Jean_Sexton and her 2012 books

This is a self-challenge -- to read more for fun this year and not just for work.

Ticker for now:




Now to recreate what I have read this year :)

Jean

Book 1: George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones. A bit more Anglo-Saxon than I like, but the language was right for the characters. The characters themselves were fascinating, although I wouldn't want any of them as a close friend. I did want to know more about the world -- which led to the next one. :)

Book 2: Martin's A Clash of Kings. The characters come and go in this series, much as people do in life. Wanted to know more, so ...

Book 3: A Storm of Swords. At this point I was staying up a bit late each night so I could find out more about these people. That led to...

Book 4: A Feast for Crows. Some of the people I wanted to shake! Couldn't they see where they were heading? Since I needed to catch up on the other half, that led to ...

Book 5: A Dance with Dragons. Great book, but left me waiting for the next one. I hope it won't take as long to get out as A Dance with Dragons.

Book 6: A Talent for War by Jack McDevitt. Suggested by a friend. A combination of mystery, adventure, and science fiction, this one interested me enough to go to

Book 7: Polaris by Jack McDevitt. Another interesting little mystery wrapped in a shell of SF. Which led me to

Book 8: Seeker by Jack McDevitt. Very, very good book with interesting moral questions. It reminded me of some of the early archaeology in Egypt, as it was no doubt meant to do.

9. Changes (Volume Three of the Collegium Chronicles) by Mercedes Lackey. A quick read and very Lackey-ish.

10. The Case of the Missing Marquess: An Enola Holmes Mystery by Nancy Springer. Fun series that I ran across while checking out Springer's other books. I quickly got the others:

11. The Case of the Left-Handed Lady: An Enola Holmes Mystery by Nancy Springer.

12. The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan: An Enola Holmes Mystery by Nancy Springer.

13. The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets: An Enola Holmes Mystery by Nancy Springer.

I find myself becoming fond of Enola. :) I'll no doubt finish the series after finishing Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

14. Dopplegangster by Laura Resnick. Pure fun. :) I've ordered the first book in the series.

15. Timeless by Gail Carriger, This is a series I am sorry to see draw to a close.

16. Night of the Living Trekkies by Kevin David Anderson and Sam Stall. This one had so many cliches fulfilled that it was fun to read.

17. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Well-written and drew me in quickly. Followed in the next two nights by its sequels.

18. Catching Fire.

19. Mockingjay. Much enjoyed and highly recommended.

And that catches me up to the present.

20. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Fun book. Alternative history. I liked the art that went with it, too.

Enjoying your thread! :)

Tina, thanks!

21. Mercedes Lackey's Unnatural Issue. Yet another in her Elemental Masters series. I like how she plays with fairy tales. There's more than a hint of Lord Peter Wimsey in there as well. The book won't show up in My Library simply because I'll be moving in a few months and anything I can replace with an e-version must go live with another person. Luckily, most of Lackey's books are available in that format, so I am switching over. :) It is much easier to move one tablet than a box of books!

Who should read it? Someone who has read at least one of the earlier books in the series -- it is assumed that you know the background of the world.

And now my reading for fun has to slow down -- I need to finish proofreading and editing a gaming journal issue. :) Still, it is fun to read and the end result is that others have something good to read.

22. The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline: An Enola Holmes Mystery

23. The Case of the Gypsy Goodbye: An Enola Holmes Mystery

both by Nancy Springer

Supposedly these wind up the Enola Holmes mysteries. Many people don't believe how many stray tidbits of history a person can pick up by reading well-written fiction. There's a lot to by picked up in the first one. The second one does have a message as well, but it is one that I need to remember sometimes. I am glad that I stumbled across the series and very glad I read it.

I've been busy proofreading materials to be published and didn't get to keep up with what I sneaked in at night.

24. The Devil's Eye (An Alex Benedict Novel) by Jack McDevitt. I loved the quotations that opened each chapter. The mystery was really good and I enjoy the world that has been created. The Mutes are an interesting species and I'm happy they showed up in this book.

25. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I by Maryrose Wood. Love this book. Put Lemony Snicket into Victorian/Edwardian England, throw in a plucky governess, and add the hint of a mystery and what can go wrong? Written for those in middle school, this is still a fun read for adults. There are two more in the series and a fourth one to be written. :)

26. Twilight of Kerberos: Shadowmage by Matthew Sprange. Obviously a gaming book. NOTE: I do know Matthew, so this review is probably a bit biased. I did enjoy the fantasy, but I might not have picked it up were it not for the fact that I do know the author. It's a perfectly adequate fantasy with two more to follow. I'll pick them up, but there isn't the drive to read them all at once as there was for Hunger Games. The two series above in this review have a higher priority to finish.

And with these, I made my goal. I think I'll bump it by five as I know I want to finish the Alex Benedict series and the Incorrigible Children series. I'm pretty sure I can work in another book by then. :)

27. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book II: The Hidden Gallery by Maryrose Wood. London is the primary setting for this book and the plot thickens. Throw in the British Museum and pirates and how could it get better? Lots of fun for a quick read.

28. Echo (An Alex Benedict Novel) by Jack McDevitt was a pretty good read and a page turner. The big question for me is "What is an alien?" One of the "human" characters in the book was probably the most alien to how I think and feel. Just one more "already published" book in the series and I'll be caught up. :)

Catching up (again).

29. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book III by Maryrose Wood. Another fun book with many hints and clues tossed in. Now I get to wait impatiently for the next book in the series.

30. Firebird (An Alex Benedict Novel) by Jack McDevitt. Another series read through. The really nice thing about these books is that each is self contained. If you have the Kindle version, be sure to read the Afterword (a reminder since it isn't clear that you should continue past the "end" of the book. A nice mystery wrapped inside the SF.

31. A Discovery of Witches: A Novel (All Souls Trilogy) by Deborah Harkness. Why do my friends have to have such good taste? I was too close to the end last night to put it down. "Just one more chapter," I kept whispering to myself. At 3 am, there were no more chapters. I took enough time to order the sequel before going to sleep. :) Well worth the loss of sleep.

I have the Harkness on my TBR stack.... Been sitting for a while. Sounds like I should move it up!

Tina, I really did enjoy it. The sequel has a different feel to it. And that brings me to the next book.

32. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness. This book had an entirely different "feel" to it than A Discovery of Witches. I loved it for its own self, though. :) Maybe it is because I enjoyed Elizabethan literature and backed into the history in order to understand why the people wrote what they did. There are new characters to meet --some historical and some not. (There's a handy-dandy guide in the back of the book in case you need an assist.) I think I'm a little in love with Gallowglass. He and Ysabeau are probably my favorite secondary characters. Philippe is up there, too.

If you hear a pounding noise, it is me stamping my feet and wanting the next book NOW. And it better have Gallowglass in it. :)

So glad you're enjoying them! I'm going to have to start reading faster!! :)

33. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith. I am an English lit major and had to read Jane Austen. I also backed into history and like Regency England and so read more Jane Austen. I read this book solely for the fun of seeing what could be done with Jane Austen's words.

It was fun, but I'm not sure I will pick up the sequels. I think this may be a "Been there, done that" type of book. We'll see someday if I run out of other books to read.

34. Then I whipped into Beauty and the Werewolf (A Tale of the Five Hundred Kingdoms) by Mercedes Lackey. I love the way she plays with fairy tales. Her books are comfortable as an old shoe -- you know pretty much what to expect and the fun is in the travel to get there.

Thanks for mentioning Lackey. I've not heard of this series ... Added to my wish list!! :)

35. A quick read: The Lord Is My Shepherd: The Psalm 23 Mysteries by Debbie Viguie. A friend suggested it and it was a pleasant little mystery. A little scoop of religion, both Jewish and Christian, along with a murder made for a nice book. Not too much gore and no sex as might be expected from an Abingdon Press book. I enjoyed it enough to pick up the next book in the series. Do be aware that there is a spoiler in the second book for the first book, so you may want to read them in order.

Tina, I think from your comments you'll like the Five Hundred Kingdoms series. I'd start at the first book because it lays the foundation for the rest. The others can be read out of order although I always like the way that Lackey works in characters from previous books into later ones.

Thanks!! I'll do that! Need to see if my library carries them or if I'll be buying! :)

Time to catch up (again). :-)

36. I Shall Not Want: The Psalm 23 Mysteries by Debbie Viguie. A nice little mystery bringing together Thanksgiving and dogs with a scoop of religion.

37. Winston & Baum and The Secret of the Stone Circle by Seth Tucker. Great story that needed a proofreader before being released to Kindle. The typos were numerous enough that they distracted me from the story. Very sad about that.

38. Steampunk Holmes: Legacy of the Nautilus by P. C. Martin. Steampunk and Holmes -- what a great combination. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

39. Miss Zukas and the Library Murders by Jo Dereske. I'm a librarian and this was great fun. Enough that I quickly picked up the sequel.

40. Miss Zukas and the Island Murders. More Miss Zukas goodness. The sequel is already on my tablet. :-)

Time to finish up for the year.

41. Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper. I read this many, many years ago when I was in library school. It was good to read this again for pleasure and to take the time to enjoy the nuances and foreshadowing.

42. The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper. The real reason I started the series. I remembered that it took place at Christmas and it seemed a good time to re-read it. What a powerful story! Great fantasy leading into Arthurian legend.

Now to note what I am reading for next year. :) It will be challenging since I will be retiring, moving halfway across the US, starting a new job, and trying to set up a new life. I don't think I will increase the goal from this year's goal.

I've given myself a day to meditate about the books I read. These are the five (and their prequels and sequels) that I most enjoyed.

Martin's A Game of Thrones. Rich world, complex characters, and the power continues through its sequels.

McDevitt's Seeker. I like the main characters and the setting. I also enjoy the blend of SF and mystery.

Collins's Hunger Games. It's been a long time since a book sucked me into reading it straight through. (Of course, it was short enough to do that. :) ) I'm glad it added layers on through the sequels.

Harkness's A Discovery of Witches. Oh my! It redeems the vampire romance genre in so many ways. A lovely multi-layered book that had me ordering the sequel the same night and left me stomping my feet, wanting the next book now, Now, NOW!

Cooper's The Dark is Rising. Probably my favorite book of the series. It isn't yet into the Arthurian mythos that the later books present (although there are hints). I'm rather fond of the hero of the book -- "Destiny" is a heavy burden to bear.

Love seeing your favorite series!