Once Again in 2010 - Storee's Reading Round-Up

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Once Again in 2010 - Storee's Reading Round-Up

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1Storeetllr
Editat: ag. 29, 2010, 8:31 pm

jfetting ~ Thanks so for inviting me to the new Group!

Hi, and Happy New Year One and All!

This year I'm going to be revising the draft of a novel I wrote for NaNoWriMo in 2007 in the hopes of getting it published (8/29/10 ETA hahahahahaha that goal didn't last long.), so I don't plan on doing as much reading as usual. Nevertheless, being an Eternal Optimist, I've decided to keep track here in the 100-Book Challenge Group anyway.



ETA my criteria for rating what I read. To get a 3.5 out of 5 star rating or higher, the book must be well-written (or at least not badly written), be compelling (or at least interesting), have well-defined, multi-layer characters or a really good plot, and ultimately be a satisfying read. I don't usually finish books that don't meet those criteria, unless they are for a book club, they are a classic that I'm reading to broaden my reading horizons or some similar reason. That's why you won't see any (or at least almost no) ratings below a 3/5.

2FicusFan
gen. 3, 2010, 2:35 am

Hi Storeetllr. Hope you get your novel re-worked and published. Hope you can keep reading and posting too.

3Storeetllr
gen. 3, 2010, 2:06 pm

Hi, Ficus! Happy New Year! I don't think I could live without reading, even though I'll be writing too. I just have to stay away from novels that are in my genre so I don't start unconsciously mimicking some other author. :)

1. Dark Fire by C.J. Sansom. 4.5. Slow start to this one, but I recalled that Dissolution also started slowly, so I stuck with it and boy! am I glad I did! I don't know any other writer who can portray in so intimate and vibrant a fashion London and Londoners during that time period. The mystery part was good, tho if one knows one's history the denoument is not a surprise. It's just that, while reading, I feel what it felt like to be there ~ the smells (especially the smells!), sights, sounds. All are so well done. I definitely am looking forward to the next Matthew Shardlake novel.

4Storeetllr
gen. 11, 2010, 2:01 am

2. Death of a Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong. 4.5 Incredible mystery novel, more for the characters and descriptions of life in modern China than for the mystery. I learned so much about the workings of the political system in the early 1990s and was charmed by the brilliant descriptions of Shanghai and Guangzhou, a city near Hong Kong where Chief Inspector Chen goes to investigate the murder of a "model worker."

Especially loved the bits of Chinese (and other) poetry that were scattered like bright gems along the grimy path Chen, a poet and literary translator on the side, had to follow in his quest for truth and justice.

For example, the last lines of the novel:

Who says that the spendor of a grass blade returns
The love of the spring that forever returns?

Highly recommended.

Hardcover, 464 pages

5pamelad
gen. 11, 2010, 3:56 am

Death of a Red Heroine looks good. Thanks Storeerllr, I've found it at the local library.

6divinenanny
gen. 11, 2010, 4:23 am

Hi Storeetllr, glad you liked Dark Fire and Dissolution... I have the two follow ups (Sovereign and Revelation) in my TBR pile and I am determined to read them this year... I keep buying because I want to keep up with the series, it is so good, but then don't take the time to read them...

7wookiebender
gen. 11, 2010, 5:15 am

Death of a Red Heroine does look good! Dagnabbit, my wishlist just keeps on growing....

8Storeetllr
gen. 11, 2010, 11:59 am

Pam & Wookie ~ Hope you enjoy it too. If you find the first 47 or so pages a bit of a slog, don't give up on it! I almost did but then by page 51...WOW! I had a hard time putting it down to sleep. Best news is that it's the first of a series. Or maybe not such good news...

9Storeetllr
gen. 11, 2010, 12:04 pm

#6 I just ordered Sovereign and Revelation! They are rather long tomes, and I found the first two difficult to get into for the first few chapters, but then I would find myself totally immersed and hated to get to the end.

10wookiebender
gen. 12, 2010, 7:31 pm

#8> I do give books at least 50 pages. Isn't it funny how sometimes it's plonk on page 50 that you sit up and take notice? I wonder sometimes if authors are doing it on purpose. ;)

11Storeetllr
gen. 12, 2010, 7:39 pm

Wookie ~ Yes, I wonder too! I also sometimes think that a good editor could solve some of the problem by ditching a lot of the boring set-up and back-story that seems to clog up a lot of novels' first few chapters. As a reader/writer, I've very aware of the tendency to explain everything to the reader before ever really getting into the story.

12FicusFan
gen. 13, 2010, 11:10 pm

I agree that sometimes it is hard to slog through parts of books. But when it gets better, I often wonder if the tedium was needed to make the WOW happen. If its laying the ground work that makes the rest of the book effortless. Of course sometimes it never gets better.

13Storeetllr
gen. 14, 2010, 8:15 pm

Interesting idea, Ficus. I've read some novels where the groundwork part is included effortlessly, or at least made interesting enough that one doesn't just want to fall asleep while reading it. But you're right that, if something WOW happens after a long boring part, one does sit up and take notice. :) If I were the author, though, I'd be afraid too many people would give up reading my novel before the good part starts.

14Storeetllr
gen. 14, 2010, 8:32 pm

3. A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris. 4 stars. A bunch of short stories about Sookie, a couple of which I'd already read in other collections but which I reread because they were so fun to read. Nothing mentally challenging in them, but sometimes I just need lighthearted fluff. One of the stories was about a Christmas Eve when Sookie, all alone and feeling sorry for herself, comes across a wounded were. A wounded naked were. Another was her first meeting with Mr. Cataliades and the Queen of Louisiana. Another one I hadn't read before was where Sookie and Amelia (the witch from N.O.) play detective at the request of a local insurance agent/witch (or is it warlock? it's a guy). Anyway, I enjoyed them, they were all real easy, fun and fast reads. If you like the Sookie Stackhouse novels, you should enjoy these.

15FicusFan
gen. 15, 2010, 2:40 pm

I doubt the author who creates a slog means to, or maybe doesn't even see it. :)

I am sure most think everything is fine (editor, paging an editor). Its other eyes who aren't immersed in the details (like the writer) that can see things that don't work or are tedious.

16Storeetllr
Editat: gen. 17, 2010, 3:32 pm

4. One Foot in the Grave by Wm. Mark Simmons. 3.5 stars. Somewhat different from other vampire fiction I've read, but reminiscent of Charlie Huston's series in the wise-cracking black humor of the protagonist, a former English teacher who is infected with some strange disease that doesn't allow him to be in the sun for long and has stolen his appetite and given him terrible nightmares in exchange. Turns out he's become a semi-vampire, stuck in the transition stage between living human and full undead, and for some reason he's being hunted by the NYC enclave who want to turn him into one of the truly dead.

I liked the way Christopher Csejthe quoted literary sources like Donne and Wordsworth, engaging in literary duels with some of the head vamps, of which Vlad Drakul is one. I was impressed with the world-building, and I also liked the ending.

All in all, not the best of the vampire fiction I've read, but definitely a series I am going to continue to read.

17Storeetllr
Editat: gen. 20, 2010, 2:00 am

5. A Drink Before the War by Dennis Lehane. 4.5 stars. Intense, brutally honest, violent, timely mystery that deals with issues that are disturbing, such as racism, political corruption, child abuse (sexual and other), gangs, drugs, and violence. It also deals with the meaning of friendship, honor, and loyalty. This is the first of a series of detective novels set in Boston. It wasn't a particularly comfortable read, but it was so good I hated to put it down. It will not be the last of the series that I read, and I recommend it highly for anyone who loves literate, realistic mysteries with great characters and a good plot.

18wookiebender
gen. 20, 2010, 4:42 am

Oh, I've heard such good things about Dennis Lehane! I bought Shutter Island by him the other day - I hope it hasn't been overhyped!

19Storeetllr
gen. 20, 2010, 4:42 pm

Hi, wookie ~ I hope you enjoy it too! I listened to an audio of Shutter Island about a year ago and really thought it was good. It had a twist at the end that COMPLETELY knocked me out, which is always fun in a thriller. I also read Mystic River, which was also very good.

The thing I found with those two stand-alones, they are character-driven and subtle, though there is a lot of action in them too, and the stories are strong. A thinking reader's kind of thriller.

20Storeetllr
gen. 21, 2010, 2:21 am

6. Interrupted Aria by Beverle Graves Myers. 4 stars. The first in the series of Baroque Mystery novels, Interrupted Aria tells the story of the homecoming of Tito Amato, a castrato singer, to Venice after years of training at the conservatorio of Naples. He's been hired by the opera house owned by one of the great merchant princes of Venice whose mistress is prima donna.

As was Italian politics back in the 18th century, the plot was twisted and the characters all concealing secrets. The descriptions of Venice showed both the celestial beauty and depths of depravity to be found there. The mystery was pretty good too. I'm looking forward to more Baroque Mysteries.

21Storeetllr
Editat: gen. 24, 2010, 1:46 am

7. Sovereign by C.J. Sansom. 5 stars. In this, the third of the Matthew Shardlake mysteries set during the latter years of the reign of Henry VIII, Sansom has hit stride and delivered one of the best historical mysteries ~ actually, one of the best historical novels of any kind ~ that I've read. In fact, I'll go so far as to say that Sansom does for this period of English history what Penman did for earlier periods of Welsh and English history.

It's a long novel, but I read it in one sitting (took me all day, and I got NOTHING done, even forgetting to each lunch until 3 p.m. and still haven't had dinner at 10:45 p.m.). Even better than the first two, which I thought were wonderful, the atmosphere, characters, and setting in Sovereign are perfect, and the mystery top-notch. I've got Revelation ready to start reading, and can't wait to get into it, but I must not start it until Monday because I have only one day left to finish all my weekend chores. Oh, but it's a huge temptation, and I'm not sure I have the willpower to resist.

22wookiebender
Editat: gen. 24, 2010, 2:33 am

Whoa. They sound pretty brilliant! I shall add them to my wishlist right away!

LT recommendations are devastating my budget this year, and it's only January...

Edited to correct mispeling.

23divinenanny
gen. 24, 2010, 8:45 am

Very good to hear you loved Sovereign even better than the first two. It is moving up on my pile ;)

24loriephillips
gen. 24, 2010, 12:06 pm

I've added the first book in the series, Dissolution to the TBR pile. I love British historical mysteries. Thanks for the recommendation.

25divinenanny
Editat: gen. 26, 2010, 2:12 am

Ok, I am reading Sovereign now and loving it so far (about 120 pages in). But you better not start praising Revelation as much, because I had reading plans and you might tempt me ;)

ETA, oh, Wikipedia (the always reliable source for news) says that the BBC have commissioned a series from Dissolution....

ETA2, and that the fifth book in the series is due out this year and will be called Heartstone. Amazon says August 6th...

26Storeetllr
gen. 26, 2010, 11:22 am

SQUEEEE! Oh, DivineNanny ~ awesome news! I wouldn't be so excited about a film adaptation except that BBC is brilliant at adapting books to film. And how cool that the fifth book is coming out this year so I don't have to worry about going through withdrawal when I finish Revelation.

BTW, I was going to read only a chapter or two last night because I was sooo tired (first day back to work after a week's vacation). I ended up reading 5 chapters without even realizing it, and only my eyes crossing so I couldn't read anymore made me stop. Sorry, but it is that good.

27divinenanny
gen. 26, 2010, 1:50 pm

Ok, that means Revelation is my next read. Oh, and about that BBC adaptation, Wikipedia also says that Sansom is involved, so it should stay (somewhat) true to the story :D

28Storeetllr
feb. 3, 2010, 4:49 pm

8. Revelation by C.J. Sansom. 4.5 stars. This is one of if not THE best historical mystery series I've ever read! (And I love historical mysteries.) The first and second were good, the third brilliant. This ~ the fourth ~ missed being brilliant only because there was more emphasis put on the murder than on the political intrigues of the time. But as before, the mystery was good, the characters so well drawn, and the period brilliantly depicted. I'm already jonesing for the fifth in the series, and may actually go back and read the third again as I loved it so much!

29divinenanny
feb. 4, 2010, 2:14 am

I saw you have Wolf Hall on your wishlist. Get it :D. It is the same period in time, and it is just such an interesting period when you think about how it influenced the rest of English history from then on out.... I highly recommend that one, I liked it even better than Sansom's books...

30wookiebender
feb. 4, 2010, 6:15 pm

A second recommendation for Wolf Hall from me. :) It's nothing like a murder mystery, but I found it very interesting reading about the same time period (and characters even). Only, not knowing much about this period in time (beyond Henry had six wives in total, and the whole religious tumult), I did get a few spoilers for some of the characters in Wolf Hall.

I think Wolf Hall would have been even more brilliant had I known they were *all* real characters! I hadn't even heard of Thomas Cromwell before...

31loriephillips
feb. 4, 2010, 7:58 pm

Just added Wolf Hall to the wishlist. I love historical fiction!

32jfetting
feb. 4, 2010, 8:11 pm

Thirding Wolf Hall. One of the best books I read all last year. And there may even be a sequel on the way...

33Storeetllr
feb. 4, 2010, 10:26 pm

Okay, I see I'm going to have to give Wolf Hall another chance. I started it but the writing style bothered me. Perhaps I was just not in the right frame of mind to read it. I was in a reading slump of sorts around the time I started it.

Thanks all ~ it's back on the TBR list.

34Storeetllr
Editat: feb. 13, 2010, 1:16 pm

9. Quatrain by Sharon Shinn. 4.5 stars. Four short novelettes featuring four strong women and a few strong men set in the worlds of Samaria, Castle Auburn, Heart of Gold, and The Twelve Houses, these stories reminded me again why I love Shinn's novels.

My personal favorite, Flight, is set in Samaria, and tells of a woman with a loathing for all things angelic who is desperately trying to keep her young niece from turning into an angel-seeker. Blood tells the story of a gulden man on a quest to find his long-lost mother and sister who finds unexpected friendship and perhaps the beginning of romance with an indigo woman. In Gold, Zara, the daughter of the king of Castle Auburn, seeks protection from the fae-like people of Alora, from whom she must guard herself lest she fall under their enchantment. In Flame, a mystic with the gift of controlling fire finds herself accused of starting malicious fires in a small village far from the protection of King Baryn at Ghosenhall.

One doesn't need to have read any of Shinn's novels to enjoy these short stories. In fact, they are sure to give anyone with a taste for fantasy who isn't already a fan the impetus to read more about the fascinating worlds that Shinn has created.

35Storeetllr
Editat: feb. 17, 2010, 7:09 pm

10. The New Messies Manual: The Procrastinator's Guide to Good Housekeeping by Sandra Felton. 4 stars. Okay, I admit it, I am a procrastinator. And a packrat. And sentimental. And a hoarder. With ADD and a touch of OCD. (Or CDO, which is better because it's in alphabetical order.) So the subject of this how-to book is important to me ~ how to organize and keep organized in order to be able to invite friends over and to avoid being unable to even get around in my apartment because of the messes, boxes, out-of-place items, unneeded furniture. And so on.

Felton's writing is clear about how we "Messies" get into our messes and how to get out of them, honest about her own history and difficulties with being a Messy, and humorous, all at the same time. Her occasional references to God and prayer and stuff like that can be a little offputting ~ I love God and do pray and even go to church sometimes, but I'm not big on religion. If you can ignore the parts that seemed to me to be a bit preachy, it's definitely worth getting this book if you are in the same situation I'm in.

Edited to correct misstatement above.

36loriephillips
feb. 17, 2010, 7:21 pm

#35 Your first paragraph sounds like you're talking about me. Maybe I should get The Messies Manual too. Did it actually work for you?

37wookiebender
feb. 17, 2010, 9:45 pm

Oh, I think I've just found a new term for myself: A Messy!

38Storeetllr
feb. 17, 2010, 9:50 pm

Hi, Lorie ~ I'm so sorry to hear it. :)

It hasn't worked quite yet, but I got great ideas and encouragement from it. I've been living like this for years so don't expect to get the job finished for a couple three months. Or more. Anyway, I've been keeping my living area pretty clear and clean. Just don't look in the bedroom. lol

39wookiebender
feb. 17, 2010, 10:06 pm

And what's wrong with unneeded furniture, anyhow? Plenty more surfaces to put books on. ;)

40Storeetllr
feb. 18, 2010, 4:33 pm

Oh, yes, that's what I always say, er, I mean, said. Said. Past tense. I'm a recovering hoarder.

Right. Actually, I'm planning to get a set of bookshelves that are going to cover one entire wall of the living area and I hope have room for almost all my books. The rest will be in the bookcase in my bedroom. And on tables next to the bed, and on the coffee table, and on the dining room table, and stacked next to the couch. And on shelves in the closet.

Yikes! This decluttering stuff is more complicated than it should be.

41divinenanny
feb. 18, 2010, 4:39 pm

No cookbooks in the kitchen? ;)

42Storeetllr
feb. 18, 2010, 4:45 pm

Sara, Sara, Sara. I am a packrat extraordinaire. Of COURSE there are cookbooks in the kitchen. As well as in the living room, the bathroom (I kid you not, I was trying to locate a recipe one day and ... well, the rest would be TMI), and in boxes in the rented storage unit. None in the bedroom, I don't think, but I wouldn't be surprised to find one in one of the piles or boxes in there. :)

43divinenanny
feb. 18, 2010, 5:01 pm

See, I knew you wouldn't disappoint me ;)

44Storeetllr
feb. 18, 2010, 9:45 pm

Please! I'd never want to disappoint you, Sara, but just don't ever drop by to say hi or we'll be chattin on the front porch cause NObody comes into the house unless I have at least a day's prior notice. lol

45divinenanny
feb. 19, 2010, 8:15 am

Ha, me and H. are cleaning house today because tomorrow we will have visitors. Not that it is dirty, just... cluttered ;)

46Storeetllr
març 1, 2010, 4:48 pm

11. First Lord's Fury by Jim Butcher. 4.5 stars. I really liked this one except for one thing: it's the last of the series.

Tavi has grown into his role as First Lord in a wonderful way. You just know he's going to prevail. The only remaining questions are: how's he going to do it against such incredible odds, is anyone going to be left standing at the end, can the Queen morph into a being that can co-exist with the rest of Alerans, are the Cane and Alerans going to be able to work together, and what about the other vord in Canae? Oh, and when is Tavi and Kitai going to make it official, or are they? All in all, it was a pretty thrilling ending to a great series.

47judylou
març 3, 2010, 5:35 am

I just tried to order the messy book from the library, but they don't have a copy! I might suggest they get it. I think I need it ;)

48Storeetllr
març 3, 2010, 5:13 pm

judylou ~ lol I hope you prevail & they get it. It's working for me, sort of. Now if only I had more time. I need to manage my time better, which is the subject of thenext self-help book I'm going to read. :)

49Storeetllr
Editat: març 5, 2010, 7:58 pm

12. Fired Up by Jayne Ann Krentz. 3 stars. I enjoyed this latest Arcane Society offering, but I never really connected with the main characters. Chloe is a private detective whose specialty is detecting fake art but who can put a person to sleep with a touch. Jack Winters is a wealthy investor whose ancestor was a deadly enemy of Sylvester Jones and who created an artifact that purportedly gives certain of his descendants a second powerful psi power and also madness and killing rage. Anyway, it was good but not great, mainly because of the lack of connection thing but also because there were a few loose ends and unexplained occurrences that were annoying.

Edited to make sense.

50Storeetllr
març 9, 2010, 2:30 am

13. Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb. 4 stars. This was a hard novel because it starts with the vicious rape/murder of a young girl in her own home, but it was one of the best of the series. Of course the murder bring up all sorts of bad memories for Eve and Roarke, as well as Sommerset, but she is better at handling it now. In fact, all of her relationships ~ with Roarke, Dr. Mira, her girlfriends, and even Sommerset ~ are on more solid ground now., and she seems to be growing easier in her own skin as well as her place in the lives of those who care for her.

51Storeetllr
març 12, 2010, 10:44 am

14. Blood Ties by Kay Hooper. 3 stars. Latest in the Bishop/Special Crimes Unit paranormal mysteries. It was okay, but something was missing, or maybe too much was going on. Hard to say. A quick and easy read, though, so not a waste of time.

52Storeetllr
març 26, 2010, 1:10 am

15. Conspirata by Robert Harris. 4 stars. For those who find McCullough's rendering of Julius Caesar gagworthy, this novel of ancient Rome will be a welcome antidote. I am not one of them, but I have to say I can see how someone like Cicero would see Caesar in such a terrible light. Anyway, this novel tells of Cicero's life from just after his election as consul and just before the discovery of the Cataline conspiracy, through the years following his decision to put to death the conspirators, ending with his flight from Rome after being declared an outlaw. Told from the viewpoint of his trusty slave and secretary, Tiro.

53Storeetllr
març 28, 2010, 4:56 pm

16. Death Masks by Jim Butcher. 4 stars. Book 5 of the Harry Dresden Files. This one started out a little slow but boy! did it get exciting! 1/3 of the way in through the end, I couldn't put it down. Really good stuff.

54wookiebender
març 29, 2010, 1:25 am

I've got Death Masks determinedly climbing up Mt TBR, clamouring to be read sooner rather than later! I've really enjoyed the first four so far - just damned good fun reads. We've got the whole series, bar the latest as it's only out in hardback (but we did find it at the library the other week...).

55Storeetllr
març 29, 2010, 11:14 pm

Aren't they fun! Have you read the Codex Alera series yet?

56Storeetllr
Editat: des. 4, 2010, 5:31 pm

17. Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde. 4 Audio. The fourth in the Tuesday Next series and quite wonderful. I really enjoy listening to these books. The reader (Elizabeth Sastre) does a great job with voices (except for Landon's voice, which sounds like he's as dull as dirt, which he couldn't be if Tuesday is interested in him). The ending was surprisingly moving, after all the madcap of the previous action, and seemed as if Fforde meant for this to be the last of the series. If so, he must have changed his mind, because First Among Sequels is up next on the old iPod. Anyway, in this installment, Tuesday returns to the real world from the book world in order to get Landon back, stop Yorick Cane (guessing at the spelling, since I didn't read it in book form), and help the Swindon Mallets (the hometown croquet team) win the big game since, if they lose, the world will be destroyed. Oh, and to keep Hamlet away from the play which has been the victim of a hostile takeover by the Merry Wives of Windsor.

Lots of fun: bad puns, obscure book references, over-the-top villains getting their comeuppances, and keystone kop action.

57ktleyed
abr. 3, 2010, 3:26 pm

Storeetllr - can't wait to listen to Something Rotten now, it's nice to know she's back in the read world, I'm curious now as to the ending!

58Storeetllr
Editat: abr. 3, 2010, 11:30 pm

ktleyed ~ Heh, even the "real world" is weird in the Tuesday Next books. In this one, she & Spike have to go to the entry to the Underworld in order to save President Formsby (sp?) who ended up there by accident a week before he was supposed to actually die. Where Fforde gets his ideas, I cannot imagine and shudder to think! lol

59wookiebender
abr. 4, 2010, 12:13 am

Oh, I love Fforde's books too! I've also read the Nursery Crimes series, and Shades of Grey. Both are recommended, although not as much as the Tuesday Next series.

#55> I haven't read the Codex Alera yet, but we've been getting them out from the library for my husband. He was a bit meh about the first one, but the addiction level seems to have ramped up and he stayed up until 2am the other week, finishing the fourth (? or so) book. I'm resisting, there's too many other book series I'm addicted to! I can't keep up!

60Storeetllr
abr. 4, 2010, 3:44 pm

I'm reading Shades of Grey now and, though it began a bit slowly, I'm now really enjoying it. And I can't wait to get started on the nursery crimes series, none of which I've read yet. I love having more to anticipate.

Re Codex Alera, I hate to say it, but I'm betting you would be addicted from the first one. I'm so sad that I finished the last one (the fifth of the series) and have no more to look forward to. But there are lots more of the Dresden Files series to read, so I'm not completely devastated. lol

61jfetting
abr. 4, 2010, 5:49 pm

I have Shades of Grey sitting on my coffee table. I can't wait - I'm a real Jasper Fforde junkie. I love that Hamlet shows up in Something Rotten!

62Storeetllr
abr. 4, 2010, 6:04 pm

Yes, it was a hoot having Hamlet visit the real world. Imagine, if you will, what he might have made of all those film actors who played his part over the years.

63Storeetllr
abr. 10, 2010, 4:36 pm

18. Fantasy in Death by J.D. Robb. 4.5 stars. I just love Eve Dallas & Roarke and this series, and this is one of the better mysteries in the series. In this, a brilliant geek is murdered in a particularly grisly way in a locked room while playing a fantasy e-game. It take pretty much the entire novel for Eve to figure out how it was done (tho I thought early on that it had to be that way), but the murderer was a surprise to me. And the end was pretty emo ~ at least to me. I even teared up a little. Imagine, tearing up at an "In Death" mystery! Anyway, all the usual crowd was there, but the best part of the book was how Eve is beginning to understand that crazy friendship/love/trust thing. Can't wait for the next one.

64Storeetllr
abr. 11, 2010, 3:20 pm

19. The Red Velvet Turnshoe by Cassandra Clark. 3 stars. This is a new series & new author for me. It's the second book in a historical mystery series that is set in around 1383, just before the so-called War of the Roses began, when John of Gaunt was regent for the boy-king Richard II. It starts out in Yorkshire, at the Abbey of Meaux (sp?) (I'll check & edit if necessary) with Sister Hildegard being sent on a quest for the true cross of Constantine, which was believed to be in Rome, to give to Archbishop Neville of York who wants supremacy in political matters. From there, Hildegard travels to Bruges and then to Florence, murder & mayhem following on her heels.

Okay, it's a good story, though to my mind completely unlikely to have occurred that way IRL (in real life), but this is a historical novel with a female protagonist who has to do certain things to carry the story along, so I suspended belief for the duration. Except the awareness of little anachronisms kept creeping into my consciousness so that I was constantly having to remind myself that I had agreed to overlook such things as the independence of mind of Hildegard, her ability to think outside the box. But, like I said, the story was good and I wanted to know how it ended, so I continued. Plus it was pretty easy reading.

Oh, I did find a couple of typos toward the end ~ things that made me wonder if the copy editor had been daydreaming through a couple of those later chapters instead of proofreading. They weren't enough to throw me completely out of the story, but I did notice them.

Having said all that, I'm going to read the first in the series, so it was at least good enough for a 3 star rating.

65Storeetllr
Editat: abr. 17, 2010, 11:49 pm

20. Time Among the Dead by Tom Rayfiel. 4 stars. This was my March ER novel, or, rather, novelette (at 185 pages). It was a quick, easy read.

Lord William, an old Victorian peer, is dying. His ne'er-do-well grandson and probable heir arrives at his country estate to care for him in his last days. The young man gives him a journal, ostensibly to keep him occupied while he waits to kick off. William begins only reluctantly to write but then finds himself almost addicted to his journaling, going deeper and deeper into the past, remembering more and more of the truth of the past. Or is it truth? Could it be just his mind be tricking him, showing him things that never happened?

Parts of the story made me laugh out loud, parts were charming, while other parts horrified me. Lord William could have been completely unlikeable ~ snobbish, autocratic ~ yet I found myself warming to him, sharing his pain & grief & horror at what he learns about himself. It was somewhat sketchy in parts, but this was an amateur journalist with some definite mental and physical disabilities. Told strictly from his viewpoint, the story could not have been filled in with details outside his own ken or it would not have rung true.

I read another review which alluded to their sense that the language was not authentic for an elderly man of the Victorian era. I didn't have the same sense, but now that it was pointed out concede it was less florid and loquacious than some of the novels written during Victorian times. It didn't bother me, though; I was, in fact, grateful that it was not more authentic.

At any rate, I really enjoyed it, though I believe I am in the minority.

66Storeetllr
Editat: maig 2, 2010, 11:36 pm

21. Knock Out: an FBI Thriller by Catherine Coulter. 3.5 stars. Like most of her FBI thrillers, this one was a mix of good and, well, stupid. I swear, I just can't wrap my head around a couple of FBI agents, trying to save someone from being murdered, or whatever, having a chat about the gorgeous flowers growing in the front yard of a suspect. Unless they were, like, hemlock or monks hood or something equally potentially poisonous. On top of that, this one is about a young girl who communicates psychically with Dillon Savage. I mean, come on, is this a copycat Noah Bishop Special Crimes Unit thriller?

Okay, then, you might say. Why the hell do you read them?

My answer? Duh, I started them long ago and am now addicted.

22. A Murderous Procession by Ariana Franklin. 4.5 stars. And now for a really good historical mystery. In this one, Adelia Aguilar, King Henry II's favorite (and only) forensic expert, has been sent by the king to accompany his youngest daughter Princess Joanna to Sicily where she is to wed King William of that land. Along with her goes Mansur, Ulf, and Ward, plus Boggart, an unfortunately clumsy maidservant Adelia inherited, as well as the Bishop of St. Albans. But, unbeknownst to them all, a murderous stalker travels with them, intent on her complete and utter annihilation.

ETA I picked up on who the murderer was about 1/4 of the way through & couldn't for the life of me figure out how come none of the characters did too. It was that obvious. Still and all, though, it was a really good novel with a fascinating historical storyline.

67Storeetllr
Editat: maig 9, 2010, 3:09 am

23. Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran. 3 stars. This was my first Moran historical novel. I tried one before but just could not get into it, but it was, I think Nefertiti: a Novel, and I've read a number of novels and nonfiction about her so figured I was just burned out. But I'd heard good things about Moran, and I knew nothing about the children of Cleopatra and Marc Antony, so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm not sorry I did, exactly, but it didn't impress me as much as it obviously has impressed others who've read it and given it a 4.5 star rating. It wasn't terrible, but it left me feeling kind of cheated. First of all, it seems to have been written for the YA market and, although much that Selene, her family, and others of her acquaintance went through was horrific and brutal, it just didn't have the emotional depth such subject matter deserves. Secondly, I didn't like the way the author explained every little thing ~ she'd say the Latin word for something, then go into detail what it was and how it was used rather than just showing it. Also, I've read a great deal of books both fiction and nonfiction about Rome during the late Republic and the early Empire, and although I didn't find any overt anachronisms (like spines being "ramrod straight"), the entire novel did not ring true, in that I just could not imagine the freedom the children, particularly Selene, had and the way they expressed their thoughts. Also, the Red Eagle thing just seemed over the top, even for fiction. Finally, Octavian/Augustus is portrayed as cold-hearted and a murderer through the entire novel (he killed a young man who's only sin was to have admitted that his name had been mentioned as a possible successor to Octavian if Antony had won at Actium), WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER! READ FURTHER AT YOUR PERIL! at the end he acts like a kindly uncle, even explaining his actions to Selene. No, it just didn't work for me, and I will not be reading more of her work.

68Storeetllr
Editat: des. 4, 2010, 5:32 pm

24. First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde 4 stars. Audio. I have got to say that I adore the Tuesday Next novels, especially on audio. I know the new reader isn't as good as the old one, but that hasn't bothered me too much. I'm soooo glad that this is not the last in the series (or at least Fforde has written an ending that begs for continuation), because I just cannot get enough of the literary jokes & bad puns, the whacky slapstick, the great names of the characters, and everything that make up the worlds of Thursday Next.

So, in this one, Friday is the bane of all parents: a surly, unkempt teenager, very unlike the well-groomed, courteous one that Tuesday met before and who saves the world from destruction any number of times as the head of the ChronoGuard. This one speaks in grunts, has absolutely no interest in joining the ChronoGuard, no interest in just about anything except sleeping till noon, listening to unbearably loud music by a group called Strontium Goat, playing guitar with his own heavy-metal garage band, and lying around all day doing pretty much nothing.

As for Thursday, all the SpecOps divisions (except the CG) have been disbanded, and she now works at a carpet laying company while Landon stays home trying to write and taking care of Friday, their daughter Tuesday, and Jenny. Of course, the carpet laying company is merely a front for the cheese smuggling business she's engaged in as well as the continuation of her SpecOps work (under-undercover now) and her Jurisfiction work in the Book World (about neither of which she's told Landon yet).

To round things out, book readership is at an all-time low and there is a plan afoot to remake all the classics into Reality Television (Pride and Prejuduce is to be renamed The Bennetts and consists of the sisters being given tasks to perform, after which one is voted off the show), the government is dealing with a surplus in the Stupidity Factor, and the Goliath Corporation is again after Thursday, only this time to work with them on a project to raise readership by offering a safe and easy way to get into the BookWorld and offer tours.

69Storeetllr
maig 15, 2010, 1:40 pm

25. The Virgin Queen's Daughter by Ella March Chase. 3.5 stars. I gave this an extra half star because it stayed true (I thought) to the language, mores and customs of the time in which it was set: the court of Queen Elizabeth I in around 1585. Other than that, though, this was not the best historical fiction I've ever read, though it wasn't bad. It's just that I was expecting it to be more straight historical while it was, in actuality, a romance.

Over the strident objections of her mother, Mistress Elinor rebels and, upon receiving an invitation from the queen after the death of her beloved father, goes to court to become one of Elizabeth's maids of honor. Though Nell is highly intelligent, she is also headstrong and very naive and is immediately plunged into danger in the glittering but treacherous court where it is impossible to know who is a friend and who is a deadly foe.

To be honest, if I'd been expecting a romance, I'd have given it a higher rating. It was just that it was not what it had been touted to be. I think I need to read When Christ and His Saint Slept, a historical by Sharon Kay Penman or even some non-fiction history, get my fix of more serious historical fiction.

70Storeetllr
maig 16, 2010, 2:25 pm

26. The Burning Lamp by Amanda Quick. 4 stars. Quick's Arcane Society historical novels are so fun to read, and this one was no exception. Yes, it's all predictable and the characters all similar (though not the same by any means), but that may be part of the pleasure, sort of like rereading a favorite book when you need a little comfort food for the brain.

Anyway, in this one, Adelaide Pyne, aka The Widow, is a social reformer who's been rescuing young prostitutes from the clutches of nefarious brothel keepers. She is sought out by Griffin Winters, a London crime lord, who believes he is being turned into a Cerberus by the Winters Curse and needs her help to work the missing Winters' lamp (as soon as he finds it) and prevent that from happening. Turns out she already is in possession of the lamp. Coincidence? They think not.

Caleb Jones and Lucinda of the Arcane Society appear in this one, together with Basil Hulsey, the mad scientist, a Harper of the genius counterfeiting family, and a mysterious Mr. Smith who is hot on the trail of the lamp and Adelaide and will stop at nothing to get hold of both.

The last of the trilogy will be out in September, featuring a Jones and a Winters collaborating on working the lamp and its Midnight Crystal on the future world of Harmony.

71Storeetllr
maig 21, 2010, 12:29 pm

27. The First Rule by Robert Crais. 4 stars. One evening in a nice neighborhood in Los Angeles, just after suppertime, a loving, happy family of four and their nanny are viciously murdered when a gang of violent murderers invades their home. Sad and horrifying, but there it would probably have ended ~ except for the fact that Frank, the husband and father, had once been a mercenary and one of Joe Pike's guys ~ and Pike never forsakes his men, even after death. Along with Elvis Cole and another of his mercenary group from the past, Pike goes commando to find the killers and get justice for Frank and his family.

This is nail-biting stuff with moments that made me tear up. I've always loved the Elvis Cole mysteries, but with this and The Watchman, Crais has racheted the series up to a whole new level. I can't wait for the next in this subseries featuring Pike. Can't wait for the next Elvis Cole mystery either.

72leperdbunny
maig 25, 2010, 8:02 pm

Storeetllr, looks like you got some goodies in here. :) I've got quite a few of these on my wishlist/tbr pile.

73Storeetllr
maig 25, 2010, 10:43 pm

Hi, leperdbunny ~ So which are some of the books that are on your wishlist?

74leperdbunny
maig 26, 2010, 9:38 am

Jasper Fforde, Jim Butcher, and added Matthew Shardlake and Jayne Ann Krentz. . still perusing your list too. My TBR pile is growing lol.

75Storeetllr
maig 26, 2010, 11:50 am

I so know what you mean about the growing TBR pile. Like bread dough ~ it keeps growing and growing...

I learned about Fforde, Butcher and Shardlake from other LTers. One of the thing I love about LT is the sharing which leads to discovering new novels & authors. Since I joined, LT has expanded my reading horizon immeasurably! And also, as you said, my TBR pile and Wishlist. :)

76leperdbunny
maig 26, 2010, 9:14 pm

I know, BF laughs at me cause its almost a compulsion/obsession adding to my wishlist/tbr pile, but I worry I might forget to add an author/book and then may never get to enjoy them. Old receipts in my purse get used as scratch paper at bookstores . . At this rate though I've got years and years and . . years of reading to occupy me. I wish I could forgo sleep. I could get a lot more reading in. :D

77Storeetllr
maig 26, 2010, 10:14 pm

Hahaaa! Yes, I'm right there with you. I joke around and say that there are so many books I simply must read, I may never die.

78Storeetllr
Editat: maig 31, 2010, 1:31 pm

28. A River in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters. 4 stars. Can't help it, I just love the Amelia Peabody mysteries. Though this may not be one of the best, I enjoyed it immensely anyway. It wasn't very long and certainly not deeply philosophical, but that's not why I read them. I read them because they make me feel good and are just plain fun, and this one was no exception ~ it made me laugh (out loud, even!) more than once.

Briefly, then, Ramsey has gone to Palestine on a dig, but Peabody and Emerson are stuck at home in England because Emerson had really done it last season and been banned from digging in Egypt. Fortunately, the King of England has requested Emerson's help in Palestine, and the Emersons are nothing if not patriotic. (Ha, just my little joke.) So off they go to Palestine ~ Jerusalem, to be precise ~ and send word that Ramsey is to join them there. Ramsey, however, has gotten involved in a nefarious plot and, on the way to Jerusalem, is kidnapped!!!! (Okay, it doesn't really deserve one exclamation point, much less 4, but it is just emblematic of the melodrama surrounding this particular event.)

Oh, I should say that the events in this book take place after Ramsey is an adult but before the highly melodramic contretempts that results in Nefret's sorry decision to marry...but that's another story.

Like I said, not the best of the bunch but still a lot of fun for Peabodyphiles!

Edited to fix a typo, then to add the chron info.

79loriephillips
juny 2, 2010, 8:09 am

I read the first book in the Amelia Peabody series this year and loved it! Definitely a series I will continue with. Nice review.

80leperdbunny
juny 2, 2010, 9:14 am

Same here- I read the first one in the series- Nice review!

81Storeetllr
juny 2, 2010, 10:03 am

Thanks, Lorie and Bunny! I know a lot of folks think Peabody's just fluff ~ and annoying fluff at that ~ but I get such a kick out of her and the whole cast of characters. If you get a chance and enjoy audiobooks, you really must listen to one read by Barbara Rosenblatt. Amazing! I will often listen to ones I've already read in book form, just to hear her read Emerson saying "Hmph." lol

82wookiebender
juny 7, 2010, 8:44 pm

Oh, I think Amelia Peabody is brilliant. I know, I know, they're terribly anachronistic, but I think that's part of the charm.

I shall keep my eyes open for the audio books, I now want to hear her say Emerson's "Hmph"!

83Storeetllr
juny 8, 2010, 12:37 am

Haha, you won't regret it (I hope). Amelia Peabody is a brilliant series and Rosenblatt is a brilliant reader so listening to one of the audiobooks should make you brilliantly happy. :)

84Storeetllr
Editat: juny 20, 2010, 2:55 pm

29. The Secret Magdalene by Ki Longfellow. Not ready to rate it yet ~ want to think about it for a few days before I do. I will say this: it was difficult for me to get through, partially at least for reasons mentioned below, but it is resonating in my soul. ETA: Rating it now as a 4.

This novel is an alternate story of the life of Jesus (Yeshu'a in the book) and Mary Magdalene (Mariamne/John the Lesser in the book). It follows the basic gospels but diverges in many logical and interesting ways to create a mystical but somehow more realistic look than the bland, simplistic gospel stories that have grown up around the life and times of two of the most well-known historical figures in the Western world and those whose lives they touched. The most unsettling divergence is the duality of the Magdalene, but Longfellow handles it well enough that I was able to suspend disbelief and, eventually, accept it as something that could have happened that way.

Although I am a cradle-Catholic, and we are taught that Jesus was and is literally divine, the Son of the One God, born of the Virgin Mary through the intervention of the Holy Ghost at the will of the Father and who actually rose from the dead, and I'm not going to change my religious beliefs, this fictional reinterpretation of many of the sayings and events of the gospels is wholly satisfying.

Now, as far as the writing goes, it was well done but so dense it was not an easy read and required a lot of thought. I also thought it left a number of strings dangling. However, those are small problems in an otherwise compelling novel.

85Storeetllr
juny 14, 2010, 8:46 pm

30. Dead Men's Boots by Mike Carey. 3.5 stars. Fun but not quite as good as earlier Felix Castro novels. In this one, he gangs up with a demon and a succubus (Julie) to bring down a bunch of ghosts who've figured out a way to steal bodies.

I can't help it, but I like Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden novels better than the Felix Castro ones. I know, they're different (Harry's a wizard and Felix is an exorcist), but they're also similar in that they are about hard-boiled heroes.

86Storeetllr
juny 15, 2010, 2:32 am

31. The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. 5 stars. Audio. Well, what can I say? I read this a number of times before, but I needed a comfort read, and, though it isn't exactly a comfortable subject, it was great being reacquainted with those great characters, esp. Emilio Sandoz, Ann and George Edwards, Sophia Mendez, Jimmy Quinn, John Candotti, as well as Rome and Rakkat, which were also characters. Even Johannes Voelker, Vincenzo Juliani and Supari ba Gajur (spelling is phonetic since I don't have the book).

87Storeetllr
juny 20, 2010, 2:32 pm

32. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. 5 stars. Audio. Magical! My review: http://www.librarything.com/work/edit/61311306?referpage=addbooks.php

88jfetting
juny 20, 2010, 4:25 pm

I loved Neverwhere! Super, super, super great book.

89Storeetllr
juny 21, 2010, 8:05 pm

It is super great! I'm going to try and find more audiobooks of his novels that he also reads.

33. The Ides of March by Thornton Wilder. 4 stars. Aside from the fact that the timeline of events is all wrong (for example, many of those who appear in the novel were already dead by the time the events of the novel take place), which really distracted me at first until I got over it, I really enjoyed this epistolary novel. Though all (except the last chapter) was completely fictional, it was a fascinating study of the way Caesar's mind might well have worked, and the way others probably viewed him. This is a book that needs to be reread to get the full effect of what the author has done.

90jfetting
juny 21, 2010, 8:09 pm

Oh, #33 looks good too! Adding it to the list...

91leperdbunny
juny 22, 2010, 12:19 pm

#87- I read like one Neil Gaiman book and I really liked it. . I highly recommend American Gods. Sounds like he's a good author.

92Storeetllr
juny 22, 2010, 4:26 pm

leperdbunny ~ I've read three by Neil Gaiman, one as a regular book (Good Omens) and two as audiobooks he read himself (Graveyard Book and Neverwhere). He is not only an wonderfully amazing writer but also an amazingly wonderful reader!

On your reccie, I'll try American Gods next. Thanks!

93Storeetllr
juny 22, 2010, 4:30 pm

jfetting ~ It was a strange but wonderful experience, that I can say. The philosophical discussions were so deep I know I missed a lot of meaning and will need to reread it. There were even bits in it that made me laugh out loud. I keep thinking about it, which is for me the sign of a great book. I may change the rating to 4.5.

94Storeetllr
Editat: juny 24, 2010, 9:05 pm

34. Rain Fall by Barry Eisler. 4 stars. Thriller extraordinaire! It's the beginning of a new series and one I'm very much looking forward to reading. In this first book of the series, John Rain ~ half caucasian American and half Japanese (and all trouble) is ex-U.S. military special ops from the Viet Nam era who is now working as a freelance assassin in Tokyo, specializing in "natural-looking" assassinations. I liked the way Eisler paced the action, which could have been too intense for me if he didn't intersperse tidbits about modern-day Tokyo, martial arts, a bit of romance, and some flashbacks. I especially liked reading about Tokyo. I really really hope some of the graft and corruption is fiction.

95Storeetllr
juny 27, 2010, 2:06 pm

35. Strange Brew, edited by P. N. Elrod. 3.5 stars. Audio. A collection of short horror/paranormal stories by the likes of Charlaine Harris ("Bacon"), Jim Butcher ("Last Call"), and P. N. Elrod ("Hecate's Eye") read by various readers, it was perfect for an afternoon when I was out of sorts and not entirely sure what I wanted to listen to while I sulked. As in most collections, some of the stories were strong (esp. Elrod (with Jack Fleming), Butcher (with Harry Dresden), and Harris (not a Sukey Stackhouse) while others lacked cohesion, coherency or both.

One problem with listening to short stories (besides the one where all the stories tend to blend into each other if I listen to them one after the other) is that my mind tends to "glaze over" when the author's name and title of the story is announced so, if I don't write it down, I forget it. I have forgotten most of the writers other than the ones named above, as well as all the story names. So I'll just say that, in addition to the stories by the three writers named above, I really liked the one about the Appalachian witch (whose name I've forgotten) and the werewolf named Jane and the vampires in the cave (mostly because I loved the reader's accent); I disliked the one about the witch named Sunny (mostly because of the reader, but also because there were some believability issues) and the one about the were who was attacked in her home by a bunch of student war mages (again because of the reader); and have pretty much forgotten the rest.

Okay, I've looked it up online. Here are the titles and authors and my blurbish reviews of each:

Seeing Eye, Patricia Briggs - Pretty good. A blind witch is hired by a were to help him locate his undercover cop brother who's been abducted by a coven with murderous intent.

Last Call, Jim Butcher - Excellent as always. Someone's spiking Mac's beer, and the results are really ugly.

Death Warmed Over, Rachel Caine - Very weird and seems a little incoherent in parts, plus I didn't care for the reader. A resurrectionist witch brings back a powerful but long-dead mage for a very dangerous assignment.

Vegas Odds, Karen Chance - I think this is the one about the war mages attacking a were and her boyfriend. Story was okay. Didn't like the reader.

Hecate's Golden Eye, P. N. Elrod - Excellent. Fleming & his partner are asked by a young woman to help her recover a dangerous family heirloom that had been stolen by her cousin.

Bacon, Charlaine Harris - Fun, in an icky sort of way. A vampire hires a witch to avenge the murder of her beloved werewolf husband.

Signatures of the Dead, Faith Hunter - This is the one about Jane Yellowrock, the were, who goes after a nasty nest of vamps. This is the one with the reader whose accent I really liked. Very soft Appalachian. Not a bad story, either, albeit a bit incohesive.

Ginger: A Nocturne City Story, Caitlin Kittredge - This is the one with Sunny a young witch and the reader I did not like. The story is a bit incoherent, I thought. Sunny goes way undercover to stop a really evil witch from becoming the boss witch.

Dark Sins, Jenna Maclaine - Okay, but a little farfetched and a tad bit incoherent. I think perhaps you'd need to have read the Cin Cravren series to appreciate it. I haven't. Cin is a vamp who used to be a witch but was able to keep her witch powers even after being turned, though they are difficult for her to control now. She and her lover and their friends are captured by the insane leader of a witch coven who wants Cin to drink his blood and become one with him. It was a stretch for me. Others might lap it up (pun intended). :)

96Storeetllr
juny 28, 2010, 8:11 pm

36. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray. 4.5 stars. Audio. Sixteen-year-old Jenna, who has lived most of her life with her mother and father in India, is sent to an exclusive girl's school in England after her mother kills herself in a market after receiving a mysterious and threatening message. I thought it was going to be a lot of teenage girl angst, and there was some, but there was a whole lot more to the story than that. I won't talk about it so as not to spoil it for anyone who might read this, but other than a few moments of sheer unbelievability, I found the story compelling. The writing is really good too, as is the reader.

97Storeetllr
Editat: des. 4, 2010, 5:34 pm

37. Stealing Fire by Jo Graham. 4 stars. LT ER. Well, Graham's done it again, written a fabulous historical with hints of mysticism. Loosely connected to Black Ships and Hand of Isis, Stealing Fire tells the story of Lydias of Miletus, born a slave but risen to the rank of Companion to Alexander the Great, and of the founding of the Ptolomiac dynasty in Egypt after the death of Alexander. The Black Land, with its gods and goddesses, its mysteries and its eternal flow of years, is as much a character as Lydias, Bagoas, and Ptolemy. Good stuff, even the battles (and there were plenty) which were exciting, well-written, and it made me cry a number of times. And I was left with a good warm feeling at the end.

98Storeetllr
Editat: jul. 5, 2010, 12:57 pm

38. Dexter by Design by Jeff Lindsay. 3.5 stars. Audio. I like the Dexter books, especially on audio, but something just wasn't right with this one. I think it's the same reader (Nick Landrum), but it sounded like something was off with his voice. Dexter wasn't as menacing, and his self-deprecating "humor" came off as self-indulgent instead of, well, amusing (in the twisted way of the earlier books). The story, at least in the middle, dragged, an unusual occurrence for these books. It wasn't a total waste, by any means, but it either was meant to show that Dexter is unraveling ~ as do many psychopathic serial killers, at least in novels about them ~ or the author wasn't at top form when he wrote it.

ETA that Debra, instead of being refreshingly obnoxious, was just annoying. I know there was a reason for it, but after a long stretch of it, I wanted to tell her to just STFU (using her own brand of colorful vernacular).

99Storeetllr
jul. 14, 2010, 1:15 am

39. The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys. 4.5 stars. A little gem of a book. Lots of short short almost flash fiction about London and Londoners during years when the Thames froze from the 11th century (the first story was about Queen Maude who took the field against King Stephen after he stole the crown left her by her father) through the late 1800s/early 1900s. Some of the stories were uplifting, some made me laugh, a few made me cry, all captured the spirit of the time period in a few short pages. Really worth searching for and spending the very small amount of time it will take to read it.

100Storeetllr
Editat: jul. 19, 2010, 9:43 pm

40. Where Serpents Sleep by Candice Proctor, writing as C.S. Harris. 4.5 stars. This is so good, the best of the St. Cyr mysteries so far. The only reasons I didn't give it a 5 are: the plot was just a tad convoluted, it got a little melodramatic, it left a few loose ends, and it was too fast a read for it to be truly 5-star worthy. But, for what it is ~ light historical mystery with a touch of romance, it's rare fun, and I enjoyed it very much!

In this I think fourth mystery in the series, St. Cyr is still in the depth of sorrow over the loss of his mistress when the daughter of his archenemy Lord Jarvis asks him to help her solve the murder of a houseful of reformed prostitutes. What starts out as a fairly straightforward mystery quickly turns into a convoluted plot with numerous villains and even more murders.

Edited to add that while I consider this a light, fun read, others may find the actions of one of the minor characters, which caused one of the murder victims to do something outrageous, to be too reprehensible for the book to be considered "fun" or "light." (Think Victorian-era sexual proclivities.) I'm an afficianado of the Pitt and Monk mysteries, though, so I've been exposed to such things in a much darker setting.

101leperdbunny
jul. 19, 2010, 3:25 pm

40>I think I've read the first 2 or 3 maybe of this series- I had completely forgotten about it- thanks for the reminder- will continue with the series. :)

102Storeetllr
jul. 19, 2010, 5:13 pm

It's a good series, and I think getting better. I really like the Hero Jarvis character, and St. Cyr is really growing, though he is still more or less in a whiny stage in this book.

103Storeetllr
Editat: jul. 25, 2010, 3:32 am

41. Hard Rain by Barry Eisler. 4 stars. Second in the series, in this one John Rain is trying to get out of the assassination business, but circumstances and people just won't let him. Eisler's belief in universal corruption of governments is a bit depressing, but the story itself is compelling. Though I thought the middle was a bit slow, the beginning was good and the end exciting and very satisfying. I also love his descriptions of Tokyo and other cities in Japan. Almost feels like I'm there.

I think I'm going to wait awhile to go on to the third in the series, though. A little Rain is a good thing, but too much at one time can be tough to handle.

104Storeetllr
Editat: jul. 25, 2010, 3:52 pm

42. The Diviner's Tale by Bradford Morrow. 4 stars. I finished the unproofed eGalley of The Diviner's Tale by Bradford Morrow last night, having read it on my new Kindle. Before I talk about the novel itself, let me just say that the experience of reading unproofed galleys on an eReader is just the slightest bit unwieldy. For starters, the formatting can be nonexistent in places, with paragraphs running into each other, lack of double spaces between paragraphs, and the like. Nothing too daunting, just...unwieldy. I didn't hold it against the novel, though, or the process, which overall was one of othe most pleasant I've ever experienced, at least as compared to the one other unproofed galley I ever read, which was spiral bound and printed on 8x10" paper and pretty hard to deal with physically. I'm sure that was so a reviewer/editor could make notes in the margins, and of course it made perfect sense. It was just unwieldy in a whole different way. I was able to make notes and highlight portions of the eGalley on the Kindle without much trouble (just had to remember which button to push when, and to remember to even make notes, especially when engrossed in the story).

So, the technical stuff out of the way, let me just say that The Diviner's Tale, which is the story of the redemption of a family damaged by tragedy as much as it is a ghost story and mystery, has some of the loveliest prose I've read in a long time, with wonderful metaphors and similes and lyrical language. Here's the first of the passages I highlighted because of the use of a sweet turn of phrase.

Cass Brooks is a diviner, a witch some call her, who makes her living by locating water (and other lost things, as the story goes on to show) using metaphysical techniques that go back generations in her family. She's out on some undeveloped, densely forested property in upstate New York, dousing for water so the new property owner can build a huge resort hotel with a fake lake on its grounds. While she goes about her work, she reminisces a bit about her divining work:

After the twin towers went down, I found myself exploring bonier, harsher, uninhabited land for people from the city looking to relocate, to Thoreau for themselves a haven upstate.

"To Thoreau for themselves" ~ wonderful!

Cass is not easy in her vocation, feeling that the world is correct in viewing her a charlatan, that she's a fake who will never be a true diviner like her father the other men of the Brooks family before him were but who must to stay in the business because she needs the income her divining brings in. She ruminates:

No going back, fake or not. The thing was, for whatever little techniques I had developed to enhance my chances of, as it were, swimming along with the Brookses ~ my own confession will come in due course ~ nothing I had ever done could explain my forevisions, as we called them in our family.

"Swimming along with the Brookses" ~ oh, my.

As to her odd ability to see snatches of the future ~ what she calls "forevisions" or "the monster" and which is something she's been able to do since childhood ~ this ability is pivotal to the story, though a newly developed ability to apparently see into the past becomes even more important.

At the risk of letting slip a spoiler, the past, as personified by Cass's fore- and aft-visions play an important role in the story. As someone close to her begins to lose the past due to the onset of Alzheimer's disease, Cass begins to recover her own past, which she has hidden even from her own conscious mind. She describes the symptoms of the disease in its early stages and its terrible effect on the victim:

...{W}ords {he} had known so well once now eluded him once in awhile, as if they were butterflies and his net had holes in it, flaws in its webbing he didn't know how to fix.

All the while, Cass's past is struggling to come out into the light, both in waking dreams and dreams she has when asleep. She describes one waking vision where she is talking to someone whose long-ago death affected her deeply:

What's it like there in the land of the dead...?

Like nothing, like floating in warm flowers.

Can you see me?

There's nothing to see except your worries and hopes.

What do they look like?

Knives hovering over you.

The hopes, too?

The hopes especially.


Damn, gives me shivers ever time I read that.

The main protagonist and unreliable narrator, Cass, was annoying in parts ~ the kind of annoying that makes you want to say, "What the heck are you thinking? Why are you doing that? STOP!" and her growth was not delineated in a way that worked well for me. I guess what I'm saying is that I just never quite warmed to her. I loved her twin sons, though ~ Jonah and Morgan, who talk to her and each other like no other 11-year old boys I know but who charmed me and made me wish I'd had twin boys just like them. Other characters were equally charming, some were easy to dislike, and some left me cold. I found the villain ~ or at least the motives for his actions ~ relatively unbelievable, resulting in a lack of strong feeling about him. Not fatal but disappointing, at the very least.

There were some other minor flaws ~ a string left hanging at the end (but not one that presages a sequel), incohesiveness in parts of the storyline, due perhaps in part by a lack of explanation of some of the character's motives, and a denoument that was a bit abrupt and confusing. Still, it was a good read, a really good read that to my mind is best savored slowly rather than raced through, and I'm looking forward to buying a copy of the book when it comes out next January and reading the final product. I give this 4 stars out of 5.

DISCLAIMER: This was a free unproofed eGalley, sent to my Kindle by the publisher without strings attached. The opinions in the review are my own, and I am being paid nothing for my review. I apologize that I can't give page numbers for the examples set out above, and the passages may change between now and publication date.

ETA to correct a misspelling.

105wookiebender
jul. 25, 2010, 10:21 pm

Oh, sounds fascinating, from the unproofed eGalley to the book itself! I'll keep my eye open, but January is a long wait...

106Storeetllr
jul. 26, 2010, 12:31 am

I hear that. I'm going to mark it on my calendar and make mention of it in the mystery/thriller thread for January. I'll be interested to see what, if any, changes have been wrought in the novel between now and then.

107Storeetllr
jul. 29, 2010, 4:28 am

43. The Wet Nurse's Tale by Erica Eisdorfer. 5 stars. This is one of the most perfect historical novels I've ever read. (I know "most perfect" is grammatically incorrect but I don't care ~ it's the closest I can come to expressing the truth.) Set in the late 1800s, it tells the story of Susan Rose, the daughter of a professional wet nurse from a poor family who goes to work in the Great House. Though not a pretty girl, Susan becomes pregnant by the son of the master of the Great House and is forced to become a wet nurse herself in a town some distance from her home. The adventure moves from there back to her home village and from there to London, where she must use all her wits to save herself and her child from a madwoman bent on their destruction. The Wet Nurse's Tale paints a stunning picture of life during the Victorian era and the unfathomable gap between the common folk and their "betters."

Fascinating historical details and interesting characters abound, but it is Susan herself who takes this out of the realm of wonderful and makes it a brilliant novel. I can't praise it highly enough, and to think I was this close to returning it to the library unread. Highly recommended.

108leperdbunny
jul. 29, 2010, 8:13 pm

I added this to my black hole wishlist/tbr pile. Sounds very interesting indeed!

109wookiebender
jul. 29, 2010, 8:24 pm

Oh, I find the Victorian era very fascinating! But I'm glad I didn't live then. :) Good sounding book, doesn't look like it's available in Australia, but I'll keep my eyes open for the future.

110Storeetllr
jul. 29, 2010, 10:39 pm

>108 leperdbunny: Oh! I've got one of those black hold wishlist/tbr piles too! :)

>109 wookiebender: Same here. Fascinating but filthy (in more ways than one). Not like the usual Victorian heroine, Susan's as down-to-earth as they come, completely uneducated but smarter than most of her "betters." And, The Wet Nurse's Tale doesn't have the usual Victorian ambience, either. I hope you can find it somewhere Down Under (if I can be excused for using that term). I don't recall if you have a Kindle or not, but, if you do, I think it's available as an eBook. Worth buying. I may just buy a copy for myself because I think I'll want to reread it sometime down the line or perhaps loan it out. Hmm, better get two copies then.

111wookiebender
jul. 30, 2010, 12:17 am

#110> Kindles are available in Australia, but it's all still quite expensive. I'm tempted, but not until they get cheaper!

Am looking longingly at the iPad...

112Storeetllr
jul. 30, 2010, 11:14 am

Oh! The iPad...

You know, amazon.com just came out with a new wifi only Kindle that is US$139! I'm waiting to see if Sony and B&N lower their prices to match or if they keep them at the same relatively high prices. (Sony especially. Although the Touch doesn't have wifi at all and weighs more than the others, it's at US $169. It does have that neat touch screen though, and a stylus so you can take notes in longhand, plus, unlike Kindle, it can be used to download & read library ebooks.)

Personally, without all the bells and whistles (i.e., 3G & wifi), I think a really good 6" ereader shouldn't cost more than $100. That's when the market for them would explode, so maybe it's a good thing they're more expensive, at least for the sake of those who prefer physical books.

113loriephillips
jul. 30, 2010, 6:32 pm

The Wet Nurse's Tale sounds really good. I've added it to my wishlist. Thanks for the review.

I'd love to have an iPad but I expect it's going to get better with future releases and hopefully cheaper, so I'll wait. I've got an eReader but still prefer an actual book. Nice for travel though.

114Storeetllr
jul. 30, 2010, 10:00 pm

Hi, Lorie ~ Hope you enjoy The Wet Nurse's Tale as much as I did!

Yes, my philosophy is usually wait for awhile. Tech toys will either get better or cheaper or both. I'm going on a trip next week, though, so picked up a Kindle 2 to take along. (Two weeks prior to the announcement that the new and improved Kindle 3 is coming out. Grrr.)

Anyway, I find it very comfortable to read in bed with, because of both the arthritis in my hands and my bad eyesight.

115wookiebender
jul. 31, 2010, 12:25 am

Ah, there are definitely cheaper options than the iPad! But I have a bad track record with cheaper technology - we always buy the cheapest that we can afford, and then they always break! We did go into debt for this Mac, but we considered a decent desktop a necessity. :) So I'm not going to go for anything halfway-decent in an eReader, it's going to be something *branded* and with good reviews and a broad user base, and it won't be until the Mac has been paid off anyway.

The iPad is just so sexy!

116ktleyed
jul. 31, 2010, 9:02 am

I added the The Wet Nurse's Tale to my TBR pile as well, looks like just the sort of thing I'd like to read!

I've become so used to reading on my little iTouch (Kindle app), especially late at night in bed, since it has a backlight and it doesn't bother my DH is he's sleeping (and I don't have to get out the itty bitty light) I've been reading on it for about a year and a half now, and I think I like it about as much as reading in regular print, but it sure beats lugging some big book around. DH has the same thing (he's thinking of getting the $139 kindle) and recently started reading Under the Dome which is a massive 1000 page book, yet it's nothing on his iPhone! LOL! (though he finds it annoying tapping for the next page so frequently on the small Kindle app, hence why he's thinking of getting a real kindle.)

117Storeetllr
Editat: jul. 31, 2010, 10:56 pm

44. Blood Trail by C.J. Box. 3.5/4 stars. (3.5 for the reader/4 for the story). Audio. And for a completely different reading experience, I tried one of the Joe Pickett mystery/thrillers. It was pretty good, too, though it wasn't the first of the series so I need to go back and read from Book 1. Anyway, Joe Pitt is a game ranger in a small Wyoming town in the middle of hunting territory, where someone is stalking and murdering (or, as the killer calls it, hunting and killing) hunters. Not only killing, but dressing their bodies same as game is dressed. It got a little complicated, with an animal rights activist coming to town to stir up trouble and Joe's already weird and unpleasant boss acting weirder and even more unpleasant, but it was good enough to look forward to more. Lots of bodies, though, and gore. Not that I minded, but if you're squeamish beware!

118Storeetllr
Editat: des. 4, 2010, 5:37 pm

45. What Remains of Heaven by C. S. Harris. 4 stars. I just love the St. Cyr mysteries, especially now that Hero Jarvis has a more prominent role. She's so much more interesting than Kat Bolyn was. In this one, Devlin's aunt talks him into investigating the murder of the Bishop of London, who was found in a recently opened crypt with his head bashed in and lying beside the body of someone who was stabbed to death 30 years earllier. While on the case, he discovers yet another of his father's lies ~ this one the most explosive of all yet one that explains a lot of heretofore odd things about his family and himself.

119Storeetllr
ag. 9, 2010, 8:48 pm

46. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender. 5 stars. This novel blew me away. I liked the writing, the voice of the protagonist, the story, and the characters. I won't go into details so as not to include any spoilers, but the story begins on Rose's ninth birthday when her mother bakes her a lemon cake with chocolate frosting from scratch, and Rose is suddenly able to taste her mother's feelings. Shockingly, since her mother always seemed so happy and content, the feelings that came through pretty much screamed despair. From then on, Rose is tormented by the feelings of everyone involved in the preparation of anything she eats (this includes the farmer who grew the food, the person who processed the raw ingredient) and can also tell where the food came from, whether it's organic, even if the cow who gave the milk that made the butter, cheese, whatever was contented, and so on. No wonder she wants to avoid eating. Rose's family consists of her mom, her lawyer father, and her brother Joseph whom I thought must suffer from Aspergers or some form of autism. I read it on my Kindle, but sometime soon I want to listen to the audiobook of it. I imagine it will be amazing.

120wookiebender
ag. 9, 2010, 9:14 pm

Ack! The wishlist is about to explode!! But The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake does sound *good*...

121jfetting
ag. 10, 2010, 8:09 am

The more I hear about that book, the more I want to read it. The only problem is... lemon and chocolate? Really? Can that be good? I don't know.

122loriephillips
ag. 10, 2010, 9:45 am

I've added The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake to my wishlist too. Sounds interesting. Thanks for the recommendation!

123Storeetllr
ag. 10, 2010, 1:23 pm

Haha, good point jfetting. Lemon cake with chocolate frosting as the birthday cake request of a 9-year old is a bit odd. When I was nine, my birthday cake request was chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and chocolate ice cream on top. lol

That reminds me: when I was a kid, I'd spend weekends with my grandma (I was the oldest of 5 kids and needed the break). On Saturday evenings, we'd walk a few blocks to the local ice cream parlor (Gertie's on 57th & Kedzie in Chicago) where they served the BEST homemade ice cream in the world out of a small corner store with marble walls that had over the years begun to absorb the smell of the ice cream. We'd each order an ice cream soda with homemade whipped cream on top. She always chose lemon and I always chose chocolate. Then we'd buy a Saturday Evening Post magazine & walk home so she could watch Lawrence Welk and I could read the cartoons in the magazine. Good times.

124wookiebender
ag. 10, 2010, 11:59 pm

When I'm buying gelato from a new gelato shop, I always get chocolate and lemon. They are the two best flavours, you've got to make sure the shop can do them well.

And, strangely enough, they do actually work rather well together.

125JonSc
ag. 13, 2010, 5:46 am

Someone said they had to think about The Secret Magdalene before they posted an opinion...and this is true for me too, Actually I know my opinion (FANTASTIC) but there is so much going on, and so much to think over, and so much to underline or to savor, it really is hard to do a review of it. Does it make you want to turn its page? Oh yes. Does it take you through all sorts of emotions. Yes! Does it satisfy as a story. It certainly doesl But this book isn't just a historical novel to be read for comforting enjoyment and then shelved for another day - or given away. Under and around the truly plausible rendering of the life of a very very alive and very wonderful Mary Magdalene, there is wisdom and hope and truth and I just couldn't believe it as I read it. There are so many books out there purporting to help you with your spiritual life - they aren't a patch on this one, and this one also entertains! But even with what I've said here, this is no review. I can't imagine writing a review. It would go on and on. Some book, Charlotte would say.

126Storeetllr
ag. 15, 2010, 11:57 pm

47. Blood Rites by Jim Butcher. 4.5 stars. Harry Dresden is one of the most adorable male protags in literature. He's honorable and humble and has the biggest heart, notwithstanding the terrible upbringing he had. Plus he's brave and clever and funny. In this novel, he goes up against the King of the White Court vampires as well as Mavra, one of the Black Court oldies and baddies. Harry gets beat up as usual, maybe even worse than usual, but I really liked Blood Rites for a couple of reasons. Well, three big reasons and a bunch of smaller ones. One big one is that Carryn is featured more. Another has to do with Thomas the White Court vamp. And the third biggie is the puppy Harry gets stuck with and ends up carrying around in his duster pocket.

You know, I was born and raised in Chicago and once in awhile still visit family who still live there. If I were younger and Harry were real...

127wookiebender
ag. 16, 2010, 10:28 pm

Hey, hands off Harry! I saw him first!! ;)

128Storeetllr
ag. 17, 2010, 12:51 am

No worries, wookieb ~ I'm much too old for Harry, except maybe in my dreams. lol

129Storeetllr
ag. 17, 2010, 2:17 am

48. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse. 4 stars. Kindle. Profound. Need to read the last few pages again and do more thinking about the novel before posting a real review, but I think I can say that Siddhartha is much more than the story of a man's life, of his search for the way and subsequently losing his way and then finding himself and the ultimate truth again. It sets forth a spiritual truth that is both difficult to grasp and yet simple at its center.

130wookiebender
Editat: ag. 17, 2010, 2:20 am

Oh, I don't have the energy for his lifestyle anyhow. I like my sleep, yet he seems to go for days at a time with nothing by magic keeping him awake.

I always feel sympathetically exhausted at the end of the books. :)

Must read the next, my husband is getting impatient for me to catch up!

ETA: I am of course talking about Harry Dresden, not Hermann Hesse above. A case of two people typing at once! :)

131Storeetllr
ag. 20, 2010, 6:03 pm

49. Black Hills by Dan Simmons. 4 stars. Print and Audio. I know a lot of LTers didn't like this novel by the author of Drood and The Terror, but, aside from a few annoyances *cough* Custer *cough*, I did. I especially liked the reader ~ loved the way he read Paha Sapa's words, saying the Native American words with such a wonderful voice (tho I have no idea whether the pronunciations were correct or not) ~ the story of Paha Sapa's life, and the events of the last 1/8 or so of the book. I liked Simmons' writing style, too.

For anyone who doesn't know, this is a novel about a Lakotan (Sioux) named Paha Sapa, whose name translates as Black Hills. When Paha Sapa is a boy, he sneaks onto the battlefield at Greasy Grass (Little Bighorn) to count coup, which amounts to touching dead enemy soldiers. He happens to touch the body of Longhair (Custer) at the moment of his death, resulting in Custer's ghost inhabiting Paha Sapa for pretty much his entire life. (Sounds a bit farfetched, I know, but it works in the story.)

The main plot centers around the building of the Mount Rushmore memorial which is being carved into The Six Grandfathers, a mountain that is sacred to the Lakotas. Paha Sapa works on the monument as a "powderman," blasting huge chunks from the mountain to form the giant faces. His work on the monument is particularly interesting because the building of Mt. Rushmore monument was shown by The Six Grandfathers themselves to Paha Sapa as a vision, along with other incredible and disturbing future events, in his coming-of-age vision-quest.

Subplots include Paha Sapa's coming of age as a Lakota visionary and the demise of the Free People, his time working in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show at the White City (Chicago's World's Fair), the particularly poignant saga of his family life. Running beneath it all is the story of America's manifest destiny-westward growth through the early twentieth century.

A lot of readers loathed the voice of Custer, and, though I admit I found it irritating, I thought it was necessary to the story and for what Simmons was trying to do ~ which imo was at least partly to show the differences and similarities of the Americans and the Lakotas.

Paha Sapa himself was a dichotomy. For example, he was Lakota to his soul, despising the treacherous Crow for treating with the white man, while himself doing things that were diametrically opposed to the well-being of the Lakota Nation.

There was also a lot of jumping around in time, which I think was easier to deal with in audio than it would have been in print. I never had any problem knowing where I was in time, though I've read other reviewers who wrote of it as being difficult.

Finally, to answer those critics who have written that Simmons was a bit too wordy in parts of the novel, I didn't get that at all from the audio. It seemed just about right, and the long descriptions just worked to make the entire thing more magical. Not sure how it would have worked for me if I'd read the whole thing in print.

As I mentioned, I listened to most of the book on my iPod, but somehow I forgot to load one of the last CDs and so read the last bit in print form. I missed listening the reader pronounce the Native American words but otherwise enjoyed it just as much in print as in audio.

I'm not sure it's going to be a best-seller or win any prizes (probably not, given how many people have dissed it), but I have been unable to stop thinking of it from pretty much the first CD and, after I finished it just last night, I dreamed about it. To me, that is the sign of a good book.

132clif_hiker
ag. 20, 2010, 9:54 pm

sounds very interesting. I've been meaning to add Dan Simmons to my TBR pile for a while. This sounds like a good one to start with.

133Storeetllr
ag. 22, 2010, 3:38 am

50. Roman Games by Bruce MacBain. 4 stars. NetGalley/Kindle. Pliny the Younger, a Senator and expert probate lawyer, is ordered by the Emperor Domitian (the last of the Flavian dynasty and the nemesis of Lindsey Davis's detective Falco) to solve a locked-door murder of a hated informer. While making his bumbling way toward discovering the culprit and how the deed was accomplished, he uncovers a lot more going on than he really wants to know.

This is a debut novel by the author and is, I think, pretty darn good for a first. It was well-written with a good plot, and it has no anachronisms in it of which I was aware. It falls somewhere between Roberts's SPQR mysteries and Saylor's Gordianus series in terms of seriousness and well-researched historical detail. I haven't read a lot about the reign of Domitian, so this was interesting for that reason too. I found the protagonist Pliny a bit tiresome and also a bit unlikeable (for one thing, he treated his pregnant wife of FOURTEEN like, well, a child ~ a lovable one but a child nonetheless, and an slightly stupid one at that) and feel that he didn't do much in the way of growing during the course of the novel, but it wasn't enough to put me off reading it or looking forward to the next installment (I'm sure this is the beginning of a series). Certainly, idealistic honorable courageous men who stood up to the imperial bullies were at a premium in those days, and from what history I've read of the time it wasn't unusual for women to marry young and be treated like children or halfwits. Still, I hope as the series advances, so too will Pliny. And his child bride.

In any event, as an aficianado of Wishart's, Saylor's, Davis's, and Roberts's ancient Roman mystery/detective series, I'm excited to have another Roman detective to follow.

For more plot information, here's the blurb from the NetGalley website:

"Rome: September, 96 AD. When the body of Sextus Verpa, a notorious senatorial informer and libertine, is found stabbed to death in his bedroom, his slaves are suspected.

"Pliny is ordered by the emperor Domitian to investigate. However, the Ludi Romani, the Roman Games, have just begun and for the next fifteen days the law courts are in recess. If Pliny can't identify the murderer in that time, Verpa's entire slave household will be burned alive in the arena.

"Pliny, a very respectable young senator and lawyer, teams up with Martial, a starving author of bawdy verses and denizen of the Roman demimonde. Pooling their respective talents, they unravel a plot that involves Jewish and Christian 'atheists,' exotic Egyptian cultists, and a missing horoscope that forecasts the emperor's death.

"Their investigation leads them into the heart of the palace, where no one is safe from the paranoid emperor. As the deadline approaches, Pliny struggles with the painful dilemma of a good man who is forced to serve a brutal regime—a situation familiar in our own age as well.

"The novel provides an intimate glimpse into the palaces and tenements, bedrooms and brothels of imperial Rome's most opulent and decadent age."

The novel is due to be released in October 2010.

134Storeetllr
ag. 22, 2010, 7:24 pm

51. Interlude in Death by J.D. Robb. 4 stars. Audio. I powered through this novella while doing housework today and it sure made the time go by quickly and happily. In this one, Eve is at a cop workshop offplanet on one of Roarke's interplanetary resorts. At the reception on the first night, a retired high-level cop tells Eve he is after Roarke and offers her his support for advancement if she helps him bring her husband down. Eve tells him to go to hell (in a somewhat more courteous way) and turns to leave but his bodyguard tries to stop her. Of course she reacts badly to that and breaks his nose for him. Later, the man is found beaten to death in a stairwell of the resort, and suspicion falls on Roarke. From then on, it's all fun and games.

Only problem, it ended long before my housework was finished so, of course, I had to stop and take a break while I decide whether to listen to another audiobook or to some blood-pumping rock-n-roll music.

135tjblue
ag. 25, 2010, 10:24 am

Just stopping by to say Hi. I often find interesting books and ideas on your thread. I've added Black Hills to my wishlist. Have you read anything by Ian Frazier? I liked The Rez. I used to feel silly reading J.D. Robb, but I see a lot of people here have read some or all of the Death series. Happy Reading!!-- Tammy

136Storeetllr
ag. 25, 2010, 12:01 pm

Hey, Tammy ~ Thanks for stopping by and thanks for mentioning Ian Frazier of whom I had not heard before. I'll check out On The Rez. Yeah, reading J.D. Robb isn't going to make anyone's IQ go up but her stuff is so much fun! Hope you enjoy Black Hills ~ many people don't. Have you read any of Simmons's other stuff? I've been wondering how it compares.

137Storeetllr
ag. 27, 2010, 11:44 am

52. Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris. 3.5. The story takes up a few months after the last book ended, with Sookie almost fully recovered from her ordeal and life almost back to "normal" ~ at least Sookie's brand of normal. In this one, Claude comes to live with her for awhile, while the two-natured, having "come out," are being harrassed by narrow-minded fundamentalists and the government who want to take away many of their rights. Plus there's a dead body buried at the back of Sookie's property ~ in addition to Debbie Pelt's. Along the way, we get to know Hunter a little better, Sookie is confronted by another "relative," Jason is turning into an adult with some scruples (finally), and Eric "meets his Maker" ~ and a very strange sibling he didn't realize he had. I'd have rated it a 4, but last night after I finished it and was lying in bed getting ready to sleep, I realized there were a couple of little things that niggled at me just a bit. Still, I had a lot of fun reading it and am now looking forward to the next episode in the life of Sookie Stackhouse, my favorite southern-fried heroine.

138tjblue
ag. 28, 2010, 2:02 pm

>136 Storeetllr: No I haven't read anything by Dan Simmons yet. I have seen him mentioned elsewhere, was it here early on your thread?

139Storeetllr
ag. 28, 2010, 2:08 pm

I don't think so, Tammy, but there were discussions about Black Hills on a number of other threads I visit, many of them dissing the book because of the parts having to do with Custer. Awhile back, I saw some good reviews of his Drood.

Say, do you have a 2010 challenge thread? (I know I can look, but I'm lazy. lol)

140Storeetllr
ag. 29, 2010, 8:23 pm

53. My Forbidden Desire by Carolyn Jewel. 3.5 stars. Not my usual fare ~ I used to read romance almost exclusively, but in the past few years I've branched out and now hardly read any romances of any subgenre. But I'd won this (and 5 more romances in different subgenres) in a giveaway, so I guess I'll be renewing my acquaintance with romances.

I gave this a 3.5 star rating, though I stayed up all night reading it and then dreamed about the characters during the very little sleep I did get, so take it with a grain of salt.

Complete review here: http://www.librarything.com/work/7958649

141ktleyed
Editat: ag. 29, 2010, 9:19 pm

#140 - I won the same group of books too and have this one now on my TBR list. I like Carolyn's regencies, but I'm not a big paranormal reader, do you think it would help to read the first book in this series or was this okay as a stand alone? Some of the others I've already read, and others I'll probably never read, but I was happy to win them! :)

142Storeetllr
ag. 30, 2010, 1:35 am

Hi, ktleyed ~ As the story unfolded, it was obvious there was a prior book, but only once did it seem to matter, and only fleetingly.

More importantly, though, I'm not sure you'd enjoy this one all that much, from what I've seen of your likes and dislikes. If you've read Carolyn's Regencies, then you know she's a good writer, but, in this one, there's an awful lot of cursing (the f-word and worse), sex, and violence. Those things don't usually bother me, but even so I cringed a couple of times while reading it. Personally, I thought most of that was appropriate to the story and reasonable for the characters.

Not to say you shouldn't try it; just letting you know.

143Storeetllr
ag. 30, 2010, 1:37 am

Oh, I forgot to ask ~ which ones have you read already and how did you like them (I bet the Elizabeth Hoyt was one)? (I know, I should go back and look through your challenge thread/reviews, but it's late and I'm tired and anyway I'm also lazy.) ;)

144ktleyed
ag. 30, 2010, 7:43 am

#143 - The only one I've already read was Knight of Pleasure which was right before I received the Hatchette copy. It was okay, but I preferred the first in the series much more (beautiful covers though). I haven't read the Elizabeth Hoyt one yet (or her contemp. as Julia Harper), but it's been on my TBR list, I have to read the ones before it first. The other paranormals/vampire type books I'm not even going to read, which I've listed at PBS, but I did want to give this Carolyn Jewel one since I like her writing as a rule.

145Storeetllr
ag. 31, 2010, 11:33 pm

54. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Audio. I read this novel in print form about a dozen years ago and thought it was brilliant, not to mention hysterically funny. Last month, thinking it was time for a reread, I decided to get the audio version. Although the novel was brilliant and the humor was still there, the audio version was pretty lame. I think it was the reader (whose name I don't recall offhand, though I can say I got it through Audible.com), but I also think parts of it were missing, though I swear it wasn't abridged. (It had better not have been.) I won't note the bits that seemed missing, except to say that one of them took place toward the end, when Adam makes his decision and was one of the things I remember as being one of the funniest bits in the book.

When I have time, I'm going to look for the bookbook at the library and just see if I'm correct or if my mind is playing tricks on me.

I didn't rate the book. For those who might be interested, the novel itself is, I think, a 5/5, but I'd give the audiobook a 3/5.

146Storeetllr
ag. 31, 2010, 11:35 pm

ktleyed ~ Oh, dear, the Hoyt is part of a series? Do you think it needs to be read in order to be good? I ask because I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be reading the earlier novels in the series anytime soon.

147ronincats
ag. 31, 2010, 11:50 pm

Good Omens is a favorite of mine--sorry the audio wasn't better!

148wookiebender
set. 1, 2010, 1:36 am

What ronincats said! Good Omens is a delight, it is a shame that the audio wasn't a delight as well. I'm glad that you'd already experienced the book, so this didn't put you off it.

149ktleyed
set. 1, 2010, 7:13 am

#146 - no, you probably don't but I have to read the series in order, but I prefer to myself, otherwise it dirves me crazy. Her previous series had interelated characters, but they could very well be stand alone books, and I'm sure this is probably like that too.

150tjblue
set. 1, 2010, 6:58 pm

Hi, My thread is called tjblue's 50+ challenge. I've tried the link thing a few times but it doesn't work. I will have to ask my niece to come and help me and tell me what I'm doing wrong.

151Storeetllr
set. 1, 2010, 11:08 pm

>147 ronincats: and 148 Thanks for the encouragement, but it didn't put me off at all! I still love Good Omens and, though the audio version didn't measure up to its amazing and delightful goodness, I enjoyed it enough to finish it. (If something's really execrable these days I don't bother finishing.) I will be rereading the print version though.

>149 ktleyed: I've read some of Hoyt's novels before, but I don't remember which ones. Well, I'll give this one a shot because I really want to read it. If it seems like it needs to be read in order, I'll just run out and get the earlier ones. No great burden there. :)

>150 tjblue: Found it! http://www.librarything.com/topic/77764

152tjblue
set. 2, 2010, 6:05 pm

Ok now tell me why it doesn't work when I try. :-)

153Storeetllr
Editat: des. 4, 2010, 5:45 pm

55. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. 4.5 star. Audio. Okay, I now see exactly what all the excitement is about. Can't wait to get the second book in the series.

The Hunger Games, for those who don't know, tells the story of Catniss, a girl from a poor "District" in Panam, a country risen from the ashes of the U.S. after a terrible disaster destroys society. There are twelve districts, each with its own speciality (Catniss is from D. 12, a poverty-stricken district where coal-mining is the main industry), all ruled by "The Capital." Every year, two children from each district are chosen at "The Reaping" to compete in to-the-death Hunger Games. There is only one winner of each year's game, and that child is feted and set up for life in their own district. These games are part of the punishment devised by The Capital for the districts having rebelled against The Capital a long time past.

I listened to it on audio. The reader (can't recall the name offhand but will look and edit this sometime) was very good, adding to the gripping story by the wonderful way she portrayed each of the various characters with a different voice and the urgency in her reading of narrative.

Highly recommended.

154ktleyed
set. 4, 2010, 2:20 pm

Storee I've heard so much about these books and just did not think I'd be in to them but you've sold me and I'll try them on audio too. I trust your opinion. Thanks!

155Storeetllr
set. 4, 2010, 2:28 pm

I don't think you'll be disappointed, ktleyed. I was a bit resistant too, because I've been burned before by highly hyped books, but at least on audio this one is a winner for real. My opinion only, but thanks for your trust. Just hope I don't ever steer you wrong. (oh the pressure!)

156judylou
set. 5, 2010, 12:42 am

Hi Storee, just catching up on your thread at last. You have been reading quite a few good books. I have added a number of them to the wishlist - looking forward especially to getting my hands on The Diviner's Tale and The Wet Nurse's Tale.

Glad you read and liked The Hunger Games - now you'll have to find the next two in the series. I will be reading Mockingjay shortly.

I'm with everyone else as far as Neil Gaiman goes. He does some great things and I think Good Omens is amongst his best!

157Storeetllr
set. 8, 2010, 12:03 am

Hi, judylou! Thanks for stopping by. I'll have to stop by your thread, see what you've been up to.

Yeah, I seem to be back in the reading groove, finally, after a long dry spell when nothing really grabbed me.

I thought The Diviner's Tale was really good, with some of the most lyrical language I've read in a novel in a long time. I think it comes out in October. When I read it, October seemed a long ways away. Haha ~ now it's just around the corner. Halloween anyone? Ho ho ho. *eeks*

I was surprised by how good The Wet Nurse's Tale turned out to be. I grabbed it just because it was historical fiction and I liked the cover, but then when I got it home and read the flap, for some reason I was all, like, ho-hum. It didn't take more than a couple of paragraphs, really, to change my mind, and then I wished it was longer. Maybe there'll be a sequel.

Can't wait to get my hands on Catching Fire. I don't know whether to read it on audio like the first one or in print form. I really liked the reader.

And Neil Gaiman is one of my newest favorite authors AND readers. Am listening to him read Fragile Things now. Amazing!

158Storeetllr
Editat: set. 8, 2010, 12:51 am

56. A Corpse at St. Andrew's Chapel by Mel Starr. 3.5 stars. This was the second (I think) chronicle of Hugh de Singleton, medieval surgeon and bailiff of Lord Gilbert's manor at Bampton, written in the form of a diary. Not having read Unquiet Bones, the first in the series, I sometimes felt a bit out of it when he went on about Lady Joan and the body in the cesspool (or whatever), but I usually skimmed those parts, in case I someday want to go back and read the first.

The first part of the story was hard for me to get into, and I wasn't quite sure what the problem was. I love historical mysteries set in the middle ages and filled with period details. This one just didn't grab me, perhaps, I thought at first, because there was just a tad bit too many insignificant and boring detail (how many meals can one describe in minute detail before it gets boring? "manchet bread made with wheat and barley" sounds interesting once, but by the sixth or seventh time, not so much) and too much ruminating and going round in circles, but what I now think was also part of the problem is that it read like a cozy, and I no longer care for cozies. Somewhere around page 120, however, the story picked up for me, and I enjoyed the second half. Hence the 3.5 star rating, which based on the first half would have been a 3 while based on the second half might have been as high as a 4.

Edited to fix some grammar & add a few words to make my meaning clearer.

159Storeetllr
set. 11, 2010, 3:49 pm

57. Green Interior Design by Lori Dennis. eBook from NetGalley.com. 4 stars. How to create an environmentally friendly home where you can thrive. I think it would be better in print form because of the gorgeous photos. Publication date: 11/15/10 Longer review at: http://is.gd/f62tD

160judylou
set. 12, 2010, 3:39 am

I listened to Fragile Things a while ago and thought it was fantastic. Some of the stories were just magic!

161Storeetllr
set. 12, 2010, 2:16 pm

58. SPQR: The Year of Confusion by John Maddox Roberts. 3.5 stars. Not my favorite Decius Metellae but not terrible. Just different from what I remember of the others. This one was more about historical happenings and personages and less about Decius and the mystery. And I felt that the ending was a bit rushed, and clues were being withheld. There was also a lot more expounding in this one than I remember from earlier ones. Still a good historical mystery set in ancient Rome, one of my favorite time periods.

In this installment, Caesar is planning his Parthian war and the rebuilding of Rome and has completed work on the new calendar ~ or, at least, his foreign astronomers have. He puts the reluctant Decius in charge of selling his new calendar to the Roman population, a risky business because Romans aren't happy with losing three whole months (including December which means no Saturnalia that year ~ think of how you'd feel if the government took away our December and Christmas), even if those 3 months are added back into next year's calendar somehow (I wasn't clear on the mechanism and didn't feel inclined to figure it out). Then one of the astronomers is murdered in a distinctly unusual manner, and Decius has no choice but to investigate.

Julia, Decius's wife and Caesar's favorite niece, plays a small part, mainly as foil to her husband's wit and to find out things that he as a male cannot. His freedman Hermes, acts as a convenient but slightly more intelligent Watson to Decius's slightly less intelligent Holmes. The story is brimming with historical personages ~ Caesar, Marc Antony and Fulvia, Cleopatra, Servilia, Atia (mother of the First Citizen), Cassius (yes, that one), Brutus (ditto), Cicero, Sallustius, Sosigines and Callista ~ and historical events, so that the story focuses less on Decius and the mystery than with the political significance of the characters and the parts they play in the historical events of the late Republic. Granted, the mystery is ... never mind. No spoilers here.

162Storeetllr
Editat: set. 12, 2010, 4:07 pm

59. Valley of Dry Bones by Priscilla Royal. 2.5 stars. e-Book, NetGalley.com. This was apparently book 2 in the series that chronicles of the 13th century Prioress Eleanor of Tyndale Prior, and you really had to have read book 1 in order to "get" this one, which probably accounts in part for the low rating I gave it. It was also written in a somewhat confusing manner, with a lot of ruminations by the characters, hopping around from one character's viewpoint to another's, and needless exposition. Also, I just couldn't seem to connect with any of the characters. This may have been partly due to the fact that I hadn't read the first book in the series and partly my own fault. Also, there wasn't any real humor in the book to lift it out of its doldrums, nor was it particularly grim. Just very, very serious. In event, I probably won't be searching out more from this author.

The story begins when the priory is visited by a party of courtiers who've been sent by the king to check it out for a potential visit by the queen during a contemplated pilgrimage. One of the envoys is murdered just outside the boundary of priory land, and suspicion falls on one of the monks as well as any number of the other courtiers in the party.

For those to whom it matters (I'm one), there were no anamolies, either in speech or deed. One of the monks was gay (he wasn't called that in the story itself), but that's not an anomoly in any age (just dangerous).

163Storeetllr
set. 15, 2010, 11:11 am

60. The Search by Nora Roberts. 4.5 Yes, this is one of the best Nora Roberts' novels I've read ever, on a par with Northern Lights (another favorite).

Fiona is a dog trainer and search-and-rescue volunteer on the small island of Orcas off the coast of Washington State. Simon is a woodworker and the not-so-proud owner of a destructo-dog named Jaws. Perry is the serial killer who, a decade ago, abducted Fiona and, when she managed to escape, wounding him in the process, murdered her fiance before getting caught and sent to prison. Now there's someone else out there murdering young women in the same way Perry had done.

The first chapter made me cry, the middle part made me smile (and laugh out loud at times), and an ending that had my heart pounding, though I knew it HAD TO end well. Didn't it?

Solid characterization, wonderful interaction with the dogs, a kick-ass but sensible heroine and a hero whose surliness masks a big heart and wryly humorous self-knowledge.

Would have given it a 5 star rating, but I mostly save those for literary masterpieces of the Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre kind.

164tjblue
set. 15, 2010, 1:02 pm

A Nora Roberts that gets 4.5 stars? Guess I''l have to check it out. I don't think I've read anything yet that she's written as herself. I've only read JD Robb books.

165Storeetllr
set. 15, 2010, 4:57 pm

Yeah, it surprised me too. They're formula, of course, but she changes up the elements (characters, plots, locales, etc.) so they don't read like any of her other romantic suspense novels. And, I've got to say, she writes so well for a romance novelist who churns out dozens of novels a year (at least it seems like dozens). One little thing: the sexy parts (of this one, anyway) reminded me a little of the sexy parts in the Eve Dallas/Rourke novels. Since I usually skim over those parts anyway, it didn't bother me so much.

166Storeetllr
set. 18, 2010, 8:27 pm

61. Medicus by Ruth Downie. 3.5 stars. Other than being just a bit too long for the story and one or two things that seemed a little like anachonisms, I really liked this mystery set in Britain during the time of the Emperors Trajan and Hadrian. It starts when Ruso arrives at an army base in Deva broke and with nothing but his clothing and some medical books. He'd been stationed in Africa, but his father's death (for some reason that wasn't clear to me) sends him scurrying for this distant outpost where he is confronted with barbaric living conditions, a hospital that is understaffed and where the supplies are unobtainable because the administrator who has gone on a trip has locked everything up, and by the bloated and naked body of a young, scalped woman that's been fished from the river and dumped on him to deal with (sort of like he were a modern-day coroner). Oh, and a houseful of puppies. And mice. Then he comes to the reluctant rescue of a slave with a broken arm whose being badly treated to the point of death and before he knows it has bought her and is now responsible for her. All that and trouble back at the home farm in Gaul.

There was a time or two when I wanted to stop, but I'm glad I persevered. It's not as good perhaps as the Falco or Decius Caecilia or Gordianus or even Marcus Corvinus mysteries, but it's good enough that I'm looking forward to the second and third in the series. And other than a new Decius Caecilia (John Maddox Roberts), the others (Davis, Wishart, and Saylor) haven't come out with any new installments for awhile, so I'm happy to have something good to read. Plus, I haven't read much about this period of Roman history, so that's another reason to continue the series.

167Storeetllr
set. 21, 2010, 10:51 am

62. Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon. 3.5 stars. This, the first of the Guido Brunetti contemporary mysteries set in Venice started out slow and continued on that way for about 3/4 of the book, but I persevered because I want to read the series which, as I know from personal experience having read one of the later books, gets much much better. I was rewarded by the final 1/4, which, though no more exciting than the first 3/4, was very satisfying and really set up Brunetti's character. I also enjoyed the glimpses of Venice and its citizens.

Some of the highlights for me: The elderly opera singer who lives in an easy chair inside a freezing hovel (I could feel the musty cold, even smell it) and the restaurant where Brunetti takes the art critic, where the waitress (owner?) dictates what and when the diners eat.

Looking forward to the next.

168Storeetllr
set. 25, 2010, 7:29 pm

63. Welcome to the Jungle by Jim Butcher. 4.5 stars. A graphic novel featuring Harry Dresden, wizard. Something is murdering people at the Chicago zoo. The signs point to it being Moe, the gorilla, but Murphy doesn't buy it. Instead, she called Harry in to find out what is going on. Loved it! I'd have given it a 5 but it was so short.

169Storeetllr
set. 26, 2010, 9:48 pm

64. Terra Incognito by Ruth Downie. 4 stars. This was better than the first in the series, which gives me great hope for the next one, which I got from the LT ER program and need to read and review soon.

In this installment, Ruso has volunteered to go to a small outpost on the northern border, ostensibly because he isn't needed at Devo because the new doctor has arrived but mostly because he wants to do something nice for Tilla, and the fort is very near to her former home. Before they even arrive, they are being harrassed by a man on horseback wearing antlers ~ a personification of the Celtic god Cernunnos, or the Messenger ~ and one of the supply wagons carrying a load of lead crashes down the hill, leaving a number of men dead or so badly injured they might as well be. When they reach the fort, it's only to be met with a mysterious and gruesome murder. And, of course, who is asked to investigate but Ruso. And, of course, Tilla appears to be involved in the mayhem.

It was a fairly intricate plot, more than one villain of varying degrees, and the mystery had me guessing until almost the time when Ruso found the murderer, as well as other culprits, out. Also, and I liked this a lot, there were a few genuinely funny parts. I still don't get why either Ruso or Tilla want to stay with each other, but maybe the third book will go into it in more detail. In this one, the two weren't together very often, which is a shame because the interplay between them is another of my favorite parts.

170Storeetllr
set. 29, 2010, 11:47 am

65. Harvest Moon by Mercedes Lackey. 3.5 stars. Kindle. NetGalley.

This is an anthology of three novellas, all having a harvest moon motif. At first, I stopped after reading Mercedes Lackey's novella, because I didn't know the other two authors' work and was apparently in one of my "not interested in trying anything new" moods. Thank goodness that didn't last long. I enjoyed the Lackey offering, but the second was great. Not as thrilled with the third at first but did enjoy it too after I got into it.

A Tangled Web by Mercedes Lackey is a story of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, this one a retelling of both Hades's abduction of Persephone and the doomed attempt by Orpheus to rescue Eurydice from the Underworld.

Cast in Moonlight by Michelle Sagara is a story of Elantra, and tells how teenager Kaylin Neya joins the Hawks and helps them break up a ring of child abductors and murderers. My introduction to the denizens of Elantra and pretty much my favorite of the bunch.

Retribution by Cameron Haley is about Domino Riley, a lieutenant of a magical mob who executes a guy named Benny after he attempted to murder her. Before he dies, Benny puts a Jewish death curse on Domino that has her being stalked by Samael, the Old Testament Angel of Death. It was okay, but I never really warmed to the character.

171Storeetllr
set. 30, 2010, 11:43 am

66. Silent on the Moor by Deanna Raybourn. 3.5 stars. eBook. It took me a couple of chapters to get into this, the third installment of the Lady Julia Grey historical mystery series, and even after I began to enjoy the story, there were annoyances. Mainly, Brisbane was being even more taciturn and surly than usual, and there was precious little of any interaction between them. I was NOT hoping for romance, but all of their meetings seemed consist of Brisbane telling Julia to go away, trying to get away from her, or actually leaving for long periods of time, and then, when she stalwartly refuses to budge, treating her like she is an idiot (although there were times I thought she acted pretty idiotic). I also hated how he kept information to himself. I mean, Danger with a capital "D" and he's playing coy with information that might save someone's (including his own) life? Please.

As far as the mystery goes, it was a bit far-fetched, and I managed to figure it out way before the denoument, including the identity of the bad guys and what actually happened, but I admit it's not the mystery that charms me about these mysteries.

What I did like were the descriptions of the moors, the town, the estate. Also enjoy the parts that show the March family and their idiosyncracies, always amusing, as well as the relationship between Julia and her siblings. I always find Victorian historicals interesting ~ the odd mores and the social system.

The ending? A bit like a formula romance, I'm afraid.

I think if you're a fan of historical mysteries, especially if you have read the first two and intend to read the next, Silent on the Moor is worth reading.

172loriephillips
set. 30, 2010, 3:03 pm

After reading the first two in the series, I've got Silent on the Moor on the TBR pile. Your review sounds like what I would expect. It's an interesting series, worth reading, but not a favorite. I'll get to it eventually.

173wookiebender
set. 30, 2010, 8:14 pm

Oh, I really enjoyed Silent in the Grave as a good fun romp of a read, and I will be continuing. But I'm less excited about the series now!

174ktleyed
set. 30, 2010, 8:28 pm

I pretty much felt the same way you did about Silent on the Moor, it was my least favorite of the three, though I'm looking forward to the next that comes out tommorrow! I'm not giving up on it, though after discovering Amelia Peabody, I realize Lady Julia is a much lighter version without nearly as much humor, but I still enjoy the series.

175Storeetllr
oct. 1, 2010, 2:47 am

Oh, ktleyed, yes! You nailed it about Lady Julia being an Amelia Peabody wanna-be. At least, that's how she came off to me in this one.

And I did enjoy it, enough to finish it and give it a decent rating. It was a fun, easy read, just not as good as I'd expected. Still I'm looking forward to the next, Dark Road to Darjeeling, which is scheduled to be released...tomorrow!

176tjblue
oct. 2, 2010, 9:09 am

Hi Mary! Just checking up on you.

177leperdbunny
oct. 2, 2010, 10:42 am

Storeetllr- I have been very interested in reading Lackey's Five Hundred Kingdom's series- I didn't know she had this short story anthology out. Bah! I didn't dodge the book bullet today!

178Storeetllr
oct. 2, 2010, 1:54 pm

lol lepertbunny ~ if you are trying to dodge THAT particular bullet, you better stay away from LT. :) I've read all, I think, except The Snow Queen which I couldn't get into and Sleeping Beauty, which just came out and which I have on my Kindle.

Hi, tjblue! How're you doing?

179Storeetllr
Editat: oct. 9, 2010, 2:23 am

67. The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark. Review copy. 4 stars. Review to follow.

ETA the link to my review on my blog. http://is.gd/fSGH4

180Storeetllr
oct. 11, 2010, 10:52 am

68. Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourne. NetGalley eBook. 4 stars. Annoying in the beginning (what is it with Brisbane that he must go off without letting Julia know where or why?) and seemingly interminable until about the midpoint, but then it got good and the ending! (Hint: I sobbed.)

More detailed review to follow.

181loriephillips
oct. 11, 2010, 11:29 am

I've got to get back to this series! I've had Silent on the Moor on the TBR pile for quite some time.

182ktleyed
oct. 11, 2010, 2:50 pm

#180 - you sobbed?! I'm reading it now, but I'm still at the interminable stage and no sign of Brisbane yet, now you've made me want to get moving on it!

183Storeetllr
oct. 11, 2010, 7:33 pm

Lorie ~ Silent on the Moor was my least favorite of them all, but I had to read it before I could start Dark Road to Darjeeling.

Yeah, ktleyed ~ it really got to me. Let me know what you think when you get there.

And what do you think of Brisbane letting them go on without him like that? I'm a little tired of the unnecessary drama. To be honest, it sometimes seems like Raybourn's trying for the same sort of rivalry as there is between Amelia Peabody/Emerson, but it's not working out.

184ktleyed
oct. 11, 2010, 9:03 pm

#183 - I'll definitely let you know and write up a review too. Julia and Brisbane are nothing like Amelia and Emerson IMO - for one thing they lack the humor, and Emerson is simply devoted to Amelia, despite his temper tantrums. Such a big bear that turns into a marshmallow when needed. Brisbane is moody in comparison. As much as I appreciate his brooding temperament, I don't like the fact he let Julia and Portia go without him (with Plum as their protector!) What was he thinking? He comes off as a bit sulky and selfish, although I'm still not sure what his real reasons were for staying in Calcutta. I do wonder if there's more to his story than just hunting tigers with the viceroy, because otherwise Brisbane just doesn't look all that noble in my eyes. Having just finished another Amelia Peabody novel, it's only too clear to me the differences in their characters. Emerson would never in a million years let Amelia go off on her own (of course, she does what she pleases anyway, whether he knows about is another matter!)

185wookiebender
oct. 13, 2010, 6:15 am

Oh, you're whetting my appetite for the next Amelia Peabody on my shelves to be picked up and read! Such good fun.

And I'll be buying Silent in the Sanctuary sometime rsn. The first one was very enjoyable (trying to write my review now, about six weeks after reading it! yeesh!).

186Storeetllr
oct. 16, 2010, 1:12 pm

69. Regression by Kathy Bell. 3.5 stars. eBook from Pump Up Your Book.

Despite a couple of problems with the writing and editing, I really enjoyed this sf/time-travel novel and really didn't want to put it down. Usually problems of that nature are the kiss of death for me with any book, but this one was so, I don't know, intriguing, I just ignored them so I could finish it. And to tell the truth, I had trouble putting it down to sleep and read it pretty fast, even with all the looking up of definitions of scientific and mathematical terms.

Regression is the first of a three-part (I think) series and a first novel for the author, so I am in great hopes that the writing & editing improve with the second, but, either way, I'm going to be reading part 2 when it comes out.

This was a free eBook that I got from Pump Up Your Book in exchange for a review, but I think it's worth buying at what it's going for (don't recall exactly, but under $5) or getting from the library to read.

187Storeetllr
Editat: oct. 22, 2010, 7:01 pm

70. Persona Non Grata by Ruth Downie. 4.5 stars. LTER.

Review is here. http://www.librarything.com/work/6574324/reviews/63128478

188ronincats
oct. 22, 2010, 6:26 pm

Link isn't working to take us to the review!

189Storeetllr
oct. 22, 2010, 7:12 pm

Hi, ronincats ~ Sorry about that. I have no clue what I did wrong, but I hope it is now fixed. Thanks for pointing out the trouble!

190ronincats
oct. 22, 2010, 10:11 pm

It works now! You sure are enjoying that series--I may have to look out for it, even though I don't read that many mysteries.

191Storeetllr
oct. 23, 2010, 3:14 pm

Yes, but I love mysteries and historical fiction, especially novels set in the world of ancient Rome. An author would have to work really hard to turn me off a historical Roman mystery. lol

192Storeetllr
oct. 23, 2010, 3:19 pm

71. Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher. 4 stars. Audio. Didn't care a lot for the reader ~ his voice was too monotone. But, at about midpoint, this one got so very good I sort of forgot to listen to the voice and only heard the words.

This one begins with the killing of a rogue mage, a very young one. You can imagine how that effects Harry. Then someone (or something) is causing murder and mayhem at a horror convention, and Harry gets involved because Molly (Michael's daughter) is smack in the middle of the trouble.

No spoilers, but a lot of stuff came to light, and more was foreshadowed. I can't wait to start the next, which I happen to have waiting for me on my iPod.

Good times!

193Storeetllr
Editat: oct. 24, 2010, 1:02 pm

72. Compromising Charis by Sahara Kelly. 3.5 stars. NetGalley eBook, published by Red Sage. Okay, to start, I don't normally read romance anymore (though I used to read a lot of it), much less erotica, and these days usually skim over the sexy bits whenever they show up in a novel I'm reading, but I'm doing NaNoWriMo next month and thought I'd try my hand at writing an erotic historical romance. (After all, NaNo is about stretching as a writer.) So first I went to an IOWSC (local writers' group) panel discussion on writing erotica to see what writers of the subgenre had to say. Then I requested Compromising Charis from NetGalley to get a taste of what's on offer out there. To say I was a bit apprehensive is putting it mildly.

I needn't have worried. Compromising Charis was a surprisingly amusing novelette about a young aristocratic woman who decides to get herself ruined in order to avoid having to marry a man she's never met but who she is sure is a "chuckleheaded lackwit" to want to marry her, since she'd been ruined once already and is, in the eyes of most of society, unmarriageable. Charis decides to run away to the gypsies (I didn't say the story was free of melodramatic improbabilities). On the way to the gypsy encampment, she meets a very good-looking obviously aristocratic young man driving down the road in a curricle. He offers to drive her to her destination. Ever a rebel, Charis accepts his offer, then, in sudden inspiration, asks if he'd be so kind as to ruin her some more. (Did I mention he was really handsome? And charming.) He, of course, being a red-blooded male, immediately agrees. (Did I mention that Charis is really beautiful?) They go to a secluded country manor belonging to a friend of his and, after giving the servant a holiday until the next morning, have their way with each other for the rest of the day and night.

I expected the sex scenes to be pretty much nonstop and, if not boring as hell, then eye-peelingly awful, and that I'd have to skim over them to get to the expected HEA. I was wrong. Yes, they were pretty much nonstop, but they were far from awful. In fact, though there was the requisite breathlessness and moaning as well as some frank descriptions of the sexual act, in between these passages were also some delightful conversation (!) and moments of actual humor, and much of the action was more sensual than mechanical.

So, not only did I learn a lot about how to go about writing an erotic novel (for instance, there were a total of only FOUR characters in the entire story, and two were on for a mere two or three pages, never to return), I spent a couple of hours of reading enjoyment (I almost said "pleasure," but I didn't want to give the wrong impression. I was reading strictly for educational purposes, not to be aroused, no matter how arousing some of the parts turned out to be. ;)

ETA that I forgot to mention that, being a galley, there were a few typos, and the formatting, as usual, sucked.

194Storeetllr
oct. 24, 2010, 1:23 pm

NOTE TO SELF re divinenanny's mention about Heartstone by C. J. Sansom (#25): It's also got great reviews but still hasn't been published in the U.S. Not sure I can wait. May have to buy it from one of the UK booksellers listed on Amazon.com.

195ktleyed
oct. 24, 2010, 9:00 pm

#180 - just an update, I finally finished Dark Road to Darjeeling, I'm with you on Brisbane, and I didn't sob, but I cried a little. I suspected that's what would happen. Overall I liked it, but some parts seemed to ramble alot and parts were dull. Plus, I'm not sure sure the one sister died, I think she faked her death, I kept thinking there had to be more to her demise, seemed too convenient. Also, Julia never saw her body. I wouldn't be surprised if the White Rajah ran off with her instead.

196tjblue
oct. 28, 2010, 2:03 pm

Hi Mary!! I moved over to the 75 group. Hope you come and visit me over there!!!

http://www.librarything.com/topic/101354

197wookiebender
oct. 28, 2010, 5:54 pm

Storee, good luck with NaNoWriMo! I have no skills in that direction (I'm a reader, not a writer), so I'm always very impressed with those that make a go of NaNoWriMo, or any writing project!

198Storeetllr
oct. 28, 2010, 6:03 pm

Thanks, wookie! I'm more of a reader too these days than a writer ~ writing's damn HARD ~ but I like to participate in NaNo every year, first because it's so much fun but also just to keep my hand in for the day I have the time and energy to get back to it on a regular basis.

199Storeetllr
oct. 29, 2010, 5:03 pm

73. Palace of Justice by Susanne Alleyn. 5 stars.

This the fourth book of the Aristide Ravel historical mystery series but second as far as chronology within the stories goes. Though I loved loved loved The Cavalier of the Apocalypse (third written; first in chronology), and very much enjoyed A Treasury of Regrets and Game of Patience, this one ~ Palace of Justice ~ is my favorite! Ms. Alleyn's really hit her stride with this one!

The mystery portions of Palace are clever and twisty, though I thought it less a whodunnit than a procedural coupled with a study of what fanatasism and madness does to a society as a whole and to individuals in particular. As usual, though, it is Ravel's story and the historical period that sucked me in. While immersed in the novel, I was pretty much there with Ravel in the gritty heart of Paris just after the Revolution, during The Terror, with all of its paranoia, hysteria and death. There are heart-wrenching scenes of the revolutionary tribunals in action, and of Madame Guillotine doing her bloody work. Between the political and criminal executions, a serial killer is stalking people of all classes. Headless corpses literally litter the ground.

Palace of Justice is, not to put to fine a point on it, sublime, and I highly recommend it (and the entire series) to those who love good historical mysteries.

BTW, you can read the first chapter of Palace on Ms. Alleyn's website: www.susannealleyn.webs.com/palaceofjustice.htm

200wookiebender
oct. 30, 2010, 2:47 am

I read the first chapter, and it is rather fun! I like.

201tjblue
oct. 30, 2010, 8:33 am

Another 5 star book, good for you!! You must know how to pick'em. Sometimes I can be a bit dense, but you lost me with book # and chronology business.
Hope you are having a good weekend!!

202Storeetllr
oct. 30, 2010, 12:02 pm

I haven't had a lot of luck with finding great books the past couple of years, Tammy, so I am very happy to have found Palace. As far as order goes, I wasn't very clear. What I meant to say was that, though the books were published in a different order, the chronological reading order is:

#1 Cavalier of the Apocalypse (published third)
#2 Palace of Justice (published fourth)
#3 Game of Patience (published first)
#4 A Treasury of Regrets (published second)

Cavalier is Ravel's first case and takes place prior to the Revolution. Palace is his second main case and takes place during The Terror, around the time Marie Antoinette was beheaded; Game and Treasury are set after The Terror has (mostly) ended.

Yeah, wookie, it's really good, but not sure I'd call it "fun." (I mean, poor Desiree.) ;)

203wookiebender
oct. 30, 2010, 6:26 pm

Well, I'm reading a highly recommended book, The Poet and it's definitely not fun. That one was a lot more fun in comparison! I'm halfway through and wondering if I should continue, because I'm finding the level of violence quite disturbing.

204Storeetllr
oct. 30, 2010, 7:34 pm

I love Michael Connelly, but I admit some of his stuff can get a bit violent. Have you read anything by him before, like the Harry Bosch mysteries?

205wookiebender
oct. 30, 2010, 10:52 pm

Nope, this is the first Connelly I've read (I'd never heard of him before the other night, when this book was pressed on me!). It's *good*, but it's disturbing, which I'm not quite enjoying. I may just put it to one side and read something silly for a while.

But I've also got to start reading my bookclub book - which happens to be another gritty crime novel! Oh dear, two in a row...

206Storeetllr
oct. 31, 2010, 1:01 am

Oh, dear, but really, I'm not the one from whom to seek sympathy cuz I love gritty crime novels. lol What's your bookclub book?

207wookiebender
oct. 31, 2010, 3:41 am

I'm usually fine with gritty crime too! This one just seems to be too much, somehow. Ahah, I think it's because I'm not all that fond of our hero as yet. I can forgive a lot for a hero(ine) whose company I enjoy, but Jack's just a bit too tough and lacking vulnerability for my tastes. Hopefully he'll become more human as we go along.

We'll be reading Truth by Peter Temple, which won the Miles Franklin Literary Award this year. Otherwise we wouldn't be reading it, as we generally don't do genre at all! But we do the award winners, so this one is on the schedule. :) It's a sequel of sorts to The Broken Shore which I thought was marvellously gritty crime. (Also loved the Australian flavour!)

208Storeetllr
oct. 31, 2010, 5:40 am

Ah, well, that may explain it. I know others raved about it, but The Poet wasn't my favorite Connelly. I'm a Harry Bosch fan all the way. And now a Mickey Haller fan too.

The Temple mysteries sound really good, I'll have to look for them. Thanks for the tip, wookie!

209Storeetllr
Editat: oct. 31, 2010, 4:20 pm

74. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. I am having a hard time rating this one, so I think I'll pass for now, though, if I had to rate it right now, I'd give it 3-1/3 stars. The writing was top-notch, Eleanor's character suitably strange, and the tension didn't let up from first page to last, but there were some things I just didn't get, like

***SPOILER ALERT ***

how could they all act so sanguine about the ruined room & clothing suddenly being okay? I mean, if it were first person, I could understand. You know, unreliable narrator. But this was third person limited, and the others experienced many of the same phenomena as Eleanor did. Why then did they act as if Eleanor was nuts(er than she was) when she experienced her own phenomena? You have to be able to trust the author, at least, to report the actions if not the thoughts of all the characters. And what was that thing with Luke and Theo? I get it that Eleanor wasn't seeing things clearly, perhaps, but from what was written, it seemed they were trying to drive her around the bend, figuratively if not literally, for no good reason I could tell. I also thought Mrs. Doctor and her escort were cardboard cutout characters. And then the ending ~ so...expected.

So, while I mostly enjoyed it, and it was spooky and even nerve-jangling in places, I felt there were enough inconsistencies or unbelievable actions and behaviors that I can't praise it as highly as most. Unless I completely missed something, having read it deep into the night and finished it with eyes at half-mast. If anyone wants to explain to me what I missed, I'd be ever so grateful.

Though I have read some of the essays and reviews praising it, I've also read a few reviews that discussed some of the same problems I had with the book.

210Storeetllr
oct. 31, 2010, 4:28 pm

75. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. 4.5 stars. Now this short novel deserves at least 4.5 stars. It was so spot on in its description of madness, of agoraphobia, of senility and greed. In fact, these four attributes could be said to belong one to each of the four main characters. Fear, another attribute prevalent in Castle, obviously belongs (somewhat inexplicably, which is why it's not a 5) to the townfolk.

Jackson's writing engendered such tender regard for Merricat, Constance and Uncle Julian, such loathing for Charles, and a great deal of righteous anger at the foolish and cruel townfolk, that it's clear this is a masterpiece of writing.

211wookiebender
oct. 31, 2010, 7:12 pm

Oh, I liked We Have Always Lived in the Castle too, and I'd never even heard of Shirley Jackson before LT! (I must have lived under a rock. ;) I've got The Haunting of Hill House on Mt TBR, I should have read it over the Halloween weekend, but no time. Some day soon, I shall get to it!

212Storeetllr
nov. 3, 2010, 12:46 am

76. White Night by Jim Butcher. Audio. 5 stars. Yes, five (count 'em 5) stars for this one. I love White Night the way hardcore Dresden fans love all of them, including Summer Knight, which was my least favorite so far.

In White Night, someone is murdering witches in Chicago, and Harry steps in to find out who and why. While doing so, he goes up against the White Court vamps, some of whom are trying to take down the White Court King (actually Queen, but...oh, never mind).

Harry's really grown into his power and become the kind of wizard I always knew he could be. Yes, he's still getting beat up, but nothing like before. He's more confident, for one thing, and he has better wards, for another. And he's accepting help from others, for a third, where before he was mostly lone wolf. He and Karryn (forgot how to spell her name) are even closer, and Thomas...well, you have to read this one to learn what Thomas has been getting up to. What a hoot! Lashiel (he calls her "Lash," much to her bemusement) has a big part n this one too, as do Elaine and John Marcone. And ghouls. Lots and lots of ghouls.

This is a keeper, and one for the re-read pile.

I don't know if I can wait until after NaNoWriMo to read the next one. Dang it. Maybe I'll dangle Small Favor as a reward for finishing, say, 25k words by, oh, how about November 19? (I always get a huge amount of writing done during the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend so I don't need to have half of it done by the 15th of the month in order to make it to 50k by November 30.)

213tjblue
nov. 6, 2010, 11:35 am

Another 5 star book !! Part of a series.Oh boy. I'm hesitant to add a new series to my wish list. I already have We Have Always lived in the Castle on my list. Thanks for reminding me about it!

214Storeetllr
nov. 6, 2010, 12:53 pm

>213 tjblue: Haha, I know, tj! LT can be hazardous to your budget and even your health should the towering TBR pile fall on you. lol

215Storeetllr
nov. 6, 2010, 1:01 pm

>199 Storeetllr: & 203 For those of you who are interested in historical mysteries, I've got a great giveaway going at my blog: 2 copies each of Game of Patience and A Treasury of Regrets and 1 copy of Cavalier, all autographed by the author. If you've never read an Aristide Ravel mystery, it'll be a good chance to get acquainted. If you have, then you know what a wonderful giveaway this is.

I'd love it if you'd stop by and comment ~ that's all you need do to be entered. Hope to see you at http://justonemorepageblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/exciting-giveaway-courtesy-of-su....

216Storeetllr
Editat: nov. 14, 2010, 11:49 pm

Last week I read The Warrior, a 67-page Dresden novella in Mean Streets, an anthology, and all I can say is man, oh, man! It was so intense in parts that I was chewing on one of my fingernails, yet at the end I was actually crying. I think this was set after White Night, the last one I read, so there was a spoiler in it, but nothing I can't live with. Although I'm not going to count it against my 100-book target, I just had to include it here. I give it a 5-star rating and highly recommend it.

77. What I am going to count is The Dark End of the Street: New Stories of Sex and Crime by Today's Top Authors, edited by Jonathan Santlofer, because I managed to slog through it and finally finally finished it. Thank God. I thought I would love it; I love mystery/thrillers and don't mind a little s-e-x, and some of my favorite authors contributed. And a few of the stories were excellent, but most were bleh and a couple were poke-out-my-eyes awful. I give it 2.5 stars. It was an LTER book.

217wookiebender
nov. 15, 2010, 12:57 am

Shame your LTER wasn't a better read. And you're inspiring me to pick up Harry Dresden again! I've read (and mightily enjoyed) the first five, but then other books keep on getting in the way. I've got them all, because my husband devoured them so I kept on buying, even though I'd stalled in the reading stakes.

Funny, usually it's me doing all the reading, and him trailing far behind! :)

218Storeetllr
nov. 15, 2010, 6:29 pm

Honestly, the Dresden Files get 1000% better with every novel as they go along. I think Proven Guilty was the turning point for me, when I knew I wouldn't be able to stop reading until the (bitter it will be for me) end, and White Night just cemented the deal. I loved him before, but now I am madly in love almost to the point of adoration with Harry Dresden.

On the LTER, I've read some excellent ERs so one bad apple in the bunch isn't bad odds.

219wookiebender
nov. 15, 2010, 8:06 pm

Cool, in that case I've got two more to read before the addiction becomes overwhelming. ;)

And you've had better luck than me on the ER stakes! Unfortunately we get fewer books on offer in Australia (I don't blame the publishers, it's a long way to send books!) and I've had one stinker and two better-than-okay-but-not-great books out of three. It's made me a bit nervous! (Or, a bit more careful of what I choose.)

220Storeetllr
Editat: nov. 16, 2010, 12:07 am

Oh, yes, there aren't a lot of choices anywhere but the U.S. and Canada, it seems to me. But I understand why too, from personal experience. I had a giveaway last month on my blog where I said I'd send a book anywhere in the world, and the person I drew lived in India. OMG, it cost me a fortune to send it, and I had to fill out a really long, complicated customs form. It was just a flipping book! Never again, I'm sorry to say.

221wookiebender
nov. 16, 2010, 10:01 pm

I was going to enter your competition on the blog, but lost track of time. :) I'll just add her books to my wishlist at the Book Depository instead...

I think it's okay to say only people from US/Canada/wherever can enter, people will understand.

222Storeetllr
nov. 17, 2010, 12:42 am

I did say that on the giveaway for Susanne Alleyn's historical novels that just ended. Hated to, but I just couldn't swing the international postage.

Oh, yes, do add them to your wishlist. They're really good, esp. her last two. :) Some of hers are eBooks now too! I already read them in hardcover, but I bought Game of Patience and Treasury of Regrets for my Kindle, and plan to get the others after NaNo November when I'll be able to get back to reading. In other words, for me they are rereadable. High praise.

223Storeetllr
Editat: nov. 23, 2010, 2:37 am

77. Dexter Is Delicious by Jeff Lindsay. Audio. 4.5 stars. More great gruesome and gory stuff featuring my favorite serial killer. And cannibals. Seriously creepy stuff, and this time it's not Dexter's fault. This one is not for the squeamish. Really, not kidding.

78. The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry. Audio. 4.5 stars. In the beginning, I wasn't sure exactly where this novel was going, and after finishing it I'm still not sure exactly what happened, but I think that's more about the unreliable narrator than anything else. I was engrossed in the story from beginning to end and thought the writing was brilliant, the way the subject was developed. The sidenotes about the techniques of lace reading were kind of distracting, though I don't think they would have been in print form. I really liked the reader, Elisa Breshnihan (sp?).

224ktleyed
nov. 23, 2010, 8:23 am

#223 I read The Lace Reader a few years ago and still wasn't exactly sure what happened at the end! Who jumped? I smiled at the idea of the wild and somewhat ferocious goldens ruling over the island (I have one myself). It was a pretty good book, I did enjoy it, worth a re-read one day.

225Storeetllr
nov. 23, 2010, 7:36 pm

Right! Who indeed? I think I know, but how it happened...I was lying in bed last night trying to fit all the pieces together and just couldn't. (The unreliable narrator device in action there.) I think it's going to need a reread, next time in print so I can refer back. Yes, the partly feral golden retrievers living wild on Yellow Dog Island was brilliant.

226Storeetllr
Editat: des. 30, 2010, 11:46 am

79. The Sandman Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman. 5 stars. Graphic Comic. This is Volume 1. I can't get enough of this series! In this one, Lucifer Morningstar is introduced, and I'm now also looking forward to reading the new series featuring him. Not by Gaiman, but said to have been approved by him or something. Love some of the imagery, and Gaiman's dialogue can't be topped. I swear, the man's a genius.
80. The Sandman The Doll's House
81. The Sandman Dream Country by Neil Gaiman. 5 stars. Graphic Comic. These are Volumes 2 and 3 of The Sandman series. Dream Country was okay; I liked "Calliope" and "The Dream of a Thousand Cats" a lot, but The Doll's House was A.MAZ.ING! I read it twice. I swear, Gaiman is a genius. Can't wait to get the rest of the Sandman volumes.

227Storeetllr
Editat: des. 30, 2010, 11:47 am

82. When Harry Met Molly by Kieran Kramer. 4 stars. Okay, this is a light romance, a fun & fluffy romp through Regency England, so why did I give it four stars? Because although I haven't been "into" romances for a year or so, I really got "into" this one. Actually, it reminded me just a little of some of Lisa Kleypas's novels.

My longer review is here: http://is.gd/hPULp

228Storeetllr
Editat: des. 30, 2010, 11:47 am

83. Nemesis by Lindsey Davis. 4 stars. The latest Falco mystery, this one begins sadly with the stillbirth of his & Helen's son, which was painful for me for personal reasons, though Davis handles the subject with thoughtful sensitivity. The very next day, there is another death, and that one leads Falco into another mystery ~ nothing complicated, or so he thinks, just a simple missing person to locate. Of course, as is usual in Falco's world, nothing is ever simple, and he's soon hip deep in murder when a body is found in a cemetary off the Appian Way, killed and gruesomely mutilated. Soon after, he and his friend Petro are off to find the killer or killers in the Pontine Marshes, where the malaria-diseased mosquitoes turn out to be the least of his troubles.

No spoilers, but I figured the mystery out early on, though it didn't really detract from the story, which to me is always more about Falco and his family & friends and his world of ancient Rome than about any murder mystery. Also, I can't say I liked the ending ~ it was just wrong somehow. But I really love this series and can't wait for the next one, if for no other reason than to see what happens with Albia, his adoptive daughter.

229Storeetllr
Editat: des. 30, 2010, 11:48 am

84. The White Queen by Philippa Gregory. 4 stars. Audio. Elizabeth Woodville is a widow with two small boys, her husband dead on the battlefield and declared a traitor and her lands taken from her, when she meets the young king Edward IV to beseech his mercy in getting back her lands for her sons. Though she is older than him, it's lust at first sight, and, because she refuses to become his mistress, he marries her "privately," only her mother and his page in attendance. It causes an uproar in the court, and he loses the friendship of The Kingmaker and another bloody civil war for it, he has her crowned queen, allows her to fill his court with her kin, grants high favor to her brothers and sons. For that and because she took on Margaret Beauford (Henry VII's mother), she has passed into history as one of the most disparaged queens in England until Bloody Mary took the throne a hundred years later.

Told from the viewpoint of Elizabeth, the events of the next 20 years are necessary skewed, though the historical accuracy seems intact. There is an element of magic, which of course isn't historical, except that she and her mother were accused of being witches (her mother was actually convicted of the charge, though she was set free after the intervention of Lady Stanley), and, as mentioned, the tale is told from her own viewpoint, so the magic could have been a figment of her imagination or just coincidences. At any rate, her story told from her own point of view makes her a much more sympathetic character ~ a woman who loved her husband, children, parents and brothers and who would do all she could to further her children's happiness, keep them safe, raise her family's fortunes, fight for her own happiness. Yet under it all was the sense that she was not all that intelligent, that for all her scheming she was not clever enough to see the "big picture" or that the things she did in her greed and lust for power were almost certain to come back to haunt her.

At first I found the reader's voice annoying, but I soon warmed to it. Since it was told from Elizabeth's viewpoint, it seldom changed to reflect any other character's tone and inflections. I have The Red Queen on tap for listening to, but I think I'm going to wait awhile as I don't think I can take anymore York/Lancaster/Tudor machinations just now.

230leperdbunny
des. 10, 2010, 9:45 am

Stopping by to say hello- quite of few of these are in my wishlist pile. . :)

231Storeetllr
Editat: des. 30, 2010, 11:48 am

Hi, Lep!

85. Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. 4 stars. Audio. Now I see what all the hype was about. (Note: Tried to read this in print. Got annoyed & bored so quit, then downloaded the audiobook and loved it.)

86. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. 4 stars. Audio. Continuation of The Hunger Games. Good stuff. I liked.

232Storeetllr
Editat: des. 30, 2010, 11:48 am

87. Storyteller by G R Grove. 4 stars. Kindle. Historical fiction about Gwernin Storyteller, a young man in training to become a bard, set in sixth century Wales. Lovely, lyrical writing, good historical detail, more like a series of vignettes that hang together loosely to form an introduction to Gwernin and his world, including some wonderful bardic tales and what could be mythical encounters or vivid imagination. Looking forward to the next in the series, The Ash Spear.

233Storeetllr
Editat: des. 30, 2010, 11:49 am

88. Dogs Don't Lie. 3.5 stars. Kindle. NetGalley. More info & review to follow.

234Storeetllr
Editat: des. 30, 2010, 11:49 am

89. Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere by Mike Carey. Graphic Novel. 4 stars. Translated well but had to leave out a lot so glad I read the actual novel before the graphic novel.

It was so short that I feel almost guilty counting against my total, but I spent an entire evening reading it, so I'm going to do it anyway.

235tjblue
des. 22, 2010, 6:12 pm

Stopping by to say Hi and to wish you Merry Christmas!!!

236Storeetllr
Editat: des. 30, 2010, 11:50 am

90. Side Jobs by Jim Butcher. 4 stars. A number of short stories that fill in the gaps between the novels. I'd already read a couple of them, so I skipped over them, and I almost didn't read the last one due to the spoiler effect, but I caved and now I am chomping at the bit to find out what the heck happened in Changes.

237judylou
des. 30, 2010, 4:34 am

Just dong a big catch-up here and I'm enjoying your comments. There are quite a few on your list that I have read, that I want to read, and that I have added to The List.

238tjblue
des. 30, 2010, 10:58 am

Hi Mary! Sending you Best Wishes for the New Year!! Let me know which challenge you decide on so I can find you again!!!

239Storeetllr
Editat: des. 30, 2010, 7:28 pm

91. Brief Lives by Neil Gaiman. 5+ stars. Graphic novel. Okay, this one was the very best of all The Sandman graphic novels I've read so far. I am constantly stunned by the depth of feelings and breadth of meaning that Gaiman reaches in what is, essentially, a comic book (or at least that's what my sister insists they are, though I think they are much much more and am going to challenge her to read "just one" and see if she feels the same after). I can't say much about the plot or I'll end up giving everything away, but the story has to do with Dream and Delirium going on a quest to find Destruction.

92. World's End by Neil Gaiman. 4.5 stars. Stories within stories within THE story. Amazing stuff.

93. Season of Mists; 94. A Game of You; 95. Fables and Reflections (Vols. 4, 5 and 6 of The Sandman series). 4.5-5 stars. I read these before Brief Lives but forgot to count them. They were also very very very amazing. I am now officially addicted to graphic novels in general and The Sandman in particular.

240iftyzaidi
des. 30, 2010, 10:27 pm

I read and loved the Sandman graphic novels earlier in the year. This coming year I intend to read the Lucifer graphic novels which picks up the story of Lucifer after he abandoned hell and turned the keys over to Dream.

241wookiebender
des. 30, 2010, 10:41 pm

That'd be fun, having a Sandman binge! Been far too long since I read them. (Although I do have Lucifer #5 in my hot little hands...)

242Storeetllr
des. 30, 2010, 11:39 pm

Hah! Carey's Lucifer series was what got me started on The Sandman!!! I heard about it, thought it sounded good, then decided I should read the Sandman series first for the background. One of the best decisions I've ever made!

243divinenanny
des. 31, 2010, 7:59 am

I want to go on a Sandman binge, but after reading the first one I had nightmares about it.... I need to read it early in the day or something...

244divinenanny
des. 31, 2010, 7:59 am

Aquest missatge ha estat suprimit pel seu autor.

245Storeetllr
des. 31, 2010, 4:14 pm

Wow! You dreamed of the Dream Lord after reading about the Dream Lord? I think that is just awesome (though I'm sorry it was a nightmare). You'd think, being on a Sandman binge, I'd dream about him too, but I haven't been so lucky...at least not that I can recall.

246Storeetllr
des. 31, 2010, 4:17 pm

96. The Kindly Ones by Neil Gaiman. 5 stars. Another deeply disturbing but deeply meaningful graphic novel. In this one, Morpheus has been targeted by the Weird Sisters, who use Lyta as a weapon.

247Storeetllr
des. 31, 2010, 7:13 pm

97. Sandman: The Wake by Gaiman. 5 stars. The last story in this volume was so poignant it made me cry.

98. Maus by Art Spiegelman. 5 stars. The story of a survivor of the holocaust as told by him in his old age to his son, along with vignettes of their life in present-day America. A brilliant piece of work is this graphic novel (and now after reading it speaking like old Vladek I am). In it, Jews are pictured as mice, Germans as pigs, and the gestapo cats. Had me crying in parts and laughing in others while in its entirety it was beyond chilling.

248wookiebender
des. 31, 2010, 10:10 pm

Oh, Maus is pure brilliance. (Can I give something more than five stars??)

My husband commented the other day on a criticism he'd read online about Maus. Can't remember the exact wording, but the gist of it was: Spiegelman's obviously not a cat person.

Cracked me up, I think that critic missed the point. :)

249iftyzaidi
gen. 1, 2011, 12:24 am

Really liked Maus as well. Its one of my favourite graphic novels.

250Storeetllr
gen. 1, 2011, 1:15 am

I hear that, wookie! Yes, I gave one of the Sandman volumes 5+ stars. Should have done the same for Maus.

Hi, iftyzaidi ~ I've heard a lot about Maus over the past year or so here on LT and decided to give it a try. I'm so glad I did!

Read my first graphic novel a month or so ago and am totally hooked already!

99. The Sandman: Endless Nights by Neil Gaiman. 4.5 stars. Graphic novel. Short stories featuring each of The Endless and giving added depth and breadth to each of them.

100. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. 5 stars. Graphic memoir. Childhood memories of a girl who grew up during the Revolution in Iran, at times heartbreaking and at other times funny. Another stunning graphic book I feel blessed to have read.

251divinenanny
gen. 1, 2011, 8:36 am

I have been getting more and more into graphic novels too, and Maus and Persepolis are two I very much enjoyed (Blankets is another good one). I remember when I bought Maus, the guy in the bookstore congratulated me on that I got to read it for the first time... I agree. Pure brilliancy.

252Storeetllr
gen. 1, 2011, 3:19 pm

I'll have to get hold of Blankets. I'm definitely going to be reading more graphic novels in 2011.

Last night when I realized I'd finished the entire Sandman series I was wishing I could read them all over again for the first time. Then I realized that, at my age and with my age-induced memory loss, all I need to do is wait a year or so and I'll have pretty much forgotten what they were about. It'll be almost like reading them for the first time. :)

253Storeetllr
gen. 1, 2011, 3:21 pm

Well, time to say goodbye to 2010 and hello to 2011. I'll be happy to chat here about the books I've read in 2010, but, for my new reading, I hope you'll come by my 2011 thread at http://www.librarything.com/topic/105025.

Happy reading in 2011!