 2, 2015, 11:39 am

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I. NON-FICTION: GENERAL

Citizen Keane: The Big Lies Behind the Big Eyes (by Adam Parfrey and Cletus Nelson) #NF #art #popart #kitsch #bigeyes
The End of Power: From Boardrooms to Battlefields and Churches to States, Why Being In Charge Isn't What It Used to Be (by Moisés Naím) #NF #socialscience #power
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing (by Marie Kondo) #NF #selfhelp #decluttering
What I Know for Sure (written and narrated by Oprah Winfrey) #NF #wisdom #motivational
The Looting Machine: Warlords, Oligarchs, Corporations, Smugglers, and the Theft of Africa's Wealth (by Tom Burgis) #NF #Africa
Rejection Proof: How I Beat Fear and Became Invincible Through 100 Days of Rejection (by Jia Jiang) #NF #behavior #rejection
Orson Welles's Last Movie: The Making of The Other Side of the Wind (by Josh Karp) #NF #film
❀ Prove It with Pictures: Building an Audience That Cares About You (by Pierre Walters; narrated by Jim Denison) #NF #business #branding
❀ Healing Grief through Meditation: A Guide to Spiritual Wellness for the Bereaved (by Lora C. Mercado; narrated by Matilda Novak) #NF #selfhelp
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration (by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace) #NF #business
Between the World and Me (written and narrated by Ta-Nehisi Coates) #NF #sociology #race

DNF
No Ordinary Disruption: The Four Global Forces Breaking All the Trends (by Richard Dobbs and James Manyika) - The premise sounded really intriguing: about game changers in world business; but it ended up being a statistics info dump to the point I couldn't even remember what the heck the authors were talking about. Sorry, but this one made my eyeballs bleed :-( #NF #Business
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly) - A feminist tract written in 1792 in response to pamphlet that John Burke wrote, it's language and style are both archaic and overblown. As important as it is in modern feminism and a reflection of the public discourse of philosophical topics, I had no patience for it. #NF #WomensStudies

3Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: des. 6, 2015, 3:13 pm

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II. NON-FICTION: BIOGRAPHIES, MEMOIRS AND AUTOBIOGRAPHIES

A Fighting Chance (Written and Narrated by Elizabeth Warren) #NF #memoirs #politics
Herbie Hancock: Possibilities (by Herbie Hancock with Lisa Dickey; narrated by Herbie Hancock) #NF #memoirs #music
Not My Father's Son (written and narrated by Alan Cumming) #NF #memoirs #familyrelationships
Yes, Please (written by Amy Poehler; narrated by Amy Poehler, Carol Burnett, Seth Meyers, Mike Schur, Eileen Poehler, William Poehler, Patrick Stewart, and Kathleen Turner) #NF #memoirs #humor
Man in Profile: Joseph Mitchell of The New Yorker (by Thomas Kunkel) #NF #Biography
Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas (by Jim Ottaviani; illustrated by Maris Wicks) #NF #GN #Anthropology #Apes
Empire of Self: A Life of Gore Vidal (by Jay Parini) #NF #biography #authors
The True History of the Elephant Man: The Definitive Account of the Tragic and Extraordinary Life of Joseph Carey Merrick (by Peter Ford and Michael Howell) #NF #biography #medical
Daring: My Passages: A Memoir (by Gail Sheehy; narrated by Bernadette Dunne) #NF #memoirs #Journalism
Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir (written and narrated by Jenny Lawson) #NF #memoirs #blogger #bloggess
Bossypants (written and narrated by Tina Fey) #NF #memoirs #humor
❀ Living On Air: Adventures in Broadcasting (by Joe Cipriano and Ann Cipriano; narrated by Joe Cipriano) #NF #memoirs #voiceover
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things (written and narrated by Jenny Lawson) #NF #memoirs #blogger #blogess
Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg (by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik; narrated by Andi Arndt) #NF #biography #supremecourt

CURRENTLY LISTENING TO:
Just Kids (written and narrated by Patti Smith) #NF #autobiography #memoir #mapplethorpe

4Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: des. 4, 2015, 3:51 pm

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III. CRIME/MYSTERY/SUSPENSE/THRILLERS

The Whites (by Harry Brandt) #crime

The Bat (Harry Hole series, #1; by Jo Nesbo; translated by Dan Bartlett) #mystery #policeprocedural #translation
The Man with a Load of Mischief (Richard Jury series, Book #1; by Martha Grimes) #mystery #cozy #martha
Death of a Gossip (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries, Book #1; by M.C. Beaton) #mystery

The Housewife Assassin's Handbook (Housewife Assassin's Handbook, #1; by Josie Brown)#spythriller #romcom
The Housewife Assassin's Guide to Gracious Killing (Housewife Assassin's Handbook, #2; by Josie Brown)#spythriller #romcom

The Silver Pigs (Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries, Book #1; by Lindsey Davis) #mystery #histfic
Shadows in Bronze (Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries, Book #2; by Lindsey Davis) #mystery #histfic
Venus in Copper (Marcus Didus Falco Mysteries, Book #3; by Lyndsey Davis) #mystery #histfic
The Iron Hand of Mars (Marcus Didius Falco series, Book #4; by Lindsey Davis) #mystery #histfic
Poseidon's Gold (Marcus Didius Falco series, Book #5; by Lindsey Davis) #mystery #histfic
Last Act in Palmyra (Marcus Didius Falco series, Book #6; by Lindsey Davis) #mystery #histfic #AD72
Time to Depart (Marcus Didius Falco series, Book #7; by Lindsey Davis) #mystery #histfic #AD72

The Power of the Dog (Cartel series, Book #1; by Don Winslow; narrated by Ray Porter) #thriller #suspense #cartel

CURRENTLY LISTENING TO:
The Cartel (Cartel series, Book #2; by Don Winslow; narrated by Ray Porter) #thriller #suspense #cartel

5Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: des. 19, 2015, 1:28 pm

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IV. ROMANCE

Last year, I dnloaded a number of Romance ebooks from AMZN and B&N for my Kindle and Nook apps respectively. They were often cheap in both price and quality ("You get what you pay for") so this year I decided on a slightly different tack: Sarah Wendell (Smart Bitches, Trashy Books) puts out an e-mail newsletter ever week (Friday) which highlights e-book sales in the romance genre. At the week's end, it's nice to take a break from whatever else I'm reading and devour a selection from her list! Most of the titles listed below are from her newsletter, and while it's been a bit of a hit and miss thing in terms of what appeals to me, the overall quality of my "Friday Night Read" has been better :-)

Lucien's Fall (by Barbara Samuel) #romance #regency
Scandal's Bride (Cynster Novels, Book #3; by Stephanie Laurens) #romance #regency
As an Earl Desires (Lost Lords series, Book #1; by Lorraine Heath) #romance #regency #histfic
The Perils of Pleasure (Pennyroyal Green series, Book #1; by Julie Ann Long) #romance #regency
Diary of an Accidental Wallflower (The Seduction Diaries, Book #1; by Jennifer McQuiston) #romance #regency
Season for Scandal (Holiday Pleasures series, Book #3; by Theresa Romain) #romance #regency
Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake (Love by the Numbers, Book #1; by Sarah MacLean) #romance #regency
A Kiss at Midnight (Fairy Tales series, Book #1; by Eloisa James) #romance #regency

Instant Attraction (The Wilder Series, Book #1; by Jill Shalvis) #romance #contemporary #colorado
❀ Breaking His Rules (Feeling the Heat series, Nook #4; by Alison Packard) #romance #contemporary #california
Taking Heart (Healing Harts, Book #2; by T.J. Kline) #romance #contemporary #PTSD #western
Nuts (The Hudson Valley series, Book #1; by Alice Clayton) #romance #contemporary #NY
The Best Man (The Blue Heron series, Book #1; by Kristan Higgins) #romance #contemporary #NY

The Frenchman (Jet-Setters & Jeopardy series, Book #1; by Lesley Young) #romance #contemporary #france
The Australian (Jet-Setters & Jeopardy series, Book #2; by Lesley Young) #romance #contemporary #australia
Baby, I'm Yours (by Susan Anderson) #romance #contemporary

Playing Dirty (Bad Boys Undercover series, Book #1; by HelenKay Dimon) #romance #contemporary #thriller
Running Hot (Bad Boys Undercover series, Prequel; by HelenKay Dimon) #romance #contemporary #thriller

Wallbanger (The Cocktail series, Book #1; by Alice Clayton) #romance #contemporary #humor #SanFrancisco
Rusty Nailed (The Cocktail series, Book #2; by Alice Clayton) #romance #contemporary #humor #SanFrancisco
Screwdrivered (The Cocktail series, Book #3; by Alice Clayton) #romance #contemporary #humor #Mendocino
Mai Tai'd Up (The Cocktail series, Book #4; by Alice Clayton) #romance #contemporary #humor #Monterey

The Proposition (The Proposition series, Book #1; by Katie Ashley) #romance #contemporary #GA
The Proposal (The Proposition series, Book #2; by Katie Ashley #romance #contemporary #GA
The Party (The Proposition series, Prequel; by Katie Ashley) #romance #contemporary #GA

❀ 'A December Bride' - a novella by Denise Hunter; and 'A January Bride' (by Deborah Raney) from the collection, Winter Brides #novella #romance #christian

COMPLETED

6Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: des. 22, 2015, 1:19 pm

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V. EROTICA

Just One Night (Just One Night series, Book #1; by Kyra Davis) #romance #erotica
Just Once (by Juliana Keyes) #romance #erotica #colorado
Bettie Page Presents: The Librarian (by Logan Belle) #romance #erotica #contemporary
FIT (The Fit Trilogy, Book #1; by Rebekah Weatherspoon) #romance #erotica #contemporary #California
Tied Up, Tied Down (Rough Riders series, Book #4; by Lorelei James) #romance #erotica #cowboy #contemporary
The Theory of Attraction (The Science of Temptation, Nook #1; by Delphine Dryden) #romance #erotica #contemporary #houston #texas
Surrender (by Tawny Taylor) #romance #erotica #contemporary #usa

The Professional (Game Maker series, Book #1; by Kresley Cole) #romance #erotica #contemporary #russia
The Master (Game Maker series, Book #2; by Kresley Cole) #romance #erotica #contemporary #Florida

Playing the Game (Neighborly Affections, Book #1; by M.Q. Barber) #romance #erotica #contemporary
Crossing the Lines (Neighborly Affections, Book #2; by M.Q. Barber) #romance #erotica #contemporary
Healing the Wounds (Neighborly Affections, Book #3; by M.Q. Barber) #romance #erotica #contemporary

❀ Faerie'uckers (by Taylor Morrison) #fantasy #erotica

DNF
Mercy (Holton Woods series, Book #1; by Helenkay Dimon) - The female protag basically traded sex for information, and then sex for security; and the male protag was weak-willed despite being portrayed as an alpha male. It's a bad sign when right off when you're disappointed that the "hero" doesn't shoot/kill off the "heroine."

7Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: des. 22, 2015, 1:15 pm

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VI. HUMOR

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk (by David Sedaris; narrated by David Sedaris, Elaine Stritch, Dylan Baker and Siân Phillips ) #humor #essays
Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened (by Allie Brosh) #humor #blogiverse
Wild Thing (Dr. Peter Brown series, Book #2; by Josh Bazell; narrated by Robert Petkoff) #humor #fiction
Me Talk Pretty One Day (written and narrated by David Sedaris) #humor #essays

8Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: nov. 28, 2015, 5:23 pm

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VII. PARANORMAL

Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet (by Joanne Proulx) #Bildungsroman #paranormal #prophecy

First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson series, Book #1; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romantic #suspense
❀ "For I Have Sinned" (Charely Davidson Short Story; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romantic #suspense
Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson series, Book #2; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romantic #suspense
Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson series, Book #3; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romantic #suspense
Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet (Charley Davidson series, Book #4; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romantic #suspense
Fifth Grave Past the Light (Charley Davidson series, Book #5, by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romance #suspense
Sixth Grave On the Edge (Charley Davidson series, Book #6; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romance #suspense
Seventh Grave and No Body (Charley Davidson series, Book #7; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romance #suspense
Brighter Than the Sun (Charley Davidson series, Prequel; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romance #suspense
Eighth Grave After Dark (Charley Davidson series, Book #8; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romance #suspense

Dead Witch Walking (The Hollows, Book #1; by Kim Harrison) #paranormal #suspense

Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress series, Book #1; by Jeaniene Frost) #paranormal #romance #suspense
One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress series, Book #2; by Jeaniene Frost) #paranormal #romance #suspense

Dark Prince (The Dark Carpathian series, Book #1; by Christine Feehan) #paranormal #romance

DNF
Moon Called (Mercy Thompson series, Book #1; by Patricia Briggs) - This is another Buffy-type series wherein the protag is a strong female dealing with some sort of paranormal enemy. In this case, Mercy Thompson is a mechanic with her own garage in Eastern Washington state who also happens to be a shapeshifting witch. She lives in a community of werewolves and fae, who have been outted in this near future version of the world, and knows all the protocols that will prevent her from being eaten. In this first-in-series, Mercy is competent and steady-nerved; and her enemies appear to be a werewolf who has been changing humans into werewolves, kidnapping them, and them selling them to a pharma concern. I got 85 pages in; but it just wasn't working for me: The writing was a bit "boggy" with exposition; and the relationship with her werewolf neighbor ambiguous and without heat...

COMPLETED

9Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: nov. 8, 2022, 3:43 am

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VIII. CLASSICS

A Midsummer’s Night Dream (by William Shakespeare) #Classics #Shakespeare #play #comedy
Hamlet (by William Shakespeare #Classics #Shakespeare #play #tragedy
Twelfth Night (by William Shakespeare) #Classics #Shakespeare #play #comedy

Around the World in Eighty Days (by Jules Verne) #SFF #sfffcat
The Island of Doctor Moreau (by H.G. Wells) #SFF #Classic
The Time Machine (by H.G. Wells) #SFF #Classic #TimeTravel
The Chronic Argonauts (by H.G. Wells) #SFF #Classic #TimeTravel
The Wonderful Visit (by H.G. Wells) #SFF #Classic #angel
Kidnapped (David Balfour, Book #1; by Robert Louis Stevenson; narrated by Kieron Elliott) #Classic #maritime
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (by Robert Louis Stevenson) #Classics #Horror

A Christmas Carol (The Prompt Copy by Charles Dickens; performed by Neil Gaiman) #Classics #Christmas #GhostStory

The Sphinx (by Edgar Allan Poe) #Classic #SFF #short
The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether (by Edgar Allan Poe) #Classics #SFF #short
A Tale of the Ragged Mountains (by Edgar Allan Poe) #Classics #SFF #short
A Descent into the Maelström (by Edgar Allan Poe) #Classics #SFF #short
The Invisible Man (by H.G. Wells) #Classics #SFF

CURRENTLY READING
The Turn of the Screw, The Aspern Papers and Two Stories (by Henry James) #Classics #Christmas #GhostStory

DNF
Middlemarch (by George Eliot; narrated by Juliet Stevenson) This just wasn't for me at all. I found "Dodo" tedious and wishing she would meet an early death. Probably not the sentiment you want to have for the protag of a piece! It may be that I just don't have the patience for over-earnest and naive types :-/ #Classics

COMPLETED

10Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: des. 14, 2015, 8:19 pm

IX. MIDDLE GRADE & YOUNG ADULT BOOKS

Liar & Spy (by Rebecca Stead) #670L #MG #OBOB #FIC
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (by Stephen Chbosky) #720L #YA #epistolary
There's a Hair in My Dirt! (by Gary Larson) #760L #MG #FIC #Illustrated #biology
What We Found in the Sofa and How It Saved the World (by Henry Clark; narrated by Bryan Kennedy) #MG #730L #audiobook #Fantasy
Illyria (by Elizabeth Hand) #YA #weird #HL790L

DNF
Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon (by Steve Sheinkin; narrated by Roy Samuelson) This was a very dry account of the the lead-up to build the atomic bomb. Lots and lots of information to remember, but neither the story nor the narrator was particularly engaging. #920L #NF #MG #history #WWII #science #nuclearphysicists

11Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: des. 30, 2015, 3:02 am

X. MISCELLANEOUS

Pirate Latitudes (by Michael Crichton) #adventures #pirates #HistFic #HISTcat #17thC
The Water Museum (by Luis Alberto Urrea) #shorts
The Sun Also Rises (by Ernest Hemingway) #moveablefeast
The Nick Adams Stories (by Ernest Hemingway) #shorts
'Salem's Lot (by Stephen King; narrated by Ron McLarty; with an Introduction narrated by Stephen King) #horror #supernatural #paranormal
We, the Drowned (by Carsten Jensen) #maritime #adventures #denmark
Fortune Smiles (by Adam Johnson) #shorts
Sin City: The Hard Goodbye (3rd Edition; Sin City Book #1; by Frank Miller) #gn #noir
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (3rd Edition; Sin City Book #2; by Frank Miller) #gn #noir
Sin City: The Big Fat Kill (3rd Edition; Sin City Book #3; by Frank Miller) #gn #noir

DNF
Pretty Is (by Maggie Mitchell) - I read the first fifty pages or so, and what I got from this story about two women who, as 12-year olds, were kidnapped and held for a few months, was a dirty feeling. Not dirty in the sense of being pornographic, but just wanting to wash my hands of the whole thing both literally and figuratively. The tone/style reminded me very much of Alice Sebold's 'The Almost Moon': The characters were unlikable, and promised nothing in return for hanging out with them, either in redemption or in an epiphany; and the author proffered neither absurdity nor humor.

12Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: set. 13, 2015, 1:23 pm

XI. PERSONAL SUMMER READING CHALLENGE

GOAL: 50 BOOKS

COMPLETED
01. Sixth Grave on the Edge (Charley Davidson series, book #6; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romance #suspense
02. The Fold (by Peter Clines) #SFF #contemporary
03. Seventh Grave and No Body (Charley Davidson series, Book #7; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romance #suspense
04. Just Once (by Julianna Keyes) #romance #erotica
05. Death of a Gossip (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries, Book #1; by M.C. Beaton) #cozy #mystery
06. Instant Attraction (Wilder series, Book #1; by Jill Shalvis) #romance #contemporary #colorado
07. As an Earl Desires (Lost Lords series, Book #1; by Lorraine Heath) #romance #histfic #regency
08. Venus in Copper (Marcus Didius Falco series, Book #3; by Lindsey Davis) #histfic #mystery
09. Liar's Key (The Red Queen's War trilogy, Book #2; by Mark Lawrence) #SFF #PA
10. The Perils of Pleasure (Pennyroyal Green series, Book #1; by Julie Ann Long) #romance #regency
11. The Diary of an Accidental Wallflower (The Seduction Diaries, Book #1; by Jennifer McQuiston) #romance #regency
12. Breaking His Rules (Feeling the Heat, Book #4; by Alison Packard) #romance #contemporary
13. Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration (by Ed Catmull)
14. A Midsummer’s Night Dream (by William Shakespeare) #HISTcat #16thC #artandculture #Shakespeare #play #comedy
15. Season for Scandal (Holiday Pleasures series, Book #3; by Theresa Romain) #romance #regency
16. Pirate Latitudes (by Michael Crichton) #adventure #pirates #HistFic
17. Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake (Love by the Numbers, Book #1; by Sarah MacLean) #romance #regency
18. The Paris Wife (by Paula McLain) #HistFic #1920s #MoveableFeast #Hemingway
19. The Water Museum (by Luis Alberto Urrea) #shorts #BooktopiaMI
20. Armada (by Ernest Cline)
21. The Frenchman (Jet-Setters & Jeopardy series, Book #1; by Lesley Young) #romance #comtemporary
22. The Junkie Quatrain (by Peter Clines) #ZombieApocalypse #Horror
23. Blue is the Warmest Color (by Julie Maroh) #GN #French #LGBTQ
24. The Australian (Jet-Setters & Jeopardy series, Book #2; by Lesley Young) #romance #contemporary #australia
25. The Sun Also Rises (by Ernest Hemingway) #moveablefeast
26. The Iron Hand of Mars (Marcus Didius Falco series, Book #4; by Lindsey Davis) #HistFic #Mystery #AD71
27. Playing Dirty (Bad Boys Undercover series, Book #1; by HelenKay Dimon) #romance #contemporary #thriller
28. Running Hot (Bad Boys Undercover series, Prequel; by HelenKay Dimon) #romance #contemporary #thriller
29. Circling the Sun (by Paua McLain) #histfic #1920s #Kenya #HappyValley #OutofAfrica
30. Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas (by Jim Ottaviani; illustrated by Maris Wicks) #NF #GN #Anthropology #Apes
31. Taking Heart (Healing Harts, Book #2; by T.J. Kline) #romance #contemporary #PTSD #western
32. Bettie Page Presents: The Librarian (by Logan Belle) #romance #erotica #contemporary
33. The Professional (Game Maker series, Book #1; by Kresley Cole) #romance #erotica #comtemporary #russia
34. The Time Machine (by H.G. Wells) #SFF #Classic #TimeTravel
35. The Master (Game Maker series, Book #2; by Kresley Cole) #romance #erotica #contemporary #Florida
36. FIT (The Fit Trilogy, Book #1; by Rebekah Weatherspoon) #romance #erotica #contemporary #California
37. Empire of Self: A Life of Gore Vidal (by Jay Parini) #NF #biography #authors
38. Tied Up, Tied Down (Rough Riders series, Book #4; by Lorelei James) #romance #erotica #cowboy #contemporary
39. What We Found in the Sofa and How It Saved the World (by Henry Clark; narrated by Bryan Kennedy) #MG #730L #audiobook #Fantasy
40. Tank Girl: Issue One (by Alan C. Martin; illustrated by Ashley H. Wood) #gn #art
41. Poseidon's Gold (Marcus Didius Falco mysteries, Book #5; by Lindsey Davis) #histfisc #mystery #AD72
42. The Sparrow (by Mary Doria Russell) #SFF #SFFFCat #FirstContact #JesuitsInSpace
43. The Island of Doctor Moreau (by H.G. Wells) #SFF #Classic
44. The Wonderful Visit (by H.G. Wells) #SFF #Classic #angel
45. The Chronic Argonauts (by H.G. Wells) #SFF #Classic #TimeTravel

DNF
* Pretty Is (by Maggie Mitchell) #Fiction
* Libriomancer (by Jim C. Hines) #SFF
* Mercy (Holton Woods series, #1; by Helenkay Dimon) #romance #contemporary #erotica #WDC

Oooh, I see that 'Aurora' (by Kim Stanley Robinson) is coming out July 7th as well. Hmmm, it's pretty epic, so I may have to wait until the Fall before I decide to tackle that one!

ENDED
Well, it's Monday evening and the end of the Labor Day Week-end and Summer, and so my personal reading challenge is over. I managed to read 45 books out of the stated goal of 50. There were tons of books I wanted to get to that didn't make it; and a lot of other books that appeared unexpectedly! Even though I fell a bit short, it has still been a good and diverse reading summer :-)

EDIT: 28JUN2015 - Added Booktopia MI 2015 list; Updated Read and Currently Reading lists
EDIT: 01JUL2015 - Added "DNF" list
EDIT: 12JUL2015 - Created "PERSONAL SUMMER READING LIST" as a category; Added Goal of Fifty Books
EDIT: 31JUL2015 - Deleted OBOB Books from list
EDIT: 07SEP2015 - Deleted sections/lists of books unread and wrote conclusion

N.B. Hmmm, All titles and authors were bracketed and double-bracketed respectively; but it appears that I may have exceeded the touchstone limits for a single post. Unfortunately, this means none of the titles or authors have touchstone links. You can, however, see the works (plus ratings!) in the monthly wrap ups for May (Comment 47, Items 47-50,) June (Comment 65,) July (Comment 67,) and August (Comment 74.) The last few titles will be posted in the September wrap-up at the and of that month.

13Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: set. 27, 2015, 11:44 am

XII. BOTNS BOOK BINGO: SUMMER 2015

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I've been a longtime listener and fan of the Books on the NightStand Podcast! Last summer they put together a Summer Reading Bingo card; and they decided to carry over the idea to this summer as well. I'll be lucky to get five squares, much less a blackout; but it's always fun and interesting to play along :-)

❀ Graphic Novel: Blue is the Warmest Color (by Julie Maroh) #GN #French #LGBTQ
❀ Has Place Name in the Title The Paris Wife (by Paula McLain) #Paris
❀ Set in a Place You Want to Visit: The Frenchman (Jet-Setters & Jeopardy series, Book #1; by Lesley Young) #romance #contemporary #australia
❀ By an Author of a Different Gender: Pirate Latitudes (by Michael Crichton) #maleauthor
❀ Published in 2015: Liar's Key (Red Queen's War Trilogy, Book #2; by Mark Lawrence) #SFF #PA
❀ Written Before 1700: A Midsummer’s Night Dream (by William Shakespeare) #16thC
❀ Published Before 1970: The Sun Also Rises (by Ernest Hemingway) #moveablefeast #1926
❀ A Short Story Anthology: The Water Museum (by Luis Alberto Urrea) #shorts
The Junkie Quatrain (by Peter Clines) #SFF #ZombieApocalypse #Horror

BINGO!

I read 45 books this summer, but didn't "read to the Bingo card." If a title fit, then I marked it off on the card. I managed to complete nine squares and one vertical BINGO :-)

14Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: set. 24, 2015, 3:36 am

XIII. LT 2015 CAT BINGO

______________________________

________________________________Bingo Card and marker utility created by lshelby ________________________________

01. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing (by Marie Kondo) #NF #selfhelp #decluttering #translation #Japanese
03. Citizen Keane: The Big Lies Behind the Big Eyes (by Adam Parfrey and Cletus Nelson) #NF #art #popart #kitsch #bigeyes
06. The Years of Rice and Salt (by Kim Stanley Robinson) #SFF #althistory #scientificmethod #nuclearphysicists
09. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (by Stephen Chbosky) #720L #YA #epistolary
10. Not My Father's Son (written and narrated by Alan Cumming) #NF #autobiography #familyrelationships #lgbt
11. Red Rising (Red Rising Trilogy, Book #1; by Pierce Brown; narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds) #SFF #femalereader #maleauthor #maleprotag
12. The Looting Machine: Warlords, Oligarchs, Corporations, Smugglers, and the Theft of Africa's Wealth (by Tom Burgis) #NF #Africa
13. Around the World in Eighty Days (by Jules Verne) #SFF #sfffcat
14. Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk (by David Sedaris; narrated by David Sedaris, Elaine Stritch, Dylan Baker and Siân Phillips ) #animalprotags
15. A Kiss at Midnight (Fairy Tales series, Book #1; by Eloisa James) #romance #Cinderella #DidoAndAeneas
16. Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School Series, Book #1; by Gail Carringer) #SFF #YA #Steampunk #werewolf #vampire
17. Scandal's Bride (Cynster Novels, Book #3; by Stephanie Laurens) #romance #regency #scrying
18. It Happened in Boston? (by Russell H. Greenan and Jonathan Lethem; narrated by Robert Fass) #SFF #psychologicalthriller #horror #crime #philosophical
19. The Whites (by Harry Brandt) #crime #mobydick
22. The Man with a Load of Mischief (Richard Jury series, Book #1; by Martha Grimes) #mystery #cozy #martha
23. Ender's Game (by Orson Scott Card; narrated by Stefan Rudnicki, Gabrielle de Cuir, and Harlan Ellison) #SFF #TBR2012
24. The Water Museum (by Luis Alberto Urrea) #LTauthor

#bingodog

BINGO! (23SEP2015)
11. Red Rising (Red Rising Trilogy, Book #1; by Pierce Brown; narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds) #SFF #femalereader #maleauthor #maleprotag
12. The Looting Machine: Warlords, Oligarchs, Corporations, Smugglers, and the Theft of Africa's Wealth (by Tom Burgis) #NF #Africa
13. Around the World in Eighty Days (by Jules Verne) #SFF #sfffcat
14. Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk (by David Sedaris; narrated by David Sedaris, Elaine Stritch, Dylan Baker and Siân Phillips ) #animalprotags
15. A Kiss at Midnight (Fairy Tales series, Book #1; by Eloisa James) #romance #Cinderella #DidoAndAeneas

15Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: des. 26, 2015, 6:32 pm

______________________________

XIV. SFFF CAT & OTHER SCIENCE FICTION/SPECULATIVE/FANTASY TITLES

Steampunk, Gas Lamp and other historical SFFF
Around the World in Eighty Days (by Jules Verne) #SFF #sfffcat
Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School Series, Book #1; by Gail Carringer) #SFF #YA #Steampunk
The Diabolical Miss Hyde: An Electric Empire Novel (Electric Empire novels, #1; by Viola Carr) #SFF #mystery
The Island of Doctor Moreau (by H.G. Wells) #SFF #Classic

The Sphinx (by Edgar Allan Poe) #SFF #Classsic
The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether (by Edgar Allan Poe) #Classics #SFF
A Tale of the Ragged Mountains (by Edgar Allan Poe) #Classics #SFF
A Descent into the Maelström (by Edgar Allan Poe) #Classics #SFF #short

SFFF Written before 1980
It Happened in Boston? (by Russell H. Greenan and Jonathan Lethem; narrated by Robert Fass) #SFF #1969

Apocalyptic, Post-Apocalyptic, and Dystopic Novels
Liar's Key (Red Queen's War Trilogy, Book #2; by Mark Lawrence) #SFF #PA
The Junkie Quatrain (by Peter Clines) #SFF #ZombieApocalypse #Horror
❀ Tank Girl: Issue One (by Alan C. Martin; illustrated by Ashley H. Wood) #gn #art

Fairy Tales and Myths

SFFF Written By Women or featuring a strong female main character
First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson series, Book #1; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romantic #suspense #sfffcat
❀ "For I Have Sinned" (Charely Davidson Short Story; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romantic #suspense
Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson series, Book #2; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romantic #suspense
Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson series, Book #3; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romantic #suspense
Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet (Charley Davidson series, Book #4; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romantic #suspense
Fifth Grave Past the Light (Charley Davidson series, Book #5; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romantic #suspense
Sixth Grave on the Edge (Charley Davidson series, Book #6; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romantic #suspense
Seventh Grave and No Body (Charley Davidson series, Book #7; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romantic #suspense
Eighth Grave After Dark (Charley Davidson series, Book #8; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romance #suspense

Time Travel & Alternative History
The Years of Rice and Salt (by Kim Stanley Robinson) #SFF #althistory
The Time Machine (by H.G. Wells) #SFF #Classic #TimeTravel
The Chronic Argonauts (by H.G. Wells) #SFF #Classic #TimeTravel

Non-Humans from Aliens to Dragons
The Wonderful Visit (by H.G. Wells) #SFF #Classic #angel

Space Opera, First Contact, Dropping into Oz
Ender's Game (by Orson Scott Card; narrated by Stefan Rudnicki, Gabrielle de Cuir, and Harlan Ellison) #SFF #FirstContact
Red Rising (Red Rising Trilogy, Book #1; by Pierce Brown; narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds) #SFF #Mars
Armada (by Ernest Cline) #SFF #FirstContact
What We Found in the Sofa and How It Saved the World (by Henry Clark; narrated by Bryan Kennedy) #MG #730L #audiobook #Fantasy #FirstContact
The Sparrow (by Mary Doria Russell) #SFF #SFFFCat #FirstContact #JesuitsInSpace
The Silver Ships (by S.H. Jucha; narrated by Grover Gardner) #FirstContact

Slipstream and Interstitial (This includes Magic Realism and Genre Benders)
Illyria (by Elizabeth Hand) #YA #weird #HL790L

Supernatural, Paranormal, Just Plain Inexplicable (Urban Fantasy, Contemporary Fantasy and Gothic)
Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet (by Joanne Proulx) #FIC #Bildungsroman #paranormal #prophecy
The Fold (by Peter Clines) #SFF #Contemporary
Brighter Than the Sun (Charley Davidson series, Prequel; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romance #suspense
Dead Witch Walking (The Hollows, Book #1; by Kim Harrison) #paranormal #suspense
Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress series, Book #1; by Jeaniene Frost) #paranormal #romance #suspense
One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress series, Book #2; by Jeaniene Frost) #paranormal #romance #suspense
Dark Prince (The Dark Carpathian series, Book #1; by Christine Feehan) #paranormal #romance #SFFFCat
Compleat Crow (by Brian Lumley; narrated by Simon Vance) #SFF #Dark-Fantasy #SFFFCat
'Salem's Lot (by Stephen King; narrated by Ron McLarty; with an Introduction narrated by Stephen King) #horror #supernatural #paranormal

Heros, Superheroes, Puzzles and Epic Journeys

Influential and/or Award Winning and Award Nominated SFFF

CURRENTLY READING
The Map of Time (The Victorian Era Trilogy, Book #1; by Félix J. Palma ) #SFF #steampunk

DNF
Libriomancer (by Jim C. Hines) - This seemed like such a promising read: A librarian with the magic powers to pull artifacts out from the written works of SFF books! But the first chapter was just a poorly choreographed and shallowly written bit which elicited zero interest in my continuing. The author overreached, throwing everything in but the kitchen sink, but without building a believable world.

16Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: des. 13, 2015, 2:23 am

____________________________________________________________

XV. HISTORY CAT & OTHER HISTORICAL/HISTORICAL FICTION TITLES

ALL BCE to 0001CE: Myths and Legends

0001CE to 500CE and/or Religion
The Silver Pigs (Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries, Book #1; by Lindsey Davis) #mystery #histfic #AD70
Shadows in Bronze (Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries, Book #2; by Lindsey Davis) #mystery #histfic #AD71
Venus in Copper (Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries, Book #3; by Lyndsey Davis) #mystery #histfic #AD71
The Iron Hand of Mars (Marcus Didius Falco series, Book #4; by Lindsey Davis) #mystery #histfic #AD71
Poseidon's Gold (Marcus Didius Falco series, Book #5; by Lindsey Davis) #mystery #histfic #AD72
Last Act in Palmyra (Marcus Didius Falco series, Book #6; by Lindsey Davis) #mystery #histfic #AD72
Time to Depart (Marcus Didius Falco series, Book #7; by Lindsey Davis) #mystery #histfic #AD72

0500 CE to 1000 CE and/or Exploration & Conquest

1000 CE to 1300 CE and/or Crime & Mysteries

1300 CE to 1500 CE and/or Plagues & Disasters

1500 CE to 1600 CE and/or Culture & the Arts
A Midsummer’s Night Dream (by William Shakespeare) #HISTcat #16thC #artandculture #Shakespeare #play #comedy

1600 CE to 1700 CE and/or Immigration & Migration
Pirate Latitudes (by Michael Crichton) #adventures #pirates #HistFic #HISTcat #17thC
Hamlet (by William Shakespeare#17thC #Shakespeare #play #tragedy
The Merchant of Venice (by William Shakespeare) #17thC #Shakespeare #play #comedy

1700 CE to 1800 CE and/or Medicine & Disease

1800 CE to 1850 CE and/or Lifestyles of Ordinary People

1850 CE to 1900 CE and/or Science & Technology

1900 CE to 1945 CE and/or War & Peace
The Paris Wife (by Paula McLain) #HistFic #1920s #MoveableFeast #Hemingway
Circling the Sun (by Paula McLain) #HistFic #1920s #Kenya #HappyValley #OutofAfrica

1945 CE to 1990 CE and/or Civil Rights & Equality

#HISTcat

17BookLizard
set. 1, 2014, 8:02 pm

Love the concept!

*starred*

18.Monkey.
set. 2, 2014, 4:57 am

Cute idea :)

19majkia
set. 2, 2014, 6:34 am

Interesting!

20christina_reads
set. 2, 2014, 2:42 pm

This is a great idea! Should allow you to choose books more organically (pun intended!) than picking from a pre-set list.

21mamzel
set. 2, 2014, 5:16 pm

I'll watch your garden grow! With silver bells and cockle shells and pretty maids all in a row!

22DeltaQueen50
set. 6, 2014, 3:53 pm

Great idea, Tanya, it's going to be fun watching where your reading leads you.

23rabbitprincess
set. 6, 2014, 8:34 pm

Excellent plan! Looking forward to seeing the garden grow :)

24electrice
set. 11, 2014, 4:46 am

That's a great idea, it lets enough room for spontaneity but allows also some planning. I'm looking forward the growth of the garden :)

25-Eva-
set. 15, 2014, 12:42 am

Good luck with the weaning!! :)

26mysterymax
des. 7, 2014, 5:47 pm

Nice idea! I will watch closely.

27lkernagh
des. 25, 2014, 7:02 pm

What a fun way to organize your categories! A reading garden would be such a relaxing place it just such a perfect fit for a reading challenge!

28VivienneR
des. 25, 2014, 7:06 pm

I like your idea of being able to move plants - my husband always tells me my plants should come on wheels. I'm looking forward to seeing how your garden grows.

29Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: feb. 1, 2015, 2:31 am

JANUARY

The year has started rather slow for me, lacking the usual fervor with which I attack the stacks, but the overall quality of what I picked has improved dramatically over my reading from the same period last year which was filled with Kindle deals and such. My January 2015 reads were split between SFF and non-fiction: The SFF a legacy from last year and encouraged by the SFFF cat; and the NF something that surprised me. I'm not normally a non-fiction reader outside of some specific history tomes; but Citizen Keane, The End of Power, and The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up fell into my path, so 2015 may be my NF break out year!

#001 Citizen Keane: The Big Lies Behind the Big Eyes (by Cletus Nelson and Adam Parfrey) #NF ()
#002 The End of Power (by Moisés Naím) #NF ()
#003 Around the World in Eighty Days (by Jules Verne) #SFF (
#004 The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing (by Marie Kondo) #NF (
#005 It Happened in Boston? (by Russell H. Greenan; narrated by Robert Fass) #SFF ()
#006 The Years of Rice and Salt (by Kim Stanely Robinson #SFF ()

My favorite book of the month was The Years of Rice and Salt (by Kim Stanley Robinson.) This is an epic alternate history novel wherein the Plague has wiped out Western Civilization, and Eastern powers vie for hegemony over the centuries. There are ten books within the novel, each covering a significant span in the revised world history, but connected by the reincarnated forms of two or more people in each section. The story begins with a Mongol warrior name Bold Bardash out beyond the Western edges of the steppes and the mountain range that borders Europe. Readers recognize him in each section/time as a character whose name begins with a "B"; and the counter temperament he plays to all characters whose name begins with "K." "K" characters are keenly aware of social iniquity, whether from personal experience or an epiphany brought to bear by something that they have witnessed. "K" characters often act rashly, if with good intent, in that they don't consider the ramifications of their actions upon those who they manage to recruit into their campaigns. It's the "B" characters who are often brought swept up in the currents of a K's schemes; but in nature, they are more measured. Another type of character, the "I," shows attributes of both, though often acts as a "Yang" force to a K's "Yin(g).") The whole thing about who plays Yin(g) and Yang is open to debate actually... The whole of the novel has an internal meter and rhythm to it, as well as some embedded poems (more on the order of prayers and ghazals than odes per se, though there is a kind of Homeric tenor to portions especially when the narrative drops into POV2 in certain places); and there are definitely more prosaic elements in play. And too, there are times when exposition threatens the structural integrity of the arc and the lyrical cadence; but overall it's a fascinating study of power, history, and the metaphysical.

30Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: març 5, 2015, 10:18 pm

FEBRUARY

I've still carrying a heavier-than-usual workload which has kept my reading numbers down a bit. I'm already falling behind in the CATS, which is breaking my heart considering all the work and planning that went into them! Anyway, I did read a little bit more, mostly SFF and NF. I broke the NF down into "General" and "Biographies, Memoirs, and Autobiographies"; and added a "Crime, Mysteries, Thrillers & Suspense" to accommodate the one Crime novel I read (The Whites.) Hopefully, I'll be able to get more Mysteries in before the year is out!

#007 Red Rising (Red Rising Trilogy, Book #1; by Pierce Brown; narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds) #SFF ()
#008 Ender's Game: Special 20th Anniversary Edition (Ender's Series, Book #1; by Orson Scott Card; narrated by Stefan Rudnicki, Gabrielle de Cuir, Harlan Ellison, and Orson Scott Card) #SFF ()
#009 A Fighting Chance (written and narrated by Elizabeth Warren #NF #Autobiography ()
#010 The Whites (by Richard Price as Harry Brandt) #NF ()
#011 Herbie Hancock: Possibilities (by Herbie Hancock with Lisa Dickey; narrated by Herbie Hancock #NF #Autobiography ()
#012 Not My Father's Son (written and narrated by Alan Cumming) #NF #Autobiography ()
#013 What I Know for Sure (written and narrated by Oprah Winfrey #NF ()
#014 Lucien's Fall (by Barbara Samuel) ()

My favorite book of the month was Not My Father's Son (written and narrated by Alan Cumming.) Though Cumming is a noted actor (Cabaret, The Good Wife) this is less about his career than his relationship with his father. It's a bit painful, and some of his reactions to things seem blown out of proportion; but what the hell do I know? I have no points of comparison in my own life! As for the narration, Cumming is hard to beat: He is a stage actor who has narrated other audiobooks to acclaim; and him narrating his book is an obvious and excellent choice. He has a Scottish burr that not only has its own inherent appeal, but is soft enough to not obfuscate the language.

31VivienneR
feb. 27, 2015, 1:57 pm

I have placed a hold on Alan Cumming's book at the library so I'm very pleased to see it was your favourite book this month. Looks like I have a while to wait for mine.

32DeltaQueen50
feb. 27, 2015, 3:13 pm

Tanya, I hear you about the quality of the books you get through some of the deals on the Kindle. I am trying to restrain myself and only buy books that I actually already have on my wishlist. I am struggling through a piece of historical fiction right now that is almost so bad that it's good. Yes, I bought it for the Kindle on a daily deal!

33lkernagh
feb. 28, 2015, 8:30 pm

RL happens... there is no way to stop it from interfering with reading time so just go with the flow and take it from there.

34Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: març 31, 2015, 3:29 pm

MARCH

Hmmm, I seem to have developed a full-blown reading slump! I tried to invigorate my reading by selecting lighter fare; but I ended up over-critical, resulting in lower ratings and even a DNF ('Middlemarch' (by George Eliot; narrated by Juliet Stevenson).) After a couple of years of escalated reading numbers (numbers of books, pages read, genre diversity,) I find myself struggling to focus or settle down into a book, which compounds my frustration. The other night, instead of reading, I taught myself to play chess; and proceeded to play for hours online/app. I'm not sure what the mental block is, but I do know I just need to be patient and wait it out!

#015 Yes, Please (by Amy Poehler; narrated by Amy Poehler, Carol Burnett, Seth Meyers, Mike Schur, Eileen Poehler, William Poehler, Patrick Stewart, and Kathleen Turner #NF #autobiography #humor ()
#016 Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School series, Book #1) (by Gail Carringer) #SFF #Steampunk ()
#017 Scandal's Bride (Cynster series, Book #3) (by Stephanie Laurens #HistoricalFiction #Romance #Regency ()
#018 Middlemarch (by George Eliot; narrated by Juliet Stevenson) #Classic #DNF ()
#019 The Looting Machine: Warlords, Oligarchs, Corporations, Smugglers, and the Theft of Africa's Wealth (by Tom Burgis) #NF #Africa ()
#020 Liar and Spy (by Rebecca Stead) #MG ()
#021 Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk (by David Sedaris; narrated by David Sedaris, Elaine Stritch, Dylan Baker, Sian Phillips #Humor ()
#022 Housewife Assassin's Handbook (Housewife Assassin series, Book #1) (by Josie Brown #Humor #thriller ()
#023 Housewife Assassin's Guide to Gracious Killing (Housewife Assassin series, Book #2) (by Josie Brown) #Humor #thriller ()

My favorite read this past month was 'The Housewife Assassin's Handbook' (Housewife Assassin's series, #1) (by Josie Brown.) It was light fare: Self-published "Mommy Porn" herein a housewife becomes a government-paid assassin with a rich sex life, and all the while sporting designer heels! It's was poorly researched, not well-edited (content -wise, there seems to have been missing passages/lines); but it was silly and fun! :-)

35-Eva-
abr. 1, 2015, 11:26 pm

I've been slumping too, but I notice that if I push, I'll do the same and dislike books I normally would have liked, so I go on a Netflix-athon for a while and eventually the slump goes away.

36Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: abr. 4, 2015, 9:46 pm

Whoa! Someone on LT noticed that it's my 2-year Thingaversary! I have to admit that if they hadn't congratulated me, I probably wouldn't have noticed!

It seems that many celebrate by gifting themselves with books commensurate with the number of years they have been on LT; but owing to the numbers of books that I must* purge from the literal stacks, I may have to celebrate another way. I think I'll dnload and start listening to Two Plays for Voices ( written and performed by Neil Gaiman) ;-)

* Yes, sadly "must." A couple of years ago, DH had to have an extra support truss put underneath the house where my home office/library is. The weight of the bookcases was causing undue stress on the walls. I purged ~700 titles last year; but a stress crack has appeared over the door to my office. DH is furious! I've purged 175 books over the past three days, but it's getting harder as I'm cutting closer to the "core" of my collection :-/

37rabbitprincess
abr. 5, 2015, 8:38 am

Yikes! The written word is powerful in unexpected ways :O
Enjoy the Gaiman download -- great twist on the Thingaversary celebration!

38-Eva-
abr. 5, 2015, 8:16 pm

Happy Thingaversary!!! That's not good about the cracks - perhaps switch to some lighter reading. Haha. Sorry, that joke was terrible.

39DeltaQueen50
abr. 9, 2015, 7:34 pm

Oh dear, my husband has expressed his worry that my books will collapse the house one of these days - I didn't think it was actually possible!

40BookLizard
abr. 10, 2015, 3:31 pm

You'll have to spread the books out all over the house. Maybe a small bookcase of short stories in the bathroom. j/k
;-D

41Tanya-dogearedcopy
abr. 10, 2015, 5:19 pm

>40 BookLizard: LOL, I'm laughing out of embarrassment right now: There are already (smaller) bookcases in every room of the house*

*...except the bathroom. It's the only place I won't allow printed matter! Did you ever see the Seinfeld episode where George takes a book into the rest room at a bookstore? I'm sorta like the bookstore. I know when a book has been taken in! :-D

42BookLizard
abr. 10, 2015, 6:43 pm

41> LOL. I didn't watch Seinfeld, but I can just imagine.

43lkernagh
abr. 10, 2015, 11:18 pm

>41 Tanya-dogearedcopy: - I remember that Seinfeld episode! So many Seinfeld episodes are prefect to revisit over and over again... the comedy never gets stale. ;-)

44hailelib
abr. 23, 2015, 10:24 pm

>36 Tanya-dogearedcopy:

Guess I'm lucky that our house is actually over-engineered. We do limit our books pretty much to the main floor, however.

45Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: maig 31, 2015, 10:14 pm

APRIL

24. Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet (by Joanne Proulx) #FIC #Bildungsroman #paranormal #SFF #prophecy ()
25. Rejection Proof: How I Beat Fear and Became Invincible Through 100 Days of Rejection (by Jia Jiang) #NF #behavior #rejection ()
26. No Ordinary Disruption: The Four Global Forces Breaking All the Trends (by Richard Dobbs, James Manyika, and Jonathan Woetzel) #NF #Business ()
27. The Diabolical Miss Hyde: An Electric Empire Novel (Electric Empire series, Book #1 by Viola Carr #SFF #steampunk #mystery ()
28. Orson Welles's Last Movie: The Making of The Other Side of the Wind (by Josh Karp) #NF #film ()
29. There's a Hair in My Dirt! #760L #MG #FIC #Illustrated #biology (by Gary Larson) ()
30. The Bat (Harry Hole series, Book #1 (by Jo Nesbø) #mystery #policeprocedural #translation ()
31. 'A December Bride' and 'A January Bride' (by Denise Hunter and Deborah Raney respectively) from the collection, Winter Brides #novella #romance #christian ()

I frittered another month away, trying (but not forcing) to get my reading mojo back. I hit up some promising non-fiction, some backlists titles that had been languishing on my e-book, and a couple of library books that caught my eye. The most fun I had was with The Diabolical Miss Hyde: An Electric Empire Novel (Electric Empire series, Book #1 by Viola Carr.) It's a novel that combines all the elements of steampunk, while ironically not really being steampunk (use of electricity, not steam-powered machines!) It's a take on the Classic story by Robert Louis Stevenson, "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" - with the twist that we are now dealing with Dr. Jekyll's daughter! While it might seem a tad bit long, when all is said and done, it's actually the perfect length: It's the first-in-a-presumed-series which needs to set-up the characters and context for the remaining titles. I wanted to dnload the next one immediately, unfortunately it hasn't been written yet! :-/

The photos of the flowers in my thread are from my own garden (with the exception of the pear blossom which I took at a friend's orchard.) Today I think I'll see what catches my eye in the garden. From my home office, I can see some yellow roses... Sometimes I miss my old house back in Maryland: By this time the sweet pea/rose/honeysuckle hedge would be in bloom wafting this amazing scent in through our bedroom windows. While roses grow like crazy here in Southern Oregon, the hedges are more likely to be blackberry brambles (which don't smell like anything and actually more of a nuisance than anything else!) Still, there's something to be said for mild winters that you don't have to dig yourself out of! ;-)

46rabbitprincess
maig 1, 2015, 5:25 pm

I hope you've got your reading mojo back! Mine went missing for a good chunk of April as well.

47Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: juny 1, 2015, 12:30 am

MAY

32. Man in Profile: Joseph Mitchell of The New Yorker (by Thomas Kunkel) #NF #biography ()
33. First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson series, Book #1; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romance #suspense ()
34. "For I Have Sinned" (Interstitial short story in the Charley Davidson series (#1.5); by Darynda Jones #paranormal #romance #suspense ()
35. Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened (by Allie Brosh) #humor ()
36. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (by Stephen Chbosky) #YA #bildungsroman ()
37. The Man with a Load of Mischief (Richard Jury series, Book # 1; by Martha Grimes) #cozy #mystery ()
38. Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson series, Book #2; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romance #suspense ()
39. Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson series, Book #3; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romance #suspense ()
40. The Silver Pigs (Marcus Didius Falco series, Book #1; by Lindsey Davis) #histfic #mystery #ancientrome ()
41. Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet (Charley Davidson series, Book #4; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romance #suspense ()
42. Fifth Grave Past the Light (Charley Davidson series, Book #5; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romance #suspense ()
43. Shadows in Bronze (Marcus Didius Falco series, Book # 2; by Lindsey Davis) #histfic #mystery #ancientrome ()
44. Just One Night (Just One Night series, Book #1; by Kyra Davis) #romance #erotica ()
45. Prove It with Pictures: Building an Audience That Cares About You (by Pierre Walters; narrated by Jim Denison) #NF #business #branding ()
46. Healing Grief through Meditation: A Guide to Spiritual Wellness for the Bereaved (by Lora C. Mercado; narrated by Matilda Novak) #NF #selfhelp ()
47. Sixth Grave on the Edge (Charley Davidson series, Book #6; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romance #suspense ()
48. The Fold (by Peter Clines) #SFF #contemporary ()
49. Seventh Grave and No Body (Charley Davidson series, Book #7; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romance #suspense ()
50. Just Once (by Julianna Keyes) #romance #erotica #cowboy ()

So, I got a little bit of my reading mojo back! I tried a genre that I had been avoiding, Paranormal Romance Suspense; and...

Be back in a bit... (Dinnertime)

OK, I'm back! Dinner was steel-head trout with asparagus; and I'm enjoying a little lemon sorbet as dessert :-)

As I was saying, I tried a new genre, and the first book I tried was Darynda Jones' 'First Grave on the Right.' I quickly devoured the next six titles in the series; but I think I'll stop there for a while. They are enormously fun and sexy; but disappointingly, the protag, Charley Davidson has gone from being a smart, independent, badass character to someone "zany" who gets herself into predicaments from which she needs constant rescuing :-/ That all said, if I do read the latest installment in the series, I'll read it right before the next one comes out next year as I heard the eighth novel is something of a cliffhanger.

For waking me up out of my non-reading stupor, and introducing me to a new genre, 'First Grave on the Right' is my favorite book read this past May :-)

48Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: juny 1, 2015, 12:42 am

For the past couple of years, I've set up a personal reading challenge for the Summer. It starts over the Memorial Day Week-end and ends over the Labor Day Week-end. In 2013, I read 40 books; and in 2014, though I aimed for 50, I only read 33 books. This year, I think I'll aim for 50 again and see how far I get. The following list is incomplete as I haven't catalogued my most recent haul from NYC yet (I shipped a crate last week via UPS Ground.) The box shipped contains quite a bit of lit-fic and NF history, so that should balance out the lighter-weight books on this list :-)

COMPLETED
01. Sixth Grave on the Edge (Charley Davidson series, book #6; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romance #suspense
02. The Fold (by Peter Clines) #SFF #contemporary
03. Seventh Grave and No Body (Charley Davidson series, Book #7; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romance #suspense
04. Just Once (by Julianna Keyes) #romance #erotica

ON DECK
* 'Salvage the Bones' (by Jesmyn Ward)
* 'Ruby' (by Cynthia Bond)
* 'The Paris Wife' (by Paula McLain)
* 'Circling the Sun' (by Paula McLain)
* 'A God in Ruins' (by Kate Atkinson)
* 'Armada' (by Ernest Clines)
* 'Liar's Key (Red Queen's War, Book #2; by Mark Lawrence)
* 'Lost: The Search for Six in Six Million' (by Daniel Mendelsohn)
* 'Venus in Copper' (Marcus Didius Falco mysteries, Book #3; by Lyndsey Davis)
* ''The Iron Hand of Mars' (Marcus Didius Falco mysteries, Book #4; by Lyndsey Davis)
* 'Poseidon's Gold' (Marcus Didius Falco mysteries, Book #5; by Lyndsey Davis)
* 'Kidnapped' (by Robert Louis Stevenson; narrated by Kieron Elliott)
* 'Jinx' (by Sage Blackwood)
* 'What We Found in the Sofa and How It Saved the World' (by Henry Clark)
* 'Dealing with Dragons' (by Particia C. Wrede)
* 'Counting by Sevens' (by Holly Goldberg Sloan)
* 'Stormbreaker' (Alex Rider series, Book #1; by Anthony Horowitz)
* 'The Great Trouble: The Mystery of London, the Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eel' (by Deborah Hopkinson)
* 'Bamboo People' (by Mitali Perkins)
* 'Art & Culture' (Critical Essays by Clement Greenberg)

List to be updated weekly on Sunday nights though Labor Day week-end.

49mamzel
juny 1, 2015, 6:33 pm

Liar's Key should be popping up on my Kindle tomorrow! I am re-listening to Prince of Fools in my car. It is so much fun! It will have to wait since I am ankle deep in the massive Jonathon Strange and Mr. Morrell. I think it will be a 'fantastic' summer for me!

50Tanya-dogearedcopy
juny 1, 2015, 7:13 pm

I pre-ordered 'Liar's Key' too! I burned though the 800+pages of Broken Empire Trilogy in 72 hours; and grabbed up 'Prince of Fools' as soon as I was able... I'm addicted to Jorg of Ancrath, and even though he's peripheral in the Red Queen's War Trilogy, I'll take what I can get!

I'm currently in the middle of 'Death of a Gossip' (Hamish Macbeth Mysteries, Book #1; by M.C. Beaton); and 'Venus in Copper' (Marcus Didus Falco Mysteries, Book #3; by Lyndsey Davis); but everything will be put on hold as soon as 'Liar's Key' drops! :-)

51mamzel
juny 2, 2015, 2:41 pm

It's in! It's in! It's in!
I have to go back and read his other series.

52VivienneR
Editat: juny 13, 2015, 12:31 pm

>48 Tanya-dogearedcopy: Your "on deck" list sounds impressive! I enjoyed Stormbreaker recently and plan to get the others in the series. I have The Paris Wife and A God in Ruins on my tbr list too.

edited to correct post number

53Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: jul. 18, 2015, 8:39 pm



EDIT: 28JUN2015 - Added Booktopia MI 2015 list; Updated Read and Currently Reading lists
EDIT: 01JUL2015 - Added "DNF" list
EDIT: 12JUL2015 - Moved list to its own category, "X: PERSONAL SUMMER READING CHALLENGE"
EDIT 18JUL2015 - Cleared body of this post (replicated and updated in Category X: PERSONAL SUMMER READING CHALLENGE

54rabbitprincess
juny 7, 2015, 6:47 pm

Wow, looks like a great selection of books on tap! I'll be interested to hear what you think of The Plantagenets. I've placed a hold on it at the library.

55lkernagh
juny 14, 2015, 11:55 am

Getting caught up with various threads after a rather extended absence.

>47 Tanya-dogearedcopy: - Wow, you really did get your reading mojo back!

God luck with your personal reading challenge for the summer. I think that is a great idea!

56Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: juny 14, 2015, 11:05 pm

I didn't add much to my "COMPLETED" list, despite all the reading I'm doing! I'm juggling five books right now. I know I should just commit to one and see it through to the end; but for some reason, I seem to have taken the "TV Approach" to reading: An hour of this show/book, then an hour of another book/show...

I did manage to knock off one book on Friday night. It was quick read (Romance) and though it wasn't great, it was a nice change of pace :-)

07. As an Earl Desires (Lost Lords series, Book #1; by Lorraine Heath) #romance #histfic #regency

57hailelib
juny 19, 2015, 10:57 am

Are you enjoying the Falco books? The ones I've read in that series were pretty entertaining.

58Tanya-dogearedcopy
juny 19, 2015, 12:45 pm

>57 hailelib: So far, so good! I'm wrapping up the third in the series, 'Venus in Copper' today! It takes me awhile to read through each book though, as I like to stop and look up the places Lindsey Davis writes about; and then I get sucked into a vortex of videos and articles about Ancient Rome & archaeological finds! Sigh, now I want to go to Rome! :-)

59Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: juny 28, 2015, 9:08 pm

08. Venus in Copper (Marcus Didius Falco series, Book #3; by Lindsey Davis) #histfic #mystery
09. Liar's Key (The Red Queen's War trilogy, Book #2; by Mark Lawrence) #SFF #PA
10. The Perils of Pleasure (Pennyroyal Green series, Book #1; by Julie Ann Long) #romance #regency
11. The Diary of an Accidental Wallflower (The Seduction Diaries, Book #1; by Jennifer McQuiston) #romance #regency
12. Breaking His Rules (Feeling the Heat, Book #4; by Alison Packard) #romance #contemporary

I was in Los Angeles on business last week and didn't get much time to myself, much less to read; but I did make a little headway on my summer reading; and I did some maintenance on this thread as well. I created a Paranormal category; worked on my Summer Reading List (additions listed below); and started a "Friday Night Reads" for myself wherein I pick up a bit of fluff to read in one night. Most of the latter are romances of some ilk; and provide a nice way to launch the week-end :-)

BOOKTOPIA MI 2015*
'The Dog Master' (by W. Bruce Cameron) - 08/04/2015
'Days of Awe' (by Lauren Fox) - 08/04/2015)
'The Night Sister' (by Jennifer McMahon) - 08/04/2015)
'A Master Plan for Rescue' (by Janis Cooke Newman) - 07/14/2015)
'Miss Hazel and the Rosa Parks League' (by Jonathan Odell)
'Primates' (by Jim Ottaviani) - paperback available 08/04/2015)
'The Water Museum' (by Luis Alberto Urrea)

'Rebecca' (by Daphne du Maurier)
'The Professor’s House' (by Willa Cather)
'The Sparrow' (by Mary Doria Russell)
'Any Human Heart' (by William Boyd)

* Booktopia is a readers' retreat that is closing its five years of events this fall. Readers attend salon-like discussions of books, with the authors present; and hang out doing bookish things over the course of a couple of days. Organized and led by the Books on the NightStand podcasters Ann Kingman and Michael Kindness, it's become something of a victim of its own success! The Booktopias were taking over the organizers' lives; and so with much sorrow, the Booktopia in September will be the last for the foreseeable future :-(

60rabbitprincess
juny 28, 2015, 9:08 pm

Good idea to have a Friday Night Read!

That's a shame about Booktopia. I hope you have a great time at its final bash, and that it will be able to come back in some form someday.

61mamzel
juny 30, 2015, 2:57 pm

How did you like Liar's Key? I went and downloaded the first two books of his earlier series, Prince of Thorns and King of Thorns. Very different from The Red Queen series but no less enjoyable. The references to an earlier civilization are so random. I nearly choked this morning when I came across this one: "When a game cannot be won, change the game. I read that in the book of Kirk."

62Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: juny 30, 2015, 8:47 pm

>61 mamzel: I was actually kind of disappointed with 'Liar's Key.' I've not found Jalen as charismatic as Jorg; and I was hoping there would be another Jorg sighting in this second installment of The Red Queen's War trilogy; But besides all that, I find the action sequences more plodding than in The Broken Empire trilogy, and admittedly I don't really understand the Silent Sister's spell and how it has worked. The things that saved 'Liar's Key' from a mediocre rating however, were the stories of the Red Queen (Wow! Kinda wish Lawrence had written the second trilogy with her as the protag!) and THE END! Now I can't wait for 'The Wheel of Osheim'!

I was also very much interested in The Lady Blue and was hoping that perhaps she would be the subject of the next trilogy; but I see that's its already tentatively titled "The Red Sister's Trilogy" - which while it doesn't preclude being about The Lady Blue, somewhat argues against it. But we shall see!

EDIT: Corrected tentative title of Lawrence's next trilogy from "The Red Queen's Trilogy" to "The Red Sister's Trilogy"

63mamzel
juny 30, 2015, 7:24 pm

Maybe this new series will fulfill your wish of more Red Queen action. I can't believe he's already got a new trilogy in mind when this one isn't out yet. That was a stunning ending though, wasn't it?

64Tanya-dogearedcopy
juny 30, 2015, 8:48 pm

>63 mamzel: I think I actually barked-out-loud-laughed at that ending!

65Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: jul. 5, 2015, 4:16 pm

JUNE

51. Death of a Gossip (Hamish Macbeth series, Book #1; by M.C. Beaton) #mystery #cozy #scotland ()
52. Instant Attraction (The Wilders series, Book #1; by Jill Shalvis) #romance #contemporary #colorado ()
53. As an Earl Desires (Lost Lords series,1; by Loraine Heath) #romance #regency #histfic ()
54. Venus in Copper (Marcus Didius Falco series, Book #3; by Lindsey Davis) ()
55. Liar's Key (The Red Queen's War trilogy, Book #2; by Mark Lawrence #SFF #PA ()
56. The Perils of Pleasure (Pennyroyal Green series, Book#1; by Julie Ann Long #romance #regency ()
57. The Diary of an Accidental Wallflower (Seduction Diaries, Book #1; by Jennifer McQuistion) #romance #regency ()
58. Breaking His Rules (Feeling the Heat series, Book #4; by Alison Packard #romance #contemporary #california ()
59. Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration (by Ed Catmull with Amy Wallace) #NF #Business ()
60. A Midsummer's Night Dream (by William Shakespeare) #HISTcat #16thC #artsandculture #Shakespeare #play #comedy ()

It was mediocre reading month overall: Only ten books read; and half of which were Friday Night Romance reads! I did appease my curiosity about the Hamish Macbeth books by reading the first-in-series (meh, I actually l prefer the TV series that was on years ago); followed Falco on another adventure through Ancient Rome (well researched historical fiction/mystery); grabbed the second book in a trilogy I'm following (see comments above regarding 'Liar's Key'); finally finished off 'Creativity, Inc." which had been lingering on my "Currently Reading" list for far too long; and finished off the month with a title for History Cat (1500-1600 AD/Arts & Culture)!

My favorite for the month was "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (by William Shakespeare.) The relationship between Oberon and Titania fascinates me with its passion and pettiness; and while the comedy of mixed-up couples is pretty de rigueur with The Bard's comedies, Helena's pain when she thought herself being mocked is entirely relatable. I'm also tempted to get a copy of Ovid's 'Metamorphoses' as a result of reading AMND, professing mild shock that I don't already have a copy in my stacks!

66-Eva-
jul. 3, 2015, 10:46 pm

I have a couple of the Hamish Macbeth-books waiting for me and I picked them up because of the TV series. It been a while since I've seen it, though, so I hope I don't compare the books with it too much.

67Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: jul. 31, 2015, 9:58 pm

JULY

60. Season for Scandal (Holiday Pleasures series, Book #3; by Theresa Romain) #romance #regency ()
61. Pirate Latitudes (by Michael Crichton) #adventure #pirates #HistFic ()
62. Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake (Love by the Numbers, Book #1; by Sarah MacLean) #romance #regency ()
63. The Paris Wife (by Paula McLain) #HistFic #1920s #MoveableFeast #Hemingway ()
64. The Water Museum (by Luis Alberto Urrea) #shorts #BooktopiaMI ()
65. Armada (by Ernest Cline) ()
66. The Frenchman (Jet-Setters & Jeopardy series, Book #1; by Lesley Young) #romance #comtemporary ()
67. The Junkie Quatrain (by Peter Clines) #ZombieApocalypse #Horror )
68. Blue is the Warmest Color (by Julie Maroh) #GN #French #LGBTQ ()
69. The Australian (Jet-Setters & Jeopardy series, Book #2; by Lesley Young) #romance #contemporary #australia ()
70. The Sun Also Rises (by Ernest Hemingway) #moveablefeast ()
71. The Iron Hand of Mars (Marcus Didius Falco series, Book #4; by Lindsey Davis) #HistFic #Mystery #AD71 ()
72. Playing Dirty (Bad Boys Undercover series, Book #1; by HelenKay Dimon) #romance #contemporary #thriller ()
73. Running Hot (Bad Boys Undercover series, Prequel; by HelenKay Dimon) #romance #contemporary #thriller ()
74. Circling the Sun (by Paula McLain) #histfic #1920s #Kenya #HappyValley ()

After a false start to the month when I had to DNF two books, things got underway! I read fifteen books this past month, bringing the total read for the Summer to twenty-nine :-) I adored Paula McLain's 'The Paris Wife' and will be wrapping up her equally mesmerizing 'Circling the Sun' this evening; but the best book of the month was definitely the short story collection, 'The Water Museum' (by Pulitzer Prize nominee, Luis Alberto Urrea.) Many of the shorts are set in contemporary America, in the Mexican communities just north of the border; and all seem to have a theme of "stuck time" - a moment or past which acts as an anchor tied to a character's feet, while another character floats up. There were a couple stories which had a bit of magical realism; but it was used so fantastically used that it was like reading a splash of color (if that makes any sense!) Anyway, each of the stories was deftly written to set scene and characters so well that it seems like each story was like snapshot or memory.

68lkernagh
ag. 2, 2015, 6:50 pm

It looks like July was a great reading month - from the number of books read - with an interesting mixed-bag of likes and dislikes.

69Tanya-dogearedcopy
ag. 3, 2015, 10:23 am

It certainly was a month for surprises! There were a couple of romance novels that had much stronger (better) writing than I expected: 'The Frenchman' and 'The Australian' (both by Lesley Young); a much lauded graphic novel that I was disappointed with: 'Blue is the Warmest Color' (by Julie Maroh); and three books that completed for Best of the Month: 'The Paris Wife' and 'Circling the Sun' (both by Paula McLain) and 'The Water Museum' (by Luis ALberto Urrea.) The only reason Paula McLain's novels didn't win out over Urrea's short story collection is that the more I think about her novels, the louder the niggling quibbles become from the back of my mind. I haven't sorted it all out yet, but it runs along the lines of all the characters lacking depth and vitality in presentation. It's not enough to put me off of her work, and I look forward to her next novel; but I wonder if after that the whole "beleaguered but strong women of the time" theme might wear a bit thin with me.

70-Eva-
ag. 5, 2015, 1:36 pm

Characters without depth is my pet peeve. If I don't believe in the characters, it rarely matters if the rest of the book is great - and a book can be quite poorly written, but I'll enjoy it anyway if it has characters I like.

71Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: ag. 5, 2015, 7:37 pm

>70 -Eva-: Yesterday I was finally able to fully articulate my thoughts about 'Circling the Sun'. I realize there are a couple of run-on sentences in my review; but I the more I thought about the novel, the less I liked it; So I thought I would write the review before I ended up hating it! NOw that's it's down in black-and-white, I can move on :-)

'Circling the Sun' is the story of Beryl Markham, an extraordinary Englishwoman who, abandoned as a child by her mother, ran wild and went native in the East Africa Protectorate; and who would go on and continue to defy efforts to mold her into a more conventional woman of the times. She was often beleaguered by the people in her life, suffering from social gossip and a series of failed relationships; but her obstinacy as a child evolved into a strength in determination as a young woman that would carry her from her personal failures to success as the first licensed horse trainer in the country as well as an accomplished aviator in the 1930s.

Paula McLain once again reminds us what it's like to lost in another world when we open up a book. In 'Circling the Sun', McLain immerses the reader into what is now known as Kenya, a country rich with red soil, luscious jungle foliage, and awesome vistas of savannas. We are also witness to some of the vicissitudes of African life, including drought, racial discrimination, and inflation ... all of which have both immediate and far-reaching consequences for its inhabitants. McLain deftly supplies the readers with the details that bring each scene to life: the kohl rimming a character's eyes, the monogrammed lighter that flashes in the hands of a suitor, the thrum and stutter of an airplane's engine as it makes for shore... However, despite setting realistic scenes, McLain's writes of ghosts. The people of the Happy Valley set (which included Karen Blixen and Denys Finch Hatton of 'Out of Africa' fame) are oddly portrayed without much depth or life. Just as McLain's previous novel, 'The Paris Wife' generated interest in Ernest Hemingway's 'The Sun Also Rises' and 'A Moveable Feast', 'Circling the Sun' serves as an appetizer for further reading (Isak Dineson's 'Out of Africa' and Beryl Markham's 'West of the Night') and investigation. As one reads though the contemporary accounts or gazes at the photos though, one can't help but be struck by how the verve and élan of these remarkable people seems to have been leeched out of the characters in the novel.

72christina_reads
ag. 12, 2015, 10:04 am

>71 Tanya-dogearedcopy: Hmm, interesting thoughts on Circling the Sun! I'm trying to remember my own reaction to the book. I did like it, but I think your critique of the characterization is valid. The various characters seemed more like types than actual people...a bit two-dimensional, perhaps.

73-Eva-
ag. 13, 2015, 11:24 pm

>71 Tanya-dogearedcopy:
Very interesting indeed, so great review! *thumbing*

74Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: set. 1, 2015, 2:11 am

AUGUST

75. Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas (by Jim Ottaviani; illustrated by Maris Wicks) #NF #GN #Anthropology #Apes ()
76. Taking Heart (Healing Harts, Book #2; by T.J. Kline) #romance #contemporary #PTSD #western ()
77. Bettie Page Presents: The Librarian (by Logan Belle) #romance #erotica #contemporary ()
78. The Professional (Game Maker series, Book #1; by Kresley Cole) #romance #erotica #contemporary #russia (()
79. The Time Machine (by H.G. Wells) #SFF #Classic #TimeTravel ()
80. The Master (Game Maker series, Book #2; by Kresley Cole) #romance #erotica #contemporary #Florida ()
81. FIT (The Fit Trilogy, Book #1; by Rebekah Weatherspoon) #romance #erotica #contemporary #California ()
82. Empire of Self: A Life of Gore Vidal (by Jay Parini) #NF #biography #authors ()
83. Tied Up, Tied Down (Rough Riders series, Book #4; by Lorelei James) #romance #erotica #cowboy #contemporary ()
84. What We Found in the Sofa and How It Saved the World (by Henry Clark; narrated by Bryan Kennedy) #MG #730L #audiobook #Fantasy (()
85. Tank Girl: Issue One (by Alan C. Martin; illustrated by Ashley H. Wood) #gn #art ()
86. Poseidon's Gold (Marcus Didius Falco mysteries, Book #5; by Lindsey Davis) #histfisc #mystery #AD72 ()

Argh! I'm just pages away from finishing two more books; but it's just not gonna happen tonight! Oh, well, at least I'll get them in before Labor Day/end of Summer! My favorite title this past month is actually one that reading purists would discount as it's a comic book, and without an ISBN number or copyright info to boot;but I found it fascinating nonetheless: 'Tank Girl: Issue One' (by Alan C. Martin; illustrated by Ashley H. Wood.) It's printed on heavy matte/non-glossy (possibly acid-free) stock; and I can't find the cover image anywhere on the internet. It feels more like an art or print book than a comic book. From an ad in the back (for a Transformers 4-comic special,) the Tank Girl issue in question was printed/released before June 2007. Inside, there's "The Dogshit in Barney's Handbag," "Killing Jumbo," "The Funsters at Play," "The Gifting" and a haiku. The whole of the issue is only 30-pages, plus front and back covers. I'm thinking that it was a special promotional piece, or an extra that was included with some sort of purchase. Anyway, the stories inside are short, but highly irreverent - maybe even a little shocking. The writing style reminds me of the L.A. punk art movement, while the art work has a draftsman-quality to it: not quite finished in feel; but absolutely complete in presentation. Now I wanna go find more Tank Girl issues ;-)



75AHS-Wolfy
set. 1, 2015, 2:28 pm

>74 Tanya-dogearedcopy: I've not (yet!) read any of the comic books but I did get around to the Tank Girl: Armadillo novel a few years back and quite enjoyed it. May be a renaissance for the character with the recent reboot called 21st Century Tank Girl so it will be interesting to see if anything else happens in the future.

76-Eva-
set. 4, 2015, 10:59 pm

>74 Tanya-dogearedcopy:
I haven't read Tank Girl since the early 1990s, but I liked her a lot back then. Reread coming up, I guess. :)

77Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: oct. 1, 2015, 1:08 am

SEPTEMBER

87. The Sparrow (Sparrow Trilogy, Book#1, by Mary Doria Russell) #SFF #FirstContact #JesuitsinSpace
88. The Island of Doctor Moreau (by H.G. Wells) #SFF #Classic
89. The Wonderful Visit (by H.G. Wells) #SFF #Classic
90. The Chronic Argonauts (by H.G. Wells) #SFF #Classic
91. The True History of the Elephant Man: The Definitive Account of the Tragic and Extraordinary Life of Joseph Carey Merrick (by Peter Ford and Michael Howell #NF #biography
92. Dead Witch Walking (The Hollows, Book #1; by Kim Harrison) #paranormal #suspense
93. Daring: My Passages: A Memoir (by Gail Sheehy; narrated by Bernadette Dunne) #NF #memoir
94. Last Act in Palmyra (Marcus Didius Falco series, Book #6; by Lindsey Davis) #mystery #histfic #AD72
95. A Kiss at Midnight (Fairy Tale series, Book #1; by Eloisa James) #romance #regency
96. The Nick Adams Stories (by Ernest Hemingway) #shorts
97. Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress series, Book #1; by Jeaniene Frost) #paranormal #romance #suspense
98. One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress series, Book #2; Jeaniene Frost) #paranormal #romance #suspense

I've been plodding along with the chunkster, The Map of Time (The Victorian Era trilogy, Book #1; by Félix J. Palma) - a steampunk novel that references a lot of Classic science fiction written in the late nineteenth century. As those book references pop up, I've been pausing in my reading of The Map of Time to check out these other titles. I've really enjoyed reading the H.G. Wells novellas, and reading about the Elephant Man; but I admit to getting stuck at A Vindication on the Rights of Woman (by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly.) I realize that it is an important feminist tract; but the language was too overblown and archaic for me to really follow it; and too, it had an "ad hominem" feeling to it.

Mid-month, I made a trip out to Petoskey, Michigan to attend a reading retreat hosted by the podcasters of Books on the Nightstand: seven authors, one-hundred readers, three days of talking, drinking, dining, book shopping... The retreat also included an option to tour "Hemingway's Petoskey" - a place where he summered for the first twenty-two years of his life, and married Hadley Richardson, his first wife. Though The Nick Adams Stories aren't great, they do have an added dimension once you've been to the places and can make the connections. The whole "Booktopia" was fantastic; but for an extreme introvert it was psychologically taxing; and the travel across country and three time zones was physically exhausting. I've been back a week, and I'm still recovering!

78lkernagh
oct. 1, 2015, 9:29 am

Wow on you checking out all of the science fiction referenced in The Map of Time as you are reading it!

79Tanya-dogearedcopy
oct. 1, 2015, 3:08 pm

THE END GAME

Hmm, looking at the calendar and my categories, I can claim some success so far:

IV. 15 Romance titles
XI. 45/50 Personal Summer Reading Challenge
XII. Bingo! for the BOTNS Bingo Card
XIII. Bingo! for the LT Bingo Card
XIV. 30 SFF titles (with the possibility for 3 more on conjunction with the SFFF CAT)

Within reach/Interested in reading more:
I. 5 more NF titles
II. 6 more Bio/Memoirs
III. 3 more mysteries
VII. 3 more paranormal titles
VIII. 9 more Classics
XV. 5 more Historical titles (with the possibility for 3 more on conjunction with the HistCAT)

Probably not gonna happen/Not particularly interested in reading more at this time:
V. 8 short in Erotica
VI. 13 short in Humor
IX. 11 short in Middle Grade/YA
X. 10 short in Miscellaneous

Though I deliberately did not set a goal for number of books to have read in each category (e.g. 15 x 15,) I've used "15" as a gauge to determine how my reading in certain areas has developed. Accordingly, my SFF numbers exceeded my expectations (Seriously did not see that one coming! YAY, SFFF CAT for introducing me to a new genre/sub-genres!) and other categories didn't hold my interest as much as I thought I would, even as I was setting them up (i.e. "Erotica" became an offshoot of Romance titles when I realized that a significant percentage of my Romance reading fell under that category; but as I write, I'm not really interested in reading Erotica specifically.)

My exit strategy will be to go for the ones "within reach" first :-)

80rabbitprincess
oct. 1, 2015, 5:34 pm

Looks like a good plan! Glad to hear you had a good time at Booktopia, although as a fellow introvert I can well imagine the demands on your energy!

81Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: nov. 2, 2015, 11:47 am

OCTOBER

99. Kidnapped! (Kidnapped books, Book #1) (by Robert Louis Stevenson; narrated by Kieron Elliott) #classics #maritime #adventure
100. Dark Prince (Dark series, Book #1; by Christine Feehan) #darkfantasy #romance
101. Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir; written and narrated by Jenny Lawson) #NF #memoir #humor #blogger
102. Playing the Game (Neighborly Affection series, Book #1; by M.Q. Barber) #romance #erotica #menageatrois
103. Crossing the Lines (Neighborly Affection series, Book #2; by M.Q. Barber) #romance #erotica #menageatrois
104. Healing the Wounds (Neighborly Affection series, Book #3; by M.Q. Barber) #romance #erotica #menageatrois
105. Brighter Than the Sun (Reyes Alexander novella; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romance
106. Bossypants (written and narrated by Tina Fey) #NF #memoir #humor #comedienne
107. Hamlet (by William Shakespeare #classics #shakespeare
108. Living On Air: Adventures in Broadcasting (written by Joe Cpiriano & Ann Cipriano; narrated by Joe Cipriano) #NF #memoir #broadcasting
109. Wallbanger (Cocktail series, Book #1; by Alice Clayton) #romance #comedy
110. Rusty Nailed (Cocktail series, Book #2; by Alice Clayton) #romance #comedy
111. Compleat Crow (by Brian Lumley; narrated by Simon Vance) #fiction #occult
112. Wild Thing (Dr. Peter Brown series, Book #2; by Josh Bazell; narrated by Robert Petkoff) #humor
113. 'Salem's Lot (by Stephen King; narrated by Ron McLarty) #horror #StephenKing
114. Time to Depart (Marcus Didius Falco series, Book #7 (by Lindsey Davis) #mystery #histfic #AncientRome

October certainly was a roller coaster ride! There was some really great stuff rating four stars (e.g. Hamlet, Wallbanger,) and some other titles rating only two stars (e.g. Dark Prince , Neighborly Affection series); and still others that I went in expecting more, but got less (Wild Thing, 'Salem's Lot); but overall it was a great ride! I'm only disappointed that I didn't get any farther with The Map Of Time (by Félix J. Palma.) I feel like I need more dedicated time with that one. Hopefully I'll have it finished off this coming month of November.

END GAME

I read 3 Biographies/Memoirs this past month:
Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir; written and narrated by Jenny Lawson) #NF #memoir #humor #blogger
Bossypants (written and narrated by Tina Fey) #NF #memoir #humor #comedienne ❀
❀ Living On Air: Adventures in Broadcasting (written by Joe Cpiriano & Ann Cipriano; narrated by Joe Cipriano) #NF #memoir #broadcasting
I would like to focus on this category in November by reading at least three more titles.

I read 1 Mystery this past month:
Time to Depart (Marcus Didius Falco series, Book #7 (by Lindsey Davis) #mystery #histfic #AncientRome
I'm reading one Marcus Didius Falco novel a month, so I'm comfortable with where that will land me by the end of the year.

I read 2 Paranormal titles this past month:
Dark Prince (Dark series, Book #1; by Christine Feehan) #darkfantasy #romance
Brighter Than the Sun (Reyes Alexander novella; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #romance
I've started Eighth Grave After Dark (Charley Davidson series, Book #8; by Darynda Jones) and, after that pretty much leave the paranormal category alone until next year (more Charley Davidson and some more of The Dresden Files which I have left languishing for over a year!)

I only read 2 Classic this past month:
Kidnapped! (Kidnapped books, Book #1) (by Robert Louis Stevenson; narrated by Kieron Elliott) #classics #maritime #adventure
Hamlet (by William Shakespeare #classics #shakespeare
But I can make significant inroads on this by reading along with The Map Of Time as I've mentioned before (reading the books mentioned in the TMOT)

I've made no inroads on the Non-Fiction or History/HistoryCAT front. Not sure how/if this is going to turn out after all!

Within reach/Interested in reading more:
II. 3 more Bio/Memoirs
III. 2 more mysteries
VII. 1 more paranormal title
VIII. 7 more Classics

Hmmm...
I. 5 more NF titles
XV. 5 more Historical titles (with the possibility for 3 more on conjunction with the HistCAT)

82Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: nov. 7, 2015, 3:26 am

LOL, I'm laughing at myself. I have all my lists and goals; but what do I do when it was time for me to pick a new read? I went totally off the reservation and picked up The Power of the Dog (by Don Winslow; narrated by Ray Porter)! I'm totally hooked into this story about a DEA agent in Mexico... :-D

83Tanya-dogearedcopy
Editat: des. 13, 2015, 2:25 am

NOVEMBER

115. Between the World and Me (written and narrated by Ta-Nehisi Coates) #NF #sociology #race
116. The Power of the Dog (The Cartel books, Book #1; by Don Winslow; narrated by Ray Porter #suspense #thriller #cartel
117. We, the Drowned ( by Carsten Jensen) #maritime #adventure
118. Screwdrivered (The Cocktail series, Book #3 (by Alice Clayton) #romance #contemporary #humor
119. Faerie'uckers (Faarie'uckers, Story #1 (by Taylor Morrison) #erotica #fantasy #short
120. The Theory of Attraction (The Science of Temptation, Book #1; by Delphine Dryden) #romance #erotica #contemporary
121. Baby, I'm Yours (by Susan Anderson) #romance #contemporary
122. The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (by Robert Louis Stevenson) #classic #horror
123. Fortune Smiles (by Adam Johnson) #shorts
124. Nuts (The Hudson Valley series, Book #1; by Alice Clayton) #romance #contemporary #NY
125. Eighth Grave After Dark (Charley Davidson series, Book #8 ; by Darynda Jones) #paranormal #suspense
126. The Best Man (The Blue Heron series, Book #1; by Kristan Higgins #romance #contemporary #NY

4 Short Stories by Edgar Allan Poe:
  • The Sphinx
  • The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether
  • A Tale of the Ragged Mountains
  • A Descent into the Maelström
    #classic #SFF


    I read and listened to some really great stuff this past month; but The Power of the Dog (by Don Winslow; narrated by Ray Porter) took top honors for me this time around. It made my personal Pantheon of All-Time Great Audiobooks - which is no small feat considering how super picky I am about audiobooks! It's a suspense/thriller featuring DEA agent Art Keller at work in Mexico. Half Mexican/half American, he thrives in the work assigned; but is naive in accepting the help of "Tio" Berrera, a Mexican official with an alternate agenda. The Power of the Dog is amazing and addictive as well as informative: Reputedly well-researched, it's really a historical novel that illuminates the politics and practices of US-Mexican relationships from the Reagan administration forward, e.g. The War on Drugs and The Iran-Contra-Affair; but also offers a compelling story pitting justice and vengeance against each other. Ray Porter's story-telling skillz are at it's best here; and I immediately dnloaded The Cartel - the sequel, or more accurately, the continuation of the The Power of the Dog.

    END GAME

    PARANORMAL:
    I finally finished Eighth Grave After Dark (Charley Davidson series, Book #8; by Darynda Jones. I was dragging my heels a bit on this one as I suspected one of my reading triggers was going to be pulled; but on Friday night, I stayed up late and read it! Reyes has become rather commonplace, and Charley Davidson has gone from being badass to zany; but Darynda Jones saved the series from my walking away by jumpstarting the series' plot line. I had told myself that this was going to be the last Charley Davidson book; but who am I kidding? I've already pre-ordered the next book in the series which comes out in January;-)

    So, I've read 15 Paranormal books, all pretty much in the Buffy vein, and I have to say that I surprised myself: I had a rather book-snobbish attitude towards this sub-genre of book; but I've really enjoyed exploring paranormal-suspense-romance! (Thank you, SFFF CAT!)

    MYSTERY/SUSPENSE/THRILLER:
    I'm in the middle of The Cartel (by Don Winslow; narrated by Ray Porter) now, and am about to start reading A Dying Light in Corduba (Falco series, Book #8; by Lindsey Davis. I also plan on reading the ninth book the Falco series, Three Hands in the Fountain before the year is out, so I'm pretty good shape for closing out the my Mystery/Suspense/Thriller category respectably :-)

    BIO/MEMOIR/AUTOBIOGRAPHY
    Hmm, I didn't tackle this last month as aggressively as I had planned; but there's still hope: I'm listening to Jenny Lawson's Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things which she has narrated herself; and there are a couple of short bios that I'm interested in that I could probably fit in before the year is out (Notorious RBG and maybe the book by Mindy Kaling...)

    NON-FICTION; CLASSICS; HISTORY; CATS
    I don't think I'm going to be able to squeeze in much more before the end of the year; and to be honest, my focused CAT reading went out the window when we started planning next year's CATS. The latter situation reminds me of something that I read about Elizabeth I - That she didn't want to name a successor because "More people adore the rising sun than the setting one."

  • 84lkernagh
    des. 20, 2015, 1:28 pm

    >83 Tanya-dogearedcopy: - Great reading in November, even if a couple of them were duds. ;-)

    85-Eva-
    des. 27, 2015, 6:51 pm

    Looks like great progress. Hope your holidays are happy!

    86Tanya-dogearedcopy
    Editat: des. 31, 2015, 8:59 pm

    DECEMBER

    127. Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things (written and narrated by Jenny Lawson) #memoir #blogger
    128. The Proposition (The Proposition series, Book #1; by Katie Ashley) #erotica #romance #contemporary
    129. The Proposal (The Proposition series Book #2 (by Katie Ashley) #erotica #romance #contemporary
    130. The Party (The Proposition series Prequel; by Katie Ashley) #erotica #romance #contemporary
    131. Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg ( by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik; narrated by Andi Arndt) #NF #bio #SupremeCourt
    132. The Invisible Man (by H.G. Wells) #SFF #Classic
    133. Twelfth Night (by William Shakespeare) #Drama #Classic #Comedy
    134. Illyria (by Elizabeth Hand) #YA #Bildungsroman
    135. Mai Tai'd Up (The Cocktail series, Book #4; by Alice Clayton) #romance #contemporary #humor
    136. Surrrender (by Tawny Taylor) #erotica #romance
    137. Me Talk Pretty One Day (written and narrated by David Sedaris) #humor #essays
    138. A Christmas Carol (Prompt Copy; by Charles Dickens; narrated by Nail Gaiman) #Classic
    139. Sin City: The Hard Goodbye (Sin City, Volume 1; by Frank Miller) #gn #noir
    140. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (Sin City, Volume 2; by Frank Miller) #gn #noir
    141. Sin City: The Big Fat Kill (Sin City, Volume 3; by Frank Miller) #gn #noir
    142. Sin City: That Yellow Bastard (Sin City, Volume 4; by Frank Miller) #gn #noir

    My favorite reads came at the end of the month with a little graphic novel binge! I love the "knights errant" of Frank Miller's Sin City series and the way the various storylines intersect. I'll probably start the New Year by finishing off the series over the first week-end :-)

    WRAP UP

    Oddly, I came up just one title short of a 16-title standard in "MYSTERY/SUSPENSE/THRILLER," "BIO/MEMOIR/AUTOBIOGRAPHY," and "CLASSICS;" and two short in "EROTICA"; but overall I consider this year's Category Challenge a huge success. Thanks to the SFFF CAT, I broadened by reading horizons and really got into Steampunk and 19th Century Science Fiction. I plan on reading more in this vein in 2016 :-)

    Now onto 2016!

    87rabbitprincess
    des. 31, 2015, 9:02 pm

    Great wrap-up! I like that the SFFFCAT gave you some new reading horizons to explore.

    See you in 2016!