Athabasca's 2013 reading journal

And onto the third year of journalling!

The 2012 thread is here

Wishlist

Cavalier of the Apocalypse by Susanne Alleyn
The last unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
Will the Vampire People Please Leave the Lobby? by Allyson Beatrice
My reading life by Pat Conroy
Gate of ivory by Doris Egan
Born To Exile by Phyllis Eisenstein
Keep this forever by Mark Halliday
A Point of Honor by Dorothy J. Heydt
Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines
Alien Earth by Robin Hobb
Lamy of Santa Fe by Paul Horgan
The steers woman by Rosemary Kirstein
The sleeping god by Violette Malan
A history of reading by Alberto Manguel
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
The Sherlockian by Graham Moore
The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris
Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara W. Tuchman
Thief, Liar, Gentleman? by Eleanor Updale
Heir apparent by Vivian Vande Velde
The Merro Tree by Katie Waitman
Changing Fate by Elizabeth Waters

Ordinary decent criminals by Lionel Shriver (for Rita)

In library catalogue

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
James Joyce by Richard Ellmann
Apollos' angels by Jennifer Homans
The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature by Steven Pinker
Born on a blue day by David Tammet
At Mrs Lippincote's by Elizabeth Taylor
Black prism by Brent Weeks

What happened last year

Statistics 2012

Books acquired 105
Books discarded 9
Total 2,180

Books Read 128
Re-reads 4
French 1

Female authors 71
Male authors 53

Own books 42
Library books 82
E-books 2
Friends 2

Genres

Crime 32
Urban fan 30
Historical 23
Fantasy 17
SF 8
YA 6
Non-fiction 9

2013 acquisitions

Fodor's Hong Kong READ
The land of painted caves by Jean M Auel
First Lord's fury by Jim Butcher
The blue castle by L.M. Montgomery (e-book) READ
The Sisters brothers by Patrick deWitt
Shakespeare's landlord by Charlaine Harris
Winter in Madrid by C.J. Sansom
Knights of dark renown by David Gemmell
A little folly by Jude Morgan
The Virginian by Owen Wister (e-book) READ
Intruder by CJ Cherryh
Betrayer by C J Cherryh
A rising thunder by David Weber
Catching fire by Suzanne Collins
Steel's edge by Ilona Andrews
The curse of the Mistwraith by Janny Wurts
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (e-book) READ
Mr Darcy and the secret of becoming a gentleman by Maria Hamilton (e-book) READ
Unmapped country by Chrissie Elmore (e-book) READ
A heart for Milton by Trudy Brasure (e-book) READ
Farlander by Col Buchanan
Old soldiers by David Weber
Delusion in death by J.D. Robb
Farlander by Col Buchanan
Selected poems by Ai Qing
Blood maidens by Barbara Hambly
Elfhome by Wen Spencer
Deceiver by C.J. Cherryh
A mighty fortress by David Weber
The monuments of Orkney
Silver borne by Patricia Briggs
Leading change by John P Kotter
Magic on the storm by Devon Monk
The spirit thief by Rachel Aaron
Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
Celebrity in death by J.D. Robb
The outstretched shadow by Mercedes Lackey
The brutal telling by Louise Penny
Eldrie the healer by Claudia J Edwards
Montalbano's first case by Andrea Camilleri
The ice princess by Camilla Lackberg (Ebook)

Discarded 3

January 2013 TIOLI

#1: Read a book with no duplicate letters in its title: Wolfskin by Juliet Marillier (Couldn't be bothered)
#3: Read a book that was not published by one of the Big Six ; The library at night by Alberto Manguel (shared read)
#7. Read a book with a B somewhere in the title or author's name: Ghost story by Jim Butcher
#11: Read a book that's either the first or the last in a series, BUT it has to be the opposite of whatever book is listed before: Cold days by Jim Butcher; Detection unlimited by Georgette Heyer
#12: Read a book that has a wise man or a king as a character, or has the word 'wise' or 'king' in the title or author's name: The moor by Laurie R King
#14: Read a book by an author who is commonly known by at least a three-part name: Doc by Mary Doria Russell
#22: Read a book mostly filled with pictures: Wildlife Photographer of the Year Portfolio 21 by Rosamund Kidman Cox

Attempted 8, read 7, Shared read 1
TBR pile 7, Library 1

I have you starred and will be looking forward to what you read in 2013!

I am still staring in shock at this line: "Books Read 128"

So very impressed and jealous. :o)

Hi Jill and Clamairy! Unfortunately the 128 books read has a few disadvantages - I really need to spend a bit more time doing other things this year (NY resolution!) At the moment, some emergency housework is much needed. ;0)

Ghost story by Jim Butcher #1
Jan TIOLI #7. Read a book with a B somewhere in the title or author's name
Library book; urban fantasy

Great fun but...the whole book seems to be a bit of a cul-de-sac. As if Butcher decided he wanted to explore a few ideas - so he pretty much wiped out everything that had gone before, introduced a whole different context then, at the end, wiped that out too and reverted to the previous programming! (Kinda like taking an exotic holiday then returning to normal life.) So... confusing, a bit unsatisfying, but the usual fun ride.

#8 - I understand. My house is a dusty mess and I don't even get to read as much as I'd like!

#10 To quote a dear old (and now alas deceased) friend

"Dust the corners? So what can you keep in corners except dust?"

>I quite agree - however, the darned stuff just won't stay in the corners!

Yes, the dust bunnies do like to roam the house and populate. In our case we also usually gather enough dog hair to create a second dog.

Um, yes, for most of us, dust hangs out in corners and on baseboards and behind bookshelves. It's the issue with most avid readers' housekeeping.

But here's today's little factoid. Did you know that recently released research by the Pew Internet and American Life project indicates that only 14% of Americans read more than 6 books in the past twelve months. But *your* personal achievement of reading more than 100 titles in 2012 clearly puts you in a much narrower niche of the population.

So now stop and think. What percentage of the American population do you suppose has dust in the corners? I'm pretty sure that particular number must be far higher than 14%. So you are a member of the elite in one instance and just one of the common herd in the other.

Celebrate being part of the elite!

> Jill, always wanted to be part of the elite :0)



The moor by Laurie R. King #2
Jan TIOLI #12: Read a book that has a wise man or a king as a character, or has the word 'wise' or 'king' in the title or author's name
Own book, crime

This is a great wee series. This time Sherlock pays a return visit to Dartmoor and Baskerville Hall with his missus. Hounds and ghostly chariots, puzzles and murder abound. A cracking read.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year Portfolio 21 by Rosamund Kidman Cox #3
Jan TIOLI #22: Read a book mostly filled with pictures
Own book, non-fiction

This was a lovely Xmas present. Beautiful photographs with interesting commentary. Gorgeous
(A nice momento of the trip to London last year as well.)

The annual Wildlife Photographer exhibition is always one of the highlights of my year. And the books are beautiful, it's hard for me to resist buying them.

The speed of your reading is scary - I'll try to keep up.

#14. LOL. Lies damm lies and statistics?!

I've been waiting for the rest of the King books to appear as ebooks. The first is, the last few are, but the middle. Not available in the UK.. argh. Whoever has the power, please tell publishers not to do this. Oh well there are plenty more books out there while I wait.

>Sakerfalcon - I've only seen the exhibition occasionally, but I always enjoy when I can get down to it. It was amazing last year.

>Janny - you're very welcome - I've been enjoying lurking on your thread.

>reading_fox - I quite agree - why can't they get their act together? What's the point in having the beginning and the end of a series without the middle!

The library at night by Alberto Manguel #4
Jan TIOLI #3: Read a book that was not published by one of the Big Six
Library non-fiction

A charming book with a lovely mixture of scholarship and humour. Almost a miscellany of libraries - we go from the library at Alexandria (old and new) to Dewey and Dracula. I really enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading and libraries. It has a very light touch, while covering a lot of libraries - past and present. I really envy the writer his own library. Beautifully written.

OOh, #21 looks delectable... and yes, my public library has it. Cool beans. Thanks for telling us about it!

Cold days by Jim Butcher #5
Jan TIOLI #11: Read a book that's either the first or the last in a series, BUT it has to be the opposite of whatever book is listed before
Library, urban fantasy

Fab, fab, fab - the usual plot, the usual gang of helpers and hinderers, the usual humour and humanity. Don'cha just love it when a book lives up to all expectations without really disturbing the tropes in any way?

>Jim53 - I hope you enjoy the Manguel, I found it really charming.

>23 Athabasca: Exhausting though, wasn't it? Daaaang. No idea where Butcher is going to go next with Dresden.

I'm reading The Library at Night now, too. I love some of the pictures of different libraries.

I too love The Library at Night - sometimes I take it down from the shelf and just read a couple of paragraphs to cheer myself up. A History of Reading is also worth a look.

#23 I didn't enjoy Cold Days as much as his previous work. Dresden was as great as ever, but I found everyone else quite flat in this one. That said, I can't wait to see where it's heading (although, obviously, I'll have to....)

#24 - Exhausting. A good one word review. :)

Doc by Mary Doria Russell #6
Jan TIOLI #14: Read a book by an author who is commonly known by at least a three-part name
Own book, historical

A lovely book, brimful of great characters and incident. Dad was a great John Wayne fan and, probably because of that I like a good western, and this is very good western indeed. My only quibble would be that the author spends a lot of time explaining why the main characters behave as they do, rather than letting us figure it out ourselves. Apart from that, I thought this was a grand tale.

>24 Morphidae:, 27 Morphy and Mrs Lee - I do find Butcher a bit full on - Cold Days started at a gallop and never let up.

>26 Stillman:, Thanks Stillman, I'll look out for that one.

Detection unlimited by Georgette Heyer #7
TIOLI #11: Read a book that's either the first or the last in a series, BUT it has to be the opposite of whatever book is listed before
Library book, historical crime

A nice little murder mystery set in the standard English village setting with plenty red herrings and most of the suspects "the right sort of people". Enough twists to be interesting and I did like the coppers. A fun, easy read. (Silly title and cover)

Now what makes that cover particularly silly? Source Books (as a publisher) chooses contemporary (with the book) advertisements as their covers for Heyer. You don't like them?

I love Heyer's Regencies, but have never tried her mysteries. This one sounds like fun though and I may look out for it used or at the library.

February TIOLI

#2: Read a historical-fiction or non-fiction book about American History: The help by Kathryn Stockett (Shared read)
#7: Read a book with an arthropod in the title or the author's name: Spider's bite by Jennifer Estep
#8: Washington's Birthday Rolling Challenge: Read a book whose title that starts with the next letter available in the word Washington: Wanderer by Donald E. Quinn (Gaaah! Haven't read no.1 in the series yet!)
#9: Read a book whose author shares their last name with a movie star/entertainer: Daughter of smoke and bone by Laini Taylor (Elizabeth Taylor)
#10: Read a book whose author shares a country of origin with a friend of yours: The alchemist in the shadows by Pierre Pevel (France) ; The potter's field by Andrea Camilleri (Italy)
#21: Read a book with a Valentine's Day related cover: The blue castle by L.M. Montgomery (Shared read)

Attempted 7, Read 6
TBR pile 7
Shared reads 2

>Jill, No I don't like them - Not my idea of female beauty - look at the rouge! :o)

>Sakerfalcon - It was Jill who persuaded me to give the mysteries a go. I love the romances, but I'm finding the mysteries enjoyable too - I didn't much like Death in the stocks, but the others are fun.

#33 - I'll be reading The Cardinal's Blades for that same TIOLI. I guess you thought it was good?

>33 Athabasca: Actually majkia, it was your TIOLI entry that reminded me that I still had no. 2 on the TBR pile - Thanks! I did enjoy the first one - although I thought there were a lot of characters (I'm easily confused!)

Hah! Glad to be of service!

Read the first in the Cardinal's Blades series a year and a half ago but only just picked up the second today. May even get around to reading it sometime this year.

The potter's field by Andrea Camilleri #8
Feb TIOLI #10: Read a book whose author shares a country of origin with a friend of yours
Library book, crime

Another lovely addition to this series - a rather complex crime solved even more complexedly. Great characters, great setting, beautifully written (and translated.)

Spider's bite by Jennifer Estep #9
Feb TIOLI #7: Read a book with an arthropod in the title or the author's name
Own book; urban fantasy

This was alright - as these things go. Hard-nosed assassin teams up with a cop to track down the client who betrayed her. Interesting central character, interesting magic and (miracle of miracles) only one sex scene with the hunky copper! I would read the rest of the series, not sure I'll buy them 'though.

The blue castle by L.M. Montgomery #10
Feb TIOLI #21: Read a book with a Valentine's Day related cover
Own book, ebook, romance

They were talking about this on the TIOLI thread so I thought I would give it a try. It's a charming romance and finding-yourself tale. A real wee gem. (slight spoiler Aren't her family wonderfully awful?...and the denouement wonderfully convenient?)

I haven't read The Blue Castle in years, maybe I'll get it out again this weekend.

The alchemist in the shadows by Pierre Pevel #11
Feb TIOLI: #10: Read a book whose author shares a country of origin with a friend of yours
Library book, fantasy

Another fine romp through a Paris populated by Musketeers and dastardly dragons. Good fun, but, there's something missing...depth? character growth? I don't know. Like the first book in the series, I enjoyed it but found it ultimately unsatisfying. I think the author spreads his attention across too many interesting characters, without us getting to know any one character well enough to really care about them. It might sort itself out by the third book, but I would love to spend some serious time with one of these characters (any one of them, really), rather than constantly going back and forward between six of them.

I was hoping the 2nd book in the series would develop more strongly and that the ensemble of characters would become more stable rather than fleeting glimpses. I guess there's still hope though if you're thinking about the third book.

#43, 44,

Yeah, I'm going to try to get the second book as well. I just love the idea and I do like all the characters. Sigh. I'd like to delve into them more though.

>44 AHS-Wolfy:, 45 Majkia, Wolfy - I absolutely agree - there are great characters here that you only get a glance at. I would have liked a bit more meat to all of them.

The help by Kathryn Stockett #12
Feb TIOLI #2: Read a book about American history
Own book

This was a lovely read - a fictionalised account of the relationships between coloured maids and their white mistresses against the background of the developing Civil Rights movement. The best bits were the characters and the exploration of the restricted choices available at the time to both classes of women involved.

Loved this.

Daughter of smoke and bone by Laini Taylor #13
Feb TIOLI #9: Read a book whose author shares their last name with a movie star/entertainer
Library book, fantasy

I dunno - it had some good bits (Demons and angels duking it out in an eternal war), but I found the present/past life stuff a bit confusing - I kept having to go back and re-read bits. However, it is well written and it could develop into something interesting.

Managing by Henry Mintzberg #14
Library book, non-fiction

Definitely the most sensible book on management that I have ever read. Some theory, but more practical in focus than usual.

March TIOLI

#1. Read a book with one character whose first name starts with the two-letter combination "Jo": Open season by C.J. Box ; North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
#3. Read a book from the book The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Ultimate Reading List: The Virginian by Owen Wister
#4. Read a book in a series that you have already started; Age of doubt by Andrea Camilleri
#11. Read a book because you like its title; The girl who circumnavigated Fairyland in a ship of her own making by Catherynne Valente (Shared read)
#18. Read a book which is included in the World Book Night giveaways: The knife of never letting go by Patrick Ness

Read 6; TBR pile 5
Shared Reads 1

Open season by C. J. Box #15
March TIOLI #1. Read a book with one character whose first name starts with the two-letter combination "Jo"
Library book; crime

OK, I guess. I liked the characters and the setting, but it lacked something - tension, maybe? It seemed rather predictable - completely obvious in places, I thought. However, an OK beach read.

Re #51, I will be very interested to hear your views on Catherynne Valente's book. I have been intrigued by the Amazon blurb, but haven't gotten that extra --oomph-- required to buy it. I need to hear the view of someone whose tastes are similar to mine.

The girl who circumnavigated Fairyland in a ship of her own making by Catherynne M. Valente # 16
March TIOLI #11. Read a book because you like its title
Library book, fantasy

I can't make up my mind if I liked this or not - sort of Alice in Wonderland narrated by an extremely irritating authorial voice. It straddles that junior/adult book divide rather uncomfortably as well. I found it laboured and rather pretentious. Maybe you have to be in a particular mood to be carried away by this book - it's probably meant to be whimsical, I just found it irritating. (Sorry, jill, not much help, am I?)

On the contrary, I think you've been very helpful! I can see where what you describe might indeed require a special mood to properly appreciate it and if that's the case, I don't want to immediately plunk down for it. Thanks, Athabasca!

54: That confirms the impression I had from just sniffing around. I think I'll pass too. Thanks for the comments.

The age of doubt by Andrea Camilleri #17
March TIOLI #4. Read a book in a series that you have already started
Library book, crime

This one is well-named, Montalbano spent most of the time doubting himself. It's maybe a bit existential, but a cracking read for all that.

The Viginian by Owen Wister #18
March TIOLI #3. Read a book from the book The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Ultimate Reading List
Library book, western

Oooh! This was lovely - a cracking tale of daring-do, white hats and black hats with a romance thrown in. A great boy's own adventure.

Re #57: The Age of Doubt sounds quite intriguing. How important is it to have read the prior books in the series?

It always feels so nice to see that other people enjoyed The Virginian as much as I did. :)

>Jim - it isn't critical to have read the earlier books, but it does make it easier - a lot of the doubt has been growing over the last few books, so dwelling on it seems to work in this book. I think if this was the first one I had read, I might have found the gloom a bit oppressive. I would start with one of the earlier books - one of the joys of this series are all the great characters and the other books give them more of a chance to shine.

>MrsLee - I found the Virginian great fun, I've always enjoyed a good western.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell #19
March TIOLI #1. Read a book with one character whose first name starts with the two-letter combination "Jo"
e-book, historical romance

I was seduced into reading this by seeing the BBC series recently. I really enjoyed Richard Armitage's performance. The book was great - pretty slow to start and a bit on the preachy side, but I liked how you got into the heads of the two main characters. The BBC series is amazing - I'll need to purchase it.

The knife of never letting go by Patrick Ness #20
March TIOLI #18. Read a book which is included in the World Book Night giveaways
Own book, YA

This was great - lots of tension, a good storyline with well-developed characters (and a cliff-hanger of an ending, if I ever saw one!) I'll certainly look out for the rest. (This is my World Book Night giveaway title)

I have the Chaos Walking series sat on my tbr shelves so I'm glad you enjoyed it. I keep hearing positive reviews for the books but haven't started in on them yet although The Knife of Never Letting Go is in my options list for this year.

April TIOLI

#3. Read a book with an embedded word whether scrambled or unscrambled in a single word within the title: The dragon arcana by Pierre Pevel (arc)
#8: Read a book about religious oppression: The red tent by Anita Diamant (shared read)
#9. Read a work with a 4 syllable word on the 13th page: (disrespectful) The secret life of William Shakespeare by Jude Morgan
#10. Read a work in which both the title and the author's name contains double letters: Etiquette and espionage by Gail Carriger (not in the mood)

Attempted 4: Read: 3: TBR pile 2

65: Can you explain #3? I don't see it.

Presumably 'vengeance' includes the letters that make up the word 'cane'. But there are probably other answers as well.

>66 Meredy:. 67 Yea - I wanted to read Child of vengeance and could only find "cane" or "acne" - but that fulfilled the TIOLI criteria. (Someone brighter might be able to find a better embedded word) :0)

Oh--meaning you can anagram it or subsets of it to make other words? What an odd criterion.

I see cave, even, nave, gave, vane, gene, avenge.

Unmapped country by Chrissie Elmore #21
ebook, historical romance

A fanfic sort-of-sequel to North and South. Quite well-written, if a bit episodic although I did want to bang the two protagonists' heads together.

>69 Meredy: Thanks Meredy - I may use one of those instead!

Just registering that I have been reading your thread all this time! I too enjoyed The Virginian and North and South. With regard to Wister's novel, I remember a friend enthusing about it to me and recommending it on the basis of it being a love story. Up until that point, my only exposure to it had been a Classics Comics Illustrated which did emphasize the ranch hand Western nature of it. With regard to North and South, like you, I saw the BBC mini-series and wanted to follow up with it.

Mr Darcy and the secret of becoming a gentleman by Maria Hamilton #22
Ebook, historical romance

Another fanfic sequel, this time to Pride and Prejudice. I did enjoy it - it was sweet and funny(although one more mention of Darcy's dimples would have sent me over the edge!!)

Statistics Jan - March

Books Read 22
Books acquired 20

Library books 12
Own 10

Male authors 10
Female authors 12

Historical 6
Crime 5
Non-fiction 4
Urban fan 4
Fantasy 2
SF 1

The secret life of William Shakespeare by Jude Morgan #23
April TIOLI #9. Read a work with a 4 syllable word on the 13th page (disrespectful)
Library book, historical

We know so little about Shakespeare himself that any glimpse into might-have-beens is interesting. However, I found this difficult to finish - there was a heaviness about the writing that made reading it a bit like wading through treacle. The writer was maybe intimidated by the subject? In any event a nice idea rather ponderously realised.

RE #72 - I have to ask. Does Austen give Mr. Darcy dimples or is this something that has been added in the fanfic sequels? I'm not being snarky. I'm really wondering whether the original work gave Mr. Darcy dimples.

>75 jillmwo: Jill, I definitely don't remember dimples from the original! But then I don't remember Darcy smiling much :0) That's probably what made their sudden appearance here so jarring.

>74 Athabasca:: I really liked Morgan's novel Passion, which is about the poets Keats, Byron and Shelley and the various women in their lives. I have a couple of his others that I haven't read yet, both set in the Regency era. I may be the only person out there who isn't really interested in Shakespeare's personal life, real or imagined, so I'll give that one a miss!

I read his Indiscretion and liked it. I've had An Accomplished Woman sitting on my shelf forever, but haven't yet been drawn into it.

My personal Darcy will ALWAYS look like Colin Firth. (Though I read the book for the first time before I saw that version.) I'm afraid I am just not tempted to read any Austen themed fan fic. I worry it will taint the originals for me.

#79 by @clamairy> My personal Darcy will always look like David Rintoul from the mini-series in 1980.

#80 - Oh, not bad!!!

#79,80 - I really like the Colin Firth version of P&P, but Colin Firth isn't really my ideal Darcy. I like Matthew McFadyen in the role, but don't like the rest of the film as much as the BBC series. I liked David Rintoul at the time, but now I find the acting style (normal for the time) a bit stilted.

So, still looking for my Darcy :0)

I like a bit of fanfic - particularly around my favourite classics. I nearly always end up re-reading the original afterwards, looking for comparisons (this time it will be for the existence or non-existence of the Darcy dimple!)

I'm willing to try a bit more Jude Morgan. I just found this one difficult to finish. I adore Shakespeare, so will read just about anything that tries to shine a bit of light on him. Passion sounds interesting - I'm quite fond of the Romantic poets or "the boys in the band", as Sgt Hathaway would have it!

I always thought that David Rintoul captured the attitude of the Darcy of my imagination better than Firth did (although Firth is not hard on the eyes by any means) and I always thought that Faye Weldon did a fabulous job on that particular screen adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.

The dragon arcana by Pierre Pevel #24
April TIOLI #3. Read a book with an embedded word whether scrambled or unscrambled in a single word within the title (arc)
Library book; fantasy

A fairly satisfying end to the series - perhaps a bit too dragon-ex-machina. Great characters that could have had more time spent on them. However, I loved the setting, both geographical and historical and it was a good translation.

The red tent by Anita Diamant #25
April TIOLI #8. Read a book about religious oppression
Library book; historical

A re-telling of the Bible story of Jacob's wives and daughter - a compelling and fascinating look into the lives of women at the time. Beautifully written.

A heart for Milton by Trudy Brasure #26
e-book; historical romance

Another North and South fanfic sequel. A good read, if a bit long (The author didn't seem to know how to stop) and a little too Mills n' boony for my taste.

May TIOLI

6. Read a book with a single word title that is, or contains, a proper name; Damiano by R.A MacAvoy
7. Read a book that has only five letter words in the title; Blood lines by Tanya Huff
8: Read a book with "life" or "death" in the title: Calculated in death by J.D. Robb
12: Read Something Just for the Fun of It, Just Cuz You Want To: Dance of the seagull by Andrea Camilleri (Shared read)
17: Read a lesser-known book by a well-known author; The Hangman by Louise Penny

Read 5
TBR pile 4, Library 1
1 Shared Read

#85 - Oh, I really enjoyed The Red Tent. Have you read any of her other books, Athabasca? I have one or two sitting around but just haven't gotten to them yet.

#88 Clamairy - The red tent was my first Diamant but, like you, I'm sure I'll get around to the others at some point.

Damiano by R. A. MacAvoy #27
May TIOLI #6. Read a book with a single word title that is, or contains, a proper name
Own book, fantasy

A quaint wee fantasy set in a Renaissance Italy setting. It seemed to want to have more depth than was evident - maybe that will develop in later books. I just found it a bit unsatisfying - I found it difficult to care much for the hero - once again the dog had more personality.

Blood lines by Tanya Huff #28
May TIOLI #7. Read a book that has only five letter words in the title
Own book, urban fantasy

I've tried a few books in this series before, but could never really get into them. I thought this one was better - perhaps the relationships have developed to a point where they are interesting? I enjoyed the interplay of characters, the baddie (a wee bitty unbelievable, but..) and the over-the-top resolution. Good fun.

The Hangman by Louise Penny #29
May TIOLI #17: Read a lesser-known book by a well-known author
Own book, e-book

A Gamache novella written for the Canadian Good Reads series. A quick little murder mystery with the usual cast of characters and not a great deal of depth. However, a nice addition to the series, while we wait impatiently for the next book.

The dance of the seagull by Andrea Camilleri #30
May TIOLI #12: Read Something Just for the Fun of It, Just Cuz You Want To
Library book, crime

Another lovely Montalbano - I loved how he refused to acknowledge the TV series! (a bit meta!). It took rather a long time to get to the point and the final denouement does seem a bit unconnected to the crime. However, fun.

Calculated in death by J.D. Robb #31
May TIOLI #8: Read a book with "life" or "death" in the title
Library book, crime

Another lovely addition to the series. Loadsa fun, if exactly like the other 35 books!

June TIOLI

6. Read a book where a title word or author name starts with B,D,G,J,P,R,U; Frost burned by Patricia Briggs

Too many holidays to spend much time reading!

July TIOLI

#4 Read the last book in a series; Lover at last by J. R. Ward
#21 Read a book where the protagonist(s) undertake a quest / mission / cause: The game by Laurie R. King
#27 Read a book that has a personal name in the first line: The spirit thief by Rachel Aaron

Geist by Philippa Ballantine #32
Own book, fantasy

This was a great wee fantasy - great characters, interesting magic - well-written all around. I will definitely look out for more by this author.

A rising thunder by David Weber #33
Own book, science fiction

Very much a transition book, adding more depth to the threat in the last book and building up to the next. One for the fans, I would think. Great if you love the series, a bit all over the place, if you don't.

Grumbles: I don't like this new layout. I have a large screen monitor and can only use something like a third of the screen for typing. Grrrrr! I feel like I'm typing Lilliputian notes rather than reviews!

The game by Laurie R. King #34
July TIOLI #21 Read a book where the protagonist(s) undertake a quest / mission / cause
Own book, historical

A rip-roaring read. This time Sherlock and the missus set out on a Kiplingesque adventure to the wilds of the Raj. Full of interesting characters, more than a bit unbelievable in places, but a great boys-own yarn.

Statistics April - June

Books Read 12
Books acquired 6

Library books 5
Own 7

Male authors 4
Female authors 8

Historical 4
Crime 4
Urban fan 1
Fantasy 3
SF 1

Ebooks 2

The spirit thief by Rachel Aaron #35
Library book, fantasy

A lovely fantasy, loads of fun with some cool characters and an interesting plot that leaves some room for development. A real wee gem.

Lover at last by J.R. Ward #36
July TIOLI #4 Read the last book in a series
Library book, supernatural

I'm not sure I really know what was going on here. It's obviously at the end of a long series - lots of characters and plot lines I couldn't follow, a bit too much sex and torture. However, there was something compelling about the writing and the characters in particular. Loadsa fun. (Qhuinn)

August TIOLI

#1 Read a book with a title or subtitle ending in Y; The testament of Mary by Colm Toibin (Shared read)
#2 Read a book with a blurry sky on the cover; River of stars by Guy Gavriel Kay
#5 Read a book with several alphabetically sequential letters; Dreadnaught (DE, GH, TU) by Jack Campbell
#8 Read a book where the author's name is a verb; The decoy Princess by Dawn Cook: Lover unbound by J.R. Ward; Lover reborn by J.R. Ward; Dark lover by J.R. Ward

Attempted 7: Read 7
1 Shared read
TBR 2, library 5

Dreadnaught by Jack Campbell #37
Aug TIOLI #5 Read a book with several alphabetically sequential letters (DE, GH, TU)
Own book, science fiction

Another boys own sf adventure from Campbell. Spends a lot of time setting up the series, so it is a wee bitty slow. However, if you liked the first few series, you'll like this. Same characters, more or less the same plot - why mess with what works?

Lover unbound by J. R. Ward #38
Aug TIOLI #8 Read a book whose author's name is also a verb
Library book, urban fantasy

Not quite as good as the first one I read, but OK. I'm not sure the ending worked for me, a bit thrown together I thought. Pleasant tosh. (Vishous)

Lover reborn by J. R. Ward #39
Aug TIOLI #8 Read a book where the author's name is a verb
Library book, urban fantasy

More pleasant tosh - interesting for what's going on with other characters rather than the central love story and I'm really not sure about the "lotsa sex as the answer to all of life's problems" plot line. However, I'm maybe just being picky. (Tohr)

River of stars by Guy Gavriel Kay # 40
Aug TIOLI #2 Read a book with a blurry sky on the cover
Library book, historical

A funny book, not as great as the first in the series, but interesting none the less. Lots of characters that are difficult to keep up with and more interest in the history, than the story, if that makes sense. Quite a lot of themes around history vs storytelling. An interesting read, but not as gripping as the first one.

The testament of Mary by Colm Toibin #41
Aug TIOLI #1 Read a book that ends in y
Library book, historical

An amazing wee book - Mary's own story told against a background of the story being rewritten/revised by others. Beautifully written, full of character and pathos. One of those books that resonates, while, on the surface at least, appearing very simple.

Dark lover by J.R. Ward #42
Aug TIOLI #8 Read a book where the author's name is a verb
Library book; urban fantasy

First book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and pretty good. I have been reading the series backwards and that may have helped as I knew all the characters - there are a lot of them! Pleasant tosh. (Wrath)

September TIOLI

#6. Read a book with a landform in the title or author's name: From the holy mountain by William Dalrymple

Not a very good TIOLI month - got too caught up in the Black Dagger soap opera!

Oooh, I loved The spirit lens and its sequel, The soul mirror. Hope you enjoy them!

> Sakerfalcon - I'm looking forward to it - it's been sitting on the TBR pile for way too long!



The decoy Princess by Dawn Cook #43
Aug TIOLI #8 Read a book where the author's name is a verb
Own book, fantasy

A lovely wee fantasy with a fun plot and great characters. The decoy has to save the kingdom and along the way discovers all sorts of things about herself and the world she thought she knew. Great fun.

Ritual in death and Missing in death by J D Robb #44
Library book, crime

Two Eve Dallas short stories. A little more eccentric than the novels - I guess the writer was just having a bit of fun with them. Good if you like the series, otherwise don't bother.

Lover revealed by J.R. Ward #45
Library book, urban fantasy

Another Black Dagger Brother bites the romantic dust. Fairly good. I like the characters, but the plot's a bit all over the place. Mind you, that could be because I'm reading them out of order and the characters keep getting mixed up a bit. (Butch)

From the holy mountain by William Dalrymple #46
Sept TIOLI #6 Read a book with a landform in the title or author's name
Library book, non-fiction

An absolutely wonderful book. Travelling in the footsteps of two Byzantine monks around the Middle East from Istanbul to the homes of the Desert Fathers in deepest Egypt, the author traces the history of religion in the area - particularly the transition from Byzantine Christianity to Islam. Heartbreaking in its theme of history constantly repeating itself and beautifully empathetic of the plight of all sorts of minorities. It was published in 1997 and one thing that really stands out is how much has changed since then! Rather ironic for a history book. But Syria....Egypt....Yikes! A gorgeous read.

116: That one's going onto my wish list on the strength of your enticing review.

>116 Athabasca:: I read Dalrymple's book about Delhi, City of djinns earlier this year and that was excellent. I'll have to give this one a try too.

> Meredy, Sakerfalcon I loved the Dalrymple book and I'm certainly going to read his others. I found his approach entrancing. Probably didn't hurt that he's a Scot and kept throwing in wee Scottish tidbits as well! :0) enjoy!

Rats! You got me too. Poor sagging wishlist.

>MrsLee - don't try to guilt me out - you've caught me plenty of times!! :0)



Lover eternal by J.R. Ward # 47
Library book, urban fantasy

Another Black Dagger vampirey romance. Pretty good and fairly early in the series so I'm starting to see the genesis of some of the story lines that come to fruition in the later books. Good fun. (Rhage)

Lover enshrined by J.R. Ward #48
Library book, urban fantasy

Another Black Dagger romance where the developing plot lines are almost more interesting than the central romance. I like the addiction sub-plot and the not-so-happy-ending approach. Rather more realistic than the usual nonsense, if you can say that about vampirey romance. (Phury)

Lover mine by J. R. Ward #49
Library book, urban fantasy

Again, this might have been easier to understand, if I had been reading the series in order. An interesting and fairly evenly two-sided romance and a lot of threads of different stories going on. Pleasant tosh. (John Matthew)

@Athabasca, why is it again that you don't read them in order?

>124 zjakkelien: Good question. Short answer - I'm too impatient!

Longer answer - I didn't realise how many story lines develop across several books. I tend to gloss over the complex bad guy story line as it has a bit too much torture for my wimpy tastes. Once I've read them all, I do think I'll need to do a proper read from beginning to end to catch all the threads of all the stories. However I do prefer the later books.

I would advise reading them in order (do as I say, not as I do :0)

125: I know, I've read the first few. Liked those, but after a few, I thought they got too unfocused. Too many story lines in one book. That's why I'm surprises you can like the books while reading them out of order...
Also, I've developed a distinct dislike of the goddess type who keeps insisting on idiotic speech patterns and getting insulted whenever someone phrases something the wrong way. Plus, I hate anyone supposedly all-powerful who actually isn't, and then refuses to explain to her followers that she cannot do everything. Logically, they get upset with her when it seems she demands too many sacrifices and she gets insulted over it, while all she really needed to do was explain. Ugh. Powerful types with artificial huffiness.
I'll admit, it's not a large part of the books, so it isn't the main reason I stopped reading them. Just venting a small frustration...

>126 zjakkelien: I agree - I don't think much of the Scribe Virgin either. I think she becomes a rather easy deus-ex-machina in the early books and I hate that. She is much less prevalent in the later books and I think that's a good thing. I dislike arbitrary deities.

I think I like the series (and I must, because they've hi-jacked my reading intentions for this month) because, by the last books, the writing is good and the characters great fun. I find some of the earlier ones a wee bit earnest/doom n gloom for my tastes.

Lover avenged by J.R. Ward #50
Library book, urban fantasy

Another Black Dagger - this time the most conflicted hero gets his just desserts. But we all knew he was a sweetie at heart! Huh!! Good fun (Rehv)

Lover unleashed by J.R. Ward #51
Library book, urban fantasy

More vampire/human shenanigans. One reviewer called this series a soap opera and that seems right. Lots of interweaving plot lines with characters coming and going. (It would have been a better idea to read them in order) (Payne)

October TIOLI

#5 Read a book with a word related to Halloween in the title: How the light gets in by Louise Penny (howl); Thankless in death by J.D. Robb

COMPLETED 2

Thankless in death by J.D. Robb #52
Library book; crime

Another lovely Eve Dallas - all the usual ingredients, the usual cast and the usual protracted tracking down of the bad guy. Loved it!

Hokkaido Highway blues by Will Ferguson #53
Friend's book; non-fiction

The tale of a cross-Japan pilgrimage following the annual cherry blossom. Really nicely written, funny and insightful. Some themes similar to the film Lost in Translation - how foreign Japan is, how difficult to get to know and how impossible to truly be part of. Interesting, but does get a bit repetitive.

>132 Athabasca:: I have this on Mount Tbr. Glad to hear that you liked it.

Sakerfalcon - I liked it but it did go on a bit!

Statistics July to September

Read 19
Acquired 8

Library books read 16
Own books read 2
Friends books read 1

Male authors 5
Female authors 14

Historical 2
Crime 2
Urban fantasy 10
Fantasy 2
SF 1
NF 2

How the light gets in by Louise Penny #54
TIOLI Oct #5 Read a book with a word related to Halloween in the title (howl)
Library book, crime

Another lovely Gamache crime - I did think it slowed down a lot in the middle, but there is a very satisfying conclusion.

Nov TIOLI

#4. Read a book whose title contains 15 letters or more: A plague on both your houses by Susanna Gregory

A plague on both your houses by Susanna Gregory #55
TIOLI Nov #4
Library book, historical, crime

A very pleasant medieval murder mystery set in the early colleges of Cambridge University. Quite a large body count, what with the plague and all! However, an interesting mystery with a leisurely tempo.

The treasure hunt by Andrea Camilleri #56
Library book, crime

Another lovely Montalbano - a very easy read, as a strange treasure hunt has disturbing consequences. Love the supporting cast in this one.

Dec TIOLI

#1 Read a book with a two word tag starting with the same initial: House of steel by David Weber (Honor Harrington)
#16: Read a book with an embedded word in the title: Never go back by Lee Child

I just purchased what I am hoping is the first Mantalbano, perhaps the prequel? Anyway, I was wondering if I would like it, so it seems at least one reader I know does like it?

>141 MrsLee: Oooh - a prequel! (Rushes off to Amazon to find it!)

MrsLee, I do like this series - Montalbano and his cronies really grow on you. The only issue for me is that they're being translated pretty slowly. I've usually seen the TV episode before the book makes it into English. It always seems odd to read the book after the TV version - it does mean that only Zingaretti looks like Montalbano to me. (Although the actor who plays young Montalbano is pretty cute.)

House of steel by David Weber #57
TIOLI #1 Read a book with a two word tag that starts with the same initials.
Library book, science fiction

Starts off with a short story about King Roger, Elizabeth's father. There follows some history, biographies of characters from the series and rather more information than anyone needs about the various fleet warships.

Taming Natasha by Nora Roberts #58
Library, romance, e-book

A perfectly OK little romance with a few tears thrown in, just what you expect from this author and not the worst way to spend some time.

An unforgettable lady by J.R. Ward #59
Library book romance

A rather forgettable romance of the rich girl/poor guy variety.

Never go back by Lee Child #60
TIOLI Dec #16: Read a book with an embedded word in the title (ever)
Library book, crime

An excellent Reacher story - maybe a bit obvious, in places, but we do know the character and setup pretty well, by now. I particularly liked that this one was less gruesome than some of the others in the series. Because there was a side-kick, there was also much less of the internal monologue that we've grown to expect with Reacher - I can't make up my mind if that's a good or bad thing - probably bad, as it distanced you slightly from the character.

Statistics 2013

Books acquired 44
Books discarded 3
Total 2,221

Books Read 60

Female authors 38
Male authors 22

Own books 19
Library books 40
E-books 3
Friends 1

Genres

Crime 14
Urban fan 15
Historical 13
Fantasy 7
SF 4
Romance 2
Non-fiction 6

So, half the number of books read last year, although I am acquiring fewer too. I wish I could say I was doing other things with my time, but I haven't. I think work stress has just drained my energy, so I've achieved very little outside work this year - something to sort next year! I have done a fair amount of travelling and several conferences, so it wasn't a complete loss.

Great job, Athabasca. More strength and energy to you in the new year. I'm looking forward to reading about what you read. :)