staci426's 2011 challenge

I'm excited to get started on another year of reading. I hope to read some better books this year. Last year, I read more books than I ever had in a year, 95, but most of those were just ok reads. Hopefully I'll have more stand outs this year.

Some of the things I hope to work on this year: reading more of the books I own, finishing off many of the series that I have started, making a good dent in the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list and finishing a lot of the short story anthologies that I own.

January
1. Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko (fantasy) ****1/2
2. The Pale Horseman by Bernard Cornwell (historical) ****
3. The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny (mystery) ****
4. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz (fiction) ***
5. The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford (fiction) ***
6. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce (classics) ***
February
7. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig (romance) ***
8. The Warden by Anthony Trollope (classics) ****
9. Trading in Danger by Elizabeth Moon (sci fi) ***1/2
10. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling (fantasy) ****
11. The Dogs of Riga by Henning Mankell (mystery) ***1/2
12. Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay (mystery) ***
March
13. The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven (sci fi) ***1/2
14. The Terra Cotta Dog by Andrea Camilleri (mystery) ****
15. The Disappeared by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (sci fi) ***1/2
16. A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny (mystery) ****
17. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (mystery) ***1/2
18. Mad Mouse by Chris Grabenstein (mystery) ***1/4
19. The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing by Tarquin Hall (mystery) ***1/2
20. A Murderous Procession by Ariana Franklin (mystery) ***
21. The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King (mystery) ****
April
22. Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks (historical) ****
23. Archangel by Sharon Shinn (fantasy) ****
24. Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie (mystery) ***1/2
25. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson (fiction) ****
26. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carré (spy) ***
27. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf (fiction) ****
May
28. The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss (fantasy) ****
29. Hood by Stephen R. Lawhead (historical) ***1/2
30. The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer (fantasy) ***1/2
31. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (classics) ****
32. Crome Yellow by Aldous Huxley (fiction) ***
33. Elantris by Brandon Sanderson (fantasy) ****
34. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis (fantasy) ***1/2
35. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (mystery) ***1/2
June
36. Adam Bede by George Eliot (classics) ***1/2
37. The Magicians by Lev Grossman (fantasy) ***1/4
38. Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland (historical) ****1/2
39. In the Garden of Iden by Kage Baker (sci fi) ****
40. Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie (mystery) ***1/2
41. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov (fiction) ***
42. Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry (fiction) ****1/4
July
43. The Magician's Guild by Trudi Canavan (fantasy) ***
44. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde (fantasy) ****
45. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (fiction) ****
46. Bearers of the Black Staff by Terry Brooks (fantasy) ***1/2
47. Unless by Carol Shields (fiction) ****1/2
48. Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell (fiction) ****
49. The Silver Pigs by Lindsey Davis (historical mystery) ****
50. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (mystery) ****
51. Axis by Robert Charles Wilson (sci fi) ****
52. The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa (fictin) ***1/2
August
53. A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton (mystery) ***1/2
54. Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope (fiction) ***
55. The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell (sci fi) ***1/2
56. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters (mystery) ***1/2
57. The Alchemyst by Michael Scott (fantasy) ***
September
58. Extremes by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (sci fi/mystery) ***1/2
59. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling (fantasy) ****
60. The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis (fantasy) ***1/2
61. Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett (fantasy) ***1/2
62. The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie (mystery) ***
63. Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny (mystery) ****1/2
64. Jovah's Angel by Sharon Shinn (fantasy) ****
65. Post Captain by Patrick O'Brian (historical) ***
66. B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton (mystery) ***1/2
67. WWW.Watch by Robert J. Sawyer (sci fi) ***
October
68. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (horror) ***
69. Feed by Mira Grant (zombies) ****
70. Hell Hole by Chris Grabenstein (mystery) ***1/2
71. Death of an Englishman by Magdalen Nabb (mystery) ***
November
72. The Strain by Guillermo DelToro & Chuck Hogan (vampires) ***1/2
73. The Collaborator of Bethlehem by Matt Beynon Rees (mystery) ***1/2
74. Persuasion by Jane Austen (classics) ***1/2
75. Carry Me Down by M. J. Hyland (fiction) ***
76. The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor (fantasy) ***1/2


DID NOT FINISH

The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner (classics)
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (fiction)
Invisible by Paul Auster
Black Sun Rising by C. S. Friedman
On Basilisk Station by David Weber

CURRENTLY READING

Fool's Errand by Robin Hobb (fantasy/book)
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo (classics/dailylit)
Fortress in the Eye of Time by C. J. Cherryh (fantasy/ebook)
Beauty: a Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley (fantasy/book)
Byzantium by Stephen Lawhead (historical/audio)

I've been working on reading the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die for a few years now. I'm up to 118 finished out of all three editions of the book. I hope to make some more progress this year and will keep a list of the ones I read here:

1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

119. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz
120. The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford
121. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
122. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
123. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson
124. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carré
125. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
126. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
127. Crome Yellow by Aldous Huxley
128. Adam Bede by George Eliot
129. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
130. Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry
131. Unless by Carol Shields
132. Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
133. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
134. The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
135. Persuasion by Jane Austen
136. Carry Me Down by M J Hyland

I own a lot of short story anthologies, but never seem to get around to reading them, so I want to try to focus on finishing some this year. I will list the individual story and which book it came from here.

Short Stories

1. Incarnation Day by Walter Jon Williams in The Year's Best Science Fiction 24th edition ****
2. Far as You Can Go by Greg Van Eekhout in The Year's Best Sci Fi 24th Edition ***1/2

Welcome!

Glad to see you back with us again, Staci!

I had a fun surprise waiting for me today when I got home from work. I had ordered some things from Barnes & Noble with a Christmas gift card and I had actually just checked the status today and it said that it hadn't been shipped yet, but it was here.

My new additions are:
Bone Rattler by Eliot Pattison
Devils Brood by Sharon Kay Penman
Lighthousekeeping by Jeanette Winterson
Making Money by Terry Pratchett
Purity of Blood by Arturo Perez-Reverte
The Club Dumas by Arturo Perez-Reverte
The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin
Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi

I probably won't actually get around to reading these any time soon, but I always love adding to the collection.

Nice to meet you Staci!!

Wow! Congratulations on the Christmas haul!

Having a slow start to the new year. I think I wasn't in such a reading mood early in the year because I squeezed a lot of books in to the last two weeks of December. So I finally finished my first book and it was a good one. Also finished a short story which was pretty good too.



1. Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko ****1/2
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Format: Audio download from Audible.com, 14:50 hours

The world consists of humans and Others. Others are people who possess special powers (magician, sorcerers, shapeshifters, vampires, etc) and they must choose whether they will use their powers for the Dark or the Light. The Dark and the Light have come to an uneasy agreement and everyone must live by the rules of the treaty that was signed many years ago. Anton is a minor magician who works as an analyst in the Night Watch in Moscow, the agency that patrols for the Light. He is sent on a field assignment to help track down a vampire that is not following the rules of the treaty. Along the way he discovers a woman who has been inflicted with a powerful curse. He must also work to try to break that curse. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I'm not usually a fan of this type of story. I really liked Lukyanenko's characters and the magic system that he has created. I also really liked the writing, it's hard to know with a translation if the translator captured the feel of the original, but whatever they did worked for me with this one. One last thing that I thought was good about this book also was the fact that even though it's the first of a series, I felt that this book came to a satisfying conclusion and I don't feel like I have a lot of unanswered questions and need to move right on to the next book. I like to break up series and not read them right in a row. I definitely plan to read the rest of the series, but I can take my time with it. This was a great way to start off the year.

Short Story 1. Incarnation Day by Walter Jon Williams ****
Genre: Science Fiction
Source: The Year's Best Science Fiction 24th Edition, 33 pages

One of the things I'm hoping to focus on this year is reading some of the short story collections that I own. I've been working on this collection for a little over three years now, reading a story every once in a while. I really enjoyed this one. I'm not familiar with this author, but he had some interesting ideas here. The solar system has been colonized and to save on resources for those not on Earth, instead of having children the natural way, they are raised as computer programs until around the age of 14 when they incarnate into a living body. This story featured a group of kids on the verge of incarnation. I thought this has been one of the better stories in the collection so far.

Currently Reading
The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven (sci fi/book)
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (classics/ebook)
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (classics/dailylit)
Fool's Errand by Robin Hobb (fantasy/book}
The Pale Horseman by Bernard Cornwell (historical/audio)

The Lukyanenko series is one of my best finds here lately. All four books are good, and the overall story arc was nicely done. I'll be interested to see what you think of the rest.

BTW, there's a movie of Night Watch that's available on Netflix. It's not bad, but deviates significantly from the book.

Yeah, I had heard about the movie and was looking at it on Netflix the other night. I was trying to figure out how I could get my boyfriend to want to watch it. He's not big on foreign movies. I might just add it to the queue anyway and see what he says.

#10: I need to read that one. Thanks for the reminder, Staci!

2. The Pale Horseman by Bernard Cornwell ****
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, 14:33 hours

This is the second book in the Saxon Chronicles series taking place in 9th century England. Alfred is king and trying to unite the British to try to defeat the Danes. This books starts off right where the first book finishes. Told from Uhtred's point of view, he must decide where his allegeince lies, with Alfred and the British with whom he has a somewhat tenuous and questionable relationship, or the Danes who raised him as one of their own after killing his family. This was a fast paced story, that does not paint a pretty picture of the time, murder, raids, pillaging, rape, war, life was not easy for the British. Despite all of the harshness of the story, I really enjoyed it just as much as the first one. Cornwell really pulls you into the story. Looking forward to continuing on with the series.

Currently Reading:
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (classics/ebook)
The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven (sci fi/book)
Fool's Errand by Robin Hobb (fantasy/book)
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (classics/dailylit)
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz (fiction/audio)

You are reading some good stuff, Staci!

3. The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny ****
Genre: Mystery
Format: Audio download from Audible.com, 11:46 hours

This year's reading has started off a bit slow number wise, but quality wise, the books have been great so far and this last one is no exception. This was the third book in the Three Pines series featuring Chief Inspector Armande Gamache. This was another fun trip to Three Pines, well, not that murder is fun, but it was fun to visit the village and the characters again. In this installment, Gamache is investigating the death of Madeleine Favreau, a fairly new resident of the village. She appears to have been scared to death during a séance at the old Hadley House. Also in this one, Gamache has to deal with the Arnot case. I'm glad to have discovered this series. I love the setting and the characters that Penny has created are great. Looking forward to see what happens next.

#16: The series gets better as you go along IMO. I hope you continue to enjoy the books, Staci!

I've heard good things about the Night Watch movie and film, but I haven't read/watched either. That's one of those 'I'll get to it eventually' things.

4. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz ***
Genre: Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, 15:59:32

Finally finished another book. This is my first book finished for the year off the 1001 Books to Read list. This one has been on my to read list though, even before it was added to the 1001 books. Oscar is a kid from the Dominican Republic growing up in New Jersey. He's a sweet, overweight, geek who spends his days immersed in the sci fi & fantasy world, dreaming of love & his writings. Oscar's story is also interspersed with his family's history, back in the Domincan Republic and how they ended up in America and seemed to be cursed by the ancient fuku. I didn't enjoy this one as much as I thought I would. It was good, but something just didn't click for me with this one. I did enjoy the NJ setting being a Jersey girl myself, and also all of the fantasy & sci fi references. One thing that did bother me a bit was the dirty language, I know it fits in with the story & characters, but it seemed a bit excessive to me. One good aspect was the audio narrator, he did a great job. Overall, I'm glad to have finally gotten around to this one.

#19: I could not finish that one. I know a lot of people liked it, but I read for 50 pages and could not stand to read any more of it.

#20 I contempleted giving up on that one a couple of times also, but decided I wanted to see where everything was going with the story. It's definitely not for everyone.

Finished two more books over the weekend, both of them off of the 1001 list.



5. The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford ***
Genre: Fiction
Format: audio download from librivox, 14:57 hours

First of all, I do not reccomend listening to the librivox recording of this one. It started off ok. The first narrator was pretty good, he did the first five sections or so. But then the narrators chagned every chapter or two and some of them were pretty bad. It made it a little difficult to follow the story, which in itself is a bit confusing. The story centers around two couples, John & Florence Dowell from America, and Edward & Leonora Ashburnham from England who meet at a health retreat in Germany before WWI. John Dowell tells the story of their friendship and it's ultimate demise over a period of several years. It's told in a series of flash backs in no particular order and we're probably not getting the whole story. The writing style here was very interesting with the non chronological flashbacks and unreliable narrator. I think you definitely need to pay a bit more attention than I did during this listen. I think I'll try to come back to this one in print format somewhere down the line.



6. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce ***
Genre: Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, 8:21 hours

This was another audio book that I listened to where I didn't pay close enough attention and am a little unsure about what was going on. The reader in this one, though, did a great job. What I know about the book is that it's been described as a semi-autobiographical account of Joyce's youth in Ireland. I'm not really sure what else I can say about it. There were some interesting discussions, but my mind kept wandering. This was my first time trying Joyce. I might come back and give it a closer read in the distant future.

#22: I think I will definitely look for The Good Soldier in print form.

>10 staci426: I really liked the film versions of both Night Watch and Day Watch but have yet to read the books. I listen to a lot of audiobooks so may have to bump them up on my list.

Edited to try and fix touchstones - not working for some reason

Hi There

I'm compiling a list of birthdays of our group members. If you haven't done so already, would you mind stopping by this thread and posting yours.

Thanks.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/105833

Staci
Yours is a very interesting thread. I've starred you and hope to visit regularly.

Book #4 is on my to be read pile and your comments prompt me to move it up some notches.

#24 Hopefully, I'll be watching the movie soon, I've got it added to my Netflix cue. I've heard good things about it. I hope to get around to listening to the second book sometime in the next few months. Hope you enjoy them if you decide to listen.

#26 Thanks for stopping by. I'll be interested in seeing what you think if you decide to give it a try. I've already been lurking on your threads.

7. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig
Genre: Historical Romance
Format: Audio download from Audible.com, 13:36 hours

Eloise is an American grad student doing research in London, trying to figure out the identity of the Pink Carnation, an English spy during the Napoleanic Wars. The story switches between the modern day with Eloise's research and the story of Richard & Amy. Richard is the Purple Gentian, an English spy who has taken over after the identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel is discovered. Amy is a hafl English, half French girl who was raised in France until she & her mother escape to live with family in England when the war breaks out. She and her cousin, Jane, travel to France upon her brother's invitation with the intent of discovering the identity of the Purple Gentian and joing forces with him against the French. I was somewhat disappointed in this book. I really enjoy reading about this time period, but I went into this thinking these were more historical mysteries, but discovered it was much more of a historical romance. I'm not really a huge fan of romance novles, and all of the romancy aspects of this story made me cringe. I almost decided to give up, but had become involved enough in the story to want to see how things turned out. I probably won't be continuing with this series.

#28: Yeah, I never went back to that series after the first book either. I know a lot of people like those books, but they are just not for me.

8. The Warden by Anthony Trollope ****
Genre: Classics
Format: Audio download from library, 7:09 hours

This is book one in Trollope's Chronicles of Barsetshire. And it was a good start to the series and to Trollope for me. Mr. Harding is the warden of a charity hospital for old men in Barsetshire in Victorian England. His appointment comes under scrutiny when a young upstart, John Bold, comes to town questioning the legitimacy of the appointment and salary in comparison to the will of the original befactor of the hospital. Complicating matters is the fact that Bold is in love with Harding's daughter, Eleanor. I really enjoyed this book. I like Trollope's writing style and how he addresses the reader directly at some points in the story. There was also a bit of a humorous aspect to the story. This was my first book by Trollope and I hope to enjoy more in the future.

Well, unlike a lot of the people in the group here, I have not imposed a book buying ban on myself this year, so have taken advantage of some sales on Auddible.com and the Science Fiction Book Club to increase my collection.

From Audible:

Trading in Danger by Elizabeth Moon
The Alchemyst by Michael Scott
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig
Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
Archangel by Sharon Shinn
The Disappeared by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

From SFBC:
The Spirit Lens by Carol Berg
Horizon by Lois McMaster Bujold
The Dragon Book edited by Jack Dann
The Secret Books of Paradys omnibus by Tanith Lee
Protector of the Small Quartet by Tamora Pierce
Implied Spaces by Walter Jon Williams

I'll probably get through all of the audio books before I get to any of the print books. I've had a lot of these on my radar for a while, so am looking forward to enjoying them.

>31 staci426: Looks like a good group of books. I also got The Disappeared from audible in the same sale. Just finished it a few days ago and really enjoyed it. I also got Across the Nightingale Floor from the audible sale and just started it, as well as The Bone Doll's Twin.

The others you got look good as well and I'll be interested to hear what you think of them.

#32 I've had The Disappeared on my wishlist for a long time now and was glad to find it in the sale. I'm listening to Trading in Danger right now. Not loving the reader, but so far the story is ok, still pretty early in though. I read The Bone Doll's Twin last year in print and thought it was pretty good. I was thinking of trying the next in the series in the audio. I also have Across the Nightingale Floor in print and hope to get to that one some time this year.

#31: Nice haul, Staci!

So, I have my first did not finish book of the year, The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner. I tried listening to the audio version of this, but it was a lot more difficult than my brain wants to handle right now. After finishing the first section of the book, I read a synopsis on Wikipedia and realized that I didn't remember anything that they said happened in that first section except that there was a funeral (and I didn't even realize whose funeral it ended up being). If I decide to try this one again, I think I'll need some type of study guide to help me along.

On another note, I did finish a quick short story out of my

SS2. Far as You Can Go by Greg Van Eekhout ***
Genre: Science Fiction
Source: The Year's Best Science Fiction: 24th ed. 11 pages

This was a very short, somewhat forgettable story about a boy and his best friend, a robot, travel to the ocean which the boy thought he would never see in his life time. Takes place in a future city that seems to have gone almost to ruin. I've never read anything by this author before, this story doesn't make me want to run out and try something, but it doesn't totally turn me off.

#35: Faulkner is definitely an author you must pay full attention to!

#27 I just started The Night Watch on audio - liking it so far!

9. Trading in Danger by Elizabeth Moon ***1/2
Genre: Science Fiction
Format: Audio download from Audible.com, 13:49 hours

This is book 1 in Moon's Vatta's War series. Kylara Vatta is a young woman who has just been expelled from the military academy, forced to return home in shame. Her father sets her up as captain of one of his trading ships destined for the scrapyard to give her something to do & keep her out of sight for a bit giving her an experienced crew to keep an eye out. Along the way, Ky decides to take on a personal contract, but then gets studk in the middle of a war zone and must work on her own to do what's best for her ship and the family business. I really enjoyed this book. It was my first book my Moon, and will not be the last. It did start out a bit slow for me, and I almost gave up when I met Ky's mother, but once she got onto her ship things started moving nicely. I really like the character of Ky, she's a strong likeable young woman who has her flaws. I look forward to seeing where the rest of the series takes her. The one thing I did not like about the book, was the audio reader, she read way too slow and I actually listened to this on 2x speed. I will be reading the next books in print if the same reader narrates the rest of the series.

Finished two more books this week.



10. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling ****
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Audio CD, 11:47 hours

There's not really much to say about Harry Potter that hasn't already been said. I'm a little late to the party, this is my first read through of the series. This is the third book. I'm really enjoying these. They are fast paced fun adventures. Looking forward to Harry's continued growth and story in the rest of the series.



11. The Dogs of Riga by Henning Mankell ***1/2
Genre: Mystery
Format: Audio download from library, 10:47 hours

This is book 2 in the Kurt Wallender Swedish detective series. Two men are found tortured and shot to death in a life raft. They turn out to be Latvian and Detective Liepa from Riga comes to Sweden to take over the investigation. Wallender thinks the case is solved, but then he gets called to Latvia to help with the investigation of another murder. I did not like this one quite as much as the first, but I still found it enjoyable. I'm not familiar with Riga, Latvia at all and found the setting very interesting, especially during this time period, the early 1990s. I'll be looking forward to reading more of the Wallender series, hopefully he'll be staying in Sweden most of the time in the future.

Currently Reading:
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (classics/dailylit)
The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven (sci fi/book)
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (fiction/audio)
Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay (mystery/audio)
Fool's Errand by Robin Hobb (fantasy/book)

It's been a little while since I've posted. I've finished four more books since my last time here that I need to write about.

I've just added to my audio book library, taking advantage of another Audible.com sale. I've purchased:

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson, this has been on my wishlist for awhile.
Byzantium by Stephen Lawhead, I thought it sounded interesting.
And then three from the 1001 books to read list:
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson
To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John Le Carré

12. Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay ***
Genre: Mystery
Format: Audio download from Audible.com, 8:18 hours

This is book one in the series. Dexter Morgan is a sociopathic serial killer who is trying to live as human a life as possible in Miami, Florida. He even works for the police department as a blood spatter expert. He tries to help his adopted sister, Debra, make it out of vice to become a homicide detective. He carefully chooses his victims, only the worst criminals. He's working on a case with his sister, there's another serial killer on the loose in Miami. His methods are eerily similar to Dexter's and he starts to question himself. I was slightly disappointed in this book. I wanted to like it. I think the idea of a serial killer who seems to be a good guy is interesting, and the story had some humor in it, but something was lacking for me. I'm not really sure what it is. From comments I've heard about later books in the series, it seems the books start to go downhill, so I won't be continuing with this story. I might check out the TV show, though. I've heard good things about that.



13. The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle ***1/2
Genre: Science Fiction
Format: mass market paperback, 592 pages

This is a hard sci fi book written in 1974. It's the distant future and humans have colonized space thanks to the Alderson Drive and the Langston Field. Rod Blaine is a new captain who is given command of a ship, MacArthur, just so he can get the ship back home. But he is soon redirected to intercept a possible alien ship. The story focuses on the first contact between humans and an alien race called the Moties. Each try to learn as much as they can about the others and each try to keep their secrets. I enjoyed this book. It did take me forever to finish it for some reason, not really sure why. But I'm glad I made it to the end. It did feel a bit dated in parts, especially in it's portrayal of the one human female in the book. But I don't think that detracted too much from the story. I liked the charecters, the humans as well as the aliens, and I enjoyed seeing the relationship between the two races unfold. Overall, an entertaining read. I may pick up the sequal in the future.

14. The Terra Cotta Dog by Andrea Camilleri ****
Genre: Mystery
Format: Audio download from library, 7:28 hours

This is book 2 in the Inspector Montalbano mysteries that take place in Sicily. Montalbano is investigating a supermarket theft & illegal weapons when he discovers a young couple who have been murdered in a mountain cave. They were shot to death 50 years ago and there is a large terra cotta dog and a bowl of coins in the cave. He passes off the current investigation to discover who the young couple were and how they ended up there. I almost was not going to continue with the series after the first book which I didn't enjoy as much. I'm glad that I decided to give this one a try because I liked it so much better. The story seemed to flow much more fluidly than the first book and I strated to feel a better connection to Montalbano and the supporting cast in this second installment. I will definitly continue on with this series.



15. The Disappeared by Kristine Kathryn Rusch ***1/2
Genre: Science Fiction
Format: Audio download from Audible.com, 10:12 hours

Flint is a new detective in Armstrong Dome on the Moon. He and his partner are investigating a few cases, a ship with three dead bodies who appear to be the victims of an alien vengeance killing, which under intergalactic laws, is legal, there is also the possible kidnapping of two children from Moon families, by another alien race and then there is the mysterious woman who shows up alone in a ship asking for help who doesn't appear to be what she claims. All of these cases are connected by a company, Disappearance Inc., who help people start a new life when they need to disappear. I enjoyed this book. It moved at a good pace. Rusch has created some intersting aliens and their cultures and their relationships with humans. I really liked the main character of Miles Flint and I look forward to seeing where the rest of the series takes him.

Abanodned book: The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
Genre: Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, 9:34 hours

This is my second abandoned book for the year. I really wanted to like this book, plus it's on the 1001 books to read list, but I just could not get into it. I made it about a third in and felt like more should have happened by then. I also was getting slightly annoyed by the young girl character. She did not seem very believable to me. I do have to say, the audio production was done very nicely. There were two narrators, one for the older woman, and a younger girl for the young girl character. I am counting it as read on my 1001 books check off even though I didn't finish it.

Well, I've fallen behind again on my posting. I've been enjoying Mystery March and have finished four more since my last post, all of them with very different settings. I'm hoping to finish at least two more mysteries this month.



16. A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny ****
Genre: Mystery
Format: Audio download from library, 10:53 hours

This is book 4 in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache Three Pines series. This one actually takes place mostly outside of Three Pines. Gamache and his wife are celebrating their anniversary at a remote inn, The Manoir Bellechasse. They are sharing the inn iwth the Finney family who is their for a reunion. When one of the family is found murdered, everyone at the inn is a suspect, from the family members themselves to the staff of the inn. Gamache calls in his team to solve the case. I enjoyed this one. I did miss being away from Three Pines, but the inn made a nice setting. We got to know more about Gamache's personal life here. Penny's writing is great as always. I've already read the next one in the series. It was the only one my library had available when I first learned about Penny, so I started out of order. So I will be moving on to book six.



17. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde ***1/2
Genre: Mystery/alternate history/fantasy
Format: Audio download from Audible, 12:14 hours

It's hard for me to describe this book. It takes place in an interesting alternate London where literature is very important and there is a whole law enforcement unit devoted to protecting it. Thursday Next is a special ops agent in literary detection. In this world, people can enter books, change the story and characters can leave. Thursay is on the hunt for the person who has kidnapped Jane Eyre. I enjoyed this. Fforde has created an intersting world here. I didn't find it quite as hilarious as I've heard people describe this series, but I did find myself chuckling a bit in several places. I look forward to reading more in this series.

18. Mad Mouse by Chris Grabenstein ***1/4
Genre: Mystery
Format: Audio download from Audible, 8:10 hours

This is book two featuring John Ceepak. He's an Iraq War vet who has come to the Jersey Shore to work as a cop and has a strict code of honor that he follows. The story is told from his partner's, Danny Boyle, point of view. Danny's a young kid who grew up in Sea Haven and was hired as a part time summer cop to help with the crowds on the boardwalk, but is hoping he can get hired full time. Danny and his friends seem to be the target of a paint ball shooter, but then things get worse when he starts using real bullets and hits one of Danny's friends, then kills another. Danny helps Ceepak figure out who would want to kill him and his friends. I enjoy this books, mainly because I live almost at the Jersey shore. It brings back memories of summers at the boardwalk. I was slightly disappointed in this one compared to the other two in the series I read (out of order), but I think that was because I listened to this one and didn't really like the reader. Ceepak is a great character and I'm looking forward to more fun & murder at the beach.



19. The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing by Tarquin Hall ***1/2
Genre: Mystery
Format: Audio download from Audible, 8:25 hours

This is book 2 featuring Vish Puri, most private investigator, of Dehli, India. Dr. Jha, a realist who is known for debunking swamis who are performing miracles, is killed at his morning laughing club, and it appears as though the murderer is the goddess Kalli. Puri is hired to find out who the killer really is and works with his team to prove that it wasn't a miracle, but a real man who killed the doctor. There's also a side mystery featuring Puri's mother and wife trying to discover who robbed their kitty party. I enjoy these books. It's interesting reading about a different area of the world, that I'm not familiar with. Hall has created some fun characters here. Another big plus for this book was the audio reader, he did an excellent job with this one I think. I was a little distracted while listening to this one, so got a little confused at the end, but overall, it was an entertaining read and I will be looking forward to more of this series if it comes.

Read The Disappeared earlier this year and liked it, too. I've been meaning to read more of her retrieval artist series ane may do so soon.

My last two books to finish off Mystery March.



20. A Murderous Procession by Ariana Franklin ***
Genre: Historical Mystery
Format: Audio download from Audible, 12:25 hours

This is book four in the Mistress of the Art of Death series which takes place in 12th century England and features a female doctor/coroner. Adelia is sent by Henry II with his daughter, Joanna, as she travels to Sicily to get married. Along the trip, members of the procession start dying and they all have some connection to Adelia. We also learn that Scarry has disguised himself amongst the members of the procession and out for revenge on Adelia. I was disappointed in this book compared to the earlier ones in the series. I really like the time period and historical descriptions that Franklin uses, but Adelia was really geting on my nerves in this one for some reason. For as smart a woman as she is supposed to be, she just seemed way too slow to catch on to the fact that something was going on. Plus she just seemed to whine too much about missing her daughter and about Rowley. The ending seemed very abrubt also. Overall, slightly disappointing, but if any other books come out in the series (I know the author died recently) I probably will keep reading.



21. The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King ****
Genre: Mystery
Format: Audio download from Audible, 13:33 hours

This is book one of the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series. Mary Russell is a young American girl living in England after her parents' death during World War I. One day Mary stumbles upon Sherlock Holmes who has retired to the quiet village where she is living. The two build up a friendship which eventually leads to their partnership in solving crimes. I was reluctant to read this book. I've only read one Sherlock Holmes, The Hound of the Baskervilles, which I didn't particularly enjoy and I'm also not a big fan of the trend of using classic literary charcters in modern books. But I've heard nothing but good things about this series so figured I'd give it a try. I'm really glad I did. I enjoyed this very much. I really like Mary, even though she does seem a little too good to be true. I think the relationship between her and Holmes is really intersting and look forward to seeking it grow. I'll also have to read more Holmes.

I am way behind on threads, Staci, so I will just comment on your last post. I love the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series. I hope you continue on with it.

edited for spelling

Finished my first few books for April and they were all pretty enjoyable.



22. Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks ****
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, 10 hours 6 minutes

This is the story of a village in 17th century England that gets hit by the plague. In an effort to help prevent the spread of the disease, the villagers, under the guidance of their minister, Michael Mompellion, decide to quarantine themselves, nobody leaves or enters. The story is told from the point of view of Anna Frith, a young woman, who had recently lost her husband in a mining accident, and works as a maid to the Mompellions. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I was a little worried since I couldn't even finish the other book by Brooks that I had tried to read People of the Book. I am glad I decided to give this one a try. The audio was read by the author herself and I really enjoyed her reading. I really liked the characters here, especially Anna. I think Brooks did a good job of portraying the time period and I especially liked her Afterword where she explains how she came up with the idea and the history behind it.



23. Archangel by Sharon Shinn ****
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Audio download from Audible, 17 hours 13 minutes

This is book 1 in the Samaria series. Gabriel is an angel who has been destined to become the archangel. But first he must find and marry his Angelica, a mortal woman chosen by the God, Jovah, to be his bride and sing at the Gloria mass upon his ascension to archagnel. When he finally finds her, only months before the Gloria, Rachel is a slave who hasn't had the easiest of lifes and the last things she wants is to marry Gabriel and become Angelica. The story focuses on their rocky relationship and also the turmoil that's happening in the land under the current archangel. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I really liked the reader on the audio, she had such a soothing voice that I just wanted to keep listening. I really liked Shinn's writing and most of her characters, but the main character of Rachel was a little annoying at times. Shinn has created a really interseting world here and I look forward to reading more in this series and discovering others works of hers.



24. Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie ***1/2
Genre: Mystery
Format: Kindle ebook read on iPad, equal to 298 regular pages

This is book 2 featuring Hercule Poirot. Poirot gets an urgent message imploring him to head to France in all haste from M. Renauld. He decides to go and see what it's all about bringing Hastings with him. But when they get there, it is too late, Renauld had been found stabbed to death. Poirot stays on to help the local authorities, butting heads with the young detective Giraud, who thinks that Poirot's methods are old fashioned. I always enjoy Hercule Poirot. I'm trying to read through the books in order, even though this is the second I have read several out of order. I enjoyed this one. I liked the French setting of this one and I enjoyed seeing Poirot up against the youg Giraud. Looking forward to continue with the rest of the books.

I haven't read any of Shinn's archangel books yet. I read two other stand alone books by her this year (Troubled Waters and Summers at Castle Auburn). Both were good and featured well thought out and interesting worlds. I read Castle Auburn recently and liked it a lot. I have been thinking about giving the archangel series a try so thanks for the recommendation.

I really enjoyed Year of Wonders too. I am glad to see you liked it!

Well, it's been quite a while since I posted here. I usually went on LT on my down times at work, but haven't really had much down time lately, so haven't been on LT for a while. I've finished several books since my last post:

25. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson (fiction/1001 books) ****

26. The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John LeCarré (spy/1001 books) ***

27. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf (fiction/1001 books) ****

28. The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss (fantasy) ****

29. Hood by Stephen Lawhead (historical) ***1/2

30. The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer (fantasy) ***1/2

31. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (classics/ghost/1001 books) ****

32. Crome Yellow by Aldous Huxley (fiction/1001 books) ***

I've been thinking that I've gotten off to a slow start for the first half of the year. But in looking back at last year's thread, I'm actually at the exact same spot, I posted read number 32 on May 26, 2010. I do have to say that so far this year, I haven't really had any stand outs or 5 star reads yet. Hopefully the next part of the year will be better for me.

I finished one more book today.

33. Elantris by Brandon Sanderson ****
Genre: Fantasy
Format: audio download from Audible.com, 27:31 hours

This was a solid fantasy from Sanderson. I was hoping to have finished his Mistborn series before reading this one. But picked this up from Audible during one of their sales and realized it was going to be a while before I finished Mistborn, so decided to give it a go now. It's nice to read a stand alone fantasy for a change. Sanderson created a great world and characters here. I really enjoy his work and look forward to finishing up Mistborn one of these days.

#52:Hopefully the next part of the year will be better for me.

I hope so too, Staci!

>53 staci426: I also listened to Elantris recently on audio. I thought it was excellent. I started reading Mistborn last month but found it a little harder to get into. I only made it about 1/2 way through and needed to take a break (decided to read some Louise Penny mysteries), but I hope to get back to it sometime soon.

>55 rubarbaru: Yeah, I'm glad I decided to give Elantris a listen. I thought they did a good job with the audio & enjoyed the story. I have to say, though that I did liked Mistborn better. It's been a few years since I read it so don't remember all the details, but I did give it 5 stars, so it must have been pretty good for me to do that.

I finished off two more books to end out May.They were both quick audio listens. I've tried posting this message five times already and kept losing it for some reason or other.

34. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis ***1/2
Genre: YA fantasy
Format: Audio download from library, 5:53 hours

This is the next installment of the Chronicles of Narnia. I've been reading the books in publication order, so this is number three for me. In this one, Lucy & Edmund end up in Narnia with their younger cousin, Eustace. They join King Caspian on the ship the Dawn Treader on a quest to find his father's missing lords. I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the first two in the series, but I did find it entertaining. Looking forward to more Narnian adventures.

35. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley ***1/2
Genre: Mystery
Format: Audio download from library, 9:53 hours

This is the first in the series featuing Flavia de Luce, an 11 year old girl living in England with her father & two older sisters in 1950. She discovers a dead body in the garden and decides to try to solve the crime. This was a fun, entertaining listen. Flavia is an interesting character. I enjoyed Bradley's writing style and look forward to reading more.

Voyage of the Dawn Treader is my favorite of the Chronicles of Narnia probably because I love Reepicheep so much :)

>58 alcottacre: I have not read the Narnia series but after reading your post I had to go and google Reepicheep :)

#59: Reepicheep is a valiant, stalwart mouse.

Lots of good reading so far this year, including some of my favorite authors (Moon, Shinn, Fforde, Pratchett). I just read Berg's The Spirit Lens and hope to read Elantris soon.

I love the Narnia series. I think my favorite may be The Magician's Nephew, although I really enjoyed Voyage of the Dawn Treader, too.

I'm currently listening to the 3rd Flavia de Luce mystery, A Red Herring Without Mustard. I read the first two, and the current book is the first one I've listened to on audio. I'm really enjoying the experience. The reader has me convinced that she is an 11-year-old girl.

Thanks for stopping by everyone.

re: Narnia So far my favorite is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I'm not sure if that's just sentimental because it was my first intro to fantasy when I was 12. I still have to finish the rest of the series to see if that holds up for me. I actually found Reepicheep a little annoying, but I think it was only because of the voice that the narrator used for him in the audio.

>61 ronincats: Shinn, Moon & Fforde are all new authors for me this year. I enjoyed all of them and look forward to reading more of their work. I've been a fan of Pratchett for awhile. I hope to get to The Spirit Lens soon, but I want to finish her Cartamandua Legacy series first. Hope you enjoy Elantris.

>62 cbl_tn: If the reader for book 3 is the same as the reader on the first book, I think she does a great job. I really enjoyed her narration and thought she captured Flavia very well.

#63: I like the vocal actors that they used for Reepicheep in the movies. No idea what the narrator of your audiobook sounds like, Staci.

June started off pretty slow, but I've recently finished off five books in quick succession.

36. Adam Bede by George Eliot ***1/2
Genre: classics
Format: audio download from library, 19:53 hours

I enjoyed this one, but not as much as the other two by Eliot that I've read. This was her first novel and I think that her writing improved in later books. Adam is a young carpenter in a small English village. He is in love with Hetty, but she's in love with someone else. Things take a turn for the worse. I didn't really realize what was going on until the very end. It really was an interesting story, but I think it just wasn't executed as well as Eliot's other works. This marks off another one of the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You
Die for me, my tenth for the year bringing my total up to 128 so far.

37. The Magicians by Lev Grossman ***
Genre: fantasy
Format: audio download from library, 17:21 hours

This was an OK read. I didn't love it or hate it. It kept my interest long enough for me to want to continue reading. It's been described a lot as a combination of Harry Potter and the Chronicles of Narnia for college aged kids. it definitely has that feel. I'm not really sure where Grossman is trying to go with this one. I probably will read the sequel that is supposed to be coming out this summer to see where he takes things.

38. Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland ****1/2
Genre: historical fiction
Format: audio download from library, 15:58 hours

This is probably my favorite read of the year so far. I really enjoy Susan Vreeland's works that take an intimate look at artists of the past. This one focuses on Clara Driscoll in turn of the century New York City. She is the manager of the women's glass department at Tiffany Studios. They design and cut the glass for Tiffany windows and she came up with the design for the famous Tiffany lamps. She was a fascinating woman living in an intersesting time and place. Vreeland did a great job of bringing everything to life with this story.

39. In the Garden of Iden by Kage Baker ****
Genre: science fiction
Format: ebook equal to about 336 pages

This was actually a reread for me. I loved this book on my first read, gave it five stars, but it didn't have that same feel for me on the second time around. I still really enjoyed it and will definitely continue with this series. I really like the combination of historical & science fiction. In this one, we are in 16th century Spain and England during the time of the Spanish Inquisition and religious upheval in England. I think what I liked about this one so much when I first read it was that it was so different from anything I had read before. It was one of the very first sci fi books I'd read and I just loved it. I think what's bothering me on the reread is that it was a little too romancy for my liking these days. I still enjoyed it, and look forward to the rest of the series.

40. Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie ***1/2
Genre: mystery
Format: audio download from library, 7:19 hours

This is the first of the Miss Marple mysteries and it's also my first visit with Miss Marple. I enjoyed it, but not as much as the Poirot mysteries that I've read by Christie. I really enjoyed the characters that we've met here. Not sure if they will be recurring in future Miss Marple books, but I hope so. This was a quick entertaining listen for me.

So I had a great time yesterday at the Friends of the Library sale. It was the last day so I didn't have as great of a selection, but I still managed to come home with 20 books for a total of $3. It was all the books you could fit in a plastic bag for $1 since it was the last day. I definitely need to buy more book shelves.

My new books:

Empire by Orson Scott Card
Five Complete Novels of Murder and Detection by Agatha Christie
The Passage by Justin Cronin
Survival by Julie E. Czerneda
The Dew Breaker by Edwidge Danticat
The Difference Engine by William Gibson & Bruce Sterling
Rolling Thunder by Chris Grabenstein
Blood Debt by Tanya Huff
The Gates of Rome by Conn Iggulden
Daisy Miller & Washington Square by Henry James
Death in Zanzibar & Death in Kenya by M. M. Kaye
Iron Council by China Miéville
The Flanders Panel by Arturo Perez-Reverte
The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx
Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs
Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs
Indulgence in Death by J. D. Robb
Strangers in Death by J. D. Robb
Rococo by Adriana Trigiani
The Usurper's Crown by Sarah Zettel

41. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov ***
Genre: fiction
Format: audiodownload from Audible.com, 16:51 hours, read by Julian Rhine-Tutt

This was another book that I read off the 1001 Books to Read lilst. It was Ok. I think I missed a lot of what was going on. The devil comes to modern day 1930's Moscow with his band of side kicks and wreaks havoc on the city. (I actually didn't realize this was written in the 1930s until I finished it, I thought it was written later than that). We also meet The Master, a writer, and his lover, Margarita. There are also parts of the book that flash back to the time of Pontius Pilate and the crucifixion of Jesus. I know it's all supposed to be a big satire of modern day Soviet Union. I enjoyed the underlying story enough to keep listening. The narrator also did a great job on the audio. I think I'll have to give this a reread some time in the future and try to pay better attention to understand more of what's going on.

42. Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry ****1/4
Genre: Fiction
Format: audio download from library, 15:30 hours, read by Martin Jarvis

This story takes place in modern India. Nariman is in his 70's, has Parkinson's and lives with his two unmarried step children, Jal & Coomy. When he breaks his ankle and is bedridden, Coomy can't cope with caring for him, so sends him off to live with their younger half-sister, Roxana, and her family (a husband and two young boys). They live in a tight two room apartment, and are barely making ends meet. With the addition of Nariman, things are pushed to the limits. But they make the best of things because it is their duty as family. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. One of those books I would have never picked up if not for the 1001 Books. I enjoyed the characters and their story. I also enjoyed the setting. I don't know anything about India, so it was nice to read about such a different area. I will definitely be looking for other works by this author.



43. The Magician's Guild by Trudi Canavan ***
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Audio download from Audible.com, 15:23 hours, read by Richard Aspel

I was somewhat disappointed in this one. It's the story of Sonea, a girl from the slums, who discovers she has a natural ability for magic. She must learn how to control the magic or it could destroy her. She must decide whether or not to trust the magician's guild to help her with this. I'm not sure what it was about this, but I just didn't really connect with the characters or the world here. It kept me engaged enough to finish, but I won't be continuing with the rest of the series.

I finished several quick audios over the past two weeks which were all very enjoyable. So far the second half of the year is starting out on a good note.



44. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde ****
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Audio download from library, 13 hours 34 minutes

I really enjoyed this one. Set in a dystopian type world where everyone can only see certain colors and there is a strict caste system depending on what color you are. There are also strict rules that govern everyday life that everyone follows. The story is told in a humorous way. I really enjoyed Fforde's writing and the world he created here. I think I enjoyed this one more the The Eyre Affair which I read back in March.



45. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson ****
Genre: Gothic mystery
Format: Audio download from library, 5 hours 22 minutes

This is the story of the Blackwood Family, sisters Mary Katherine & Constance who live with their ill uncle. They are the only members left of a once great family. They live secluded & ostracized from the village. Mary Katherline only goes out once a week for groceries and books. We slowly learn what really happened to the rest of the Blackwood family. I really liked Jackson's writing style and the story she told here. Mary Katherine was such a fascinating character, the story was told in her voice and I think that's what made it even more interesting. This is my first story by Shirley Jackson, and I look forward to reading more.

46. Bearers of the Black Staff by Terry Brooks ***1/2
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Audio download from library, 13 hours 29 minutes read by Phil Gigante

This is the first book in the newest series in the Shannara world, although it's not Shannara yet. This is another step in the evolution of how our modern world evolved into the land of Shannara. These books are just comfort reads for me. There's nothing really new or exciting going on here, just straight forward quest type fantasy story. The original Shannara books were some of the very first fantasy stories that I read when I fist discovered the genre, so I enjoy keeping up with the new books.



47. Unless by Carol Shields ****1/2
Genre: Fiction
Format: Audio download from library, 7 hours 14 minutes, read by Joan Allen

This book caught me by surprise by how much I enjoyed it. I didn't really know anything about it, just that it was on the 1001 books to read list and the description sounded intereting. The story is told in first person by Reta Winters, a writer in her 40s, married with three daughters living in Canada. Her oldest daughter, Norah, decides to leave college and her life at home to sit on a corner in the city with a sign that says goodness. The writing and use of language in this book was beautiful. At the end of this audio edition, there was a section where the author read an excerpt from the book and then had a question & answer session. This was a good addition. I almost skipped it, but was glad that I didn't, it gave a lot of insight into the story and what Shields wanted to accomplish. I've seen a few reviews of this where the reader said it wasn't as good as her other work, so if that's the case, I can't wait to read more.



48. Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell ****
Genre: Classics
Format: Audio download from library, 7 hours 2 minutes, read by Clare Wille

This was an enjoyable read. Tells the story of the ladies of the small town of Cranford in 19th century England. Narrated by Mary Smith, a frequent visitor of the town. We learn about the lives and goings on of the town through descriptions of different events that take place. There isn't really much of a plot, but Gaskell has created such vivid characters. I really enjoyed her writing and will be picking up more of her work.

Wow! You have been busy since I checked in here last, Staci.

I've fallen behind on my posts. I've finished several audio books since my last post. I'm just going to list the books with a little about each.

49. The Silver Pigs by Lindsey Davis ****
Genre: Historical Mystery
Format: audio download from Audible.com, 9:12 hours, read by Christian Rodska

I had heard good things about this series which takes place in Ancient Rome. I'm glad I finally got around to starting it and will look forward to more adventures with Falco. Great job by the reader on this one also.

50. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett ****
Genre: mystery
Format: audio download from Audible.com, 7:10 hours, read by William Dufris

I really enjoyed this one and look forward to reading more by Hammett. Also, another one checked off the 1001 list.

51. Axis by Robert Charles Wilson ****
Genre: Sci fi
Format: Audio download from Audible.com, 10:44 hours, read by Scott Brick

This is the second book in the Spin series. Not as good as Spin, but still entertaining. I found it very quick moving & didn't want to stop listening.

52. The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa ***1/2
Genre: Historical fiction
Format: Audio download from Audible.com, 9:07 hours, read by David Horovitch

This was something I never would have read if not for the 1001 list. I enjoyed it. It takes place in Sicily during the time of Italy's unification. I don't really know much about Italian history even though I'm mostly Italian myself. So it was good to read something like this.

53. A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton ***1/2
Genre: mystery
Format: Audio download from library, 7:39, read by Mary Peiffer

Fisrt in the series featuring private investigator Kinsey Milhone. This was my first time trying Sue Grafton and I was pleasantly surprised. I actually finished listening to this in one day. I really liked the character of Kinsey and look forward to reading more.

54. Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope ***
Genre: fiction
Format: Audio download from library, 18:49, read by Simon Vance

This is the second book in Trollope's The Chronicles of Barsetshire series. I love Trollope's characters and writing, but there was something that he did in this book that I cannot stand and almost made me give up on it. I really do not like when authors can so obviously avoid a conflict if they just let their character say one specific thing and then everyone would be happy (I know I'm not really explaining this well). He actually even admitted that he was doing this in one of his comments to the reader that he likes to make. But overall, it was a good story and I will continue with the series.

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the Falco book - I'm a great fan of that series. It fits in well with your following book too, since Falco is so deliberately and beautifully based on the hard-boiled, cynical private eye familiar from the likes of Hammett and Chandler!

Congratulations on passing 50 books for the year, Staci!

Finished one more book and went on a shopping spree when I visited my parents in Alexandria, VA. They have a great used book store by their condo that I always look forward to visiting.

55. The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell ***1/2
Genre: Science fiction
Format: audio download from Audible, 7:33 hours, read by David Colacci

This book has been on my wishlist forever and I'm glad to have finally gotten around to it. I really enjoyed Russell's writing and the characters she's created here. Very enjoyable listen.

New books:

Red Harvest, The Glass Key & The Dain Curse by Dashiell Hammett
The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett
Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood (I already had a copy of this one and didn't realize it, but this new copy is better than the one I had)
The Last Temptation of Christ by Nikos Kazantzakis
The Magus by John Fowles
The Confession of Brother Haluin by Ellis Peters
The Female Quixotism by Tabitha Gilman Tenney
Ragamuffin by Tobias S. Buckell
The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon
The Harrowing of Gwynedd by Katherine Kurtz
Neuromancer by William Gibson
Probability Moon by Nancy Kress
Ratner's Star by Don DeLillo
There was one more that is still in my sister's car, I'm not 100% sure, but I think it was Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood.

56. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters ***1/2
Genre: Historical Mystery
Format: Audio download from Audible, 7:10 hours, read by Johanna Ward

I've discovered another new series to keep me entertained for a while with this one. It's 12th century Britain. Brother Cadfael is a Benedictine monk from Shrewsbury. He is sent with a group from the Abbey to try to bring back the relics of Saint Winifred from a Welch village. Not all of the locals are happy about this, and one of the lords & opponents turns up dead. Cadfael works with the victim's daughter to find out what happens. I really enjoyed this one. Cadfael looks like an interesting character and I look forward to reading more of his advenrures.

57. The Alchemyst by Michael Scott ***
Genre: fantasy
Format: audio download from Audible, 10:05 hours, read by Denis O'Hare

This is book one of the seriees, The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flammel. He's an alchemist who has been alive for centuries and is now living in modern day San Francisco. Fifteen year old twins, Josh & Sophie, get caught up in Flammel's world when John Dee shows up looking for the book that Flammel has been using to stay alive for so long. I've seen a lot of good reviews about this one, but I was slightly disappointed. It just seemed like the typical fantasy good vs. evil story line. I did enjoy the interweavnig of historical and mythological figures into the story. It was entertaining enough to keep me listening to the end. I especially enjoyed the narrator of the audio, he did a great job. But I probably will not continue with the rest of the series.

#76: I am reading the Brother Cadfael series too. I tried listening to the second book in the series in audio form, but did not care for Ward as a narrator.

I started on the Brother Cadfael series about a year ago and I've loved the five books I've read so far. My local public library has several of the books available through OverDrive, so I downloaded and listened to the last one of the five. I think Johanna Ward was the reader for that one, too. She's not my favorite audiobook narrator, but I became used to her by the end of the book.

You've read a lot of great books recently!!! I haven't read the Brother Cadfael books yet, but I have the first one on my shelf and I'm looking forward to reading it one of these days. :)

I'm glad that I finally got around to trying the Brother Cadfael books. I bought The Confessions of Brother Haluin recently thinking it was the first in the series because it was at the top of the list in the front of the book, but found out the list was written with the most recent at the top. So I tried the audio version of the first. I actually really liked Johanna Ward as a reader. I thought she sounded a lot like Kate Reading, one of my favorite female readers, who has done some of the Ariana Franklin and Wheel of Time books that I've listened to. Upon some investigation I discovered they are the same person.

I thought she sounded a lot like Kate Reading, one of my favorite female readers, who has done some of the Ariana Franklin and Wheel of Time books that I've listened to. Upon some investigation I discovered they are the same person.

That's interesting. I wonder why she uses two different names for narrating audiobooks, especially since the Brother Cadfael and Ariana Franklin books are in the same genre and are set in the same historical era.

#82: She used at least 3 names when reading. She also went by Anna Fields. It is a shame she died so young.

I'm not sure why readers go by different names. I know a lot of them do. Anna Fields is not the same person though. She's actually one of my least favorite readers. Her real name is Kate Fleming. Johanna Ward/Kate Reading is really Jennifer Mendenhall. It is a shame about Anna Fields, such a tragic way to die.

Finished five books so far this month, all part of a series for September Series & Sequels:

58. Extremes by Kristine Kathryn Rusch ***1/2
Genre: Sci fi mystery
Format: Audio download from library, 11:42 hours, read by Jay Snyder

Book 2 in the Retrieval Artist series. I'm enjoying these so far, more of a mystery in a sci fi setting than an actual sci fi. I will continue with the series.

59. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling ****
Genre: YA fantasy
Format: Audio CD, 20:35 hours, read by Jim Dale

Book 4 in the series. This is my first read through of the series and I'm really enjoying it so far. I think this one was my favorite so far. One minor complaint, not a huge fan of the reader on these audios, especially his Hermione voice, but it's not so bad that I'm not going to keep listening.

60. The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis ***1/2
Genre: Children's fantasy
Format: Audio download from library, 5:27 hours, read by Jeremy Northam

This is the fourth book in publication order. I'm also on my first read through of this series. I liked this one a little better than the last one I think. I really enjoyed the reader on this one.

61. Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett ***
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Audio CD, read by Nigel Planer

Discworld book 8 and the introduction to the City Watch. This was a reread in my attempt to read the Discworld books through in order. Not my favorite in the series, but still had some laugh out loud moments for me.

62. The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie ***
Genre: Mysetery
Format: Audio download from library, 5:22 hours, read by Stephanie Cole

This is the second in the Miss Marple series. I actually figured out part of the mystery early on in this one. It was still enjoyable seeing how she figured it out. I prefer Poirot though to Miss Marple and will be trying to get through more of the Poirot stories before I come back to Miss Marple.

My next series book that I'm working on is Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny. I've also got some non series carry overs I've been working on, Beauty by Robin McKinley & Fortress in the Eye of Time by C. J. Cherryh (although this is book 1 in a series, so I guess it would count, but it probably won't be finished by the end of the month).

I've read one of the Retrieval Artist series, which I enjoyed, and have Buried Deep in my tbr pile here. Do they need to be read in order?

I would say you probably should read them in order. I've only read the first two so far, and the personal lives of the main characters aren't a huge focus of the story, but there does seem to be some development there.

63. Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny ****1/2
Genre: Mystery
Format: audio download from library, 12:43 hours, read by Ralph Cosham

This is book 6 in the Three Pines Armand Gamache series. In this one, Gamache is in Québec City visting his mentor, former chief, Emil Comeau. He ends up helping the local police out on a case when a body turns up dead in the basement of the English Literary and Historical Society library. Meanwhile, he's sent Jean Guy Beauvoir to Three Pines for a vacation. I don't want to say too much more about the plot to give anything away. I thought this was a great addition to the series. I think it's my favorite so far. I loved the Québec City setting. It brought back great memories of when I was there back in college. Penny's writing really makes you feel like you're there with the characters. Looking forward to seeing what she comes up with for the next installment.

Well, it's been a while since I've been on LT. I've been going through a tough personal time right now (break up of my 11 year relationship) and haven't been much in the mood for reading. I'm starting to try to get back into a normal routine and have started reading again and wanting to see what's going on here.

Before everything happened, I did manage to get through 4 more books that I didn't post about yet to finish out September's Series & Sequals on a good note, progress made on 10 different series I've been working on.

64. Jovah's Angel by Sharon Shinn book 2 of Samaria (fantasy) ****
65. Post Captain by Patrick O'Brian book 2 of Aubrey/Maturin (historical) ***
66. B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton book 2 of Kinsey Milhone (mystery) ***1/2
67. WWW.Watch by Robert J. Sawyer book 2 of WWW trilogy (sci fi) ***.

I've managed to finish one book for October so far, but didn't really pay great attention and totally missed what happened at the end:

68. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (ghost story/audio) ***

And I will probably be finished today with:

69. Feed by Mira Grant (zombies/audio)

Sorry to hear about the demise of your relationship--that's rough!

It looks like you enjoyed the Shinn--I like that series.

Sorry about your troubles. Hopefully he reading will get your mind of things for a bit!

I liked Feed a lot, and the wife tells me the sequel is just as good. Gotta start it one of these days!

Thanks Roni & drneutron. I'm still having my ups & downs. I know it will take time. I am getting some more reading in which is always a good thing.

Roni, I really am enjoying the Shinn series. There's something about that world, it just sucks me in right from the start and I don't want to put the book down.

drneutron, I really enjoyed Feed. It was different than anything I've read and I am excited to move onto the next one.

Finished off a few more books for October and one for November so far (not really up to writing reviews or anything):

70. Hell Hole by Chris Grabenstein (mystery) ***1/2 These are mysteries that take place at the Jersey Shore. Not the best writing, but I like the location since I live almost at the Jersey Shore.

71. Death of an Englishman by Magdalen Nabb (mystery) *** This was Ok, nothing exciting. I did enjoy the setting of Florence in Italy, but probably won't go on with the series.

72. The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro (vampires) ***1/2 This was pretty good. Vampire virus outbreak in NYC. I'll probably continue with the rest of this series.

I've still been working on several print format books (these were all audios). I can't believe that I haven't actually finished one paper book yet this year. I've just been whipping through the audios. I have finished a few ebooks on my iPad, but very slowly. Still working on:
Fool's Errand by Robin Hobb (fantasy/hardcover)
Beauty by Robin McKinley (fantasy/paperback)
Fortress in the Eye of Time by C. J. Cherryh (fantasy/ipad)
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo (classics/dailylit emails) this was my year long project to try to get this finished this year, but I'm only about half way so far part 384/679, so I guess it will end up being a two year project.