Starting a new thread for the third quarter. Here are the links to my old threads:

Thread 1 http://www.librarything.com/topic/52017

Thread 2 http://www.librarything.com/topic/61624







List of Books read in 2009:

January:

1. In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick, 4 Stars
2. The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet by Colleen McCullough, 3 1/2
Stars
3. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis, 4 1/2 Stars
4. The Wild Wood by Charles De Lint, 5 Stars
5. The Magician's Book by Laura Miller, 3 Stars
6. I am Legend by Richard Matheson, 4 Stars
7. The Coffee Trader by David Liss, 3 1/2 Stars
8. Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagen, 5 Stars
9. Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman, 4 Stars
10. Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn, 3 1/2 Stars
11. Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper, 3 1/2 Stars

Total Pages in January: 3156

January Favorite: Whistling in the Dark

February:

12. The Book Of Flying by Keith Miller, 2 1/2 Stars
13. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, 3 1/2 Stars
14. The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper, 4 Stars
15. Greenwitch by Susan Cooper, 3 Stars
16. Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury, 5 Stars
17. Farewell Summer by Ray Bradbury, 3 Stars
18. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, 5 Stars
19. The Hemingses of Monticello by Annette Gordon-Reed, 4 Stars
20. World War Z by Max Brooks, 4 Stars
21. Down the Common by Ann Baer, 4 Stars

Total Pages in February: 3048

February Favorite: The Graveyard Book

March:

22. Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay, 5 Stars
23. The Grey King by Susan Cooper, 4 Stars
24. Silver on the Tree by Susan Cooper, 3 Stars
25. Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee by Charles Shields, 3 1/2 Stars
26. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters, 3 1/2 Stars
27. Graceling by Kristin Cashore, 4 Stars
28. The Expected One by Kathleen McGowan, 3 1/2 Stars
29. Excellent Women by Barbara Pym, 4 Stars
30. Jenna Starborn by Sharon Shinn, 3 Stars
31. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome, 3 1/2 Stars
32. The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney, 4 Stars
33. Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata, 5 Stars

Total Pages in March: 3894

March Favorites:
Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata

April:

34. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, 5 Stars
35. Sunshine by Robin McKinley, 3 Stars
36. To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis, 4 Stars
37. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch, 3 1/2 Stars
38. The Last Apprentice: Curse of the Bane by Joseph Delaney, 3 Stars
39. The Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin, 4 Stars
40. The Last Apprentice: The Night of the Soul Stealer by Joeseph Delaney, 3 1/2 Stars
41. Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith, 4 Stars

April Favorite: The Hunger Games

May:

42. Alex and Me by Irene Pepperberg, 3 1/2 Stars
43. Sixpence House by Paul Collins, 3 1/2
44. A Woman's Worth by Marianne Williamson, 4 Stars
45. A Fine Brush on Ivory: An Appreciation of Jane Austen by Richard Jenkyns 3 1/2 Stars
46. Little Bee by Chris Cleave, 4 1/2 Stars
47. Life in a Medieval Village by Frances and Joseph Gies, 3 1/2 Stars
48. Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach, 4 Stars
49. The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton, 3 1/2 Stars
50. Property by Valerie Martin, 3 1/2 Stars
51. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, 3 Stars
52. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, 4 1/2 Stars
53. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton, 4 1/2 Stars
54. The Girl With No Shadow by Joanne Harris, 4 Stars
55. Columbine by Dave Cullen, 4 Stars

May Favorite: The Forgotten Garden

June:

56. The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride by Daniel James Brown 5 Stars
57. The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry, 3 1/2 Stars
58. The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer, 3 Stars
59. Earth Abides by George R. Stewart, 5 Stars
60. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe, 3 Stars
61. The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy by Maya Slater, 4 Stars
62. The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney, 2 1/2 Stars
63. The Gunslinger by Stphen King, 2 1/2 Stars
64. The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys, 4 Stars

June Favorites:

The Indifferent Stars Above
Earth Abides

July:

65. Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay, 3 Stars
66. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton, 4 Stars
67. The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro, 3 1/2 Stars
68. Burn by Linda Howard, 2 Stars
69. Something Rich and Strange by Patricia A. McKillip, 3 Stars
70. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin, 3 1/2 Stars
71. The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin, 3 Stars
72. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, 3 1/2 Stars
73. Time and the River by Zee Edgell, 3 stars
74. Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife by Sam Savage, 3 1/2 Stars

August:

75. How Sex Works by Sharon Moalem, 3 Stars
76. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, 4 1/2 Stars
77. A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle, 3 Stars
78. The Serpents Tale by Arian Franklin, 3 1/2 Stars
79. The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie R. King, 5 Stars
80. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet, 4 Stars
81. The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist, 3 Stars
82. The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson, 4 Stars
83. Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie, 3 1/2 Stars
84. The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti, 3 1/2 Stars
85. Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear, 3 1/2 Stars
86. A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King, 3 1/2 Stars

Message edited by its author, Aug 31, 2009, 8:08pm.

Gotcha!

*waves*

Tagged!

Caught you, don't try and hide!

Cool. I'm starred. Thanks!

Starred ya!

Thanks Kittybee!

I'm heading off tomorrow to meet my Jackson at the beach for a week. Hope yours is well. Have a great 4th!

Lorie, I've got your new thread starred too. Great picture on your profile page! He's really growing quickly!

#9 Wonderful! I know you will have a great time.

#10 Thanks Terri!

BOOK 65 Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay
416 Pages

Description from Amazon.com:

"In this exhilarating, moving new work, Guy Gavriel Kay casts brilliant light on the ways in which history—whether of a culture or a family—refuses to be buried. Ned Marriner, fifteen years old, has accompanied his photographer father to Provence for a six-week "shoot" of images for a glossy coffee-table book. Gradually, Ned discovers a very old story playing itself out in this modern world of iPods, cellphones, and seven-seater vans whipping along roads walked by Celtic tribes and Roman legions. On one holy, haunted night of the ancient year, when the borders between the living and the dead are down and fires are lit upon the hills, Ned, his family, and his friends are shockingly drawn into this tale, as dangerous, mythic figures from conflicts of long ago erupt into the present, claiming and changing lives."

What a surprise this book was. I read Tigana earlier this year and loved it. It is one of my more memorable reads. I expected the same from Ysabel but I could hardly believe it was written by the same author. While a pleasant enough read, it does not have the depth and sophistication of Tigana or it's thought provoking themes. It's designated as an adult book but has a very definite young adult feel to it. I liked it well enough but I expected to love it so I'm a little disappointed.

3 Stars

Sorry, I have been out of town and am now catching up on threads. I have you starred again!

Thanks Stasia, and welcome back.

> 12 I was also disappointed with Ysabel. It sounds like I need to add Tigana to the wishNotebook, as a better read.

>12: I agree that Tigana isn't up to Kay's top works. However, if you haven't read his Fionavar Tapestry trilogy (which I do think is very good), you lose a lot of Tigana.

Hi Lorie

I love the photo of baby Jaxon on your LT home page. He is growing. His eyes seem to indicate a very alert, contended little boy!

I'm catching up on threads today and starred this latest one of yours.

#16

Did you mean you agreed that Ysabel wasn't up to the top works as opposed to Tigana? I'm hoping you meant Ysabel as I can't see the correlation between Tigana and the Fionavar Tapestry trilogy, and I could never see Tigana as anything else but him at his best.

#16 I've got the Fionavar Tapestry on the wish list. I need to bump it up.

#17 Hi Linda. Thanks for stopping by to admire Jaxon. He's a joy.

#18 TadAd must have meant Ysabel since Tigana is such a good read!

BOOK 66 The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
468 Pages

In 1999, Grace Reeves, a 99 year old woman living in a nursing home, is contacted by a film director who is making a movie of the apparent suicide in 1924, of a young poet. The death occured at a high society party hosted by the wealthy Harford family at their Riverton estate where Grace was employed as a maid for the family and she is the last person living whose memories can perhaps add authenticity to the film. As Grace is flooded with memories of the long ago past and it's tragedies, she begins to tell the tale in tape recordings meant for her grandson. It is through these recordings that the reader learns of Grace's ten year relationship with the Hartford daughters, Hannah and Emmeline, who, along with Grace, witness the death of the poet on that long ago night.

This tale takes place in the pivital ten years just before, during and after World War I, when the repressive rules and mores of Victorian England are changing to the less restricted society of the modern era. Morton examines the evolution of class distinctions and the changing roles between the wealthy aristocracy, the evolving servant class, and the repressive role of women.

I read and loved The Forgotten Garden earlier this year, and was eager to read Morton's first book. She has done her homework and really brings a bygone era back to life in a way that makes the reader experience the past, and she is becoming one of my favorite authors. My only small gripe is that The House at Riverton is a little too long and somewhat predictable, but still, this is excellent historical fiction. Recommended.

4 Stars

#20: Nice review, Lorie. I have that one coming up in the next couple of days myself. I hope I enjoy it as much as you did!

I hope you like it Stacia. I'll be watching for your comments.

Historical fiction usually doesn't do it for me, but that sounds pretty tempting.

>18 & 19: Yes, yes. Ysabel not Tigana. I was very tired and shouldn't have been allowed near a keyboard.

We'll forgive you Tad and let this slide.........just don't do it again ;)

#22: I enjoyed The House at Riverton quite a lot, Lorie. I agree that it was somewhat too long, though.

BOOK 67 The Strain by Guillermo del Toro
401 Pages

I seldom read horror stories but made an exception with this one because so many people on LT liked it. This is a vampire horror story in the same way as Stephen King's Salem's Lot, not at all like the sexy vampire romances that are currently popular. I enjoyed it well enough and will read the next in the series when it is available. Recommended for those who like horror stories, but beware, it's explicitly violent and disturbing.

3 1/2 Stars

Message edited by its author, Jul 11, 2009, 12:32am.

Three new books added to the library today: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, and my fluff read for the weekend, Burn by Linda Howard.

Oops forgot that I also got Atonement by Ian McEwan.

Message edited by its author, Jul 11, 2009, 12:45am.

#28: Nice haul, Lorie!

Lori;
Are you going to be joining us at the group read of Pillars of the Earth beginning on the 15th on the 50 gig?
I hope so. It should be good. Mark is hosting and doing a really good job!~!
belva

Got the group starred now, Belva. Thanks for the heads-up! It looks like a good group of people.

Message edited by its author, Jul 12, 2009, 3:13pm.

BOOK 68 Burn by Linda Howard 367 Pages
No review for this romantic suspense--not worth the trouble.

2 Stars

BOOK 69 Something Rich and Strange by Patricia A. McKillip
205 Pages

This is one of the books in Brian Froud's Faerielands Series. It's so strange that there is no way I can describe it, so here's the description from Amazon.com:

"They have lived among us for centuries--distant, separate, just out of sight. They fill our myths, our legends, and the stories we tell our children in the dark of night. They come from the air, from water, from earth, and from fire. What are these creatures that enjoin out imagination? Faeries. Something Rich and Strange creates a faerie story that's not to be missed: Megan is an artist who draws seascapes. Jonah owns a shop devoted to treasures from the deep. Their lives, so strongly touched by the ocean, become forever intertwined when enchanting people of the sea lure them further into the underwater world--and away from each other."

I love the illustrations by Brian Froud and Something Rich and Strange is beautifully written but a little too ethereal for my tastes.

3 Stars

>33: Hmm, I like McKillip but I've never heard of this one.

BOOK 70 A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
198 Pages

While reading this book, I felt like I was sitting in the light of a roaring fire listening to a bard telling a legendary tale in the oral tradition. It's a good read but I felt that the plot and the characters were not as well developed as they could be. But since the book is only 198 pages, and it's a series that continues with The Tombs of Atuan, I'm expecting it to develop into a more well-rounded story. I'm eager to go on to the remaining books in the series.

3 1/2 Stars

Hang in there! You are very close to completing the 75 challenge goal!

BOOK 71 The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin, 280 Pages
Second book in The Earthsea Cycle. A very short book--I read it in one sitting. It was Ok. I liked it well enough to continue on to the next book in the series.

3 Stars

I'm currently reading The Pillars of the Earth for a group read on a 50 Book Challenge thread, and The Serpents Tale for a group read with The Highly Rated Book Group. Plus I'm anticipating reading some other books on the TBR pile before the month of July is over. I hope I can keep up!

Lorie, Don't worry about Serpent's tale. Since there was such short notice on the start, I would imagine that several people will be behind at the start (including me!).

BOOK 72 Stiff: The curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

Description from Amazon.com:

"An oddly compelling, often hilarious forensic exploration of the strange lives of our bodies postmortem.
For two thousand years, cadavers—some willingly, some unwittingly—have been involved in science's boldest strides and weirdest undertakings. They've tested France's first guillotines, ridden the NASA Space Shuttle, been crucified in a Parisian laboratory to test the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, and helped solve the mystery of TWA Flight 800. For every new surgical procedure, from heart transplants to gender reassignment surgery, cadavers have been there alongside surgeons, making history in their quiet way.

In this fascinating, ennobling account, Mary Roach visits the good deeds of cadavers over the centuries—from the anatomy labs and human-sourced pharmacies of medieval and nineteenth-century Europe to a human decay research facility in Tennessee, to a plastic surgery practice lab, to a Scandinavian funeral directors' conference on human composting. In her droll, inimitable voice, Roach tells the engrossing story of our bodies when we are no longer with them."

I read Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by the same author earlier this year and loved it. Mary Roach's wit comes through again with this book, but Bonk was better in my opinion. I've got her third book, Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife on my wishlist.

3 1/2 Stars

Lorie
I just checked your home page and saw the photo of Jaxon. Oh my, but he is getting big. How very, very beautiful he is!

I read Stiff: The curious Lives of Human Cadavers based on recommendations here on LT. I enjoyed it tremendously.

Thanks for your great review.

Stiff sounds like an interesting non-fiction book to read. I will put it on my wish list (for future library selections).

I hope you like Pillars of the Earth I loved it. I have the second one World Without End but I haven't read it yet because it's size is a bit daunting!

I love the new picture of Jaxon! What a cutie he is!

BOOK 73 Time and the River by Zee Edgell
202 Pages

In the year of 1798 young Leah Lawson, the daughter of a slave and a slave owner in Belize (formerly British Hondurus), dreams of freedom and of having a family and home of her own. She is freed from slavery when she marries her master, thus becoming the mistress of her own enslaved family and friends.

A friend loaned this book to me and I liked it well enough, but I would have enjoyed it more if I had some basic knowledge of the history of Belize and I was disappointed that 3/4 of the book leads up to the point where Leah gains her freedom through marriage to her master, but the resulting conflict of the next 20 years is told in just a few chapters. Right when the story begins to get really interesting the author seems to just rush to the ending. It's a very good story idea, just not well developed in my opinion.

3 Stars

edited for touchstone

Message edited by its author, Jul 26, 2009, 6:55am.

BOOK 74 Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife by Sam Savage
164 Pages

This is a funny, odd, and slightly disturbing illustrated book about the life of an intellegent and literate rat living in the basement of a Boston Bookstore in the 1960's. I enjoyed this short and unusual story.

3 1/2 Stars

I've not been keeping up with all the threads in the last week or so. It's been way too hot to do much of anything, 100+ degrees for the last several days, which is very unusual for the Pacific Northwest. I have, however, spent quite a bit of time in bookstores because they are pleasantly air-conditioned. Purchased the following books:

Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne
The History of England by Jane Austen and Charles Dickens
The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Interworld by Neil Gaiman
When Christ and his Saints Slept by Sharon Kay Penman
The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie R. King
Medicine Road by Charles De Lint
How Sex Works: Why we Look, Smell, Taste, Feel, and Act the Way we Do by Sharon Moalem
The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler
Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond

Obviously my TBR pile continues to grow, and you are all to blame! :D

edited for the darn touchstones which are being stubborn again

Message edited by its author, Jul 30, 2009, 4:54pm.

I know I cannot be to blame for making your TBR pile to grow :) You bought those books all by yourself!

Nice haul, BTW.

Recap for July:

Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay, 3 Stars
The House at Riverton by Kate Morton, 4 Stars
The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro, 3 1/2 Stars
Burn by Linda Howard, 2 Stars
Something Rich and Strange by Patricia A. McKillip, 3 Stars
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin, 3 1/2 Stars
The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin, 3 Stars
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, 3 1/2 Stars
Time and the River by Zee Edgell, 3 stars
Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife by Sam Savage, 3 1/2

Message edited by its author, Jul 31, 2009, 10:52am.

What great finds! I love visiting book stores...but then again, I imagine all of us here on LT hang out in bookstores and libraries.

All good wishes for a cooler summer.

Thanks for stopping by Linda and Stasia. I like having visitors.

I finally caught up with all the threads that I was so behind on for the last week or so. I don't always comment, but I do read them all.

The weather has finally cooled off from over 100 degrees and it's now somewhere in the 70's. We seldom reach such high temperatures so most people don't have air-conditioning. As a result all the hotels and motels in the Puget Sound region were full as everyone was trying to escape the heat. It was so hot that roads and sidewalks started buckling. It was miserable and I'm glad it's over for the time being.

I'm currently reading Atonement by Ian McEwan. I'm about 75 pages into it and so far I'm wondering what all the fuss is about. I hope it gets better.

#48: I finally caught up with all the threads that I was so behind on for the last week or so. I don't always comment, but I do read them all.

And here I thought I was the only one who still read them all. Glad to know I have company. Like you, I do not always comment, but still get to them all eventually.

BOOK 75 How Sex Works: Why We Look, Smell, Taste, Feel, and Act the Way We Do by Sharon Moalem
230 Pages

The title kind of says it all. Interesting but really nothing new.

3 Stars

I'm kind of in a book funk. I keep starting new books from the TBR pile but nothing is grabbing my interest much, except The Pillars of the Earth and The Serpents Tale which are group reads and I don't want to get too far ahead so I need something interesting to read in-between. ARGGGG!

#50: Lorie, if I may make a suggestion regarding your book funk: Try and go back to one of your comfort reads and see if that helps. If not, why not just give yourself a day off from reading? Take a walk, watch a movie, garden . . . and then come back the following day. Maybe the book funk will be gone. I hope it goes soon, for your sake.

#50 - Congrats on reaching Book 75 :)

Sorry to hear about the funk. I must have read the first 10 pages of about a dozen books this year before throwing them back on the shelf because I wasn't in the right frame of mind. When that happens I usually take a break by immersing myself in either my Swahili or French language textbooks. Usiku mwema / Bonne nuit.

Congrats on finishing 75 books! You've read some good ones this year. I hope that your funk breaks soon!

Thanks for the congratuslations. I've never kept track of my reading before, so it's interesting to see how much I read in a year. I had no idea.

I've passed the book funk phase with this wonderful read:

BOOK 76 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

I'm embarrassed to say that I'd not read any Sherlock Holmes books until this one. I don't usually enjoy short stories, but I read this book in one sitting today. These stories are completely charming! I enjoyed following the clues and trying to discover "whodunit" in each of these 12 mini-mysteries and I loved the peek into the Victorian era they provide. I also liked the original illustrations that were included with this particular edition. A wonderful comfort read and highly recommended!

4 1/2 Stars

I'll be continuing on with Sherlock Holmes in A Study in Scarlet and The Hound of the Baskervilles already on the TBR pile.

#55 Lorie - Like you, I am embarrassed to say that I too have never read any of the Sherlock Holmes books, although I am but all too familiar with the stories and the characters; through literature, film and popular culture. They say "Familiarity breeds contempt", and perhaps there is some kernel of truth in that. A friend actually gave me the complete works of Sherlock Holmes recently, and I plan to change this very sad state of affairs soon (or fairly soon) (well, within the next year) (or two) (or sometime).

Hi Peter--I'm glad to see you've commited to reading them "sometime". :) The nice thing about books is--they will wait. If you get to the point where you just can't manage to get interested in any of the books on your TBR pile, pick up Sherlock Holmes and try one of the short stories. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how easy and enjoyable they are to read.

Congrats on hitting the big 75!~! Feels good, huh???????????? Good on you gal.
belva

Congratulations on reaching 75 Lorie. I enjoy following your reading.

I'm in the Puget Sound area too, and I nearly died in the heat last week. It's still not cool enough for me! :)

#58 Thanks Belva. I checked out your profile page today and the Eliot Bay Book Company is one of my favorite bookstores too, but I have not been there in several years. I'm only about 30 minutes away, but I hate driving in Seattle.

#59 I follow your thread as well! I don't comment a lot, but I'm always lurking! I agree, it's still way too hot, but not quite so unbearable. My fan has become my best friend and I carry it all over the house with me. A cold snowy winter, and now a hot horrible summer. What's up with that!?!?

Hi, Lorie! Congratulations on reaching 75. I live in Seattle too! Normally, when the temps get up into the 80's I have the fans going and am still complaining about the heat, but after last week, today's been quite nice, hasn't it? I'm thinking you must be north of Seattle. Do you ever go to Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park?

Hi Bonnie--Thanks for the congratulations. It's funny how cool 80 feels after several days of 100 degrees. I prefer the mid 70's. I'm in south Everett and occasionally visit Third Place Books but it's not as convenient as going to Borders at the Everett Mall or Barnes and Noble in Lynnwood, especially since I go to the bookstore several times a week! I should go to Third Place Books more often because independent bookstores need the support. There is a Seattelite book group here on LT that meets there and I lurk on that thread occasionally.

I try to follow the 3rd Placers too. Unfortunately they meet on a night that I can't make, so have never met them. I like 3rd Place because, like you, I like supporting independent bookstores, but also because as a teacher, I get a 20% discount! Isn't that generous? And they frequently have used copies of many books I want to buy--as long as the titles are a couple of years old. Well...and true confession time, they also have Honey Bear Bakery! :-) I laughed when you said you hated to go into Seattle. I live only about 3 miles from the center of downtown and I hate to go there too!

Congrats on making it to 75 books Lorie! I've never read any Sherlock Holmes either, but with a new Holmes movie coming out soon, maybe I will give some of those short stories a try!

Thanks for the congratulations, Cait, and for stopping by. I hope you enjoy Sherlock Holmes if you decide to read it. I'm eager to see the movie!

. . . and I sincerely hope the book funk is gone for good.

#66 Thanks Stasia! I've got a 5 books going at once, so I think the book funk has passed.

BOOK 77 A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle
121 Pages

This was the first book written in the Sherlock Holmes series by Arthur Conan Doyle. It was a quick fun read, but I did not enjoy it as much as The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. I do plan on reading more in the series and have started The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie R. King, which is also a Sherlock Holmes Mystery written by a contemporary author. I think it has added to the pleasure of reading King's book to have already read some of Doyle's original works.

3 Stars

BOOK 78 The Serpent's Tale by Ariana Franklin
382 Pages

The mistress of King Henry II has been poisoned, and the queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, is believed to be responsible. It is up to Adelia, the mistress of the science of death, and Bishop Rowley Picot, to find the killer and prevent England from plunging into another brutal civil war.

This is the second book in the medieval mystery series by Ariana Franklin. I enjoyed it but thought the first book, The Mistress of the Art of Death, was the better of the two.

3 1/2 Stars

Message edited by its author, Aug 8, 2009, 10:44pm.

I am glad to hear that the book funk is gone!

I agree with you about the Franklin books - IMO, the first was better than the second. I cannot wait to get my hands on the third.

BOOK 79 The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie R. King
346 Pages

In the year of 1915, fifteen year old Mary Russell, an orphan girl of superior intellect, literally stumbles upon the middle aged and retired, Sherlock Holmes. The highly intelligent Holmes is impressed with this awkward but brilliant and somewhat troubled girl. He takes her under his wing and she soon becomes his apprentice in the art of detection. Over the next three years Russell takes on a few cases that are successively more complicated, until she and Holmes take on a more personal and dangerous case that threatens their very lives.

I recently read The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and A Study in Scarlett, both by Arthur Conan Doyle, and really enjoyed them. I was intrigued by The Beekeepers Apprentice and thought I'd give it a try, not really expecting it to live up to the original. How wrong I was! While this story is written from Russell's perspective and she is the primary character, Laurie King also takes the character of Sherlock Holmes and gives him more depth than Doyle's original stories, and she does it without changing Holmes basic personality or temperment. While a more well-rounded, fully developed character, Sherlock Holmes is recognizably himself in this engaging and satisfying tale. I loved it! Highly recommended.

5 Stars

Message edited by its author, Aug 11, 2009, 2:41pm.

#70: I am glad to see that you loved the book, Lorie! I do, too.

I second Stasia's praise of The Beekeeper's Apprentice! I love the whole series and squeal with glee each time a new book comes out :)

I'm eager to read the next in the series, but unfortunately I've set a goal to read only from my TBR pile for the next month instead of adding to it! I will reward myself for my self-contol on my birthday in September.

#73: I am glad someone has some self-restraint - even if that someone is not me :) I hope once you get to the second book you enjoy it!

I have a whole bookcase filled with TBR's and I keep telling my self no new books until I read them, but then I pass a bookstore and HAVE to go in and if I go in I HAVE to buy at least one book :)

BOOK 80 The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

There are a lot of reviews of this book here on LT and especially from this group, and there is not a whole lot for me to add. I have had a hard time deciding how to rate it. There were definitely parts that I did not like and that even made me uncomfortable. The characters were very black and white--the good people were very good and the bad people were very bad. Still, I had a hard time putting it down because the plot is so compeling. I'm glad I read it, but it's not a book I'll probably ever read again. I've decided on 4 stars, but this may change as I ponder and digest this huge tome.

The Pillars of the Earth did spark my interest in reading more historical fiction from the same time period, so I've begun the first book in Sharon Kay Penman's series about Henry II and Eleanor, When Christ and His Saints Slept. I've heard that it's mostly historically acurate. It begins with the civil war that erupted when King Stephen stole the crown from Maud. I'm really enjoying it so far.

Ohhhh I love Penman (and she is on AuthorTalk right now!). My favourite is Here Be Dragons.

Darn, another book to investigate!
I have to stop reading your thread, I always end up with more books to consider for my list!

Message edited by its author, Aug 17, 2009, 2:23pm.

BOOK 81, The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist

A dystopic book about Dorritt Weger who joins other "dispensables" in luxurious accomodations where everything is provided at no charge including restaurants, gyms, theater, shops and beautiful gardens. Dispensables are those people who have produced no children, have no successful love relationships and have jobs considered non-essential. They are sent to the Second Reserve Bank Unit for biological material at the age of 50 for women and age 60 for men. Here the dispensables become the recipients of drug and psychological experiments and their organs are harvested for transplantation over a period of a few years, until they make their "final donation". In this way the dispensables can contribute to "the needed" of society.

This is Swedish author Ninni Holmqvist's first novel and there were parts of it that I found irritating. For instance pregnant women are referred to several times as having babies in their "stomachs". Did they swollow them or what? I don't know if this is just a bad translation or true to the original, but I found it annoying. The story-line is interesting, but the characters, expecially Dorrit are not as well developed as they could be and the prose seems simplistic at times when it should have some depth considering the subject matter of the book. I liked this book well enough but thought it could have been better.

3 Stars

Sounds very similar to Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. Have you read that one, Lorie?

Hi Terri--The Unit has been compared to Never Let Me Go but supposedly not as good. I've have not yet read it. It is worth the read?

I thought it was a great read. Opinions differ, but I suspect that if you thought The Unit "could have been better," you'd like Never Let Me Go.

I would just like to chime in and say that I loved Never Let Me Go and would definitely recommend reading it.

I'll give Never Let Me Go a try. One more for the TBR pile!

BOOK 82 The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
This is the story of a disreputable man (a pornographer/drug addict) who gets seriously burned in a car crash. While in the hospital, he meets Marianne Engel, an unusual and possibly disturbed artist, a sculpter of gargoyles. Marianne assists in his long and painful recovery while telling him fantastic and tragic love stories of their past lives together. This is an intriguing story of eternal love and redemption told in remarkable if, at times, somewhat pretentious prose. Recommended. 4 Stars

BOOK 83 Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
This is my first Agatha Christie novel, but it won't be my last. Colonel Protheroe, a very unpopular "pompous old brute', is found murdered at the vicarage of the small village where he lives. There is a large cast of characters, most of whom have a motive for the murder, so it's unlikely that the reader can figure out who the culprit is. I found this book to be as charming and droll as the Sherlock Holmes mysteries. 3 1/2 Stars

Message edited by its author, Aug 23, 2009, 1:49pm.

I love Agatha Christie! I went through a period in high school where I read most all of her books. IMO they are perfect for a rainy day when you have absolutely no motivation to be useful :)

BOOK 84 The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti

This story takes place in the New England of the 19th century. Ren, abandoned at Saint Anthony's Orphanage for boys as an infant and missing one of his hands, is twelve years old when Benjamin Nab comes to the orphanage and claims to be his long lost brother. Ren leaves the orphanage with the unreliable and dishonest Benjamin, and begins a life as a reluctant thief, scam artist, and grave robber.

This is not a typical warm and fuzzy orphan tale written for children. It is a harsh story of lies, greed, brutality and murder, where Ren learns the value of friendship and loyalty as he struggles to discover who he is, who he was, and who he's going to be. This book started a little slow at first but soon grabbed and kept my interest right up to the surprising end.

3 1/2 Stars

#86: I have had that one on Planet TBR for a while now and it looks like my local library has finally gotten a copy of it. I will bump it up! Thanks for the reminder, Lorie.

I'll be interested in what you think of it, Stacia. I hope you like it!

#88: I picked it up at the library today, but it will probably be about 2 months before I get to it, lol.

BOOK 85 Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

Maisie Dobbs was 13 years old when she became a maid for Lady Rowan and Lord Julian Compton. When Lady Rowan discovers Maisie's bright mind and her thirst for knowledge, she arranges for Maisie to be tutored by Maurice Blanche, a highly educated and brilliant friend. After Maisie completes her education at Cambridge and serves as a nurse on the battle grounds of France during World War I, she opens up her own detective agency in London. One of her first cases involves a farm known as "The Retreat", where damaged soldiers are required to sign over all of their worldly assets for the peace and solitude they desire, away from a society that they feel they no longer have a place in. The Retreat, however, seems to have an inordinate number of accidental deaths and suicides, thus arousing Maisie's suspicions of foul play.

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE: This book seemed to me to be overly sentimental, the characterizations were flat and stereotypical, the prose was somewhat simplistic, and the diologue stilted.

WHAT I LIKED: I liked the idea of of intuition being incorporated as part of Maisie's investigative technique, and the mystery was nicely set up and resolved, but what really saved this book from being a complete flop was the meticulous historical detail. I really enjoyed how Windspear was able to portray the time period just before, during and after WWI and it's effects on class distinction in England.

Overall, I enjoyed Maisie Dobbs, but not enough to rush right out and get the next installment in the series.

3 1/2 Stars

Message edited by its author, Aug 29, 2009, 5:51pm.

#90: I am a fan of the series, Lorie, and I will say it is really because of the historical detail and the character of Maisie. I do hope you read other books in the series.

Well, I didn't make my goal of not buying books until after the first week in September. I stopped at the bookstore today and came home with:

The Magicians by Lev Grossman
Freakonomics by Steven Levitt
Company of Liars by Karen Maitland
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter
Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor by Stephanie Barron
Carbs and Cadavers by J.B. Stanley
The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by Gordon Dahlquist

I was a little like a dope fiend getting a long awaited fix! Ahhhh....feeling better now, if a little guilty! I actually showed some restraint, there were more that I would have liked to bring home (of course!).

I just finished last week Carbs and Cadavers and really enjoyed it. Hope you do too.

Lorie;
It looks like you got some good ones there. I loved Olive Kitteridge. I will be anxious to see what you think of it. And also The Magic Toyshop. I have tried a couple of Carter's and they were a little bold for me, but I have heard good things about this one.
Will be watching for your reviews.
later,
belva

#92: Nice haul, Lorie!

Recap for August:

75. How Sex Works by Sharon Moalem, 3 Stars
76. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, 4 1/2 Stars
77. A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle, 3 Stars
78. The Serpents Tale by Arian Franklin, 3 1/2 Stars
79. The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie R. King, 5 Stars
80. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet, 4 Stars
81. The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist, 3 Stars
82. The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson, 4 Stars
83. Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie, 3 1/2 Stars
84. The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti, 3 1/2 Stars
85. Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear, 3 1/2 Stars
86. A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King, 3 1/2 Stars

edited for touchstones

Message edited by its author, Aug 31, 2009, 8:11pm.

Looks like you had a nice reading month, Lorie!

#93 Hi Cheli, I got Carbs and Cadavers after visiting your thread! I think we are both having a big mystery reading month.

#94 I've heard a lot of good things about Olive Kitteridge and look forward to reading it. I started The Magic Toyshop and have set it aside for now. Not at all a light read and I'm not sure I'm going to like it. I'll pick it up again later...maybe.

#97 Thanks Stasia, it was a pretty good reading month, but you read in a week what it takes me a month to read! I especially enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes and the Mary Russell mysteries. I've never read much in the way of mysteries until LT and didn't know what I was missing! 7 out of 12 books were mysteries this month and more planned for September.

#98: I am lucky in working long shifts without a lot of action going on, so I can get quite a bit of reading in, plus I do not sleep a whole lot.

I am glad you are enjoying the Russell/Holmes series. I just started the first book in the Brother Cadfael series a couple of days ago, and so far am enjoying it quite a lot.

#92 - A bit late I know, but I've only just got back from a small vacation. Regarding Freakonomics. The authors have a blog at the NY Times, "begun in 2005," that is "meant to keep the conversation going."

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/

There is even a movie version in the pipeline! Good grief Charlie Brown.

I read the book a few years ago, and I'm afraid I'm in that group of 270 reviewers who would have given the book one to two stars over at amazon. Overrated is the word that springs immediately to mind, but I am in a small majority compared to just the 680 reviewers who gave the book a glorious 5 stars! Entertaining it certainly is, I give it it's due, and I hope you enjoy it :)

# Thanks for the link, petermc. I got Freakonomics expecting it was overrated but entertaining. I've only read the first few pages, and it certainly gets your attention.

BOOK 87 Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
I've been eagerly awaiting this second book in The Hunger Game series and read it in two days (it would have been one day, but I had to go to work). Often the second book in a trilogy is disappointing, especially if the first one was fantastic, but Catching Fire is every bit as good as the first book. It has the same absorbing and suspenseful plot, and empathetic, well developed characters. I could hardly put it down. It ended with a cliff hanger that will ensure that I buy the third book just as soon as it becomes available. Highly recommended. 4 1/2 Stars

#101: I got my copy the other day and am going to get to it this next week! Thanks for the review.

I'm sure you're going to like it Stasia!

BOOK 88 The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
This is such a well written book with such mature themes, it doesn't seem like a kids book at all, despite the simple language and the illustrations. I'm still not sure what I think of it, but it's worth reading. 3 1/2 Stars

Just popping in to wish you a Happy Birthday, Lorie!

ditto here Lorie!~!
belva


glitter-graphics.com

Happy Birthday!

Me too!

Thanks for the birthday wishes!

BOOK 89 In the Wake of the Plague by Norman F. Cantor
I've been reading a lot of medieval historical fiction, especially about the plague years, and In the Wake of the Plague provides some good historical information about the effects of the plague (which wiped out 40% of the population) on the political, economical and social culture of the time period. It's a quick overview (only 220 pages) but it's a good beginning and there is a comprehensive critical bibliography for further reading that is especially helpful.

3 1/2 Stars

#104: I think the beauty of the prose in that book is definitely wasted on the kiddos.

#109: Adding that one to Planet TBR. Thanks for the recommendation.

BOOK 90 Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury is one of America's greatest authors IMHO. This book is excellent. Highly Recommended.

5 Stars

Message edited by its author, Sep 11, 2009, 11:02pm.

I have that on my wishlist. I really need to get it.

I saw this on Lunacat's thread and thought it looked fun:

Using only books you have read this year (2009), answer these questions. Try not to repeat a book title.

Describe yourself:
A Wizard of Earthsea/Le Guin

How do you feel:
Whistling in the Dark/Kagen

Describe where you currently live:
The Forgotten Garden/Morton

If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
Life in a Medieval Village/Gies

Your favorite form of transportation:
The Book of Flying/Miller

Your best friend is:
The Gargoyle/Davidson

You and your friends are:
Excellent Women/Pym

What’s the weather like:
Sunshine/McKinley

You fear:
The Dark is Rising/Cooper

What is the best advice you have to give:
Kira-Kira/Kadohata

Thought for the day:
Farewell Summer/Bradbury

How I would like to die:
How Sex Works/Moalem

My soul’s present condition:
The Tenderness of Wolves/Penney

Message edited by its author, Sep 12, 2009, 2:33pm.

Ray Bradbury is one of my all-time favorite authors. I'm glad you enjoyed the book :)

BOOK 91 The Magicians by Lev Grossman
This book is promoted as a combination of The Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter, only for adults. I liked it well enough, but didn't love it.

3 1/2 Stars

BOOK 92 A Letter of Mary by Laurie R. King
This is the third book in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes mystery series. I'm really enjoying the series, but the first book is the best so far.

3 1/2 Stars

#116: I agree that The Beekeeper's Apprentice is the best of the first three. I hope you keep reading the series, though.

Funny thing I read A Letter of Mary first and it pointed me to the series. Without it, I never would have started. So I guess this one has a special place in my heart because I love this series.

Glad to be back in the read here on your thread! Very belated happy birthday! I figured by the time I got here you'd have started a new thread... whew :)

HI Lorie

I hope you are well and enjoying that beautiful little grandson.

I'm spending time catching up on threads. I'm sorry to have missed sending you Happy Birthday wishes. I hope it was a great day for you.




And, I agree with you and Kittybee, Ray Bradbury is an incredible author and also one of my favorites.

The book Something Wicked This Way Comes is a masterpiece. I like how he used a line from MacBeth "By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes." for the title.

Have you seen the movie? It is good!

#119 & 120 Thanks for the birthday wishes!

It's been a busy September for me and I haven't had a chance to post in a while and I'm woefully behind on reading threads. I have had some good reads though:

BOOK 93 When Christ and his Angels Slept by Sharon Kay Penman
This is the first book in the Henry II/Eleanor series and I'm really looking forward to continuing on to the next book. Excellent, well-researched historical fiction. I plan to read everything that Sharon Kay Penman has written.
4 1/2 Stars

BOOK 94 Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor by Stephanie Barron
This is the first book in a series of mysteries where Jane Austen is the sleuth. Stephanie Barron does a very good job of writing in the voice of Austen and the setting for the story rings true to the era. The plot was a little dull, however. It's an ok read, but I don't think I will continue with the series.
3 Stars

BOOK 95 Hannah's Garden by Midori Snyder
A quick and pleasant young adult urban fantasy/fairy tale and the third book in Brian Froud's Faerielands series. I will be exploring more of this authors work. 3 1/2 Stars

BOOK 96 Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear
This is the third book in the Maisie Dobbs mystery series set in the years between the World Wars. I'm really enjoying this series and plan to continue on to the next book. 3 1/2 Stars

BOOK 97 The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
I plan to read all of the Sherlock Holmes stories because I'm enjoying them so much. This book seems more of Watson's adventure than Holmes, but a fun read. 3 1/2 Stars

BOOK 98 The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
This is the second book in the Miss Marple series that I've read and it's delightful. I liked it a little better than Murder in the Vicarage. I plan to continue with this series as well! 3 1/2 Stars

BOOK 99 The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
Not my favorite Bradbury tale but still worth reading. 3 Stars

I'm currently reading Company of Liars, The Discovery of Chocolate and Homer's Odyssey and plan to start World Without End shortly.

#120 Hi Linda! No, I have not seen the movie version of Something Wicked this Way Comes but I want to!

>121: The Hound of the Baskervilles wasn't my favorite of the Holmes novels (that was The Valley of Fear) but I did enjoy it.

Once you get through the Doyle, a book that is kind of fun to read is Sherlock Holmes Was Wrong: Reopening the Case of the Hound of the Baskervilles.

The middle section is a bit tedious, but you can skip it because it's just Bayard's theories. The first and last section deal with a different conclusion to the novel, one which actually was a bit more convincing. :-)

Thanks TadAD. I'm adding both The Valley of Fear and Sherlock Holmes Was Wrong to the TBR pile. I'm looking forward to reading more Sherlock Holmes and I appreciate recommendations.

I enjoyed the Hound of the Baskervilles for it's gothic feel.

Thanks for stopping by!

I thought I'd take the latest test going around on the threads. No surprise with the result.

Um, is this bad?

Lorie,
I wondered where you disappeared to, but figured you were playing with Jaxson.

I'm glad there is another convert for Sherlock Holmes.

Glad you have been enjoying your reading.

Message edited by its author, Oct 3, 2009, 9:27am.

VERY belated congratulations on the 75 (and nearly at the 100!!).

I'm definitely intending on getting to Mary Russell sometime soon - sounds so much fun. I have a copy of Locked Rooms but generally try to read series in order if I can so will look out for the first, first.

#128: Rachael, in the case of the Russell/Holmes series, I highly recommend you begin with The Beekeeper's Apprentice and not skip to Locked Rooms as the first book you read. There is a lot of back story to LR.

#127 Hi Cheli--Yes, I'm spending a lot of time with Jaxon. He's six months old now and such a joy. Chance, my older grandson, is just getting over a case of the swine flu. What a nasty illness.

#128 Hi Raychael--Thanks for the congrats! I agree with Stasia, start the Russell/Holmes series with the first book, The Beekeepers Apprentice. I hope you enjoy!

It's been awhile since I last posted here and I've got a lot of catching up to do on all the threads! This time of year is so busy. Anyway, here's what I've been reading lately:

BOOK 100 Carbs and Cadavers by J. B. Stanley
This is the first book in the Supper Club Mystery series and quite a fun read. Most people can relate to the dieting issues that are a part of this series.
3 1/2 Stars

BOOK 101 The Discovery of Chocolate by James Runcie
An ok read, but not a favorite, it's kind of strange.
3 Stars

BOOK 102 Pardonable Lies by Jaqueline Wiinspear
This is the third book in the Maisie Dobbs Mystery series and the best so far in my opinion. The plot has more depth and the characters are more developed. I'm really enjoying the series and plan to read more.

BOOK 103 People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
I've enjoyed other books by this author, but this one didn't do much for me. It is well-written but I would have enjoyed it more if I'd had some general historical background concerning the conflict in Bosnia at the time period in which this story takes place.
3 1/2 Stars

BOOK 104 Aunt Dimity's Death by Nancey Atherto
This is the first book in the Aunt Dimity mystery series and what a charming read it was! It's fluff, but everyone needs to read a little fluff now and then. I've already got the second book in the series and I look forward to reading it.
3 1/2 Stars

BOOK 105 The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes Vol 1 Edited with Notes by Leslie Klinger
I loved this book. Leslie Klinger has annotated Doyle's stories as if Sherlock Holmes was an historical figure instead of a ficitonal character, and there's plenty of information on London of the Victorian Era. I loved it and have already started the second volume of this three volume series.
4 1/2 Stars

BOOK 106 The Moor by Laurie R. King
This is the fourth book in the Russell/Holmes mystery series and the best one since The Beekeepers Apprentice. In this story Mary Russell accompanies Holmes back to Dartmoor, the original setting for The Hound of the Baskervilles where another murder has been commited and the spectral hound has again been sighted.
4 Stars

Message edited by its author, Oct 24, 2009, 9:51pm.

It is hard to believe that Jaxon is already six months old. I hope Chance grows stronger each day.

I read one of the Aunt Dimity books earlier this year. It was great fun.

#130: You have some fun reads in your list. Several of my favorite series in fact.

Hope Chance is feeling better soon!

Message edited by its author, Oct 25, 2009, 3:45am.

Again, it's been awhile since I've posted. Here's what I've been reading:

BOOK 107 Aunt Dimity and the Duke by Nancy Atherton
This is the second in the Aunt Dimity mystery series and I enjoyed well enough to continue on to the third book eventually.
3 Stars

BOOK 108 Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear
The fourth book in the Maisie Dobbs mystery series. I'm enjoying these books so well that I plan on reading every book in the series.
3 1/2 Stars

BOOK 109 In a Perfect World by Laura Kasischke
3 1/2 Stars

BOOK 110 His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Nokik
I started this fantasy series after reading about it on Cheli's thread. It's great fun and I've already got the next two books in the series on the TBR pile.
4 Stars

BOOK 111 The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
This is a new mystery series with an 11 year old sleuth. I loved it and can't wait for the next book in the series.
4 Stars

BOOK 112 A Year on Ladybug Farm by Donna Ball
The tale of three late middle aged women who decide to buy and renovate an old farm in the Shenendoah mountains. A fun, if shallow read. There is a sequel, but I think I'll pass on reading it.
3 Stars

BOOK 113 The Likeness by Tana French
The second book in a new mystery series by the author of In the Woods. I've enjoyed both books, but this one is the better of the two. Tana French is becoming one of my favorite authors. This is the best book I've read in quite awhile.
4 1/2 Stars

BOOK 114 O Jerusalem by Laurie R. King
The 5th book in the Russell/Holmes mystery series, but not one of my favorites.
3 Stars

I loved Sweetness too. But The Likeness I couldn't bring myself to finish. Just too implausible maybe? Or maybe I liked In the Woods so much and read this one too soon after?

Glad to see you back, Lorie! I hope your family's health has improved and that you did not get sick as well.

Ooh, I really must get to The Likeness soon... I have a few books that I MUST read this week as they're borrowed from a friend who's visiting next week, and it would be great to be able to return them directly rather than via the post. But after that, perhaps.

I'm adding The Likeness to the tbr mountain. Does this one stand alone, or should I read In the Woods (also on my tbr pile) first?

>137 Linda, from the reviews I've seen, The Likeness features the same characters; I'm not sure how much of the plot of the first book it gives away though, not having read it just yet!

#134 The storyline for The Likeness is implausible. That's why it took me so long to actually read it. But it sucks you in nevertheless!

#135 Thanks Stasia. Everyone is healthy for the time being. I was lucky enough not to catch any of the illnesses going around at my house.

#136 I hope you like it as much as I did!

#137 Hi Linda--The Likeness has a few references to In The Woods (just enough to make you want to read it) but both novels certainly can stand alone, and both are worth reading. I'll be interested in knowing what you think.

#133>>>

Lorie,
I''m glad that you liked the series for Temeraire - the next one is up next for my audio books.

As for o, Jerusalem wasn't eone of my favorites either.

I've been looking fior the Tana French books at the library but they are never on the shelves when I get there. Guess they are just too popular, guess I'll have to breakdown and buy them.