Storeetllr Reads & Reviews

Hi. My name is Mary, and I am a book addict ~ with no desire to be cured!

Happy New Year, my fellow book addicts!



Books Read in 2012:

January

1. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. 4 stars.
2. The Giver by Lois Lowry. 4.5 stars.
4. A Study in Scarlet by A. Conan Doyle, adapted by Ian Edginton. 3.5 stars.
5. The Hound of the Baskervilles by A. Conan Doyle, adapted by Ian Edginton. 3.5 stars.
6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald, adapted by Nunzio DeFilippis & Christina Weir. 3.5 stars
7. Acceptable Loss by Anne Perry. 4 stars.
8. Angelfall by Susan Ee. 4 stars.
9. All Roads Lead to Murder by Albert A. Bell Jr. 4 stars.
10. The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan. 5 stars.
11. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. 5 stars.
12. The Stand: Hardcases by Aguirre-Sacasa based on novel by Stephen King. 4 stars.
13. The Stand: American Nightmares by Aguirre-Sacasa based on novel by Stephen King. 4 stars.
14. Lucifer: Devil in the Gateway by Mike Carey. 4 stars.
15. Sprig Muslin by Georgette Heyer. 4 stars.
16. Canyons of Night by Jayne Castle. 3.5 stars.
17. Blood of Caesar by Albert A. Bell Jr. 3.75 stars.

February

18. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. 5 stars.
19. The Corpus Conundrum by Albert A. Bell, Jr. 3.5 stars.
20. A Drowned Maiden's Hair by Laura Amy Schlitz. 5 stars.
21. The Chalk Girl by Carol O'Connell. 4 stars.
22. Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine. 5 stars.
23. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson. 4.5 stars.
24. In Too Deep by Jayne Ann Krentz. 4.5 stars.
25. Horns by Joe Hill. 4 stars.
26. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente. 4.5 stars.
27. The Sixth Gun #1 by Cullen Bunn. 4 stars.

March

28. Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich. 4 stars.
29. Cold Vengeance by Preston and Child. 3.75 stars.
30. The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Potzsch. 3 stars.
31. SPQR II: The Catiline Conspiracy by John Maddox Roberts. 4.5 stars.
31. SPQR II: The Catiline Conspiracy by John Maddox Roberts. 4.5 stars.
32. SPQR I: The King's Gambit by John Maddox Roberts. 4 stars.
33. SPQR V: Saturnalia by John Maddox Roberts. 4 stars.
34. SPQR VI: Nobody Loves a Centurion by John Maddox Roberts. 3.75 stars.
35. Petty Treason by Madieline E. Robins. 4 stars
36. Taken by Robert Crais. 4.5 stars.
37. SPQR VII: The Tribunes Curse by John Maddox Roberts. 4 stars
38. Murder Most Strange by Dell Shannon. 3.75 stars
39. The Sleeping Partner by Madeleine Robins. 4.75 stars
40. SPQR VIII: The River God's Vengeance by John Maddox Roberts. 4 stars
41. The Dog Who Knew Too Much by Spencer Quinn. 4.5 stars

April

42. SPQR IV: The Temple of the Muses by John Maddox Roberts. 4.5 stars
43. SPQR IX: The Princess and the Pirates by John Maddox Roberts. 4 stars
44. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. 5 stars
45. Sacred by Dennis Lehane. 4.5 stars
46. SPQR X: A Point of Law by John Maddox Roberts. 4 stars
47. The Secrets of Vesuvius by Caroline Lawrence. 4 stars
48. A Good and Useful Hurt by Aric Davis. 4.5 stars
49. The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill 4.5 stars
50.

My favorite reads in 2011:

The Help by Kathryn Stockett (historical, sort of)
Doc by Mary Doria Russell (historical fiction)
Watership Down (reread as an audiobook) by Richard Adams (classic)
Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman (graphic)
Essential Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel (graphic)
The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson (thriller)
The Cabinet of Curiosities by Preston and Child (thriller)
Still Life With Crows by Preston and Child (thriller)
The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly (courtroom mystery)
Dog On It by Spencer Quinn (humorous mystery)
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld (young YA steampunk)
Graceling by Kristin Cashore (older YA fantasy)

My biggest disappointment in 2011:

The Passage by Justin Cronin (horror)

The one I wanted to like in 2011 but just could not finish:

Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (fantasy)

Here are last year's threads:

1st Thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/105025
2nd Thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/117237#
3rd Thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/124472

These are some of the books I want to read this year:

Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (magical realism)
11-22-63 by Stephen King (time travel) - Reading
The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan (horror)
Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut (scifi)
In the Name of Rome by Adrian Goldsworthy (history)
Fire: Graceling by Kristin Cashore (YA fantasy)
Angel's Blood by Natali Singh (fantasy)
The Chalk Girl by Carol O'Connell (Mallory mystery)
Catherine the Great by Robert Massie (biography)

That should get me through the first quarter of the year, since other books will be interspersed between them. You know, those books that throw themselves off the shelf and into your arms when you're strolling through the library stacks, minding your own business, or when you're in a bookstore "just looking."

Books Given Up On:

Warriors by George R. R. Martin (an anthology of short stories on audio)
Death in the City of Light by David King (audiobook, might be better in print)
Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Massie (audiobook, too much boring detail repeated over and over, as if he wants to be sure the reader really got it)
Prince of Ravenscar by Catherine Coulter (her trademark disjointed dialogue just got to be too much)

Welcome back!

Glad to see you back with us again, Mary!

Happy New Year!

Hi Mary! Glad you're here.

Hi Mary, Happy New Year!

Thanks for the welcome, Jim, Stasia, Richard & Ilana! Happy New Year to you too. I have a feeling 2012 is going to be a good one. (Touching wood when I said that.)

I liked Fire and am really loving the Angel series by Singh. The first one is a little weaker than the 2nd and 3rd (which I just finished.)

Yay!! I found you!!

Happy New Year!!

Looking over your starting list for 2012, The Last Werewolf is the only one I've read and I liked it.

Happy New Year, Mary! Glad you had a good reading year. Sorry you didn't like either A Game of Thrones or The Passage. I'm a big fan of both.
So good to see Doc so high on the List! It was right there for me too!

Hiya - Happy New Year. Re Game of Thrones, I'm also sorry you didn't get on with it. I started it last year (post adaptation I'll admit) and am hooked.

Happy New Year, Morphy, Tammy, Mark and Bekka! May 2012 be filled with great reading experiences for all of us!

Morph ~ I just finished Graceling, which I heard somewhere was weaker than Fire, but I was really impressed by it, so I really can't wait to read Fire. Last year, I read a short story by Singh and loved it. Glad to know you recommend the Angel series.

Tammy ~ Yay! Glad you found me too!! :) I started The Last Werewolf and got a few chapters in but had to send it back to the library when NaNoWriMo started in November, so I mean to start over again and finish it soon. Did you read his earlier novel, I, Lucifer: Finally, the Other Side of the Story? It was pretty good!

Mark and Bekka ~ Yes, I really really wanted to like A Game of Thrones but though I tried I just could not get into it. At least at this time in my life, I'm afraid it's just not meant to be. Maybe another year...

Mark ~ I wanted to love The Passage too, esp. since you thought so highly of it. Oh, well, different strokes, but we do have similar taste in some books (like Doc and some of the graphic novels we've both read).

Hi Mary. Happy New Year. Looking forward to following your reading again this year.

Happy New Year, Mary!

I'm hoping to read Night Circus this year too! We can compare notes :)

Hi, Judy, Roni and Faith ~ So glad you found me in 2012 & stopped by. Happy New Year!

Faith ~ Yes, let's. So many LTers have raved about Night Circus; I hope it lives up to its hype!

Glad to have found you again, and a Happy New Year!
Another raver here about Night Circus, I fell in love with it.

*waving* as I pass through the threads, Mary.

I need to get back to Night Circus, which I started before the holidays and was really enjoying.

Added I Lucifer, the Other Side of the Story to my WL.

Hi, Sara ~ Welcome! Glad you found me too! Happy New Year!

Sara and Stasia ~ Okay, with so many raves to its credits (and I haven't seen one pan), Night Circus sounds like a winner! Looking forward to reading it.

Tammy ~ You'll have to let me know what you think of I, Lucifer when you've read it.

1. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. 4 stars. eBook. "See the cat? See the cradle?" Same as after I read Slaughterhouse Five, I'm not quite sure what I think of it. The story is, I think, deceptively simple: a scientist ~ the "Father" of the atomic bomb and completely disinterested in human interaction, including with his family ~ discovers something called Ice-9 that, when it merely touches water, freezes it solid and causes a chain reaction whereby every bit of water that touches the frozen water is also frozen. It can only be melted at temperatures above (I think it was) 114 degrees. He then dies without telling anyone except his three strange & (unsurprisingly) warped children of his discovery, and the three children take splinters of the substance to keep for themselves and destroy the rest (by boiling it). The narrator is a journalist/writer who gets involved when he decides to write a book about the day Hiroshima was bombed and and meets the scientist's kids. The narrator ends up a believer of a weird religion that is openly based on lies. The whole novel is pretty weird but fascinating the way of a train wreck and, in a few places, laugh-out-loud funny, but all in all it was pretty nihilistic.

I really must read some Vonnegut! I keep saying that, but somehow never manage it.

If you do, Stasia, I'll be interested in your thoughts. Though I find his novels strange and in some ways inexplicable, I feel compelled, for some strange inexplicable reason, to continue reading his books. Breakfast of Champions is next.

Yesterday when picking out my next book to read I had a Vonnegut in my hand, Mother Night. But I am no fan of World War 2 books, even though I loved Slaughterhouse Five. I need to be in a different mood I guess.

Cat's Cradle is probably my favorite Vonnegut next to Slaughter-House Five, Mary. I thought the religion made of lies was brilliant. What a funny and discomfiting way to satirize our widely-shared religious yearnings.

#24: I will let you know if and when I finally get to Vonnegut's books, Mary.

Yes, you're right, Joe, the religion invented by a calypso musician and based openly on lies is brilliant and one of the things I first found fascinating about the novel, as was the satire, but the book is so multi-layered that I knew it would take awhile for it to all sink in. Now I've been away from it for a whole day, more and more pieces are beginning to fit together in ways I hadn't seen when I was in the middle of reading it. It may be that I will need to read it again (maybe more than once) to get the full effect, but I think it might be worth it.

Sara, have you read Cat's Cradle yet? It's post-WWII, so you might enjoy it. Well, not sure "enjoy" is the right word; get a lot out of may be a better way to say it.

Do that, Stasia, and I'll be checking out your thread too.

2. The Giver by Lois Lowry. 4.5 stars. eBook. YA dystopian novel about a boy growing up in a planned community where everything is planned by a committee of Elders to within an inch of its life and where there is no hunger, sorrow or pain ~ but there's also or music or colors, individuality or love, which they chose to give up in order to have a peaceful life. At the age of 12, every child in the community is told what his or her life's work is to be, and most are pleased with their assignments. The boy Jonah (coincidentally the same name as the narrator in Cat's Cradle) is chosen to be the community's memory keeper, a high honor and one which grants him the right to learn all the secrets of the community.

Read this one in one sitting, it was so good, and now am planning to read the second and third in the trilogy. Recommended for kids maybe 10 or 11 through adult.

The Giver has been on my wishlist for a long time, must really try to move it on up. This sounds like a book to keep in mind for when you really need a story that carries you away.

Hah! I did get carried away by it ~ for an entire afternoon when I should have been finishing chores up around the house, putting away my holiday decorations, shopping for groceries, getting ready for work the next day. Oh, well, books are more important than a spotless kitchen, and anything that didn't get done will still be there tomorrow. (My philosophy.)

Hi, Mary! Followed you here after your post on the Romance thread. Looks like you've got some interesting reading planned this year. I'm glad you loved The Giver, it's one of my all time favorites. I didn't like the other two books in the series, so I hope you enjoy them more than I did.

Hi! Thanks for finding me! I'm sorry to hear the second two weren't as good as The Giver, which was really wonderful, but it happens that way sometimes, doesn't it. I just really want to know what happens to Jonah and Gabe.

Woot! Just got a notice from the library that Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman is waiting for me on the hold shelf! It's going to be hard deciding between that one and 11-22-63, which I expect my sister will bring with her when she comes home on Thursday. And both are pretty long books, too, so there'll be no racing through one to get to the other. (Every problem I have should be like this, huh?)

ETA that, when I went to the library today to pay off a fine so I could reserve more books online, I found The Last Werewolf on CD! So excited about that too!

ETA that I use two libraries: L.A. Central (where I found The Last Werewolf) and Pasadena Central (where Catherine the Great is on hold). I am doubly blessed with two great libraries, especially since when one doesn't have something, the other usually does.

I love The Giver, Mary, so I am glad to see the book has found another fan!

Ooh, I'll be interested to see what you think of Catherine the Great. I've almost bought it several times but stopped at the last minute due to the hefty price tag.

Yes, I am a fan!

I usually borrow from the library, mostly because of the cost but also due to lack of shelf space in the small apartments I've lived in for the past 5 years. Once I retire and move to a relatively permanent home, I hope to be able to set aside a room exclusively for a library. Even now, though, if something is really good and I know I probably will reread it, or even if I just like it that much, I'll buy it and squeeze it in somehow!

3. Smoking Seventeen by Janet Evanovich. 3.5 stars. And the saga continues, this time with a dallop of vordo to liven up her girl parts, compliments of Grandma Bella.

This year I'm going to try to keep track of things I start but don't finish and, as much as possible, the reasons why I abandoned them.

A. First on the list is Dark Enquiry by Deanna Raybourn, which I read to page 45. Nothing really wrong with it, I just couldn't seem to summon up enough interest to pick it up again after reading the first two chapters. It just seemed like more of the same. It's a library book that's due on Monday, so it's going back. I may decide to give it another try later in the year since it could just have been my mood, and the fact I have a number of books lying around that I REALLY want to read.

B. Second abandoned book is The Unwritten: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity by Mike Carey. Just didn't capture my interest. Also it didn't make sense.

*****

Another thing I'm doing different this year is counting every book I finish, no matter how short (eg., graphic novels), because otherwise it's hard to figure stats at the end of the year. Also, if the graphic is an adaptation rather than an original story, I will rate it more on how well it was adapted. If I haven't read it before or if it is an original, then I rate it on story and illustration.

4. A Study in Scarlet by A. Conan Doyle, adapted by Ian Edginton. 3.5 stars. Graphic. (Adaptation of book already read.) Illustrations are more cartoonish than I prefer, but it was fun.

5. The Hound of the Baskervilles by A. Conan Doyle, adapted by Ian Edginton. 3.5 stars. Graphic. (Adaptation of book already read.) Illustrations remain cartoonish, but again it was fun.

6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald, adapted by Nunzio DeFilippis & Christina Weir. 3.5 stars. Graphic. (Adaptation of book not yet read.) Illustrations a bit Gorey-ish, which was fun, and I liked the story. Plus I shed a tear at the end. Now to read the actual book.

Edited to add that I am wondering why the Touchstone for Hound of the Baskervilles isn't showing up.

That does seem odd that Hound of the Baskervilles touchstone does not work.

7. Acceptable Loss by Anne Perry. 4 stars. A Monk mystery, sequel of sorts to the last one about the child pornography ring that operated on a boat on the Thames. In this book, Monk & Hester hunt the shadowy mastermind behind the illegal activities and discover a web of blackmail and murder. Some of the courtroom scenes are a bit drawn out, but all in all a pretty good mystery/thriller.

#7 sounds good, Mary! I haven't read any of the Monk books yet, but I do enjoy Perry's Thomas and Charlotte Pitt books.

Currently reading The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Potzsch on the Kindle and enjoying it a lot more now that I'm about halfway in than I did the first few chapters. I look forward to my daily commute now so I can get back to it. On audio, I'm about 2 discs into The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan, and I have to say that the reader is really good, with a low, almost growly voice. He sounds exactly the way a monster should sound.

Also thinking about starting 11-22-63 by Stephen King for my bedtime read.

I hope to get to The Last Werewolf later on this year, and of course, I have my eye on 11-22-63 as well. It's been awhile since I've read any Stephen King so I am looking forward to it.

Oh, Judy! I just started 11-22-63 a few hours ago and don't want to stop to go to bed! It's so good. I'm already up to p. 110 ~ I'm devouring it!

Mary, I read Game of Thrones several years back based on raves from fans. I made it through, but what a slog it was, and there will be no more of that series for me. I'm guessing fantasy just isn't my genre?

That said, dystopian YA novels do seem to be a winner for me. The Giver sounds great.

I'll be interested to see what you think of The Last Werewolf, Mary. I started it but only got about 50 pages in before I had to return it to the library and I don't know if I liked it enough to get it again.

>39 Storeetllr:: I was having the same problem with the Baskervilles touchstone. Very odd.

The Night Circus is on my TBR list for February. I'm interested to see if I like it as much as everyone who has read it.

I don't know, Tom. I love fantasy but did not care for Game of Thrones to the point I stopped reading it after 2 or 3 chapters. Twice. Have you read Tigana? Kay writes great fantasy. I also loved The Lions of al-Rassan, but that was more like alternate history than fantasy. There's so much great fantasy out there. Here's a thread where you can find other fantasy novels and series that you might enjoy: http://www.librarything.com/topic/129957.

The same thing happened to me, Marcia! I got sidetracked a bit, but I'll be listening to Last Werewolf this weekend and will let you know how it goes. So far, I'm glad I borrowed it again (esp. in audiobook form)!

Hi, Faith! Strange we both had trouble with the same touchstone. Maybe touchstones don't like graphic adaptations of classic novels. :)

Me too, Julie. When a book is raved about, it is sometimes hard for it to live up to expectation. I'm 12th in line and there are 12 copies at the library, so it shouldn't be too long now.

8. Angelfall by Susan Ee. 4 stars. Kindle. This is the first of a series, apparently, and, though it may have had a few problems, they were minor next to the sheer fun of reading it. It sucked me in almost immediately. There was a lot of action in the story, but it wasn't relentlessly nonstop. Also an interesting premise, a kick-a** (though young) female protag with not an unreasonable amount of teenage angst, a reasonably realistic post-apocalyptic world. I'm definitely going to be looking forward to the next in the series.

ETA that the end of the book left a lot of questions unanswered, so it would be necessary to continue to read the series in the hope of finding the answers.

I have not read tons of fantasy, so perhaps I just need to find the author/series that is right for me. I did like Dune in high school (is that sci-fi more than fantasy? I have trouble distingushing sometimes) so will have to investigate Tigana and the other suggestions in the link. Always interested in discovering something new.

Haha, sometimes it is almost impossible to distinguish between sci fi and fantasy! I think Dune is considered scifi, and so are the Pern books by Anne McCaffrey, which feature flying dragons, for goodness sake! And there are so many different subgenres of fantasy, like high (epic) fantasy and urban fantasy. I keep discovering new types all the time.

Just what I need: another book to read. But. Morphy and aulsmith are doing a tutored read of Jonathan Strange (http://www.librarything.com/topic/129806), and now I want to join them! Well, some might say the more the merrier, but if I keep adding books to my "currently reading" pile, I may never finish any of them.

Nah, that'll never happen!

Well, I'm reading it very slowly - for me. Just one chapter a day. So no need to join us right away! But I agree, the more the merrier and I would like it if you joined in the chat after each chapter.

Hi, Morphy! One chapter a day's really slow. Not sure I can do it. In fact, I took the book down last night, just to look at it, the Table of Contents mainly, and consider whether I really wanted to reread it now, and when I finally put it down, I was up to Chapter 12! But I'll try to control myself in future and rein it in.

I did notice a lot more this time around that I think I missed when I read it the first time, thanks to your thread. Like those "dirty yellow curtains" that seem to pop up all over the place. And the great names and their connotations. And the omniscient narrator (though I think I noticed this but just shrugged without considering the reason for it).

Thanks for the invitation! I'll probably lurk mostly, because I'm not sure I'll have a lot to add. It appears I'm not all that perceptive a reader. Perhaps because I tend to read so fast.

That's why I'm liking about this read. I'm a very fast reader - typically around 275 books a year - and the one on one is forcing me to slow down and consider each chapter.

9. All Roads Lead to Murder by Albert A. Bell Jr. 4 stars. The first in a series featuring Pliny the Younger. Here he and Tacitus are returning from year-long political postings away from Rome, traveling by land in a caravan. They stop at Smyrna for the night, and in the morning one of their number is found butchered in his bed with his heart missing. Tacitus must figure out the identity of the murderer before all the man's slaves ~ including one young, beautiful blond girl ~ are tortured to death. Apparently Bell is a biblical scholar, and in the story he highlights 1st century Roman attitudes towards alien religions such as Christianity (Christians are suspected of being cannibalistic), witchcraft, and Judaism. Bell also uses Pliny to worry over the problems inherent in the unquestioned institution of slavery, but there I found one of the few anachronisms in the book ~ Pliny's attitude was a bit too modern. Included in the cast are Luke (yes, that one) and Timothy. Pretty good mystery, a little bit of a slog in the middle, but each chapter ends on an exciting note so it's hard not to immediately start the next. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who likes historical mysteries, esp. those set in ancient Roman times.

10. The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan. 5 stars. Audio. I started this book in print but had to take it back to the library before I got very far. Then a couple of months later, I was fortunate to find it on CDs. And by "fortunate" I mean getting-five-numbers-and-the-mega-number lucky. The reader (Robin Sachs) is brilliant! He made the novel even better than it would have been in print, and his interpretation of the monster's voice ~ low, growly, rough-around-the-edges with an upper-class British accent ~ was perfect. Also brilliant was Duncan's writing: there were moments when I caught my breath in wonder at a turn of phrase or fresh metaphor that captured perfectly something in the story. The story grabbed me from the beginning and, though at one point I felt true anger toward the werewolf. most of the time I sympathized, and at the end I cried. All I can say is "More!"

Highly recommended.

Edited to correct a misuse of a word.

11. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. 5 stars. Okay, this is a reread, though the first time I listened to it a few years ago it was as an audiobook (and gave it a 5-star rating that time too). I had apparently forgotten a lot of the story, and reading it in print gave me a whole new understanding of much that seems to have gone over my head the first time around.

I'll encapsulate the story as briefly as I can. After a few hundred years during which it is believed that magic has died out in England, Gilbert Norrell appears in London and advertises himself as a practical magician. In order to win the regard of the men of power in the government, he engages in an act of black magic that haunts him and several others for the rest of the novel. In every other respect, he does all he can to discourage belief in the fae or in the Raven King, the source of all magic in the olden days, and to stop anyone else engaging in magic. Jonathan Strange is a young man with no real interests or abilities who, in order to win the lovely Arabella to wife and on the advice of a ragged street magician, decides to study to become a magician. This he does, though Norrell has bought up every book of magic in the kingdom, and he is surprised and gratified to find that he has quite the talent for it. Eventually, Strange becomes Norrell's pupil/apprentice, and the two collaborate, until they have a falling out over Strange's desire to bring back the old magic and to teach anyone who wants to learn to use magic. The rest of the novel is the struggle between them over their disparate philosophies and against the enchantment that is the result of that one act of black magic of Norrell's.

Neither Norrell nor Strange are particularly sympathetic characters, and many of the other important characters are downright nasty (I'm thinking of you, man-with-the-thistledown-hair, and you two too, Drawlight and Lascelles), but the story itself was so fascinanting, so compelling, that I didn't need to have a strong emotional connection to them to stay engaged. Not to say there weren't some characters I was fond of (The Raven King, for one, Arabella Strange, Mr. Segundus), but by and large this was for me more about the story and the magical world Clarke created. As long as it was, I can't help wishing it were longer still. Or that she'd write a sequel.

ETA that I read somewhere just last night that she was, in fact, writing a sequel, with Childermass and Vinculus the main protagonists, but so far I don't think anything's come of it. It would be interesting, but I personally would prefer Strange and Norrell figure into it too. Although I realize that I did like the character of Childermass, for some strange reason. He reminded me of The Raven King, actually.

I'm 18 chapters in to Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell and am starting to struggle with it. I have a hard time reading books where I don't like any of the characters. And I'm not understanding the repercussions of the "black magic" act. I'm used to agreements with the fae making sense and I saw some loopholes when the agreement was made but not any that would cover what is happening and it annoys me. Ah well. We'll see how it goes in my one-on-one read. At least I'm reading it a little at a time. I can put up with anything that way.

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is one of those "I'll get to it someday" books that's been on my shelf for about six years now. I've heard such mixed things about it that some days I'm eager for it and others I couldn't be less interested. Oh well... one day!

I had the same reactions as you, Mary to both The Last Werewolf and Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. "More!" is right for the first one, and it sounds like he set it up for more, doesn't it? As to JS and Mr. N, I normally am carried along in a novel by the characters, but like you, it was the story that captivated me here. For some reason I was grabbed the most when they were on the Kings Road. Great storytelling.

I tried Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell a couple of years ago, before I read so much. I could not finish it, not being used to such a big book, or that writing style. Someone said on my profile that since I didn't like (back then) books from the nineteenth century like Pride and Prejudice and others... However, now I read a lot, including big books, and I love nineteenth century English literature. And I am reading all the Hugo winners... so I have a feeling I am going to try Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell again...

I saw your last post on the tutored read thread, Morphy, and totally get where you are coming from. What's bothering you about the book, though, didn't strike me the same way, even the first time I read it, although I admit to having been a bit lost at times when I first listened to it. The reread definitely cleared up some of the things that confused me. I'll jump in and try to help whenever I can, which will entail my going back and refreshing myself on the parts where you are, but I know I'll enjoy the revisiting, so it'll be my pleasure.

Hi, Faith! Yes, I think it's one of those books you either love or hate. If you do decide to indulge, you might want to consider doing it as a "tutored" read, like Morphy's doing. I'm not sure about Morphy, but I have gotten a lot out of that thread already (eg., the symbolism of the yellow curtains; the occasional odd change of viewpoint to omniscient). Or maybe just follow along on Morphy's tutored thread as you read (http://www.librarything.com/topic/129806).

Joe ~ I heard the sequel to Last Werewolf is coming out in a few months! Let me see if I can find where I read that.

( POSSIBLE SPOILER!
It will be interesting to see how he handles writing from a feminine point of view. (The only two of his I've read so far ~ Werewolf and I, Lucifer ~ are from a man's viewpoint.) (END OF SPOILER)

On JS&MN, I too loved the parts about The Raven King and his kingdom very much and wish there had been more of it. It's been about a decade since it was written, hasn't it? I wonder (hope) she's been writing the sequel.

Hey, Sara ~ Aside from the characters being not very likeable, it is a long book and written in a style that may be offputting to some (i.e., the use of the word "shew" instead of "show" and "chuse" instead of "choose" (based on the way the words were spelled back then, I think). That did seem a bit affected to me, but I got over it and hardly noticed it after awhile. Also, some people didn't like the numerous footnotes, but I found them fun and not at all distracting. It's different, but, like Joe said, it's a heck of a story.

I think the footnotes are fun but could do without the songs/poetry. You should have seen me scanning like crazy with Tolkien's work. Too many songs!

12. The Stand: Hardcases by Aguirre-Sacasa based on the novel by Stephen King. 4 stars. Graphic. Nice adaptation.

13. The Stand: American Nightmares by Aguirre-Sacasa based on the novel by Stephen King. 4 stars. Graphic. Nice adaptation.

14. Lucifer: Devil in the Gateway by Mike Carey. 4 stars. Graphic. The beginning, which helps me make much more sense of the rest of the series (which I've already read).

I sometimes feel guilty counting each graphic as a separate novel, because relatively they are so short, but if I don't my stats won't come out right at the end of the year. Besides, I actually read each of them 2-3 times.

Mary- Good reviews! I'm so glad you ended up getting back to The Last Werewolf and loving it. A friend at work, heard the audio too and raved about it. When I'm ready for a reread, I'll try the audio.
I have not yet read Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. Maybe I'll try this one on audio too!
I'm glad the Stephen King graphics were entertaining. I'll have to try one of those.

I'm going to try The Last Werewolf on audiobook based om yhat review! Can't wait! I should listen to 3 each month to get in my 75 books this year.

Oh, I hope you both enjoy it on audio (Last Werewolf) as much as I did!

Mark ~ Jonathan Strange is one of those love/hate novels. I enjoyed it, but when I listened to it a few years ago, I think I must have blanked out some of it, because when I reread it in print, I was all like "Huh? I don't remember this!" and "Whoa! I don't remember that part!" Either way, though, I hope you end up in the "love" camp.

And thank you both so much for your kind words about my reviews. Sometimes I wonder if anyone else reads them, but I have to do them because otherwise I will forget what I read. lol

#66 Morphy ~ lol! I confess I often just skim songs and poems in novels.

#70 - Hi Mary, I had to laugh at your reason for doing reviews as I do mine for the same reason. I looked at my reading log for a few years ago and I couldn't remember much from just the titles, but since I started to write reviews on each book, not only do I remember more, but the review is there to jog my memory if needed!

#72 lol That's exactly how it is with me, Judy!

15. Sprig Muslin by Georgette Heyer. 4 stars. Kindle. Another lovely historical romance by the queen of historical romance. In this one, it was the male protag who was the character I liked best. The young female protag was a pain, and the older one was a washout, but he was absolutely wonderful!

16. Canyons of Night by Jayne Castle. 3.5 stars. An Arcane novel, set on Harmony. First of all, the cover had no connection with the story whatsoever, which irritated me every time I looked at it. The story was okay but a little, I don't know, like she just wanted to get another book out there without really taking the time to write a good one. Yes, I know these are mind candy, but it was like the difference between, say, a Snickers bar and a piece of Godiva dark chocolate. The Snickers is definitely sweet, but it's not the same goodness as a nuanced piece of candy like the Godiva chocolate.

I BOUGHT TWO USED BOOKCASES TODAY! They are black with a wood-like finish, sturdy, and they look elegant in my living room. Really makes the room pop and gives it a finished appearance. Each is 74" x 34" and has adjustable shelves. One is already filled, and the other will be as soon as I can get to my storage unit and bring back a few more boxes of books. I'll post a picture as soon as the second is filled. So excited.

Oh, wow, bookcases! I've been finishing some raw woods one I've had in my front bedroom for over 20 years, and organizing my books while I'm at it. Pictures on my thread--looking forward to your pictures.

Congratulations on the bookcases, Mary. Very exciting, especially as you have books in storage waiting to be brought out and displayed. Looking forward to the pictures.

Thanks, Roni and Judy! It's even more exciting because now I get to have the old (smaller) one in my bedroom! I went to Roni's thread to see the pix of the bookcases she is finishing and, even though I'm happy with mine, I admit to being a tad envious of hers. :) I took some snapshots today and will try to get them up tomorrow. I'd do it tonight but I forgot while I was up and now I'm in bed, utterly exhausted from a weekend of moving stuff. I'm not moving again until morning!

17. Blood of Caesar by Albert A. Bell Jr. 3.75 stars. So as I was reading it, I kept thinking, "Gee, this sure seems familiar!" But since I read a lot of mysteries set in ancient Rome, I figured I was just imagining it. Haha, I got almost to the end when I realized that yes, I had read it before! I checked my thread for that year and found it in December of '09. Sheesh!

In this one, Domitian charges Pliny to find the original memoirs written by Nero's mother, Agrippina, who may have confided within those pages a secret that Domitian can't have bandied about ~ that there is another heir of Caesar who could rise and take away the position of Domitian (who has not a drop of Caesarian blood in him). Pliny not only finds the original manuscript, he finds the heir. There were a couple of things about the story that bothered me. For one thing, not all the little strings were tied up at the end. For example, one of Pliny's slaves was caught shtupping the wife of Pliny's arch enemy, who suggested the slave be castrated, if not outright killed. Pliny indicates to someone else that he won't do either but that the slave would have to be disciplined, yet nothing was ever said again about it. A small thing, but it niggled at me. Also, the entire denoument rested on Domitian doing something that was highly unlikely, no matter how paranoid and insane he was, and I just didn't think the reason that was given for it was adequate. Finally, everyone's safety depends on no one finding out this big secret, but Plinys entire household, including his blabbermouth mother and some of his slaves find out about it because Pliny doesn't make the secret secure, and they proceed to talk about it to Pliny's enemy. I mean, we're talking about a "heads-will-roll-if-this-gets-out" secret. Other than those few things, I enjoyed it, even though it was, unbeknownst to me, a reread and thus I must conclude it's pretty forgettable, because though I sometimes forget I've read something, I usually figure it out within the first few pages, not toward the end.

Hi, Mary - I can't believe that I haven't posted here yet!
I keep meaning to get round to reading some of the many ancient Rome mysteries, but just haven't done it yet.

Hi, Amber! Glad you found me!

18. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. 5 stars. Audiobook read by Neil himself. Brilliant storytelling and brilliant performance by the author. I loved it. It will probably be one of those books I reread again and again.

19. The Corpus Conundrum by Albert A. Bell, Jr. 3.5 stars. I think I just got tired of Pliny the Younger, as I wasn't all that excited about this one.

Ooh, glad to hear you liked Neverwhere!

Loved it. Forgot to mention it was a "re-listen." I loved it the first time I heard it, and loved it even more this time. One of these days I may read it in print, but I have to say that this is one of the best audiobook performances I've ever listened to.

Ditto re Neverwhere, Mary. I love that book! I've re-read it a number of times, but I want to hear Neil Gaiman on the audiobook. I have his The Graveyard Book audiobook, and he does it well.

I listened to him reading The Graveyard Book too and loved it. He's one of the few authors who should be allowed (encouraged, even begged) to read his own books.

Totally agree.

oh wonderful! I just picked up The Graveyard Book on audio today. This will be my 1st Neil Gaiman read.

I've been having a lot of trouble with audio books lately...abandoning them due to bad narration.

Oh, kittenfish (great handle, btw) ~ I hope you enjoy it as much as I (and Joe and Faith) did/do! I'd love to hear what you think of it when you get into it.

Dang, just thinking about it makes me want to listen to it all over again RIGHT NOW. lol

Haha, I got so excited about Neverwhere that I forgot that I came onto LT tonight to add a book to the list.

20. A Drowned Maiden's Hair by Laura Amy Schlitz. 5 stars. Kindle. This middle-grade novel is about 11-year old Maud Mary Flynn, an orphan at a particularly unpleasant orphanage in the early 1900s where she is considered an incorrigible impertinent unlovable brat. Then her luck changes and she is chosen to go live with a trio of the strange Hawthorne sisters who hide her away, convince her to become part of the "family business" of fake spiritualism, and train her in the arts of deception. But that's fine with Maud, whose devotion to Hyacinth, one of the sisters, not to mention her gratitude and pleasure at having a home and nice clothes, a bed of her own, enough good food to eat, and an indoor convenience to use, makes her fall right in with their schemes, until a terrible event causes her to rethink her priorities.

Maud is one of the most engaging young heroines I've met in a book in a long time. No wishy-washy too-good-to-live Mary Sue by any stretch of the imagination, Maud is scrappy and vulnerable, selfish and loving, stubborn and willing to go to extreme lengths to please anyone she hopes will love her. She's both crafty and easily gulled, mostly because she is so desperate for love and acceptance and fears she is completely unlovable, and highly intelligent. I also loved the character of Muffet, the deaf housekeeper, and think that the interaction between Maud and Muffet is one of the best parts of the book. Well, there are so many best parts of the book, it is in reality just one of them, I guess.

I'm being deliberately vague about plot so as not to spoil it for you if you decide to read it. If you do read it, don't read anything about it first, because it will surely spoil the fun story, the great, unexpected (for me anyway) twist, and the satisfying ending.

Highly recommended.

A scrappy and vulnerable heroine?!?! I need to read one of those, after a recent disappointing read with a heroine who was most definitely NOT. On the list it goes!

On the list for me, too! The title was enough to get my attention, but the review has me sold! Thanks, Mary!

Oh, hope you both like it! I sure did. Too many heroines are either too good to be true, too boring to care about or too irritating to want to spend time with. (Sorry about the prepositions at the end of the phrases. My Chicago is showing.) Anyway, I forgot to mention the historical mileu was exactly right, very detailed and realistic, and the story had a moral to it without being preachy.

ETA good writing too. Some really nice passages that I would have marked if I hadn't been so immersed in the story that I forgot.

Hi Mary, you've been reading some great books. Neverwhere was my first Neil Gaiman and I've loved most everything of his that I've read since. A Drowned Maiden's Hair is on my wishlist, perhaps needs a little nudge. :)

Allow me to provide that nudge, Judy! It was a really good read, imo.

Yay! Another Gaiman fan. The only thing I read of his that I wasn't thrilled with was American Gods. It was okay, but it didn't grab me like Neverwhere and The Graveyard Book, for instance. I've yet to read Anansi Boys, but it's on the list.

Yes, I felt the same about American Gods, and I haven't read Anansi Boys yet either. Right now I have just finished The Sandman Vol 1: Preludes and Nocturnes and although it was first put out in the late 1980's, it holds up well and you can definitely see Neil Gaiman's touch all over it!

I saw that you had started The Sandman graphic novels. I loved loved loved them when I read them last year! I almost picked up the series again to reread, but there are so many other books on my stack that I made myself resist. It was hard.

Ditto about American Gods, but I absolutely love Anansi Boys--a totally different emotional feel to it!

Oh, that's good to know, Roni! As I indicated, I didn't dislike American Gods. It just didn't excite and delight me like his other stuff has. Now I guess I can push Anansi Boys up a bit on the TBR list.

21. The Chalk Girl by Carol O'Connell. 4 stars. This is the 10th Mallory mystery, the next after one of my favorite novels of all time, Find Me (O'Connell's stand-alone Judas Child is another favorite). Chalk Girl wasn't as compelling as Find Me, but it was imminently readable, and I loved getting back to Mallory and her world. The plot was, as usual with Mallory mysteries, complex (I saw one review that called it "convoluted," and that is definitely one way of looking at it), unpredictable, gripping, and well-written. All the usual characters are there, but there is a new one whom I wish and hope will reappear: Coco, the strange yet lovable little girl who is a witness of sorts to one of the murders and whose strangeness seems to call to something inside Mallory, who is herself strange. If you have read the earlier mysteries and are a fan, I highly recommend this latest installment. If you haven't, or are ambivalent about Mallory mysteries, then I'd still recommend it, but with a word of caution: it's definitely not for everyone (think a swarm of rats invading Central Park and doing what rats do; bloody remains tied to tree branches and dripping onto passersby below; child bullying and adult neglect of the victim; that sort of thing).

I finally downloaded a couple of pictures of my new bookcases, only one of which is filled with books. I hope to get to the storage unit either tomorrow or next weekend and bring home more books to put in the second bookcase.

Hi Mary!! The book shelves look nice.

Thanks, Tammy! They'll look nicer when they are both filled with books, but I really like the way they look in my living room.

Books do furnish a room!

Lovely, Mary!

Very, very nice!!

Yes, they do, Richard! But they furnish it in a much nicer way when they are in bookcases rather than stacked in piles along the wall, like I had them for the past 6 months. ;)

Thanks, Judy and Roni. I believe Roni is doing some organizing of bookcases herownself, if I'm not mistaken. It's one of the more fun organizing jobs one can do, imo.

Indeed it is, and I'm delighted that you are able to join me in the pleasure!

Yay, bookcases! I've been told I might get some new ones this week... *fingers crossed* Doesn't it make all the difference in the world? Now you can actually FIND a book that you're looking for without having to move around stacks and stacks of books and risk them toppling over...

When I was a whippersnapper, I'd never have thought that bookcases could make me so darn happy! I liked to read then, and had loved books since I was two or so, but that a wall of bookcases filled with books was as wonderful as a date with a rock star? Funny how one's perspective changes with age maturity.

Am taking part in Fantasy February. So far, I've read zero fantasy this month. Why oh why do I seem so easily seduced by things that are forbidden. Well, of course, none of the books I'm reading are actually forbidden, but they also are not fantasy.

I'm not sure if The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making would fall under fantasy or not. But, I think you'd like it. It's a wonderful story that will remind you of Lewis Carroll and Frank Baum. Quite lovely :)

Kittenfish ~ How fun that I was just getting ready to check on the library website to see if I could reserve some of the books I recently marked to go on my wishlist, and that book is one of them! It sure sounds from the title like it's fantasy, and being reminiscent of Carroll and Baum, it almost certainly has to be. :)

Mary, new bookcases, how exciting! Big case of bookcase envy over here!

I saw your notes on Neverwhere and while I quite enjoyed that audio, the one I'll probably keep returning to is The Graveyard Book. It was my first Neil Gaiman and had me completely hooked on him. American Gods was a disappointment last year, but I will get Anansi Boys at some point too. Too bad it's not narrated by Gaiman, though I see it got a high rating on Audible.

I lined up a bunch of fantasy for this month, but I'm having a hard time connecting with any of it so far...

Hi, Ilana ~ Yes, bookcases. Deeply satisfying.

Both of the Gaiman's are perfection, as far as I'm concerned. I'll have to re-listen to The Graveyard Book and then give you my opinion as to which is my favorite, but I can understand one loving either of them best, especially as read by the author.

I'm taking the bulls by the horns, so to speak, and reserving a bunch of easy-reading fantasy from the library. Most of it is available, so I hope to be able to pick most of the books up tomorrow. Included are The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland, suggested by kittenfish, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Cordelia's Honor, Under Heaven, and The Girl of Fire and Thorns (all of them suggested by LTers on the Fantasy February thread). I hope one or more of them manage to pique my interest enough to finish. I seem to be in a difficult-to-please mood right now. Hate it.

I seem to be in a difficult-to-please mood right now.

Yes, same here. I'm sort of new to fantasy as well, so it's all quite iffy for me.

When I started TGWCFIASOHOM I wasn't sure if I was going to be into it, either. But, after the 1st chapter it blossomed into a great book. Hope you like it.

I thought The Graveyard Book was the 1st NG I had read, but I didn't remember Stardust. That was a great book, too. And that might fall under fantasy? I'm not sure

Oooh, I love the bookcases! And I see at least one book that we have in common - LOL!

114 Ilana ~ Being in a reading slump is the pits (*groan* pun intended) but I think I may finally be out of it! Am reading Joe Hill's Horns, which is really good, and just finished Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine (review will be up shortly).

115 Kittenfish ~ I picked "The Girl Who etc. up from the library yesterday, along with Mockingbird. The only reason I chose Mockingbird first was that it's smaller and fit in my purse better. TGWetc. is next up after Horns. The Graveyard Book was my first Gaiman. I had tried Neverwhere once before that but just could not get into it. After Graveyard, though, I decided to give Neverwhere another try. Man! Am I ever glad I did!

116 Amber ~ Thanks. What book????!!!!

I took a couple of close-ups of the books but wasn't sure I should bother posting them. Maybe I will, knowing how much I enjoy seeing what other people have on their shelves.

Hi, Mary. I liked Horns by Joe Hill. I was curious to see what his style would be like considering he's Stephen Kings son. It was a good read. Very disturbing at times...but I did enjoy it. I'll have to try Heart Shaped Box one of these days.

Neverwhere is on my list! Thanks! :)

Hi, kittenfish! I couldn't finish Hearth-Shaped Box ~ I just didn't like it for some reason, and, at my age, if I don't like something, I don't force myself to suffer through it ~ so I was a little hesitant to try Horns, but it's turning out to be a pretty good read. Hill gets a little long-winded at times, going over ground that isn't really necessary to the story (at least I don't think it is) and dragging unimportant stuff out so that I have begun to skim over parts of it, but the meat of the story is good.

I couldn't get into it in print form of Neverwhere but loved it on audio (read by Gaiman). Not sure if the audio form made the diff or if it was just my mood when I tried it first in print. Hope you enjoy it, whatever form you read it in! :)

>117 Storeetllr:: It's McCullough's John Adams biography.

22. Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine. 5 stars.

23. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson. 4.5 stars. (for the Fantasy February challenge)

24. In Too Deep by Jayne Ann Krentz. 4.5 stars. (for the Fantasy February challenge)

Reviews coming soon.

119 Amber ~ Good book? I haven't read it yet. It's among many on my shelves that have gotten pushed aside by library books and newer, shinier books. (Yes, I am much too easily distracted.)

Oh, yesyesyes - *amazing* book! McCullough has a way with history/biography. Do give it a try soon!

123 Okay, Amber, you have convinced me. :) Sometime this year.

25. Horns by Joe Hill. 4 stars. I couldn't get into The Heart-Shaped Box, partly because the characters were so very unlikable. In Horns, most of the characters were unpleasant, and a couple were really nasty, and one was downright evil, plus at times he went on and on about insignificant details making the story drag to the point I did a bit of skimming, and he skipped around in time so I had to keep on my mental toes so as not to lose the sense of the story, but overall it was a creepily enjoyable thriller, especially the last few chapters. Strangely enough, I felt almost more sorry for the snakes than any of the human characters.

Hi Mary, I've read both Horns and The Heart-Shaped Box, liked them both but I would give the edge to The Heart-Shaped Box. Either way it's great to see an author that can give his Dad a run for his money. If fact, I think Stephen King has upped his game since his son began publishing his stories!

Hey, Judy! If you say it was slightly better than Horns, maybe I will give Heart-Shaped Box another chance. Though I have to say that while Joe did a pretty good job with Horns, far as I'm concerned, his dad will always be the King! ;)

I agree with that! :)

I haven't read any of Joe's stuff; maybe I will after I'm finished reading his dad's stuff (I'm nearly finished with Four Past Midnight and wowza, is it good!).

Just stopping to say HI!!

Judy :)

Amber ~ Yes, definitely finish the King bibliography (if that is possible, since he keeps on writing). I don't think I've read that one, though I think I've got it at home. I'm working (slowly, for some reason) on 11/22-63, which is actually quite good. I'll put Four Past down for the next King. BTW, did you read On Writing? I didn't think I'd like it, but I did. Strangely enough, I listened to it on audio read by the author (whose voice takes a bit of getting used to), and, not only was it better than I expected, I think his reading of it added to it.

Hi, Tammy! Nice to see you! I haven't been on LT as much as I'd like lately so haven't gotten by to see you for awhile. Hope to have more time for fun stuff this coming weekend and will stop by to see what you have been up to.

Mary- I really enjoyed both Horns and The Heart-Shaped Box. They were also perfect audiobooks. My cousin in SD was just raving about King's On Writing. I seriously NEED to get to this one and I'll try the audio.
You tried the Sweet Tooth GNS, right? I'm loving Volume 4. What a great series. It might be my favorite.

Hi, Mark! I loved On Writing, and not only because I write. I hope you like it too. Be warned though about King as reader: for some reason I enjoyed listening to him, but his voice is the kind that can get annoying.

I liked Sweet Tooth, but not as much as you. BTW, I just heard from the library that a book drneutron suggested and I requested is in: The Sixth Gun. Have you read it?

I'm reading his stuff in chronological order, so I haven't made it to On Writing just yet.

Hi Mary, I couldn't wait any longer and have started the thread for Mystery March. See you over there!

Yay! Thanks, Judy. Heading on over right now.

26. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente. 4.5 stars. I'd have given it 5 but for the fact the first chapter was for some reason so unappealing. I almost quit, but my good LT friend Ellen (kittenfish) assured me it would get better, so I stuck it out. It didn't get better, it got wonderful! It's a whimsical, funny, sad, heartwrenchingly beautiful and ultimately uplifting story of a girl who starts out somewhat spoiled, a little heartless and rather egocentric (i.e., pretty much every child ever born) but who in the course of the story discovers within herself great amounts of courage, ability, strength, quiet determination, kindness, and intelligence.

Those who read my little reviews know that I'm not much one for talking about plot. For me, multi-layered characters and good writing are what I tend to judge a book on. This enchanting book supplies both in abundance. And the language! It is sometimes strikingly lyrical, yet it is down to earth and emanently readable (aside from that first unfortunate chapter). I had to stop every few pages and reread some bit of writing that was so stunningly gorgeous, it took away my breath, and I may still write down some of the best bits. I fell in love with all the characters, even the villainess of the piece. The novel made me smile, but it also made me cry. I can't wait to read the sequel.

This is a children's book, but I think adult readers will appreciate it even more than kids on at least a couple of levels, especially the lovely wordplay and allusions to adult things like bureacracy, graduate school, getting old, etc.

On the list it goes. Good to know about the first chapter!

Yay! Mary, I'm so glad you enjoyed it and that I helped you make it past the 1st chapter! LOL!

I'd be interested to hear what you thought were the best bits. If I hadn't seen so many other LT'ers raving about the book, I would not have read it myself. I'm so glad I did. It really reminded me of some childhood favorites. Great review, by the way!

I'm at the library now to pick up A Drowned Maiden's Hair

Hi, Mamie! Hope you enjoy it too. Funny about that first chapter. Apparently Ellen and I aren't the only ones who found it rough going, as I read other reviewers saying much the same thing about it who ended up liking the book after that.

Ellen, thank you for encouraging me to move past that unpromising beginning. You were so right! I left the book at the office and was going to return it to the library tomorrow, but maybe I'll have time to mark a few passages. If not, I'm thinking about getting it for my Kindle so I can reread it. One that I found especially poignant was when September landed on the island of old things, when she met Gleam.

Aaaand, I can't wait to hear what you think of A Drowned Maiden's Hair!

27. The Sixth Gun #1 by Cullen Bunn. 4 stars. Graphic novel. This was recommended by drneutron, and he was so right. Set in the Old West, a few years after the Civil War, it involves a long-lost gun that links to the death to the person who touched it last, giving that person a superpower. Needless to say, the gun is being sought by a number of individuals with more or less nefarious purposes. A pretty dark story. The illustrations were not artistic, but they were very well done, colorful and consistent. Looking forward to the next in the series.

And this was my last fantasy novel for the Fantasy February challenge.

28. Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich. 4 stars. More of the same, i.e., chuckles, snickers, eyerolls and zip fantasies of Ranger (or Morelli, if he's your thing).

I got a big kick (as usual with this series) out of Explosive Eighteen, Mary. I thought it was one of the better ones in the whole series.

Mary- I just picked up my copy of The Sixth Gun from the library and hope to get to it next week. Glad you liked it.

Mary, glad you liked it! Mark, hope you like it! :)

Joe ~ Yes, I agree. Sometimes the humor gets a little thin, but this one was very fun.

So, Mark, did you get a chance to read Sixth Gun yet? I'll be looking to know what you think of it.

Jim ~ Yes, I did very much! Thanks for recommending it. Can't wait to continue on with the series.

So, last year I posted a picture of some flowers on my cherry tomato plant. Nothing ever came of them though, they fell off (or were eaten), so I just forgot about it. I meant to rip out all of last summer's plants last autumn, but time got away from me and everything is still there, still growing, still FLOWERING. And, as you can see from the picture below, the cherry tomato is FINALLY fruiting! Amazing, huh? I planted it from a seedling last spring (2011), and it's almost a year later.

Well, it's about time!!

I know, right!? o_0

29. Cold Vengeance by Preston and Child. 3.5 stars. This is the second in a planned tri-part story arc, and, though I did not read the first in the arc, I found Cold Vengeance quite comprehensible (I confess to reading some spoilers about Fever Dreams so I would be able to get the drift of this one). It was full of action, nasty characters, violence, torture, murder, bloodshed, insanity, cruelty, and menacing conspiracies, but it was bereft of the creepy horror of Relic and (my favorite) Cabinet of Curiosities or (another favorite) Still Life With Crows. I did enjoy it, at least until the last few pages when one of my favorite characters in the series was this close to being gunned down by a bad guy. And then was left there when the book ended. EEEEEEEEK!

Pendergast is one of my favorite superheroes, mostly for the mysterious way he comes and goes, his super intellect, and his abilities with weapons and fighting, but in this one, his superpowers are really over the top, and he comes off like James Bond crossed with Rex Stout, with a modicum of Batman and Bourne thrown in for good measure. I also find that the two major story arcs with Pendergast's family (first Diogenes and now Helen) have turned a powerful mystery-horror series into melodramatic thrillers of personal angst and conspiracies, sort of like what happened with the Kay Scarpetta books. What I loved about the earlier Pendergast books ~ the eerie mix of science gone bad and creeping horror ~ is completely missing from this one.

Even so, I couldn't put it down and I will read the next in the series, which I hope comes out this year, and probably will get to the first in this 3-book arc someday. Still, this one wasn't one of my favorites by a long shot.

Second book read for the Mystery March Challenge.

30. The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Potzsch. 3 stars. Kindle. I really really wanted to like this historical mystery set in a small Bavarian town of Schongau in the 1600s. It started out okay, but the story never took off for me, and I couldn't seem to get a feel for any of the characters. Plus I couldn't figure out why it was titled as it was, since the daughter wasn't really pivotal to the story.

So here's a short synopsis of how it begins:

"When a dying boy is pulled from the river with a mark crudely tattooed on his shoulder, hangman Jakob Kuisl is called upon to investigate whether witchcraft is at play in his small Bavarian town. Whispers and dark memories of witch trials and the women burned at the stake just seventy years earlier still haunt the streets of Schongau. When more children disappear and an orphan boy is found dead—marked by the same tattoo—the mounting hysteria threatens to erupt into chaos."

The town's midwife is accused of witchcraft, and the executioner is called to torture a confession out of her, but he doesn't believe she is a witch or that she killed anyone and doesn't like the idea of torturing the woman who helped bring his children into the world, so he sets out to discover the truth with the help of the son of the town's "doctor" who has been educated as a physician himself and who is in love with the hangman's daughter (hence the title, I guess).

Most of the characters were too stupid to live, not just in the context of the times but also in the way they react to events (there is a fiendish, evil, brutal murderer out there, and they're all "oh, let's go make love by the riverside") and the slowness with which they make connections. I'm one of the slowest readers of mysteries when it comes to sussing out the culprit, but I picked out the murderers way early in this convoluted story.

Anyway, I read about 80% of the book, then skimmed to the last chapter so I could find out whether I was right in my suspicions.

I gave it a 3 for its historical interest but am seriously considering downgrading it to a 2.5.

ETA this is the third book read for the Mystery March Challenge.

Next up: A reread of SPQR II: The Catiline Conspiracy by John Maddox Roberts.

Mary- Did not start the Sixth Gun. I'm making way through an excellent GN called Safe Area. It's NF and covers the war in Bosnia.

Ooooh, Catiline! One of my favorite historical characters of all time.

Safe Area sounds really interesting, Mark. I know next to nothing about that war.

Hi, Amber. The late Republic is probably my favorite period, and I like the SPQR historical mystery series. It's less serious than the Gordianus the Finder series by Steven Saylor and more realistic than the Marcus Corvinus series by David Wishart.

I just read something that made me think of you: Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger is at a dinner with Catiline and some of the conspirators, and Catiline is feeling him out to see if he's ripe to join the conspiracy. He asks Metellus about his finances, how expensive it must have been for Metellus to run for quaestor and to pay for the upkeep and repair of the roads (part of the job), and says that surely his wealthy family would defray some of his expenses.

"'They would for some of us,' (Metellus) said, frowning. 'My father has been helpful, but we're not among the really rich Metelli, and none of the Metelli have wealth like Crassus or Lucullus. We are spread too thin for wealth to concentrate.' This last (remark) made a very neat wordplay in the Latin still in use at the time, and was applauded."

Now I am burning to read it in Latin to see what he meant by the "very neat wordplay."

Huh. I can't figure out off the top of my head what the wordplay would be; I assume it has something to do with the two verbs, but I'm not sure...

I've always stayed clear or ancient historical fiction, afraid that if I get really into it, I'll confused fact and fiction, but now that I'm not teaching, maybe I'll give some a try...

Mary- safe Area has been excellent. And yes, it's a difficult to understand conflict. I'm still not sure, where everything fits but boy was it brutal.

31. SPQR II: The Catiline Conspiracy by John Maddox Roberts. 4 stars. A reread. This is the second in the Decius Caecillius Metellus the Younger historical mysteries set in ancient Rome toward the end of the Republic, when larger-than-life men like Cicero, Crassus, Pompey, and Julius Caesar were in their prime. In this one, there has been a rash of seemingly unrelated murders of Roman citizens, and, though the methods of the murders are dissimilar, Decius believes they are connected and obtains authorization to investigate. At the same time, Catiline ~ angry at being passed over for honors ~ conspires to bring down the political order and make himself Consul, and Decius is pulled into the ill-fated conspiracy. Not the most exciting mystery, but a greatly satisfying read nonetheless. I like these more than most of the mysteries set in ancient Rome that are out there, on a par with the early Falco and early Gordianus the Finder mysteries.

This is the fourth mystery read for Mystery March.

ETA: Next up is SPQR III: The Sacrilege, set around the time of the sacriligious incident when Clodius, dressed as a woman, snuck into the sacred rites of the Bona Dea, some said so he could seduce Caesar's wife (who was hosting the rites), creating a huge scandal and resulting in Caesar divorcing his probably innocent wife, saying: "Caesar's wife must be above suspicion."

32. SPQR III: The Sacrilege by John Maddox Roberts. 4 stars. Just loving this historical mystery series. A pleasant interlude between more intense mystery thrillers.

ETA still reading Tripwire by Lee Child.

Oh, I love the Lee Child books, Mary. If you like the early ones, there's a load of fun reading ahead of you!

Heh, yes, I do like Reacher, so I'm very glad I've got a lot of books left to read in the series. What do you think of the choice for the Reacher character in the film adaptation I've heard is in production?

Oh, my, I'm so disappointed with the Tom Cruise choice for Reacher, Mary. That doesn't fit at all, as far as I'm concerned. But Lee Child is fine with it, so I'll try to hold off my skepticism. I sure do wish they had done better than that, though.

Lee Child said this in an interview in the Christian Science Monitor:

"The movie is always different from the book. My approach is simple: I look for the best qualified people. In the case of Tom Cruise, the best actor. I’ve worked with actors all my life. I was in television. I know actors very well. And I believe that Cruise is the best actor of his generation. He’s a great actor and he’s also a very reliable professional. He’s going to show up and do a good job."

Maybe, but he sure doesn't match the description. I know I was terribly disappointed when they cast him as Lestat in Interview With the Vampire. But then I was disappointed (at first) when they cast Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn, and it turns out I actually like him now after having watched the films about a half dozen times. So I guess you're right to wait and see.

Hi Mary, I've been internetless for about 10 days so the idea of catching up is ludicrous, but I'll leave a *smooch* and keep up from here!

Yes, Viggo Mortensen turned out to be terrific as Aragorn, I thought. I didn't see Interview with a Vampire. I like Cruise best when he makes fun of himself, like in Tropic Thunder and one of the Austin Powers movies.

Smooches back at you, Richard. Internetless for TEN DAYS? And you are still sane?

>164 Storeetllr: It was touch and go yesterday...

32. SPQR I: The King's Gambit by John Maddox Roberts. 4 stars. Going through these like potato chips (or dark chocolate bonbons) and enjoying each one immensely. They are rereads for me, and well worth the time. I'm also reading Lee Child's Tripwire, which is uber-tense, so the SPQR mysteries are a welcome break from the nail-biting tension. In this one, while investigating the murders of an ex-gladiator, a rich freedman and a foreigner that happened in or around his district the Subura, Decius stumbles on a conspiracy (my, there sure were a lot of those happening back in the time of the late-Republic; almost as many as are allegedly happening today) against Lucullus, a successful general, involving Clodia, Clodius, a twisty (literally) foreigner, a royal foreigner, and the important men of the day: Crassus, Pompey and perhaps Caesar.

Just stopping to say Hi!!!!!

Hi, Tammy! Thanks for stopping by.

33. SPQR V: Saturnalia by John Maddox Roberts. 4 stars. Another solid historical mystery.

34. SPQR VI: Nobody Loves a Centurion by John Maddox Roberts. 3.75 stars. Not quite as enjoyable as the ones set in Rome (this is set in Gaul in Caesar's camp just before hostilities with the Helvetii begin), but probably the best mystery plot and solution so far.

35. Petty Treason by Madeleine E. Robins. 4 stars. Second in the series featuring Sarah Tolerance and set in the early 1800s during the Napoleanic war. Miss Tolerance is hired to protect a widow whose husband was bludgeoned to death in his bed, and, from there, things get messy.

Hi, Mary. Just dropping by..**waving hi**

Wondering if you ever finished The Dog Who Knew Too Much

Hi, Ellen! *waves back*

Nope, not yet. I'm almost ready for it, though. Have you read it? Does Bernie continue being stupid, endangering Chet, or does he eventually wise up? I am sure all turns out well in the end, but I'm not sure I can keep reading about a guy who makes the same stupid mistake over and over again without ever learning or growing. Maybe that's life, but I don't like it in the series I read.

Nope....I'm waiting for you to make sure Chet's ok. LOL!

I've read the 1st 3 and although I agree with you regarding Bernie, I'm just so endeared by Chet that I'll probably continue with the series

(as long as he's a healthy happy lil pup) ;)

36. Taken by Robert Crais. 4.5 stars. Audio. I listened to this on a roadtrip ~ Nickel and I drove to Phoenix and back to spend a long weekend with my sister. The whole book was one intense nail-biting scene after another, interspersed with a few really cool scenes of Joe Pitt and Jon Stone doing their stealth thing and Elvis Cole doing his goofy like a fox thing. The scenes with the poor "taken" people and their torturers were heart-wrenching, though, and I had a hard time with some of them. I also was a little annoyed with the way the story went backward and forward. I kept up okay, but it was just a bit offputting. The ending was well worth it, though.

Next up on audio has got to be something lighter, perhaps The Dog Who Knew Too Much.

You remind me that I read the first Sarah Tolerance book last year, Point of Honor, and enjoyed it. I will look for Petty Treason.

37. SPQR VII: The Tribune's Curse by John Maddox Roberts. 4 stars. Another worthy book in the Decius Caecillia Metellus mystery series. This time, Crassus has finally gotten Senate approval to wage his war against Parthia, over the protests of a rabidly opposed tribune. As Crassus is leaving Rome to meet up with his army, the tribune appears on the wall above the gate dressed in an outlandish costume and pronounces a hideous curse on Crassus, his army and the entire war against Parthia. Then the body of the tribune turns up mangled and almost unrecognizable, and Decius is drafted by Pompey and the Senate and People to find out both who tutored the tribune in the correct way to pronounce the curse and who murdered him during his tenure as a tribune, when his life was sacrosanct.

38. Murder Most Strange by Dell Shannon. 3.75 stars. I used to read these police procedurals like eating potato chips, one right after the other, and I remember enjoying them immensely. I still enjoyed it, mostly, but it was sure dated! Also not very PC and a few things left a bad taste in my mental mouth, though I realize this series was written back in the 70s and 80 when people actually said derogatory things about gays, women, blacks out loud. There wasn't a lot of that, true, but the few times it came up were a bit shocking to the system. Also, and I actually remember thinking this back in the 70s and 80s when I first read the series, I found it distressing that there were no women detectives and the only woman on the force that was a named character was a policewoman whose main job seemed to be getting coffee for the male detectives and typing their reports.

Just dropping by to let you know I was lucky enough to find A Drowned Maiden's Hair at the library today for $1.oo in the used children's book section. I don't know when I'll get to it....but, I had been disappointed to find my library did not carry it. So....score!

Woo-hoo! Good find, Ellen! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, but, for all of a dollar, it will be a deal even if you don't!

Roni ~ They are pretty fun historical mysteries, aren't they? I have the third one ~ The Sleeping Partner ~ which I just started reading.

I finished it today. LOL! Once I started I couldn't stop! I really enjoyed it and it won't be going back into the used book bin. I'm saving this one for my niece. I was quite enchanted by it. Thanks for the suggestion :)

Oh, so glad you enjoyed it too! How old is your niece?

She's turning 5 this month :)

Oh! She's beautiful! And what a great smile! And is that a dimple I see?

I guess you'll be waiting a year or two before giving her the book. :)

39. The Sleeping Partner by Madeleine Robins. 4.5 stars. Okay, before I review this, I have to say I have no idea what the title has to do with the story, which annoys me. All else about this was pretty much perfect. In this one, the third of the series, Miss Tolerance is hired to find a young woman who has eloped, or so it is believed. Her sister is the only one of the family who seems to care and wants her found after she turned up missing one day and her father disinherited her and forbade her name be mentioned ever again, which, as you can imagine if you know this mystery series, really gets to Miss Tolerance. On the personal front, her aunt suddenly decides to marry an old lover, which throws everyone in the house into a tizzy.

The story was engrossing, and there was even more tension, violence and images of the sordid underbelly of Regency London apparent in this one than the first two, but there were some really great characters (especially the street sweeping boys) and the ending made me cry, which raised it from a solid 4.5 to a 5.

Next up: SPQR VIII: River God's Vengeance (with which I'm almost finished), The Dog Who Knew Too Much on audio, and Sacred as soon as I finish the SPQR mystery.

Mary- How are you? I just wanted to let you know I finished the Sixth Gun. I really liked it. It grew on me quickly and I'm looking forward to Book 2.
I picked up the final 2 Y: The Last Man books. This is a terrific series and I picked up the 4th book in the Locke & Key series.

The girl in the photo is adorable and she looks like she has a "readers" potential.

Hi Mary, your review of The Sleeping Partner grabbed my attention and since I don't know this series, I looked up the first book. I saw a review that described it as a cross between a Georgette Heyer and a Dashiell Hammett - that totally sold it to me!

:) That's actually a pretty good description of the books, except there's really not so much in the way of romance. Anyway, hope you enjoy the series as much as I do, Judy.

Mark! Thanks for coming by. I haven't been reading any GNs this month because I am scarfing up mysteries for the Mystery March Challenge, but at some point (probably sooner than later) I'll be getting the second Sixth Gun. Also, the Y books sound interesting.

40. SPQR VIII: The River God's Vengeance by John Maddox Roberts. 4 stars. In this one, Decius is the plebian aedile for the year, and, in the course of his duties, he investigates the collapse of an insulae which kills around 200 people. What he finds is corruption, murder and conspiracy at the highest levels, as well as the lowest levels. The elders of his family are trying to get him to back off and others are trying to kill him to stop him from exposing them. At the same time, the Tiber is threatening to flood Rome because the corrupt aediles and other high officials before him have for many years neglected to do their jobs and clean out the sewers. Ah, life in the later years of the Republic. Good times!

Now reading: The Dog Who Knew Too Much on audio (which is really good, Ellen!) and starting Sacred.

41. The Dog Who Knew Too Much by Spencer Quinn. 4.5 stars. Audio. There were some nail-bitingly tense moments when I considered stopping reading, but I'm glad I pushed through them because the ending was so worth it. In this one, Bernie & Chet are hired by a woman to be her "bodyguard" at her son Devin's summer camp parents' weekend because she was afraid her ex would try something nasty with her, and she thought just the presence of another man at her side would hold him off. Then Devin goes missing while on a hike, and the case turns into something else altogether. There were some really really nasty characters in this one, almost worse than the crime boss who captured Chet in an earlier book. Chet experienced a cave-in, a choke chain, and a fringed mocassin among many other things, but worse was being without Bernie for a large portion of the book and worrying about him pretty much constantly (between the occasional treat, mouse, and sleuthing adventure with Suzie.

Recommended.

Ellen, safe to read if you don't mind losing a nail or two.

I had a fantastic Mystery March! Here are the mysteries I finished:

1. Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich. 4 stars.
2. Cold Vengeance by Preston and Child. 3.75 stars.
3. The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Potzsch. 3 stars.
4. SPQR II: The Catiline Conspiracy by John Maddox Roberts. 4.5 stars.
5. SPQR II: The Catiline Conspiracy by John Maddox Roberts. 4.5 stars.
6. SPQR I: The King's Gambit by John Maddox Roberts. 4 stars.
7. SPQR V: Saturnalia by John Maddox Roberts. 4 stars.
8. SPQR VI: Nobody Loves a Centurion by John Maddox Roberts. 3.75 stars.
9. Petty Treason by Madieline E. Robins. 4 stars
10. Taken by Robert Crais. 4.5 stars.
11. SPQR VII: The Tribunes Curse by John Maddox Roberts.
12. Murder Most Strange by Dell Shannon. 3.75 stars
13. The Sleeping Partner by Madeleine Robins. 4.75 stars
14. SPQR VIII: The River God's Vengeance by John Maddox Roberts. 4 stars
15. The Dog Who Knew Too Much by Spencer Quinn. 4.5 stars

Can't wait till May, though I still have a couple of mysteries I'm working on (Sacred and SPQR IV: The Temple of the Muses) so will be reading mysteries through April, I am sure.

You beat me to flinders! I only read 9 mysteries. One of them, however, was Petty Treason, inspired by your reminding me of that series, and I definitely enjoyed it.

I, um, only read one book for Mystery March. But then, I forgot it was Mystery March until last week. Haha. But it's okay, you read enough mysteries for several of us! :D

Great job for Mystery March! I hope to read The Dog Who Knew Too Much this month. Glad to hear Chet is doing well!

Wow, Mary, quite an impressive line up of mysteries that you completed in March - good job!

Thanks! None of them were doorstoppers, though, so it isn't as big a deal as if I'd read, say, 15 long ones like Dissolution or An Instance of the Fingerpost. And I really really like mysteries, especially historical mysteries. Two of my favorite genre together in one book!

Roni ~ glad you enjoyed Petty Treason. The next in the series, The Sleeping Partner, was even better, I thought.

Faith ~ There's always Mystery May. Start making your list now. :)

Ellen ~ There were a few really tense moments, but Chet (and Bernie) came out okay. I'm no longer annoyed with him (Bernie), and Suzy was in a lot of the book. I like her a lot. I also liked the ways Chet related to her and to her and Bernie.

42. SPQR IV: The Temple of the Muses by John Maddox Roberts. 4.5 stars. Odd that I forgot to count this one. Oh, well. I'll have to review it later.

43. SPQR IX: The Princess and the Pirates by John Maddox Roberts. 4 stars. Another fine book in the series. It seems to have taken me inordinately long to finish it, but my life has been a bit at sixes & sevens the last couple of weeks. I may be moving soon, so I've been looking for another apartment, which always takes a lot of time. Consequently, my reading has suffered. I'm considering moving to the beach (Long Beach, in a sweet little neighborhood known as Alamitos Beach), after having lived inland for most of my life. Long Beach is about 40 miles from where I live now, so traveling back and forth takes a lot of time, and when I get home, I'm usually too exhausted to do much in the way of reading.

Anyway, the book. The Senate sends Decius to the island of Cypress ~ lately appropriated from Egypt by Rome ~ to deal with a nasty outbreak of pirates. He arrives just in time to celebrate the Aphrodisia ~ the annual celebration in honor of the island's goddess, Aphrodite, who was said to have come ashore there on her half shell after she was born of the sea foam. While there, he stays at the governor's villa, where Cleopatra is also a guest. A few more of the old gang is there, too, eventually: Hermes, of course, and Julia, but also Titus Milo. Then the governor is murdered in a singularly strange way, and Decius is "on the case."

I really liked the ending, but the whole story was good.

ETA #42.

44. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. 5 stars. YA. Kindle. This is one of the best books I've read this year, and one of the best YA novels I've ever read. From the very beginning, it had me. I've heard some readers say it was boring in parts, but I didn't think so at all. It's pace changed from time to time, but I didn't find the slower bits boring. I read it only on the commute, about an hour's worth of time a day, so it took me awhile, and I have to say I had to use a lot of willpower not to devour it at other times, especially the last third of the book. Okay, the story. It takes place on the island of Thisby which is probably located somewhere in the North Sea or in the North Atlantic near Ireland (at least that's the sense I got). The island economy is pretty depressed, and, in fact, the main moneymaking enterprise is the raising of horses, both ordinary flesh-and-blood horses and the sea horses called capaill uisce (coppie ooshka). These fae creatures rise out of the October seas every year, and every year the men of Thisby capture, train and race theirs. The race is held in November, and it is the biggest event of the year. There is a festival, and people come from all over the world to watch the race. There is also a lot of death, because the thing about the capaill uisce is they are meat eaters, wild and feral monsters, who love little more than to take a chunk out of a human or sheep or ordinary horse. They are drawn to Thisby but love the sea, and they can be controlled only by a kind of magic. One particular uisce stallion ~ the red coated Corr ~ is owned by Malvern, the richest man on the island, but Corr has been ridden to victory four times by Sean Kendrick, a Malvern employee and a capaill uisce whisperer. This year, for the first time ever, in order to win enough to save her family home, a young woman Kate Connolly enters the race ~ on an ordinary horse.

I loved the story, the characters, the capaill uisce, the vividness of the island life, and the writing. I didn't want it to end. I know I'll be reading it again.

Edited to correct misspelling.

A nice review. I will have to ransack my daughter's bookcase, as I know she has a copy of it. I think I will have to check into those SPQR books as well. I took Latin oh so many years ago and have always had a fascination with that time period.

46. SPQR X: A Point of Law by John Maddox Roberts. 4 stars. Another good mystery, in this one Decius is accused of malfeasance while in Cypress, then his accuser ends up murdered, and Decius is accused of it. Really fun series.

47. The Secrets of Vesuvius by Caroline Lawrence. 4 stars. A children's historical mystery set in the reign of Vespatian, this one has Flavia and her friends fleeing the eruption of Vesuvius. Easy, quick read, and lots of fun. Ancient Rome seen through the eyes of four rather precocious children.

#197 Hi, Mamie ~ Oh, I hope you find it and that you enjoy it as much as I did. I just saw that it's one of the 2011 Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalists for YA Literature (http://events.latimes.com/bookprizes/).

48. A Good and Useful Hurt by Aric Davis. 4.5 stars. I didn't think I'd like this, though the premise sounded good. I mean, I've got nothing against people who wear tats, but it's just never been my thing. I don't mind admitting that I was wrong and I really enjoyed it. Briefly, it's the story of a tattoo artist, his piercer girlfriend, and a serial killer.

I have The Scorpio Races on my Kindle too--picked it up when it was on special--and have heard nothing but good about it! Soon.

your review of A Good and Useful Hurt is very intriguing. But, it looks like a very rare book. or maybe very new?? How did you come across it?

I find myself jealous of you Kindle readers. I've been putting it off......

Hi Mary- I only skimmed your The Scorpio Races review but 5 stars got my attention. I have heard good things about this one. I'll see if the audio is available from my library.

Oh, Roni ~ I totally agree with not reading a review about a book until after you read it. Even non-spoiler reviews can mess with my enjoyment of a book. That said, when you get around to reading it, I hope you like it as much as I did. Can't wait to see your review of it (since I've already read it. ;)

Ellen ~ I got A Good and Useful Hurt free (or for 99 cents, I'm not sure offhand) from Amazon.com. I don't think it's rare, though it may be relatively new. I saw some other reviews of it on some site, or maybe some blogs. Anyway, I don't know if it's in print form or only an ebook, but it should be in print it's so good. BTW, I should post a warning that the denoument is violent and kind of gruesome, but it was fitting, so it only bothered me a little.

Hi, Mark ~ I hope you can find the audio of The Scorpio races at your library. If you do, let me know how the audio version is. I read it on Kindle and was thinking about listening to it next.

Oh, yes, I forgot to mention something about A Good and Useful Hurt that might appeal to Mark: a number of scenes take place in a microbrewery, and in one the main character Mike tutors his girlfriend Deb on different kinds and types of beer, ale, etc. Very informative, I thought, knowing very little about the subject (notwithstanding having been raised on the South Side of Chicago, where everyone drinks beer if only in the hot summers.

Hi Mary, I just barely scanned your review as well, but the 5 star rating made me very happy since I purchased this one for my Kindle as a "Deal of the Day", thanks to your bringing to my attention. :)

*waving* at Mary

Hi, Judy ~ I look forward to hearing what you think of it when you've gotten around to reading it!

Hi, Stacia!

I haven't been around a lot this week ~ been on jury duty so not a lot of time for fun stuff. Tomorrow
is the end of it, though, I hope. It's been interesting, but I'll be glad to get back to my usual job on Monday. And to have more time in the evenings to spend on LT rather than logging on to my work system from home and trying to keep up with the job.

Jury duty - bummer. I just served on a jury last spring and guess what I bought with my jury duty paycheck...books!

Well, to be honest, Mamie, I kind of enjoyed the break from routine, though you're right, it sure isn't something one does for the money! I am fortunate that my employer pays for 15 days of jury duty, so I just figure the stipend is for buying lunches and bottles of water. Though using it to buy books is also a good use for it.

Today, four other jurors and I went on a little tour of L.A. at lunch, first to Philippe's ~ a restaurant famous in L.A. for their french-dipped beef (and other meat) sandwiches (supposedly the place that invented french-dipped beef sandwiches, but I don't know if that's true or just a fun urban legend) ~ and then on to Chinatown where we had dim sum. It was a lovely outing that I'd never have had time for on a regular workday.

hey there! I didn't realize you were in LA. I was thinking about checking out the LA Times Festival of Books this weekend. Have you ever gone?

OK, well that is way better than my experience. We got 1/2 hour for lunch and the only thing that was close enough for that time frame was Subway- so we had it everyday. And the trial? Child molestation and intimidation. Does it get worse than sitting through four days of that and then ending up with a hung jury because one guy on the jury was a complete JERK? Not that I have strong feelings about it or anything!

Hi, Ellen ~ Yes, and I always enjoy it! Last year, for the first time, I didn't make any reservations, and I managed to get into a couple of panel discussions/author talks that I wanted to attend, so this year my girlfriend and I are doing the same and hoping for the best. (You almost have to make the reservations the day they open it online or it gets filled up, but I guess some people just can't make it and so they give away the empty seats a short while before the event.) I'll be there tomorrow around 11:30 a.m. and am hoping to be able to go to the YA panel (with Libba Bray) at noon (or the panel with Aimee Bender of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake fame on it at the same time) and the Mystery & Magic panel at 3 p.m. (Deborah Harkness is on it). Sunday is going to be even better, but my friend can only do Saturday, so... (Sunday is Anne Rice, Maggie Stiefvater (!), Betty White, and Robert Crais, another favorite mystery writer.)

Oh, Mamie ~ That must have been awful. Like I said, we had a great schedule, the trial was about an auto accident where no one was killed and there were only relatively minor injuries, and all the jurors got along pretty well throughout the trial, but once we got in deliberations this morning, all that changed. At least two were absolutely TSTL, and I had to forcibly restrain myself from jumping over the table and throttling them! (just kidding) I was the jury foreperson, so I had to work really really hard to be calm and reasonable in the face of those unreasonable jurors who had no idea what they were talking about. lol Glad it's over and hope I don't have to do it for another decade! Oh, and worst of all? None of them were book readers, so we couldn't talk about that and had to stick with weather and what we were going to do over the weekend, stuff like that. :)

49. The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill. 4.5 stars. Well, now I understand what Richard Derus has been raving about all these weeks! Dr. Siri and his comrades are endearing characters, while the mysteries are quite satisfying, the mysticism appealing, and the world of Laos immediately after the revolution compelling and realistic. All in all, the novel is a joy! Am going to pick up the next ones as soon as I can get to the library next (which will probably be tomorrow or Sunday). I'm definitely going to have to find Richard's latest thread and thank him for introducing Dr. Siri to me!

Hooray for another Dr. Siri fan!!

Stopping to say hi.

I've never had jury duty. I often thought I would like to do it once for the experience.

#214: I own that one and really must get it read!

Hi, Tammy ~ It was definitely an interesting experience, and a nice break from the everyday, that's for sure. If your employer pays for it, then it's worth it! Plus it's one of our duties as American citizens. BTW, one jury member was a naturalized citizen from the old Soviet Union, and she was so proud to serve. Made me kinda proud too.

Stasia ~ I think you will enjoy it. Can't wait to see you think after you read it.

Went to the L.A. Times Festival of Books today and had a great time! My girlfriend was a little late in picking me up, so we missed the YA panel with Libba Bray, but we caught one at the end of the day. I didn't know any of those YA panelists, or so I thought, but one of them turned out to be the author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children! And the books the other two talked about sounded really good too.

So I bought all three (well, not the new one by Ransom Riggs, but Miss Peregrine's Home, plus one called Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos that sounded absolutely hilarious, and another called The Stranger Within Sarah Stein by Thane Rosenbaum about a girl whose parents separate and how she finds herself in the mess that event made of her world. We also went to the Mystery and Magic panel because my friend wanted to hear Deborah Harkness who wrote A Discovery of Witches, which I also bought due to my friend's raving about it, plus it sounded good (witches, vampires, demons, genetic science, history ~ how could I pass it by?). It was an expensive day for someone who does not usually buy books and rather borrows from the library, but once a year isn't too extravagant, right? And besides I got to meet the authors and get the books signed.

Very cool!!

Sounds like a great day! I'm glad you had fun. Are all your books signed? A Discovery of Witches has been on my list for awhile.......hope you enjoy! I liked Miss Peregrine, the old photos really made the story. I look forward to hearing how you like the books you bought.

I doubt I'll be able to make it tomorrow. Hopefully next year!

Oh, too bad, tomorrow is going to be a great day! Anne Rice, Betty White, Maggie Stiefvater, Seth Grahame-Smith (of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter fame! plus he has a new one out, the name of which I can't recall off the top of my head), and Robert Crais (love him ~ he gives great book talks) will all be there, plus Greg Bear, Raymond E. Feist, Philip Kerr, and a number of other names I recognize, though I'm not sure from what.

Yes, all the books are signed. *does the happy dance*

That is just so amazing! How fun for you - have a good time tomorrow and soak it all up.

Oh, I can't get there again tomorrow, Mamie. *sad face* My gf could only go today, so that's what we did, but I must do chores & get prepped for work next week, and besides I need a day to recover from all the walking we did today. (That USC campus is HUGE!) I wish I could make it though. So many authors I would love to tell how much I love their books are going to be there!

Oh bummer! Still, how wonderful to have made it at all.

It looks so overwhelming. So much stuff is going on. I've never been to the USC campus and the schedule seems nuts! It's all spread out, huh? But, wow! and I mean WOW! So many authors!!!

It sounds like it would be a great experience. hummmmmm

I'd like to take my mom....she needs a day out. But, she's currently so bummed she can't go to USC for treatment and surgery it might not be a good idea to bring her there.

oh...and how was the weather? At the beach we had the marine layer going on all day.....foggy and chilly

Yes, I'm grateful to have been able to be there at least one of the two days.

The weather was wonderful ~ sunny and almost hot ~ until about 4 p.m. when all of a sudden (it seemed) it started to get chilly and then around 5:30 p.m. the clouds rolled in and it got cold. We left at around 6 p.m., and on our drive back up to Pasadena, we left the gloom behind and had sun and warmth again.

I'm sorry about your mom. It would be a good experience I'm sure, if it weren't on the USC campus. Isn't the USC Medical Center off campus though?