CMBohn's 2013 Reading List, part 2

Starting over with a whole new set of categories:

Off the Shelf II
LDS Authors
Nature and Science
History
Biography and Memoir
Historical Mystery
Police
Love and Romance
Fantasy II
Making Stuff
Asia
Private Eye
Miscellaneous

Off the Shelf II

1. A Damsel in Distress by PG Wodehouse, 3 stars
2. Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding, 4 stars
3. The Survivors by Daniel Harvell, 2.75 stars
4. Jordan's Brains by J. Cornell Michel, 4.25 stars
5. Murder Most Fouled Up by Tobias Wells, reread, 3 stars
6. Super Dark by Tanith Morse, 3.5 stars
7. Warlock's Last Ride by Christopher Stasheff, 4 stars
8. The Oath of Swords by David Weber, 5 stars
9. Alexander's Bridge by Willa Cather, 2 stars
10. Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey, 4 stars
11. Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey, 3.75 stars
12. Dragondrums by Anne McCaffrey, 4 stars
13. Song of the Vikings, 2.25 stars
14. Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing with Fire by Derek Landy, 4 stars

Abandoned:
Stone Angel
The Great Hijack
Coffin Man
Love's Stormy Gale
Titan's Tears
Kittyhawk Pilot

Maybe:

Bad News Man
The Once and Future King
Arthur the King
The Long Divorce
The Last Lecture
Goddess of Yesterday
Howards End
Mannequin
The Looking Glass Wars
The Glass Sided Ant's Nest
Passage
Common Sense
Rainbow Valley
Mr. Midshipman Easy
The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel

LDS Authors

1. Albrek's Tomb by M L Forman, 4 stars
2. Rumors of War by Dean Hughes, reread, 3 stars
3. Since You Went Away by Dean Hughes, reread, 4 stars
4. Far From Home by Dean Hughes, reread, 4 stars
5. When We Meet Again by Dean Hughes, reread, 4 stars
6. As Long As I Have You by Dean Hughes, reread, 3 stars
7. Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George, reread, 5 stars
8. Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George, 4.5 stars
9. Biography of Lorenzo Snow - currently reading
10. Preach My Gospel - currently reading

Maybe:

Warbreaker
The Arcade Catastrophe
Chasing the Prophecy
All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience
Daughters in my Kingdom

Science and Nature

1. Wicked Plants by Amy Stewart, 3 stars
2. Remarkable Creatures: Epic Adventures by Sean Carroll, 4 stars
3. Dead Men Do Tell Tales by William R. Maples, 3 stars
4. Instant Physicist by Richard A. Muller, 3.5 stars
5. Physics for Future Presidents by Richard A. Muller, 4 stars
6. Masters of the Planet: The Search for Our Human Origins by Ian Tattersall, 4 stars

Maybe:

The Book of Nothing
Seeds of Change
In Defense of Food
Nathaniel's Nutmeg
Banana: The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World
At the Water's Edge
Out of Eden

History - New Category

1. Murder in the First-Class Carriage by Kate Colquhoun, 3.5 stars
2. Duel with the Devil by Paul Collins, 4 stars
3. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, 5 stars
4. The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough, 4.25 stars

Maybe:

Life on the Mississippi
Aristotle's Children
Glory Road
Mr. Lincoln's Army
A Stillness at Appomattox
Brave Men
Springbok Record

Biography and Memoir

1. Dark Horse: The Surprise Election and Political Murder of President James A. Garfield by Kenneth D. Ackerman, 2.75 stars
2. Beyond Band of Brothers by Major Dick Winter, 4 stars
3. Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow, 3 stars
4. Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nielson, 3.5 stars

Maybe:

Charlatan: America's Most Dangerous Huckster, the Man Who Pursued Him, and the Age of Flimflam
We Die Alone
Come On Shore and We Will Kill You and Eat You All

Historical Mystery

1. A Plague on Both Your Houses by Susanna Gregory, 4.25 stars
2. The Winter of Her Discontent by Kathryn Miller Haines, 3 stars
3. Who Killed the Curate? by Joan Coggin, 5 stars
4. Much Ado About Murder ed. Anne Perry, 1.5 stars
5. Maids of Misfortune by M. Louisa Locke, 2.5 stars
6. The First Wave by James R. Benn, 4 stars
7. Blood Alone by James R. Benn, 4 stars
8. Treasure of the Golden Cheetah by Suzanne Arruda, 3 stars
9. Wet Grave by Barbara Hambly, 4 stars
10. The Price of Murder by Bruce Alexander, 4 stars
11. Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal, 3 stars
12. Rules of Engagement by Bruce Alexander, 4.4 stars

Maybe:

Mannequin
Language of Bees
Venus in Copper
Bleeding Heart Square
Dead Man Riding

Police

1. The Black Tower by Louis Bayard, 3.25 stars
2. Murder in Four Parts by Bill Crider, 3.5 stars
3. Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell, 3 stars
4. The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths, 3 stars
5. The Yard by Alex Grecian, 3.5 stars
6. Ten Second Staircase by Christopher Fowler, 2.5 stars
7. Skeleton's Knee by Archer Mayor, 3.5 stars
8. Devil-Devil by Graeme Kent, 4.25 stars
9. The Mountains Have a Secret by Arthur W. Upfield, 4 stars
10. The Blacklin County Files by Bill Crider, 4 stars

Abandoned:
Gallows View

Maybe:

A Rule Against Murder
Death in a Strange Country
Death Angels
Orchestrated Death
Red, White, and Blue Murder
Turnstone
The Dead Survivors

Love and Romance

1. Sister's Choice by Emilie Richards, 3.25 stars
2. The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter, 4 stars
3. Gentleman of Her Dreams by Jen Turano, 2 stars
4. Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter, 4 stars
5. Quicksilver's Knight by Christopher Stasheff, 3.1 stars
6. The Spell-bound Scholar by Chrisopher Stasheff, 2.8 stars
7. The Kiss of a Stranger by Sarah M. Eden, 3.5 stars
8. Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt, 2.8 stars

Maybe:

Edenbrooke
Going Vintage
Somewhere in Time
Miss Delacourt Has Her Day

Fantasy II

1. The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett, 5 stars
2. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, 3 stars
3. Belgarath the Sorcerer by David and Leigh Eddings, 4 stars
4. The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold, 4.5 stars
5. The Hounds of Morrigan by Pat O'Shea, 4 stars
6. Across the Wall by Garth Nix, 3.5 stars
7. Here Be Monsters by Christopher Stasheff, 2.5 stars
8. Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb, reread, 5 stars
9. Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb, 5 stars
10. Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb, 5 stars
11. Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb, 4.25 stars
12. Mad Ship by Robin Hobb, 4.4 stars
13. Ship of Destiny by Robin Hobb, 4.4 stars
14. Dragonquest by Anne McCaffrey, reread, 4 stars
15. The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey, reread, 4 stars
16. Renegades of Pern by Anne McCaffrey, 3 stars
17. The War God's Own by David Weber, 5 stars

Maybe:

Chasing the Prophecy
The King of Attolia
The Changeling Sea
The Naming
The Desert Spear

Making Stuff

1. Taste of Home Fast Fixes With Mixes 3 stars
2. The Barefoot Contessa by Ina Garten, 3.5 stars

Maybe:

Everyday Italian
The Naked Chef
New Enchanted Broccoli Forest
Everyday Food
Mexico One Plate at a Time
Daisy Cooks
California Pizza Kitchen

Asia

1. Ragtime in Simla by Barbara Cleverly, 4 stars
2. Out of the Killing Fields Into the Light by Penne D. Conrad, 3.25 stars

Maybe:

Warriors of Medieval Japan
Byzantium Decline and Fall
Bridge of Birds
Shanghai Diary
Shadows in the Jungle
Stories from India

New thread - new books! Happy reading!

Private Eye - New Category!

1. Prisoner's Base by Rex Stout, 3.5 stars
2. Speaking From Among the Bones by Alan Bradley, 4 stars
3. Holmes for the Holidays, ed. Martin Harry Greenberg, 2.5 stars
4. The Language of Bees by Laurie R. King, 4 stars
5. The God of the Hive by Laurie R. King, 4 stars
6. Elegy for Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear, 2.5 stars
7. Locked Rooms by Laurie R. King, 3.75 stars
8. Goodbye, Ms. Chips by Dorothy Cannell, 3.25 stars
9. Homicide Trinity by Rex Stout, 3.75 stars
10. Refusal by Felix Francis, 4.5 stars

Maybe:

And Four to Go
Over My Dead Body
Where There's a Will
Not Quite Dead Enough

Thanks! Glad you found me!

Miscellaneous

1. 47 Rules of Highly Effective Bank Robbers by Troy Cook, 1.5 stars
2. Project ELE by Rebecca Gober, 2 stars
3. Cockatiels at Seven by Donna Andrews, reread, 3.25 stars
4. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty, 4 stars
5. Murder on the Bride's Side by Tracy Kiely, 2.75 stars
6. Dick Francis's Gamble by Felix Francis, 4 stars
7. Dick Francis's Bloodline by Felix Francis, 3.75 stars
8. State Fair by Earlene Fowler, 2.75 stars
9. Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith, 3.5 stars
10. Book III: The Unseen Guest by Maryrose Wood, 4 stars
11. The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict by Trenton Lee Stewart, 4 stars
12. Murder Most Persuasive by Tracy Kiely, 3 stars
13. Decision at Delphi by Helen MacInnes, 2 stars

Enjoy your shiny new categories!

It's good to see you active again! I saw your post-surgery reading list on your old thread. It's an impressive list! I usually end up watching more TV & movies when I'm sick, I guess because it doesn't require as much mental effort.

Well, I didn't need glasses to read, but I do need glasses to watch TV. Now that I'm feeling better, I'm not reading at such a crazy pace.

Glad to see you back posting, Cindy. Looks like you've got some more interesting books planned for the year, looking forward to hearing about them.

Yay, new categories! I'm starting to think about 2014...

Nice new categories! I'll be keeping an eye on the NY and police categories in particular :)

Thanks, everyone! Glad to see you all here.

Remarkable Creatures: Epic Adventures in the Search for the Origin of Species by Sean Carroll

Great story about the theory of evolution, how the theory itself evolved, discoveries about the age of the earth, of mankind, and lots of dinosaurs. Great pictures, mostly, and very entertaining stories.

The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett

Astounding fantasy. Reminds me a lot of Mistborn. Younger protagonist, demonic villains, lack of family support, society falling apart, hints of a romance to come, some religious stuff, great battle sequences -- it's all there. There are some differences. It's shorter, for one thing. And consequently, a little less epic, in the storytelling sense. But I really think if you like Sanderson, you'd like this. Looking forward to the next one, The Desert Spear.

I have now made my way over to your new thread, Cindy!

Yay! Welcome back!

Just finished Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. Rather disappointed. I'm not sure what I was expecting. It sounded very promising, but when it came right down to it, I just didn't fall in love with the story. I found the photos enchanting and creepy at the same time. But honestly, Jacob was not much of a hero. Some really nice twists in here, but the whole book fell flat in the middle and I didn't care much about the ending. I might read something else by the author, but I don't think I'll read more in this series.

> disappointing was basically my feeling about that book too

There was a lot of hype around Miss Peregrine's when it came out, so it is not surprising that you, Pete and others have not enjoyed it as much as you thought you would. I really liked it but it was also the right book at the right time as I was in the mood for pure escapism at the time and didn't really care if part of the story didn't mesh well.

You're right about the hype. I notice it's on giveaway with ER this month too. I'm not saying it was awful, but it wasn't what I expected. And I'm kind of tired of every book being in a series. I would like something to actually conclude.

A Plague on Both Your Houses by Susanna Gregory
14th century Cambridge, England

So good in so many ways, but so confusing in others. Matthew Bartholomew is a doctor who practices medicine in medieval Cambridge, but also teaches at the school there. The setting is really well done, and I loved the characters, but the plot got quite confusing. All the suspicions about the motive for the killings and the accusation of treason went right over my head. But I didn't bother trying to track down every nuance of plot when I what I did understand was so good.

I loved the characters. Matthew is described as an unconventional physician, but not so modern that I felt thrown out of the story, like I did with Mistress Ariana. He just figures washing up and keeping things clean works better and refuses to bleed his patients all the time. After all, the Arab physicians he trained with don't do that. But his basic philosophy is very much in keeping with the times.

The tension between town and gown - I'd read about that, but never got it the way I did this time. Riots in the street, secret meetings, it's all there.

Then the plague strikes. I was prepared for it to be nasty. I've read Doomsday Book by Connie Willis, and it's pretty graphic. But this really described how frustrating it was for the physicians of the time. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to who would survive and who would die, who it would strike and how to treat it. He mentions seeing the rats everywhere, but they had no understanding that other animals could carry this disease. So many characters died. Definite hints of how society would change after the loss of so many laborers.

I would recommend this. Maybe you would have no trouble with the plot twists, but I understand the next book is even more complicated. Read it for the characters and the setting, and not for the plot.

The Winter of Her Discontent by Kathryn Miller Haines

Here's one where the plot was obvious, but the characters were the problem. Rosie Winter is a Broadway actress during WWII. She's anxious about her ex-boyfriend, who went MIA and now she can't get over him. In the meantime, she has a petty feud with another actress in her boarding house, meat is rationed, and her gangster friend has been arrested for murder.

Whine, whine, whine. Life is just so difficult when you're sitting at home while the men fight the war, the English are being bombed, and people in prison camps are starving to death. I really didn't like Rosie even a little. Everyone on the home front could not have been this self-absorbed, could they? And it was totally obvious who the murderer was and what the motive was. The only thing that saved this story at all was that she did seem to change a little at the end. But I am not reading any more in this series. I know that several other LTers have liked this one, but count me out.

Dead Men Do Tell Tales by William R. Maples

Interesting stories, but he has this annoying habit of telling them backwards. He'll tell you all about this great story with lots of hints and details and maybe even the big twist, then he starts at the beginning. That's not how to keep your audience interested. Some great stuff, but I didn't even realize how old the book is until he talks about meeting Louis Leakey. That's when I said, wait a minute, when was this written? It was written in the 1990s! So if you want info about modern forensic anthropology, this is NOT where to start. But the stories about Tsar Nicholas and his family and others in here are very interesting. 2.75 stars.

Duel With the Devil: The True Story of How Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr Teamed Up by Paul Collins
New York City, 18th century

I won this one from LT Early Reviewers.

The subtitle here is: The true story of how Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr teamed up to take on American's first sensational murder mystery. It was pretty sensational, and I loved the look at how the court system has changed, but I was really reading it for the interplay between Hamilton and Burr.

Elma Sands and Levi Weeks lived at the same boarding house in Manhattan. They had a close friendship, so close that when she went missing, all eyes turned to him. Then her body turned up in a well nearby. He was arrested for her murder, just before the mob closed in and lynched him themselves. But was he really guilty?

The description of the early court system was really interesting. Hamilton and Burr both worked for the defense. NYC being as small as it was, everyone involved on the case knew each other and had worked together - the defense, the jury, the prosecution, the witnesses - they all had ties. Burr's company even owned the well where the body was found. But there wasn't a lot of room to choose anyone else.

This wasn't the best book ever, but it was good. The author and I have very different takes on Hamilton and Burr. He would describe Burr as a war hero. Um, no. Not buying it. Burr was an opportunistic show-off. Hamilton was the true hero. And his description of the duel left out a few key parts. But the emphasis was on the trial, and he did a good job there. Recommended for those interested in New York, in law, or in the Founding Fathers.

About my category change - you may notice that a lot of the books are still WWII related. Which is by choice, but I did mix it up a bit with some other books. That ought to keep things more interesting.

I've been wanting to try the Matthew Bartholomew series. Since I also think there's too much of the modern world in the Mistress of the Art of Death Series, I'm encouraged by your comments on this one.

I've had the Rosie Winter series on my radar but I think I would also be annoyed by the aspects of the characters you mention. I won't go out of my way to look for books from that series, but if one drops into my lap I might give it a try.

I think I liked Duel with the Devil a little more than you did, but I don't think it's quite as good as The Murder of the Century.

That one I haven't read, but it sounds very good.

It was interesting because it was as much about journalism and the major New York papers of the era as it was about the murder. I think you might enjoy it.

After reading your review of the Miss Winter book, I'm not sure if I want to read the series or not. I have the first one in the series on my wish list, but it is available at my library. I guess I can try it and see if I like it. I'm not sure I'm in a hurry to get to it though.

Like I said, others on LT have seemed to enjoy it, but I found the MC very annoying in this one. It seems like I liked the first one more.

Looks like I am adding A Plague on Both Your Houses to my future reading list, Cindy, and along with it probably the entire Matthew Bartholomew series. I am a sucker for historical mysteries with physicians as the lead investigator and this series looks like a goody!

Looks like there are several in the series, too, so sorry about that and enjoy at the same time!

Dark Horse: The Surprise Election and Political Murder of President James A. Garfield by Kenneth D. Ackerman

This one has been on my list for a little while, and I'm glad to finally get to it. Some interesting stuff in here. Garfield was assassinated after his 1880 election. This is the story of how he was elected after the longest balloting process of any Republican convention. Garfield was the compromise candidate that swept the convention by surprise. Then the story changes its focus to the assassination by Charles Guiteau.

There was a lot of good stuff in here, but I felt like it muddled through the middle. I skipped quite a bit there and then picked it up towards the murder. I think I would still recommend it, but it's definitely not a must read.

Have you read Destiny of the Republic? It sounds like it covers a lot of the same ground, with the addition of the poor medical treatment that likely caused Garfield's death. It sounds like if you've read one of the two books you probably don't need to read the other.

There was some of his medical treatment in here. It made me cringe! Poor man. You'd think being the president he would rate some better treatment. And what about no Secret Service? Hard to believe that they didn't see a need for bodyguards after Lincoln's assassination.

I guess I can't trust Wild, Wild West as a source of factual information :) Jim and Artie occasionally provided protection for Grant and other government on the show. Apparently protection of the president wasn't part of the Secret Service's original mission, though. According to the Wikipedia article, this wasn't added to their mission until after McKinley's death in 1901.

It does seem like they could have had the Army or the police or someone do it. And then the president was expected to pay for all the state dinners out of his own pocket too.

Finished two compilations today, Much Ado About Murder and Holmes for the Holidays. I don't really recommend either one, although the Holmes one had a few winners in it. Most were just ho-ho-hum. And the Shakespeare one was disappointing. I read a really funny spin on Hamlet by James Thurber, I think. I was hoping for stuff like that, but it was rather tedious.

Going through some ebooks, many free on the Kindle.

The Hole in the Middle - generic mommylit, didn't finish
The Nephew's Wife - generic Christian romance, didn't finish
Ice Hunter - this one might have been pretty good, but it wasn't for me. Didn't finish

Let Them Eat Cake by Sandra Byrd. Amusing Christian romance. Not anything deep, but it was fun. Heroine was a little dumb though.

Confessions of a D-List Supervillain by Jim Bernheimer.

This one was fun. MechaniCal, our supervillain narrator, is one of the last guys on the planet who isn't being mind controlled via little mechanical bugs. All the superheroes have started blasting the planet. Cal fights back, and in the process, becomes a hero (sort of), gets the girl, and saves the world. Very fun. So far there isn't another in this series, but if there were, I would buy it.

To Play the Lady by Naomi Lane. CAUTION: SPOILERS

Two basic problems with this one. The first is the our MC is a Mary Sue. She's only 12, turning 13. But she's a magical prodigy, with not one, but TWO unknown forms of magic. She heals the prince's horse, then saves the king's horse, save the prince, outrides everyone, has magical weapons so she can outshoot everyone and then outfight everyone. EVERYONE loves her, except of course those jealous princesses and the evil bad guys. And she's just so darn swell.

But I really could have put up with that. Sure, it made me roll my eyes a bit, but the plot was exciting and I did want to know what happened next.

But. But. But. But. The level of sensuality in this book was really inappropriate. She's twelve. OK, a little experimentation with her prince boyfriend. But it goes way past that. And she's twelve. The whole thing with the erotic dreams? Really? I'm pretty grossed out, and the more I think about it, the more disturbing it gets. If the evil bad guy is being portrayed as a pedophile, then I get it, but I didn't really feel that was the case.

I realize that in different times, 12 was about right for marriage and mating. But this is now. Exactly who does the writer think will be reading this? If it's more 12 year olds, it is totally inappropriate. If it's adults, it's still inappropriate. Are we supposed to be turned on by the sexual experiences of a child? That's just wrong. If she had made her character 3 or 4 years older, then it wouldn't raise an eyebrow. But this is so disturbing. Absolutely DO NOT recommend this book.

Just came back from my vacation and now I too have found your new thread. Good to hear the surgery went well!

->27 cmbohn:
I had a similar feeling - it felt like the story followed the photos around sometimes rather than them working together. I'm guessing he picked the best photos for this one too, so I'm not too eager to continue, but we'll see.

The photos were cool, but it's a backwards way to write a book.

A bunch of duds lately.

Project ELE - sounded like a promising teen dystopia, but became rather a mess towards the end. And it drags on for 5 books, turning into a love triangle. Of course it does! Doesn't all teen fiction now?

Maids of Misfortune by M. Louisa Locke - historical mystery with a lot of romance, set in Victorian era San Francisco. Kind of bogged down and I lost interest.

47 Rules of Highly Effective Bank Robbers by Troy Cook - really wanted to be Elmore Leonard, but didn't make it. Hated the 'humor' throughout the book, didn't like the characters. It sounded so different from the book jacket. Lots of racial slurs in here, but it's by the guys we're not supposed to like, so of course it's OK.

Boo duds! Hope your next book is better!

27 oh no yet another disappointed review of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children slipping further down the TBR..

Reading Treasure of the Golden Cheetah right now and I love the setting, but the MC is kind of bugging me. Hope it gets better!

Treasure of the Golden Cheetah - It was good, it kept my interest, but somehow, it seems like something was missing with this one. Jade takes a film crew out onto the savannah to work on their movie and become the victim of a curse. Kind of weird. If the next book in the series isn't better, I think I'm done with this one.

The Yard by Alex Grecian

About the beginning of Scotland Yard's Murder Squad, formed in the wake of Jack the Ripper. I enjoyed this one. Mostly told from the POV of the new guy, but also from a murderer. I'm planning on reading the next one.

The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

Combines forensic archeology with a modern crime. A body is found on the marsh. Turns out the body is from the Iron Age, so no hurry tracking down the murderer. But the police detective on the case thinks it might tie in to a modern missing person. Then another body turns up, and this one is definitely not ancient. Kind of lukewarm on this one as well.

Sister's Choice by Judith Pella

Historical Christian romance set in Pacific Northwest. It was completely predictable, but it was fun all the same. Face it, isn't most romance predictable? It's the journey that matters, and the characters who fall in love. This one was fun.

The First Wave and Blood Alone by James R. Benn
World War II

Our Boston police detective is Over There, first in North Africa and then in Sicily. I'm really enjoying this series. He's still a bit in shock from the events in the first book, Billy Boyle. (Definitely read that first.) But the war hasn't given him any chance to rest, so in The First Wave he's trying to work with Vichy France forces in North Africa and avoid the Germans. Meantime he spots a very close friend being held prisoner.

In the next book, Billy is recovering from a head wound and he's lost his memory. It comes back gradually, but will he figure things out before he gets shot, captured, or messes up this mission that he's sure is vital to the war in Italy, but that he can't remember at all? I learned a lot in this one about the Italian front and about war profiteering, some of it rather shocking. Love this series.

A month's worth of books to catch up on! Yikes! Here's a start:

LDS Authors:

Rumors of War 3 stars
Since You Went Away 4 stars
Far From Home 3.5 stars

All by Dean Hughes. About an LDS family in WWII. I enjoyed this more the first time I read it. A little too wordy, all build up in the first book. Get to the action, already!

Albrek's Tomb by M L Forman. 3rd book in this LOTR for the young set. OK, I admit it, I seriously like these books. Sure, you've read this story before, but if you like it, why not read it again? It's written for young kids, but it's still fun.

Kid Stuff: (these all wound up going into the Miscellaneous category)

The Unseen Guest Incorrigible children, book 3. 4 stars. So much fun. The Howling children meet an emu and camp in the woods.

Speaking From Among the Bones by Alan Bradley. 4 stars. Still loving this series, ends with a cliffhanger and a half.

Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict by Trenton Lee Stewart. Charming old school story about an orphan who Overcomes All. Great to read aloud.

Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith. About a girl who wants to fly, but has to hide her race to get accepted into WASP.

Police:

Ten Second Staircase by Christopher Fowler. 2.5 stars. Quite disappointing. I think I'm done with this series.

Devil-Devil by Graeme Kent. Delta Queen recommended this one, and it was a winner for sure. Set in the Solomon Islands. Rather different feel for a mystery, very good.

Skeleton's Knee by Archer Mayor. 3.5 stars. Not quite as good as the first I read in this series, but still very good.

Historical Mystery:

The Language of Bees by Laurie King. 4 stars
The God of the Hive, ditto. 4 stars. Both very good. TGOTH could have been 5 stars easily, but Mary Russell seemed to act a little out of character too much towards the end. Enough hand wringing.

Elegy for Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear. 2.5 stars. Maisie, when did you turn into such a pain in the neck? Get on with it already! Done with this series too.

Mysteries that wound up going in the Miscellaneous category:

Murder on the Bride's Side by Tracy Kiely. 2.75 stars. Story good, but MC really annoying. I'll read book 3, but she better snap out of it.

Dick Francis's Gamble
Dick Francis's Bloodline
Enjoyed both of these very much. One is about a bookie, the other about a race caller.

State Fair by Earlene Fowler. 2.75 stars I still like this series, but this one was really thin on mystery and the MC bugged me.

Hi Cindy, glad you liked Devil-Devil. Hope everything is going well in RL.

That's an impressive list! I see several that I'd like to read.

I liked Elegy for Eddie better than you did, but I do agree with you about Maisie's behavior. I feel like Winspear has written her into a corner. The most recent book reads like it could be the last in the series, and I think that may be a good thing.

Judy - Thanks! RL is a bit tense right now.

Carrie - I also didn't like the switch to more espionage related stories and the shift away from straight mysteries. Even this one started looking like a straight mystery and wound up all political.

Finished these this month:

Out of the Killing Fields, Into the Light by Penne Conrad (sorry, touchstones do not work on this one) - great story of Cambodian refugees who found refuge in the US and turned to Christ. Horrific stories, but very inspirational.

Locked Rooms by Laurie R. King. Reread. Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes unlock her past in San Francisco.

Murder in the First-Class Carriage by Kate Colquhoun. The first railway murder in England. Good, but it could have been better. I like this historic true crime books, but the best is still The Killer of Little Shepherds.

Stealing Mona Lisa by Carson Morton. Fun caper set in 1920 Paris. Based on the actual theft from the Louvre.

Murder Most Persuasive by Tracy Kiely. Elizabeth was much less annoying in this one, but no explanation of how she and Peter worked things out from the last book. As a twist on Persuasion, it was very light, but rather fun. As a mystery, it was also light and rather predictable.

Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal. I liked it, but it really is the TV show Alias set during WWII. I don't think I'll read more.

Wet Grave by Barbara Hambly. Benjamin January is working on solving the murder of a prostitute and gets caught in a slave revolt and a hurricane.

When We Meet Again
As Long As I Have You by Dean Hughes

The end of the LDS series about the Thomas caught in WWII. Wallie gets home from the Japanese POW camp, Bobbie gets married, Alex is finally demobbed. That part was very satisfying. But the next book was a little boring. The same scenes, same arguments, same problems, played out 4 or 5 times. It needed a ruthless editor. I've noticed though that editors are never ruthless enough, especially when it comes to long time authors. They just let them pack the books as long as they want.

I didn't really like Mr. Churchill's Secretary. I'm glad I won't be the only one not continuing the series!

I've only read the second in that series, Princess Elizabeth's Spy, and didn't like it either. If you didn't like the first one I'm pretty sure you wouldn't like the second.

I guess I didn't read your reviews! I just saw that lots of people were reading it and it sounded like a winner. You can't always tell from a book description, can you?

Catching up on your reviews to see what you've been reading lately. A few of them I've read; a few others are on my TBR list. Nice to see your impressions.

Rearranged my categories somewhat. Science and Nature are now combined, so I could add History. I got rid of New York so I could add Private Eye. Making Stuff doesn't seem to be working either, but I'm not sure if I want to get rid of that one.

I finished Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George, a reread, mostly while waiting at the DMV. DS got his learner's permit! Success! And then I finished Princess of Glass when we got back. Both fun retelling of fairy tales, the first about the 12 Dancing Princesses and the second of Cinderella. There's a new one, Princess of the Silver Woods about Red Riding Hood. Looking forward to that!

And I'm afraid I found a new series. Oath of Swords by David Weber is a rollicking fantasy tale of Gods, and Evil Priests, and our unconventional hero Prince Bahzell. Pulp fantasy at its most entertaining. 5 stars.

Oh, and gave up on Coffin Man and a reread of Golden Buddha by Clive Cussler. His books tend to similar titles and I didn't realize I had already read this one. It was fun, but not so good that I want to read it again. Coffin Man was too slow for me. Oh, and a really bad freebie for the Kindle, some time travel thing that I don't even remember.

I missed women of Fantasy/Sci-Fi last month, but I've been reading a lot of Robin Hobb this month to make up for it. I finished the Farseer trilogy. I really loved it! Yes, Fitz is a flawed character who is a little slow to figure people out, but I found that believable. I was totally invested in him as a character and finding out what would happen to him next. Amazing!

Assassin's Apprentice
Royal Assassin
Assassin's Quest

All 5 stars

Then I started the next trilogy, the Liveship Traders, with Ship of Magic. I didn't like Althea as much, but it was still a very good book. 4.25 stars. I'm reading Mad Ship now.

I just finished Decision at Delphi which was probably a lot more enjoyable back in 1958 when it was released. Now it's pretty dated. It's set in a Greece struggling with the consequences of WWII and the partisan fighting that went on. The big bad guy is a nihilist who's allied himself with some Communists. Out of date technology, out of date gender roles, and the book was falling apart.

So why did I read it? Because it was my dad's. It had his name written in his handwriting on the front page too. After I was finished with it, the first few pages were falling out so I had to throw it away, but I have some of his other favorites left. I can't believe how much it hurts every time I think about him.

And finished Goodbye Ms. Chips by Dorothy Cannell. I used to love cozy mysteries. Now I only seem to like them if I find them funny, and Cannell is a writer that makes me smile. This one was quite light on mystery and a little predictable, but it was fun to see Ellie back at her alma mater.

I inherited a lot of my grandmother's books and have several of her Helen MacInnes novels. I think I've only read one so far, but I keep intending to read more.

I guess the idea of a literary dinner party is going around. (I saw it on cbl's thread) I'm going to do my part and plan a party too.

1) Verity Farseer - nothing like a King-in-Waiting to add a little sparkle to the dinner table, and he is an interesting man in his own right. (but not FitzChivalry. I'd like to be sure to keep the poison off the menu.)

2) Benjamin January - I'd love to hear about his travels in Paris. If we're lucky, he could also entertain us with some music after dinner.

3) Inspector Ganesh Ghote - I enjoy his insights into human behavior and I'd love to hear some of his stories.

4) Lady Lupin Lorrimer Hastings - she is truly funny. She would really liven up the dinner table.

5) Sherlock Holmes - I'd love to meet the man in person and see what's he's really like.

6) Inspector William Murdoch - I'm sure he would have some great stories to tell of growing up in rural Canada

7) Michael Caine - He is a fascinating man with a knack for telling stories

8) Me.

and really, I'd want my husband there too. I know it's not really a balanced table with only 2 women. What does it say about my reading that I can only find ONE female character I really want to sit and talk with? Unless I could invite the liveship Vivacia, but since she's a ship, that wouldn't work. Unless we dined aboard the ship!

Books or series:

Assassin's Apprentice
Wet Grave
Inspector Ghote Breaks an Egg
Who Killed the Curate
Locked Rooms
Except the Dying
What's It All About?
Ship of Magic

I thought about Inspector Ghote as well, but decided on Judge Dee of 6th century China instead.

Also nice! And I guess I kind of misunderstood the parameters. I picked characters from books I read this year. If I picked from all the books I read, it would be different. Maybe I'll do that later.

You can pick any guests you want and I do like the mix you have come up with Cindy for your dinner guests! I could probably re-write my guest list every single day for a year and still come up with new guests to add.;-)

OK, if I could have any at all, here's my picks.

"If you could eat dinner with 7 fictional characters, who would you choose and where would they sit? Picture a circular table where you are situated between guest #1 and guest #7." Like many of you, I'm limiting my guest list to characters from books I've read for this challenge. Here's who I would invite:

1) Albus Dumbledore - because he's charming, funny, and a good conversationalist.

2) Mrs. Emily Pollifax - she could tell us all about her travels and charm Dumbledore.

3) Atticus Finch - really, who wouldn't want to meet him.

4) Sherlock Holmes - still want to meet him and get to know what he's all about for real.

5) Sazed - he would be a fascinating dinner partner.

6) Precious Ramotswe - I'd love to hear her talk all about her life and experiences in Africa.

7) Crestomanci - I have to admit to a little literary crush here. This would be so awesome! Just have to remember to use stainless steel utensils.

And then I'd borrow the services of manservant extraordinaire, Jeeves. I can't imagine a better person in case anything went wrong!

Books:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax
To Kill a Mockingbird
Sherlock Holmes
Mistborn
No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Crestomanci
Jeeves

Mrs Pollifax and Mma Ramotswe would have such great stories to tell! They could compare notes on Africa, too, as Mrs P has been there a few times :)

Dumbledore would be a wonderful guest--he's so gently witty and polite.

We'll have to have our dinner parties on different nights, Cindy, since we both have Atticus Finch on the guestlist. ;)

I'm sure he's much in demand! Let's hope he can fit us into his schedule with his law practice.

I would love to have dinner with Dumbledore!!!

Atticus Finch and Sherlock Holmes are both must invites for me, and great idea to borrow Jeeves for serving!

More off the shelf.

Alexander's Bridge by Willa Cather was a boring story about a dude torn between his lover and his wife, with the bridge as a metaphor. Skipped around on this one because I didn't like the guy. He dies at the end. Now you know how it ends, so you don't have to read it. This was her first book and she got so much better. I think this was an attempt to copy what other writers were doing at the time. Thank goodness she found her own voice next go round.

Homicide Trinity by Rex Stout is three short novellas featuring Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. The last story appears in another book somewhere, but I have to admit I liked it a lot. None of them have much in common, but they were all fun.

Dragonflight and Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey were my dad's. I'm not sure why he only had these two out of the series, plus Dragondrums, which I'm reading next, but I enjoyed the chance to read them again. These books have aged well, for the most part, although I found Menolly too passive in the second book. I love the idea of dragons and their miniature counterpart, the fire lizards. Maybe it's time to read more about Pern.

The Mountains Have Secret by Arthur W. Upfield. I really like this Australian mystery series. This is very early in the series and this edition is quite old. Two young female hikers go missing and Bony is on the trail. Written in 1952 and dealing with some stuff from WWII.

The Light That Failed by Rudyard Kipling. I like Kipling. I usually like him a lot. Not this time. Dumb story about an artist who goes blind and his stupid obsession with a stupid woman.

Blacklin County Files by Bill Crider. Several short stories featuring Texas Sheriff Dan Rhodes. Most are murders, but in the first one, Rhodes is asked to investigate the death of a cat. This little old lady likes cats - she has about 50 living in her house. When Buster the cat turns up dead, the sheriff asks a few questions. Who would kill a poor old lady's cat? And who is holding up stores armed with a snapping turtle? Funny all around, and also has two recipes, one for chicken fried steak and one for peach ice cream.

Dick Francis's Refusal by Felix Francis. Early reviewer book. Sid Halley is back in this one. He's been away from racing for 6 years after retiring to stay home with his wife and little girl. But racing won't leave him alone. He gets a phone call from the chairman of British Racing asking him to take on a new case. He's convinced something big is going on, something that could destroy racing if it gets out. Sid refuses. The guy insists, so Sid agrees to read his notes, make recommendations, and that's it. He reads the notes, but isn't impressed, and is ready to call it quits, when the chairman is found dead. And then Sid gets a threatening call at home. Guess Sid isn't ready to retire after all.

I love Dick Francis. I don't really know why - I've never been to a horse race, I don't ride, I don't gamble, and I'm not British. But he has a way of pulling me into his stories and making me pay attention. His writing makes me feel like I'm there. And his son has the same knack. I know some readers have complained about the writing getting stale or the stories getting old, but I still really like them. Thanks for the chance to read this one.

I received a copy free in exchange for review.

There's an episode of M*A*S*H called "The Light That Failed", but the plot doesn't seem to resemble the Kipling book at all. Wonder why they called it that!

Re Dick Francis, I have one or two of his books on my TBR list. Someday I will get to them.

Paladin of Souls
The Hallowed Hunt - both by Lois McMaster Bujold

The first one is a reread, since I read it first by accident, then went back earlier this year and read The Curse of Chalion. Unlike with most fantasy series, that didn't matter as much because these are only loosely a series, like the Discworld books, set in the same world but not about the same characters. The third is even less closely related. But I did really enjoy all three books. An interesting take on religion, politics, demons, war, and society. But also well plotted and with strong characters.

The Short Victorious War by David Weber
3rd in the Honor Harrington series. Honor gets caught up in a new war between the People's Republic of Haven and Manticore. PRH needs a good war to keep the proletariat down. So they try to provoke Manticore into attacking. I really liked this one.

Christmas at Harrington's by Melody Carlson
Heavily Christian story about Lena Markham, just out of prison (innocent, of course) and trying to start her life over.

Legacy
Passage by Lois McMaster Bujold

SPOILERS

More about the love story between Fawn Bluestar, farmer, and Dag Redwing Hickory, Lakewalker. This takes up right after the first one, with no pause between 2 and 3. The first one features the beginning of their story, of course, and all about Fawn's family. Book 2 starts when the couple arrives at the Lakewalker community. And of course, it's not just about a love story - it's about the blight over the land that's causing evil magical creatures to come back to life and consume the living. Good and creepy stuff, plus a tender love story.

Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt
I found this one a bit of a disappointment. The idea was a good one, but in the end, I just didn't buy it. Keturah didn't seem that special to me, and the Lord Death was a big weak compared to the one in say, Discworld. I can see wanting to marry him.

Too Late to Die by Bill Crider. Book 1 in the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series. The sheriff is up for reelection, but a new murder may just keep him from winning. This was not my favorite in the series, but it was still very good.

The Blacklin County Files by Bill Crider. Some short stories featuring Sheriff Dan Rhodes. I think my favorite was the one with the moose head.

The War God's Own by David Weber. Bahzell Bahnakson of the Horse Stealer was the most unlikely champion of the God Tomanak anyone could imagine. He starts a quest, heading back home. They have to root out an Evil God's temple. Great stuff, but start with Oath of Swords.

Catching up on some Early Reviewer books, Song of the Vikings and Masters of the Planet. Still mulling over my reviews though.

I'm interested in hearing what you thought of Song of the Vikings - I put it on my wishlist after seeing it on LTER.