rubarbaru's 75 book challenge for 2011

This is my first post so I hope I am doing this correctly! I have never tracked my reading before in this way, so am excited to embark on a 75 book challenge this year. As a bonus, when I told a good friend of my plans, she said if I accomplished my goal, she'd cook me a celebratory dinner. Since she is an amazing cook, it is an extra incentive for me! :)

I am looking forward to keeping a chronicle of my journey in reading for the year and also to seeing what others are reading to get some good ideas.

I enjoy books with mythological elements, fantasy, mysteries, and historical fiction.

Bold = favorite of the month
♪ = audio book




January
1. The Lost Books of the Odyssey by Zachary Mason ♪
2. Doctor Who: Dead Air by James Goss
3. Graceling by Kristin Cashore ♪
4. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
5. Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
6. Gilgamesh: A New English Translation by Stephen Mitchell ♪
7. The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood ♪
8. The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

February
9. Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn ♪
10. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
11. The Disappeared: A Retrieval Artist Novel by Kristine Kathryn Rusch ♪
12. Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
13. Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien
14. Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn ♪
15. The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett
16. Fire by Kristin Cashore
17. The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold

March
18. The Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko ♪
19. Black Ships by Jo Graham
20. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher ♪
21. Stardust by Neil Gaiman ♪
22. Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales ♪
23. Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris ♪
24. Shakespeare's Champion by Charlaine Harris ♪
25. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Simon Armitage ♪
26. The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan
27. The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
28. The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
29. Doctor Who: The Taking of Chelsea 426 by David Llewellyn ♪
30. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
31. The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
32. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman ♪

April
33. Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn
34. Elantris by Brandon Sanderson ♪
35. Star Wars: Millennium Falcon: A 3-D Owner's Guide
36. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman ♪
37. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin ♪

May
38. The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny ♪
39. A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny ♪
40. Still Life by Louise Penny
41. A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny
42. The Cruellest Month by Louise Penny ♪

Currently reading The Lost Books of the Odyssey by Zachary Mason

Hello ru, and welcome!

Thanks for the welcome, mckait!

Welcome!

Welcome to the group!

Thank you all so much for the welcome messages!

We love seeing new folks ! Stop in and visit anyone's threads that catches your fancy.. and don't be surprised if people come in and add your books to their own wishlists !

Welcome! The Lost Books of the Odyssey sounds interesting. I really enjoyed Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad.

Thanks, Tanglewood! I am really enjoying The Lost Books of the Odyssey so far and can't imagine that I will do anything other than highly recommend it. I will definitely post more about it once I am done.

I have not read The Penelopiad, but am now adding it to my reading list. Thanks for the recommendation! I also visited your 75 book challenge thread and really like your selections. I think my reading list is going to grow!

Welcome to the group, ru.

I've got The Lost Books of the Odessey in my TBR Tower for a while now, so I'll be watching out for your review when you're done to see if I should kick it up a run or 2.

Welcome to the group ru...I am looking forward to following your thread.. you seem to like the same sort of books I do, so I am looking forward to borrowing your book titles! I'm already adding one to my list because of this post, The Lost Books of the Odyssey sounds great!

Hi cameling and whiteknight, thanks for the welcome! I have a snow day from work today so hope to use this as a catch up day and get some serious reading time in! Will need it to make up some ground since I just started my challenge this week. Will post more on 'Lost Books..' soon!

I look forward to seeing what you are reading as well!

1. The Lost Books of the Odyssey by Zachary Mason ♪



Let me start by saying that I received some itunes gift cards for Christmas and decided to use them on audiobooks, so this was the first one I downloaded as I had it on my wishlist. I am so glad I did, as the narration added something of a magical element to the experience of the book. I felt as if Odysseus himself were reading bedtime stories to the gods and I was somehow listening in.

The book is exceptionally well written - the kind of writing where I would feel delighted by a particular turn of phrase or bit of description, and I'd try to hold onto it, but then it would be followed by another just as delightful. Among other stories, the book presents different imaginings of specific events, such as Odysseus' return to Ithaca and Penelope. My favorites were: 'The Stranger', 'Agamemmnon and the Word', 'A Night in the Woods', and 'The Book of Winter'.

Rather than a linear narrative, or collection of short stories, reading Lost Books was more like unearthing a treasure trove of sketches and notes that were created by the sculptor of an ancient master work: brilliant in their own right, they provide insight into the different directions the work could have taken before the final piece was completed. In that way, I enjoyed Lost Books tremendously, and as the title implies, felt like the stories were long kept secrets that were being shared with me as the listener.

I adored The Lost Books of the Odyssey and (since I like tangible books) will definitely be buying the physical book to add to my library. I know this is something that I will read again (I've already gone back to re-read a favorite chapter!) and I am interested to see whether reading the hard copy vs. listening to the audiobook results in a different experience.

Great review! I'm definitely adding this to my wishlist.

#14: That one looks like a dandy! Thanks for the recommendation. I will see if my local library has a copy.

Thanks, Tanglewood and alcottacre! I look forward to hearing what you think of it if you read it.

2. Doctor Who: Dead Air by James Goss ♪



I am currently reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak in paperback, so more on that shortly, but I am also listening to audiobooks at the same time while driving, etc.

I just finished 'Dead Air' and enjoyed it. it was narrated by the brilliant David Tennant, which made it a fun listen. this story was told from The Doctor's point of view, which is unusual. i think I prefer the third person, but this served a purpose within the story. The characters were fun and the story had a cool, erie factor and a very clever ending. I wish it wasn't the last featuring the tenth Doctor, as it kind of made it a bittersweet experience for me. Overall, a creepy-cool Doctor Who adventure.

#17: Unfortunately, my local library does not carry the book, so it will be some time before I get to it.

>18 rubarbaru: I've watched the Dr. Who series but I've never read any of the books, perhaps I should check one out. The Book Thief was one of my favorite reads last year! He's working on a new book that I'm really looking forward to.

>20 Tanglewood: I am really enjoying The Book Thief, glad to know there is a new book by that author on the way!

Yes, it's been a long wait for Zusak's next book. The Lost Books of the Odyssey is going on my tbr list, it sounds really good.
I'll have to track down some of the Dr Who books for my daughter, she'd love those.

>22 avatiakh: The Doctor Whos are fun - like extra or unaired episodes of the show. I really enjoy them as quick reads between other books.

3. Graceling by Kristin Cashore ♪



Graceling was a book that I was intrigued by that turned out to be better than I had expected. What I thought at the beginning was going to be a story about a female assasin, really went in other much more interesting directions. I loved the concept of the graced (those born with special abilities), and the characters, especially Katsa and Po, were well realized. I think what gave them more depth was the nature of the graces: understanding the grace lent insight into the psyche of the characters. I liked the world that the author created, and the exploration of attitudes toward difference.

Overall, I found the story engaging and I was invested in the characters. I wish Graceling had a little bit more closure than it did and hope there is a follow-up at some point featuring these characters.

>24 rubarbaru: I really enjoyed Graceling. Kristin Cashore has also written Fire, which is more of companion book to it. It does features one character from Graceling.

Greetings ru - welcome to the 75 -- liked yr review of Lost Books lots!

>25 Tanglewood: Thanks! I will definitely check out Fire. It seems from some of the reviews that people either loved it or were disappointed since it was different from Graceling. Since it is not a direct sequel, I may put a few books distance between them as I was so absorbed in the story of Katsa and Po that I think I may miss those characters :)

>26 sibylline: Thanks so much for the welcome, sibyx!

4. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak



I keep trying to write something about this book, but it just seems inadequate to describe how beautiful and moving it was. Ambiguous words like amazing, incredible, powerful, keep circling in my head, but don't really convey anything specific. Perhaps if I say I stayed up until 3 am to finish it, that will at least convey how compelling the story and characters were to me.

Told from the point of view of death, the story follows the life of one young girl and her love of books in Nazi Germany. Just writing that, though, doesn't seem adequate to express the sum of the book, or the masterful way in which the story is told. Death uses language in a way that suggests his otherworldliness - descriptive words are employed such that death may not distinguish between language commonly used to describe people vs. objects; eyes may be described as hearing, objects may feel, or hair may point at a spot on the ceiling. Death also jumps around a bit in time, revealing and then hiding again, certain aspects of the story to come; offering the reader sneak peeks, before going back a bit to fill in the detail.

But, even though not human, Death is uniquely positioned, having observed humans for eons, to convey the emotion and utter humanness of the story. I loved that, ultimately though, the story centered on the experiences of a young girl and those she encounters. We are provided a glimpse of what is a horrifying time in human history through the lens of Liesel, a girl who is still playing soccer with boys and learning to read; while coping with loss and the political changes that are unfolding around her. The stories of the children and their adventures were so captivating, I even had to stop and read one short chapter to my husband because it just had to be shared immediately (it was a story involving Liesel's friend Rudy, who is just a great character).

There are so many memorable characters, imperfect and wonderful, in this story, and the writing is exceptional. I highly recommend The Book Thief and am very glad that a friend recommended it to me. I am still carrying the characters and feelings of this book with me and expect they will not depart for some time.

Welcome and good luck getting to have that yummy sounding celebratory dinner! I really liked your last review. The Book Thief was one of my favorite reads from last year and if you liked the author's writing style you might also try I Am the Messenger by him.

>29 RosyLibrarian: Thanks so much for the welcome and for your kind words about my review! I loved The Book Thief so will definitely be on the lookout for I am the Messenger.

I have both The Book Thief and Graceling on my bookshelves, waiting to be read! Glad to hear they were both decent, if not great, reads.

The Book Thief is waiting on my shelves too... I've found that this group not only adds to my wishlist, but it also tries to shove all of my TBRs to the top of the stack :)

>31 dk_phoenix: & 32 Sounds like you have some good stuff on the shelves! I hope you enjoy them as much as I did and I'll be interested to hear what you think.

5. Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris



I have to confess, this wasn't my favorite of the Sookie Stackhouse novels. I felt it lacked something of the excitement and punch of some of the previous installments, almost like it was missing a central theme, or core that the rest of the supporting elements of the story would normally be built around. There was a lot of filling in of detail on various back stories and explanation of politics. Some of the motives for things that happened felt a little implausible. I was happy that Claude, always an interesting character, was featured, and there was enough of the continuing arcs of familiar characters that it was still an enjoyable read, but overall it felt like there were too many different minor plot threads that were competing with each other, vs. coming together as one cohesive story.

6. Gilgamesh: A New English Version by Stephen Mitchell ♪



It is amazing to think that Gilgamesh is as old as it is - 1000 years before the Iliad. King Gilgamesh is an interesting figure: part god and part human, he was both great and terrible. His unkind rule over his people sparked the gods to react to the numerous prayers of his people for help. They created a human to be a mirror of him, allowing him to discover friendship and brotherhood. Gilgamesh goes on adventures, slays monsters, confronts gods, and experiences loss; all of which teach him important lessons.

I thought the translation was good. Although I found it a little harder to get into at first, the style was interesting and took some getting used to, as there was much repetition. I enjoyed the dream analysis that Gilgamesh engaged in, and the journey he undertook with his companion.

There is something to be said for reading a work originally written down on stone tablets - I really felt the ancientness (for lack of an actual word). They also really knew how to curse someone in those days! There were some creative curses that were thrown down.

I found that Gilgamesh felt everything with passion, whether it was anger, grief, or friendship. Both brave and fearful at times, he sought to learn from his experiences and forge his place in the world and history. Overall, an interesting read as I enjoy mythology and I found it fascinating in that it predates most other written works of its kind.

I greatly enjoyed your review of Gilgamesh:A New English Version, your summary is just perfect!

Thank you, sibyx!

7. The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood ♪



The Penelopiad is a satirical retelling of the experiences of Penelope and her maids in the Odyssey, told from their point of view.

I listened to this as an audiobook and found it to be an interesting listen. At times it felt like an essay on feminist analysis of classical works, and at others, like Penelope was a storyteller who just wanted her side out there. Penelope was presented as kind of cynical, and after your hear the author's take on her perspective, it is not surprising. The overlapping voices of the 12 (dead) maids singing their laments were a little disorienting, and their bitterness at their fate was very strongly underscored. I felt that, after a while, the songs tended to break up the overall work a bit too much. But I found the rivalry between Penelope and Helen to be catty fun (Penelope is painted as wise and Helen as shallow). I appreciated the guts of the author; hearing Penelope's assessment of Odysseus upon first seeing him as a big shot in a small town was pretty funny. I enjoyed hearing how Penelope came to love Odysseus from her point of view, and her experience with themes with which we can all relate (in laws were apparently just as much of a challenge then).

I liked less the framing of the story with awareness of modern day references (lyphosuction, modern musicals, etc.) but I appreciated the little bits of insight that the author imagined Penelope to have, and it was fun to be privy to what could have been Penelope's perspective.

They really sang the songs in the audio version? How cool!

>39 mamzel: Yes, they had layered voices for some of them, almost like chanting, and it definitely helped lend it an other worldly sound. Those poor maids sounded like very unhappy spirits!

8. The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly



This book is a somewhat dark tale of a boy's experience of loss and transition after the death of his mother. After a series of events, he finds himself in a fairytale world where he must cope with dangers, confront fears, and learn who to trust as he tries to find his way home. Most of the adventures or predicaments he finds himself in are based on traditional fairy tales with which we are all familiar. However, in Lost Things, the endings are always darker and contain an extra (usually somewhat nasty) twist; almost like a epilogue that negates the 'happily ever after'. Some of the things the boy encounters are pretty gruesome, but the book contrasts them with horrors in the real world, as illustrated by events in the book and the setting (WWII England). Some of the story references are humorous takes (such as Snow White) but overall I am still processing this book and sorting out what I think the signifigance is of the various tales themselves (as opposed to the larger purpose they all serve as a whole toward the central theme of the book).

You've read some great books this month!

>41 rubarbaru: I have that book in my tbr pile--I'll get to it one of these days.

Wow! Your reading year is off to a flying start! Some terrific reads here.

>38 rubarbaru: I'm almost tempted to re-read this listening to the audio. It would be interesting to hear the maids singing, but I've tried audio books before and unfortunately I can't focus on them.

>41 rubarbaru: I read John Connolley's The Gates last year and keep meaning to take a look at The Book of Lost Things. I hadn't realized that it dealt with fairy tales, so it's gotten bumped up now.

38: I read that one two years ago and pretty similar feelings. It's not an Atwood book I see a lot of people picking up, but I thought it was worth it. Have you read anything else by her?

>42 Whisper1: & 44 Thanks! I've really enjoyed all of my January books and so far am excited about my February reads, too (currently reading The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield and Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn).

>43 ronincats: & 45 I'll be curious to see what you think of The Book of Lost Things if you read it.

>45 Tanglewood: Thanks again for recommending The Penelopiad. Let me know if you end up checking out the audio version at some point; I'd be interested to know what you think. I thought overall it was a pretty engaging one.

>46 RosyLibrarian: I haven't read anything else by Atwood yet. I had only been previously familiar with The Handmaid's Tale but haven't read it. Have you read any of her other works that you'd recommend?

The audio of The Penelopiad sounds great, I downloaded a copy from my library last week and am now looking forward to listening to it, hope I enjoy the songs. Got to finish Bloody Jack first.
I enjoyed The Book of Lost Things but still haven't read more of his work.

Hmm... I once picked up The Penelopiad and flipped through it, but it seemed like there was a lot of f-shots inside... maybe I just hit the wrong pages? Interesting. I'd like to pick it up again and give it another go, maybe it was a bad day for me or something. Haha.

>48 avatiakh: I think the songs were more like singsong-y chants. Hard to describe, but not musical so much. Oh, well. I am not doing a good job of describing it but you'll see what I mean when you listen.

>49 dk_phoenix: I don't remember it being that way so much, but I can sometimes have a selective memory if I heard something I didn't like :)

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

47: Yes, I love her! The Handmaiden's Tale is very powerful and I highly recommend reading it.

Two other books I like by her are Oryx and Crake and it's companion book, Year of the Flood. Though you can read them any which way you like, I read Oryx and Crake first and prefer it that way. They are sort of dark and very much dystopians, but if you like that kind of thing then these books are top notch!

(Sorry, touchstones not working!)

>52 RosyLibrarian: Thanks, Mihess! Those look excellent and I will be adding them to the to be read list!

Marie recommended the couple of Atwood books I would have recommended to you too. I hope you enjoy the books when you get to them!

I read the Book of Lost Things and really enjoyed it. I never really looked at the individual stories, but as I remember most of them had a lesson for the boy to learn wich also fit in with the 'bigger' picture

>55 alcottacre: Thanks! I am looking forward to reading them once I get through the stack of books that I am accumulating :). One of the best things about this site is all of the great recommendations from other book lovers!

>56 liezkl: I think you are right about that, and they fit into the overall coming of age theme. I also liked how he was able to apply his knowledge from other stories to get himself out of some tricky situations.

9. Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn ♪



I just finished this book today via audio and it was very different but enjoyable. I usually read more of an epic fantasy style (let's go on a long journey and build fires and find magic objects and fulfill prophecies :) which I love. Troubled Waters had a very different feel, a less urgent pace, and a story that took unexpected avenues. I liked the heroine, Zoe, a lot. She had a quiet power about her, and integrity. I really loved the world and religious/magic system that the author created and found myself wishing I could go over to the nearest temple and choose blessings for myself and those I care about. Many of the characters had traits that were dominant but also sought balance which was a theme I appreciated. There were so many things in this book that could have ended up going in different directions, that I found I was surprised when things didn't happen, but was still engaged in the story. It had more politics than magic overall, and I am not sure I got as much of a feel for the character's emotions and motivations as I have with other books. But I still liked them very much and the overall story and the world created definitely held my interest and made it an engaging experience.

#58: I will have to give that one a shot. Thanks for the recommendation!

Hey there rubarbaru, interested in your read on The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. I really loved it, became one of my favorites in 2009. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it!

10. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield



This was one of my Santathing books and it was an excellent read. The Thirteenth Tale had an almost a Sunset Boulevard feel to it at the start, but really was a rich mystery, the pieces of which unwind into a whole, like watching a film of something coming apart in reverse.

The Thirteenth Tale had several secrets to reveal within the larger mystery, and a cool, creepy, gothic quality. It was very well written and had a lot of clever symbolism as well as references to other works of literature. It was also the second book in as many weeks that I have read that alluded to the folk belief in the power of a name, and in naming someone/something (a la Rumplestilskin). I loved that symmetry and how it fit in with the story.

The Thirteenth Tale is an exceptional book that I would definitely recommend.

>60 whiteknight50: Hey Doug, thanks for stopping by! I just finished Thirteenth Tale and really enjoyed it. Just posted my impressions above, but overall thought it was a great read.

#61: I enjoyed that one too. I am glad to see that the book has found another fan!

I've seen The Thirteenth Tale in charity shops quite a few times, and always considered it, but I'm just not sure it's for me. However, your review will make me look at it again when I see it!

My experience with The Thirteenth Tale was similar, rubarbaru. The novel has kind of a creepy feel to it, something like those Dracula films we all used to watch..you know..mist swirling, half seen shapes, dramatic moments. I don't think the book has anything even like that in it, if I remember, (except of course those dramatic moments) but it still gives off that feeling. I think it's the character of Vida Winter that gives it that flavor...her secrets, her mysterious reluctance to speak, yet with that deep drive still to tell her story. Its a wonderful book! Glad you liked it too!

>64 lunacat: I thought it was a great read. Hope you like it if you decide to give it a try! Your user name also inspired me to try and post a picture of our cat, Basil:



His name is pronounced like razzle dazzle. We named him after our favorite actor to portray Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) since he is always looking for a mystery to solve. :)

Aww, he's gorgeous. I love his eyebrows, and his fluffy ears :). And I had to stop and think how else you would pronounce basil, until it occurred to me that Americans say it differently. To rhyme with razzle dazzle would be the standard over here!

>61 rubarbaru: It definitely has - I am looking forward to recommending it to others who I think will really enjoy it, too.

>65 whiteknight50: I agree - it definitely had that it had that creepy, mist on the moors feel to it!

>67 lunacat: Thanks! And here I am so used to explaining how to pronounce his name that I just did it out of habit, ha ha. A lot of people near me pronounce basil the plant like 'Bay-sil' and think that's his name :)

Oh, he's very pretty! It took me a second to figure out how Basil rhymed with razzle dazzle ;)

>69 Tanglewood: Thanks! :)

#66: Lovely cat! I really need to get one soon.

>71 alcottacre: Thanks! He is a great 'library cat' as he likes to hang out in our spare room where all the books live. :)

#72: I say I need to get a cat, but I am not sure my allergies would allow it sadly. I would love to have one, I just need to find one that would not drive my allergies crazy.

>73 alcottacre: Oh, sorry to hear that. I had heard there are some cat breeds that are supposed to produce less dander but I don't know if it is the same for everyone since so many people have varying degrees of allergy. Anyway, hope you find one someday!

11. The Disappeared: A Retrieval Artist Novel by Kristine Kathryn Rusch ♪



The Disappeared was an entertaining science fiction space mystery. The story features aliens, space detectives solving crimes on the moon and desperate people on the run. I liked that it jumped right into the action and introduced the different disappeared characters and their circumstances. I also really liked the concept of the Retrieval Artists, and look forward to this being explored in future books in the series.

The story also makes an interesting commentary on law and punishment, and what different societies consider to be crimes. Overall, a good read and I plan to read the next in the series to see how it continues.

I think you are like the 4th or 5th person that I've seen on the threads that has just recently read The Thirteenth Tale. :)

I enjoyed The Disappeared as well. I have Buried Deep waiting in the tbr pile here, which I think is 4th in the series, but I don't think they are closely related from book to book.

#75: That one looks good. Thanks for the recommendation!

#76 It was a very good book so I am glad that so many are reading it and hope they enjoyed it as much as I did!

#77 That is good to know, thanks! I definitely want to check out more in the series.

12. Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson



I loved Warbreaker. What a fantastic, exciting fantasy novel. Set in an original, fascinating world where people worship living gods and colors play a pivotal role, Warbreaker explores magic, politics, conspiracies, trust, ethics, and different worldviews.

There are some great characters here, and no one is actually what they seem, even if they don't know it themselves. Many characters examined their own view, motivations, and beliefs and questioned what they thought they knew when faced with new experiences and points of view. The author also cleverly weaves mystery into the characters and their actions, so you never know what to expect and who to trust.

While there were some characters I liked best and I couldn't wait to get back to their part of the story when events shifted elsewhere (a god who was a skeptic of his own religion was particularly well-written and witty, and he, along with an unexpected queen and her king, had great story arcs), every character's journey is important and the book has a great ending.

Warbreaker was the second of the Santathing books I received, and I truly enjoyed it. I miss reading about some of the characters, and the world they inhabited, already, and would definitely recommend this book to others who enjoy strong fantasy works.

#80: I bought that one for my Nook last year. I need to get to it. Thanks for the reminder!

80: People are reading such great SantaThing books - I need to get to mine! This one in particular looks worth looking into. Nice review, thanks for the heads up!

>81 alcottacre: Awesome! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did when you get to it!

>82 RosyLibrarian: I couldn't be more thrilled with my Santathing books and agree that it was such a rich source of excellent book recommendations! I hope you enjoy Warbreaker if you decide to read it!

13. Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien



Birthmarked is set in a future North America where natural resources were squandered and now the privileged live in a secure community called the Enclave, and others live outside the walls in poverty. Each month, the midwives have to "advance" the first three babies born outside the walls to the Enclave. Birthmarked focuses on the story of Gaia, a young midwife apprenticed to her mother who quickly finds herself embroiled in events that lead her to question her beliefs.

This was an engaging story that I read in a day. It was very fast-paced and set in an interesting world with exciting developments. Some of the events seemed a little incongruous at first, but it seemed that just when I thought they did, most were addressed. There were a few loose ends that I would have really liked to see tied up, but overall I enjoyed Birthmarked.

Edited to say that I just read on the author's website that she is working on a sequel that is supposed to come out in November, so I feel hopeful some of those loose ends will get resolved.

Oh, Birthmarked sounds really interesting. I saw this mentioned on another thread too, and I think I'll have to move this up on my list.

#84: I have had that one on my PBS wishlist for a while now. Hopefully I will be able to get hold of a copy soon.

>85 Tanglewood: Cool - hope you like it if you decide to read it!

>86 alcottacre: Hope so, too! And sorry for the newbie question, but what is a PBS list?

#87: PBS = Paperback Swap

It is similar to BookMooch.

>88 alcottacre: Thanks :)

#89: No problem. I forget that I did not know what it was when I was a newbie here too :)

14. Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn ♪



Across the Nightingale Floor is a fantasy set in feudal Japan. It is beautifully written and tells the story of a boy who is rescued and raised by a lord, discovers hidden talents, becomes involved in a power struggle between rival clans, and is overcome by a destiny that is at odds with true love. He experiences extreme highs and lows: loyalty, love and integrity, as well as loss, treachery, and betrayal.

This is a quiet story that builds somewhat slowly and then becomes gripping. I listened to the audio version which was excellent, with two readers alternating as the chapters of the book do: every other one is either from Takeo (male) or Kaede's (female) perspective. The story had the feel of historical fiction with a touch of magic/fantasy. The author does a great job of making the reader feel like they are immersed in another time and culture; and, while it was initially a challenge to keep track of the number of characters and which clans they belonged to, it all comes together and overall, was engaging. This is the first book in the Tales of the Otori series and I will likely check out the others in the future.

#91: My oldest daughter loves that series of books (she has them all - I should know, since I bought them for her, lol). Maybe I will borrow them :)

>91 rubarbaru: You had me at fantasy set in feudal Japan! Across the Nightingale Floor goes onto the list.

Nice review of Across the Nightingale Floor. The audio version sounds good with the two different readers, but I've had that one on the shelf for a while now in paper and hope to get to it soon.

Hope you continue to enjoy Night Watch.

*tosses your last two books into the piles* Great reviews by the way!

Just curious with Birthmarked, is that a YA fiction?

>92 alcottacre: I think that is a good plan! I hope to get to the others in the series soon.

>93 Tanglewood: Ha ha :) Hope you enjoy it when you get to it!

>94 staci426: Thanks! Definitely enjoying Night Watch so far. It's already a bit different from my recollection of the film but I guess that is to be expected.

>95 jolerie: Thank you! Hope you enjoy them when you read them. And, yes, Birthmarked is considered YA.

15. The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett



The Warded Man has an interesting concept: a world where humans live their lives during the day and each night try to survive attacks from demons that rise at sunset. Important professions of the day include: Warders (those who keep up wards - symbols painted or carved that are designed to protect those within from demons); Jongleurs (who travel with Messengers and entertain survivors to keep up spirits during the day); Herb Gatherers (the healers that tend the sick and wounded); and Messengers (who brave the open road to deliver messages, trade supplies, and bring news from other hamlets and cities).

The story focuses on three main characters whose story lines eventually converge. I expected there to be a lot more action, and the end of the book definitely has this, but much of the book was focused on highlighting the dynamics between family relationships and small, petty rivalries. This really served, at least for me, to illustrate the lack of redeeming qualities in most of those that the main characters interacted with. The author didn't have the most sophisticated touch with his writing. A lot of it felt pretty coarse to me. There were also a few things that I found really stretched plausibility, in terms of the character's motivations, specifically with the character of Leesha.

The culminating battle was very exciting and I liked the character of the warded man himself very much. The world the author created was believable and interesting, but one of the societies is clearly meant to reference a real world culture and is pretty thinly veiled. I am considering reading the follow-up, Desert Spear as I am curious to see how the story continues.

Edited to fix a typo.

What a bunch of interesting books you've been reading! On the want list they go...

#97: I know I already have that one in the BlackHole. Nice review!

I hadn't heard of your most recent book before... sounds interesting. I might pick it up if I see it. Good review!

>98 jadebird:: Thanks, I've been enjoying them. Hope you like any that you decide to read!

>99 alcottacre:: Thanks!

>100 dk_phoenix:: Thank you! I'll be interested to hear what you think if you decide to check it out.

16. Fire by Kristin Cashore



Fire was an interesting companion book to Graceling, which I had really enjoyed. I am glad I waited a bit to read it so I had some distance and could evaluate them separately, since it was not a continuation of the first book. I enjoyed Fire, and it had some similar elements of politics, romance, and, of course, a fantasy world where some have special abilities.

I was surprised about the focus on monsters. It wasn't what I had expected and it was a little difficult for me to completely suspend my disbelief (I think just because of the use of the word 'monsters', which has such a negative implication). It might have been different had the author come up with some other name for them, but I never really got quite used to it.

I was disappointed at the descriptions of animal cruelty. I had to skim over a couple paragraphs once or twice because, personally, I've had enough. I would love for the next book to move on from this (and I think it will, as the events of this book pre-date Graceling, which hopefully is the last time a particular character appears).

There is a lot of crying in Fire. In the beginning, I thought it made the heroine seem a bit helpless, but overall I think she was shown to be both strong in some ways, and vulnerable in others (more human than 'monster'). The characters do experience loss, war, and other events that I think warrant such reactions and the author explores what it means to feel sadness and worry, and to be vulnerable with others.

I liked the character of Brigan and enjoyed the overall dynamic between Fire and those she encounters (and their varying degree of reaction to her). There were a lot of interesting revelations about many of the characters and their origins. Overall, I enjoyed Fire but think the monster element could have been explained a bit more.

I still need to read both Graceling and Fire. I think I will do as you did and read them at different times. Nice review once again!

I'd forgotten about the animal cruelty, that was hard to read about.

The next book by Kristin Cashmore is Bitterblue and it is set 6 years after the events of Graceling. It is supposed to come out in later this year (April or maybe August).

>103 alcottacre:: Thanks! Hope you enjoy them when you read them.

>104 Tanglewood:: I usually forget when a book has something upsetting like that, too, I think because I don't want to remember it. Or, maybe because if I sense some kind of animal cruelty coming up, I kind of read that part in a way that is similar to covering my eyes in a movie :). Hence, when I went to read Fire I had already forgotten about some of those elements from Graceling. But, I am excited for Bitterblue. Something about the characters in these books stays with me so I am looking forward to the next one (especially if there is an update on Katsa and Po and some of the other characters from Graceling, too).

Hi There

Congratulations on reading 16 books. I love the photo of your beautiful cat. Alas, my partner has asthma and cats are not possible in the house.

>106 Whisper1: Thanks! I am really enjoying the challenge and am glad to have read the books I have so far, as I liked most of them very much. And Basil says thanks for the compliment on his photo! :)

I can't remember if or when I last posted, but I read your reviews regularly -- I'm always looking for good books for my daughter and you are a great source (then I get to read them after! of course!) because you are so thoughtful.

>108 sibylline: Thanks so much for the kind words! I am so glad that my reviews have been helpful and it was so nice of you to say so! :)

Quite a few here that I've already read and enjoyed like The thirteenth tale and Across the Nightingale Floor and you are reinforcing that I must read some fantasy by Brandon Sanderson.

Great review! I just added The Warded Man to my wishlist. :)

>110 avatiakh: I loved Warbreaker and have heard his other work is excellent as well. I have Mistborn as the next Sanderson in my TBR list.

>111 jolerie: Thanks! I'll be interested to hear what you think of The Warded Man if you read it.

17. The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold



The world of Curse of Chalion had a feeling of medieval Spain to it, and was well-written. I read this on my iPad and was glad I did, as I actually used the dictionary function a few times. The story also featured many unfamiliar words and titles throughout, not unusual in fantasy, but which, in this case, affected the pacing for me. So I did not find it to be the fastest read, and indeed, it took me the longest to finish of my challenge books so far. I felt that the the story started to get exciting about halfway through.

The main character, Cazaril, is very well done and interesting, with a hint of ironic self-deprecation. He almost reminded me of Kurt Wallander in the beginning, with his down-trodden, washed up life but still with a spark of determination driving him on. He was also very wry and witty, and had a great story arc.

Chalion places an emphasis on politics and religious elements. There is some animal cruelty in the magic, and the magic itself is absent for about half of the book. Overall, I did end up enjoying the book and the characters.

18. The Night Watch by by Sergei Lukyanenko ♪



Night Watch is a fantasy set in Moscow. The story centers around the Others, beings of power who may be either light or dark. Magicians, sorceresses, vampires, demons, and shapeshifters, all of varying levels of power, live among humans and are able to enter the twilight, a dimensional realm between worlds. The Night Watch itself is an organization that consists of light others who watch the dark ones to ensure that a treaty between the two sides is being honored.

Night Watch is told in three stories, each with a prologue and several chapters. They all have the same narrator, Anton, a light other who is part of the Night Watch, as well as characters and storylines that converge. A philosophical tale, the characters of Night Watch spend a lot of time explaining and discussing the merits of the magical system and its rules. Actions have consequences in Night Watch, as the characters learn, and choice is a theme.

I had seen the films that were based on this book, the excellent Night Watch and Day Watch, but haven't watched them in a few years. Reading the book has made me want to dust the dvds off and watch them again.

There are some definite differences between the book and the film; I was surprised to find one very significant plot point in the films was absent from the book, even though the characters are the same. There are three more books in this series: Day Watch, Twilight Watch and Last Watch. I think I may check them out, especially, as I understand that the first two films were both adaptions of the first book, so the stories of other three books would be totally new to me.

Simply stopping by to see what you are reading and to say hi.

I'm glad you liked the Lukyanenko! The four books form a larger story arc, so I hope you get to read them all.

The Night Watch is one I've wanted to read for a while. Sometime I'll have to get to it...

#115: *waves hello* Thanks for stopping by!

#116: Oh, thanks for letting me know that - I will definitely have to plan to read the others!

#117: I'll be interested to hear what you think of it when you do - I thought it was well done.

19. Black Ships by Jo Graham



Black Ships is a wonderful retelling of the Aeneid from the perspective of a young girl who becomes an oracle. It is filled with adventure at sea, friendship, loyalty, prophecy and love. This is one of my favorite reads of the year so far.

At some points, it felt to me like the people of Wilusa were like the survivors of Battlestar Galactica (or rather, the other way around): displaced, traveling in ships and trying to find a new home. Black Ships was a great adventure, which was a bit unexpected. This was partly because I didn't realize when I started it that it was a retelling of the Aeneid, so I had a few 'a ha' moments when reading it as certain characters were introduced and things fell into place.

This book was a nearly perfect read for me, combining many of my favorite elements. I would highly recommend Black Ships to anyone who likes mythology, fantasy, and tales of the ancient Greco-Roman world.

You sold me with the reference to B.G! I have added this book to my wishlist.

I agree with Mamzel, you got with Battlestar Galactica! Plus, I love mythology.

Black Ships sounds like a wonderful book.

Glad you enjoyed Black Ships so much! It's my favorite of the three by Jo Graham that I've read, and I loved the other two, so you've got to know the whole series (it's a loose series and not necessary to read them in order; in fact you can't, really, because she jumps around historically) is top notch. Can't wait until she writes another!

Nice comments about Night Watch. I still haven't gotten around to the movie yet. It should be making it's way to the top of my Netflix queue shortly. I'll be interesting to see what the significant plot difference is that you mentioned.

Black Ships looks interesting. I'm not really familiar with the Aeneid or Battlestar Galactica, but the story still sounds like something I would enjoy.

>120 mamzel: & 121: :) I'll be interested to see what you think if you read it. I actually googled BSG and the Aeneid after I read the book because I was curious as to whether that was intentional on the part of the BSG writers, and while I did not discover that, there were a bunch of search results that asked the question.

>122 Whisper1:: I truly thought it was. It was definitely one of my very favorites of the year so far.

>123 Storeetllr:: Thanks - I definitely plan to check out her other books!

>124 staci426:: I'll be interested to see what you think once you've seen the movie. It is really distinctive and seems to me to have captured the essence of the book quite well, even with that pretty significant change. Although, I think it is always a different experience when you've read the book first.

20. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher ♪



Incarceron is a futuristic prison that is also like an entire world unto itself. Some believe there is life outside, and others do not. The main character of Finn believes he is from outside and endeavors to escape. Simultaneously, a girl named Claudia is involved in palace intrigue and betrothed to a prince she does not wish to marry.

I can't get myself to say much more about this book, because I did not enjoy it very much. I listened to it as an audiobook and disliked the reading of it which impacted the experience for me. The reader distractingly gave many of the characters, what I felt were unconvincing accents and it contributed to what seemed to me to be a disjointed narrative with many abrupt transitions. I was tempted to abandon the audio and try the physical book instead, but since I had already paid for the audio book and couldn't tell how much of what I didn't enjoy was the book itself vs. just the reading, I didn't want to put more money into it by buying the paperback so I just stuck it out. Eleven hours later and the book had its exciting moments and some things were revealed that were expected, but I think if I ever do try to continue on and read the second book, it will not be the audio version.

Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy this one! It's always interesting to me when people have such different experiences with a book ;)

21. Stardust by Neil Gaiman ♪



Stardust is a wonderful fairy tale adventure about a young man who journeys beyond the wall that forms a boundary between his town and a magical realm in his quest to retrieve a fallen star. I had seen the film adaptation several years ago and enjoyed it, and it was a great experience to now listen to the audio version of Stardust, the book, as read by the author. It was like rediscovering something special and gaining new insights into the characters and story. Stardust is very well written, perfectly paced, and completely enjoyable. I would highly recommend the audio version as Gaiman is a great reader and listening to it really added to the magical quality.

>127 Tanglewood:: Thanks - I really think a lot of it was the reader, which just didn't work for me. I am glad to have followed it up with Stardust which was a great listen.

Gaiman is a great reader. I have an early collection of his short stories on CD and it's great fun. I thoroughly enjoyed Stardust, but I read the edition illustrated by Charles Vess.

Stardust is my favorite Gaiman to date. I'll have to try the audio some time.

Gaiman is great - I really enjoyed listening to Stardust and I can definitely envision myself listening to this again. It really brings out the fairytale quality

22. Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales ♪



This was a charming collection of folktales read by well known performers. I enjoyed trying to identify the readers of each fable, and thinking about the morality lesson implied in each. Interspersed amidst the stories are snippets of African folk music, which enhanced the listening experience. My favorite tales were: Fesito Goes to Market, read by Don Cheadle; The Ring of the King, read by Alan Rickman; and The Mother Who Turned To Dust, read by Helen Mirren. The best part is that the audiobook was produced to help benefit children in South Africe impacted by HIV/AIDS.

I downloaded this book from audible.com and afterward visited the website for the audiobook when I was trying to confirm if I had guessed correctly on some of the readers. Apparently there is bonus material when you purchase the CD, so I plan to get that as well as it is for a good cause and is definitely something that I would like to have in my collection. I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys folktales and the experience of listening to good storytelling.

23. Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris ♪



I have read the Sookie Stackhouse books but hadn't read anything else by Harris, so when I saw a recommendation in the Mystery March thread for this series, I thought I would give it a try. I was not disappointed. Initially, I thought this series was the one about a librarian, but I realized I mixed up a couple of reviews that I read of different books, and discovered that Shakespeare is a town, and has nothing to do with the Bard or books. And the heroine is not a librarian, but cleans houses. This puts her in a unique position to know a lot of people in the town, and to observe things about them that they may not expect.

I enjoyed this small town mystery by Harris and liked the heroine, Lily Bard. At first I didn't understand her motivation or actions in terms of a key early event, and there were times I wished she had a cell phone and used it, but after you learn about her past it all becomes clear.

Harris has a knack for describing these small southern towns and creating believable and interesting characters. I always feel as if I'd been in such a place after reading her books. I think that is part of the appeal of her books for me, as I like being immersed in a different world and I have not spent much time in small towns or the southern U.S.

The solution to the mystery in Shakespeare's Landlord is satisfying, and I look forward to reading more in this series.

24. Shakespeare's Champion by Charlaine Harris ♪



Shakespeare's Champion picks up a few months after the previous book leaves off. The mystery surrounds some rising elements of racism in the town, and of course, Lily finds herself at the wrong place at the wrong time by discovering a dead body. She also gets involved in a new relationship.

Lily becomes a target several times throughout the book and gets to utilize her martial arts skills, sometimes with good results, but there were quite a few hospitalizations.There were a couple of events in the book that had me confused as they were described as if they took place in between the two books, and I kept going back to see if I'd missed something, only to find that they are described in a flashback later on. I also was not as sold on the romance in this book, as it didn't seem the healthiest relationship.

This was the first time this year that I felt compelled to read the second in the series immediately following the first, vs. taking a break. I think that it is because I was in the mood for a quick read without too much thinking required. Sometimes I just want to be entertained, and I like the Lily Bard character and am interested in the town. So this served its purpose but I think I'll take a break now for a bit before continuing.

I have gotten some new audiobooks in the audible sale (for $4.95 each!) so am looking forward to moving on to:

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Doctor Who: The Taking of Chelsea 426 and
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

I've just picked up the audiobook of Stardust from the library. i've already read it but thought it would be nice to listen to Gaiman reading it. I think it's a delightful story.
And I have a copy of Shakespeare's Landlord, I really should read it. I didn't read the Sookie Stackhouse books, I couldn't get into the first book but thought I'd try something else by her.

I really enjoyed hearing Gaiman read Stardust and have already started a repeat listen when I couldn't fall asleep the other night because it was so well done and had that magical, fairytale quality.

I actually prefer the Lily Bard character so far over Sookie Stackhouse. Although I did question the judgement of both of these characters at times, I think Lily is more compelling.

Will be curious to see what you think of Elantris since I have this book on my shelf as well. I've heard really good things about it so I hope you enjoy it. :)

Thanks! I am looking forward to it as I thought Sanderson's worldbuilding in Warbreaker was fantastic so was looking to read more by him. I was going to start with Mistborn first, but when I saw Elantris was on sale, I thought I'd give it a try. I'll be sure to post my impressions once I finish it.

25. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Simon Armitage ♪



Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a translation of a Middle English poem about one of King Arthur's great knights. This translation is by an English poet and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Having listened to it as an audio book, I thought the reader was excellent and truly lent the experience a feel of listening to a master storyteller passionately reciting it at court.

The story centers on the honorable Gawain who accepts an impossible and dangerous challenge as a representative of Arthur's knights, and his fulfillment of his end of the bargain that is struck. I recall first reading this story in Rosemary Sutcliff's The Sword and the Circle, a longtime favorite of mine, and hearing this more lyrical version which is closer to the poetry of the source material, was a real treat.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Arthurian legend. The modern English translation is also followed by the recitation of the original Middle English version on the audio recording, for anyone who is familiar with Middle English (unfortunately, I am not, but it was still fascinating to hear).

I read an illustrated version of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight last year, which I loved, but it didn't include the original Middle English. I would be great to hear it read in the original. I just got an audible account, so I might use it as my freebie!

Awesome! And I think Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is still on sale for $4.95 until tomorrow, too. if you do check it out I hope you enjoy it!

#91 A friend of mine was strongly recommending Across the Nightingale Floor a few years ago - but you are the first person I've seen to mention it on LT. I really must look out for that one.

An audio version of Gawain including the Middle English sounds great. I did study Old and Middle English, and so can sort of read it (but mind you that was years ago, and Gawain has lots of difficult vocab, so I think I'd struggle really) but it would be good to listen to it.

#143 Thanks for stopping by! I'd be interested to hear what you think of Nightingale Floor if you decide to read it. I enjoyed it and it was a change of pace from the kind of fantasy I usually read.

I was completely unfamiliar with Old or Middle English, so I really couldn't keep up with that version (there were a few words here or there that I recognized) but it was still fascinating to hear. If you do listen to it at some point I hope you enjoy it (and I'm sure you'll be able to follow along better than I could! :)

26. The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan



I am a little late to this series and finally getting to it. The Lightening Thief is a fun (and funny) adventure about a boy who discovers a world where Greek gods still exist and reality turns out to be very different than he thought it was. The story moved along fast and it was a quick read.

In addition to the obvious references to Greek heroes, I found the story structure to have some parallels to Greek myths that I enjoyed. For example, I liked that the characters encounter trials all along their quest (mostly traps set by other mythological characters), just as the heroes of myths and epic poems. Of course, being set in modern day America, the circumstances that they had to navigate were very different from those that the ancient heroes faced.

The writing is witty and the characters accessible, so I can see why this series would be very appealing to kids. I enjoyed the book and have started the second in the series.

I just finished the series earlier this year as well so you are definitely not late. :) I actually found the first book to be the weakest but the story gets better and better with each subsequent book. I hope you enjoy the rest of the series.

Thanks :) I am glad to hear that the series keeps getting better. I am looking forward to reading the rest (although, now that I think about it, I actually don't know how many there are).

27. The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan



The second book in the Percy Jackson series, I enjoyed Sea of Monsters. It combined a lot of my favorite elements: adventure, references to Greek mythology, and an exciting sea voyage. It was very similar in structure to Lightening Thief, and having started The Titan's Curse, the structure seems to be continuing (not unusual since life for kids of the age of these characters follows the school year calendar and, of course, summer break).

I like how the heroes keep running into monsters and dangers from Greek mythology, with clever modern twists on their names and surroundings in many cases. The humor continues as well (I particularly got a chuckle out the idea of the Monster Donuts shop "...I mean, it did seem a little weird, but donuts weren't high on my list of sinister forces." :). Percy also learns that there are different ways to be a hero, and that sometimes you can achieve that without all of the glory, which I thought was a good lesson.

Percy is a complex character, who shows himself to be brave, imperfect, witty, and sometimes rash. He cares about others and wants to protect his friends, and he also learns from his mistakes. Overall, another enjoyable book in the series and a fast read.

28. The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan



Another good installment in the Percy Jackson series. Percy faces some rivals as he has to make room for some new, strong characters. This book had some interesting monsters, cool locations, and fun adventures. I enjoyed it but I did miss the character of Annabeth, who was absent for most of the book.

I am continuing to enjoy how the author weaves myths into the narrative to help draw parallels to the character's current circumstances. Moving on to Battle of the Labyrinth.

Edited to fix touchstone.

>142 rubarbaru: Thanks, I did get the Sir Gawain on sale. Right now I'm listening to Stardust on my Kindle for my subway commute and loving it. It's my favorite of Gaiman's and his reading is so fun!

>149 rubarbaru: I read the first three in the Percy Jackson series but then I got sidelined. I need to catch up because I really want to start reading his new Egyptian series (I feel guilty since I have books four and five).

I've heard a lot about the Percy Jackson series but haven't read any of them yet. They do sound good. I think I'll wait awhile after I finish Gaiman's American Gods to start it, though, as I am pretty much satiated with gods and myths and the like, even though the Percy Jackson stories sound much more fun than American Gods.

BTW, LOVE Gaiman reading Gaiman (esp. The Graveyard Book and Neverwhere), but somehow seem to have missed listening to him reading Stardust. Going to have to remedy that soon!

>150 Tanglewood: Can't imagine a subway commute being any better than when listening to Gaiman read Stardust! :)

I am enjoying the 4th Percy Jackson so far. The good thing is they are such fast reads that once you do get to the rest of the books, they will fly right by! I think I will definitely check out his Egyptian series at some point, too.

>151 Storeetllr: I have American Gods and Graveyard Book on deck but can't decide which to read first! If they are both read by Gaiman I might just get both on audio as I want to listen to more by him since I enjoyed his reading of Stardust so much.

29. Doctor Who: The Taking of Chelsea 426 by David Llewellyn ♪



Another fun Doctor Who adventure featuring the Tenth Doctor. This one involved a colony on Saturn, evil plants, a war between two alien races (one being the Sontarans), and a dangerous space storm.

In this story, The Doctor visits the futuristic Saturn colony, Chelsea 426, to see the flower show. He ends up working with two kids who live there to try and prevent an alien invasion and the colony's destruction. I found the story to be entertaining and the reader to be excellent. This is the first Doctor Who adventure I have listened to that was not read by David Tennant (already listened to all of those), but the reader did a great job with The Doctor's voice in Chelsea 426. This book reminded me of why I still miss the Tenth Doctor! I just love his wit and style.

I enjoyed this book and may now branch out to listen to more of the non-DT read Tenth Doctor adventures.

American Gods isn't read by Gaiman, sad to say. At least the audiobook I'm listening to isn't. But The Graveyard Book is, and it's just wonderful!

>154 Storeetllr: Thanks! I may start with Graveyard Book, then.

30. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan



Battle of the Labyrinth is definitely my favorite of the Percy Jackson books so far. The stakes were higher, lots of new and interesting characters were introduced, and other favorite characters returned, to make this a really great adventure with a bit of a darker feel as Percy grows up and faces even more difficult challenges and complex relationships.

A number of story arcs are addressed that have been hanging out there for the past 3 books, so there is satisfaction as some things are resolved and other new, compelling stories emerge. The Labyrinth made for an exciting adventure and a change of pace from the previous story structures to some degree. The book culminates in a thrilling battle but leaves enough open to make the reader look forward to the next book to see how everything will be resolved. I am looking forward to starting The Last Olympian to find out what happens next.

31. The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan



This was a great, fast-paced story and fitting conclusion to the adventures of Percy Jackson and friends. I love reading a series after all of the books are already released as there is no waiting for months (or years) for the next one to come out. However, having read this entire series over the past few days, I went by very quickly and I will miss the characters and their adventures a lot.

The Last Olympian features an exciting final battle and cool revelations. A lot of the story is revealed in dreams that Percy has that give him insights into present and past events. I think that the author did an excellent job of doing all of the characters justice and each seemed to have a fitting conclusion. I truly enjoyed this series and felt that the author presented a compelling coming of age story while maintaining a light tone and sense of humor, even in the midst of what are serious and dangerous events for the characters. The theme of friendship and loyalty are strongly represented, and again, in this book, Percy reveals himself to make choices from an other-centered viewpoint that I appreciated.

I also really enjoyed the locations in this series, having either lived in or visited many of them. It was fun to have a main character who spent so much time in places that were meaningful to me, so that was an added bonus.

Overall, a fun series that I will miss.

32. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman ♪



A charming fairy tale about a boy who is raised in a graveyard by ghosts who endeavor to protect him from those who would do him harm, The Graveyard Book is very well done and it is easy to see why it has received so much praise. It is somewhat dark in subject matter, yet mostly has a lighthearted, enchanted feeling to it. I listened to the audio version read by Gaiman who is just such a fantastic reader and writer that you don't want his stories to end. I thought all of the characters were wonderful and Bod's adventures and learning experiences were a joy to be in on. Fittingly, there is a version of Danse Macabre that plays between chapters on the audio recording that was perfect for the story. I also liked that so many of the characters were from the past; that, and the fairy tale quality made me keep forgetting it was set in modern day until the outside world would be featured in the story.

The Graveyard Book excellently captures the magic of childhood and coming of age; and that fairy tale theme of children being able to see and experience things that are closed to adults. Highly recommended.

>158 rubarbaru: Great review for a book I read recently and also loved. I do want to get the audio version and listen to it, as I've heard such good things about Gaiman's reading. Glad you liked this one!

>159 katiekrug: Thanks! :) I really enjoyed it and highly reccomend the audio. I want to read American Gods next but since it is not read by the author, I'm not sure I'll get that one on audio. Plus, after looking at the cover image, I have a feeling I own a copy already and it is hiding around here somewhere...

I am playing catch-up. I bought Black Ships last year and really need to get it read. Thanks for the prompt!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you like Black Ships when you get to it - I thought it was just great.

Nice review of The Graveyard Book! Makes me want to relisten to it. Gaiman is an amazing reader, isn't he. I don't remember if you said you've read (or listened to) Neverwhere yet, but, if not, try it read by Gaiman. I thought it was just wonderful!

Thanks! I have not read Neverwhere but I will definitely add it to my audio queue!

I second the motion for Neverwhere!

33. Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn



I really enjoyed Summers at Castle Auburn, a light fantasy romance about a girl who comes of age spending her summers at a grand castle, while living in a small village the rest of the year. Over the course of several summers, she gradually learns to see things (and people) at the castle as they really are vs. through the naive eyes of a child.

Castle Auburn is well written, explores court politics and issues of social justice, and features some light magic as well as a satisfying romance. I preferred Castle Auburn to the first Shinn novel I read earlier this year, Troubled Waters, which I also liked but which did not feel quite as complete to me as Auburn. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys light romantic fantasy featuring a strong-willed young heroine.

Currently listening to Elantris on audio. Enjoying it so far; also now eager to get started on Neverwhere (thanks for the recommendation, Storeetlr & Stasia!) but really want to wait to hear the audio read by Gaiman. Wishing I could manage to listen to two audio books at once ;).

#166: I have seen a couple of recommendations of the Shinn book. One of these days I may actually get to it.

I really liked Castle Auburn. I didn't have a lot of insights to share as to why, as it was more of a feeling. I just enjoyed it a lot and it's one of those books that I missed when it was done.

I narrowly averted disaster this morning as my iPod fell in th sink. So far it still seems okay, but that will teach me to wish for more audiobooks than I can handle :)

I hope the iPod is still working!

I own Castle Auburn - I just have to find where I put it.

Thanks! The iPod seems to have recovered nicely. Good thing, too, as I am a little over halfway through Elantris and really enjoying it.

Today I went to Marshalls and while I was there I stumbled on a book near the register: Millennium Falcon: a 3-D Owner's Guide. I am a little bit of a Star Wars geek and had seen this at Barnes and Noble around the holidays but I wasn't shopping for me at the time. Now I feel rewarded for my patience since I got it today for about 60% off. Yay! :)

Congrats on the book! Sounds like a great choice for a Star Wars geek. :)

Thanks :)

34. Elantris by Brandon Sanderson ♪



Wow. What a book. Elantris is an excellent, serious fantasy with an original magic system, strong characters, and a compelling concept. It is well-written and well-worth the 27 hours of audio time.

Elantris was once a shining, beautiful city that was the home of living gods, but the city and the gods fell and Elantris is now a deteriorating ruin. When Prince Raoden of Arelon is about to be married to Sarene, a Princess from a neighboring land whom he has never met, things suddenly change and the secrets of the fall of Elantris, and of the Elantrians, are revealed. There is also a religious storyline involving Hrathan, a powerful priest, who has his own plans for the city and people of Arelon.

Elantris has wonderful, fully realized heroes, and an exciting story which culminates in a terrific conclusion. I was on the edge of my seat at the end. It has characters you truly root for, and an element of romance, which helps to temper some of the early trials faced by the heroes (I love those 'hope in the face of hopelessness' moments, like when Gandalf and Eomer charge down the hill to save the day in the Battle of Helms Deep in The Two Towers). Elantris has moments like that that are truly thrilling. It also has a nice parallel with Arthurian legend (the welfare of the King is tied to the welfare of the land and vice versa) which I enjoyed. I also liked that it was a stand-alone fantasy, as other reviewers I think have noted. Overall, a very strong work that I would definitely recommend and will likely read again in the future.

I have not heard of this one, but your review makes it sound very exciting. I will certainly add it to my list of must reads.

#174: Ack! I own that one. Now I just have to find the time to read it!

Hope you both enjoy it when you get to it! I thought it was very satisfying and, interestingly, it was the second Sanderson book I've read that kicked things off with a botched betrothal (Warbreaker being the other).

I just started reading Mistborn and am also listening to Neverwhere on audio. Both good so far!

35. Star Wars: Millennium Falcon: A 3-D Owner's Guide



This is a fun, illustrated book that is written as an owner's manual for the "Corellian Engineering Corporation (CEC) YT-1300 light freighter." It is a three dimensional book that reveals a new layer or deck of the ship with each page. Featuring colorful illustrations, the book is divided into sections such as: Armaments, Sensors, Defense, Propulsion, Piloting, Crew Quarters, Life Support, Cargo, Engineering, and Hull. It has amusing corporate statements throughout about how it is equipped with all of the latest features and could be customized by an authorized CEC technician with various available upgrades. These are especially amusing when you note that Han Solo is more likely to get his modifications from other, less official means. It also contains often amusing 'datalogs' throughout noting modifications made by H.Solo and L Calrissian. These often note how the various features of the ship help Han Solo to avoid Imperial entanglements.

My favorite section is the Cargo section, which discusses the available upgrade to sensor-proof compartments, noting: "Compartments may be in violation of anti-smuggling ordinances." Star Wars fans know how handy these compartments became :).

The book has neat references to the film throughout and was just a quick, fun read. And, of course, I now feel fully ready to pilot the Millennium Falcon if called upon ;). I think this book would be fun for young Star Wars fans. Recommended for any Star Wars fans.

If you ever get to pilot the Millennium Falcon, I want to go along! :)

178: Ooo, a nice gift idea! I know many a Star Wars lover.

I love pop-up books and this seems like such a cool one. And I'd like to hitch a ride along too!

ha ha, you are all welcome aboard should I ever get the opportunity to pilot the Falcon! :)

Ooh, I know someone who would love that one (and who I could then steal it back from...)

>183 antqueen: An excellent strategy :)

36. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman ♪



Neverwhere tells the story of Richard Mayhew, a young man who leads a "normal life": lives in a flat in London, takes the tube every day to his finance job, and has a fiancee named Jessica. One night on the way to dinner with Jessica, Richard walks by an injured girl and stops to help. Making the choice to stop and help the girl, vs. continuing on to go with Jessica so as not to be late in meeting her boss, changes Richard's life. Through meeting the girl, named Door, Richard is introduced to the magical world of London Below, a place that those who live in London Above are not aware of. Neverwhere follows Richard's journey through London Below as he tries to help Door.

Neverwhere is a bit darker than the previous books of his I've read. There is some violence (feels more creepy than frightening) and a few 'ewww' moments, but overall it manages to maintain an enchanted, magical feeling. Gaiman's writing, as usual, is superb, and the characters memorable. I liked the character of Richard a great deal, and he felt extremely authentic to me. The novel is filled with humorous touches that had me smiling throughout most of the book. In regards to the reading, I can only describe listening to the book on audio read by Gaiman as a privilege. This is the third one I've listened to and his reading is perfect, and his pacing and characterizations are delightful. Thanks to those who recommended this to me, as I enjoyed it very much.

>185 rubarbaru: I just checked Neverwhere out of my local library. I looked for the audio version read by Gaiman but they didn't have it, unfortunately.

Hope that you enjoy Neverwhere, too! I look forward to your review to find out what you think of it. I was surprised to find out that the BBC series actually came first - I had assumed it was an adaptation of the book, but apparently, it was the other way around (well, at least according to wikipedia ;).

Hi! I've just found your thread for the first time and have really enjoyed your reviews.

I'm going to have to see if I can track down some of Neil Gaiman's audiobooks. The only one of his that I've listened to was Good Omens and it was not read by either of the authors. :(

The Doctor Who books intrigue me and I have been flirting with giving them a try for a while because I love the show so much. Up to this point, I had been scared to try them because I was afraid they wouldn't match up to the show, but your reviews make want to give them a go. I didn't realize the audio versions were actually narrated by DT so that's a nice added bonus. :)

Thanks, Kittybee, and welcome!

I started listening to the Doctor Who audio books when DT left and I was going through Tenth Doctor withdrawals :). I found them to be pretty fun, especially those read by DT. He is a fantastic reader and makes them dramatic and exciting. And, of course, it is just nice to hear the Doctor's voice again. My favorite was The Last Voyage. I hope you like them if you decide to try them!

I thoroughly enjoyed Neverwhere when I read it. Glad to see you had a good time with the book too!

Maybe I'll have to try Neverwhere -- I had American Gods on audiobook and didn't like it at all, and then tried reading it as a book, still didn't like it..... so I gave up on Gaiman.

Hi, rhubarbaru ~ Finally getting around to catching up on your reviews. Since the last time I was here, I see you have read some amazing books! So glad you enjoyed Neverwhere; it's one of my top 25 all-time favorites, and, as you said in your great review, the audio version read by the author isn't to be missed. Also happy that you enjoyed Summers at Castle Auburn. I was also interested in your review of Elantris, which is now on my ever-expanding TBR list, and I am extremely envious of you for having found Star Wars: Millennium Falcon: A 3-D Owner's Guide, and at 60% off. *makes note to get to a Marshall's*

>191 sibylline: sibyx ~ I listened to American Gods recently and, though I finished it and ultimately enjoyed it, it wasn't one of my favorites. Even as an audiobook it was kind of a slog to get through. I am certain I would not have been able to read it in print.

Lucy, American Gods is one of my least favorite of Gaiman's books. Its sort-of-sequel, Anansi Boys, is my favorite, along with his collaboration with Terry Pratchett, Good Omens. I did like Neverwhere better than AG, but not as well as AB.

Roni ~ I tried to listen to Anansi a year or so ago and just loathed it! But that was before I read American Gods (I hadn't realized it was a sequel) so maybe I should pick it up and try again.

>190 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia!

>191 sibylline: I haven't read American Gods yet, partly because it wasn't read by Gaiman and I wanted to listen to those first, and also because I am pretty sure I own a copy in paperback somewhere, I just can't locate it at the moment. I do hope to get to it at some point so I can give it a try. I can recommend the three on audio that I did listen to recently which are read by Gaiman: Stardust, Graveyard Book and Neverwhere. I'd be interested to hear what you think if you do try any of them.

>192 Storeetllr: Thanks for stopping by and for the kind words about my review! I feel like I have been fortunate to have read some excellent works this year. I very much did enjoy Castle Auburn, thanks! I also highly recommend Elantris and hope you like it if you get to it.

>193 ronincats: I haven't read Good Omens yet, but will add it to my list since both you and kittybee mentioned it. Thanks :)

>193 ronincats: & 194 Now I also want to read Anansi Boys so now I definitely need to find my copy of American Gods so I can read that first :)

Okay, so I've had A Game of Thrones on my audible wishlist for a while, but it is so darn expensive I've been holding off. Well, after watching the premiere last night on HBO (thanks to a free HBO trial this weekend) I was tempted again to get it on audio. When I checked, audible has it on sale for 1 credit (vs. 2) until 4/29 because of the tv series. Now I just have to be patient for 2 more days until I get my next audible credit so I can get it. Patience was never my strength so this will be a test for me... :)

I saw it was on sale too and am torn. It's one that I would like to have on audio, but since I just read it I wouldn't be listening to it for a while.

I thought the first HBO episode was really good. Can't wait for the next one!

I thought it was good, too. And I just love Sean Bean. We are seriously contemplating getting HBO so we can continue watching.

197: Oh, I didn't realize that series had started already. I wanted to watch it too. I am glad to hear that everyone likes it. One day I will read the books too...

>200 RosyLibrarian: It started this past Sunday and apparently did so well it has already been picked up for a second season. They have re-aired the first episode a few times so you may still be able to catch it.

I couldn't sleep so checked my e-mail to see my April credit arrived from Audible. So I have just downloaded, and am currently listening to, A Game of Thrones on audio. Patience is a virtue, they say... :)

On a side note, while between audio books for the past couple of days, I had started listening again to Lost Books of the Odyssey. It is amazing to me that my first book of the year remains my favorite. I have enjoyed re-listening to it more than once since I finished it and feel like I started off my reading year well with that choice.

Edited to fix typos from lack of sleep ;)

>201 rubarbaru: Oh, I'm so excited. I just went to check articles about them picking it up for a second season. One of the articles said that season 2 would pick up with the second book. (Well, it said sources said that...so not written in stone but still.) Yay!

>202 Tanglewood: That is very cool - and would give me time to read the 2nd book before the next season rolls around!

Hmm... so far April has been a slower month for me. Still enjoying some great reads, just not making as much progress as last month. I'm chalking it up to a few longer books in the mix, but all great so far. I am almost finished with A Game of Thrones and am about halfway though the first book in the Mistborn series. Mistborn feels really long to me so far, I think because I downloaded all three books as a set to read on my ipad, so it shows the total page numbers to be in the two thousands. Feels a bit more daunting that way!

I was so bummed by a particular turn of events in Thrones yesterday that I needed to take a short (few hours) break. The book is still excellent and the event was appropriate to the story, but I was holding on to some hopeless optimism that events might go in another direction. It made me wish I participated in the group read so I had others to process it with. Oh, well, Instead I had to spoil it for my poor husband who is watching the series :).

I know the event you are talking about, and I felt the same way when I read it. Sometimes it's even difficult watching the show knowing what is coming, like the end of last week's. At least your husband can comiserate with you;)

I know what you mean - initially I was glad I had started reading it so I was at least prepared for the ending last week. Now that I have finished it, I think it will be a bit more difficult to know some of the things to come.

37. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin ♪



"Winter is Coming."

A Game of Thrones is an excellent epic fantasy that tells the story of several powerful families from different regions who are vying for power in the land of Westeros. Most of the story is told from the perspective of various characters who are members of House Stark, headed by Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell. The other major powerful families include the Lannisters, and the Targaryens, both of which are plotting to claim the throne.

Thrones is filled with complex characters and tells a serious, intense story. It relies more on political machinations and interpersonal relationships between characters than on magic, but has its share of fantasy elements, such as dragons, supernatural wolves, and mysterious undead creatures. I particularly liked the North, and the idea of the Wall, and the men of the Night's Watch who guard it and therefore all of Westeros.

Some of the events in the story were difficult, but overall it was an excellent read. My favorite characters were Eddard, Tyrian, Jon Snow, Arya and Robb. Oh, and the direwolves. I guess that is the sign of a good book when you have that many favorite characters. Now that I have finished Thrones, I am looking forward to starting the next in the series, A Clash of Kings, so I can find out how the story continues.

I am now 11th out of 64 holds at the library for that one and am looking forward to it a lot, especially after yet another great review of this book.

>208 KiwiNyx: Thanks and thanks for stopping by! Sounds like you are getting closer on the list - hope you enjoy it when you get it!

I checked and was disappointed to find that my library doesn't have Clash of Kings, so I am deciding whether to go buy a copy or splurge on the audio. The reader did a great job with Thrones and apparently is the reader for all of the books in the series, so the audio is tempting.

Well, Mistborn is taking me a while to get through. In the meantime, I was waiting for payday to pick up another audio book, when I realized I could go check out what my local library might have. So, I borrowed The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny, and Legends of Shannara: Bearers of the Black Staff by Terry Brooks.

Normally, I would not read books out of order, but they did not have earlier books in the Penny series and I was in the mood for a good mystery. I also hadn't heard of the Legends of Shannara before, but it looked interesting. Not sure if it is part of a series or not, but will find out. I suppose they will both be an adventure! :)

38. The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny ♪



This was a very good read - my first Three Pines mystery. I wasn't sure at first how difficult it would be to read a book out of sequence, but it was actually extremely absorbing and the author did an excellent job of providing enough back story on characters for a first time reader to be able to enter this world relatively easily.

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache was one of the most enjoyable and fully drawn characters I've read, the author providing subtle layers of depth and thoughtfulness that are revealed throughout the case. This is a character who I would like to meet and have a conversation with. The other characters were all richly drawn and interesting as well, as is the small town setting of Three Pines in Quebec. The story surrounded a body that is discovered of a hermit unknown to the townspeople. Gamache must solve the case. The story was well done and solved by the end, but I can't help but think that there may be a bit more light shed on this case in future books. I am looking forward to reading more in this series.

#211: I think the Three Pines series is best read in order, but I am glad that you enjoyed the book nonetheless. I love this particular series, one of the stronger mystery series around these days IMHO.

Just stopping by on your thread and noticed that you finished the Percy Jackson series. I really enjoyed Riordan's The Lost Hero as a good spin-off of the Percy Jackson series. I also just finished Riordan's second book in the Kane Chronicles, The Throne of Fire which I enjoyed, but not quite as much as either Percy Jackson or The Lost Hero.

Loved your review of the Corellian owner's manual. I've also had A Game of Thrones on my reading list for several months now. . .

I will try Neverwhere -- we have it because the SO likes Gaiman.

Oh George RR Martin, he has been torturing all of us by taking a very long time to get the next book done...... I'm all for waiting if the writer really needs the time and space to get it right, but it's been hard! I may have to reread the whole thing.

>212 alcottacre: I agree - I started the series out of order because The library didn't have the others and I was desperate :) I did just borrow Still Life today, though, so now I can start from the beginning. I really enjoyed the rich tapestry of characters in Brutal Telling and am looking forward to going back and filling all of that in (along with what undoubtedly will be a good mystery, too!)

>213 weejane: Thanks for stopping by! I really liked the Percy Jacksons and have Lost Hero on my TBR list (I wanted to space it out a bit after finishing the Percy books). Glad to hear you liked it and that it was a good spin off. I look forward to reading that hopefully soon. I haven't read the Kane Chronicles either but will definitely check them out. Thanks!

>214 sibylline: I hope you enjoy Neverwhere. It had it's dark moments but I really liked the main character and the way Gaiman read him made him likeable and easy to root for. I am just starting out on George R. R. Martin so am hoping to get to Clash of Kings soon. By the time I get through them maybe he will have finished the next one :)

#214: I am not starting the Martin series until he finishes it!

39. A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny ♪



Well, a pulled back yesterday had me stuck at home resting with little movement possible. A 48 hour sale on audible and $9.98 later, I found myself listening to A Rule Against Murder. Out of order again, as it was the only Penny on sale, but still good.

Gamache is on holiday with his wife for their anniversary at an inn. When foul play occurs, he finds himself investigating a murder. I enjoyed this intriguing mystery, which at one point had a feeling of one of my favorite films, Key Largo, since there was a storm on the night of the murder. I also enjoyed that it had a few mythology references. There was a good amount of insight into Gamache's family history, as well as that of a Three Pines resident who is also at the inn for a family reunion of sorts.

I am so impressed with Penny's writing, which is filled with insight and grace. The ending was exciting and the murder 'weapon' ingenious, making this a very complete story. Gamache is one of the best and most realized characters I've had the priviledge to read. He sees so much of the truth of people and situations; he is self-reflective and compassionate, while being a fiercely intelligent and admirable detective who has the respect and loyalty of those around him. I am hoping to read the rest of the series in order, and am currently reading Still Life.

Still Life is the weakest book in the series, IMHO, but a good start to life in Three Pines :)

Having had back problems for years, I winced when I read you'd pulled your back. Take care of yourself and good to read you are using the spare time well.

>218 alcottacre: I really enjoyed it - it was like a Three Pines immersion experience :)

>219 KiwiNyx: Thanks very much - it is slowly getting better on day 3 (wish it was faster but I guess it can't be rushed). At least I finished a couple of books since I couldn't do much else :)

40. Still Life by Louise Penny



I truly enjoyed this book. While I guessed the solution within the first 30 pages, I didn't care because there was enough to distract me and make me think I could have been wrong for most of the book, and because it was just a delightful read. I loved that Three Pines is so vibrantly created by the author. It is so thoroughly and lovingly described and populated with such full, authentic characters, it makes me wish it were real so I could visit (except for the exrtraordinarily high crime rate in proportion to the size of the town :). The level of detail and history make the town almost a character in itself.

Penny, again, is an excellent writer and the town and characters charming (most of them). She constructs a compelling mystery with a number of twists. Still Life was a good introduction to the world of Three Pines and Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and I would recommend it. On to A Fatal Grace to continue the series.

41. A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny



I am a bit behind in my reading for May, but library book due dates are great motivators :) A Fatal Grace is another excellent Louise Penny mystery. This one provides an ingenious murder method, an intricate case with multiple suspects and layers of connections to be revealed. Gamache, again, proves to be one of the all time great characters; I truly enjoy his insight into human behavior and motivations, and the integrity and depth of meaning with which he approaches and explores his cases. My husband has also begun listening to the ones I have on audio. He is really enjoying them and we've had more than one conversation about how these would be a perfect fit for Masterpiece Mystery, if done right.

I appreciated the complexity of this case and the difference it can make when the victim is not likeable. Who do you align yourself with as a reader? Who do the characters align themselves with? And, of course, the endearing qualities of the village of Three Pines and its residents once again drew me in and made the story rich and complete.

Next up in this series: The Cruelest Month.

Even though I have seemingly had my very own 'mystery May' so far, I actually am almost finished with a fantasy novel which hopefully will be completed in time to be counted in May, just to mix things up ;), and I've also taken a bit of a break in between reading this month to watch all three seasons of the sci fi show Sanctuary, which I really enjoyed. Too bad that doesn't count toward any reading goals, but it was fun :). Hoping to catch up on threads soon.

And my husband located the copy of American Gods that I remembered buying a while back, so I'm hopng to get to that shortly.

I am glad to see that you are enjoying the Louise Penny books!

I am, thanks! I just finished Cruellest Month and in a case of perfect timing, just heard from the library that Bury Your Dead just came in for me, so I get to pick it up tomorrow :)

I am listening to the audio of The Cruelest Month and have A Rule Against Murder and A Brutal Telling waiting on the TBR shelves. Good stuff!

42. The Cruellest Month by Louise Penny ♪



Another Three Pines mystery. This time, I was more intrigued by the story involving Gamache than with the case he was working to solve. Gamache is feeling the fallout from his past actions; while ethical and brave they were, unfortunately, now they are putting his career in jeopardy. Gamache seems like the kind of character that should not have enemies; he will always do the honorable thing, and apparently some people feel threatened by that. The groundwork for the showdown has been laid in the past two books, culminating in Cruellest Month.

I felt in some ways I rushed through this one because I had to know the resolution, so I didn't take the time to savor the slowly unfolding mystery. I would like to take a moment to note that the reader of the audio books is outstanding. He does an excellent job of creating distinct sounding characters that feel completely authentic.

Next up..Bury Your Dead. I can't wait as I understand that there is a continuation of Brutal Telling.

>226 katiekrug: I loved the audio and hope you enjoy it, too! My last Louise Penny will be a library book so I will have listened to about half the series on audio. Definitely a good experience.

Almost halfway through the year, the weather finally getting sunny, and new books on the horizon. Time for a new thread